#background sad

“Where are we going, Lilith?” he asked. The girl was as mischievous as the fairies their mother created, the same fairies that called Lilith their future “Titania”. 

“It’s a secret hiding place. Mama and papa don’t know about it!” Lilith was bouncing on the balls of her feet, her face beaming as she tugged Hades along, the scent of the flowers surrounding them as they traipsed down the steep, flowered slope. When the trail smoothed out, golden eyes found the bramble of trees, their branches bursting with a canopy of blooms. 

“Lily,” Hades’ voice held a bit of warning, as though the flowered depths held some sort of danger. 

A giggle left his sister’s lips. “It’s safe, I checked. I even had the friends check it for me and put in little tricks to keep people out!” she declared.

“Why would you do that?”

“Because this is going to be our secret base, Hades!”

Eyes widening, Hades barely had time to feel the surprise seep into his bones when Lilith tugged him past the threshold of the trees, the opening much like a doorway. Within the sweet-scented cavern, were a smoothed floor of grass, some petals of the branches above dotting some spots; a table and a pair of chairs, even a bookshelf made of blades of grass no different than how Lilith will sometimes tie the blades herself together; there were drawings scattered around this hiding spot and Hades knew his sister seemed to often hide away here for some privacy. 

And she was sharing it with him. 

“Do mother and father really not know this place is here?” he asked in wonder at how a grouping of flowered trees managed to form a small little cave for a girl just barely older than he. 

Grinning, Lilith shook his head. “It’s my secret place and the fairies aren’t allowed to tell. I gave them my order!” she said, planting herself onto the floor. She gestured wildly for Hades to sit with her. “Come on, come on, sit! You’re my brother now, that makes you a prince!”

“Do the creations mother create even allow that?”

“It can be whatever she wants and I like them as they are!”

 Shaking his head, a rare smile on his lips, Hades followed his sister’s lead, sitting upon the grassy floor. “Why did you bring me here?” he asked.

“I want us to make a promise in this place, Hades. That no matter what happens, we can always come here and be honest!” Lilith held out her hand, pinky finger pointed straight up. “Promise me, Hades. No matter what happens when we’re all grown up, we can always come here whenever we want to be honest with each other!”

“I can make that promise. Long as you keep it too.” Hades wrapped his pinky around hers, the link tight between the siblings and Lilith was shining like the sun once again. 

“Of course I promise!”

Of course...we promised.

It was one that was a treasured childhood memory and Hades had returned to that small cove that served as the hideaway for himself and Lilith. He remembered that clear day when they made that promise. Their parents were away to do their duties and Lilith convinced Hades to play with her before he began to perfect his capabilities, before their years of adulthood and his induction to the seat of “Emet-Selch”. 

He found his sister already there, laying on the grassy floor with her eyes closed. Her hair was bound for once, the ends sprawled among the freshly fallen petals. Hades sunk onto the ground beside her, leaning against the trunk of a tree that made up the walls of their little base.

Looking over to his sister, Hades stretched a hand to rest it atop her head. Even with him being younger, he still felt that he had to take the role of the elder sibling. Lilith was so innocent, so pure; she had to be protected. She was their parents’ treasured miracle and she was his treasured sister. 

“Hades?” Lilith’s voice was sleepy, her eyes fluttering open to show those silver-moonlight eyes that he knew and had seen every nuance of emotions within them for years. “When did you get here?” she mumbled. 

“Just now. Have you been waiting long?” replied Hades, continuing to stroke his sister’s hair. 

“No. Not really.”

“That’s good.”

The silence between them was warm, full. There was no need to pretend, no need for facades or masks. This was their place, their secret place for them to be their honest, vulnerable selves. 

Even in the company of Hythlodaeus and Azem, Hades trusted one person absolutely outside of his parents--and that was his sister, whose heart was an open book. He had to protect that heart, no matter the cost.

And Lilith trusted him the most. That trust is an unshakeable bond between the siblings and Hades would die to protect it.