“I'm not your 'dear',” was all she said to him as she drifted along in the water.

By now she had grown accustomed to her life as a 'fish'; she even felt that the other real fish welcomed her into their ranks. But that wasn't what Ulysses wanted to know.

“I’ve played a few tricks on your 'enemy'.” Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced over at him and saw him kneeling on the shore, watching her.

Isabelle had argued with her uncle quite enthusiastically about how she didn't meddle in his affairs - he shouldn't meddle in hers. Even if he's King of Olympus, that didn't grant him the power to order her about when her domain was the Underworld, especially since neither of them often passed through the other's domain. She left the pomp and politics to her father. Hades was already aware that Isabelle would rather behave like a snarling wild dog than have anyone order her around, especially when it came to courtships.

But Hades had politely convinced her that it would get Zeus off her back if she just attended this meeting and was civil. So she begrudingly dons one of the dresses she's hardly ever worn anywhere and presents herself.

When she walks in, she smells him before she sees him. She immediately stops in her tracks, her lip threatening to curl. Her nails bite into her palms as he makes a point of scraping his chair across the floor, her jaw setting as she attempts not to immediately shoot Zeus a glare.

His eyes wide open, he stared into the abyss. It felt as if he were being drawn toward the darkness, toward certain death that awaited him unless a miracle happened to hold him back. But there was nothing, no one. No help. He was going to die.

But at the very last moment, when Lian already thought it was too late, someone grabbed him. A strong hand reached for his arm and prevented him from falling further. He was pulled back up, over the edge, where he could feel solid ground under his feet again.

The fear that had gripped him and still controlled his limbs pulled his legs out from under him, causing him to fall to his knees.

His eyes still filled with panic, he jerked his head up.

“Ulysses!”

Piper smacked his hand away from the bowl with a scowl pursing her pretty but stern features.

"Its not done yet." It sure as hell looked done. In fact it looked more done then most resturants. But that wasn't good enough for Piper. Nothing ever was. Even if she was JUST cooking for Ulysses.

"Go pick out a wine and make yourself useful. I assume being so old you have a good taste in wine?"

Send 🥪❓ to find out what kind of sandwich my muse would make for yous ( accepting )

"Huh? If that is true he has a strange way of 'telling' me that himself. What is it? Intimated by how I act towards him as a 'fish'? He better hurry to get me my legs back."

Lian let the question roll back and forth in his mind. From the very first moment their paths had crossed, Ulysses had protected him and looked out for him, making it clear to him every second—even without words—that he was safe by his side. It was hard to explain what made their relationship so special.

“Maybe because we’ve secretly decided that there’s something connecting us that can’t be torn apart so easily anymore. Deep trust in each other and the certainty that one doesn’t have to be alone when the other is always somewhere very close by. Ulysses is strong. It’s easy for him to protect me from anyone. But I think he should also know that I would be there for him as well if anything ever scared him.”

She was still upset at how things went between them, both were heated and probably said things they didn't mean. She stormed off after what he had said to her, not even looking back once she got in her car and left. It was a shock to see him now, at her door step apologizing.

Lips pressed together as she stood there, eyes glazing over him before she finally let him inside her place. "I also want to apologize too, those I said I didn't mean it either. I was just hurt that you didn't trust me. Thanks for saying that tho."