Thankfully, to save Peri from her tornt, her mother entered the room, pushing in a small cart stacked with trays of food.
"You’re awake," Beatrice said warmly, setting the cart near the bed. "How are you feeling now?"
Peri’s face lit up at once. "I feel much better! What did you make?"
Hades blinked in surprise. Just a mont ago, she had been frowning and growling at him, yet now she was all smiles, her eyes sparkling as they lingered on the food.
"It’s nothing fancy," Beatrice replied, lifting a plate filled with vegetables, stead at, and bread. "Your stomach still needs to take it easy."
Peri grinned ear to ear. "After so long, even this feels like heaven, Mama."
Her words carried weight—during her confinent, she had eaten nothing. She had barely stayed conscious as the divinity fused with her soul, yet the hunger, the cold... she had felt all of it.
Beatrice passed a plate to Hades as well, apologizing softly. "Sorry, it might taste a little bland."
"I’m too hungry to mind right now," Hades said with a grateful nod.
The three sat close together, and the two young ones began to eat. Beatrice herself didn’t take a plate—she simply watched her daughter, smiling with relief as Peri chewed each bite slowly.
But before Peri could finish her third mouthful, a voice cut in.
"Thank you for the food."
Both she and Beatrice turned to Hades—only to freeze in shock. His plate was spotless, not a crumb left behind.
Peri blinked. "Wait... did you just inhale that? Or worse, throw it away?"
Hades’s gaze grew firm. "One of the worst cris in my eyes is wasting food. I was hungry, and..." he gave Beatrice a warm smile, "...she’s a wonderful cook."
Peri was still stunned, while Beatrice couldn’t help but smile. "Wait, I’ll serve you more—"
"No, it’s fine. I’ll have breakfast with Luna later," Hades replied calmly.
Peri’s jaw nearly dropped. He can still eat more?!
"Peri... finish your food," Beatrice gently chided her daughter, noticing the way she kept staring at him.
Peri coughed awkwardly and quickly turned her attention back to her plate.
Hades, unfazed by her gaze—he knew his appetite could be unsettling—shifted the subject.
"Has Samarella tried to speak to you since last night?"
At that, Beatrice stiffened, her eyes flicking to Peri with quiet concern.
The young elf fidgeted with a bean on her plate before shaking her head. "No... but I can feel her. She’s there, inside . Watching us. Refusing to talk, refusing to even acknowledge ."
Beatrice bit her lip. "Don’t think too much about it, dear."
Hades nodded in agreent. "Right. Don’t let her influence you. She’s wounded, and she’s angry. Let her be."
"...!" Peri suddenly flinched, her spoon slipping from her hand and clattering onto the plate.
"What happened?" Beatrice asked quickly.
Peri’s face paled as she whispered, "S-She just reacted... she growled at him."
Hades chuckled. "Well, that’s no surprise. I know just how passionately my mate hates ."
He had said mate on purpose, and as expected—
"Stop saying such things! The Divine One is angry!" Peri protested, swinging her little fist in the air, clearly flustered.
Hades laughed again, amused. "Alright, alright. Finish your breakfast. I’ll see you later."
Peri only gave a pout and a sharp hmph, burying her focus back into her food.
Beatrice rose as well. "I’ll see him off."
"Ugh..." Peri groaned, clearly not wanting her mother to leave, but Beatrice was already at the door, following Hades out.
Once they had put so distance from the room, Beatrice finally spoke in a low, hesitant voice.
"Are... are you going to take her with you?"
She knew better than most the strength of a mate’s bond—it was stronger than marriage, a link between two souls. Trying to keep them apart was almost impossible.
Hades sighed. "I know you want her by your side... but I need to take her with ."
Beatrice bit her lip, her heart heavy, as he continued,
"The longer I stay away from her—physically or even ntally—the weaker our bond will grow. And Samarella could use that against us."
Her breath caught. "You an... she could remove the mark?"
Hades shook his head firmly. "No. But in her anger, she might try to take soone else as her mate. And if she does... the pain would tear through both Peri and . It could even put her life at risk."
Beatrice shuddered at those words.
Samarella...might do that considering her hatred towards Hades.
Hades approached the Queen before resting an assuring hand on her shoulder, "I know it’s difficult for you, Beatrice. You just reunited with your daughter and she needs to go away again. I know none of this was in your plans...to have your daughter beco a mate of a man you barely knew but nothing could change now. I am sorry."
Beatrice took a deep breath and thought for a mont.
Raising her eyes, she asked, "Have you told Luna about this?"
Hades nodded, "Yeah."
"And she doesn’t have a problem with this?"
Hades sighed, "She already knew this would happen, that I would have more than one mate."
Beatrice’s shoulders slumped, "I know it’s common for Dragons to have more than one mate but Peri is practically a stranger to both of you."
In a lower tone, she said, "I fear rejection...that my Peri would feel lonely."
Hades’s gaze turned firm upon hearing those words.
"I promise you, Beatrice. Peri is my mate and despite how things are right now between us, I promise I will give her all the love and care she deserves."
Further, he added, "I might have made her my mate in haste and because I had no other option but that doesn’t an I am going to neglect her."
Hades wasn’t offended by the fact that she feared such a thing. She barely knows anything about him after all.
The blond one looked into his eyes and said, "I know you are a great man, Hades...but still..."
Hades assured her, "I promise on my life, Beatrice, that I will keep her safe and happy. Please trust ."
Beatrice had no other option but to trust him
And it isn’t like she was completely unaware what kind of person he is. These few days were enough to tell her that he was a caring man with a strong heart.
Truthfully, what she feared was Peri’s natural disposition around those whom she doesn’t trust. The Queen fears that maybe Peri’s behavior might anger him.
However, if she continues to worry about such things, she would only make things difficult for Hades.
After a brief pause, she asked, "So when are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow, but don’t worry, I will co to take Peri in ten days."
Beatrice smiled, "Thank you...not only for the ti you gave with her but for everything Hades."
°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading.
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