**3rd Person POV**
If days were marked in the underworld, one would say that day dragged on in the underworld with a dreary sensation. The atmosphere was chillier than ever spreading an impending sense of doom and death on its inhabitant. Death had always lurked about for the inhabitants of the underworld because technically they were dead and not living. However, there was something extremely ominous about the times of late that filled Regina with dread.
She was extremely worried too that she had not learned anything about her twins. She had searched the breadth and length of the palace or at the very least all the places she was allowed into yet she had no clue as to their whereabouts.
She was in the spirit of her quest when Lucian blocked her path, “They say Perisphone wanders the palace for souls to eat.”
“I am not Perisphone, Prince Lucian. I do bear a fragment of her soul but I have lived a very different life from the woman you once loved,” replied Regina.
“Tell me why you have come here and I will help you,” said Lucian. It did hurt that Perisphone would not return the feelings he had for her but it did not mean that he would stop trying.
“You said it yourself that no one helps anyone without wanting something in return. I have nothing to offer you, Prince,” came Regina's response.
“You have a lot to offer,” said Lucian.
“I will not…”
“I do not mean that you should accept the mate bond between us, I only ask that you help me secure the throne,” said Lucian. His end goal though was not the throne. His ultimate goal was her; it had always been that way. Before she had come here, he had thought that if he became Hades then he could petition heaven for her soul as he was certain that a soul as kind and beautiful as hers would not have ended up in hell. Now that she was here, he wanted her to be happy and happy with him.
“Prince, the throne is yours, Aegan stands no chance against you and you know that.”
Lucian watched her beautiful face which was lined with deep sorrow. He wished she would share what was troubling her with him but this version of Perisphone was closed off.
“Prince Lucian?” Lucian's attention was drawn by a voice he had not heard in a very long time. He turned around to see an old friend of his. A smile broke on his face as he exclaimed, “Prince Dagen!”
Regina's heart stopped. Had she heard correctly? She had spent all these years running away from Dagen only to end up trapped in the underworld with him. Lucian's body still blocked Dagen so Regina held out hope that it was someone else who happened to have the same name and sound exactly like Dagen. After all, Lucian had addressed him as a Prince.
“It is Alpha now; my parents passed away not too long after we left here,” returned Dagen.
Regina's heart pounded in her chest. She had to leave this place now before Dagen noticed her. However, luck was not on her side because the moment she turned her back to leave, Lucian said, “Marilyn, you must meet my old friend Alpha Dagen.”
Regina now had no choice but to come face to face with her nemesis. It was Dagen alright standing there all majestic looking.
“Have you two met before?” asked Lucian looking from Dagen to Regina as the two of them stared at each other with hostile familiarity.
“She is the reason I am here, dear friend. She ran away from me while pregnant with my children,” it was an accusation of a sort but his tone bore no malice which made Regina squint her eyes in suspicion.
Lucian bore an expression of unpleasant surprise. How was it that the woman he loved was his best friend's woman or had been? He was curious though to know the whole truth.
“You…you are here to take her back?” inquired Lucian.
“He is not. I will not go back with him,” Regina spat out with anger. The pain and humiliation she had suffered at the hands of Dagen and his mistress was still fresh in her memories. She was doing everything in her power to remain calm so that she would not reach out and claw his face.
“Where are my children?” Dagen ignored her hostility.
“Your children? Your children? What do you know of them? You are no father to them,” Regina was seething in anger. All these years she had repressed her bitterness to the very depth of her heart. However, seeing Dagen standing in front of her brought back all the emotions she had thought she never had.
“I do not deserve them, I understand that. I was awful..”
“I do not want to listen to your excuses. I want you to leave me alone, okay?” Regina had tears in her eyes. She would never forget the fear she had felt while living in Dagen's palace. She would never forget the ridicule he had put her through by sleeping with her like she was a sex toy.
“You can remain angry with me all you want but we must look for the…”
“I do not need your help.”
“Regina… you have to put sentiments aside and…”
“You will not speak to me about sentiments, do you understand? You will not speak to me about sentiments.”
“Regina? We should talk somewhere more private. You're in more danger than you know,” said Dagen.
“I am in more danger when you are around me. Please let me be. I want nothing to do with you.”
“I cannot leave you alone because we must find the twins,” Dagen had not come here just to return home without his children and prevent George from using her blood.
“We? There is no we Dagen. Do you remember? You were going to kill me.”