**3rd Person POV**
Regina placed her arms around him in comfort. One would think that the ruler of the Underworld and king of Hades needed no comforting. However, Lucian looked like he was about to cry but he held it in well. If news broke out that Hades had been in tears at the death of his mother, certain entities would try to take advantage of Lucian's soft side. And as Hades, he could not allow that to happen. It was only Regina he could permit to see this side of him. They had managed to remain friends after she had left Hades. In fact, after his ascension to the throne, she had helped his mother build a place for the Faes. It was there she spent most of her time when she was away from home.
The land of the Faes was up on one of the highest mountains to exist. The Faes called it Mount Shasta but the rest of the world knew it as the Mount of Arrow because the mountain had the shape of an arrow.
The land of the Faes was currently a secret to the rest of the world. The Faes feared that once the other creatures became aware of their existence, they would try to manipulate them and even drive them off the earth just like they had been driven away from the skies by the other creatures that envied their magic and harmony.
However, they could not stay hidden forever and thus they needed a new queen. They needed a queen who was strong and tough; a queen who would assert their presence on earth as a strong force and not one to be trifled with.
“It is done,” a fairy flew towards Lucian. She looked towards a tree that had just sprouted from the ground. It was shaped like a mushroom, only that it was a lot bigger and formed a cluster of sorts.
Lucian blinked back the tears that were in his eyes. He turned to look away; the tree was a confirmation of what he had known three days ago: that his mother was gone forever; her soul had been extinguished forever, never to return again.
“I cannot claim to understand your grief, Ruler of Hades but the Faes must begin searching for a new Queen. We cannot do this without your seal of approval,” the fairy said to Lucian.
Lucian had no response; he was in a world of his own.
“Give him time, please,” Regina said to Aurora, the fairy who had made the request.
“Very well, but we do not have much time. They will discover us soon and if we have no queen, we do not stand a chance,” said Aurora.
“I understand,” replied Regina. The fairy nodded and fluttered away. Regina held Lucian by the arm and led him away from the scene. She knew he was Hades but regardless he had been standing in the same spot for three days. He needed to sit down and rest for a while before doing anything else.
“You should try and get some rest,” said Regina to Lucian. He only stared back at her absent-minded. Regina wondered if Lucian would ever come out of this haze of grief. She needed him to at least say something but she could not force him to and the only thing she could do was wait.
“No fairy ever becomes Queen,” Regina was relieved to hear his voice. She needed to engage him; to keep him talking so she asked, “Why is that?”
“They need someone who is capable of complete evil; someone that has been deemed unforgivable; someone with an intense greed for power,” said Lucian. His voice was heavy with sorrow. It was more than just keeping Lucian talking, Regina was now curious.
“But why is that? Why not someone kind? What you say disagrees with their nature,” Regina found Lucian's words to be very strange. The requirements to become a Fae queen seemed rather odd.
“That is the point. They are incapable of ruling themselves without being taken advantage of. They need someone who can make the hard decisions,” said Lucian.
“That is rather odd, so your…” but Regina did not complete her sentence at the risk of upsetting Lucian again. She did not want him to fall silent again.
“You can say it. My mother was not a good person before she became the Fae Queen. She was the epitome of evil. She would sleep with men and then k*ll them in the morning. Once she started burning down entire settlements for no apparent reason. When she was caught, she said she loved to listen to the cries of those in the fire. She was facing public execution when the fairies got to her. They rescued her and made her their Queen,” narrated Lucian in a sombre tone.
It was hard to imagine the former Fae Queen as capable of that sort of evil.
“What happens when they make her queen?” it was even more marvelous that such a person could undergo such a radical change.
“She receives the Fae nature. She is incubated in Fae matter for a couple of weeks and then emerges as a new creature,” returned Lucian.
“I had no idea.”
“Neither did I. I must allow them to find a new queen or else all my mother's work in securing this place for them may go to naught. Even as Hades, there is only so much I can do.”
Regina nodded, glad to see that her friend had come out of his spell of silence. She only had to look in the direction of Aurora before she came fluttering by.
He had been the ruler to grant them land on earth so he was the one to approve their quest for a new queen. It was all very simple; he kissed Aurora on the forehead and she nodded at him in gratitude.
“I wonder who is evil enough to become the next Queen.”