The constellations returned from the heavens to bathe within the waters of the Okeanos, and Ixion’s wheel soon joined them within the waters; it was nightfall within Elysium.

The pathway of Elysium’s main market center was lined with torches aflame, shining brightly within the darkness. A group of shades gathered near, dressed in their finest robes. Theseus himself was no exception, though he tried to keep his looks simple to avoid drawing too much attention. This event was not about himself, after all.

Soon a chariot appeared. Within it stood an Amazon from the distant land of Lydia, her muscular arms scarred from many difficult battles; Antiope, sister of Hippolyta, whom Theseus had befriended long ago . Besides her a shorter, meeker maiden wearing a veil; Anaxo, Theseus’ own childhood friend.

The couple stepped off the chariot, and towards the altar that had been prepared for them. Their eyes sparkled as they looked at one another, Antiope cupping Anaxo’s face within her palms.

“Traditional wedding vows don’t really work for a couple like us…” Anaxo eventually said, “So we both decided to create our own. My Antiope… I never expected to find love here, within the afterlife. You’ve shown me a number of new experiences, and I cherish every single one of them.”

“Anaxo… You’re the most gorgeous fucking woman in the world” (a few chuckles arose from the crowd; Antiope was always very sincere… and very blunt) “ I feel extremely lucky we had a chance to meet, even if it had to be here in Elysium of all places. I wouldn’t trade it for the world!”

The two kissed to a round of cheers from their friends and family, and soon they all gathered elsewhere in order to share food, drink, and gifts for the brides.

---

“Theseus!! I’m so glad you could make it!” Anaxo barreled into Theseus with a hug, nearly knocking him over in the process.

“But of course! I would not miss this for the world.” Theseus squeezed her in return, grinning all the while.

“Asterius couldn’t come, hmm?”

“He feels uncomfortable at large gatherings such as this, but he did send along a gift! As did I! For you, dear Anaxo, may your days be evermore merry!”

Anaxo was quick to unwrap the gifts she’d been given; a bottle of vintage ambrosia from Theseus, and a miniature replica of Anitope’s signature poleaxe from Asterius.

Anaxo again gave Theseus a tight hug, before running off to show her gifts to her wife. It was then that a tall shadow suddenly loomed over Theseus; he turned, and was immediately met with bright red hair.

“Hippolyta?!” Theseus gawked.

“Theseus,” Hippolyta snorted, “What, did you not think I’d show up at my baby sister’s wedding?”

“Ah, no! Nothing of the sort! In fact, it’s so nice to see both you and your sister doing well! …Last I heard, you had found love with Lady Aegle! Is she here tonight?”

“She is. Last I saw, she was asking some Corinthians about the jewelry they wore. That girl loves some fashion…” Hippolyta sighed with a clear longing. Theseus’ eyes light up, seeing how obvious her affections were.

“I see! And may I ask… has tonight’s event made you think about proposing to Aegle? I’m sure she’d love an opportunity to design a dress—”

“Hey, hey. I’m the one who’s asking the questions here!” Hippolyta ruffled his hair, “Why worry about me an’ Aegle when you haven’t even popped the question to that nymph girl you’re seeing?”

At that, Theseus’ face flushed red. He had asked Dianthus to marry him, but that was so many years ago when they were both young. Nothing had come out of that promise; Theseus had returned to Oenoe far too late. But the idea did linger in his mind every now and again when he spent time with the lady in the present. Would his life be very different if he did manage to wed her back then? Or is their love made richer by the failures of the past?

“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” Hippolyta nudged him with her elbow, “I bet she’d say yes, if you asked.”

“Mistress Polyta, it is far too early to be thinking of such things!”

“Early?? You started treating that Minotaur like he’s your husband within days of him being within Elysium. Why not be bold with her too?”

Theseus started to squeak in defense, but he could finish his sentence Antiope began to call out to her older sister, holding a bottle of ambrosia in one hand and a massive goblet in the other.

“Haha! Looks like I should be going. Think about what I said, alright?? We’re all already dead, so why not have some fun with it?”

And Theseus did think; here within Elysium, he’d again discovered the Bull of Minos within the depths of the underworld, and with him forged a bond stronger than any steel. Asterius was his friend, his partner, and lover all at once.

Not only that, but he’d been able to rediscover a bond with the maiden of spring, Dianthus, who now worked within Elysium’s own library. To think he would find her again here, after their chance meeting upon the surface! And she was even more gorgeous, more worldly, more ravishing than she was in their shared past.

…Asterius and himself had already promised their bodies and souls to one another. Though he had times where his insecurities gripped him like a vice, he knew within the depths of his heart that Asterius would never leave his side. And he, in turn, would never leave Asterius.

Perhaps, once he returned to their home, he would discuss his thoughts with the bull.

---

“If that is your decision, then I support it.”

Within their shared home, Theseus had told his bullish lover what was now weighing on his mind. Dear Asterius was always so willing to listen, and yet so shy when it came to sharing his own perspective. Instinctively, Theseus reached upwards. Asterius always had such sweet reactions to having his ear scratched, his oversized head coming to rest in Theseus’ own hand.

“I do not want this to be merely my decision, Asterius! I want to know your thoughts as well! Surely you’ve dwelled on this topic, same as I. I’ve seen the way you stare at her while she tends to her garden. Or how your eyes glimmer like the heavenly stars when she leans down before you and you can peer directly at the very cute mole upon her-”

“King.”

“The point is… I would only do this if it would make you happy as well, my friend!”

Theseus watched as Asterius’ long eyelashes fluttered close. His body language may be unreadable to some, but Theseus knew it well. Here, Asterius was taking his words into consideration, and soon his ears would perk up to indicate he’d reached a conclusion.

When his eyes opened again, he gave his king a sheepish gaze.

“I do not have the same history with The Lady that you do, but she has been nothing but kind to me.” Asterius’ ears gave a slight twitch, then flapped up and down quite adorably; he was embarrassed. “…And she is very beautiful.”

“Then it is settled! Surely you’re aware, my friend, that this means you must talk to her as well!”

“I have no experience in this manner, king…”

“So you think! But you have plenty of experience with me, do you not?!” Theseus climbed into Asterius’ lap, and wrapped his arms around his broad shoulders. It only served to fluster the poor bull further, though these days he was used to how physical Theseus was. “And besides that, I will speak to her first! So by the time you have your chance, dear bull, she will already be akin to a fresh, ripe fruit, just waiting to be plucked!”

“…Hmm.”

“What is with that expression?! Ah! You took some dirty meaning from my words, didn’t you, Asterius. Didn’t you!!”

“I did not…” Asterius fussed, even as Theseus kissed his jaw.

Though the bull tried his hardest to deny it, the fact that he refused to meet his king’s gaze was proof enough. And Theseus could not help but to laugh. How rare it was for Asterius to express his desires, even if indirectly. Just another example of what a nymph’s love could do.

---

Theseus had long ago given Asterius a gift in honour of their union; golden bangles to wear around his horns, created in the shape of the sacred herbs his ancestor Helios used for protection against the sun’s heat. He did not wear this accessory within the arena, concerned he may damage them if he did, but when they two were together within Elysium’s marketplace, or otherwise lounging, Theseus would see them upon his horns and his heart would swell with pride. They would need something equally splendid to give to the lady, then.

Theseus asked the bull, “what type of gift would best suit Dianthus?”

Asterius replied, “You are better at choosing gifts than I.”

Such words made Theseus pout, and soon a parchment and pen was thrust into Asterius’ hands so he may draft out a concept for a ring. Theseus himself did much the same, and once they’d both finished he dragged the bull to one of Elysium’s smaller market places.

There was a shade who set up shop here who’d worked with gemstones during his life. Theseus had made his acquaintance more than once, notably after he’d retrieved Asterius from the depths of the underworld. The shade had wanted to know if the rumours were true, if the Cocytus which flowed through Erebus was truly filled with glimmering diamonds (it was).

“Greetings my good shade!” Despite being the only people there at the moment, Theseus still felt the need to make his presence known.

“King Theseus.” The shade was not yet one of the faceless masses of Elysium, but was a ghostly flicker to his form all the same. “You’ve forgotten my name again, haven’t you.”

“Of course not!” Theseus scoffed. “You are, erm. Ahem.”

“…Antheus,” Asterius supplied.

“Antheus! Yes, of course, I knew that!” Theseus nodded. “Asterius and I are in need of your aid, O Great and Noble Antheus! We seek a gift for a most beauteous and noble lady—”

“The librarian?”

“Um. Yes.” Theseus felt strangely deflated. “How did you know?”

Antheus shrugged. “Rumours travel fast here in Elysium. What exactly did you come here to request, anyways?”

Theseus pulled from his chiton a sheet of parchment, where he’d messily scribbled out a design concept. Asterius did much the same, his paper delicately rolled and tied closed with a pink ribbon. Though he tried to keep his usual cool persona, Antheus’ curiosity was obvious.

“…Theseus, I’m going to have to simplify your… very unique design. Asterius, yours is perfect as is. I’ll send message when I have these ready for you, though it may take awhile. In the meantime, go on and do whatever it is you usually do.”

(The defensive King Theseus was sure to combat the claim that his design was too complicated to complete as is, but Asterius had the sense to grab him by the shoulder and pull him out of the shop before he had a chance to.)

Life continued as usual:

The champions fought within the arena each and every time Zagreus reappeared (they had their first victory in a while; surely a good omen.)

They visited with dear friends and family, and stopped at Elysium’s many shopping booths (Asterius’ younger brother, Glaucus, took them to taste a honey from a distant land. Its richness still had yet to leave Asterius; mind even since; he’d have to go back for more sometime).

They sat with Lady Chloris within the expansive fields of Elysium, where all life around her was kept fresh and green. (Theseus informed her of what he and Asterius intended to ask of her daughter, and her eyes glittered with a joy unlike any Theseus had seen before. Somehow, it put his restless heart at ease).

And most of all, they spent time with Lady Dianthus herself. They would dwell within the expanse of her garden, enjoying the light of Ixion, or travel together through some unexplored glade of the underworld where mysteries awaited them.
And sometimes they would watch her as she worked within her kitchen, bustling to and fro and roughly chopping up various fruits.
As a special reward for her champion’s recent victory, she crafted a cake for them all to enjoy together.

(Though Dianthus loved to cook, her skill with decorating was lacking. It was Asterius, who was always so precise in his movements, who decorated instead. Theseus gave unhelpful recommendations all the while, suggesting things such as “elaborate gold leafing” and “imported fruits from lands unheard of.”)

Soon they were enjoying their bounty together, waiting as the light in Elysium’s sky dimmed. And what joy it was, to be together in this way, to feel the love that surrounded their every word or touch, even when Dianthus fussed at Asterius for taking another slice of cake (“You’ll make yourself sick!”), or when she and Asterius laughed when Theseus, ever clumsy, nearly tripped over himself while attempting to make some dramatic gesture.

And hearing the lady’s sweet laugh, he and Asterius gave one another knowing looks. A day would come where they’d be doing this all over again with the lady as their cherished bride. And how exciting the very idea was, to be able to love her in the way that she deserved!

---

A day came where Antheus called the king and the bull back to the shop. Theseus felt so nervous he was nearly paralyzed, but his anxiety melted away when Asterius gave his shoulder a firm squeeze. He wasn’t doing this alone.

The design for Theseus’ ring had been simplified from his original concept (though, now that he thought about it, it may have been inconvenient for the lady to have a massive diamond on her hand as she worked), but it was still gorgeous. A ring made to resemble a laurel, connected by flowering vines to a bracelet of gold leaf and morganite (it was her favourite gemstone). Asterius had opted for a simpler design, a budding rose with a ruby, the same colour as the horn paint he wore, pressed into the center.

“Thank you, Antheus. Your work is beautiful, as always.” Asterius seemed hesitant to hold the ring for longer than necessary, as if it would somehow be damaged in his large hands.

Theseus beamed, and hugged one of Asterius’ strong arms in excitement. “Truly, my good shade, this is your best work yet! I shall be sure to reward you handsomely!!”

“Just tell me how it goes with that nymph and we can call it even.”

“…Really?”

“No.” Antheus held out a hand. “Pay me money.”

“Ah. Yes. Of course.”

---

Theseus entered Elysium’s library (banishment be damned), and asked Dianthus if she would like to spend some time with him this day or night.

“Of course, Theseus. …But you really should leave before anyone spots you here!”

And yet, despite her words, the lady was more than willing to sneak away once she was alone. The library would survive without her, after all. Here in Elysium there was no need for her schedule to be set in stone as it may be upon the surface.

Theseus took her hand within his own, and led the way.

---

As if Elysium itself sensed his intentions, a gate opened up to somewhere they could be alone together. A small garden with a marble fountain bubbling with a rush of water, and several small waterfowl resting upon its gentle ripples. Dianthus sat at the fountain’s edge, smoothing her skirt as she did so. Theseus sat beside her.

“My lady, I…” Theseus found himself growing nervous again. Why was this so difficult, when he’d done it many times before? What made Lady Dianthus so… different?

As he continued to be paralyzed, unable to speak, the nymph eyed him curiously. It was clear to him that she was beginning to grow concerned, which only made Theseus desperate for his usual ability to speak to return to him.

“Theseus, are you—”

“HOW. Um. H- how do you feel about marriage, Lady Dianthus?!” It was not the question he meant to ask, but he supposed it was an important one all the same. She’d spoken of it before, but never in deep terms.

He imagined she would be alarmed by his sudden question (and she was, if her expression was anything to go off of), but she soon calmed, her eyes twinkling with a smile.

“Hmm.. it’s not something I’ve thought about for a very long time, I admit. When I was a young girl I used to dream of it. Myself, two small children, a strong and loving husband… I would never be able to picture my husband’s face, though. I don’t know why.”

“I was proposed to in the past,” she continued, “By someone other than you, I mean, before I left Oenoe. A nobleman came from Marathon and asked my father for my hand. I was already well past marrying age, being nearly 25. It didn’t take long at all for his proposal to be accepted, as I’m sure you can imagine. But I had no desire to marry him!”

Theseus nodded. “You abandoned Oenoe to avoid this union, and were thus taken in by the retinue of Dionysus!” Dianthus had told him this story before, of her time amongst the maenads. It was difficult to imagine the lady who stood before him now wearing a skin of leopard’s fur and wildly thrashing about amongst satyrs and drunken spirits, but even Theseus himself had such a phase at one point. Abandoning Athens to go enjoy the splendors of Lydia’s Amazons felt so childish now.

“Mhm. And that was an interesting part of my life, I admit. And now, well… it is not as if the idea of marriage has never crossed my mind. But it’s not something I ever see happening to me here within Elysium… I’ve never given it much thought.”

“My lady, I mean no offense- but that is absurd! Any shade would be fortunate to have you! A nymph who is gentle, bright, caring, and beautiful as well!”

It was with a sense of urgency that he took her hands within his own, squeezing them tightly. How he wished he would tell her the intensity of his desires! And yet, despite how his heart swelled with love, his nerves kept him from saying what he truly meant. But he would find a way- for his Lady Dianthus, he would be brave as he is within the arena.

“Erm… what I mean to say is… to have the opportunity to love you, and to do so in the way you deserve! It would be an honour. It is for this reason that I… that is, I would like to…”

It was rare for Theseus to become this quiet; usually such silence was reserved for times where Theseus felt either immense dread or immense contentment. This expression that was on his face now was not one Dianthus recognized of him; was it fear, or something else entirely?

“This is… hardly the proper way to go about this. But you, my lady, are hardly proper at all! I, um, mean that as a compliment. In fact, your improperness is why I feel able to do this, despite how much my head swims because of it!”

Theseus stood, then resettled in front of Dianthus. Her hand reached to smooth back an errant strand of blonde hair, and Theseus nearly shivered. He would not be a coward in the face of love, not when his lady had done so much for him up until this point.

“I often think of the great misfortune it was, that I could not make good on my promise to you while we were still alive. To find that kind of connection once by chance! And then even here in Elysium, to still feel it so intensely! And this time, I… I shall not allow such an opportunity to slip through my fingers! What I wanted to ask you, My Lady Dianthus is this… will you do me the great honour of becoming my bride?!”

“H-huh?! I— I mean— Oh, dear, I’m sorry, I just— I didn’t think that you’d— I mean… shouldn’t you be asking my father this, and not me?”

“Bah! Who cares what he thinks?! And besides, it is the bold, opinionated, and independent Lady Dianthus whom I desire!”

“Oh. Oh!”

Dianthus nearly melted off her spot on the fountain’s edge, joining Theseus in Elysium’s soft grass. Soon, she felt Theseus pulling her close, and found her chin resting within the crook of his shoulder. Despite his words of confidence, she could feel his hands trembling from where they rested against her body.

“It is only if you’ll have me, my lady. I… I would understand if my history makes you wary, it is true that I have been careless in the past. But I see now that my dedication to you has never once wavered, even while we were apart for those many long years. My love for you, for Asterius, for the joys Elysium has given me… it is what fills me with strength.”

Dianthus’ arms rose against him, clutching at the back of Theseus’ chiton. His shivering soon stopped as she held him secure in her soft arms.

“And you would truly take this stubborn old girl as your bride?” she whispered, soft as silk.

“Nothing would make me happier!”

“In that case… I accept.”

Dianthus didn’t think it would be possible for Theseus to hold her any tighter, and yet, as always, he found a way. His nose buried against the cockle shell of her ear, he kissed her first there, then her forehead, her cheek, before finally making his way to her lips, desperate and needy for her love, as always. When they both pulled away, he held her cheek against his hand, her gaze soft at him.

“It really is untraditional, you know. To ask a bride instead of her father.” she hummed.

“To hell with tradition!” Theseus grumbled in response, “And besides that, what fool would be opposed to his daughter being wed to a king?!”

“Former king.”

Theseus pouted in faux offense, even as Dianthus leaned forward to kiss him again. Even if Theseus was, by all technicality, no longer Athens’ king… he would still think of his lady as his lovely queen. And he would do right by her; despite the mistakes he may have made in the past, with Dianthus, he felt able to grow, and to move on. To be joyful for their future together.

---

Authour's Notes: The Okeanos is the star river which encircles the earth in Greek mythology. During the day, the constellations wade within the river, before their mist scatters to the sky at night. The Okeanos flows thru the underworld as well; I like to think that when the constellations are resting, it makes the underworld dark, and whenever they fly to the surface the underworld is light. Ixion is ah… a guy who got strapped to a flaming well as punishment for hitting on the goddess Hera. In addition to the thing with the constellations, his wheel dips into the Okeanos during Elysium’s “nights”

Hippolyta is Theseus first wife, an Amazon from Lydia, which is modern day Turkey

The cocytus is an underworld river. While the styx is the main river, there are several smaller ones which connect to it; the phlegethon in asphodel, the lethe in elysium, and the cocytus in erebus. Meanwhile the acheron connects the styx to the surface.

Also for clarity it was the father of the bride who gets asked about marriage and not the bride herself, thus Dia bringing it up