Her mother was near. She could always feel when her mother was nearby. Persephone did not call out to her, for she knew that Demeter wanted her to stop delaying their departure from the forest. In all fairness, she should not be so childish. It wasn't Demeter's fault that they were forced to go to the ceremony. Every one hundred years, Zeus had one to make sure that all gods, old and new, paid tribute to the Three. Zeus demanded that all immortal beings acknowledged that they served the great Three Brothers, but he only insisted that the greatest do so in person.
Persephone had never been to one of these ceremonies, for children of the greatest gods were not usually required to go. She never wanted to go to any ceremony in which she would be required to offer pretty words to make the Three happy, and her mother did not want her to go either. Her mother always made sure that Persephone was never allowed near other gods and their violent tendencies. Demeter was fierce in her protection of her daughter.
Persephone never begrudged her mother's dominant protection. She knew that she was only protecting her daughter from her own fate: Demeter was taken by Zeus, left with his daughter, and forced to acknowledge her allegiance to him and his brothers in front of all of the other gods and his vindictive and unforgiving wife. Persephone always thought her mother brave and good, and she loved her dearly, yet she wished to be left alone to the sanctuary of her beloved forest.
In the safety of her dear olive tree, she lounged like a feline, waiting until that damn Apollo would stop lingering with his unbearable heat to try and catch a glimpse of her. If she were to step out in his sunlight, his desire would burn her skin. Even though no god dared to force a daughter of Zeus, many of them made their desires known.
And all of them would be at this ceremony, which filled her with dread. The idea of being trapped in a room with the many hungry-eyed gods sent chills down her spine. Even with her mother there, no good could come from the interactions she would face tonight. There were too many greedy males and too many jealous females.
It was probably Hera's idea. Persephone thought. She probably said something to Zeus. The goddess hated all of Zeus's illegitimate children, but she would not cross Demeter. While mortals suffered the wrath of Hera, the immortals suffered only what she dared to cross them with. In her passive aggressive ways, she was able to manipulate Zeus with pretty words and reminders of how he once wanted her more than any other woman in the universe. She knew that Demeter was shielding Persephone from the attention of the other gods, so she probably made a comment to Zeus about how odd it was that one of his own immortal children was never present at the ceremony for the Three.
"It's time to leave, Persephone."
"I know, Mother." There was little use in protesting, or demanding that Demeter fight Zeus on this. She knew that Zeus would like nothing more than to make an example of his power over the rest of them during one of these ceremonies, if only to prove that he was indeed their king.
"Change yourself."
Persephone sighed and gracefully fell from the tree, landing on two dainty feet. Despite having lived her entire immortal existence in a forest, her skin was as flawlessly white and smooth as a pearl. She shone with a glow that was independent of the sun or moon or fire. The light of life itself radiated from her body: from her flawless skin, to her deep golden brown eyes. Even her hair—which was a blend of every color of dark brown, gold, and auburn in the forest all woven together—held a strange glow. Her temperature warmed whatever was around her. Her very presence eased the pain of any mortal nearby. She was not the most beautiful goddess that existed (that title belonged to Aphrodite), but she had something about her that drew others close. The warmth, the electricity that came off of her skin was intoxicating—even to the immortals that never needed to fear death.
She was life itself, and while clinging to life, the gods showed how very similar they were to the mortals that they terrorized.
She waited as her mother called on nymphs to dress her with cold metal and uncomfortable cloth. The forest creatures answered immediately, for many of them knew Persephone well, and they all loved a good game of dressing the lovely goddess like a princess. They dressed her in soft pink material with gold jewelry: a gold necklace, a thick golden belt around her waist, gold bracelets, gold rings, and a gold crown that held her flowing hair out of her face. She would not wear earrings, though. Demeter's protection extended so that she would not allow even the flesh of her daughter's ears to be pierced.
"Come, Persephone. And remember, you are to stay near me at all times."
She nodded. There was probably little to tempt her away from her mother's side, anyway.
Hermes was with them almost at once. The handsome messenger god always volunteered a flying chariot for Demeter, in hopes of gaining her favor—but, especially when Persephone was with her. They could have arrived on Demeter's power alone, but even gods grew tired, and Demeter wanted to be at full strength while her daughter was with her. It did help their image to arrive in the most impressive chariot in the heavens. The vision of a viciously protective mother arriving with her daughter in the most impressive chariot of one of Zeus's most beloved gods was intimidating, to say the least.
"What should I say when it comes time to speak?" Persephone asked while watching the earth fly beneath her.
"You will not be asked to speak. You are my daughter. You will walk behind me, and bow with me. They do not need your allegiance."
Persephone was glad that they didn't. She wouldn't know what kind of pretty words the Three would require of a spring goddess.
Zeus was her father, so she could offer him loving words as a daughter, even if they were untrue. She would praise him as King of the Skies, and she knew what kind of words he would like to hear. And she knew Poseidon well enough from their encounters. He was just as arrogant as Zeus, and thought himself too great to seek the attention of a spring goddess. But it was rumored that more than arrogance, he was happily married, and he would take whatever words she offered him with little thought to them.
But the third brother, the dark one… She had never met him before. Persephone had heard horrible stories about him. He was everything she was not: darkness and death; She was light and life. What would she say to him? Her very existence mocked him. How could she offer him words of allegiance when her very power challenged all that he was?
Death.
"I saw a mortal die, earlier." She said to her mother.
"Oh? I'm sorry. I know such things upset you." Her mother gave a pat to her daughter's hand, but it was not comforting. It lingered too long, almost grasping her wrist, as if the very idea that death had come near to her daughter was offensive.
"Yes… He was in a great deal of pain, I think," she said, pronouncing pain as all immortals did, as if it were a word foreign to them, "So I stepped out of the forest to look at him. He stopped moving on the ground and just looked at me. He smiled before he died… And I hope he's happy, now." She always commented on the now part of death, but she knew so little about it. It frightened her, but in a way, it fascinated her. Yet her mother was fierce in her determination to keep her daughter ignorant of death.
"That was kind of you. And I'm sure he is."
Persephone nodded, but she did not comment further.
They arrived in just the fashion that Demeter intended. There were many gazes fixed upon them, and when they finally approached the gates, many gods seemed eager to escort Persephone into the main hall.
It was large and decorated very finely, as no other place could be. It was all very beautiful, but nothing drew her eye long enough to make her lose sight of her mother walking in front of her. When they were all standing still, and Demeter had taken her rightful place in the long line of gods in front of Zeus's throne, Persephone stood next to her with a strained heart.
All males looked to her, even with the beautiful Aphrodite present and half naked in a lounging chair. Some tried to catch her eye, but she never let her eyes linger in one place for too long. There was whispering in the hall now. She could feel stolen glances in her direction. There was dark chuckling from the males in the room, all whispering to one another in filthy humor at her expense. There was vindictive and unforgiving whispering from the women in the room, all of them bitter for the loss of male attention.
"Persephone!" She looked around to see Artemis walking to her, pulling her into a hug in front of all of the other gods and goddesses.
"Everyone must speak today, even you. Prepare your words. You do not have to have many, just make them sweet. To each of the Three."
Persephone grasped onto her friend as the other goddess whispered. In a moment, Artemis was off to speak to another, and the glowing spring goddess was whispering her fears to her mother, who immediately began to tell Persephone what she should say.
The ceremony began with a brief introduction from Hermes, which was completely pointless when all knew why they were there and what was expected of them. The Three sat on their thrones in their most impressive garb, waiting for each Olympian to pledge themselves to the greater glory of the Three, and Persephone wished she were an ordinary mortal who was too insignificant to be bothered with. She never understood mortals or their struggles, but she longed for their insignificance, if only to be allowed to hide from all of the gods in the room. Even as the Three sat before them all, many eyes were fixed upon her. She could feel them crawling along every inch of her pearly white skin, and lingering with frustration on the parts covered by her dress. All males watched her hungrily, and all females watched her with contempt. And she would be forced to speak in front of all of these unforgiving people.
Members of the great Twelve came before the Three first, beginning with Athena. The war goddess was always out to prove her superiority, being among her father's favorite children, and no one dared claim their rights over her. She spoke of victory and power, which were things she wanted to subtly remind others that she knew much about. She had no children to claim, so she was finished quickly.
Next came Hermes, one of Zeus's favorite companions, and he gave a witty, even humorous speech about the glory of the Three compared to the rest of them. Hermes was well liked by all, but he was so passionately devoted to Zeus that Persephone could not stomach the thought of being even his friend.
Ares, the son of Zeus and Hera, came forward and gave a great bow to the Three. He spoke about his role as son in relation to the great King of the Olympians, and then he spoke of his gratitude towards Poseidon for his help winning a recent great battle at sea. Ares spoke most passionately to Hades, the dark one, and pledged his word to continue sending great mortal heroes to keep Hades entertained.
Persephone shivered at the way the war god spoke of death and destruction. As Ares turned away, he passed Persephone and paused for a moment—giving her a significant nod—daring to show her attention in front of all of the other gods. It was his way to make his claim in front of the others, stating his intentions clearly. He only knew how to act in confrontation. Persephone did not lower her eyes to him, but when he finally passed, she exhaled heavily and moved closer to her mother, who was dark with fury.
Aphrodite and Hephaestus came forth next and gave their honor and pledges as a married couple. Hephaestus was not gifted with eloquent words, but he kept his oath straightforward and honest. Aphrodite naturally assumed that the Three were adoring her with their eyes, so she gave the same short pledges as her husband, lingering in all of the right places to make each syllable sound sensual. The idea that they were even presenting themselves as a married couple was a laugh. Aphrodite was known to sleep with any god or mortal that pleased her. She favored Ares as a lover, but she would seek any god she wished, regardless of their relation to her. It was rumored that she kept handsome mortal men prisoners within her temples, but Persephone did not like to think of such things.
Apollo and Artemis came next and gave their pledges as sacred twins of the almighty Zeus. Artemis pleased Zeus, but Apollo often gave him trouble—for he was the sun god and Zeus was the god of the Heavens. The two often argued over what went on in the skies, but today, Apollo wisely let Artemis do most of the talking.
The time then came for Demeter and her daughter to go before the Three. Persephone felt a little more secure in her role here, for many of the other gods had offered simple pledges and nothing more. She felt better about offering her little words to them, especially since her mother was more important than she was.
Her mother began first, and she gave a speech about the relationship between her domain, the earth, and the Three. The speech was over quickly, and Demeter stood still for a moment, debating on whether or not to allow her daughter to speak. She relented, and spoke with a calm voice that hid no great deal of warnings and dark promises.
"May I present to you, my daughter." She moved to the side to reveal her precious pearl-skinned Persephone, with cascading hair that fell to her knees, shimmering in of all shades of brown and gold. Her jewelry illuminated the gold in her eyes, and her pixie-like form moved with all of the grace and warmth of a slight breeze in the forest. Demeter held out her right hand, and Persephone placed her hand in it before giving a graceful bow to the three. "Persephone," Demeter said, "Goddess of the Spring. Goddess of Life. Daughter of the Earth."
A moment passed, and with careful dainty steps, the little goddess with skin that glowed with a white light all of its own, spoke to the Three with a voice that reminded one of flower petals and bird songs.
"My great and dear King, I stand before you a humble and proud daughter. My greatest wish is to be worthy of such a father." She bowed her head to her father, who smiled with pride at a child he barely knew. His smile for Persephone was one of triumph. He had taken Demeter, and this beautiful goddess before him was the proof. He had no fatherly love for her, but he loved her for what she really was. She was a trophy that proved his masculine dominance to the world—and the sickest part of it all was that his conquest loved his trophy more than he did. Persephone gave him words of pride, yet she felt sick and weak within her heart. She longed for her clean, safe forest.
"Great Poseidon, your horses run through my forests and tell me of your glory. From your children, in the rivers and streams, I hear about the power and beauty of the world around my mother's earth. I praise your name and your Kingdom." This god nodded, his eyes flickering away from her almost immediately. She didn't blame him for longing to be back in his own world.
The last and most terrifying god was next. Demeter had given her words for the first two, yet the last had stumbled her words. Persephone could not raise her eyes to meet his, knowing that if she did, she would lose all of her ability to speak.
"Great Hades... great Hades, I honor you. Your power extends beyond my mother's world, beyond my own understanding. I honor and fear you, great Hades." Though she had faltered in her praises to him when she began, she had stated a humble pledge that would please any god. Immortals had little to fear in the world, even from one another. Most gods would love the beautiful, young goddess to pledge their fear of them. That made males happy. Didn't it?
Either way, Demeter pulled Persephone back, and after another small bow, they both retreated to their original places. They watched the other gods give their pledges, and Demeter promised to take Persephone away the moment they were free to leave. Persephone's throat was tight and dry from speaking in front of so many, and now that the lesser gods were speaking, the most powerful gods could give their attentions to Persephone. Some stole glances, others bravely let their gazes linger on her, but she could do little more than keep her eyes lowered to the floor and stay close to her mother.
"Persephone, perhaps you would care to join me later in my chambers?" Athena, with her grey eyes, asked with false friendship in her voice. Even though she was a woman, Athena was dangerous in her ambition to be completely dominant over all creatures. The thought of ever submitting to a man, even in bed, was sickening to her. She was known to be an aggressive lover of maidens, which allowed her to keep her status of virgin goddess. But, this was another area of conquest that she was determined to compete in among her fellow gods. She was known to take maidens the same way that gods took them, and was respected as a result, but Persephone did not trust her.
"No, thank you." She said in reply, turning her attentions back to the ceremony. Persephone knew that Athena would love to boast of such a conquest to the other gods, but Persephone did not fear the war goddess. Athena might be able to overcome her if she had to, but the goddess would never risk ruining her good relation to Persephone's mother. Good weather was needed for battle, and Athena could not risk it. She could, however, take on the tactic of seduction rather than forcing her.
"Are you sure? I would love to see you. We should not be strangers to one another. I would enjoy a more intimate relationship..." The war goddess let a finger with a sharp nail run down Persephone's smooth skin, but the spring goddess moved away from her touch. Persephone would have none of it.
"I would not. Thank you." A quick glare from Demeter sent the other goddess away, and Persephone took in a long sigh of both regret and depression. She felt like everyone was a danger to her. Her forest was dark and safe; she longed to return to it.
