A Slow Dying Flower
Chapter 1 – The Maiden of Flowers
Kore lay amongst the beautifully long emerald green grass, her waist-length red hair blowing through the breeze as she dreamily watched the clouds, which acted like a shield, hiding the powerful kingdom of Olympus from human eyes.
She had heard the night before – when her mother believed her to be asleep – a man come to the house and demand that Demeter, her mother, present herself and the maiden of flowers to the high Gods of Olympus, so that the young Goddess may receive their blessings.
A smile formed about her rosy lips as she remembered the man's words.
She would go to Olympus and meet the other Gods, for besides her mother and a few carefully chosen nymphs – to watch over her when the harvest season came in and her mother could no longer be there to keep an eye on her – She had never met another being like herself.
She had studied for hours – though in secret, so that her mother would not scold her, the Gods that resided in Olympus and the seven seas.
'Kore.' A voice called from a distance. 'Kore, where are you.'
Kore sighed and contemplated keeping quiet as the voice grew louder. She knew it was one of the nymphs, her keepers as she referred to them as, doing her mother's biding.
'Kore, please, where are you.' The voice pleaded.
Kore could feel the fear in the nymph, knowing that if she were to go missing her mother would not think twice to destroy the person responsible for losing her beloved daughter. And with that thought in mind, Kore let out a sulky sigh and rose to her feet, waving in the nymph's direction to signal that she was perfectly fine, that even though she was a 'delicate flower' she could survive a few minutes on her own.
'Oh, there you are.' She cooed, as she stood in front of her. 'You gave me such an awful fright.'
Kore raised an eyebrow. She could not be serious?
Although, Demeter liked to think of her daughter as a small child that needed to be coddled, and because Kore did not want to upset her mother, she unfortunately went along with it. but that did not mean that she would allow a nymph fifty years younger than she to treat her like a mischievous, unruly child.
'What is it.' She asked blankly, shifting her gaze to the nymphs hands in case the nymph decided to be bold and take her by the hand and lead her to the hut in which she lived with her mother.
'Your mother is back from her errand, my lady.' She said cheerfully. 'She ordered me to come and fetch you, she has important news.'
'Oh, well I best go see her then.' Kore offered the nymph a smile and sprinted towards the hut.
This was it, she thought to herself. She would finally get her wish and meet the other Gods and finally in her life feel…free or as free as her mother would allow in a kingdom were Gods did as they pleased.
She stopped as her gaze rested on the ivy-rose covered cottage, a beautiful prison, which played at being a home for a mother and her daughter.
~*O*~
Kore stood in the kitchen (slash) living solar and watched as her mother fussed about with the wildflowers, which Kore had conjured and picked herself. They rested in a chipped vase on top of the thickest bark possible, which acted as a makeshift table with four roughly cut wooden logs to hold the whole thing together.
Her gazed bore into her mother's back, a bright smile plastered onto her face as she waited, rather impatiently, for her mother's news, yet remembering her manners enough not to goad.
Her mother turned towards her and as Kore studied Demeter she was surprised to see that her mother looked…furious.
The smile dropped from Kore's face in a flash and she soon became worried.
What could have made her mother so angry? Had she done something wrong?
'Mama.' Kore murmured uncertainty. 'Mama, what is it. Have I done something?'
~*O*~
Demeter's gaze soften as she looked upon her innocent, beautiful daughter.
No matter how much she hated her siblings – apart from Hestia – she could never be angry at her little Kore.
'Come here my little flower.' Demeter smiled, her voice softly sweet as she raised her arms towards her daughter.
She always felt better when her daughter was in her arms, where she could keep her safe from those who would seek to hurt her.
Though, Demeter did try to reason with herself. Who would wish to hurt her sweet, precious Kore – but then she only had to remember how her daughter was conceived, to know that being sweet and innocent was not a guarantee for safety.
Men were fuelled with lust; be it blood, money or sex. When those three things came into question, no innocent heart was safe.
She gazed down at her daughter, her beautiful green eyes, so like her own, boring into hers – she sighed with relief that her small child did not resemble her licentious father.
Yes, Kore may think that she was being overprotective, but Demeter had been just as innocent, just as trusting in others and was raped by the man who had betrayed her trust, more times than she could count and who had shattered her innocent heart until all that was left was a tiny piece, which she used to love her daughter with as much love that she could muster.
Although, in the most excessive and unhealthiest of ways, which she herself could not see, nor admit to.
She would not allow her little Kore to become as bitter as she was. She would keep her with her for eternity were she could be a child as long as she wished and with it be happy.
Demeter finally let her daughter go, though held onto her hands.
'Kore, my sweet, innocent flower,' She began. 'I have been ordered, against my will, to escort you to Olympus.'
She studied her daughter, hoping she would sense the fear which she had prayed would come at the prospect of going to a new place, but her daughter smiled and embraced her mother. If only she knew the evilness which lived in that clouded oasis.
'When shall we go, Mama.' Kore asked as her gaze drifted over to the bedroom door, which Demeter had insisted they share, before turning back to her mother. 'I am the happiest person alive, this will be a wonderful adventure.'
'Tomorrow.' Demeter stated simply. 'Tomorrow, we shall go.'
The is a story of Hades and Persephone, I wrote it a few years ago and had posted it on fictionpress, but I took it down and reworked it a bit as there were a few mistakes that I had not noticed. I hope everyone enjoys the story and if you like it please leave a review, they really encourage me to write.
The First Chapter might be a little slow, but I will eventually get into more detail with characters and the chapters will get longer as the story progresses.
Thanks for taking the time to read,
Kait.
