The wedding was to be a grand event. Almost all the gods and goddesses were attending. So of course Aphrodite arranged a little get together. Kind of like a bachelorette party without the bride, or any of the mortal guests. Hera and Demeter were talking about nutrition in the corner. Athena, Artemis, and Selene were arranged around a nectar platter, which after filling, Hebe went and started up a conversation with Eos and Iris. Leto was standing by Hestia and the fire. Getting Hestia to come was tricky, but not nearly as hard as dragging up a certain Queen. Some of the lesser goddess flew in and out, you could even see a few nymphs. Yet skulking in the darkest area of the room was a beautiful girl. Not as pretty as Aphrodite, mind you, but a beauty none the less. As Aphrodite approached she realized she may have been wrong on the girl assumption. The last time she had seen her was months ago when Demeter was showing her off. The now young woman had grown much in that time. Her jaw was set in defiance and she practically hissed at anyone who came near her. She certainly had earned her title of the Iron Queen.
"Hey Persephone, how long has it been?" Aphrodite started bubbly.
"Seventeen years." Was her stoic reply.
"That long? Really? Well I guess we have to make up on lost time. Besides, you need to stop lurking in the shadows. You're starting to scare people." Aphrodite grabbed her wrist and dragged her over to the others where Artemis was telling a story.
"So he says, 'I bet you can't shoot that log way out there' of course I rose to my brothers challenge. I took aim and wahmo. He started to laugh and before leaving asked me how Orion was."
"Oh dear." Eos whimpered.
"So I'm suspicious and I go out the check the log and find out it was Orion taking a swim that I shot and killed."
"How terrible." Selene murmured.
"So I lost one of the few men I ever thought of as a friend all because of my stupid brother."
"The he-devil." Iris growled before seeing Persephone sit down. "No offense dear." Persephone eyed her quizzically before replying.
"None taken?"
"Anyway, to wrap it up I honored our friendship by making him a constellation in the sky." Artemis finished to ease the tension.
"How romantic." Eos sighed. Aphrodite smirked at the fact that her enchantment was still in effect.
"There's nothing romantic. He was a treasured friend." Artemis said quickly.
"Sounding a little defensive Arty?" Athena giggled, having had a little to much wine. She wasn't an avid drinker, but before she arrived she had been helping Dionysus with something. One of his best or worst qualities(depending on who you asked) was his ability to get you drunk faster. "By the way, werenot yah gonna to tell us all somethin' Hebe?" Athena slurred at her tipsily. Hebe blushed a bright red before speaking.
"Well, you all know how I got married a year ago."
"Yeah, to Heracles. How'd you get your mother on board with that?" Selene asked.
"I guess she was tired of trying to ruin his life. Anyway, I just found out that... I'm pregnant." Hebe squeaked out. She beamed with happiness. As the other goddesses congratulated Hebe, Aphrodite noticed how Persephone stiffened before hunching her shoulders foreword. Aphrodite placed a hand on her shoulder.
"What's wrong Persephone?" Aphrodite asked in concern.
"Nothing. It's just I, uh, I have to go." She bolted upright and ran out as everyone stared at her.
"What, does she not like babies or something?" Eos asked. Eileithyia, Hebe's sister, who had been quiet for most of it began to speak.
"It's not really my place to say, but everyone is going to find out eventually." The goddess of childbirth looked over to Demeter. The grain goddess was racing out after her daughter. She leaned in closer to the group of girls and started to talk in hushed tones.
"As you all know Persephone is Queen of the Underworld. Well that also makes her a goddess of death." Eileithyia looked around to see if anyone was following her. Artemis seemed to have figured it out, but she also had an affinity for birth. Athena normally would have caught on by now, but she was having trouble sitting upright, so Eileithyia continued.
"Being a goddess of death means she can't create life. None of them can." This caused some faces to come to realization, while a few still remained in the dark.
"I don't understand, why would Hebe's pregnancy make her upset." Eos questioned.
"You idiot, Persephone can't get pregnant. That's why. It reminded her of what she can't have." Artemis snapped quietly, glaring at Eos. Aphrodite suspected the goddess of the hunt might know those feelings for herself. Being a virgin goddess she couldn't exactly have children. She left the rest of them, deciding to check on Persephone herself. What kind of host would let their guests have a bad time anyway?
At a crossroad in the path she realized Demeter went the wrong way. Aphrodite could feel Demeter's love for her daughter going one way, and Persephone's longing for children to the other. She followed the second and found the goddess clutching at her arms underneath a tree.
"A pomegranate tree? Really?" She asked before sitting down next to her.
"Well, they are my favorite fruit." Persephone leaned her head against the back of the tree.
"And here Hermes was trying to feed me some bogus story that you had a panic attack at the mere mention of one." This causes a smile to appear on Persephone's face.
"The brat. He can't really help himself though. I'm just lucky in his visits he hasn't found any of the treasuries yet." Aphrodite laughed.
"Yes, whenever he visits I seem to be short a few pieces of jewelry." The air around them relaxed. She wanted to keep it that way, but knew she couldn't. "Do you want to talk about it?" Persephone sighed.
"I don't really know what to say. Everyone was going to find out eventually. They're are no secrets in this family. I really don't care what others think, but I do want children." Aphrodite thought of her own children. Though not the usual mother child relationship she did love them all. Yet she never felt a yearning for children.
"I used to be a goddess of spring. Of new beginnings and hope. When all the birds and other little animals have babies. A part of that stuck with me."
"Do you want to go back to what you were?" Persephone's eyes widened.
"No. I really don't. I actually love my position. Ruling... It suits me."
"Besides being a pampered queen." Aphrodite joked. Persephone chuckled.
"Say what you may, but the land of the dead is actually quite beautiful. The people are also very child like. I was able to use that to sate my cravings for children in the beginning, but now. I don't know." Aphrodite felt ignorant for the next thing she said, and actually a little bashful. Most likely because of the strange topic, but she never was usually shy on sex.
"Have you tried with someone else to get pregnant?" Persephone shook her head, blushing slightly.
"Aside from the fact I don't want to, it wouldn't work. I am a goddess of death, I cannot create life. Which is the gist of a very awkward conversation I had with the goddess of childbirth."
"You could ways adopt."
"Yeah, but no one really wants me to raise their child. Those who don't know me, fear me. Those who think they know me think I'm cold hearted and harsh. Those who actually trust me don't have or want to give up their child. I've asked several people, and though I have the power, I would never take a child from someone." Aphrodite nodded in understanding.
"Well, do you feel any better after talking it out?" She stood up and reached down a hand to help Persephone up as well.
"I actually kinda do. It's nice to be able to sort through my feelings sometimes. Thank you." They started walking back.
"Hey, I can be a bitch, but people think you're one too so this is one bitch helping out another."
"Good to know I'm not alone." Persephone grinned.
"Next time we'll have a more pleasant conversation." Aphrodite promised.
"You can catch me up on all the latest gossip. But seriously I need updates, otherwise my only source is Hermes."
"I can see how that might be a problem." They were right outside the house when Persephone gave her a hug.
"Thank you. Really though. Thank you."
"It was nothing. Now quit being a sap or you'll lose the whole cold hearted thing you've got going on." Persephone laughed before morphing her face so it help no emotion but contempt. Aphrodite would have to learn that some day. It seemed to be a valuable skill set. They walked back in and everything quieted for a moment before conversations started back up again.
Aphrodite could see the slight mortification in Persephone's eyes, but she hid it well from the other guests. The party went on without a hitch, and it was several weeks later that the next major event occurred