Author's Note: Hello, everyone, and welcome to my story ! This is the first time I write something for everyone to see, so I would really appreciate it if you could give me some feedback, tell me if there's something I must improve, etc. I plan to update every Tuesday. Also, keep in mind that the rating will probably be changed to M later on. Now, enough with the talking ! Enjoy :)
The woman in black smiled. The loom was standing alone in the middle of an empty room, in a hut deep somewhere in the mountains. She approached it and began her work.
Ananke. Above all gods. You couldn't tell by looking at her. Yet she defined the fates of humans and gods alike, caused them pain and joy, was the source of their hatred, vices, bliss and misery. A plain, black-robed goddess with violet eyes. Her beauty, she knew how to hide.
Smiling, she stopped weaving and left the room. And that's how it started.
"…I'm telling you, dear, there's nothing to worry about. You'll leave in time to get ready, it is still quite early."
It was a clear day, and everything was serene. The silence was disrupted only by the murmur of the water and the laughter of the girls sitting by the river. All eight of them were a sight to behold, as expected of the divine blood in their veins.
"But…What if Mother gets angry? She told me not to be late…And, there's lot to be done today, it is our father's feast." The lovely young girl hesitated, brushing a lock of auburn hair behind her ear.
Persephone. The very image of innocence and sweetness, whose beauty could only be compared to that of Aphrodite. Her dark green eyes reflected a childish naivety, much more destructive than the most provocative beauty. She was smiling bashfully and her face was radiating happiness. This would be the first time she would attend her father's birthday celebration. Every five hundred years, Zeus would throw a grand party, befitting the Father and King of gods. All deities were expected to be present.
"Yes, dearest, no need to remind us. You know we are not invited, and, honestly, I don't understand-"
"Ianthe!" Artemis interrupted the nymph's poisonous words.
"Us gods are not invited to your fests either, isn't that right? Unless, of course, a handsome god is involved, then you forget your rules…" answered a young woman on Persephone's right, a playful smile on her lips.
Although they shared – along with many others- the same father, Athena and Persephone looked nothing alike. The goddess of wisdom was tall and dark, with high cheekbones and piercing grey eyes, paired with an air of nobility. But despite her sternness, Athena was pretty easy to approach.
The nymphs all laughed at her jape, even Ianthe.
"Tell me about it! " Melite let out a sigh, tossing her honey curls back. "They will all have fun, dancing, and drinking…But we won't be there…"
"…Hiding with them behind pillars…" added Ianthe.
"Hiding? Why?" Persephone asked curiously.
The others looked at her in embarrassment. It was a well-known fact that Demeter would never allow her precious daughter to even think about such situations. But for how long could she keep her away from all this?
"Ah, well…" Ianthe flipped her hair. In many ways, she was a lot like Aphrodite.
"Oh…I see…" Persephone's cheeks turned redder than the tulips she was holding.
"It is so unfair that we can't be part of this! Dionysus will be there, and Apollo, and my beloved Ares…" frowned Chryseis. Artemis and Athena made a face at the mention of their brutish brother.
"Hermes too!" giggled Melite.
"Pfft, they are nothing but little boys. It's not worth trying to seduce them; they'll follow you around like ducklings. Boring." Leukippe said arrogantly.
"Well, there are the older ones too," said Melite." Zeus is magnificent and so strong".
Ianthe smiled at Athena."Poseidon is quite a charmer as well…"
"Please!" scoffed the dark-haired goddess.
"No matter how much you hate him, my dear, you must admit that he's terribly handsome. He summoned me to his chambers once…Oooh, the memories…"
"Yes? Do share your experience with the most incompetent of the Big Three!"
Ianthe did not mind being descriptive. Kallirhoe told them a similar story, that she "n-never saw coming". Most of them were listening wide-eyed, but Athena's face was a mask of indifference. Why would she care about her arch-rival's liaisons?
"And...And did it feel nice?" Persephone asked meekly. All this was foreign to her, no matter how many times she heard the nymphs' tales. If her mother knew…Not that Persephone cared about things like these, of course. But…
"Oh, sweetling! It was wonderful! I've never felt this way before…Soaring, flying at the Isles of the Blessed, yet at the same time burning, burning in the deepest pit of Tartarus…".Her description turned more graphic.
"Enough!" Artemis cut her. "Don't you listen to them!" she turned abruptly to Persephone, her chestnut curls dancing behind her."Men are wretched creatures, and these emotions are but a fleeting pleasure, not worth what you'll suffer afterwards".
"I know," Persephone nodded in agreement." Mother says so as well. They only care for their satisfaction, and will do anything to get it. They really have no limits…"
"Exactly. So, you had better stay away from them-"
"Artemis, please," Athena reprimanded her."Do not influence her; she will make her own choices. She shouldn't be affected by you, or…anyone."
Persephone bit her lips. But she…She firmly believed what her mother said…Didn't she?
Artemis raised her eyebrows."You are the one to say this? The Virgin Goddess? The-"
"It was a choice I made by myself," Athena said coldly. "But why do you hate men so much? I would have never guessed…"
The two goddesses shared a heated glare. They actually got along pretty well. But Athena had discovered Artemis' secret. A secret the young huntress would never divulge. A small sigh escaped her lips as the image of a blonde youth playing his lyre formed in her mind. Her brother…
They all got lost in their thoughts for a while. Persephone was a little crestfallen. She and Athena exchanged a look. What the nymphs seemed to long for so much was to her like a forbidden fruit. Unknown Feelings, urges, love, desire…I don't want to experience them, I don't, I don't care…
Could Athena be thinking the same?
Persephone sighed. How come the day suddenly felt less bright?
"What of the third one?" Chryseis reluctantly broke the silence.
"What third one?"
"The last of the Big Three."
"You mean the lord of the Underworld. Hades." said Leukippe.
"Hades…" Persephone repeated the name slowly. She had not heard much about the King of the Dead. In her eyes, he was huge and terrible, the embodiment of evil.
"They say he's just as handsome, if not more, as the other two. But I've never seen him…" Leukippe explained.
And thus, the little company split up. Artemis rushed to the forest, the nymphs back to the sea, and Athena with Persephone to Olympus.
"Mother will be angry…" murmured Persephone."She told me not to wander around Olympus."
"Nobody will see us in the garden. Plus, you're with me," smiled Athena."And what if they see you? We Olympians don't bite…"She paused as she saw who was walking towards them."At least, most of us don't," she added coolly.
"What's wrong?" Persephone looked at the same direction as Athena, and she understood. She looked at the tall man in appraisal. It has been a long time since she last saw her uncle, the King of the Seas. Her first thought was that the nymphs were not lying when they said he was good-looking. He was tanned, muscular, with pitch-black hair and aquamarine eyes. He was not as young as most gods she knew, but he was not that old either, and was,on the whole , quite comely. But Athena would never agree, naturally.
"Uncle Poseidon…" Persephone curtsied, just as her mother had taught her. Athena remained still.
"Persephone," the sea-god inclined his head in acknowledgement. "You have become a fine young woman. However, I believe your mother told you not to leave your room. Yet, you are so easily misled…"he added icily, eyeing Athena.
"There's no reason to worry, I have Athena with me," the goddess of spring audaciously declared, smiling sweetly.
Poseidon turned to Athena."So, you are also her guardian now?"
"Would you perhaps preferred to find her alone?" she shot back, her eyes gleaming.
The older god remained silent.
"It makes no difference, "he finally said."That horrid owl of yours is more dangerous." He started walking past them.
"Yes, for even she is stronger than you!" Athena shouted, but Poseidon paid her no mind.
"But how did this animosity start anyway?" Persephone asked quietly. Athena simply shook her head in irritation.
"Who?"
"Hades, great goddess, Hades!"
"Are you certain, Aglaia? Where?"
"In the third parlor to the right, next to the veranda."
"How do I look?" asked the goddess, and started laughing. She let her wavy blonde hair fall freely on her back. Her sparkling eyes were the colour of sapphires, and her rosy lips formed a vain smirk. The goddess of beauty lacked no confidence.
"Sublime. More radiant than rosy-fingered Eos at her prime, more breath-taking than the rising moon, more exquisite than the white lilies that are the arms of the goddess of spring…" The Grace smiled a little at the last sentence, but Aphrodite, too immersed in her self, did not notice. Her beautiful face darkened, her eyes hardened in anger.
"I had almost forgotten the brat. Did that Demeter really have to bring her along? She had kept her away for ages, why bother now? Not that it matters. As if Hades would ever spare that baby a second glance when he could have me!"Aphrodite giggled, and cheerfully stood up.
"You stay here, sweetie," she said in a sing-song voice to Aglaia and exited the room.
Aglaia sneered. Poor Hades, she thought, as she filled the room with flowers, and hurried to disappear. She did not wish to see whatever would happen in there.
"Hades?" smiled the goddess.
The tall, dark god was standing by the window, looking outside. Aphrodite admired his plain yet elegant chiton, his lean, well-built body, his white skin, his delicious neck…
Why isn't he mine?
"Aphrodite…" he said casually without looking at her. She approached him. Squeezing herself between Hades and the window, she gave him a small kiss on the cheek.
"Won't you greet me? Won't you kiss your niece?" she said softly and leaned towards him."I would love it if you escorted me to the feast tonight…Don't you think it's time you stopped pretending you are not interested…?"
"My dear Aphrodite, I believe Ares would be more than willing to take my place. I shall not deprive him of that pleasure. Now, if you excuse me, I must greet Athena."
Hades practically stormed out of the parlor. Such an aggravating and persistent woman!
He spotted Athena by a tree, and started walking towards her. She was talking to a girl, whose back was turned on him. Apparently, she was laughing. Her unusual hair colour caught his attention.
"Look at me!" she said brightly. Flowers grew around her, filling the garden. A lovely lilac blossom bloomed behind her, and Persephone turned to look at it.
Hades' breath hitched.
He had never seen her before. How could that be? But no…He would remember. What was going on? Who was she?
Why couldn't he take his eyes off her?
He watched her colors, her movements.
The girl smiled blissfully as she watched the bud. At the sight of her smile, Hades froze, ashen, gripping the rail of the veranda.
Persephone turned to Athena."Something's amiss."
She felt someone's gaze upon her. But when she turned around to look at the veranda, she saw nobody.
"Mmm, I must have imagined it."
Hades had hastily retreated behind a pillar. Was this a dream? An illusion? Or was it real?
Cautiously, he stepped forward, hoping to see more of the girl. But the Fates would have none of it.
"Hades!"came a familiar deep voice."How long has it been?"
Hades gave his brother one of his rare smiles.
"Poseidon…"
They exchanged a few polite words, and Hades quickly glanced at the garden.
"Could it be…" he cleared his throat."Could it be that you perhaps know who that young lady is? Over there, next to Athena".
Intrigued, Poseidon looked at the garden."That would be Persephone. Goddess of spring, daughter of our sister, Demeter."
"I see."
"I understand," smirked the sea-god." It is hard to resist such a delightful creature, right?"
Hades did not reply. Poseidon's smile wore off."However, as your brother, I must warn you. Demeter watches over her like a hawk. She wants no men around her. You are going to have a hard time."
"I am not going to do anything. I am not interested." His face twitched as he saw Persephone dancing among the flowers in joyous abandon.
Poseidon laughed quietly."It's going to be harder to do nothing, it would seem." He gave him a mischievous look."Why don't you carry her away?"
"This is your and Zeus' way, not mine," the Underworld King said dispassionately and left, as his younger brother chuckled in amusement.
"Oh no, it's Mother," Persephone whispered, disheartened that her time of freedom had come to an end.
The furious harvest goddess walked towards her daughter and niece in long strides."Persephone! What are you doing here? I almost got a stroke when I did not find you in your chambers!"
"But Mother, we-"
"I clearly recall telling you not to leave your room! Olympus is full of dangers, don't you understand? Please, my love, listen to Mother. And you, Athena, you shouldn't have let her out! Now, go back and do not do this again." Demeter left as fast as she came, leaving a distraught Persephone and a vexed Athena behind.
"Who told on us?" she asked herself.
"I have to go back."
"You don't have to, she wants you to!"
"I have to. I must listen to her, she is my mother." It sounded as if Persephone wanted to convince herself rather than her sister.
"Till when, Persephone? Till when you are going to let her control your life? She is extremely oppressive!"
Persephone hung her head."I love her. She is my mother. And…She wants the best for me…"
"Yes, she does, but at what cost?"
The younger goddess did not answer. Sighing, she headed to her room. I mustn't be sad, I mustn't. Not today. It is my father's birthday, and it's going to be wonderful…This thought alone was enough to cheer her up.
Athena watched her go, shaking her head in distress.
The sun was setting. The feast was only a few hours away. A black-clad figure made its way to the garden. Spotting the lovely lilac flower, lonely after its maker had left it; he plucked it and cradled it in his hands. He could still smell its sweet fragrance. He brought it to his lips, as he looked at the rosy sky. Soon, he would see her again…
For the first time in many years, Hades felt happy.