Note: I'm writing under the assumption that begonias don't need too much sunlight to grow. I spent about 2 minutes Googling this so I'm sorry if that's incorrect. Just go with it.

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As always, PLEASE REVIEW!

Much love, Cat

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He watched as Persephone re-entered the ballroom only to quickly rush out into the gardens. Their eyes had only met for a moment but the soft blue orbs were puffy and rimmed with red and she was clearly upset. He had never wanted to vent his frustration so badly. Her world was in turmoil and he was powerless, forced to stay a respectable distance away so as to avoid suspicion. He sipped his wine, and felt the sweet liquid turn to dust as it slid down his throat. He wanted to hold her, to take her away from all this so she would never have to feel this way again. When you loved someone you would do everything in your power to make them happy.

…Which was clearly not the philosophy of the haughty woman who walked into the ballroom moments later, patting stray hairs into place and looking so composed one would never guess she was the cause of her daughter fleeing the room in tears. His flower would soon wilt under her harsh cultivation. He had to do something to save her.

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She wasn't usually such a watering pot. Everyone always described her as a happy, cheerful girl. But no one ever heard the things her mother said to her when they were alone. She pressed a hand to her lips to stifle a scream as her chest constricted and her eyes burned trying to hold back any more tears. "Go collect yourself, Persephone. Such behavior is unseemly. I knew the stress of this event would be too much for you. We should have stayed at home. But while we are here, I expect you to conduct yourself with dignity."

Dignity. She could have laughed if she weren't so miserable. How she carry herself as a person worthy of honor and respect when she was given none by the person who mattered most? No, that was incorrect. He loved her and respected her. It was Demeter who confused care with possessiveness. Sometimes she wondered if her mother had ever really loved her, or if she had simply wanted someone she could control and force to love her unconditionally. But while she sympathized with her mother's heartbreak, she had no desire to become like her. Her heart was not jaded. It was crying out the name of the man she loved.

"You seem too solemn and mature to be the little girl who once presented me with very own begonia," a deep voice beside her gently teased.

"Uncle Hades!" she cried, wiping her eyes and throwing herself into his arms as she had when she was a girl. They had always been fond of each other, the recluses of the pantheon for their own reasons. As a beautiful child with a mass of golden curls she had never been intimidated by the tall, quiet man she had been informed was her uncle. Even when she found out where he lived, she had only felt sad that he was unable to see the sun.

"I remember. I brought you a bouquet of fresh wildflowers and you told me that nothing of the mortal realm could blossom or grow in the Underworld and that even the plants in Elysium were enchanted plants of the Underworld. So I brought you a potted begonia because it can grow without much light," she said with a bright smile.

He returned her smile. "So who has made my kindest niece cry? Point him out and he shall answer to me," he said, only half joking.

"It isn't like that, uncle. That is… I just…" Persephone was finding it difficult to speak and hold back tears at the same time. Yet she felt if she were to give into the impulse she might never stop and she couldn't risk endangering her lover with their secret, not even with her uncle, whom she trusted wholeheartedly.

"It's Demeter, isn't it?" he concluded, cupping her chin gently so she would meet his gaze. She had to tilt her head far back, as he was incredibly tall, even for a god. Looking into her watery blue eyes, for a moment they melted away and another set of heartbroken eyes stared back in their place. Hades closed his eyes and the memory receded. He gently kissed Persephone on the forehead. "I will always be here for you," he said quietly as he dried her eyes and then led her back into the ballroom.

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I'm feeling inspired by this story. It could very well be a weekly or monthly update. It's all up to you.

PLEASE REVIEW!

Much love, Cat