~≈~≈IV≈~≈~

A week after my audience with Hades, I was sitting by the river, watching the fish swim around each other playfully. The water was so clear and beautiful. I dipped my hand into the water and the playful fish swan in opposite directions away from my hand. I laughed and pulled my hand out of the water. Standing up, I decided to walk upstream to the lake the river poured into.

The water was cool and deep. I walked farther around the lake to a small cliff, about five feet high with large rocks stretching over the edge of the water. I walked onto one of the rocks and stared into the water, shining beautifully and a wonderful deep blue color. I jumped into the water.

Under the water, bubbles rose from around me, heading for the surface. I decided to follow their example and push off the sand-covered ground with my foot, rising to the surface myself.

"So that's what that splash was." A male voice chuckled.

I sighed and smiled. "Must you alway sneak up on me?"

Apollo laughed and replied, "I didn't know you were over here. I just heard a splash int he water." He was sitting on the edge of the rock I had jumped from. "A wonderful day for a swim, wouldn't you agree?" A smile was still on his face.

"If you think that, then why don't you join me?"

"I think I'll stay up here." He said, looking up at the sky.

"Afraid of the water?" I asked, holding back a laugh.

He glared at me, but his face quickly softened into a smile.

I laughed. "I'm right!"

"I'm not afraid of the water. I just don't like it much."

"What's the difference?"

Before he could reply, my mother's voice from nearby called out, "Persephone!"

"Looks like that's my cue to leave." Apollo stood up.

"Why's that?" I asked. "My mother isn't that mean."

He laughed. "Oh Persephone, you're so naïve."

"How so?" I continued questioning him.

"Persephone. There you are! I was looking everywhere for-" She stopped mid sentence and looked at Apollo. He avoided eye contact with her and began looking around like everything was unlike anything he's ever seen before. "What have you been doing to my daughter?" She asked him harshly.

The sun god finally looked at her, slightly offended. "Why would I do anything to her? We were just talking."

"It's true, mother." I defended him.

My mother still seemed strangely angry with the man. She said nothing and looked at him skeptically. "Just talking, huh?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "You weren't thinking of joining her in the water, were you?"

"Mother please-"

"Quiet!" She interrupted me. "Answer the question." She directed her last statement towards Apollo.

"No. I wasn't. I give you my word."

"Mother, please. He's done nothing wrong."

"Get out of the water." She told me.

I obeyed her and swan to the shore, ringing out my hair as I stood up on the grass lining the lake. My mother was still talking to Apollo on the rock over the water, when suddenly the man was pushed off the edge. I couldn't help nut laugh silently as he tried to keep himself afloat on the surface. My mother walked down from the cliff and over to me.

"Come along Persephone." She said to me, and began walking away. I followed her and turned around once. I mouthed a "sorry" to Apollo and gave an amused smile.

Later that day I was able to escape my mother and wander over to the river again. I returned to the lake to make sure Apollo hadn't drowned and to see if he was still there. I walked around the edge of the lake, looking for my friend, but he seemed to be gone. I should have known he wouldn't stay. He probably thought I wouldn't be back anytime soon. A reasonable guess, but still I was slightly disappointed he hadn't waited for me.

"You know, you're mother is very cruel." I turned around to see Apollo leaning against one of the nearby trees with that handsome grin on his face.

"Sorry about that." I apologized.

He shrugged his shoulders. "It's not your fault. She's just overprotective of you. She probably thinks every guy is going to kidnap you. Or something like that." I rolled my eyes. Of course she would think that. She always did, even before it happened.

"Well you can't blame her." I said, actually defending my mother a little.

"You're right. I can't. I'll admit, I worry about your protection sometimes too." That comment made my blush. He actually worried about me?

"You do?" I asked him. He looked up at, a serious expression on his face.

"Of course I do." He replied, "A guy would do anything to be with a girl as beautiful as you." My face felt hotter.

"Why don't you go protect Aphrodite then? Guys are always trying to be with her." I retorted.

"Aphrodite?" He smiled, "Come on Persephone, you're more beautiful than Aphrodite. And she's the one trying to be with every handsome guy she sees. Like anyone would want to be in her company." He laughed. I turned away from him. I didn't want him to see how red my face must be. More beautiful than Aphrodite? Not likely. Sure, I wanted to believe it. I have a few thing against her, but no one was more beautiful than her. She was the goddess of beauty after all.

"Is everything alright?" Apollo asked me, freeing me from my thoughts. I turned back around to face him, hoping my face wasn't as red as I thought it was.

"Yeah." I said with a smile. "Just fine."

He chuckled and shook his head slightly. "Come on," he said, "Let's go look around. I have a feeling you don't wander off too much. Let's see what we can find." He pushed himself off from the tree trunk and held out his hand for mine. It took me a while to finally walk over to him and take his hand. We began walking away from the lake, his hand holding mine the entire time we walked.

That night I sat in the middle of my flower field, daisies and poppies towering over the grass. I had made a flower chain, the white and red flowers making a crown around my head. I felt like I was being watched, but I looked around, multiple times, and saw no one.

The starts shone down, and the moon was high and bright in the sky. I laid myself down in the grass and continued looking up at the sky. My thoughts were too scrambled around for me to actually think clearly about anything. I was still flustered about my day with Apollo, it was kind of strange. I don't remember ever having feelings for the man, but it was now clear that he had feelings for me.

The sound of a snapping twig echoed through the air. I sat up quickly and looked around again. Was I being watched? "Who's there?" I called out, not expecting an answer, but I received one.

"I apologize." A voice said. There was someone behind the trees. A man, by the sound of his voice I stood up and walked over to the edge of the woods.

"Who are you? Why were you watching me?" This time the man didn't reply. "Please, show yourself to me." Still nothing. "I am not angry with you, and I will not harm you." Perhaps the man left. Quietly enough so I didn't notice. "Are you still there?" I tried looking through the dark woods, but I couldn't see anything.

"I am." The voice whispered in my ear from behind me. The man had his hands on his arms and his chin rested on the top of my head.

"Who are you?" I asked again without turning around. I was more frightened now than I was before.

"It's a shame what one week can do. You don't even recognize my voice." There was a sadness in the man's voice, but it was a kind of mocking sadness.

"No, I don't recognize your voice." The man took his hands from my shoulder and turned me around. I had trouble seeing him, because of the darkness, but I recognized the features on his face and I suddenly felt guilty. "I'm sorry." I whispered. "I should have known it was you. I am so sorry. I-"

"Persephone," the man, who I now recognized as my husband, interrupted. "There is no need for you to apologize."

"But-"

"Persephone." I silenced myself. "It's alright." I nodded and he continued, "I came to see you, my dear, I don't wish to waste this time with unnecessary apologies."

"Of course." I spoke. Visits from Hades during the summer months weren't uncommon. I always loved how he would surprise me with his occasional visits.

Hades kissed my forehead lightly and whispered. "I must leave now. I'm sorry for startling you. I will see you soon, I promise."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck in a close embrace. "I'll be waiting." I whispered and released him. He gave a small, pain-filled smile and walked past me, disappearing into the darkness.