Author's Note: Woah, the response to the previous chapter was overwhelming! I can't thank you enough, everyone T.T I hope you'll like this one just as much!
"…Dionysus, check, Apollo, check, Artemis, check, Ares…Wait, what?"
The messenger scratched his head, frowning. Why in Gaia's name would Hephaestus invite Ares to his wedding?
Hermes was assigned the duty of delivering the invitations for Hephaestus' wedding to the others, but the job wasn't as easy as he expected.
He shrugged. Well, he invited Aphrodite…But who cares, this happened so long ago! He vividly remembered the, um, rather lovely picture of Ares and Aphrodite chained to her bed. The boy chuckled. No matter how easygoing he was, Hephaestus was not to be trifled with.
"Damn you!" Ares roared, trying to break free.
Aphrodite laughed and let out a small sigh, looking at her nails. "Oh, Hephaestus, I had no idea you were into THAT kind of thing…" she complained, batting her eyelashes.
Hermes laughed at the memory of Hephaestus' dumbfounded expression. He was hovering outside the window of Ares' chambers and, although he couldn't see clearly what was going on, the fleeting glimpse of golden hair on his brother's pillow told him all he needed to know. The goddess of beauty couldn't tame her urges, it seemed. Hermes snickered. He knew Ares hated being interrupted, especially when Aphrodite was involved, but he knocked on his window nonetheless.
"WHAT?" Ares growled and jumped off his bed, not bothering to cover himself. Aphrodite remained unfazed, taking a sip of nectar. Someone as insignificant as Hermes wasn't worthy of her attention.
"Well, well, well…Won't you look at this…" Hermes grinned playfully.
"What are you doing here, pest?"
Hermes raised an eyebrow. "Why so tense, brother? Look, stop punching the air, I have a message for you and your lady over there."
Aphrodite giggled and lazily walked to the window. "Why are you so mean to me?" she pouted.
But, much to her chagrin, the messenger ignored her. "So, for some reason I fail to understand, the two of you are invited to Hephaestus' wedding. For more information, please refer to the parchments," he said, handing them their invitations.
"What?" Ares barked, living up to his reputation as the most short-tempered god. "No way! I'm not going!"
"I don't think he'll tie you to your chair, if that's what you're worried about." Hermes said nonchalantly before turning to Aphrodite. "You're going, aren't you?"
"There's no way I'd miss it!" she beamed. "It's my dear attendant's wedding!"
Hermes bid them goodbye, and the goddess embraced her lover. "Come now, love, don't be so cranky," she whispered in a sultry voice, running her hands down his well-sculpted chest. Ares grunted, and captured her lips in a brutal kiss.
Aphrodite moaned softly, but she couldn't get what Hermes told them out of her mind.
Hephaestus has always been fond of Aglaia, that much was true. Even when he was married to her, he had a soft spot for the charming girl with the honey-colored curls and the bright blue eyes. All of Aphrodite's attendants were exquisite beauties, but their beauty paled in comparison to hers. Still, the Graces were lovely to behold. It wasn't unusual for Aglaia and Hephaestus to spend hours talking to each other while Aphrodite entertained her lovers in the couple's bedroom. And this was the reason why the Grace regarded her mistress with a small amount of disdain. She admired Hephaestus for his kindness and infinite patience, and she couldn't fathom why Aphrodite would choose a brute like Ares over him. On his part, although some beautiful girl like Persephone would catch his eye from time to time, Hephaestus knew that Aglaia understood him and cared for him, seeing past his defective appearance.
Trying to forget the Athena incident, he had visited Aphrodite's apartments, who was doing her hair when he came in.
"Hephaestus! What are you doing here?" she asked in mock horror.
"There's something I'd like to discuss with you," he said. "I plan to take a new wife…"
Aphrodite smiled, and continued brushing her hair. "So what?"
"I wish to have one of your attendants. Aglaia." he said firmly.
The golden brush hit the floor as Aphrodite's lush lips parted in shock. "WHAT?" she shrieked. "What does she got to do with you?"
Hephaestus didn't reply, and she took a step towards him. "She is MY attendant! She's going to stay with ME!"
"The goddess of love, opposing the idea of her own companion finding love. There's irony in here somewhere…"
Aphrodite snorted. "You think that lassie is in love with you?" She smiled, tossing her hair to the back. "Hmm…Are you perhaps trying to make me jealous?"
"Self-centered as always, my dear. To clear things up, I am not asking for your permission. I simply thought you should know…"
"You can't do it without my consent!" she argued.
"Hmm. One would think that Zeus's consent would suffice." Hephaestus said casually. His eyes darted to the bed, where he spotted a helmet lying in one of the pillows. It was pretty obvious it didn't belong to Aphrodite. He frowned, and turned his attention back to his ex-wife. "What is more…" he went on, "This arrangement would be to your benefit as well, right? You might be the most beautiful woman around, yet I doubt Ares won't stray from your bed…And Aglaia is a beautiful, fresh woman…"
That did it. Aphrodite spared him a contemptuous glare and cocked her head to the side. She had to stay calm; the red tint of anger didn't look good with her hair. "No man ditches me," she grinned, revealing two rows of pearly teeth. "If you wish to marry her so ardently, then you have my blessings. But…have you asked her?" Her smile faded. "Perhaps she doesn't want you. I wouldn't like poor little Aglaia to go through what I did…"
She might have as well slapped him, but Hephaestus merely shrugged. "I will ask her, then. I'm not interested in seeing history repeating itself." And so he exited the room, leaving Aphrodite alone, her face a mask of distaste.
But she soon forgot all about it. How easy it was for the gods to forget…Mortals could spend their entire lives haunted by memories of the past, but gods were different. They would withstand any difficulty, and soon they would be smiling and laughing again. It was hard to tell whether everything truly was so easy for them. Perhaps it was because their time in this world was infinite. Or because most of them were cheerful by nature. Maybe they simply didn't care, maybe they were too childish, or possessed endless courage and patience. And thus, Hera would forgive Zeus's misdeeds no matter what, Amphitrite had already forgotten all about Medusa, and life went on.
Athena too greeted Hephaestus with a warm smile when he knocked the door to her chambers to deliver her invitation. He still was her good friend, and he did his best to forget what he did to her.
A delighted Aglaia had immediately accepted his proposal, and ran to his embrace. She insisted that the wedding took place as soon as possible, smiling blissfully in the safety of his arms.
Athena truly was happy for her friend. She bore no hard feelings towards the sunburned god with the gentle smile and the small wrinkles under the eyes. "I am glad, Hephaestus," she muttered. "Really glad. I wish you two the best."
"You are coming to the wedding, right?" he asked beseechingly. Knowing that she still considered him a friend would comfort him greatly.
"Of course!"
They stayed silent for a few moments, until Hephaestus cleared his throat. "Athena…I can't thank you enough for-"
"We agreed never to talk about this again," she cut him with a small smile, but her eyes were cold. He nodded, and her expression softened. "I don't blame you for this, Hephaestus. You have no reason to worry. I will never tell anyone; I have already forgotten."
"Alright, but…Please don't take it out on Poseidon. He only wanted to help me…"
She averted her gaze as she bid him farewell, making no comment on the previous subject.
Yes…There were some wounds so deep, time would never heal them. It was impossible.
The goddess of wisdom cloaked her sadness, pain and questions in an impregnable veil of ice…Or at least she hoped she did.
She would confront him. What he did was unforgivable.
But Athena wasn't the only one who could not forgive and forget.
There was no soul, be it living or dead, in the Underworld that couldn't hear Cerberus' two heads howling. The third one was busy trying to catch something that looked like a fly. A rather fast fly.
"You are soooo slow!" Hermes teased, happily fluttering around the colossal dog.
"You'd better stop now, messenger! He hasn't gotten any breakfast yet!" Charon warned him in his nasal voice.
"You'd know all about his breakfast, hmm?" the boy-god joked.
Charon sighed. "Unfortunately, I do…I'll never forget the day he ate my wig…" he mourned, patting his bald head. "So, watch out, boy. Even a nymph would be envious of those curls of yours."
Hermes glared down at the boatman. "Hey!"
That brief moment of respite was all Cerberus needed to snatch the young god with his strong jaws and would have hurt him badly, had not Persephone intervened.
"Cerberus! Put him down!" she scolded him. One of the many things she learned in the Underworld was that its guard was as friendly as he was fierce.
Cerberus laid his prey on her feet, whining softly while she petted his left head. She then turned to the dog's captive, only to find out that it was not a lost soul, but Hermes. Squealing, she hugged her brother tightly. Hermes kissed her on the cheek, and let his eyes run over her. She had changed a lot during her stay in the Underworld…Even the way she dressed was different.
Persephone watched with a small smirk as he took in her form. Charon raised his eyebrows, and ran to inform his master of their visitor.
Hermes gave her another kiss. "You look great!" he said eventually.
"Thank you very much…" she smiled, blushing a little.
He smiled back at her, playing with a lock of auburn hair. "Well, beautiful, if Hades hadn't seen you first, I would gladly kidnap you…"
The spring goddess lowered her head, muttering something inaudible.
"Unfortunately for you, young man, I did see her first…"
Hades was leaning against a cavern wall, a light breeze blowing through his black hair. In the dim light of Cerberus' cave, his skin seemed whiter than snow. An icy smile that did not reach his dark eyes graced his face, and his expression looked dangerous, albeit playful.
Persephone bit her lips. He is so handsome when he is angry… Her heart skipped a beat.
Hermes' heart skipped a beat as well, but for entirely different reasons. "G-Greetings, Lord Hades!" he stuttered, his eyes shifting back and forth.
"Greetings to you, Hermes," Hades sneered, walking towards them.
How Hermes wished he could run to his mother's arms! "Umm…I was just chatting with Persephone…"
Said goddess stifled a giggle, while Hades' smile grew wider. "Yes, I heard you…" he replied, placing a hand on Persephone's shoulder, yet his eyes were locked with Hermes'.
Being eaten by Cerberus doesn't sound so bad after all…, Hermes thought, feeling the Underworld King's eyes on him.
Hades' face softened a little. "Well? What brings you here?" he asked, possessively sliding his hand to Persephone's waist. A familiar warmth pooled inside her.
"Hephaestus has invited you to his wedding," Hermes announced, handing them the invitations. "Both of you, of course, as well as anyone down here who'd like to come". Persephone read the parchment, intrigued.
"So, he's getting married again," Hades commented. "To whom?"
"Aglaia," the messenger replied, fastening his winged sandals. "My job here is done. Bye-bye!" But just before he reached the exit, he turned to Persephone, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "Talk to you soon, beautiful…" he winked and disappeared.
Persephone's cheeks turned a light shade of pink, while Hades raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
"So…A wedding, huh? That's nice…" she changed the subject. But Hades looked troubled. He didn't say a word as they walked back to the palace, and was clutching the invitation in his hand.
"What's wrong?" Persephone inquired. He remained silent, eyeing the piece of parchment. Her face fell. "You are right…I shouldn't go.
He frowned. "Why not?"
"Well…The few times I was allowed to attend any event in Olympus, I would go as Demeter's daughter…But now…" Her voice trailed off.
Hades took her hands in his. How small and soft they were… "Of course you are coming," he whispered. "As my escort and the goddess of spring. Hephaestus invited you as well."
"You mean you don't mind?" she asked softly, and his lips brushed hers.
"I'm not going without you."
Persephone still looked hesitant. He smiled at her. "Well, if you don't come, they are all going to think I'm keeping you imprisoned here. So…You had better start looking for a dress," he said encouragingly.
She gave him a timid smile. Again, she was experiencing something new. Had she been with her mother, there was no way she would let her go. Demeter kept her confined in their cottage in her attempt to hide her away from their family, especially the men. But now…Hades wanted her by his side, he didn't mind if others saw her.
Persephone took a deep breath. How free she felt…She would go to Olympus again, she would see her friends, her family…
…She would see her mother…
"Hades…" she whispered after a while. "What if…What if my mother is there…"
"Yes," he said gravely. "That's what I've been thinking about."
Hades and Demeter's feud had perturbed Hephaestus quite a bit. He couldn't leave the Lord of the Dead out of his wedding celebration, but he had to invite the goddess of the harvest as well. But he didn't want the wedding hall to turn into a battlefield either. In the end, he invited both of them, hoping that Demeter would not make a scene. He trusted Hades; he knew he would remain civil.
"You do not wish to see her?" Hades asked, puzzled. "She is your mother…"
"Oh, I really want to see her…" Persephone muttered. She truly missed her mother's caring, sweet side, but she was happy to have escaped her controlling tendencies. "But I'm worried..."
Hades nodded. "Perhaps we should not go…But Hephaestus is a friend. I suggest we go, and I'll just have to stay away from my sister…"
Persephone smiled humorlessly. She couldn't push her anxiety away, but she didn't want to miss the chance to see her friends and have fun…It wasn't often she was given such an opportunity. "Thank you," she said softly as she embraced him, hiding her face in his chest.
Hades returned the embrace and buried his face in her hair. Her scent was driving him crazy…She smelled of flowers, of spring, of life…However, there was something else they needed to discuss. He pulled away, looking at her intently.
Persephone pressed her lips together. She thought he had forgotten…
"But," he said in mock seriousness, "you had better stay away from certain young men who find you beautiful."
She bit back a smile, as her innocent eyes opened wide. "Hermes is my friend!"
"That's right," he said curtly. "A friend. And I hope he knows it…"
He wrapped a hand around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Persephone let out a small cry as he bit her earlobe, and then his lips were to her neck. She inhaled sharply, throwing her head to the back.
"Because if he doesn't, I will have to remind him that you are mine," he whispered and kissed her, sucking on her bottom lip.
He broke the kiss after a while and together they walked back to the palace. But Persephone could not steady her beating heart…
Athena knew no one would be at the Parlor. At this time of the day, most of the gods would take refreshments at the veranda, reminiscing the past. But she knew he wasn't with them.
Black hair framed an ashen face, gray eyes were gleaming ferociously. Athena might as well be going to a battle. She turned her pain into wrath, and opened the door.
Poseidon, however, was not alone. A bubbly Hermes was flying around, whistling cheerfully, but the look in his sister's eyes was enough to make him leave the room in haste.
Poseidon's back was turned on her, but he knew she was there. He put his goblet down, and slowly turned to face her.
He could tell she knew just by looking at her. They stayed like this for a few moments, studying each other. The memory of their first meeting flashed before Athena's eyes.
"What do you want?" he whispered.
"You ask what I want? You thought I wouldn't find out what happened? That it was you who pushed Hephaestus to commit this…this…atrocity?"
Poseidon didn't answer; he was simply looking at her. Anger and something else he could not define were reflected in his aquamarine eyes. "An atrocity?" he asked in a low voice.
"Do you perhaps disagree?" she shouted, gritting her teeth. "You knew he couldn't win me over, so you urged him to force himself on me!"
"He needed my advice, so I gave it to him," he stated, holding her gaze.
Athena let out a bitter laugh. "Advice? Advice? Stop playing around, Poseidon. You knew he'd do exactly as you told him, and you used him to harm me!"
"What do you want, Athena?" he repeated, raising his voice.
"I'd settle for an explanation!" she demanded, her fury growing by the minute.
He averted his gaze and walked to the door. "There is nothing to talk about," he said quietly.
She had enough of his games. "Yes, there is!" she cried. "Look at me, Poseidon! Look at me, you coward!"
His glare was murderous. "I'm not a coward!" he seethed, and Athena snorted.
"Of course you aren't! Toying with Hephaestus' feelings to get back at me instead of facing me yourself was such a brilliant act of gallantry!"
"You are as much of a coward as I am, then!" he countered. "You, who turned my wife against me!"
Athena bit her lips. As she expected, her decision to inform Amphitrite came back to haunt her. She hated thinking about it…But she would let nothing show. "I didn't use anyone's feelings to my advantage! I simply told Amphitrite what she had the right to know!"
"Save your breath, Athena!" he cut her off. "You wanted revenge, and you used her to get it! You are just like me!"
"How dare you accuse me when you were fully aware that Hephaestus would hurt me?"
"Hurt you!" he spat.
"Perhaps you don't see what's so vile about it, seeing that you raped a priestess in a temple, but I do!" To her satisfaction, Poseidon winced. "And you say that I hurt you by talking to Amphitrite?"
"Yes, you did!" he yelled, as she turned away from him. "She wouldn't talk to me, she acted as if I did not exist…"
Athena pursed her lips and headed to the door.
"I'm not done with you, Athena!" He grabbed her arm, pulling her to him. She looked at him, breathless, and he was at a loss for words.
"Don't touch me!" she hissed, her heart pounding.
His grip tightened. "This is all your fault…"
His hand was like a vice, it hurt her. "Let go!" she cried, trying to jerk free.
But…did she really want him to?
He pulled her even closer, and she wasn't able to fight back. Their faces were inches away, she could feel his hot breath caressing her skin, could smell the nectar in it…
For what seemed like an eternity, they looked at each other's eyes, breathing heavily.
"You wanted to destroy me," she whispered eventually. The look in his eyes unsettled her, and so did their closeness.
"I did…" he whispered. Poseidon released her, and they both backed away.
"Why?" she asked, tears clinging to her lashes, her stomach in knots.
He didn't answer, he didn't see the pain in her eyes, just like he hadn't seen it back then…"No reason," he said calmly. He had to leave this room; he had to be away from her…
The nonchalance in his voice stabbed her straight to the heart. She was as flustered as he was, she wanted to leave, yet she wanted to stay…
….but if he did not care, then neither did she. "Well then," she said coldly, "there is nothing to talk about."
Poseidon nodded in agreement. The hard expression on his face and his darkened eyes did not go unnoticed. Athena's eyes, on the other hand, betrayed nothing.
The King of the Seas walked out of the room, leaving the goddess of wisdom behind.
Poseidon supported himself against a pillar. He had to get a hold of himself…
Athena replayed the scene in her head. She bit her lips, trying to stop her tears from falling. She would not give him the satisfaction, no!
Yet she could not stop shivering…
The goddess standing at the banks of Acheron stared at the river's crystal waters, her face eerily calm. Her striking figure was reflected in the water: A tall, shapely woman, with hair the color of wheat. But for all her feminine softness, her resolute countenance added to her imposing, regal composure.
"Acheron…Help me…" Her appeal sounded more like a command, making it clear that she was used to ordering those around her.
She raised her green eyes to the heavens. Such wonderful eyes, so similar to her daughter's, yet so different…But without this childish naïveté, they had lost some of their charm, they had turned into two pools of emotions. These were eyes that had seen a lot, eyes of a pained soul that refused to admit defeat.
The water swirled. "Acheron, River of the Two Sides, River of the Upperworld and the Underworld, answer my call…Help me…"
A deep voice came from the depths of the river. "I never expected to see you here…" The splashing waters turned into a man, a man whose advances she had spurned many times before.
"Yet here I am, and I need your help!" she demanded.
Acheron smirked. "I know what you seek, Great Goddess…The one you want is on the other side, where I am joined with Lady Styx. I will help you... But you know what I want in return, Demeter. Are you sure about this?"
"Yes. There's no turning back. I must do it…" Her voice cracked, unable to bear the weight of her emotions.
"Then…come to me, goddess of the harvest. My waters will help you. I will help you…"
She lowered her head…But she had to do it. She removed her long, velvet robe, and the garment pooled at her feet.
She fought back her tears. No one, no one would keep her away from her daughter. And if this was the price she had to pay, then so be it.
The goddess walked into the river, and he approached her, enclosing her in his cold arms.