"It is not the name I chose for you!" Demeter bit out, trying not to sound so angry as she was now talking to her beloved daughter. "I named you Kore!"
"And my father named me Persephone, I prefer it to Kore." Persephone explained calmly, as though trying not to frighten an injured animal. Although, the damage was done, Demeter was well and truly wounded by her daughter's words.
"How can you say that Kore?!" Demeter started to tear up, her dark green eyes growing glassy. "You're my daughter!" She closed her eyes tightly and a few droplets escaped her eyes, running down her round face.
Persephone looked away, guilt eating at her for causing her mother to cry. Seeing this Zeus spoke gently, "Demeter, she is also my daughter. But she is also her own person, this is a choice that she has made."
"But- but I…"
"Demeter, enough. Can't you see you're distressing the poor woman." Hera told her calmly, watching a few tears escape Persephone's eyes that she discreetly tried to wipe away.
"Can't you see that you're all distressing me?" The goddess wailed, more tears pouring from her eyelids.
"Demeter!" Hera snapped, her patience thin. "You always claim Persephone to be a child but you are the one acting like a spoilt brat! Always turning things and twisting words to suit yourself! Persephone is a grown woman, you need to realise that she can make her own choices and if that is to leave you then so be it!"
"No!" Demeter screamed. "It's not fair! Why are you all attacking me when he is the one who stole my daughter from me!" She rounded on Hades, the dark god standing with his arms crossed, watching the whole display with a cold glare on his face.
"I took her with her father's permission." Hades answered darkly, his face emotionless.
"But without mine." Persephone looked to Hades, her expression full of sorrow.
"I- Persephone…" Hades struggled to find the words, his tongue unable to form words.
"Persephone," Hera came forward and held out a hand to her. "Why don't we go take a look at your arm?"
"I-" Persephone looked at the outstretched hand, offered to her. To accept or decline. The choice was hers to make. "That would be good. Thank you." She took Hera's hand and together then walked away from the mess.
"Now my dear, you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, but please know I am here to listen." Hera told her gently, closing the door to her bedchamber softly and locking it after her.
"I-" her voice broke and miserable tears trickled down her face.
"Oh dear, sit down." Hera ushered her towards the bed, sitting beside her while an arm draped over the girl's trembling shoulders.
"I'm sorry," Persephone sobbed, dropping her face into her hands. "It's just all too much right now."
"Don't be sorry, my dear. You've been through so much, and not just these past few days but your whole life." The queen rubbed her shoulder soothingly.
"It's just… I realise now that no one's ever asked me what I want."
"And what do you want Persephone?"
"Well, that's just it, now that you're asking, I have no idea what I want." She laughed without humour.
"You have as much time as you need to figure it out, you can stay here if you want? While you decide."
"Thank you Hera, that's so kind of you. I just don't know what to do… I-I love him. I'm in love with the Lord of the Underworld and… Oh!" She dropped her head into her hands, resting her elbows on her knees while Hera patted her back comfortingly.
"Well," Hera sighed lightly, "what's so wrong with that?"
"Because he, well he said... he loves me."
"And what is so wrong with that?" Hera leaned forwards slightly to watch the young goddess' expression. Persephone's pink bottom lip began to tremble.
"He lied to me and I- I don't know what to do!" Persephone croaked, before covering her mouth with her hand, her breath coming out in short gasps.
"Oh dear... sometimes, sometimes we lie- to protect the ones we love. I'm not saying that it's right and you should forgive him, and I don't even know what he lied about, but I'm sure he wouldn't have lied to hurt you. I'm sure it would have been a lie to do the exact opposite."
Persephone's body went ramrod straight and her wide eyes swung to Hera, who was gazing upon her with an all knowing smile. "W-what? I don't understand."
Hera sighed, "Perhaps you wouldn't as the only love you've ever known is your mother's love and that's not a very good example." Hera sighed again, looking down to the floor, but still keeping a steady hand on Persephone's back. "Hades is deeply in love with you Persephone, it's something I've only ever seen in the mortals under the influence of Aphrodite. Zeus and I are married, but only because he shamed me by taking my innocence, it's a marriage forged from lust. But the way Hades looks upon you… it's so pure. So that's how I know- if Hades ever lied to you- it would be to protect you somehow."
Persephone watched the older goddess, one who'd claimed her as a step-daughter, explain to her for the first time about the concept of love and the different between it and lust. Something her mother had never taken the time to explain to her or think her mature enough to understand.
When finished Persephone looked upon Hera in a completely different light and having changed opinions of her mother, father, and her Lord of the Underworld. "So," Persephone paused, trying to think of the correct words, so not to upset or hurt the other goddess. "Zeus, my father, took your… innocence," the sweet goddess stuttered over the word and the concept of it, "without your permission?"
Hera was not hurt or angered by these words, having already come to terms with her rape and had somewhat worked passed it. "Yes, he did. But what he has done in the past to me, does make him any less of a father to you in the present." She raised her hand from her back and began to stroke it down Persephone's red hair in a comforting manner.
Persephone continued on with her questions, not wanting to process how her relationship with her father may be altered forever. "But he and my mother… that was with permission?" She asked hesitantly, trying to make sure she had everything in order. Hera nodded, reassuring the young one. "And that was lust. But Hades... Doesn't lust for me, he loves me?"
Hera paused for a moment, tipping her head one way then the other, as though weighing her options, her face unsure. "He does… feel lust for you, but combined with that lust is love, and believe me when I say it is a deep and unbreakable type of love."
"Persephone," Hera took both the goddess' hands in her own, holding them to her heart and looked into her eyes, conveying her sincerity. "Hades adores you, for as long as you've been on this earth I believe he has loved you in some form, but now you are a woman, despite what your mother may wish to believe, he loves you as a woman."
Persephone looked away, starting to understand what Hera was saying, Hades wanted her… all of her. Her innocence. Hera appeared in her vision again, having moved with her to continue looking in her eyes. "You most likely haven't noticed this, but many men have lusted after you. Have wanted to take from you what Zeus took from me. Although I don't agree with Demeter's ways, I cannot condemn her for her fear that a man might have taken your virginity against your will."
Persephone's body jerked and shivered with the news, having never thought a man, least of all the ones she knew, had lusted after her in such a way. "But Hades hasn't… he wouldn't!" She stood up, dropping her hands from Hera's and pacing the floor.
"No," Hera rushed to reassure her. "He would not, not without your permission. What I'm trying to say really, is that… you shouldn't be fearful of having feelings for him. Because, love Persephone, real love, is giving someone the power to hurt you but trusting them enough never to do so."
Persephone clutched her head, tugging at her hair and then rubbing her forehead. "That is my problem, I do love him, so much that I feel like the word 'love' doesn't even really begin to describe how much I feel for him. But he has hurt me, so much. He lied to me, made me believe that he'd rescued me from an unknown kidnapper, only to find he was my kidnapper!" She threw her arms in the air and continued to pace, "I don't know how to trust him again. What if the man I've fallen in love with isn't the one he truly is? What if this whole time with him has been some sort of trickery?"
"I'll be the first to admit that Hades acts differently with you, however I do not believe that is trickery against you. Actually, I think it's quite the opposite; I think Hades has only ever shown his true self with you."
"So what should I do?" Persephone stopped pacing and wandered over to the bed where Hera had stayed, sinking down next to her, wringing her long hair in her hands.
Hera looked upon the forlorn goddess with a mixture of empathy and admiration. "I cannot tell you that Persephone, this is your decision to make." She placed a hand on Persephone's knee and gave it a gentle squeeze, sending the younger one a small smile.
Sooooooo... it's be what? A year people? Well... fuuuuuuuuuuuudge! I've got no excuse- the last time you heard from me I was just starting my 6 months placement in China- holy crap that was the most scariest, frustrating, near-arrested, teaching little (braty) angels, near death experience of my life. Haha, anyone want to hear how I nearly got arrested in China? Wooo- looking back it was some-what funny, but oh so scary at the time. All around China was a very educating experience- I learnt a lot about myself, and some of it made me happy and some of it made me sad. Either way, I've had a lot of emotions to deal with while in China and since being back. I landed back in England back in February and ever since then I've hit the ground running. Writing has been the last thing on my (very fudged up) mind, but I am back- as I've made a promise to all my readers that I will complete all stories on this damn website.
So if any of you are still reading this thing and haven't given up hope on me- please give me some feedback and let me know how you feel about this chapter. Even if it's just to rant at me for being a shitty person leaving you all the way I did.
You all have my sincerest of apologises,
Fables And FairyTales xx