The Underworld's celebrating drew to a climax with the setting off of a fiery column in the mountains next to the palace. By then the dancing was still energetic, but several guests were starting to slur their words and stagger from the power of drink.
Hades had drank only one glass of wine, and was in full possession of himself. Persephone, feeling the weight of his gaze on her, had taken at least three. With rosy flushed cheeks, she was truly beautiful under the glow of flames. Her crown glinted and those emerald eyes sparkled even brighter. Sensing the celebrations were about to start becoming more rowdy, and wanting to leave crowd control to his underlings, Hades decided quite abruptly it was about time he and his queen abandoned their guests. Besides, he had been looking forward to nothing else for days.
Rising to his feet, he clapped several times to gain the attention of the crowd. The Shades stopped playing music instantly, and such was Hades' authority that it barely took ten seconds for the throne room to fall quiet.
"My guests," the Lord of the Underworld announced, "the time for me to leave you has come. I thank you for your homage and loyalty in these unusual times, but for myself, this celebration is over. Do not end your revelries for my sake."
There ensued much clapping. Everyone and everything, however, knew what their king and new queen leaving the party meant. Crowing and shouting from the gathered Underworld creatures rose up as a bawdy undertone to the applause. Hades turned to Persephone, who was blushing in embarrassment. She avoided his desirous gaze as she slipped her delicate hand in his and allowed him to lead her down the steps, past the cackling, invasive faces of the crowd. Hades radiated an almost uncontained, invisible excitement.
Persephone had been both dreading and anticipating this moment for hours. It had been because of this approaching inevitability that she had drowned some of her nerves in wine. However, it was not enough to render her fears any less strong as they ascended the stairs.
Without a word, Hades lifted her into his arms as if she weighed no more than a rag doll. She met his intense eyes with determination not to be afraid. They reached his chambers far too soon.
The room was far more lavish than her own, with dark curtains framing a balcony and candles gleaming in the corners. Swords hung from the walls and in a quick glance around, Persephone noticed a suit of armour composed of pure gold and several shelves of leather-bound books. The four-poster bed stood almost like a threat in the centre of the far wall. Black gossamer curtains hung from the ceiling around it, and the candles were concentrated around it. She briefly wondered who had prepared the candles in such a way, and then decided she would rather not know.
Hades' forehead pressed to hers as he kicked the door shut and carried her across the room. His breath caressed her lips, and Persephone felt her heart start to beat like the drums downstairs, just out of earshot. She felt entirely out of her depth here; alone and defenceless against the sheer power of Hades' obsessive love. Demeter had always been very strict in keeping only maiden nymphs and dryads around her daughter, and treated any questions about sex like questions about evildoing. Poor Persephone was therefore left utterly clueless about what Hades wanted from her, and she feared it.
"I…" she stammered nervously. "I've never done any…anything like this before."
"I know," he said, chuckling in that unique way of his. "Don't worry, my love, I would never hurt you."
Even now, she was uncertain if she honestly believed that. Knowing the Lord of the Underworld as she did, she felt certain he would say anything to get what he wanted.
"But how do…" Persephone continued, unsure how to phrase the question. "How does one…"
The cool press of his kiss cut off her words. Heat flooded her skin. Somewhere beyond the limits of her focus, they had reached the ominous bed. She felt the sheets beneath her and the press of his body over hers. Hades' kiss absorbed all else. Her crown went tumbling from her head with a metallic clang onto the stone floor, and his was in turn discarded with a careless toss. The demanding force of his lips absorbed all her ability to resist. Either wine or fear clouded her perception.
"Don't speak," Hades whispered in her ear, his fingers stroking and tangling in her crimson hair, tugging it loose of its pins. "Just trust me, Persephone," he told her.
The way he said her name was like a spell, as if he could gain her heart simply by wrapping words around her. Cold hands hungrily sought the ties of her gown and she controlled her fear, focusing only on the new sensations flooding her mind. Every brush of his touch seemed to crave more. Suddenly, she was equally afraid of being lost in the endless, relentless fire of Hades' love as she was of actually being with him. He was seizing control of her shyness, not even doubting for a moment that this was all he wanted in the universe. They filled each other's senses, basking in desire.
Persephone felt clumsy and unbearably shy as he slipped her gown off. Hades looked on her with an intense, intoxicated determination, whispering in a thousand million ways that she was beautiful. In return, she admired the understated power in his bare torso, lined with distinct muscles. The feeling of his pale skin on hers, at first uncomfortable, started to feel almost natural. She was drowning in his adoration, allowing him to take control because he had stolen her ability to fight him with something stronger than force. The dusty smell of his hair and the cool taste of his mouth were all she knew. Hades was irrevocably absorbed by the warmth and divine perfection of her slender body. Persephone was his now, and that, he was sure, would not change from this hour. There was an undeniable madness in how he took her, much more potent than the madness which had driven him to steal her from Demeter's garden, but tainted with the growing love that he knew was more real than ever before.
Downstairs, revelries went on for hours longer. Music rippled, light skipped and twirled, shadows leapt like monsters until even the immortals grew tired and dispersed back to their lairs. Outside, as the celebrations waned, an oddly shaped god trailed after a mousy goddess into the darkness where she ran laughing and singing his name. And there lies a tale which is too appalling for words to tell.