Safe in the Arms of A Lover

Chapter One: My Overbearing Mother

"Persephone!"

I looked up from the apple blossom in my hand. My mother, Demeter, the goddess of the earth, was walking over toward me a look of anger coming over her face. What now? I thought as she stormed up to me and grabbed my upper arm. "Where have you been? I've been so worried!" I sighed and bowed my head. "I'm sorry mother, I just wanted a minute to myself. She shook her head. "And what if you had been attacked?" She asked the same old thing. Since I began develop my womanly figure my mother had done her best to hide me away from any male eyes. She herself would have been one of the virgin goddess had my father Zeus not seduced her and made her pregnant with me, she hated men and thought they were evil foul beasts who only wanted to steal the virginity of young maidens.

Now she wished the same fate on me, to be a virgin goddess. But I didn't want it, I wanted to marry one day and have a child of my own. But my mother was hell bent to keep my dreams as just that… dreams.

"What are you wearing?" She asked me in shock. I looked down at the pale pink shift that Aphrodite had given me. It was the only thing I owned that had any color. I mean I'm a goddess of freaking spring! Spring is COLORFUL.

The dress didn't even reveal anything provocative. The neckline ended just above my cleavage so it didn't show even a hint of my breasts and the hem touched the ground and covered my bare feet. "It's just a dress mother." I replied.

"You look like a whore!" I sighed and glanced to the sky. It would have been awesome if my father decided he wanted to actually see me now.

"Mother, It shows noting that would make a man look at me with lust." She shook her head. "No, the color isn't right. It'd broadcast that you would lay with any man just like that goddess of whores, Aphrodite." She then dragged me back to our palace on Olympus and pushed me in my room. "Now I want you to change into one of your nice virgin robes."

I went to do as I was told, my mother watching me all the while. I knew she only meant well but damn couldn't I have had a little freedom? I mean I was I my sixteenth year; I was by all rights a woman now. And yet I was forced to wear unflattering cloths and be completely secluded from any other person alive besides Artemis and Athena and other sworn virgins.

Once I was dressed to my mother's liking she lead me out of the palace. "Where are we going mama?" I asked as we entered my father and stepmother's halls.

"You father wishes to speak with us. I'm sure it's about that disgraceful Equinox Banquet where all of the others are trying to seduce one another and getting drunk."

I gave a longing sigh. The Summer Equinox was something I'd always wanted to go to but for some reason I was never invited. It made me sad to think that my father and half siblings didn't want me to attend. All I really had was my mother and when I was with her I felt trapped, like a dove whose wings have been clipped.

As we made our way toward my father's throne room we passed Hera, the queen of the gods and my stepmother.

"Demeter." She said with a smug smile on her face. "I see Zeus wants his whore and daughter's presence." She then turned her gaze to me. "How are you Persephone dear?" For some reason, Hera seemed to like me better then any of Zeus other children. She and I actually spent a little time together and she often felt that I was capable of doing more adult things. She would tell me that had she been my mother I wouldn't be under her thumb near as much. 'You should have more freedom for a goddess your age.' She'd say.

"I'm fine step mother." I was the only one of Zeus's children she'd ever allowed to call her that.

She nodded then gave a satisfied smirk to my mother.

"Oh that woman, you'd think she was the only woman her husband had been with, ha, the fact that Zeus strays often says that she hasn't done her wifely duties."

Then mother looked to me and brushed my straight, soft wheat color hair back behind my ear. I had inherited a lot of my features from her. Like her button nose and her eyelashes and round eyes and her delicate chin. The color of my eyes, however, where as blue as a clear spring sky like my father's.

We entered Zeus's throne room. It was beautiful the celling was nonexistent the clear sky could be seen through the oval roof and the pure white pillars seemed to shine. The floor was light blue tile with the bright shining sun in the middle. My father sat on his throne, clad in his white robes made of silk his chest bare from the waist up with only a scarf like piece of cloth draped over one of his shoulders. His throne was clear with lightning bolts flashing inside.

"Demeter." He said tersely. Obviously mother had done something wrong. His sun bright blonde hair blew gently in the breeze. "Zeus." Mother replied.

He got up and walked to us. Looked to me and gave me a fatherly smile. "Hello daughter, how are you?" I smiled. "I'm fine father."

He then turned back to my mother. "Why have you refused to bring Persephone to the Banquet?" I looked to my mother. I was invited? But mother never… oh I see what's going on here.

"I will not have my daughter in the presence of those drunken fools and harlots." My father's eyebrows widen and he inclined his head. "I'm sorry Demeter I could have sworn you said YOUR daughter, because last I checked a woman can't bed herself and become with child."

My mother's back stiffened. "I am her mother I raise her." She practically growl.

"ONLY BECAUSE YOU REFUSE TO ALLOW HER TO STAY HERE IN MY HALLS! YOU KEEP HER FROM ME AND ALL OUR FAMILY!"

I covered my ears with my hands as my father's thunderous voice bellowed through the palace. I had always known that my father was one of the most temperamental men in existence but I had never had reason to fear him… until now.

My father took a calming breath then turned to me. "Persephone, darling, would you like to attend the banquet?" he asked me calmly. I looked to my mother and I saw tears in her eyes.

"Don't look to her child. Answer the question the way you wish. Would you like to participate in the Summer Equinox Banquet?" I bowed my head. "I would be honored father." I said softly.

He nodded his head. "Demeter leave me and my daughter for a minute." He ordered.

"No I-" he spun around and glared to her. "Do not tempt me woman. Now GO!" she glared at him then turn and left.

Father then turned to me. "Persephone." He said softly. I looked up to him from under my eyelashes. "Yes father?" He but a hand on the small of my back and led me to his throne. He gestured to the stairs and I sat as he asked. "You know you're of marriageable age." He said as he sat next to me. I nodded. "Mother would never allow it father." Zeus shook his head. "If I felt it would make you happy she'd be unable to defy me."

I sighed. "Yes father I want to fall in love and have a child of my own." I whispered. "Well at the Banquet I will, if you'd like, get you away from you mother and introduce you to some of the other gods that way you can at least know who you could have."

I gave my father a smile. "Thank you father." Then I got up to follow my mother. It was nice how father wanted me to be happy but I didn't get my hopes up. My mother was far too stubborn to be swayed.

Hey everyone AliBelikov here. I had started a story called Demon High but I have no idea where it's going so I've deleted it until I can figure out how it'll go from where it'll be left off. Sorry. On another note, I've always been fascinated with Greek Mythology, Particularly the Goddess Persephone and this is one way I think the story really went. I mean come on of course Hades is going to be brooding, and lonely, and anti- social he was the freaking god of the Underworld for crying out loud! I tried to make Zeus more of a father figure here because we all know he's just a glorified man hoe in the myths, (Roll Eyes) and he's not that great a father. Anyways I hope you enjoy and please review. P.S. If you'll Google Myth By Zelda C. Wang on Google Image you'll see her drawings of the Greek gods. This is the way I see them in my story. They are drawn so wonderfully, Especially Hades (Wink, Wink)

Next Chapter: The Banquet and the Dark Stranger