Beneath the light and warmth of the earth, Hades sulked.
"Hungry, m'lord?" ventured one of his minions, tentatively shoving a generously decked tray at the god's nose.
Hades pushed the tray away without a glance. The goblet of nectar spilled on the red-unitard-clad servant who scurried away, mouse-like.
The King of the Underworld returned to the important task of honing his brooding skills, contemplating a red-velvet pillow graced by a tiara that glittered silver in the dull light.
Lonely Hades lifted the gem-studded crown and caressed it gently with one hand, before sighing mournfully and placing it - none too gently - upon the empty throne found on his left.
Hades stood, and called for his goons. "Attend me! The Underworld has want of a Queen."
"You're ripping out my beautiful tresses, mother," complained a pretty, coddled looking girl. "And why do you get to wear a tiara? It's not fair."
Demeter pinned a flowered headpiece into her daughter's golden-brown hair, looking only faintly irked. "Because I'm a goddess. Now run along and pick flowers like a good girl."
"But mother, I'm a goddess too! Why do I get to wear..." Persephone trailed off, distracted by a hand-held mirror. She admired her reflection for a moment. "Are you sure the flowers will stay in?"
"Yes, dear," Demeter said with remarkable patience, handing the girl a basket. "The flowers," she reminded her daughter, quickly embracing her before departing.
Persephone reluctantly set aside the mirror and skipped off to the fields to gather wild flowers.
"Does this wig make me look effeminate, Hermes?" Zeus looked anxiously to his messenger, smoothing back the blond curls with an expectant expression.
Hermes sighed inwardly and tried to formulate a proper response. "Err, just a bit. Perhaps the other one?" He managed not to wince at tan tights Zeus had tucked his tunic into. "Yes, that's better. Now hold the lightning bolt up, that gives you a manly look."
Zeus looked grateful. "Ah, good thinking, Hermes. What would I do without you..? Run along now, you're dismissed."
Hermes bowed low and fled before his father could change his mind.
Aphrodite and Eros watched from behind a tree as Hades and his company emerged from the Underworld.
The goddess of love shook her pretty head with disapproval "Poor Hades. No one deserves to be without love," she informed her son. "I'm confident that it can resolve any problem." Aphrodite conveniently forgot the Trojan War.
Eros pulled on his mother's skirts, and pointed to a pretty girl kneeling in the grass beside a basket of flowers.
Aphrodite's plump red lips curved upwards in a somewhat malicious smile. "Persephone," she purred, smugly. She had been looking for a way to be revenged on Demeter for making insinuations about her... purity. Nevermind that they were true. "I do believe I'd found Hades his bride."
Eros grinned impishly and notched an arrow to his bow.
Persephone tucked flowers into her hair and dress, pirouetting gaily about the meadow. She was humming to herself absently when she spotted a beautiful flower close by. It was a deep crimson rose, petals delicate and without a single imperfection.
Persephone bent down and inhaled the sweet aroma that was a rarity in such exquisitely perfect roses. She moved to pick it, as if in a trance, and found to her dismay that it wasn't actually growing in the ground... and screamed. Loudly.
A few minutes later, the clearing was still and empty, and the red flower lay crushed in the grass beside the basket full of flowers.
"Hungry, m'lord?" ventured one of his minions, tentatively shoving a generously decked tray at the god's nose.
Hades pushed the tray away without a glance. The goblet of nectar spilled on the red-unitard-clad servant who scurried away, mouse-like.
The King of the Underworld returned to the important task of honing his brooding skills, contemplating a red-velvet pillow graced by a tiara that glittered silver in the dull light.
Lonely Hades lifted the gem-studded crown and caressed it gently with one hand, before sighing mournfully and placing it - none too gently - upon the empty throne found on his left.
Hades stood, and called for his goons. "Attend me! The Underworld has want of a Queen."
"You're ripping out my beautiful tresses, mother," complained a pretty, coddled looking girl. "And why do you get to wear a tiara? It's not fair."
Demeter pinned a flowered headpiece into her daughter's golden-brown hair, looking only faintly irked. "Because I'm a goddess. Now run along and pick flowers like a good girl."
"But mother, I'm a goddess too! Why do I get to wear..." Persephone trailed off, distracted by a hand-held mirror. She admired her reflection for a moment. "Are you sure the flowers will stay in?"
"Yes, dear," Demeter said with remarkable patience, handing the girl a basket. "The flowers," she reminded her daughter, quickly embracing her before departing.
Persephone reluctantly set aside the mirror and skipped off to the fields to gather wild flowers.
"Does this wig make me look effeminate, Hermes?" Zeus looked anxiously to his messenger, smoothing back the blond curls with an expectant expression.
Hermes sighed inwardly and tried to formulate a proper response. "Err, just a bit. Perhaps the other one?" He managed not to wince at tan tights Zeus had tucked his tunic into. "Yes, that's better. Now hold the lightning bolt up, that gives you a manly look."
Zeus looked grateful. "Ah, good thinking, Hermes. What would I do without you..? Run along now, you're dismissed."
Hermes bowed low and fled before his father could change his mind.
Aphrodite and Eros watched from behind a tree as Hades and his company emerged from the Underworld.
The goddess of love shook her pretty head with disapproval "Poor Hades. No one deserves to be without love," she informed her son. "I'm confident that it can resolve any problem." Aphrodite conveniently forgot the Trojan War.
Eros pulled on his mother's skirts, and pointed to a pretty girl kneeling in the grass beside a basket of flowers.
Aphrodite's plump red lips curved upwards in a somewhat malicious smile. "Persephone," she purred, smugly. She had been looking for a way to be revenged on Demeter for making insinuations about her... purity. Nevermind that they were true. "I do believe I'd found Hades his bride."
Eros grinned impishly and notched an arrow to his bow.
Persephone tucked flowers into her hair and dress, pirouetting gaily about the meadow. She was humming to herself absently when she spotted a beautiful flower close by. It was a deep crimson rose, petals delicate and without a single imperfection.
Persephone bent down and inhaled the sweet aroma that was a rarity in such exquisitely perfect roses. She moved to pick it, as if in a trance, and found to her dismay that it wasn't actually growing in the ground... and screamed. Loudly.
A few minutes later, the clearing was still and empty, and the red flower lay crushed in the grass beside the basket full of flowers.