Hades and Kassandra

Chapter Two

~Temple of Hades~



Kassandra had been in the service of Hades for several months now. She loved her new life, although she could not say the same for all of her fellow servants of Hades. The two girls who shared her bedroom resented both Kassandra and their duties in the Temple. She could see no reason for this hatred, unless it was because she was here of her own volition, while Martia and Anna had been sent to the Temple by their families to remove them from the attentions of less-than-suitable suitors.



But Kassandra did not let herself be upset by them. She spent nearly all her time in the inner atrium of the Temple. And now that she thought of it, that could be part of the reason her roommates did not like her. They were scarcely allowed to see the atrium, whereas Kassandra had heard that she was being considered as the next Bride of Hades.



The tradition had begun centuries earlier, before Hades took Kore from the surface and made her his wife. Each year a priestess from Hades temple at Colchis was selected to be Hades companion for one night. When Hades wed Persephone, the ceremony continued, taking place during the part of the year while Kore was on Olympos.

Kassandra was deeply honored that she was being considered. But when she had, in a burst of friendliness, told Anna and Martia that she was a nominee for the honor, both girls had scorned her, making rude remarks about Kassandra being a consideration only because her father was the King of Colchis. Kassandra's fierce temper had surfaced at that, but she had managed to restrain it, albeit with much difficulty. She had merely smiled sweetly and flounced out of the room, her head held high. She privately reflected later that neither Martia nor Anna were suitible candidates, as the Bride of Hades had to be, among other things, a virgin. And, Kassandra knew for a fact, neither girl had fulfilled that requirement for a few years.

Kassandra stopped by the kitchens and took a goblet of wine, then went into the atrium and sat at the alter to Hades. She went there every night, and lately she had been praying to him that he would find her suitable and allow her to be chosen as his Bride. Tonight she prayed twice as long. The Bride was to be announced the following day.

Kassandra fell asleep at the alter.

***

~Palace of Hades~

The Dark God sat brooding in his throne room, watching the girl in one of the mirrors. She had been praying to him for weeks, beseeching him to choose her as his Bride. Her piety and devotion touched something deep in Hades' breast. No mortal...no woman...had ever shown such devotion to him. Certainly not his wife Persephone.



He sighed. Persephone had been gone from the Underworld for nearly a month, yet he did not feel the pain of her loss. As the centuries had passed, Hades had noticed that his obsession with Persephone had dwindled. Her lack of response to his affection and love had hardened his heart to its former coldness.

This mortal girl had awakened those emotions he had reburied. But Hades did not want to take her as his Bride.



She was lovely, to be sure. Her long black hair cascaded down her back like a dark waterfall, framing her slender face perfectly. Her deep gray eyes were hauntingly beautiful. Her pale skin was smooth and flawless as alabaster... Hades caught himself smiling. The girl was making him wax poetic. No, it was not her looks that made him unwilling.

Nor was it her character. She was highly intelligent. He had seen her reading often enough to know that. And she was deeply devoted to his service. She fulfilled her duties in his Temple beyond even the high priest's expectations. She prayed nightly and sincerely, not the lip service prayers he was so used to getting. Even her temper was not what dissuaded Hades. Hades found her fiery temper to be a refreshing change from the meek and subservient attitudes so common in Greek women, and a welcome break from Persephone's cold presence.

No, what made Hades unwilling was not the girl, but himself. He knew, better than anyone, what it meant to be loved by Death. Kore was not herself on Olympos, as Zeus was always quick to tell Hades. Hades knew for certain that she was never high-spirited or cheerful in the Underworld as she had been on Earth. That vivacity, that spirit, was part of what had attracted Hades to her. He could not risk tainting the mortal with that darkness he lived daily with.

He could easily love Kassandra. She was already more to him than Persephone would ever be. Which was exactly why he could not chance taking her as his Bride. He could not risk tainting the mortal with that darkness he lived daily with.