Death and Rebirth
In the dimly lit hall, Persephone had tiptoed from her chamber due to sleeplessness and rousing curiosity. She had wondered what would happen now that she was in the Underworld, residing with the Lord Hades. She bit her lower lip. She did not dare approach him, nor did she want to reign by his side as Queen. Why would she want to be queen of such a dreadful, frightening place such as the Land of the Dead? She just wanted to live in peace and security in the arms of her loving mother, dance forever under the warm rays of Helios, just as the daughter of the Lady of the Harvest. She could have done more, but her mother insisted that it was alright, that she would take care of everything.
How she wished her mother would come and take her away from this awful place! She would set things right. She always did. But now, her mother was not here. Without her mother, she was nothing but a withered flower. Her lifeline severed, she lay in her chamber like an empty shell. She might as well have died. But she couldn't, when she could not see her mother. Her mother would give up hope, and what good would that do? For that she must stay alive, so her mother could find her.
And yet, how she wanted desparately to drown herself in the River Styx. She was without her mother, her dearest loved one and lifeline, without hope of ever seeing her home again, married to Lord Hades, who was so terrible and cruel to seize her and thrust her into this dark abode where she could not see the sun, nor the moon. He was kind to her and left her alone, which Persephone was ever relieved and grateful. He had told her how lonely and terrible a burden to be alone, and that he loved her ever since he laid eyes on her, apologized for his brash behavior and manner in which he took her with great sincerity. What he had done was horrible, though. It was something not so easily forgiven.
Persephone had been taught that the Dark Lord ruled alone in the world Below, and it was true from what he had said. What she didn't know was that the Lord Hades had other company than the shades when she had came upon the Dark Lord in the dining hall. She hadn't realized she had stepped through a shifting door that lead to another place entirely. She just wanted to leave her room for a moment, as she was walking down the hall, when suddenly, a door appeared. It was the expansive chamber which she had dined in after the wedding ceremony. She shuddered at this. When she glanced across the chamber, she saw the pale, ghostly appearance of Hades. She had sought to find a place to hide, so she hid behind one of the tall columns in the hall.
How he didn't see her right away baffled her, but when she peeked to get a look at him again, she realized that there was another chair seated down the long table. Seated upon the gilded chair was a woman in a dark gown. She had raised a winecup, toasting the God of the Dead, about to drink from the brim of the cup. Knowing that eating the food of the dead made one bound to the Underworld, she did not want this woman to have the same fate. Before Persephone knew it, she jumped out from behind the column and smacked the wineglass from her hands.
The woman had greeted her merrily as if she were a long-time acquaintance. Persephone was shocked to find the woman knew her, even moreso that this woman was the Goddess of Death and Rebirth, Lady of the Ebony Moon, and sister of the King of the Underworld. His sister? Athena, Goddess of War and Wisdom, would have told her of this Goddess, for she knew much. Her mother scarcely spoke of the Underworld, even though she knew most of the divine family. It seemed that her mentors had missed someone.
Presently, she was facing the goddess, for the second time. She had been walking, no, gliding through the halls of Hades with poise and definite ease, her chin held up in a most dignified fashion. She was as pale as Hades, paler even, with long, raven strands of midnight silk that rippled behind her. Her long, dark gown clung to the Goddess perfectly as a pale stretch of ivory peeked from the slit. She was certainly a Presence to be within range.
Then, the goddess spoke. "My dear girl, would you kindly step out from yonder column so that I may see you?" Her tone honeyed with amusement. Persephone gasped in spite of herself, and abashed, she stepped forward. She could protect her thoughts from the Lord Hades, but not from his lady sister!
Persephone was aware of the rising heat in her cheeks. She had been caught…again! But though that was so, she was curious about the mysterious Goddess who dined with Hades before.
"Lady Persephone, you grace me with your presence, " Hekate spoke courteously, though her tone was one of amusement.
Looking up, the young Goddess saw that there was much similarities between Hades and Hekate. Both had the same ghostly pallor, midnight colored hair, and that same impassiveness and nonchalant attitude that both deities shared. But, there was a difference between them that Persephone could not yet see…
"Lady Hekate, you startled me!"
"Did I? My sincerest apologies." Hekate did not sound very sincere. Her tone still held some jocularity. "Is there something you wished to see me for, my lady?"
Flushing a darker shade of pink, Persephone nodded. How did she know? She did not voice anything! "Indeed, I have. Though, it would be best to speak of this in my chamber. Please, this way." She gestured towards the end of the hall.
When the two goddesses were inside of Persephone's chamber, Persephone pulled Hekate to sit down on the bed, but Hekate politely declined, leaning against the wall instead. Persephone took it to sit on her bed.
"I am well enough, Lady Persephone. What is it you wished to speak with me about?"
What to say to the Lady who had so much power in both the Underworld and Upperworld…"Yes, I…can you help me?" Persephone asked timidly.
Her eyebrow arched in a graceful manner, though it did not lend her features any warmth. "That would depend. What kind of help are you asking for?"
She waited patiently, her gaze expectant. The Spring Goddess folded her hands together, lowering her eyes. "I…have been here for quite awhile. Not that I am here of my own free will. Hades came from underneath the ground and seized me to be his bride." She shuddered at the memory of his cold grip. "I told him I did not want to be his bride, nor did I want to be married to him, or to anyone else for that matter. I never wanted to be married! I cried, I begged, I demanded that I wished to go home, and even promised him that I would not tell anyone of what had happened, but he forced a marriage ceremony upon me, and now I am bound to him! No matter what I say, he will not release me! My mother must be sick with worry right now and must think me for dead! I have tried reaching her through our bond, but I cannot! I do not know why, but I think it must be because I am down here, and she is up there. The lord Hades will not let me go, and there is no one take me there."
Hekate listened unmovingly, her face devoid of expression. She had an idea where this was leading to, and although she knew she couldn't do anything about it, she sympathized with the maiden goddess. The girl had been perfectly happy with her mother, content with living in the upper world until her brother came. She had been forced into something she did not want, and suffered great sadness at her marriage. She was but a girl after all, with no prior knowledge nor experience with the opposite sex. She can only pray for her mother to come and take all the bad things away.
"..so will you help me?"
The Dark Goddess looked up from her thoughts at Persephone. "Excuse me, my lady?"
"I request your aid to bring me back to land above, to my mother." The young Goddess repeated.
Hekate merely gave Persephone a blank stare.
Persephone shifted uneasily on her bed. She began twining her fingers in her brown curls. "I did not think there was anyone, mortal or God, who would dare come to the Underworld. But meeting you, your Ladyship, has given me hope that I can return and save my mother the grief of presuming me dead. Will you please bring me back home?"
Seeing the hopeful innocence in her childlike face made the older Goddess close her eyes. She certainly pitied the girl enough to give her credit for thinking of a way to escape, even in her lamenting. She understood what her mother may be feeling. But she could not help her. Hekate opened her eyes and spoke.
"Lady Persephone, as much as it grieves me to tell you this, I cannot help you."
The hope in the spring maiden's eyes dropped its sparkle. Her face became contorted with despair and anguish. One word. Hekate did not give her time to say it.
Sighing, she said "I cannot, for good reasons. What is done is done, and I cannot undo it. Second, it is not…within my power to take you to the Upperworld. To do so would be abducting the Queen, which is a very serious offense, you must realize."
"But I do not wish to be Queen! I never wanted this!" cried the maiden Goddess.
Hekate continued as if she had never spoken. "Also, by abducting the Queen, I would betray the King, Lord of this realm and my brother. I cannot, even though I am a Goddess, I am not about to commit a crime under his nose. I may hold some influence here, but the King's word is law, which I must abide by as well."
"Please, Lady, you are my only hope-------"
"I apologize for my brother's terrible manner of bringing you here, but there is naught that I can do. He is the King, and I cannot and will not betray him. Even I am subject to his rule here."
Persephone burst into tears of grief and despair once more, collapsing on her bed. Drawing a veil of shadow around her, Hekate faded out of the room unnoticed.