Hades
This was unexpected.
It was as if a dream of his had abruptly come to life. Hades had not even allowed himself the smallest sliver of hope that she would allow him to hold her hand, much less come with him as they ventured the Underworld together. Yet here they were; Persephone willingly following him, with his hand wrapped gently around her wrist as he led her safely out of the ravine.
Not a word passed between the god and goddess. A tense silence hovered over them. Their footsteps on the rough ground echoed noisily on the craggy walls of the ravine and Hades nervously wondered if Persephone was waiting for him to be the first to speak. He glanced back at her only to find that her hazel eyes were already trained on him. The corner of her lips lifted into a ghost of a smile as he looked back, but the expression on her face betrayed an unspoken uncertainty.
The walls of the ravine fell away and the path opened to a small clearing of dying grass and a few scattered trees. To ease her nerves, Hades decided to let her hand fall out of his grasp now that they were coming out of the ravine. Persephone fell into step beside him and out of the corner of his eye, he spotted her glancing curiously up at him. Her lips parted, and she inhaled a quick breath as if she were about to speak, but seemingly lost her nerve and turned away from him. He could not help the disappointment that mingled with his own nerves; Hades wished that there was not the mistrust and fear that she had towards him. If only he had acted rationally and not taken her with him on impulse, then perhaps they could be comfortable with one another.
They went along the path a bit more until the couple came to an elm tree. Persephone stopped in her tracks and frowned at the tree with apprehension.
"Have you already seen this Elm tree?" Hades inquired, grateful for a topic that could break the silence; his mind was frustratingly empty and his mouth was unable to properly form words. "I can tell that you aren't too keen on this tree already."
"I did walk past it," Persephone mumbled, her slim arms crossed defensively over her chest. "I was hoping that we would give it a wide berth when we went past it again."
"I assure you, this tree is perfectly harmless," Hades encouraged. He beckoned Persephone over to the tree where he now stood beneath the branches, but her feet were firmly planted on the path.
"Let me tell you what this tree is. Once you understand, then you will see that there is nothing to fear about it." Hades attempted to reassure the goddess, but she still glared suspiciously at the tree. She pondered his request for a moment more before she sighed.
"Fine then. Teach me." Persephone left the safety of the path and her footsteps crunched over the dry, dying grass. Hades' spirits soared as he watched her amble over to the elm tree. It was his hope that he could her the solemn beauty of the Underworld; that not the entirety of it was a place to be feared and dreaded. Persephone sidled into place beside him and Hades smiled warmly down at her.
"This elm tree is unusual, to say the least. It is one of the more ambiguous sights of my world," he began. "The elm tree holds the dreams of mortals and immortals alike. Do you see how the leaves glimmer? It is because those dreams cling under every leaf. This is where the hopes and wishes of all of us go to rest when they are left unfulfilled."
Persephone did not say anything, but Hades could tell by the way she wrinkled her nose and furrowed her brow, that she was still displeased
"Those feelings that you felt when you came to this elm, they are reflections of what your heart feels about whatever it is that is left unfinished. It is just an illusion. A trick of the mind. There's nothing to fear because it is not real." Hades watched Persephone's expression soften and the tension eased from her shoulders.
"I understand now, but I still despise the way that it made me feel," Persephone admitted with her voice somber. "I still fear it. And yes, it is an illusion as you say but you could still argue that there are many who fear life with unfulfilled hopes and dreams."
She tore her face away from him for a moment to reach up and smooth the soft leaves between her finger and thumb. As he observed her, Hades could not help but smile at her sharp mind. It was wonderful to see her personality unfold like a flower blooming before him.
"And there are also some who find a strange comfort in falling into those dreams when the reality of life is bleak to bear." Hades added gently. He dared to close the gap between them and took a step closer to her. Persephone did not seem to notice that he was towering over her now. The silvery gray leaves held her attention as he gazed at this stunning goddess, taking in every detail of her face, her arms, her ash-blonde hair and committing her image to his memory. There was a chance that, if she left the Underworld, he would never see her again.
And that would be entirely his own fault.
"I suppose that it depends on what kind of person you are; one to find fear or one to find comfort." Persephone's musings broke Hades' train of thought. She slowly turned to face him, her arm still reaching into the branches.
"Which one are you?" Persephone inquired, tilting her head to the side and a twinkle in her eye.
Hades did not instantly respond to Persephone. He delved into his own hopes and dreams, ones that he lived for before he brought her here; dreams of the goddess standing right before him. Images of her face that would dance inside of his mind when he spent seasons without seeing her.
Yet on the other side of heart was the agony of living without her. The fear of passing eternity without her at his side. That was the driving force behind his actions to take her into the Underworld.
Fear.
"You could say that I am both," Hades responded with a weight to his tones. Persephone dropped her hand and for a moment, it seemed to Hades that she was morose; her lips turned down and the glow that had illuminated her face was gone.
"I am too," Persephone admitted. "Hopes and dreams are both a comfort and a fear, for me. Though I found that it is easier to feel fear over hope."
"Perhaps it is this way with most everyone," Hades mused aloud. His feet took control over his body and he found himself nearing the goddess. Her hazel irises widened at his nearness and she hastily pushed past him.
"Perhaps." Persephone mumbled. "Let's move on. There was another place I saw that I want to know what it is." She called behind her while Hades followed behind, cursing himself for getting too close and frightening her.
"Was it a pile of rubble with a dozen or so shining wooden doors?" He inquired knowingly. To his relief, Persephone did not act as a spooked, frightened deer as he had expected her to. Instead, she waited for him to join her on the path and keeping a distance from him that she was comfortable with. Her face lit up in that lovely glow again when he replied to her.
"Yes! What was that place?" She asked with excitement.
"One of the places that I suggest that you avoid, or at least visit only when I am with you," Hades answered. Persephone crossed her arms again and narrowed her eyes at him playfully.
"How come?" Persephone pursed her lips.
Hades desperately wanted to kiss those lips.
"You felt apprehensive about the Elm tree," he questioned, trying to clear his head of the sudden urge to hold her. "What did those ruins and their doors make you feel when you were there?"
"Something about that place was strange and unsettling, but it did not make me feel as wary as the Elm Tree did."
"That is no surprise to me. That place is the entrance to smaller worlds within the Underworld. Those doors are gateways to realms of other gods and goddesses. Some of those deities are harmless. Some are more troublesome. And there are a few those could pose a danger." Hades explained to the goddess.
"Is one of those doors the entrance to Tartarus?" Persephone asked matter-of-factly.
"Your mother told you of that place?" Hades was shocked that the protective Demeter would even so much as whisper that word to her precious daughter.
"Of course not!" Persephone's laugh brightened the gloom of the Underworld. "The nymphs did. They told me about all of the worldly matters that my mother refused to speak of. They—" Her words cut off and she hesitated. "They even told me about...about you."
"Of course they did," Hades replied grimly. He knew all too well how the rest of the world perceived him. "What did they say about me?"
"That you were fearsome. And terribly ugly." Persephone began hesitantly. "And it horrendously savage." Then a grin cracked her face and she started shaking her head. "And bathed in a river of dead souls! That one I always had a hard time believing was true!"
"A river of dead souls, huh? I can't ever recall doing such a thing." Hades guffawed. That was not too terrible, considering what he had heard whispered about himself. "But the fearsome and ugly part? They weren't too far from the truth with that."
Persephone's cheeks reddened with a telling blush and she hastily looked down at her feet.
"Hmph. I wanted to leave out the more cruel parts of what they said," she huffed as she tried to regain her composure. Persephone lifted her head back up, her skin returned to its usual ivory complexion.
"So, is it then? Is one of those doors the entrance to Tartarus?" She demanded with a little terse voice.
"No, it is not. That is in another place and I won't be showing you that anytime soon." Hades calmly ordered.
"Why not!" Persephone exclaimed. "I'm curious. And you will be with me, so I'll be safe, right?"
Hades simply laughed at her persistence. "You are a rebellious little thing, aren't you?" He chuckled.
"The thorn in my mother's side." Persephone lamented, rolling her eyes. "The rotten streak that she wishes to purge from my spotless character. I wouldn't call it rebellion, though. It's more of an adventurous spirit. Or even a precocious one."
"Both adventurous and precocious are acceptable to me." Hades murmured. His tone must have revealed far more of his than he intended, for Persephone lost her brevity, only to be replaced with a shyness that he had come to know from her. She could only reply with a nervous laugh and she twirled her fingers around a few strands of her ash-blonde hair. Hades wondered what she thought of him, complimenting her and making light-hearted conversation.
"Well, since you won't take me to Tartarus, what else in this world of yours can you show me?" She asked timidly. Hades was amazed that she was still willingly spending time with him.
"Let's take a different path," Hades suggested. She had already likely seen the amphitheater where he and the judges of the Underworld decided the fate of newly deceased souls, but he did it care to draw any more negative attention to himself than necessary.
He continued to ponder where they should go next. when she came up to him, standing nearly toe to toe with Hades. He could see her hazel eyes so clearly now; they were more brown than they were green. Those thick, dark lashes that lined her eyes fluttered at him. Her perfect bow-shaped lips, the color of a rose in spring, smiled at him. The scent of flowers wafted from her skin and Hades inhaled a deep breath, hoping that she would not notice how he was absolutely intoxicated by her. Every muscle in his body ached to gather her in his arms, but Hades remained as still as stone while he waited for her to speak.
"Lead the way." Those enticing lips teased while her enchanting eyes sparkled. He could only grunt at her, like a dumb dog, and flail his arm in the direction that he wanted to take her. It was off the path, but Hades would lead her safely. So they went together further into the Underworld, Hades leading and Persephone following him at his side.
Hades ached to reach out and take her hand once more, or to even offer it to her again, but he did not want to spoil the comfortable companionship that they had eased into. This was the first time that he was having a true conversation with her; something that he had longed to do for ages. Instinct told him to tread carefully and to move slowly with the goddess. If he were to touch her again, it would startle her like a deer and she would flee from him. He did not want that. If there was any chance that he could turn her heart to him, then he would have to move forward at her pace.
And did she not deserve to be respected? Her boundaries and limits were not to be tested and he was the last person who should try. He had absolutely turned her world upside down and perhaps damned her to this life forever. Respecting her need for space and her wish to not be touched was the least that he could do for her now.
"So how did you find me?" Persephone's question drew Hades out of his brooding.
"A friend of mine told me that he spotted somebody who looked like they did not belong dashing behind a boulder. He said that they had a guilty countenance about them. I put two and two together and realized that I had a shadow following me around. I walked the path along the river and that's where I found you," Hades answered. Rhadamanthus had seen Persephone and that did not bode well with him, knowing how his friend could be with those that he desired. He hoped beyond hope that Rhadamanthus would remain uninterested; his voice and face did not express or betray any sort of emotion whatsoever when he was telling hades about spitting Persephone. To Hades, the lack of expression could mean anything from Rhadamanthus.
Persephone asked who that god was, for she admitted to seeing him, and where that part of the Underworld was. Hades explained it to her as briefly as he could; he did not want to shine a light on the judge of the Underworld anymore than there already was. Persephone must have sensed his apprehension, for she stopped questioning Hades on this particular topic. She did ask Hades what a judge of the Underworld was and what they did.
"Did you see that amphitheater carved straight into the ground? That is where I and others judge the newly arrived souls of the Underworld."
They ambled along further into the landscape and their conversation about judging the souls of the dead faded after a while. A silence settled between them but this time, it was not so pressing as before. There was an ease where there was once unease and Hades found that Persephone was scanning the world with curiosity. A bit further along off the path they went, and Hades brought Persephone to a steep hill that rose from the ground.
A series of grunts and groans sounded through the misty air and Persephone was suddenly crouching behind Hades, her keen eyes searching for the source of the noise.
"What is that?" She demanded, but Hades was far too distracted at how close she was to him. Her hands hovered just over his waist, coming dangerously close to touching, leaving but a few inches between her hands and his body.
"Look up," Hades managed to point up the hill. It was shrouded in a thick mist and the noise seemed to be coming from somewhere near the top. Persephone stepped out from behind Hades and peered into the gray sky.
"What is up there?" She breathed, her voice still thick with nerves.
"Wait a moment," Hades also had his sight trained on the hill. "You will see soon enough."
As they waited, the noises fell away and Hades heard a sigh of relief come from the misty hill. But as soon as the Underworld settled back into silence, there was a loud rumbling and then a stream of cursing. Persephone gasped as a large black stone came tumbling down the hill with a man chasing after it, his mouth the source of all the swearing.
"What is going on?" Persephone exclaimed, all traces of fear vanished. "Was he just pushing that boulder up the hill?"
The pair watched as the black boulder fell down the hill and settled nicely on the smooth, perfectly flat ground at the bottom. All cursing had stopped and the man slowed his pace to a defeated shuffle. Dutifully and with the same sort of methodical movement of the souls in the Asphodel Fields, he walked to the front of the boulder and gave a great heave. Persephone was fixated on this man, her mouth slightly agape as he carefully make his way up the top of the hill. Soon, he disappeared back into the mist on the hill, and those groans and grunts telling of his fruitless efforts returned.
"You have just meet the once great King Sisyphus; a devious trickster who thought that he was more clever than all of the gods. So, in a rare moment of unity, Zeus and I decided to display our inferior intelligence and concoct a proper punishment fitting for one so ingenious as he. He is doomed to forever roll this boulder up the hill, only for it to fall away from his grasp just as he reaches the top. It is an endless and fruitless venture, one he is to repeat for the end of time." Hades listened to the frustration of the disgraced king that sounded through the mist and he smirked, proud of his own cleverness. This man had tricked him and put him to shame; he got far too much satisfaction out of seeing Sisyphus go through this endless ordeal.
Beside him, he heard the slight giggle of a goddess.
"That is his eternal punishment?" Persephone cut her glance up at Hades, her eyebrows raised so far into her hairline, he feared that they would be gone forever. "And I was told that you were fearsome!"
"I am fearsome!" Hades retorted. "I just don't dole out horrendous punishments left and right. Those fearsome punishment must be deserved for the worst of offenses. What he did to the gods was just absurd so—"
"So he deserved an absurd punishment?" Persephone finished for him. "I can't imagine anything more aggravating. Hades, you are downright petty."
His name tumbling from her lips was enough to ignite his soul. Hades just smiled down at her and he was pleased to find that she smiled back without shying away or glancing at her feet.
"You're just like that hell-hound of yours; your bark is far worse than your bite." She quipped saucily. Was she teasing him?
"That is true, as long as one doesn't test me to where I have to bite more than I bark." Hades challenged playfully. "If you want proof of that, then I can show you Tartarus. But not today."
"Well I believe you. You wouldn't be the god of the Underworld if that wasn't the case." Persephone heard the tell-tale rumbling of the boulder and paused for a moment to watch the miserable Sisyphus chase his damned boulder down the hill. She let out a sardonic laugh and looked up at Hades. "Hopefully I won't ever be on the receiving end of your wrath, petty or fierce,"
"That, I doubt you ever will be," Hades' voice was hardly more than a whisper but Persephone still heard his words; she did not glance up at him but her cheeks flushed and she muttered that she would like to be moving on. They left the miserable Sisyphus behind, his exertions fading into the misty scenery.
Along Hades and Persephone went. She followed him as he made a path through a grove of leafless trees. A screech sounded above them and Persephone peered through the branches that pierced the sky.
"What are those things?" She pointed to the three flying figures in the gray clouds, their leathery skin and veiny, translucent wings the only distinguishable features that could be seen from below.
"Those are the Harpies," Hades muttered. "Generally, they are harmless if you don't draw attention to yourself. If you see them, just try to stay quiet and make steady, slow movements."
"That won't be too hard to do," Persephone noted while eying the harpies warily. Hades spent a moment more telling her more about the harpies and the role that they played in the Underworld. There wasn't too much for Hades to show Persephone on this path. Maybe someday, she would allow him to take her on another tour. Perhaps he could introduce her to one of his friends; Nyx would be the most likely candidate. Not Rhadamanthus.
Never Rhadamanthus.
The pair fell into a relaxed conversation as the two of them strolled amongst the dead pine trees. Along the path, the trees and grass were starting to lose their gray gloom and turn green and vibrant once more. The fog faded into clear, fresh air. In the far distance, hades spotted a familiar mountain range; one that signaled that they were nearly home.
At least, they were near his home. Persephone's home was far away in the land of the living.
Hades had just finished telling Persephone about all the landmarks of the Underworld, specifically the many rivers that ran a course through the land, when Persephone stopped in her tracks. She leaned against a pine tree, one with healthy green needles, and she cocked her head curiously at the god.
"You really love this place, don't you?" She questioned. "I can hear the pride in your voice when you speak of the Underworld and all of its dangers and mysteries and secrets."
Hades found a tree of his own to lean against, matching her stance. He crossed his arm over his broad chest and gazed at Persephone thoughtfully.
"When Zeus and Poseidon and myself drew straws for the different realms, I was tricked into pulling the straw and winning the Underworld," Hades explained. Persephone bristled at the sound of her father's name, but she nodded in understanding.
"At first I was enraged at my younger brothers fooling me into the worst of the realms. I resented this place as it was a constant reminder of my wicked kin and their devious plan against me; it was, to me, shameful to be god of the Underworld. But in time, I came to realize that I had been gifted the prize realm; the world of the living comes with chaos and strife. Yes, this realm has dangers and mystery as you say, but it also comes with a privilege that the upper worlds somehow fail to provide."
"And what would that be?" The goddess' interest was piqued. She was not challenging him or mocking him; she was genuinely curious for his perspective. Hades did not normally allow himself to be so transparent, but he could not help but let down his defenses with this girl.
"Peace," Hades answered confidently. "There is peace in the world of the dead. There is rest. Comfort. And end of suffering and strife, for those who lead moral and honorable lives. I can provide that to the souls of the once-living who pass through here. And I have brought it to myself as well. I have molded this world into everything I want it to be, and Zeus detests the idea of death so much that he refuses to come to my realm. He leaves me be. I can rule without interference. So yes, I am proud of my home and all who reside here, as dark and morbid as they may be. The Underworld suits me. It is a reflection of who I am."
"Is it now?" Persephone whispered. Hades found that he could not read her; she had a teasing bite to her words, but her face was soft. She had a smile on her lips. Her cheeks were flushed. For the thousandth time, Hades was desperate to know what thoughts were swimming through her mind.
So he decided that he would ask.
"It is. What do you see when you see the Underworld?"
At the sound of his question, Persephone lost the softness in her face. She tensed her shoulders and dropped her gaze from his. Her feet shuffled on the ground and it was a moment of tense silence before she finally met his eye.
"You might as well be asking what I see when I see you." Persephone was uncomfortable. Hades was too far deep into the question now. Instead of backing away, Hades wanted to draw himself into her space, just close enough to where he could be near her, but far enough away to where she wouldn't be touched. He stood up straight and closed the gap between them until he was towering above her.
"Yes. I am asking that," his deep voice murmured. Persephone only blinked at him, her eyes wide and nervous. Her chest rose as she inhaled a steadying breath before replying.
"I cannot give you an answer you would like. All I can see right now is the man who captured me against my will," Persephone explained. Hades was surprised that he did not feel more disappointed. In fact, he had half-expected her to lash out at him and unleash any pent up anger and frustration that she had towards him. This calm, albeit nervous reply was a surprise in of itself. And what she continued to say next was even more compelling.
"It is impossible to see anything else, even when I try to look beyond it."
Even when she tried to look beyond it? Hades pushed down the surge of hope that rose within his chest. It was foolish to hope. Selfish, even. His only goal should be trying to figure out how he could safely return her without undermining his own rule.
"Well...I suppose that I cannot blame you for that."
A snapping branch and rustling leaves sounded off not too far from where they stood. The sudden noise disturbed the unsteady peace between them. Hades' hair stood on the back of his neck, wondering which unwelcome resident of the Underworld was stalking close by them. Persephone whirled her head around in the direction of the noise, but she did not ponder it for long. When she turned back to Hades, there was a question on her face and her lips quietly formed the words that he dreaded to hear.
"Why me?"
Why her. How could he even begin to admit the truth? Persephone was smart. There was no doubt that she had an inkling of why he forced her to come to the Underworld, but he would have rather thrown himself into the depths of Tartarus than admit her suspicions out loud.
"Persephone…" Hades could not muster any words of denial or argument or lie. He just let himself fade into silence before he could even begin.
"Why did you choose me?" Persephone reiterated, a bit more forceful this time.
"Do you want the truth?" Hades stalled. He leaned his arm against the pine tree, inches away from touching her shoulder. Persephone did not seem to be too alarmed at how close he was getting. In fact, she took a step closer to him and peered up into his face with her jaw clenched firmly.
"Don't you think I deserve it?" She commanded. Her hard voice struck a chord in him and Hades realized that no matter what, he would be in the wrong as he had been from the beginning. There was nothing that he deserved to keep private or secret from her.
"I have...known of you for quite some time," Hades admitted hesitantly, wondering how he could be as honest as he could without being too revealing. "It was entirely an accident, how I stumbled upon you. But when I first saw you I…I could not stay away. The reason it took you was also an accident. I had no intentions of ever hurting you or causing you distress. In a moment of weakness, I... I did what I did."
Throughout his whole confession, Persephone's frown grew increasingly more furrowed and her nose wrinkled with displeasure by the second. He was beginning to see that her wrinkled nose was what she did when she was not pleased. He would have found it endearing if it had not been directed at him.
"So you have watched me? For how long," was her whispered demand.
"Close to a year." Hades hung his head as he mumbled at the ground.
"You still haven't said why you chose me. You saw me and you could not stay away? What does that tell me?" Persephone's voice did not hold the sting of her words; she sounded uncertain and confused. "And then you came back to my home and watched me for close to a year. So I want to know, why me? What is it about me that makes you want to watch me from the shadows and act foolishly?"
"I have no solid reason. No true way to justify my actions or my feelings but…" Hades lifted his head. Dark brown eyes locked with Hazel eyes. She waited patiently for him to reveal his heart to her. Once again, Hades expected the anger, but she continued to surprise him with resolute determination and calm demands. Why did he continue to underestimate her?
What did he have to lose by spilling his heart to her? Everything. And what did he have to gain by being honest with her? Everything.
"I am drawn to you. Ever since I first laid eyes on you, you unknowingly captivated me," It was surreal, telling the one he desired from afar for so long, how he felt towards her. The goddess in question just held his gaze as he rambled on, unable to stop the admission spilling from his lips.
"I went back time and time again to figure out what it was about this rare, mysterious goddess that drew me in like a moth to flame. So, like the tide of the ocean is drawn back to the shore over and over again, helpless against the call, I came back to you countless times, never able to make myself stay away."
When did he grow so near to her? That sweet smell of spring that he had come to know as hers wafted through the small space between them. She had lost the hardness in her expression, those hazel irises pooling with unspoken emotions. Hades had one last confession to whisper in a hushed and husky voice.
"And... the more that I see you, talk to you, spend time in your presence, the less of a mystery that calling is. The more I understand why I am drawn to you." Hades whispered his last confession in a hushed and husky voice. Persephone's lips parted, and he heard her exhale a shaky breath. The blush in her skin could have seared his fingertips if he had taken a chance to reach out and touch her.
"I see." She managed to strangle out a reply. "I must be going now."
Before he could even blink, Persephone turned on her heel and dashed off into the forest.
"Persephone— " He called in vain to her retreating back.
"I have to go!" Persephone shouted back, not even taking a second to look behind at him. "Annis is waiting for me!"
Hades watched with a sinking heart as the goddess disappeared into the piney forest. Persephone had demanded the truth; had he been a fool to give it to her? Should he have been honest without being so forthcoming? They had discovered a fragile peace and now it was shattered. He cursed himself for possibly soiling any chance that he had at bridging the gap between them. If he had not taken her, what could he be doing now to win her heart? There was more of a chance for him to be with her back before he took her than there ever would be now.
She would never be his.
And he had damned her to an eternity trapped in the Underworld for nothing. He had damned himself for nothing.
Suddenly, everything crashed over him in a wave and Hades was drowning beneath the weight of his unwise choices. He whirled around and his fist slammed into the nearest tree. The wood splintered beneath the force of his strike and pine needles fluttered helplessly to the ground. For a long while, Hades stood there unmoving, his hand still resting heavily on the broken trunk.
False dreams. Unfulfilled hopes. Wishes that would never come to pass.
Somewhere in the Underworld, Hades wondered if there were a few silvery leaves that were budding from the branches of an Elm tree, one that was to be feared and to bring comfort, even if both of those were a farce.
Persephone
Persephone felt as though her heart was going to fall into her stomach. She raced through the forest, dodging pine trees and bushes and trying to keep her feet from stumbling. Her lungs ached as they pulled in air. She could hardly see where her wildly running feet were taking her – her mind was thick with thoughts of what had just happened.
Hades.
Her and Hades together, walking through the Underworld as if strolling through a harmless garden. Her and Hades casually discussing the complexities of the Elm tree. Her and Hades casually discussing anything at all. Her and Hades spending any sort of time together.
Her and Hades.
And she loathed how she did not loathe the sight of him. She should have! She should have demanded that he leave her be, to go back to his friend in the Elysian Fields, to never speak to her unless it was to return her to her home!
That is how it should have been. And yet, Persephone could not muster the fury to do any of those things. Instead, she allowed him to lead her around his realm, her hand warmly in his.
Persephone slowed her mad pace down to a brisk stroll. The dark turrets of the castle were peeking out from the pine trees. She was close to home now.
Persephone shook her head and grumbled. "No. Not my home. His home, where he keeps me prisoner."
But Persephone did not truly feel as she were kept a prisoner. She had freedom to roam and a friend to keep her company. Even her jailor was not a monster. In fact, Persephone found herself enjoying his companionship.
As she explored the Underworld, Persephone discovered that this world was not the dark and gloomy pit of despair that everyone feared it to be.
It was beautiful. It was mysterious. It was intriguing. It was wild and free and tantalizing.
Those were her honest opinions on the Underworld – the opinions that she could not, would not voice aloud to Hades. How could she? The Underworld was a reflection of its creator, and if she had those views and feelings about the Underworld, then admitting that to Hades would be admitting her opinions about the creator.
Those of which would be better off left alone. Yet it caused her to wonder more than once what she would feel if she had come to this place on her own and had come to know Hades without being flung into it.
It would be better off left alone, Persephone reiterated to herself. Even so, she appreciated how he had taken her around the Underworld and taught her countless things that she would never have known otherwise. Nobody had ever been so open and willing to teach her things before. Persephone felt rather silly for letting her pride stand in the way of just asking Hades questions; Demeter had not been so forthcoming with her. She was grateful to have taken this chance while she could. It was mostly the reason why she had gone with him. The other reasons why, Persephone did not know.
His handsome face smiling down at her had certainly not been one of the reasons why. In fact, she only found him handsome in a way that one found a sculpture to be…aesthetically pleasing.
Or how a painting could be so enchanting that you could sit and study it for hours on end and never grow tired of discovering all the details that the artist had so lovingly painted…
Oh, it was pointless! Persephone hated that she thought him handsome. Persephone hated that she had begun to relax in his presence; he was peaceful and steadfast like one of the many sturdy pine trees that grew around his castle. The timber of his voice was one that she could find herself listening to with ease, wanting him to tell her more about his world just so that she could hear him speak.
How infuriating! She was supposed to despise him for what he did, not enjoy his good humor and kind manner. How could anyone who showed her such respect and compassion be the same man who stole her from her home? Persephone felt the pull from each side of her heart; the justified wariness and anger towards him and the surprising interest that was brewing for this god of the Underworld.
Then Persephone recalled the reason why she had left him so suddenly. The reason that both exhilarated and terrified her.
Hades' own feelings for her should not have surprised her. But Persephone had believed from the very beginning that it was purely lust and desire that drove him to take her. She had to contend with the fact that Hades had not laid a finger on her that she did not consent to and she could not figure out what it could be that was holding him back. For whatever it was, she was grateful! Never once did Persephone think that Hades would want her for anything more than fulfilling his selfish needs. She did not consider that he could care for her. Or be drawn to her, like he had admitted with his dark eyes smoldering and his voice betraying his desire lying beneath the surface.
And she had to flee. She could not even begin to face the truth. Not when she herself was so frazzled by everything he said and did.
Persephone finally came to the marble steps leading to the castle entrance and slowly lumbered up each step, her feet feeling like they weighed a hundred pounds each. This was far too much for her to bear. She tried to force her mind to idle while she made her way back to her room. Annis was not waiting for her. Persephone had no earthly clue where Annis could even be and truthfully, Persephone just wanted to be alone. Just for a moment.
Her now-familiar doors greeted her and Persephone shoved them aside, ready to fall into bed and miserably ponder her life. But as soon as she stepped into the room, Persephone saw that she was not alone as she wished to be.
Minthe was perched right on top of her bed, scarlet locks flowing down her shoulders and a wicked smile beaming on her face.
OH SNAP MINTHE! Thanks guys for reading the latest chapter! It was a big bunch of fluffy fluff for you all :) I hope that you enjoyed it! Stay tuned for the next installment which should be coming very very soon. Leave some love on your way out 3