Twilight Maiden

by Ginger Sheikah

"This was one of the rare moments where he found the maiden goddess alone. This was one of the moments where he fought against himself to come to her, to take her as his own." Hidden from the world by a protective mother, the young goddess has unknowingly captures the desires of Hades. Her fate is left to darkness as she becomes an unwilling resident of the Underworld.

8. Roses and Thorns

All of Olympus was thrown into an uproar.

The abduction of the goddess of Spring by the god the Underworld was the latest scandal that rippled through the realm of the immortals. Though at first, not a soul believed the first trickles of rumors that reached their ears. Helios, the god of the sun, claimed to have seen Hades snatch a young goddess and pull her beneath the crumbling earth, but he could not say who the goddess was and they all laughed his story off as. A day went by and the rumor was nearly already forgotten until Demeter began to tear through the earth in a wild search for a daughter. This child had once only been a whispered conspiracy and until Demeter herself confirmed this goddess' existence, only then did the immortals begin to wonder if what Helios claimed was true.

Another week passed without incident until Hermes returned from his latest sojourn to the Underworld, and he came back with news that shattered the fragile barrier holding back the waves of gossip; Persephone had indeed been kidnapped by Hades and forced to reside with him in the Underworld. Hermes claimed that Persephone did not seem to be in distress or in danger. In fact, Hermes tried to tell everyone that she even assured him that Hades had not touched nor harmed her in any way. Demeter would not be swayed when she heard this. She did not believe for a second that her daughter's abductor could be so considerate. Her frantic search for Persephone came to a screeching halt and, to the surprise of them all, the goddess demanded an audience with Zeus.

Those who were aware of the traumatic tale of Zeus and Demeter were eager to attend this meeting, now that it was true that Demeter did indeed have a child by Zeus. The melodrama that was to unfold was sure to be satisfying. Not a single one of them wanted to miss this meeting. Not a single one of them considered just how excruciating this whole matter would be for Demeter, save for one young, golden-haired god with winged sandals. Hermes was sitting in the sea of gossipers around him, not saying a word and staring anxiously at the door to the throne room.

Gods and goddesses from all over were now gathered in the ornate throne room. It was a round room, seated on the highest point of Mount Olympus. There were no walls to speak of, but rather there were thick, massive white marble pillars that held up the domed ceiling, on which an intricate mural of the immortals had been painted. The floor was sunken into the foundation of the mountain with two tiers of seats that curved around the room, carved straight from the onyx mountain stone. There was a single throne at the opposite end of the room, formed from the same white marble as the pillars and flanked by two pillars with a background of blue sky and jagged mountain.

That brilliant cerulean sky dotted with perfectly puffy white clouds beamed down through the open walls onto the crowd of whispering immortals that sat on the carved seats. There was a sense of anticipation that hung heavily in the air. Zeus sat on his throne, entirely unamused by the excitement of the immortals surrounding him. In fact, to an outsider looking in, he might even appear to be bored out of his mind. He was slouched in the seat and resting his bearded chin on his closed fist with his eyes lazily scanning the room.

Then there was the sound of doors of the entrance to the throne room being thrown open. A hush descended over the gods and goddesses as a woman marched boldly inside. Zeus straightened up and fixed the newcomer with a steely azure gaze.

A mane of soft honey brown hair flowed behind her as she swiftly made her way straight up to the foot of his throne. Demeter did not shy away from him and glared at the god of gods with her hazel eyes burning. Her jaw was set into a firm line and the creases on her cheeks spoke of a mouth that was constantly set into the same hard expression. Though she was an immortal being, there were tell-tale signs of age from the crow's feet at the corner of her eyes and the silver shimmers that were woven into her hair. The immortals all knew that these outward signs of wear were just reflections of the broken spirit hidden inside;

And the one who had broken her spirit was now staring down at her with disinterest while she stared at him with hatred.

"Demeter. It has been many years since we have met," Zeus greeted dully. A lock of his pure white hair fell over his shoulder as he leaned forward in his throne to get a decent look at the goddess who he had not seen in ages.

"And I fully intended to keep things as such, but there are circumstances far beyond my control that I am forced to seek your assistance with," Demeter replied in a voice as sharp as a blade. She took a confident step closer to the throne, clenching her fists until her knuckles were white and shaking.

"Our eldest brother has taken my daughter into his realm. The Underworld is unreachable to me. I am unable to save her. You must demand that Hades return Persephone at once. You may not be acting for my sake, but please consider doing this for her. There is no love lost between you and I, but surely there is something in your stone heart that will take pity on a goddess who is in fact your daughter." Demeter was imploring now with her hands pressed over her heart. Though it was clear that she was trying to be strong, the hardness in her tone had lessened and the pitiful waver in her voice was ringing throughout the silent room like a bell.

"Who are you to be making demands to me?" Zeus questioned darkly as he stroked his white beard. Demeter clenched her jaw even tighter until every muscle in her face was visibly tensed.

"It is no secret that my respect for you is nonexistent," she hissed through her tightly pressed lips. "Perhaps you believe that I should have come here with a contrite heart and submissive countenance, pretending to hold you in high regard so that you would take more kindly to my request. I will not hide my feelings to spare you yours. You have destroyed me far beyond what my hatred will make you feel. But I am asking once again to not consider me. Consider your daughter. Do this for the child that you forced upon me!" Demeter's careful facade began to crack as those last words escaped her in a harsh, strangled shout. A murmur swept over the crowd and Zeus held up a hand, warning them into silence once more.

"I did not do that wittingly. And you did not bother to even let the world know of her existence until now." Zeus was leaning his elbows heavily onto his knees, engaged in the conversation and no longer seeming bored. Now the god's mood had shifted. He did not care to be challenged. There was a vein that had popped out in his temple and his skin reddened. He narrowed his eyes, blue as the skies over Olympus, at Demeter. "Why should I spare her any love or kindness?"

Demeter flinched as if Zeus had struck her across the cheek. Her hands were still pressed into her chest and slowly, her fingers curled, clutching into the skin until there were red marks.

"Would it be so hard for you to just do this one simple thing?" Demeter finally managed to spit out. "I have watched you waste your valuable time as god doing countless petty, stupid, pointless acts. Would doing actual delegating and ruling cut into your time of raping and pillaging and sitting around on your throne?"

This time the murmur of the crowd erupted into a cacophony of gasps and unabashed exclamations. There were even some that jeered or laughed. The tension of the room was broken as the immortals broke out into hushed and excited conversation. Demeter's glare never left Zeus' face, standing stoic as a statue as the chaos around her endured. Zeus allowed it for a moment before he rose to his feet. Once the god moved, the immortals hushed themselves but the atmosphere still buzzed as they waited for his response.

"Demeter. You speak far too boldly for one who has such a difficult request," Zeus glowered down at Demeter as he descended his throne and closed the gap of space between them. "Hades' realm in the Underworld is quite nearly out of my reach, almost to the point where I question how much authority over him that I truly have." He was now towering over Demeter. The goddess crossed her arms protectively over her chest and her skin was deathly pale at his nearness, but Demeter did not falter. She stuck out her chin defiantly and even stood on her toes to stick her face even closer to his, forcing herself to be in his presence even though she detested him.

"Unbelievable," Demeter shook her head in disbelief. "I find it impossible that a power-hungry being such as yourself, going so far as to trick your elder brother into ruling the realm of the dead so that you could be the god of gods, would ever concede any scrap of authority for any reason. I know that you loathe the Underworld. You refuse to act because that would mean speaking to Hades. It would mean possibly going down to the Underworld yourself."

"It would mean that I would disrupt the delicate balance of power that Hades has established in his world," Zeus thundered over the increasing mutters of the crowd. He pointed a reprimanding finger right in front of Demeter's nose and waved it around like a weapon. "Do you understand how complex and how layered and how faceted of a realm that Hades created for himself? I do not lie when I say that I left him completely to his own devices and he has put so much of himself into his realm that I fully believe that he has more control and authority in the Underworld than I do! To undermine him would mean to undermine the entire structure of the Underworld and I cannot do that. I refuse! To upset his balance would mean upsetting my own. Unless Hades decides to break his own rules to allow her to return, You must accept the fact that your daughter is now a resident of the Underworld."

They were nose to nose now. Demeter's skin was still as white as a ghost and it was visible to every eye trained on the pair, that she was shaking. And when the next sentence tumbled from her lips, the crowd collectively sucked in the air of the room and held their breath waiting for Zeus to act.

"I want to speak to you alone." Demeter demanded in a hushed voice. Zeus blinked quickly a few times, just as surprised as the rest of them that she would dare allow herself to be alone with him.

"Fine then," Zeus relented. He glanced up at the waiting gods and goddesses and waved his hand dismissively. "Everyone, leave us now."

Not a single god or goddess wasted a second to linger. They filed out of the room, their whisperings lingering in the air behind them. Zeus and Demeter did not watch them leave. Instead they were trained on one another, waiting for the room to empty. Once they were alone in the throne room, Demeter's entire demeanor seemed to collapse. She sighed with the heaviness of one that carried the weight of the world on her shoulders, emptying her lungs of breath. Her head hung down limply and her eyes were squeezed shut. Zeus also sighed, but his did not carry the same weight as Demeter's; his was thick with irritance.

"What do you have to say to me?" He demanded, but the hardness in his words had vanished and he instead sounded weary. Demeter did not speak at first. She opened her eyes and for a moment, stared down at the stone floor.

"Persephone has the same color hair as you," Demeter whispered to the marble floor. Zeus stiffened when he heard the comparison with his daughter. The goddess tore herself away from the glossy tiles and tilted her head up to Zeus.

"The same sort of ash blonde that you had from before you became the ruler of the gods and it turned white. And her smile is just like yours. Sometimes it startles me when I see her smile. It is the only time when I see your features in her, instead of my own. That is not the only way she reminds me of you; her spirit isn't peaceful and soft like mine. She is full of adventure and fire. As much as I have tried to stamp those traits out and erase any trace of you from her, I cannot. For her entire life, I have tried to mold her into the exact same image as me, but she is too much of her father's child for that." Her hazel irises swam with tears, but as she continued to speak of her daughter, that worn and weary mask she wore faded away and was replaced with the face of a bygone Demeter from days that were carefree and lively and full of love.

Zeus had tried to keep his expression stony and unreadable, but he faltered; he ran his fingers through curly white hair. "Why are you telling me this?" He groaned in exasperation. Hearing about this long-lost daughter bothered him, but the truth of why it bothered him was known only to Zeus. Demeter saw this in Zeus and she would not give up. Whatever it was that Zeus was feeling for this daughter, she would push his sympathy on the chance that it even existed, for as far as she could.

"I am telling you this to make you try and care for something in this world other than yourself," Demeter implored to the god. He grimaced painfully and would not meet Demeter's eye.

"I have other children. Other daughters," he grumbled dismissively. "What makes this one so special?"

"Shouldn't all your children be considered special?" Demeter argued, knowing that Zeus did not give much consideration to his offspring, but she had to try. She had to do whatever she could to make him take action. For a long while, Zeus remain silent and stoic, but his azure irises betrayed a struggle inside the confines of his mind. Demeter was hopeful that something she said had gotten through to him. After an eternity, Zeus finally spoke.

"I am growing weary of this topic," he sighed, defeated yet undoubtedly stern. "Leave me now and do not appeal to me again. The answer is no. My hands are tied, Demeter. There will be no more argument." He crossed his arms definitively over his chest and waited for her to either concede or to argue. Demeter did not appear to be surprised that he denied her. Her disappointment was masked by a ferocity in her gaze that was nearly maniacal. She narrowed her eyes at the offending god standing in front of her and left him with one last parting sentence.

"If your hands are tied, then I must find a way to break them free," Demeter warned in a voice thick with tears and venom. She whirled around and stormed out of the empty room, leaving a stunned silent god in her wake. The doors to the throne room were pushed open and Demeter marched out into the entryway. Waiting for her was Hermes, his body filled to the brim with nerves, so much that he could not stay on the ground. He fluttered over the marble floors and was wringing his hands as Demeter approached him.

"Hermes, go back to the Underworld as soon as possible," Demeter snapped. "I have a message for Persephone. Tell her that she is coming home. By any means necessary."

Persephone

It was vexing, just how much Persephone was finding the Underworld to feel like home the more that time passed. The Nymphs had grown restless and decided that they needed to put on a festival of sorts. There was wine and food and games and music. The Nymphs set up their party in the small meadow that separated Hades' castle and the pine woods. How strange it was for Persephone to see the Underworld filled with such liveliness, and she was reminded so much of the parties that the Nymphs of her home would throw for no reason other than boredom and the need for fun. Quite a few residents of the Underworld, that Persephone had yet to meet, were in attendance. Many of them were engaged in a game with the Nymphs, running around the meadow with their senses soaked in wine and their laughter filling the normally forlorn air.

As much as she loved good, friendly competition, Persephone found herself in no mood to participate in the game. She was seated on the ground with her back against the solid bark of one of the pine trees at the edge of the forest.

Nearly an entire week had drifted by achingly slowly since she met with Hermes beneath the willow tree on the banks of the river. Since then, Persephone had kept the feather from his sandals on her person at all times. She wove a braid into her long, straight hair and tucked the feather into her braid at the crown of her head, making seem as if it were just an ordinary decoration. Nobody asked about it. Nobody said a word. Even Annis just pointed out her braid and complimented her on the new style.

And so far, the feather had stayed dull and cold. Hermes had not come to the Underworld yet and Persephone was close to madness just waiting for him to return with any news of her mother. Every single nerve in her body was on edge, tensed up and putting her ill at ease. Annis had sensed this shift in her friend's mood and wanted to lift her spirits, believing that she was missing her home. That was true in a sense, but Persephone was dismayed to find that the burden of being apart from her mother eased day by day.

In her mind, it teetered on the edge of betrayal to her mother because Persephone was finding happiness here. Freedom, even. Persephone had more freedom in the last few weeks in the Underworld than she ever had living under Demeter's thumb at home. Persephone knew exactly why Demeter made the rules that she did, but it did not make it any easier to keep the resentment at bay. And as much as she wanted news from Hermes and as much as she did want to return home for the sake of her mother's sanity, Persephone dreaded how much Demeter's paranoia would increase once she was home with her. That promise of even more rules and restrictions is what sowed those nefarious seeds of doubt in Persephone's mind. Would it be so bad to stay here? Now that she had a taste of freedom, would she be able to go back to how things were before?

How ironic that her jail and jailor were giving her an idea of what it meant to live freely.

Still, the struggle of wanting to return and the pull to stay here weighed on her just as heavily as her desperation to hear news from Hermes. And the fact that Persephone was even considering the possibility of staying in the Underworld without feeling a sense of dread, left her heart in shambles.

From her spot beneath the pine tree, Persephone's eyes scanned the crowd of Nymphs and immortals and she spotted the god of the Underworld far across the meadow.

That god was not making it simple for her. If he had been cruel and wicked and forceful, then Persephone would without a doubt be desperate to leave him. But instead, he had been respectful and kind and gentle. Hades had turned out to be surprisingly good company when she was with him; there was an ease that Persephone felt when she was speaking with him and it did not help that his humor matched hers well and that he had a pleasant voice to listen to.

The moment that Persephone realized that she did not hate him and in fact, looked forward to meeting with him was when she spotted him perched on his black marble throne for the first time and actually strolled over to have a quick chat with him. Before then, however, Persephone had began to notice Hades did not make himself as scarce as he did when she first arrived. After their rather intimate meeting in the cavern where she stumbled in on his bath, Hades was more of a consistent presence at the castle. When she saw him sitting on his throne or ran into him in the gardens, her stomach would flutter like flock of helpless birds beating against the wind.

She wanted to scream each time that happened.

It did not help that the image of him in the bath with droplets of water running down his bare chest, steam rising off of his skin and his dark, handsome features smiling warmly at her, rudely popped into her thoughts at any given second. Persephone desperately pushed those unwelcome thoughts away when they came.

But they came far too often for her liking.

And she let her mind linger on him for far too long before she tried to push that bare chested image away. Persephone watched Hades as he chatted with a god that she did not know. As if he could sense her watching him, his eyes flickered over to her and she saw his lips turn up in a smile for a breath of a second before he went back to speaking with his guest. She despised the way her heart skipped several beats when he smiled at her and Persephone had to tear her gaze away from him.

"You stop it right now, you stupid little thing," Persephone hissed under her breath, chiding herself for reacting to him like this. Hades' secret smile brought on an onslaught of those forbidden memories of him. She was boring into the ground, studying every blade of grass with intensity as she tried to forget Hades. Persephone was so focused on trying to clean her mind of him that she did not notice the shadow that fell over her as somebody approached her spot.

"Who are you fussing at? You had better not be calling yourself a 'stupid little thing!'" An unfamiliar woman's voice from above Persephone chastised playfully. Grateful for the distraction, Persephone looked up from the grass and saw a woman standing in front of her. At first, Persephone was speechless. This woman was stunningly beautiful! She did not even appear to be real, but rather like a painting that had come to life. Everything about her features seemed to be a contrast of itself, painted with exaggeration: from her square jawline that was so sharp that it could be a weapon, to her aquiline nose and high cheekbones. Her long, wavy hair was darker than shadow and it was lovely but too startling against her pale, lily-white skin. A pair of gray eyes, the color of gathering storm clouds, gazed back down at her with mild interest.

"Hades has not brought you around to visit me," the goddess smiled at Persephone with a pair of delicate, slim lips the shade of a rose and invited herself to sit down beside her. She spoke in a soft voice, hushed to nearly a whisper, but Persephone found it oddly comforting; she sounded so much like a mother reading a bedtime story to her child.

"If it makes you feel any better, Hades hasn't made efforts to introduce me to many of the residents of the Underworld," Persephone replied with an effort to be lighthearted, shifting in her spot to face the goddess.

"Well I am one of his closest friends, so I find it rather hurtful that he didn't trouble with bringing you to meet me," she quipped, winking one of her stormy eyes. The goddess held out a small, pale hand to Persephone. "My name is Nyx. I am the goddess of the night."

"Nyx," Persephone repeated and grasped Nyx's outstretched hand. "I have actually heard of you. I grew up somewhat sheltered, so my knowledge of the other gods and goddesses is limited, but you are one that my mother has actually told me about."

"How interesting that she would speak of me," Nyx smiled and even though her hands were cool to the touch, she shook Persephone's hand with a friendly warmth and Persephone found herself at ease with this new goddess.

"My mother has always found the night to be soothing," Persephone explained, letting go of Nyx's hand. "It is when she is most relaxed and at ease. You would think that being the goddess of the harvest would connect her more to the sun and the daytime rather than the night."

At the mention of Demeter, Nyx's smile fell and she laid her cool hand on Persephone's shoulder.

"Persephone…" Nyx started in a somber voice. There was something about the pitying way she spoke that set Persephone on edge, but it was to be expected, given the circumstances. How strange that she was already becoming tired of sympathy for her situation. It was not so terrible…

"I know that I seemed eager to meet you. Hades has long confided in me about his secret visits to you, and I am happy to put a face to a name, but truly, I am sorry to hear of your troubles," Nyx empathized. She gave Persephone a sad smile and shook her head, dark strands of hair falling around her face. "Lord Hades is a dear friend to me, but I was appalled by his actions. I wish that you had entered into the Underworld under different circumstances and by your own will."

"I wish so too," Persephone sighed. "In all honesty, it hasn't been a nightmare like I believed that it would be," she confessed. Persephone glanced down at her braid, wondering if she should go ahead and speak her mind. The words that teetered on her lips felt odd to say, but she was compelled to just get it out in the open. Persephone glanced at Nyx, who was staring at her with a curious expression. "To tell you the truth, I've actually grown to enjoy this strange and beautiful realm."

"Is that so?" Nyx was smiling again and she took a moment to scoot closer to Persephone. "I find it unfair that the Underworld is portrayed as some dank and dark pit of despair. In some places, yes! But most of our home is as you say, strange and beautiful." She tilted her head thoughtfully to the side and hesitated for a second before she spoke. "What do you think about being bound here forever? Is that something you fear?"

"No," Persephone shook her head, trying to assure herself of her conviction more than she tried to assure Nyx. "I have hope that there will be a way for me to return home. I think that it's just a matter of convincing Hades that the world won't come to an end if he lets me leave."

But if she ever did leave, would she be able to return? Persephone did not see herself being able to flit between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead as Hermes could. Once she bid farewell to the Underworld, that would mean the end of her friendship with Annis, and Persephone was not so sure if she could say goodbye to the first true friend she had made.

"This realm is his home. It is an extension of his soul. He fiercely protects it and does not want any chaos to befall his world. It may take a great deal of convincing. Besides, it would be hard for him to let you leave, knowing that he will never be able to see you again."

Yes. There was also that. Hades. There was a funny way that her stomach ached when she remembered that he did all of this because he was drawn to her, whatever that was supposed to mean. Once she left, she would never see him again either. Where she was certain that leaving Annis would be painful, what did she feel about never seeing the god of the Underworld after she left him? Would she even take a moment to say goodbye to the one who had turned her life upside down?

Before Persephone had a chance to stammer out any sort of coherent reply, Annis came prancing up to where she and Nyx were sitting. She plopped down next to Persephone and leaved heavily against her shoulder.

"Hello Annis. Are you enjoying yourself?" A tell-tale blush from too much drink crept over Annis' olive skin. Her friend sat up, her face full sunshine and smiles and tossed her hair flirtatiously over her shoulder.

"I am!" Annis giggled drunkenly. "My special friend is here, but I won't tell you which one he is!" She teased in a singsong voice. At Persephone's other side, Nyx was scowling with disapproval at the Nymph's antics.

"Your secret isn't as secret as you think," the goddess mumbled darkly. "I know who he is."

"You do?!" Annis and Persephone both exclaimed at the same time.

"Of course. I catch you all the time when you're slinking off to see him." Nyx was nonchalant as she replied coolly, running her fingers through her shadowy hair. She cocked her head to the side and winked slyly at Persephone. Annis saw this and suddenly lunged over Persephone's lap and pleaded in slurred words to Nyx to shut up and keep quiet. Persephone in turn excitedly started spouting off a dozen questions, trying to get Nyx to spill the identity of this mysterious lover.

In the midst of the chaos, Persephone felt a warmth on her head and her hands flew up to where Hermes' feather was tucked into her braid. As quickly as she could, she covered her head with her fingers, trying to hide suspiciously glowing feather. Luckily for her, Annis was currently wrestling a loudly-protesting Nyx to the ground, so both of them were far too distracted to notice that anything was amiss. Persephone did not want to waste a second lingering here while Hermes waited for her under the willow tree. She heaved Annis' legs off of her and leapt to her feet. Without a word of farewell, Persephone marched hastily from the meadow and towards the castle; she wanted it to appear as if she were going to go there. Let them come up with their own reasons for why, all Persephone wanted was to for anyone watching her to think nothing of why she left the party.

But of course, her departure would not go unnoticed by a certain god. She should have known that if anyone were to notice, it would be Hades. She heard him run up behind her and Persephone wanted nothing more than to just pretend that he did not exist as he called out her name.

"Persephone? Where are you going?"

But Persephone was compelled by some unknown force to turn around and face him. This would be so simple, if only she loathed him. He stood over her, a half-smile on his lips and his deep brown eyes glimmering with too much drink and merriment.

How curious, that anyone could be merry in the land of the dead. Persephone would never have believed it if she had not seen it for herself.

"Oh, uhh…" Persephone shuffled her feet, hoping that the strong wine would dull his senses enough to where he would not read her hesitancy. "I just realized that I...need to go back to the castle. To my room. I left something there."

"I'll come with you," he offered happily.

"Oh! No! That's fine. I can manage on my own." Persephone reached out and patted Hades on his arm. At her touch, the god's half-smile grew to a full smirk and he gazed down at her with an expression that caused her heart to stop beating.

"Hurry back, then," he muttered with a bit more heat than he would have allowed if he were fully sober. Persephone gaped at him like a fool, for a moment overwhelmed by the feelings that were clouding her thoughts. But the feather in her hair pulled her back to the present and she just gave Hades a funny little wave of her hand.

"Will do!" She quipped, internally kicking herself for sounding like such a loon. Thank the gods and goddesses that Hades had enjoyed enough wine to truly notice or care!

Persephone turned on her heel and scampered off to the castle, leaving Hades behind. In her mind's eye, she pictured him standing there and watching her go. For some reason, the expression that she imagined on his face was one with a furrowed brow and that smile slowly turned down. Then her heart suddenly yearned to turn around and make sure that he wasn't watching her with that forlorn face. She paused for a second and began to turn her head to look over her shoulder. But just as soon as she started, Persephone forced herself to stop.

Why did it matter if Hades was sad to see her go? She should not be giving him a second thought. She was leaving to see Hermes who was bringing her news of her mother! Hades and his feelings should be the absolute last thing that troubled her. So Persephone turned back around and marched determinedly to the castle, telling herself that Hades did not matter.

But in her heart of hearts, Persephone was only lying to herself and she was forcing the truth to be buried.

For whatever insane reason, Hades was beginning to matter to her. And that truth alone was what made her hurry to meet Hermes. She had to get out of this place before it was too late. Persephone had to leave the Underworld before she decided that she loved it enough to call it home.

"So that's it then? Zeus refuses to help me?"

Persephone could not say that she was surprised that he refused to help, but what surprised her is how badly it stung that he did not bother to lift a finger for her sake. Even though he had only just been told about her, Persephone was still his daughter. Surely there was some sort of parental instinct that would drive one to help their offspring?

She tried to mask her disappointment with anger, but the pain of Zeus' rejection was too strong to hide. Persephone cursed herself for her vulnerability as tears pricked at her eyes. Perhaps she was more upset by the fact that her mother, who had fought so hard and faced her worst nightmare to help her, was callously denied help or pity.

A cool breeze found its way beneath the willow tree's branches where Persephone and Hermes were hidden. Cerberus was planted at her side and Persephone was absent-mindedly scratching one of his heads. The remaining two were trained on Hermes with suspicious glares, but they did not try to snap at him this time. Hermes watched Persephone, waiting for her emotion to pass. He did not dare to come over and comfort Persephone, lest he wanted three snapping jaws of teeth to contend with.

"I wasn't happy to tell you this," Hermes was apologetic, nervously rubbing the back of his neck and keeping a wary eye on Cerberus. "And I'm not happy to tell you that your mother did believe me when I tried to tell her that you were not harmed."

"This won't end well," Persephone warned grimly. Her mother's promise to get her home no matter what, frightened her. Demeter held an incredible amount of power and her duties as the goddess of the Harvest were vital for the survival of humanity. But Demeter loved her daughter far more than she loved the mortals, and it made Persephone shudder to think of what she might do to get her message across to Zeus.

"What do we do now?" Hermes asked seriously. Persephone raked her fingers through the ends of her hair and shrugged.

"All that I can say now is to try to tell tell her to stay calm and to not do anything extreme. Far too many have suffered for Zeus' actions; the mortals do not need to suffer because of her. They do not need to be needlessly caught up in the immortals' bickering." Persephone wanted to convey to Hermes just how important that it was to her for her mother to remain calm.

"I'll try," Hermes assured. Persephone could not find the words to express just how grateful she was that he was doing all of this for her, a perfect stranger. He seemed to be such a bright, carefree soul, with his golden hair and winged sandals. Persephone blinked back a sudden wave of tears and she wrapped her arms around Hermes.

"You have no idea how much this means to me," she whispered into his curls. Hermes hugged her waist despite Cerberus' growls.

"Of course," he whispered back."I will do anything that I can to get you back to your mother." Persephone's stomach jolted with guilt from her own doubts about returning, but she pushed those thoughts down for now. They let each other go and Hermes lifted into the air.

"I have to rush back," he called down to Persephone. "But I'll try to get back soon. And maybe I'll have better news for you!"

"That would be nice!" Persephone followed him as he flew out from beneath the protective branches of the willow tree and stopped when he flew over the river where she could not follow. The god followed the path up the mountain and was swallowed by the golden light of the archway, signifying that he passed into the land of the living.

Persephone truly did want to follow him through that arch. She was desperate to soothe her mother's troubles and assure her that, despite it all, she was well and unharmed. But that would not happen. And once she crossed the threshold of the archway and stepped into the world beyond, she feared that there was no turning back. The Underworld would possibly be lost to her.

What an impossible dilemma.

For a moment, Persephone lingered on the banks of the river. Charon and his boat floated on top of the smoothly flowing water. Hermes had not come to the Underworld to deliver souls of the dead, so the ferryman stayed in his place, apathetic to Hermes' unexplained presence. He did not glance her way or pay her any mind while Persephone studied him for a moment more before climbing up the bank and to the path that was now familiar to her.

Her thoughts were scattered as she ambled down the path, flitting from one topic to the next; from Hades to Demeter and surprisingly, to Zeus. She walked past the eerie elm tree. What was one of her false dreams, Persephone absently mused. There was that lifelong, painful wish that her father was not the selfish and cruel Zeus, but rather the kind mortal man that had once loved her mother. Part of the reason why Persephone dreaded the consequences of her mother using the mortals to exact her revenge on Zeus, was because of how much humanity had all suffered because of their actions; not just the actions of Zeus, but from nearly every immortal in existence. Was there no end to this cycle of the gods and goddesses abusing their power against those who worshipped them?

The elm tree was long behind her as she continued on the path back to the castle, but Persephone's mind stayed trapped inside the spell of the tree. She pondered all of her wishes and dreams and hopes that were doomed to remain unfulfilled.

Yet, Persephone was not so deep in her dreams that she was able to ignore the strange sensation of being watched. The back of Persephone's neck tingled uncomfortably as though someone or something had been watching her from the shadows of the landscape beyond the path. At first, she wanted to believe that it was some resident of the Underworld that she had not met yet, curious at her presence. But as that feeling persisted, Persephone suspected that whoever was watching her was more than merely curious.

She was being stalked.

Minthe was the most obvious suspect. She had been noticeably absent from the party and the Nymphs were always whispering that Minthe had not been seen by hardly anyone since Persephone's arrival. The rumor that she was the god, Rhadamanthus' latest lover circulated again and again, but nobody had any proof other than seeing her hanging around the marble gates of the Elysian Fields.

Her breath hitched in her throat, but Persephone steadied her outward appearance. She refused to let Minthe see her weak. Persephone was carefully picking her way through the ruins of the palace with the pristine wooden doors. She veered off the path and rounded a corner, finding herself in an overgrown courtyard filled with thistles and thorns.

This strange place already set her ill at ease, but it did not calm her frayed nerves that she had an unwelcome companion. All around her, the Underworld was perfectly still. Perfectly silent. Minthe followed her without so much as a peep, but Persephone was certain that she was there. Eyes bored into the back of her skull and then the silence was broken by the distinct sound of a stone clattering on the ground. The small noise echoed throughout the ruins, giving away Minthe's hiding place right behind Persephone, who flushed with a sudden surge of anger. How dare Minthe still attempt to torment her!

"I thought that you were told to leave me alone!" Persephone shouted. She whirled around and expected to see Minthe standing right behind her with that smirking grin and fiery hair, pleased at being caught. But not a soul was behind her. There was only the wind that blew a few wayward pebbles over the ancient cobblestones. Persephone waited for a minute or two, watching for any movement behind the crumbling pillars that made the entrance to the courtyard. The emptiness weighed all around her. The minutes ticked on and Minthe did not pop out from any hiding spot. Had Persephone been wrong? No, there was absolutely somebody following her. She did not imagine it.

"Minthe?" Persephone called out to the ruins. "Are you there? Is that you following me?"

She did not want Minthe to come out and happily greet her with a "yes, of course, I'm here," but Persephone had to find out for sure if she wasn't alone. If it wasn't Minthe following her, then who, or what?

The answer to that question came not from in front of her, but with hands grabbing her arms from behind. Her back was pulled into a firm chest and a voice as smooth as velvet whispered into her ear.

"No, lovely girl. I'm the one following you."

That was not Minthe.

The voice belonged to a man, but it wasn't Hades' rich, resonating timbre. Persephone froze in fear, unable to make a sound as her words were stuck in her throat. Sensing her unease, the man spoke again.

"You have no need to be frightened of me," the voice crooned. "I mean you no harm. I'll even let you get a good look at me. Then you'll see that I'm not a monster out to get you." The hands holding her arms eased their grip. Slowly, she turned to face the owner of that voice. Once she saw who was behind her, Persephone could not blame herself for the gasp that crossed her lips.

She knew him. This was the man that she had seen at the marble gates with Hades! Back then, she had only seen him from afar, but now that he was mere inches away from her, she could see that he was perhaps the most beautiful man that Persephone had yet to lay eyes on. And he was the most unusual, with his ethereal features.

A pair of eyes, the palest shade of blue, greeted her. Persephone was taken aback at how vibrant these cold eyes were, like ice glimmering under the sun. Long hair the color of silver fell around his long, thin face. His features were strikingly elegant; thin nose, high cheekbones, and thin lips that curled into a knowing smile.

For an embarrassing moment, Persephone could not peel her eyes away from him. He in turn held her gaze, never letting his pale irises leave her face. His aura was unrelenting; it snared her and pulled her in, refusing to be ignored and even reveling in her unabashed staring. As the moments crawled by, one of the corners of those thin lips turned up into a smirk. He cocked his head to the side and closed his eyes until they were merely blue, glimmering slivers.

"See? I'm not a beast, am I?" The man's question was almost teasing her. "You're still afraid though. Why is that, I wonder?"

"I'm—I'm not afraid. You just startled me. That's all it is." Persephone argued weakly.

"Yet you're still trembling." He whispered with words flowing like water from a spring. His slim fingers found her cheeks and for the briefest of moments, he rested his fingertips softly on her skin. Persephone did not push his hand off. Instead she froze in place, losing her sensibility in that icy gaze and feeling his cool skin grazing hers.

The spell that was cast lasted only for a moment. Persephone slowly inhaled a gulp of air and she turned her face from the man's touch.

"Rhadamanthus. You're Rhadamanthus aren't you?"

"Indeed I am," he laughed. "You already know of me?"

"The Nymphs speak of you," Persephone said. The pomp in this man's demeanor visibly deflated once she told him that. His shoulders sagged and those stunning irises that had not left her face for a moment, blinked and shifted to somewhere over her shoulder.

"Not kindly, I'm sure," he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "I hate that your first impression of me came by exaggerated tales of gossiping Nymphs."

He made a move that made Persephone think that he was taking a step towards her, but instead, Rhadamanthus brushed past her and marched further into the courtyard. "Oh, it's such a shame that Lord Hades hasn't bothered to introduce you to me himself, though I suspect that he's keeping you hidden from me for a reason."

"And what reason would that be?" Persephone asked, curious despite the sneaking feeling that she was being baited into an uncomfortable conversation. This Rhadamanthus was compelling. She found herself in his wake, following the waterfall of silver hair. Rhadamanthus stopped just in front of an ancient, crumbling archway that served as an exit for the courtyard, flanked by an equally ancient, crumbling stone wall. He jumped up and sat on the top of the wall, leaning his back against the pillar, facing away from Persephone. She stopped in her tracks beside him, watching how one leg dangled over the side and one leg was pulled up near his chest, making a triangle. His cool and carefree attitude irked her.

"Well? Why does Hades want to keep you away from me?" Persephone reiterated her question. The smile that ghosted over his lips did not go unnoticed. Why was he going to such great lengths to irritate her?

"He doesn't want to share," Rhadamanthus said wistfully, gazing at the gloom of the Underworld with the most forlorn countenance she had ever seen. Persephone fought the urge to roll her eyes and just leave him be.

"And how could I blame him for wanting to keep you all to himself?" Rhadamanthus spoke up before Persephone mustered the courage to walk away. He turned from his dramatic vigil of the scenery back to Persephone, now smiling with that same velvety smile from before. "Now that I'm seeing you on the flesh, I can understand why Lord Hades is smitten with you."

"Smitten with me? That's absurd! He's not smitten! Hades is—well, I'd call it more that he's..." Persephone searched for any sort of reason, any at all, other than what Rhadamanthus was suggesting and what she feared to be true. "...it's that Hades lusts after me, and nothing more."

Rhadamanthus' quiet laughter filled the heavy air of the ruins, echoing over the stones and decaying structures. He shook his head, the dim light catching the strands of his hair, and glanced up at the blushing Persephone.

She was not amused.

"I think that it is high time for me to take my leave of you," She said with a bite. Persephone readied herself to turn on her heel and march away, but the sound of Rhadamanthus' cool voice snared her once more and Persephone could not will herself tear herself from his spell.

"Forgive me for laughing, but Lord Hades' heart for you runs much deeper than that of banal desire, silly girl." His smile cooled and his features settled into a contemplative gaze. Those icy eyes heated. "I would go so far as to say that he might even love you. What man wouldn't? I myself would want to snatch you up and make you mine." Persephone was just close enough for him to reach out and take a few strands of her hair in his fingers.

"But you deserve better than than coerced love, don't you? You deserve for a man to woo you and to choose for yourself if you want to be with him." Her locks fell through his grasp when he lowered his hand and he watched her intently, studying her features with an intensity that reminded Persephone of the way Hades would gaze at her.

Her muscles could not seem to find the strength to move. She stood in place, not able to speak or turn around or slap him or hardly even breathe.

Rhadamanthus was not wrong. Persephone had suspected from the absolute beginning of her journey into the Underworld, that Hades did care for her beyond a tool to use for his own desires. What she was so desperate to deny was how deeply he did seem to care for her; how could anyone who loved another, kidnap them and keep them prisoner against their will? That was not love. Love was selfless. Yet, Hades had not forced her to be with him and even respected her wishes. What was she to think of that?

This contradiction was something that she wrestled with; Hades' unfortunate show of selfishness that played alongside his undeniable kindness. What was his true nature? Could she forgive him of his mistakes by his genuine concern for her, or was it just a show to lower her guard and then bed her? Persephone wanted to deny Hades' unspoken love for her simply because she could not fathom that anyone could love her and then do what Hades did. She refused to accept it.

It would only be coerced love, just as Rhadamanthus said. It would be silly for her if she were to ever reciprocate those feelings. Then Hades would get exactly what he wanted and then he would have no repercussions for his actions. The sudden rush of bitterness towards Hades was what finally unleashed her tense muscles and she released a heavy breath from her chest. Rhadamanthus said nothing during the whole time. His head was leaning against the pillar and he watched her patiently. Persephone suddenly felt weak from all the rushing emotions in her head and she sat down on the wall, just beside Rhadamanthus' feet. He watched her movements, never letting her leave his sight and he remained silent with nothing but a wolfish smile on his lips.

She wanted to move past all talk of Hades and his feelings. It was growing weary.

"If Hades doesn't want me to be around you, then perhaps he is justified in his reasons. You were the one stalking me like a animal after it's next meal." Persephone said with an accusing tone. Rhadamanthus shrugged his shoulders with all the nonchalance in the Underworld.

"It was simply a chance encounter. You left the castle as I was arriving and when I saw you wandering off on your own, that's when I decided that I wanted to meet you, without our friend, the good Lord Hades, hovering nervously around me like a mother hen. When I watched you go beyond the castle boundaries, well, that's when you looked like you were up to something. Naturally, I had to see what had stolen your attention and why you wanted to be so secretive."

Rhadamanthus explained away his actions so innocently, though Persephone hardly believed that this man was capable of any innocence

"Interesting, isn't it, that you just so happened to catch me alone and decided to follow me around instead of coming out of your hiding spot and just saying hello." Persephone said, crossing her arms defensively, thinking that she had put this arrogant god in his place. He merely chuckled, unruffled at her words. The way his eyes sparked with mischief did not set her at ease.

"Interesting, isn't it, that you're having secret meetings with the one and only being besides Lord Hades himself, that can enter and exit the Underworld by his own will." Rhadamanthus cocked his head to the side and bored into her with that sly grin of his. Persephone felt the blood rush from her face and her stomach dropped. To deny her actions now would be of no use. Rhadamanthus had seen and he was far too clever to trick. It would be best for her now to just admit it and throw herself on his mercy.

"I would be foolish not to take any chance I had at leaving. Or at least any chance of communicating with my mother. Can't you understand why I'm doing this?" Persephone snapped hotly. She turned from Rhadamanthus' smirking face and stared pointedly at the ground.

"Without a doubt, I can understand. Why the need to hide it from your captor?" She heard Rhadamanthus ask, his voice sounding a bit closer than before.

"I think it's ridiculous you even question my reason to hide my meetings with Hermes. Of course I don't want Hades to know because what if he decides to keep me prisoner in his home? What if he banishes Hermes? Hades has been far more generous than I could have ever dreamed and I would not risk him having a change of heart. You seem to be clever enough to have figured all that out without you asking." Persephone muttered at the cobblestones. She felt Rhadamanthus shift beside her and Persephone couldn't help but glance over at him. He was no longer leaning against the pillar, but had planted his elbow on his raised knee and resting his chin on curled fingers. His nearness was unsettling, making her head swim and her heart flutter.

"You have quite the bold tongue. Your sweet, innocent face had me believing you to be a shrinking violet. I see now that I was deceived," Rhadamanthus said, leaning ever closer to her. He locked eyes with hers, the heat of his gaze burning straight into her soul. "And I am pleased to be fooled."

"You are talking nonsense" Persephone brushed off Rhadamanthus as quickly as she could, trying not to let herself be drawn into his unrelenting gaze. As much as she wanted to explore those pale blue depths, the warnings and words of the Nymphs about this god kept Persephone firmly anchored. "Just promise me that you won't speak of this to Hades?"

"What makes you think that I will just instantly swear silence?" Rhadamanthus challenged. "No, my promises are not so willingly given without a promise in return." He gave her a little frown, furrowing his light blonde brows that perfectly matched his hair.

"What could you possibly want from me?" Persephone was nearly too frightened to ask, but she was more frightened of Hades knowing her secrets than she was of what Rhadamanthus wanted. Rhadamanthus did not answer right away. He considered her for a moment, his face drawn into a concentrated frown.

"An exchange of needs, so to speak?" He finally suggested. Persephone closed her eyes and breathed in sharply through her nose.

"Needs?" Persephone groaned in disgust. Of course. She should not have even put a toe in that territory. She opened her eyes and glared at the god. "Perhaps you ask too much from me. I'm not so in need of secrecy that I would give in to any of your 'needs.'"

Persephone made a move to jump from her spot on the wall, but Rhadamanthus was faster. Before she could put her feet on the ground, he jumped up and rushed to stand in front of her. He hastily placed his hands on her shoulders, setting her back down in her spot. For whatever reason, Persephone complied. His hands on her bare shoulders sent shivers down her spine and even though she was fuming at his suggestion, she stayed put. He stood over her, tilting his head down to look at her and strands of his hair fell over his shoulders in a white curtain.

"Not those needs, silly girl," Rhadamanthus tried to assure her. "All I ask is for one day of your company. Come visit me in my home. Lord Hades has shown you his; I want to show you mine."

Persephone huffed and roughly shoved his hands off her shoulders. Even though it was worlds better than what she thought he was suggestion, there was something about it that still bothered her.

"How is this not forcing me?" Persephone asked, still rightfully skeptical of his intentions. "You said not three minutes before, that I deserved more than coercion."

"Smart girl," Rhadamanthus smiled. "Nothing slides so easily past you, does it? I cannot say that you have disappointed me. I rather enjoy your sharpness of wit. Fine then. I will be a man of my word - I won't coerce you."

"You'll still tell Hades about my meetings though. What good does this do me?" Persephone was not so willing to let herself fall into a trap. Rhadamanthus was crafty and the least she could do was try to keep up with his slippery words and talk of promises and exchanges.

"I'll keep your secret, simply on merit. I've enjoyed your company far more than I had imagined that I would. You interest me. You intrigue me. I don't want to lose your trust before I've had a chance to earn it." He inched closer to her and grazed his knuckles down the smooth skin of her arm. Persephone kept her expression blank, watching him with disinterest.

"But what if I already don't trust you?" She said grimly, watching with satisfaction as he drew his hand from her arm.

"Do you not?" Rhadamanthus questioned curiously. Persephone looked up at him as he stood over her. She studied his face, half hidden behind his curtain of hair. The god was not as tall as Hades, but his presence was just as powerful as he towered over her. It was not as obvious as Hades', with his raw power and physical size. Rhadamanthus' aura was more insidious in the way that it seeped into Persephone's senses, intoxicating her with his unusual beauty and his presence that demanded her attention. She hated the way Rhadamanthus pulled her in, and how willing she was letting herself be close to him. Despite her first disastrous meeting with Hades, he had been nothing but kind and gentle to her. She could even call him safe. But Rhadamanthus was different. He did not offer Persephone the safety that she had come to know from Hades. He was far more dangerous. Rhadamanthus was a rose that was lovely to behold, but the hidden thorns behind the petals made him unsafe to touch.

"I'm not sure yet…" Persephone's answer carried on the breeze that blew over the forlorn ruins and Rhadamanthus came ever closer to her. She could smell the faint scent of sage wafting in the air between them. She could see the triumph written all over his face, celebrating in his mind the private victory that only he knew of. Persephone knew that giving him any answer other than a solid denial was risky and she questioned why she was taking that risk with him.

"Then allow yourself to find out." Rhadamanthus encouraged softly.

"Should I, though?" Persephone narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't know what to think of you."

Rhadamanthus leaned over her, the scent of sage sweeping over her, and he brought his face dangerously close to her. She felt his cool fingers grasp her chin and with gentle force, pulled her close to him. His breath warmed her skin as he spoke.

"And I know precisely what I think of you, Persephone." Her name rolled off his tongue as it was the sweetest thing he had tasted. His gaze flickered down to her lips and for half a second, Persephone wondered if he would kiss her.

A mixture of nerves and bashfulness emboldened her to break free of his latest spell and Persephone pulled her chin out of his fingers.

"I cannot recall asking you what you thought," Persephone said. She was still reeling from Rhadamanthus' touch but was rather proud of herself for not sounding like a silly weakling. The god in question was unphased.

"Sometimes, there are answers that don't need a question." Rhadamanthus still spoke in a warm murmur. "Will you come? Will you visit me in my part of the realm?"

"If I say no?" Persephone whispered back.

"That is entirely your choice, my dear." He once more invited himself into her space and he lightly tucked her hair behind her ear, his fingertips barely ghosting her cheeks as he pulled away. The delicate hair on her arms stood up at his touch and Persephone's knees threatened to give way. Of course she should say no to him and his wicked charm and handsome face.

But he was giving her a choice, and the power to choose for herself was far more enticing than anything. Nobody had given her such an opportunity before. Not Demeter. Not Hades.

"Then I chose yes." Persephone agreed. Hearing herself agree to meet with him did not sound real to her own ears. "I'll indulge you and pay you a visit. Once. No more than that."

The triumph returned to Rhadamanthus' expression and his smirk was unbearably smug, but Persephone found herself unable to be too concerned about it. What a fool she was to be a victim of his charm, but her curiosity about this god was stronger than her sense of caution. And she would be careful! Her mother had engrained mistrust and unease into her instincts since her birth.

Just a bit of danger would be fine.

"Once will be enough." Rhadamanthus said. Persephone rolled her eyes.

"Enough for what?" She demanded.

"For you to get a true glimpse of who I am, and not what the Nymphs are whispering in your ears."

"We will see about that." Persephone snipped.

"I look forward to seeing you," Rhadamanthus said, standing up straight and mercifully giving Persephone room to breathe again. His expression grew grim and he glanced over his shoulder to the direction of the amphitheater. "Unfortunately, it is time for me to be on my way. The duties of a judge of the souls are never ending, as mortals are continually perishing.

He glanced back down at her and to her utter embarrassment, winked one dazzling eye down at her. "Until we meet again, dearest Persephone. Come to me at your leisure; I eagerly will watch for your arrival."

"Until then, you strange man." Persephone bid him farewell, biting down on the inside of her mouth to keep herself from smiling, and the world around her suddenly became strangely empty as Rhadamanthus made his exit. The wind picked up his silvery hair and she watched as his hair danced all around him.

Persephone hated the Underworld. She hated Hades. She hated Rhadamanthus. She hated it all because she wanted to despise every part of this new life but deep down, Persephone could not do it. She hated how she could not hate the Underworld. She hated how much she enjoyed Hades' company. And she hated, absolutely detested how much she looked forward to seeing Rhadamanthus once again.

Hades

It was a never-ending task, but Hades was resigned that this was his burden to bear for eternity. The souls of the newly-arrived dead were gathered in the amphitheater, silently waiting to be told where their final resting place would be. They gazed around at their surroundings with blank expressions, not saying a word, not revealing any fear or thoughts within. Depending on where they were sent, that would not change. If they were judged as heroes or exceptional humans in life, they would have the fortune of spending the after-life in the Elysian Fields; their senses would return after being wiped away by death and those souls would be able to enjoy their lucky afterlife.

That would not be the case for the rest of the dead.

Hades seated himself on a throne at the highest point of the amphitheater, from which he could see the entire crowd seated on the dark stone steps. At either side of his throne, the judges were gathered. All of them arrived on time and were seated in their assigned places. All, save for the seat at his right.

Rhadamanthus.

That damned fool was late. What was keeping him? The few immortals who also served as judges had attended the party the Nymphs has thrown, and even they were there when they needed to be, despite the constant flow of wine into their chalices.

Rhadamanthus had been strangely absent from the party, and he was the kind to never miss a gathering where he could drink and flirt. It concerned Hades that Rhadamanthus was missing, but only because at some point in the party, Persephone disappeared.

She claimed that she was leaving to go get something from her room, but she never returned. Annis drunkenly went to find her, but she did not return either. Hades was aching to go to her room himself, but even in his wine-soaked senses, he decided that going to her room was still too forbidden for him to do.

Time passed at a crawl, and then duty as god of the Underworld called, and Hades could not ignore his tasks.

Not like Rhadamanthus could, apparently. So when Hades finally spotted that mane of silver hair sneaking its way over to his side, a moody cloud had settled heavily over Hades' shoulders.

The lesser god settled himself in his seat at Hades' right side and Hades glowered down at him.

"Where have you been?" He grumbled darkly. The smirk that was plastered on Rhadamanthus' face only grew and Hades conjured up seven different eternal punishments for the judge.

"I am shocked that you didn't have little spies to watch me and report back to you, considering how little you trust me these days." Rhadamanthus teased, casually leaning back into his seat. He laced his fingers behind his head and rested the back of his head in his palms. He was gazing up, fixing Hades with a devilish smile. There was a lightness to his aura, a new skip in his step so to speak, and Hades briefly wondered who he had just bedded to put him in such a happy mood.

This was the happiest mood that Hades had ever seen Rhadamanthus in. The other judges were muttering amongst themselves, impatient to get the trials started, and shooting Rhadamanthus irritated glares but he paid them absolutely no mind.

"What sort of trouble did you get into, old friend?" Hades demanded, rubbing his temples with his fingers. "I'm not so sure that any reason you give can justify your lateness, but go ahead and try amuse me with your excuses."

"If you must know, lord Hades, the reason I was late was because of a new opportunity for myself." Rhadamanthus said with a mocking cheerfulness that boiled his blood. Hades held back the urge to throttle him.

"Oh. And what new opportunity was that?" Hades knew better than to allow himself to be baited by Rhadamanthus, but the faster he could deal with this god, then the faster they could begin the trials.

"An opportunity to make a new friend." Rhadamanthus answered. Hades' ears perked up and he leaned over the arm of his chair in anticipation. There was a foreboding to Rhadamanthus' cheerful words that turned his heart in his chest.

"A new friend? Who?" Hades watched in growing dread as the god's smile widened until every last one of his teeth glistened in the gloomy light, like the mouth a lion baring its teeth.

"The most recent arrival to the Underworld."

Right then and there, the breath rushed out of his lungs and Hades felt as though Rhadamanthus had just struck him right in the gut. He was practically standing from his seat now, leaning so far over to get right in Rhadamanthus' unapologetic face.

"I told you to stay away from her," Hades snarled with all the quiet fury he could muster. "You promised me that you would."

"I hardly ever made such a promise to stay away from her," Rhadamanthus did not shy away from Hades, instead leaning over his own chair and bringing himself inches from Hades. " Now that I've met her, gazed upon her face, heard her words come from her sweet mouth…" He barked out a sardonic laugh and every speck of his eyes glinted with wicked glee. "I'm afraid it is impossible for me to stay away any longer."

"You are MY subject and under MY authority. Everything and everyone in this world bends to my will," Hades ordered in a strangled whisper, trying to keep their argument from the curious ears of the onlookers seated all around them.

The mirth in Rhadamanthus' face turned steely and his lips curled into a sneer; it was rare that Rhadamanthus ever allowed the facade to fall away and reveal anything hidden beneath. His arrogance and pomp was a carefully constructed mask, hiding the truth of himself from everyone, and there were only a handful of times that Hades could remember where Rhadamanthus was anything but the Rhadamanthus he was accustomed to.

And he had certainly never seen this cold, quiet anger from him before.

"Oh, how right you are, Lord Hades," he jeered in chilling tones. "I am your subject and I am crushed under the weight of your authority, tied to your ever droll word, yes, yes I know this. But Persephone...she is not. That lovely goddess does not belong to this realm, as she is here against her will. And you are far too moral, too good to force her to bend to your rules. She can do as she pleases, and if she were to happen upon the Elysian Fields and seek out my company, well…" Hades watched his sneer turn into a vicious, deadly smile. "Then who would I be to deny her?"

So this was it. Rhadamanthus was going to disobey him, blatantly going against his demands. His hand gripped the arm of his seat until his knuckles turned white.

"How dare you—"

"Come, come now, Lord Hades." Rhadamanthus cut in. He gestured to the other immortals before sitting back in his own seat. "The others are growing rather restless. We have business to attend to. How rude of us to keep them waiting."

And with that, the god settled back in and his haughty persona returned as if nothing had happened. But Hades noticed the way he pointedly stared down at the souls gathered and how tightly he clenched his jaw.

Hades compiled for now, settling back in his seat as well and giving the signal to the others that it was time to begin. As the souls filled into place and began their march to the seat of his throne, Hades was fuming with his thoughts running wild.

Jealousy. Betrayal. Fear.

Rhadamanthus had won, but Hades vowed to ruin his chance of victory again.

This was not over.

AN - thank you all for your patience while I cranked out this chapter. For some reason, this chapter gave me the freaking. hardest. time. ever. Idk if I went through a mini writer-identity crisis or what, but I sort of lost my confidence while writing this and had to step away and reevaluate myself as a writer. I guess it happens sometimes and I feel like I made some progress as my skills as a writer but really...I'm all down for constructive, helpful criticism. If you guys have any suggestions or helpful hints, send them at me! Just be kind :) thanks for reading and I tried to make this chapter a bit longer to make up for the stupid long wait in between updates. Love you all!