AN - another update after a crazy long wait! Thank you for all my new readers and for returning readers, sticking with the story even though updates are often sparse. My personal life has been filled with happy life events and things are hectic. But I am still writing and planning the story. Thank you again to all who have stuck with me. Enjoy the latest installment of Twilight Maiden!
Persephone
The atmosphere thickened. Skies outside rapidly grew dark and moody. The clouds overhead were rolling angrily. Thunder rumbled. The Underworld was responding to the fury raging inside of its god; the nature of the world Hades created, intricately tied to his being and reflecting his displeasure.
A visible shadow was cast over the room as Hades took a thundering step into the temple. Persephone swore that she saw the cobalt tiles tremble as a tremor shook the very foundation. She wrapped her arms possesively around Annis and watched, transfixed in terror and awe at the silently fuming god making his way over to where they were gathered.
The Erinyes ceased their raucous screeching. Their scaly wings beat the air as the trio of creatures hastily crashed back down to earth. They landed between the pillars, near the back of the room. As soon as their feet touched the cold floor, their hideous transformations were disappearing. The wings folded into their back, the scales merging with their skin. Snakes gave one last hateful hiss before thinning and softening, turning back into silky black hair. The monstrous beings were once again the eerily similar women. They were not smirking anymore now, as they clutched each other while Hades stormed past them.
No longer trapped by the water, Cerberus had planted himself directly at Persephone's side, but even he cowered at the cold fury emanating from the god of the Underworld. His tail was tucked between his legs and all three of his heads were bowed in submission. A low warning growl rumbled deep within his chest as Hades swept past them, but the beast dared not lunge at their true master.
Hades came to a halt just a few feet away from where Persephone was crouched on the floor, standing toe-to-toe with Acheron.
Though his anger was not directed at them whatsoever, Annis and Persephone both trembled in trepidation. She kept her eyes trained on his face.
This was the first time that she had seen him since their argument. Persephone had played out several scenarios in her head of when they would meet again, and this had certainly never crossed her mind.
His handsome features, normally stoic or grim, were drawn into a furious frown. His black eyes were full of an icy ire as he glared down at Acheron. He had never seemed so devastatingly tall before as he towered over where she and Annis sat on the floor. Acheron's height could hardly compare to the giant that loomed before him. He had to tilt his head back to look up at Hades, otherwise he would have stared straight into the other god's chest.
But Acheron did not linger close to Hades for long. As soon as he saw that fearsome scowl plastered across Hades' face, he hastily backed away. Gorgyra fearfully clung to her husband's arm but the river god roughly yanked himself out of her grip.
This dismissive act against his wife only served to deepen the frown etched onto Hades' features. He gave an aggravated huff and took one step closer to Acheron, not letting him get away so easily.
Those cold obsidian irises locked with blue.
Acheron tried to back away again, but Hades calmly reached out and grabbed a fistful of the lesser god's white robes. His arm gave a careful, controlled yank and Acheron stumbled over himself as he had no choice but to stand right in front of Hades.
"Tell me, Acheron." Hades' voice was sharper than a knife. He dropped Acheron's robes in favor of crossing his arms over his chest. "What is going on here? What have I just happened upon?"
Acheron could only gape up at Hades. It was Gorgyra who spoke first.
"We were merely punishing that Nymph for seducing my husband, Lord Hades." Persephone noticed that her voice faltered as she addressed Hades. She no longer sounded as fierce as before. Hades considered her coldly before turning back to Acheron.
"Why have you allowed this foolishness to happen?" Hades demanded, leaning into Acheron's space until he was nearly touching noses with the god. "Can I not trust you to handle your duties without causing trouble in my realm?"
"Gorgyra was simply trying to protect what is hers—" He stammered out before Hades spoke over him.
"Then why were your hands on Persephone?" Was his dark demand.
"She was insubordinate." Acheron stammered. "Disrespectful to me. And she was getting in Gorgyra's way. She deserved—"
"Silence." Thunder rumbled ominously as his command echoed over the temple. Cerberus whined. The Eryines whimpered. Acheron's face paled as he tried to back away but Hades would not let him go—that hand reached back out and pulled Acheron back to him as if he were nothing more than a doll.
"You are the one who is disrespectful." He retorted in a low growl. "Persephone is a goddess; a goddess who far outranks you. She has already suffered enough, no thanks to my actions. How dare you lay hands on her. How dare either of you lay hands on her as if she were nothing."
"They needed to be punished—" Acheron dared to argue.
"So you think you can dole out punishments, as if you were god of the Underworld?" Hades challenged with a deadly calm that made the hair on her neck stand up. "How dare you undermine me. What authority do you have that allows you to punish those who live in my realm? How dare you think that you can do as you please in my world, with my subject and one who does not even belong here." Hades gestured over to Persephone but he was nowhere close to being done berating his subjects.
"And as for Annis, you have no right to punish her. Annis lives under no authority but my own. She has acted foolishly, but she was not alone in her choices. You would allow your wife to abuse my subject and then take no blame for your part in this foolish charade? Pathetic," Hades spat with the utmost distaste. "Shameful. How arrogant you must be to believe that you are above reproach. Not even I am above it. Find some humility, Acheron. Your arrogance has tempted my wrath. I do not think you would wish to tempt me again."
The god let his warning hang in the tense air before turning to the cowering woman behind her husband.
"Gorgyra." He addressed her in a voice no less commanding. "Where do you get this delusion that you can use the Erinyes to exact your revenge on my subjects? They are not soldiers to do your bidding.'
She said nothing. Her eyes were wide and fearful and her lips were wobbling pitifully. Hades observed her weak countenance and some of that fire in his features faded. Persephone saw his chest rise and fall with the gentlest sigh, and when he spoke again, his voice was firm but it had softened a shade.
"You are hurt." Hades mumbled sternly. "Your anger is justified but you are wrong in directing it at just one person. An affair takes two to make this mistake. Your husband has been unfaithful, but he was not blindly seduced. Open your eyes to the truth. He willingly made his choices. If you must be angry at Annis, then be angry, but taking revenge out on her will not undo what your husband has done to you. If anything, you should be going to him with your anger. Not just Annis. And not Persephone."
Hades was met with more silence, though he was not deterred by his morose subjects.
"If you come after Annis or Persephone again, there will be serious consequences. Do you understand me?"
Gorgyra nodded stiffly. A dying rage still stormed on her wild, but lovely features and her vibrant eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
"And you." Those obsidian irises turned back to Acheron. He no longer sounded soft. His features and his voice had hardened once more. "If you cannot handle yourself, in personal matters and in your duties, then you shall also have consequences. Do you understand me?"
Acheron remained stubbornly silent. Hades was not amused. A scowl darkened his face and the clouds outside grew angrier.
"I asked you a question. Do you understand?"
His lips twitched. He did not want to concede. But Hades' grip on his robes growing tighter seemed to give him the proper motivation to speak up.
"Yes," Acheron eventually mumbled begrudgingly.
"Good." Hades grumbled darkly. He stepped away from the husband and wife. He caught sight of the Erinyes still huddled between the pillars.
"You three. Go home. And do not skew your purposes again." His command rang out over the temple, and the three women jumped at the fearsome sound. They wasted not even a second as they linked arms and scrambled out of the temple, tattered robes and black hair flying out behind them as they went.
Once they were gone, Hades at last turned to the women still huddled on the floor.
"Annis. Persephone. Come with me." Hades addressed them firmly, though his voice was free of any true anger towards them.
Even so, there was an authority that neither woman did not care to defy.
Persephone helped Annis to her feet. She was unsteady as she stood on shaky legs, but Persephone hooked her arm beneath her shoulders and together, they followed a still fuming Hades out of the temple.
Cerberus trotted behind Persephone, heads still bowed and tail between his legs. The beast did not give anyone any warning growls. Even he was sobered by the quiet wrath of the god.
The trio did not speak a word as they strode along the wooden path over the bog. The sky above was as dark and stormy as ever. The women followed along in Hades' wake. He wordlessly led them back to the path that Persephone had taken with the Erinyes.
They passed beneath the willow tree and Persephone glanced up at the branches where she had been with Hermes not long before. The young god was not there anymore. He likely had left ages ago.
Persephone chewed on her lip and worried that she offended him somehow by rushing off to follow the Erinyes. He had seemed sad to see her leave, and reluctant to let her go to put herself in possible danger.
They emerged from beneath the willow tree and all the while during their silent marching, Persephone hoped that Hermes would return eventually.
Cerberus did not stray far from Persephone. He followed closely behind her until the three of them reached the misty woods near Hades' dwelling place. That was where Hades finally came to an abrupt halt. The two women stood there and waited for him to say or do something—anything.
For a long while, Hades stayed motionless with his back turned to them. He seemed to be carved from stone. Persephone studied the sloping line of his bowed head and how his dark hair fell gently over his broad shoulders. She watched as his posture relaxed, those taught muscles easing off some of their tension as he took in a few steadying breaths.
At long last, he turned around to face his silently waiting companions. Persephone and Annis stared expectantly at him. The goddess was so unsure of what he was about to say and his lingering silence made her nervous. Would she be reprimanded for running into a dangerous situation? Was he about to punish Annis for her role in the affair? Even Cerberus sat obediently on the dewy grass as he waited for his master to speak.
"Persephone." Hades lifted his deep brown eyes to meet hers. "You may go on ahead. Wait for me in the gardens. I would like to speak with Annis alone."
His voice did not carry the same hardness as it had before. There was no longer that cold, sharp edge to his words that he had used with Gorgyra and Acheron. Instead, he sounded firm and grave, but not in an intimidating way. Even so, Persephone glanced at her friend, unsure if she should leave Annis alone with Hades.
There had been far too many times in her own past where Demeter would retain her composure in front of the nymphs but harshly reprimand Persephone once they were alone.
After what they had just endured together, Persephone was not keen on letting any more abuse fall on Annis.
Annis nodded at Hades, but quickly sensed Persephone protectively scooting closer to her. She flashed her a tiny smile and reached out to squeeze her hand.
"It will be fine. Go on ahead." Annis promised in a hushed voice.
Persephone remained doubtful. She turned her gaze to Hades and for a moment, her heart dropped straight to her knees.
For the first time since their last encounter, he did not shy away from her. He held steady with her gaze, his face full of unwavering calm. Almost as if her were trying to wordlessly assure her that she had nothing to fear by leaving him alone to speak with Annis. There was something that she could trust in his eyes that were somehow both soft and strong all at once. Hades claimed, after all, that he did not punish the same cruel way that the other immortals were prone to.
Annis once again whispered kindly to Persephone that all would be well, and encouraged her to go to the gardens. Hades remained quiet, watching them as Persephone relented, reluctant still to leave but trusting them both that nothing bad would happen to Annis.
Cerberus stood at attention as Persephone called his name. He dutifully took his place at her side as she made her way deeper into the forest, heading towards Hades' home. She had put a fair amount of distance between herself and the duo she left behind. Persephone could not help but glance one last time over her shoulder, just to make sure that everything was fine.
Annis' arms were crossed over her chest and her head was bowed. Hades had placed his hand on her shoulder and Persephone could see his mouth moving, speaking words that she could not hear. But even as she disappeared into the pines, she saw Hades turn his head subtly. He caught sight of her one last time and for a moment, Persephone swore that she saw his lips try to form a ghost of a smile. But he seemed to think the better of it and his face instead fell into a somber frown before turning back to Annis.
Persephone had found a spot to sit in the grove of pomegranate trees; a bench carved from the same black marble that adorned so much of Hades' dwelling place. Cerberus was lost somewhere in the vast foliage, exploring the gardens with the abandon of an excited puppy.
The dark fabric of her robes fell over the glossy marble and fluttered in the faint wind that whispered over the garden. Her hands were in her lap and she was trying to keep them from fidgeting.
A nervous energy kept her from sitting still. She worried for Annis. What was Hades saying to her that could not be said in Persephone's presence? Was he being harsh? Was he being cruel?
Persephone recalled how her mother could lash out whenever she misbehaved. Demeter and Hades were siblings. Two deities cut from the same cloth. Could all his talk of mercy and fairness have been words of vanity but there was a hidden truth to his nature that was far more volatile?
He had been so cold and eerily stoic in his wrath when dealing with Gorgyra and Acheron. Persephone wondered if he was saving a hotter anger for Annis in private, when he did not have to have Persephone bear witness.
And yet, there was a still, small voice inside of her that tried hard to assure her that Hades did not act the same way as his Olympian brothers and sisters. If he was truly hiding a cruel nature, she was sure to have seen it by now. There would be whispers and rumors. Secrets did not hide easily in the world of immortals.
For Annis' sake, Persephone hoped that what she had seen of Hades was not a farce.
A snapping twig underfoot caught her attention. It was not from the paws of her hell hound either. Persephone nervously looked up from her wringing hands to see that she was not alone.
A figure was hunched over in the lush plants across from her. He was a lesser immortal whose task was to attend to the gardens; a small, wiry man whose skin was weathered and worn from countless ages passed.
Persephone had seen him lurking in the gardens before, but she did not know what his name Nymphs did not know either, and it seemed that none of them had ever bothered to ask.
His gnarled hands were working to pull weeds from the soft earth and Persephone, curious and in need of a distraction, decided to ask.
"What is your name?" Persephone called out to him. The man straightened up his stance and cast a glance at her over his shoulder.
A pair of wide amber eyes found her. Tufts or brown hair streaked with gray quivered in the breeze. He stared at her, unblinking, and for a second Persephone regretted catching his attention.
"Ascalaphus." He replied simply after a second of contemplating her with his glassy orbs, before methodically turning back to his task.
"Oh. Very well then… " Persephone shivered. What a strange man. Harmless, but rather odd. She watched him for a while longer before she turned her interest to the pomegranate shrubs around her.
The branches dropped heavily towards the ground, laden with the luscious red fruit. Persephone reached out to touch one of them. She cupped the nearest one in her palm, feeling the smooth surface of the skin and wondering if she had ever seen a more tempting fruit.
The color of the skin was rich and vibrant. Almost as if it were telling her to taste the bounty hidden beneath.
Persephone would have tasted the fruit without a doubt, if it were not for the warning that eating any food or consuming any drink of the Underworld would tie her to the world forever.
She had to remind herself that the pomegranate was not just a fruit innocently growing on a branch. As much as she was tempted to peel open the skin and taste the seeds beneath, Persephone let the fruit fall from her hand. .
A sigh escaped her. When would she stop desiring the things of this world?
For the second time, Persephone heard a distant noise that pulled her out of her musings; heavy footsteps slowly padding on the dusty stone path.
She did not have to ask herself who the owner of those footsteps might be. Persephone, a bundle of nerves, scrambled to her feet.
"Hades?" She called out just as that tall figure came stalking around the bed. His deep brown eyes had already caught sight of her.
"Persephone." The god greeted as he approached her carefully. "Please. Sit." He gestured to the bench.
Persephone thought that he seemed just as unsure of himself as she herself felt. She obliged reluctantly, sitting back down on the cool marble but still looking up at him expectantly.
"Did you punish Annis?" Persephone could not help but ask, the worry laced into her tone far too obvious.
But Hades' ghost of a smile was gentle as he replied. "No. What she has done does not warrant a punishment, but rather mercy and understanding. She will be given a second chance." He assured Persephone's worry.
Persephone could feel her shoulders relax, not realizing how much tension she carried in her limbs until now. She said nothing in return but gave him a nod to show that she understood.
Hades smiled at her, but then looked terribly unsure of himself as he took one step closer to the bench. "May I sit beside you?"
Why did his question suddenly cause her cheeks to go aflame with a fierce blush?
"You may, if you wish." Persephone bowed her head as she fiddled with the fabric of her robes. She did not want to seem overly eager, even if she was somewhat eager for his company.
Something that she had trouble admitting to herself—something that Rhadamanthus had seen and seemed to be displeased by.
Even as Persephone sensed her companion settle in beside her, that blush held her captive. She could not find the courage to look him in the eye; especially when he sat so close. All it would take would be a simple turn on her head, and she would be inches away from that solemn gaze.
"I am sorry that you had to witness that scene earlier." Hades began, not deterred by her bashfulness. "I do not like to openly berate my subjects in front of an audience but I suppose that could not be helped this time." He sighed regretfully. "And I am even more sorry that you were caught up in that charade."
Hades shifted on the bench, sliding his arm behind her as his hand came to rest on the opposite side of her. He was only barely touching her but his warmth seemed to seep into her skin regardless.
If Persephone wanted to, she could lean back and rest against his arm…
That silly blush would not leave her be! But Persephone could feel those eyes of his roaming over her face, anxiously awaiting her reply.
"I understand." She mumbled. "You had to do your duty as god of the Underworld. And, really…" At last, Persephone turned to face him.
Just as she expected, his face was just a breath away from hers. His dark irises were pouring into her hazel. Persephone had not ever been so close to him. Not even on the night when she ran into him in the corridor. She could see the few strands of gray woven into his black hair; the worried crease of his brow and the shape of his lips shrouded by a thick, dark beard. And the sharp features that adorned his somber face…
He had never seemed so handsome before. It was as if she were seeing him for the first time. Truly seeing him.
And it nearly took her breath away.
What had changed?
Persephone gaped at him for a few more seconds before she gathered her wits enough to finish what she was saying.
"You weren't half as fearsome as my mother can be when she is angry." She attempted to sound wry, but she only ended up sheepish and silly.
B Hades' grim face broke out into a smirk. His dark eyes twinkled with amusement and Persephone heard a chuckle come from deep within his chest.
"Knowing Demeter, I do not doubt that is true."
Persephone and Hades shared a careful moment of quiet laughter. It served to shatter some of that tension that shrouded them. When their laughter quieted down, Hades turned to Persephone, serious once again but he did not seem unsure of himself this time. Their moment of levity had given him more confidence.
"Persephone…" He spoke her name and shivers went down her spine. His tone carried such warmth. Persephone never would have believed that the god of the Underworld could ever sound so kind, if she had not heard it for herself.
"I have said this before and I feel the need to say it again. I wish to be a fair and just god; not one that doles out cruel and vicious punishments every chance he gets. I want you to see that I do not make a declaration and then fail to stay true to my word. It is…" Hades searched for his words. "It is important to me to gain your trust, though I do not deserve to even ask such a thing of you. But I hope to try. Will you allow me to start anew?"
"Why is it so important to you?" Persephone questioned softly. "To have my trust?"
A funny smile crossed his lips and Hades tilted his head to the side, utterly bemused by her question and wondering if she were teasing him. Yet it was her continued silence that told him she was being quite serious. He still held that amused little smile but his gaze was tender.
"I think you know why it is."
His words hung in the misty air of the gardens. Hades searched her face and his air of nervousness had returned while he awaited her answer.
Persephone was at a loss. She could not think of what she already knew. He was speaking to her as if it should have been obvious.
In her mind's eye, she could practically hear Rhadamanthus' sky, silky voice telling her that she was being dull—of course she already knew. The truth had been told to her many times already.
She was just too afraid to let herself admit it.
Hades did not expand on his thoughts. He let her mull over his implication, giving her the chance to contemplate as he moved the conversation along.
"I do not deserve to ask you, but I hope that someday, you can forgive me of what I have done to you." Persephone saw those obsidian irises come closer as Hades closed the gap between them. That arm at her back twitched as it wanted to hold her close.
"To forgive me for bringing you to the Underworld. To forgive me for trying to stop you from living how you please while I have forced you into a fate you did not want," was his somber lament. "I cannot do much to change what has been done, but I promise that from now on, you are free to make your own choices. I… I regret trying to take that from you after I have already taken so much."
His sincerity was unmistakable. For the first time, Persephone could see that maybe, truly, his hands were tied. Perhaps he did not lie when he said that he had no choice but to succumb to his own rules, lest his reign descend into chaos as he claimed it could.
"I… as you say… it is no simple thing that you ask of me." Persephone found herself scooting closer to him. She saw his almond shaped eyes widen at her willing nearness but he held his composure steady.
"But my time here has not been so vile as I believed it would be. I've found so much freedom here—more than I ever had in the land above. Part of me already forgives you. I believe that… I can fully forgive you, someday. Maybe not now, but… maybe someday." She shrugged. This was the best that she could give him for now.
Persephone felt so foolish for running off to see Rhadamanthus out of sheer rebellion. But here Hades was, all but giving her his blessing to live freely. It made her feel all the more guilty for trying to get back at him—guilty and childish.
Persephone lifted her gaze to meet his and she was overwhelmed by the intensity she found there. Again, she felt the breath flee her lungs.
"I have to admit…" Persephone drew herself to his side, and her weight leaned back ever so gently against his arm. "I did miss your company."
At that, his gaze only grew warmer. Hades looked at her the same way Rhadamanthus did, but there was not that same dangerous edge that she saw in those pale eyes.
"Your company is always welcome." Hades told her in a voice that was as warm as his eyes. "You may come and find it in me any time you wish."
Persephone saw him lean in closer. That arm behind her dared to pull her in. She remembered once, now seeming like ages ago, when she had told him never to touch her. Yet as much as he clearly ached to hold her, he kept himself at a distance.
She wished that she had the courage to give him the permission to do what was clearly being begged to be done.
Now, it seemed that Persephone did not hate his touch. She only wished that she did not enjoy it as much as she did…
"I do not know what the future will hold for you in the Underworld and in the land of the living, but no matter what, I promise to care for you and protect you." Hades promised her, his deep tone dropping to a whisper.
"What if by some twist of fate, I do leave the Underworld, never to return?" Persephone challenges quietly.
Hades did not falter at her question. "Then you would be exactly where you belong. But… if you do leave, and we never meet again, I would ask one thing. You can deny me, if you please. But, if you find me worthy…"
He unwound his arm from behind her and Persephone found that she missed his steady warmth there. Hades said nothing more as he reached for one of the ornate rings that he wore on his fingers. He chose one of the smaller ones; a simple design etched in a velvety dark silver metal, decorated with a simple stone the same crimson color as the pomegranates that surrounded them.
Persephone was breathless as he picked up her hand and smoothly slid the ring onto her thumb.
"Do not forget me?"
He spoke so softly, and with such unveiled intimacy, that even the foliage around them seemed to lean in to hear his whispers.
Persephone felt the weight of the silver on her thumb. The metal was still warm from his hand. His finger was so massive, that even on her thumb, it easily twirled around.
"You have made yourself…" Persephone searched for her answer. Indeed, she would never forget him. For a vast number of reasons.
"Unforgettable." She said at last.
Hades could only smile at his own expense. "That is fair." He deduced, genuinely amused by her reply. "I suppose I deserve that."
"Well… maybe…" Persephone looked back down at his ring that he had given her. She rather liked the weight of it on her finger. It was comforting. It gave her a sense of…
Belonging.
That would have horrified her, to feel such a way when it came to Hades, but things had changed.
She could not say why. Or when. Or even how.
But Persephone could sense that the winds of fate had shifted.
"I think you know why it is…" She recalled him saying from only minutes before.
Perhaps he was right. Maybe she knew the answer. Persephone remembered how Rhadamanthus insinuated that Hades' feelings for her ran far deeper than that of sheer, mindless desire. Of course, she had denied this; it was preposterous! Yet, as she twirled his ring in her fingers, Persephone had to finally admit that there was likely some truth, more truth than she wanted to admit, in his words.
Persephone expected him to excuse himself and slink away into the shadows as he was often prone to do. But he did not rise from his seat while mumbling a goodbye. Instead, Hades stayed. He sat with her and they talked, sharing a long, meaningful conversation about everything and nothing.
It seemed as if the boundaries they kept around themselves were crumbling, and Persephone was letting herself know him. And he in turn, was getting to know her.
Persephone wondered if, in this moment, they were meeting each other for the very first time.
As it should have been… instead of the disaster it turned out to be.
She kept thinking of her meeting with Rhadamanthus—how their time together had been filled with his thinly disguised flirtations and a tension that she was unsure of how to proceed with.
Talking now with Hades was warm and comfortable. It carried a sense of something that she found lacking with Rhadamanthus, though she could not quite put her finger on what.
Persephone eventually let her mind wander back to her encounter with the Fates. The image of that dark thread of fate being shorn in half by those jagged shears did not haunt her as it did before.
The darkness was slowly becoming her light.