AN INTERRUPTION

Persephone had woken wrapped in the warmth of Hades' arms. It should have been a time where she could lose herself in the early morning glow and the pleasure of her husband by her side. She loved mornings, always being the first to rise and soak up the joy of a silent world about to be woken.

But this morning was ruined by the thought of her nightmare. It was the first thought that entered her mind. Her mother's laughter echoing in the forest as everything turned to ashes replayed in her memory all morning. If she closed her eyes she could still feel the heat from the flames. That paired with her and Hades' conversation last night was making her nervous. She was so sure her mother wasn't plotting against them if only she could convince Hades to believe the same. Demeter had tried to separate them, first in the garden then on Olympus. But she had been permanently stopped by Zeus at the trial, the hearing was final and all of Olympus knew as much now.

Her mother was not stupid and would be aware that if she was seen as going against Zeus' ruling there would be consequences. Her mother had been silenced during the trial and had left the hall with fewer allies than she had arrived with. There was no way she could challenge one of the three king brothers. And Demeter knew it.

Persephone also hopped her mother had seen sense and had finally heard what Persephone had been trying to tell her for so long. That she was happy with Hades, that she was loved and safe. She had hoped she had shown her mother that there was more to life than power and respect. Persephone had hoped it was enough.

Persephone had spent her whole life with her mother. Over the years she had grown to understand her mother in a way only a daughter could. Because of this, she felt completely confident her mother was not the one starting a war. There were many gods who were an enemy on Olympus, her mother was not one of them. She would forever be a pain to Hades but she would never be the cause of this.

She was so confident her mother was innocent that her continued arguments had caused Hades to drop the topic entirely last night but she knew he had not removed Demeter from his list of suspects. Far from it. She knew he had heard her but that did not remove the fact that Hades thought that Demeter was capable of such things. That can not be erased so easily.

An idea had popped into her mind as she had woken. If her mother were to visit them in the Underworld, she might be able to prove her mother's innocence. Her mother would be able to see how wonderful her life was with Hades, how loved she was, and how caring Hades really was. While also allowing Hades to get to know Demeter better, to learn more about her, and see that she was not capable of such destruction.

If she could only get them to understand one another she knew they could learn to be close.

Besides, while she had never suspected she would, she had grown to miss her mother. Never in her long life had she gone one day without seeing her. The fact that her mother had not even sent a message to Persephone the whole time the two had been separated was starting to eat her up inside. It broke her heart that they had parted on such harsh circumstances. It hurt to remember the last time she had seen her mother was when she had a look of such hurt and disgust.

Hades had told her, the night after the trial, that she shouldn't feel sorry for being happy. While this was true, she still couldn't stop herself from wanting to make everyone happy. She had a need to please everyone, but when it came to Hades and her mother she had been forced to pick one or the other. And of course, she had sided with Hades. She couldn't have ever picked any other way than Hades. It was always Hades. But that did not make the pit in her stomach disappear.

If she could get them together then maybe she could find a way to fix this feud. Make it so she no longer had to pick between her love and her own blood.

If only her mother could see the garden Persephone had created she would understand the Underworld was not dark and desolate but a beautiful paradise. Her mother could see Hades and her without the film of a court around them. She could see how in love with Hades Persephone was, and how happy, and how great he treated her. If her mother could see, truly see, how could she not understand this is a good thing. How could Demeter not change her mind?

She had seen her mother's kindness, though small and limited, and believed her mother was capable of putting her daughter's happiness above her own.

This small hope she hung onto was what had brought her to the two large doors leading into Hades' office. Though she did not feel like she needed his approval to invite guests, she knew this was not just any guest. She knew Hades did not have fond memories of her mother and there was no one else he didn't want here as much as Demeter. But Persephone had her own tricks and ways to persuade him. If she had not worked so hard developing this skill she would think it was a hidden power, for it always worked. Hades knew it as well as she did, he would always bend to her wish.

Opening the doors, Persephone quickly noticed Hecate sitting in one of the chairs placed in front of his desk. The goddess was sitting cross-legged on the chair in a very unusual pose but then again the goddess had always been very unusual. Persephone had grown quite close to her as the months had passed and ever since the mortals trial Persephone had found herself coming to Hecate for advice more often.

She took one step back, knowing she had stopped what looked like an important meeting, "Sorry, i didn't mean to interrupt." she said in apology.

"No interruption, my queen, we were just finishing up," Hecate said standing to her feet to begin to leave. Her dark dress seemed to dim even the glow every immortal had. "It is good to see you again," she said to Persephone sweetly.

"You as well. We need to meet for lunch or perhaps a walk in the Elysium fields." Persephone offered. Hades had kept all of his employees busy severely since he had started preparing for war.

"Sounds lovely my queen," Hecate noted.

"Persephone, please." she corrected. She knew Hecate had never been formal a day in her life but was calling her by her formal name simply because it annoyed her.

"As you wish." Hecate laughed as she shut the doors to Hades' office.

With a gentle smile on her face, Persephone turned towards her husband who sat behind his large desk already watching her, a small smile upon his face. She loved to see him so happy. She loved that with someone else he was strong and guarded and the second they left his guard would drop, only for her. Without a word, he reached his arms out to her. She had seen this movement thousands of times, and so just as quickly, she crawled into his lap straddling his lap.

She straightened his tie as he took a single curl and twisted it around his finger, "Your hair is curly today." he said in amazement.

"Yes, do you like it?" she asked eagerly.

"I do." Hades nodded, always a man of few words.

Persephone hummed "Maybe i will keep it this way."

"I would like that," Hades said with a smile that made Persephone decide to always wear her hair like this if only to see him smile.

"Are you done with all of your meetings?" she asked, knowing this conversation might be a long one.

"For the day, yes. Why? What adventure do you have planned this time?" he asked, curious about her plans. It was true she usually had something planned for their evenings when they were to be left alone. She enjoyed experiencing new things while his idea of a good time involved staying in bed.

"I have actually come to ask you something," she said, watching as he immediately straightened.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I wanted to get your opinion. I do not wish to leave you out of the loop again, I'm trying to learn from my past mistakes," she admitted honestly.

"Much appreciated," he told her while running both of his hands up her thighs and to her waist. He must have been able to tell she was nervous and was trying to calm her, "What is it, my love?"

"Ever since the trial, i have been missing something, I did not know what it was but i believe i have figured it out," she said. When she felt his body tense she quickly continued on, knowing his imagination was going wild. "I've been missing my mother. I've been trying to ignore all the feelings I've had about the trial; The sadness, The guilt, The betrayal."

"Persephone, that goddess does not deserve your pity or guilt after what she has done to you. Let alone gets to call you her daughter," he told her while gently kissing her lips.

"I know how you feel Hades. But the fact is that I miss her. I still love her and cannot help but want to forgive her, and i want her to forgive me for my betrayal."

"Betrayal?" Hades asked as if the word burned him.

Persephone sighed in frustration. "No, I am not voicing what I want well. What i am trying to say is i would like to bring her here," she told Hades, she paused to see if he would say anything but instead he remained silent. "We did not part on good terms. My hope is that if she comes here and sees this beautiful world and that this is where I belong, she will …" Persephone told him but her voice faded off, afraid of her own words.

"Forgive you?" Hades voiced them instead, he knew her as well as she knew herself.

"Yes." she nodded meekly, "She did not understand me. And maybe if she sees us and gets to know you and sees how great we are for each other it will change her mind."

"Persephone," Hades sighed once again, "She has been here before; she has seen the palace and the grounds and she knows who I am. After all, we have known each other for much longer than you have been alive. One visit will not change her mind." Hades said. Her heart sank knowing he was speaking what he knew as the truth. But Hades always tended to live in the negative, always waiting for the next impending war, always searching for the unseen enemy. But she knew there had to be more hope in the world.

"I have to try Hades. There has to be something I can do. She has sent no message to me, I have not spoken to her since the trial. And even then she was cursing me."

"Darling, i don't think it would be a good idea to bring her here. Maybe you could send her a message?" Hades suggested. Persephone all of a sudden felt defensive of her mother. Hades and her conversation last night had come back to her and she knew Hades did not want Demeter anywhere near his home. Invited or not.

"I know you think she's the one plotting against us, but she's not, know it. If I can only bring her here you would see that and she would learn to love you." she rushed out before stopping to think. Once again she steadied herself. This was when she needed to be persuasive, she needed to convince him. "Please i love her, she is my mother, i want you both to get along. I know it might not be today but i am willing to wait."

A small agreeable smile broke out on his face. Not immediately but still it shone "Then you have to try."

She squealed with excitement, "Really?"

"Yes," he told her, laughing as she kissed all over his face. "You do not have to convince me to invite her. This is your kingdom too, you can invite whoever you like," he told her for the hundredth time. She knew it was her home now and she was becoming more comfortable being the queen of the Underworld but it had always felt like his home. Slowly she was adjusting to this new life of theirs. "If you want i can send a message to her tonight." Hades offered.

"No, i will do it." Persephone shook her head, knowing any message from Hades would immediately be discarded. Besides she owed her mother that much, "It should come from me."

"As you wish." Hades agreed but looked relieved that he did not have to be the one to invite Demeter. "But I do have a request or more of a concern. As you are aware, your mother is not the biggest supporter of our relationship. I guess I am worried about what will happen when she is here." he said, bringing both of her hands up to his lips to kiss, each in their own turn. "I don't want you to get your hopes up. Especially if she is not as excited as you would wish her to be. If there is one thing i have learned it is you cannot count on the way a person will react. I don't want your mother to change you, I don't want to have to hide my affection for you while she is here. It may be selfish of me but if I want to kiss my wife or hold her hand in my home then I want to be able to do that. I am becoming more and more aware that we are running out of time, love. I want to make every moment with you count." he told her softly. Her first response was to kiss him, to let him know she would always be there for him. That whatever he needed she would do.

"You have nothing to be worried about Hades, I love you. I'll always love you. And I truly believe that when my mother gets to know you she will also. When she sees how great you treat me and how much we love each other." Persephone told Hades before kissing him much longer. She felt his arms relax as his worry left him.

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