Chapter 6

Persephone

I couldn't stop smiling and crying the entire walk to the Villa. That one conversation with Hades had both made my life better and more difficult. Fortunately, Mother wasn't there to see my tearstained eyes. I was met only by an overly anxious Cyrus and an unusually stern Hekate. Hekate scolded me for running away, but stopped when I began crying again.

"Do it again, and I'll go straight to your mother," Hekate warned.

Cyrus helped me undress and locked me, as she did every night, in my room ablaze with light. I lay down, but didn't want to sleep. The light seemed too bright. I wished again for the soft twilight and deep darkness.

Alone, my sadness drained ever so slightly. Hades's simple kiss took up most of my mind. The memory filled me in a way that I didn't know memories could; it lifted me up, even in my sorrow.

A song came to my mind, and I began humming it quietly. I slipped out of bed. Almost of their own accord, my feet moved me from side to side with the beat of my song. The song, whatever it was, was slow and deep, but happy. I didn't know where, or even if, I had heard it before. It came so easily to me that it seemed as if I had always known it.

Music was as natural as speech to me; I couldn't imagine life without it. Mother had insisted I learn to play a few instruments, of course, but what really held my heart was dancing. It sometimes was the only way to release my passion. Mother didn't believe in displays of emotion, unless it could somehow be used to her advantage. Dancing was my only appropriate way (in her eyes) to surrender to my feelings. I wondered at times if that was because she had no idea how much it was truly an extension of myself.

So, I danced now. No thought was given to how to move, I just did. As I stepped, flowers blossomed around me, surrounding me with their sweet scent. They grew from the plants that were on every available surface in my room. My song channelled my god-power and caused the flowers to burst into bloom. The song grew in strength and in volume until I was singing with my full voice.

Only when Cyrus pounded on my door and told me I'd better quiet down, or else she would tell my mother, did I lay down to sleep.

Reality set in as I looked up at the trees and deer painted on my ceiling. Mother hated Hades, for whatever reason, and would be furious if she found out I talked to him a second time. I wished with an aching heart that I could see him, if just one more time. I couldn't though. If I did, I would be betraying Mother and everything she had ever done for me. Despite what I had said earlier to Hekate in a moment of anger, I knew that Mother wanted to do what was right for me. To her, for whatever reason, having me constantly surrounded by light was important. I didn't doubt that was why she had chosen Apollo for my husband. If I were his bride, my life would be filled with the sun, night and day.

It would bring Mother some peace, if nothing else.

So what? Part of my mind demanded. Was I going to take orders from her forever? Sooner or later, I'd have to be my own person. And Apollo wasn't the type of god who would prioritize my self-expression.

But at least I'd know what to expect from him. I would know his intentions were honorable, another part argued back. Zeus only knew why Hades was interested in me. For all I knew, he could be luring me to be tortured by the Furies.

The thought was ridiculous. Hades would have to be completely deranged to be planning that. Mostly likely, Hades was lonely, or bored. Flittering with girls was a pastime many gods seemed to favor.

And yet...Hades didn't strike me as the type to toy with other people's emotions. Then again, how well did I really know him? Mother always said men were manipulative. He could be dangerous in ways I didn't understand.

And what did my dream from the other night mean? I was now sure that it was Hades's voice that I had heard.

Hades was a king. An unmarried king. A king without a queen. I shuddered at the thought. Yes, the idea of darkness fascinated me, but to spend the rest of my life trapped below ground, with nothing but the dead to keep me company? It was more than I wanted.

But I did want to see him again.

Confused as I was, I was not able to sleep for hours.

The next morning, I awoke surprisingly well rested. The early sunlight streamed into my room and warmed me in the cool Spring morning. I stretched out with a smile on my face.

The smile was quickly wiped off my face as I saw Hekate appear in my door. Her expression was so grim, I felt a spike of fear.

"Hekate?"

"Your Mother wants you, Kore. She's outside."

I swallowed my objections and allowed Hekate to help me into my best chiton. She even took the time to curl my hair and line my eyes with olive oil and charcoal. Mother didn't usually allow me to wear makeup. Instead of feeling excited, I felt sick. I knew what this was about.

Mother wanted me dressed and decorated like a prized horse. She wouldn't want Apollo to decide that I was an unworthy bride.

Sure enough, Mother was waiting with Apollo by her side.

"And here's my darling Kore!" She kissed my cheek, an unfamiliar show of affection. "Kore, this is Lord Apollo. He told me how much he has admired you since the feast, and he especially wanted to be introduced to you."

Apollo bowed to me and rose with a bright smile on his face. "Lady Kore, you look lovely. I am deeply pleased to be able to finally meet you. Your mother has told me of your beauty, but she didn't do it justice." He paused, obviously waiting for a response.

"Thank you," I said softly. My throat was tight; I couldn't seem to get the words out.

"My daughter is shy," Mother explained. "She's a very modest young lady, well-bred."

"Ah," Apollo smiled patronizingly down at me. "It's a good quality in one so fair."

Could he think of nothing but my supposed beauty? Was I anything else in his eyes? A bleak view of my future opened to me. I saw myself outwardly as a smiling, beautiful wife, but inwardly shrinking and shriveling until nothing but a beautiful husk remained. The image left me cold with dread.

"Darling, why don't you play for us while we talk?" Mother gave me a pointed look, and I knew what she meant. She wanted me to show off my skills to my future husband.

I played the lyre as a compliment to Apollo. I almost wanted to make it sound shrill or to make my voice off pitch, just to see what that would do to his all too perfect smile. But Mother's eye was regularly on me, and I didn't dare.

"That's enough," Mother said after a few songs. "Kore, sit and have some refreshments with us."

Obediently I sat down.

I was perfect the entire morning. I ate daintily, I talked rarely, I kept my eyes modestly downcast, I smiled at Apollo's attempts at humor. And I felt like a puppet. I kept thinking that any moment I would break, that I would start screaming like a mad woman. But I didn't. I just kept being the perfect daughter my mother had raised.

Finally, Apollo stood to go.

"It was such a pleasure to finally meet you, Kore. I am glad that I shall be seeing much more of you in the future."

Apollo's allusion to the marriage scheme my mother had cooked up startled me, though I didn't show it. How soon would it be happening? How much time did I have left before being trapped for eternity?

All throughout our goodbyes, I felt panic welling up inside of me. As soon as he was out of sight, I ran. I ran fast and far, even before Mother could say a word to me. I ran until it was just me, the wind, and the woods.

My panic faded with my woods around me, and my running feet slowed.

All at once, the humor of my situation burst on me. After being sheltered for so long, two gods suddenly started showing an interest in me? And I would finally get my dream of leaving my mother, but only to trade one prison for another. It wasn't actually all that funny, but I laughed until my sides ached.

When I at last calmed down, I was lying face up on the grass, gazing at the trees above. White blossoms fell around me. Their sweet fragrance filled the air, and I breathed deep. They landed on my hands, my face, my legs. Their gentle touch brought to mind my dream, the one with the swirling white storm.

The memory of the dream gave me a sudden conviction: my life was not about to end. There was more that I was meant to do than to be stuck in Apollo's halls forever. I felt a peace that I hadn't felt for...well, ever. It brought joy, not the wild laughter of a few minutes ago, but true joy. Life held much more for me than I could imagine, and I was ready for it.