Chapter 7

Hades

My head was still swimming when I arrived back at my palace hours later. I had taken so long getting back because my mind was so full of those few moments I had had with Persephone. It was like being drunk, except every sense was heightened and I could remember with perfect clarity every look, word, and movement. I had to see her again. No, I had to see her every day. How would that even be possible? If Demeter really did marry Persephone off to Apollo, that would be the end of any hope I dared have.

Despair gripped me at the thought. The idea that Persephone would be the wife of that inane, idiotic twit…. That he would have the right to hold her in his arms, to have her by his side, to just be near her.

A mad idea gripped me, one I probably never would have considered in my right mind, let alone acted on. But I wasn't in my right mind.

What I'd seen in the hearth, I realized, was a way forward. I had been wronged all those years before. I wasn't to spend eternity in misery. Persephone would be my consolation, the means by which those wrongs would be righted.

In my mind, it was not just a plan for myself. Persephone would benefit too. She would have an opportunity to escape a marriage with an unknown stranger; she would have the freedom she had been longing for.

I am not prone to make impulsive choices. I never was. Life as an immortal is slow, and when a decision needs to be made, I have all the time in the world to make up my mind. The dead, especially, are in no hurry. I was somewhat stunned, therefore, when I found myself walking swiftly to the stables, the plan fully forming in my head.

I barked the order to the servants for my horses to be harnessed. The leisurely movements of the undead seemed particularly slow today. Giving into my urgency and passion, I raised the whip I kept at my side and let them feel the pain of my anger.

"Faster," I snarled. They, with their heads bowed down further, complied.

I called another servant towards me as I waited and ordered her to start preparing a set of rooms near my own for a new occupant.

When my horses were finally ready, I took off for Mount Olympus. The looming mountain looked unusually clear in the light of the newly rising sun, an indication that Zeus was in a good mood today. Excellent. That would work to my advantage. My face made an expression that came as close to smiling as it ever did.

Without a thought, I abandoned my chariot on the steps leading up to the massive temple. I strode up, taking three stairs at a time.

I burst into the main throne room and shouted.

"Zeus! I need to talk to you." The words fell into the empty air, but I knew Zeus had heard the summons.

I was kept waiting on my brother for several minutes. I paced around the room, trying to work off my bottled up anticipation. Finally, Zeus appeared in the throne room in front of me. Instantly, I assumed a nonchalant attitude, and my face became a stiff mask of civility. It had become a habit for me, with many thousands of years of practice. To show emotion around this place was to show a weakness, and weaknesses could easily be exploited.

Zeus raised two thick, thunderous eyebrows at me. "Brother!" He boomed, "This is a surprise. Did things get too slow for you down under? You must be dying for a break."

Zeus laughed heartily at his own joke; his chortle echoed through the large chamber. He sat down on his enormous throne, without his crown, but still looking every inch a king. That was the thing about Zeus: people assumed that he was a good king just by looking at him. It didn't matter to most whether he was or not.

He had changed much since that day so long ago when he and the rest of the gods took my throne and betrayed me. He now had the look of a man in his prime and was about my same height. If we had been mortals, he could have been mistaken for my older brother, if it weren't for the heaviness in my eyes.

"Yes, Zeus. Very funny," I replied tersely. I was thoroughly tired of jokes about the Underworld and death. Zeus, however, seemed to think that it was the last word in humor. And whatever brainless thing Zeus thought, everyone else thought as well.

"Alright Hades, what's the problem? You look deathly pale," said Zeus, whose own face was red and bright, almost jovial.

I stared flatly at my younger brother, completely unamused. "It's time to repay a favor you owe me."

"And what favor am I returning?" asked Zeus, finally calming down, though a twinkle still remained in his eye. I could have easily strangled him.

"I once hid one of your...women...from Hera. If I remember correctly, you promised me anything in return for my service."

I had a talent for hiding things where they couldn't be found. The Underworld was a twisted place, full of secrets and secret places. Even I didn't know about them all.

"Ah, yes," Zeus said. A smile played on the corners of his mouth at some perverted memory. I fought down my disgust. "And what is it that you want in return?" he asked.

I took a moment to answer. I brushed off my jacket sleeves, letting dirt fall on the faultless marble floor. It felt good to force Zeus to wait on my whims for once. Then, with an air of complete unconcern, I raised my black fathomless eyes to Zeus' shallow blue ones.

"I want Demeter's daughter."

I had the pleasure of watching the color drain out of Zeus's face.

"No, Hades," he muttered. He clutched the arms of his throne, his knuckles pale as death. "Anything, but that. No."

His denial didn't faze me. I continued on calmly, assured that I would get what I wanted. "Zeus, you gave me your word. You are bound unless I say otherwise, and I don't say otherwise."

"I have already promised her to someone else, someone with her Mother's approval."

"I know," I said stoically. "But it can't happen."

"I don't see why not. Apollo would make a fine husband for the girl. She would be well looked after, Demeter would stop hounding me about her, and everyone would be happy."

"I assure you, Zeus, not everyone would be happy."

The full impact of my words finally seemed to make a dent in Zeus's thick skull.

"You don't…. You're not in love with the girl, are you Hades? If you are, it will cause so much trouble for me. And besides, I promised Demeter."

"You made your promise to me first, so you will keep it." I looked stonily into the King's eyes and added threateningly, "Trust me, you don't want to break another promise to me.

I held Zeus's gaze steadily for an eternal moment. A silent battle of wills raged in that stare. He had the will of a relentless storm, but I had the will of a mountain. Finally, Zeus lowered his eyes. He heaved a sigh.

"You win, Hades. Demeter may have my liver for this, but you win."

I felt my rapid heartbeat slow. If Zeus agreed to this, nothing stood in my way. I flashed a brilliant smile. It had been so long, I had almost forgotten how. As a result, the smile came out almost savage, like a wolf baring its teeth at its prey. Zeus flinched at the sight.

"Cheer up, Zeus," I growled. "You're immortal. Your liver will grow back."

Zeus grunted, unamused at the allusion.

"What exactly do you want me to do, Hades?" Zeus asked wearily, rubbing his hand across his face.

"I will do most of the work. All you need to do is to be ready to perform the marriage."

"Wha-? Marriage? You plan to marry this girl?"

"Of course." The chill in my voice was almost visible. Zeus always made the mistake of projecting his shortcomings onto others. "This is not one of your short term flings. I'm not like you."

Zeus ignored the jab. "Do you know what you are getting into? Do you have any idea what Demeter will do if she finds out I allowed her daughter to be abducted and forced into marriage?"

"That's not my problem," I snapped, my air of unconcern finally shattering. "I don't have to worry about anything that happens above ground, thanks to you. The only upside of that whole rotting deal is that none of you hypocrites can ever come near me in the Underworld."

I stood, breathing heavily, glaring at Zeus. I took a deep breath to calm myself and said in a controlled voice, "Are you going to help me or not?"

Zeus raised himself from his throne and walked past me to the door. I stayed where I was, cursing myself. I should have known that Zeus would betray his promise. I should have expected nothing else. When Zeus reached the giant double doors, he turned.

"Well?" He asked in a dead voice. "Aren't you coming?"

I looked back at him, gauging his sincerity. Did he mean it? If I wanted this, I had little choice but to follow him. I did so without a word.

I placed a gorgeous white narcissus tenderly in the ground. The flower had been specially grown in the Underworld, and I was careful not to inhale its scent as I packed the earth around it. Once finished with my task, I hurried to where Zeus was concealed behind a copse of trees to wait for Persephone to come.

I had it all planned out. This was the same place I had met Persephone just hours earlier. If I was right and our meeting was as much on her mind as it was on mine, she was sure to come back at some point. If she didn't come, I decided, then I would give the whole thing up.

Persephone came into the clearing humming. There was a slight spring to her step, as though she were about to dance at any moment. The sight of her strengthened my resolve, which had been slowly weakening since the moment I convinced Zeus to do this.

Persephone let out a sudden laugh and flung her arms out wide, as though to embrace the whole world. She began to spin in a giddy circle, head tilted towards the sky and her feet moving to music only she could hear. I was entranced watching her grace and beauty again.

Persephone's eyes fell upon the flower mid-spin and the magic of the blossom began its work. She was instantly captivated by it. Her eyes shone with the greed that possessed all those who looked on the flower. Strangely enough, I was the only being I knew who was able to resist the magic of the flower. I could tell that even Zeus was having a difficult time resisting its pull.

Persephone reached down and plucked the delicate narcissus. Raising it to her nose, she inhaled deeply. The flower tumbled out of her hand as she hit the ground in a faint.

I cautiously made my way towards her unconscious body. She lay as if she were dead, but that was what the scent of the narcissus did. She would reawaken in three hours time. I reached down and picked her up, then carried her in my arms to Zeus. I was careful to crush the flower under my foot as I went, severing the power of the flower as I destroyed it. I didn't want a heap of bodies to pile up.

"Do it now," I commanded Zeus.

Zeus performed the marriage ceremony quickly, as if he could not wait to distance himself from the deed. That didn't bother me. I, too, wanted this business to be done. Once the short ceremony was over, I carried my new bride to my chariot.

Not sure what else to do with her, I draped her over my shoulder. I whipped the horses into motion and sped off as fast as I could. It would be a disaster for anyone, especially Demeter, to catch me at this point.

All was quiet in the world above as I made my flight, but I breathed easier when the chariot wheels touched the Underworld's ground. I was safe. I swept my bride up in my arms again and headed through the eerily quiet rocks and caves. Soon, I was at my palace and in an elaborately decorated set of rooms.

I laid my new Queen gently on a four poster bed. I couldn't tear my eyes off of her. She was the most beautiful goddess that had ever walked the Earth. I reached out and gently stroked her face.

Her hair was smooth, waving curls that framed her perfect face. Her skin was golden brown with a hint of rose on the high cheekbones, dark sweeping lashes fringed the edge of her eyelids, and her pink bow-shaped lips pulled in a slight smile. Even Aphrodite couldn't boast of such tranquil beauty as this girl had, to me at least. And now she was mine. Triumph rose up inside of my chest as I stretched out beside her.

As Persephone slept, I allowed myself to dream of what the future would be like. Persephone would be afraid at first, it was only to be expected, but she would soon see how much I loved her and would love me back. Eventually. I could see it now. She would be my redemption.

I put an arm around her waist, pulling her body close to mine, and drifted off thinking about the future with a smile on my face. It was a real smile, the first real smile that had been on my face since… well, for a long time.