Chapter 12

Persephone

Some of the strength I had recovered drained after my confrontation with Hades. I lay in bed trying to recuperate, but the weakness remained.

Hades must have taken to heart what I said about summoning me, because he didn't do so again. Instead, he started taking a few minutes here and there to visit me. I refused to speak to him, but I couldn't stop him from speaking to me.

He told me about the Underworld, of the five rivers that ran through it and the powers that each held. He told me tales of long forgotten heroes who now sat in the Halls of Elysium. He even told me some things about the Olympians that I had never heard before, like how Dionysus's wife had once been a mortal before he fell in love with her, or how the ugly Hephaestus crafted the most beautiful gifts for the other gods.

In those times, he became the Hades who had spoken to me at the feast, the one who had listened to my innermost desires in the night. When he was gone and I was alone in the darkness with my thoughts, I let myself wish that this Hades was the only one I knew. But then I would remember the anger in his eyes when he summoned his god-power and when he held me tightly by the arms. And I would shudder in fear.

Added to this fear was the persistent weakness I felt. Whatever Hades had done to me seemed to be beyond what a regular god should have the power to do. I had almost no familiarity with mortality. But, if I had to give a name to this slow growing coldness inside of me, I would have called it death.

That isn't to say that I didn't have strength left; I did. It was lessened, but I could still have done almost anything I wanted to do. For the time being.

When Hades wasn't visiting, Aspasia would sit by me more often than not. She would talk to me and was never upset if I didn't answer her. I found myself feeling grateful to her and even liking her more than I had before.

"Did you know that we have gardens here?" Aspasia asked one day in an attempt to engage me. I was laying on the bed, ignoring the world, and more especially, Hades. Aspasia sat in the chair that she had pulled up close to my bedside, working on a square of embroidery.

I lifted my head up a bit.

"Really?"

Aspasia's question was the first thing that had caught my attention in days. My face darkened as an idea occurred to me, and I laid my head back down.

"Let me guess? They grow flowers to put young women to sleep so they are easier to kidnap?"

Aspasia's voice was mild and smooth as always as she answered. "Of course there are such plants, but we also have common flowers and trees. They are quite beautiful."

"How do they grow down here without the sun?" I wondered aloud.

"It's not sunlight that causes plants to grow, my lady."

"What else would it be?"

"The will of a god. Plants grow on the surface because gods like Apollo, Demeter, and yourself desire them to. It is the same for the Underworld."

I digested the information. I had never bothered to learn about my own powers. I had always relied on Mother to know what I should do. Perhaps I should have taken more time to learn, but...it was too late now.

"Why would Hades want plants here? He must hate everything to do with the surface."

"That is where you are wrong, my lady. He does not hate the surface In fact, there was a time near the beginning when he would forsake his duties and just stand at the entrance of the Underworld, watching. He almost went mad from being deprived of something he loved so. Perhaps that longing is part of what drew him to you." She said it as almost an afterthought. If I didn't suspect her of trying to make me like Hades more, I would have said that she hadn't meant to say it.

"If he loves the world above so much, why did he choose the Underworld?" I reverted the conversation to safer ground.

Aspasia hesitated. "There was a betrayal, something to do with a bargain that he made with Zeus. Zeus didn't uphold his side." She stopped talking. It seemed like she was trying to push down some emotion I couldn't name.

"Forgive me," she said, "This is something I should let Lord Hades explain himself. It's complicated and I don't know much about it. Lord Hades is the only one who fully understands the matter."

I suspected that that was a lie. Her repressed emotion caught my attention, but it would be rude to push the subject, so I let it pass.

"How do you know so much about Hades anyway?" I asked. "Are you a goddess?"

"There are many powers in this world, my lady, and not all of them are gods. I was here before the Titans formed the Emptiness into substance, before the first word was spoken, before time had meaning." Aspasia's voice was far away, remembering days in the distant past. She came back to the present and looked down at the forgotten embroidery in her lap. "I have served Lord Hades for a thousand years. One can learn much if one listens."

Hades walked in at that moment, wearing his customary boots and dark gray shirt, but he lacked his usual jacket. I'm sure that he was well aware that his lean arm and torso muscles were shown off perfectly. Not that I noticed or cared.

Aspasia greeted him with a small smile, but I turned my head away. I refused to give in to a few moments of kindness.

"Persephone," he said behind me. I kept my eyes stubbornly on the wall. "I have something for you. I know that you're not going to look at it right now, and even if you did, you would pretend that you didn't like it," he gave a chuckle, "so I'm going to set it on the vanity and you can look at it later."

"My lady," Aspasia said with delight, "it's a necklace. Oh, it's beautiful!"

I didn't respond.

"I'm sorry, My Lord. I'll make sure that she at least looks at your gift."

"Thank you, Aspasia," Hades said. "Persephone, I was also going to ask if there was anything you need?" I remained stubbornly silent. Hades gave a slight sigh and addressed Aspasia instead, "How is she doing?"

"Very well, my lord. I was just telling Her Majesty about the gardens. She was very interested to hear about how flowers grow here."

I shot a glare at Aspasia, but the woman continued to smile as if nothing was wrong.

"Of course!" Hades exclaimed. "Why didn't I think of that myself?"

He turned to me and held out his hand. "Would you care to visit the gardens with me?" Noticing my hesitation, he added after a pause, "Aspasia would come, of course."

I did not want to go anywhere with Hades, but I did want to see the gardens. I missed the flowers, and Aspasia would be there. Maybe it would be alright. I had a hard time bringing myself to agree, however. My pride fought hard against my longing. Pride was about to gain the upperhand, when an idea occurred to me. If I went, I could see if there was any way for escaping. I hadn't thought much of escaping at first, but the more I stayed here, the more I realized that it might be my only way out.

I sat up and, ignoring his proffered hand, said, "I would be glad to accompany you."

As I approached the gardens, Hades at my side, Aspasia a respectful distance behind, I saw a sight that physically hurt me. I could see signs of once well tended beds that had fallen to disrepair and weeds. It made me sad to see such beautiful things languish underground. Like me, I thought.

I knelt next to one particular flower, a small bluebell. Its drooping leaves were turning brown and the petals weren't blue so much as a washed-out cream. As I studied the wretched sight, a single tear rolled down my cheek and dripped from my chin into the center of the flower. The flower visibly straightened as the tear hit it and grew more vibrant.

As it began to fade again, my sadness swiftly turned to anger. Anger at Hades for his thoughtlessness, anger at Aspasia for being on his side, and anger at myself for letting my hopes get up.

"If you are just going to let the plants die down here with no one to care for them, what is the purpose of having them?" I asked through gritted teeth, still staring at the flower as it drooped. I stood and swept off, not waiting for an answer.

Hades caught up with me quickly. I cursed inwardly when I noticed that Aspasia had disappeared. I should have known she would leave us alone at the first opportunity.

"You're right," he said. "Nobody does take care of the plants down here. None of my servants have the desire, and I don't have time."

That was untrue, from what I could gather. Aspasia had dropped many hints about how Hades couldn't stand the sight of anything too beautiful, as it reminded him of what he had lost. I found myself almost feeling sympathetic. That moment of seeing a bright flower again had brought painful memories of home to me and, if what Aspasia had said was true, Hades must feel somewhat like that. But, no. He didn't have to live in such a vile pit.

If the will of a god was really all that was required to grow plants, then Hades could have made this entire place alive with beauty. Right now, it was dead. I don't just mean there were dead spirits, but that the very stones were dead. Diamonds have no life, gold holds no warmth. No, he could make the Underworld stunning if he tried. I would feel no pity for a man who chose to live like Hades did.

Hades continued, "You are more than welcome to spend time here and cultivate the plants."

I didn't grace his suggestion with a reply. Why should I take any time or effort to help him?

I had to get away from all of this. The more I saw of the Underworld, the more I realized how perverse the whole thing was, a mockery of true art. I threw myself back onto my bed, only to realize that I hadn't remembered to even look for a way to escape. I had let myself be pulled into a conversation with Hades for nothing.