True to his word, Hades was gone before morning. He hated to leave Persephone while she was still asleep, but he knew she would understand his absence when she woke.
Hades hadn't slept at all that night. His thoughts kept him awake. He kept thinking about how beautiful his wife was and how fortunate he was to be having a child with her. She was all around perfect, save for some mistakes made in the past. He still held scars from Persephone's time with Adonis, but he tried hard not to think about them. He was more focused now on what would lie ahead in his future.
When Hades had returned to the Underworld that morning, he decided to walk around his realm. He hadn't done so in a while, and he thought it the perfect opportunity to be sure that everything was as it should be while also giving him some more time with his thoughts.
Thanatos had offered to go along with Hades, but he declined, seeing as how the extra company was unnecessary.
Hades would soon learn, as he was walking along the Cocytus River, that Thanatos's company would have actually been helpful.
As he was walking by the river, he noticed a naiad sitting on the shore. He thought nothing of the matter. The rivers of the Underworld had their own set of naiads, just as rivers did on earth. What caused Hades suspicion was the naiad's behavior as he approached. She shot to her feet in such delight, it almost seemed as though she were waiting there for him.
"Lord Hades," she said as she bowed. She smiled at him sweetly. It was unusual for any of the naiads to pay him any mind.
"What brings you down here by the Cocytus River?" She asked. Hades continued to eye her with suspicion. He couldn't quite place her disposition, but he knew there were some motives she was trying to fulfill.
He decided to answer her. Perhaps he was just being a bit paranoid. "I am simply making my rounds of the Underworld."
The naiad smiled wider and said with interest, "That sounds so exciting! May I join you for a while?"
Hades was still suspicious of the naiad, but decided to make nothing of it. He shrugged his shoulders with indifference and kept walking. He stopped in his tracks when the naiad latched herself onto his arm. He looked at her in shock.
She giggled and said, "I don't know my way around, so you'll have to lead me."
"Right," Hades said, not fully believing her. He thought about simply shaking her off his arm and leaving her there, but he was good mood, so he decided to be polite and not make a huge deal of the naiad's clingy behavior.
He walked farther down the river, not quite listening as the naiad talked about it. The only things Hades caught from her ramblings were her name, Minthe, and that she lived in the Cocytus.
He decided it best to just let Minthe talk and offered no words to the conversation. By the time they reached the farthest borders of the Cocytus River, Minthe released herself from Hades's arm, bowed, and explained that she couldn't go much farther from the river unless requested to by a god. Hades said nothing and left her at the river.
Hades really thought nothing of Minthe. She was pretty, sure, and she had a distinct sweet smell that he couldn't help but notice. However, within a week, Hades had all but forgotten about the encounter.
It wasn't until he decided to make his way around the Underworld again did he see her. She greeted him, clung to his arm again, and chatted until they reached the river's borers. This happened every time he would walk by the Cocytus.
One time Thanatos had actually accompanied Hades on his rounds, and Minthe had acted like nothing was different. She never even acknowledged Thanatos's presence as they walked by.
"I think she has a crush on you," Thanatos mused as he and Hades walked along the Lethe River, already far past the Cocytus.
"What are you talking about, Thanatos?" Hades asked.
"The naiad girl. The one talking to you and clinging to your arm." Thanatos smiled bemusedly, "She likes you."
Hades was silent for moment. The thought had never really crossed his mind that the naiad had romantic intentions with her strange behaviorism.
"You look confused." Thanatos noted the expression on Hades's face. He chuckled slightly, "You really had no idea?"
"What does it matter anyway?" Hades replied sternly, "I'm married to Persephone. Whether this naiad has romantic interest in me or not will change nothing."
Thanatos chuckled again. "The idea is simply amusing, however," his expression became more serious, "if she really is seeking your companionship, you best put a stop to it. Should Persephone find out, I fear she may not take to it lightly."
"I see nothing that needs to be put to a stop. I have no interest in Minthe."
"Your interest is not what is being questioned here. Persephone may be furious with her just for flirting with you."
Hades stopped walking and replied, "You overestimate my wife's anger, Thanatos."
"Then you have never seen her rule your kingdom," Thanatos replied with a smirk. "I have heard some call her 'The Iron Queen.' She can be quite strict."
Hades scoffed at the idea of Persephone being anything but empathetic and kind towards others. He said nothing in reply to Thanatos and Thanatos dropped the matter.
A few months passed and Persephone was back in the Underworld with Hades. Her pregnancy had begun to show and Hades made a point to make Persephone his top most priority. Anything she needed, he got for her. He never left her alone unless she requested it.
The two were happier than ever that winter. However, Thanatos's warning towards Hades had been stuck in the back of his head. He had stopped his regular rounds of Underworld because he had feared Persephone would find out of Minthe's flirting. He had thought his absence had put a stop to her interest, but Thanatos had come to him with another warning.
"M'lord," Thanatos had said as he walked into the throne room. Hades was alone in the room; Persephone was tending to her garden. "I fear you may have to be stern with that naiad Minthe. She has started boasting to the other naiads about how she is more beautiful that Lady Persephone. She seems to believe she holds your affection. I truly fear your wife's rage should she hear of this."
Hades sighed in frustration. Surely this naiad knew better than to compare herself to a goddess.
"A stop really must be put to this," Thanatos pleaded.
Hades agreed and made careful plans on how he would deal with the issue.
Meanwhile, Persephone had wandered from her garden and had decided to walk along some of the rivers. As she was walking by the Acheron, she overheard two naiads whispering to each other.
"Can you believe Minthe," one said.
"To think Lord Hades would chose her over his wife," another replied.
"I don't believe a word of it," whispered a third.
"Minthe thinks she's prettier than Lady Persephone."
"A naiad from the Cocytus River? Surely Lord Hades does not."
"It's clear Minthe is in love with him."
"But he would never choose her over our Lady Persephone."
"Shh!" One of the naiads whispered to the others as they noticed Persephone walking and disappeared into the river.
Persephone was furious with what she had heard. A river naiad bragging about her beauty and comparing it to a goddess's? How dare she!
Not only that, but gossip about her husband actually being seduced by such a creature? She couldn't believe it.
She walked to the Cocytus River in anger. She was about to start her search for this naiad named Minthe, but she didn't have to look hard. She walked a few feet forward before she noticed her husband talking to a woman who was clinging to his arm. She smiled flirtatiously at him while he spoke to her with indifference.
If Persephone wasn't angry before, she was more than livid now. She stormed up to the pair and forcefully pulled Minthe off of Hades's arm.
"Excuse me," she said in a false calm, "You're flirting with a married man."
Before Minthe could reply, Persephone had transformed her into a plant and proceeded to stomp on it a few time for good measure.
"Now you," she turned to her husband, arms crossed, voice stern, and anger still in her eyes, "Explain."
Hades was in a state of shock. Never before had he seen Persephone so angry and vengeful. Perhaps he should not have taken Thanatos's warnings of her lightly.
He finally collected himself and spoke calmly. "Perhaps you should first tell me your accusations."
Hades couldn't help but noticed the small audience of the other naiads in the water as Persephone's rage increased.
"You go off and start some affair with some shallow naiad and you think I won't find out about it? How hypocritical of you! After the fuss you put up about my affections for Adonis! What, do you think we're even now or something? I didn't want to believe what I heard but I saw you just now! Explain to me what that was! Tell me this isn't what I think it is!" Persephone's shouting turned into sobbing and tears began streaming down her face, "Please tell me what I heard were lies."
Hades sighed and pulled is wife into an embrace. He was silent as he held her, choosing his words carefully. Persephone sobbed into his chest and began muttering about how much she hated him.
"Everything you may have heard were lies," he said calmly, "None of it is true. Minthe had affections for me; something I never noticed until Thanatos pointed it out. I thought removing myself from the situation and avoiding her would put an end to it, but she began boasting and comparing herself to you. I came down here to speak with her and put a stop to it, but she wasn't listening. I promise you I never thought anything of her," Hades gently kissed the top of his wife's head, "you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and no mortal or nymph or goddess could ever compare. No other being could ever hold my affection the way you do."
Hades held Persephone in silence for a bit longer. Her sobbing had subsided and she wrapped her arms around him whispering "I'm sorry" over and over again. Hades released Persephone from the embrace, but kept his arm around her shoulders as he led her back to the palace. She held her head in shame the entire way back as Hades continued to reassure her that he wasn't angry for her accusations.
Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry about that brief hiatus. Thing just got pretty hectic this summer. But, I'm back and hopefully your patience was rewarded. Also, freyja0taku, it's really funny that you mentioned Minthe in your comment on the last chapter, because when you left that comment, I had already started this chapter. It was like you read my mind or something. Thanks for commenting and leaving me your thoughts (this goes for everyone who has commented) and I'm excited to hear what you think as I continue this story and playing around with the characters a mythological themes.
Thanks again everyone! Have a lovely day!
(P.S. The title of this chapter is a quote I found online. I don't know the source, but I thought it was funny and appropriate.)