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Orbs of Mischief

Whenever I cried he would always make me feel like he would change the world if he could so it couldn't hurt me anymore. But now I'm crying and he's not here. - Source Unknown

"What are you doing here?"

Minthe took a step closer.

"I wanted to see how you work," she replied kindly.

"Are you insane?"

"No I am not, I wanted to make friends."

Andeon looked at Minthe like Medusa was sticking out of her head.

"Do you know what you are saying?"

"Of course I do," Minthe said, equipped with a beaming smile.

Andeon was unbelieving. "Do whatever it is you want." He then walked away.

An elder maid came closer. "What are you doing here child? Such a beautiful maiden should not be in quarters such as this."

"I just wanted to see your work but he," she pointed one perfect finger at Andeon then said, "he was too ill-tempered about it."

"Come now child," said the elder maid as Minthe's gentle eyes began to sparkle with the hint of tears, "let me show you around."

Minthe's beauty and demure disposition is sure to win a lot of hearts. And indeed it did.

By the end of the day, a quarter of the maids already adored her. They treated her like a queen-just as she wanted.

She pointedly dropped hints of how cold and calculating Persephone is and how useless her anger is.

"I mean, why would she be too mad," she said with all the innocence and gentleness she can muster,

"Lady Hera puts up with it, all the other gods do."

And a few heads nodded in agreement.

Traitors, Andeon thought of the maids; harlot, he thought of Minthe.

"Where have you been my dear, I have not seen you all week?"

"I have been with the servants my lord."

"Why are you doing that? You are not a servant here."

"Of course I am not my lord," Minthe said with pure vivacity," but I wanted to make friends and they were nice to me."

"That is good then."

"But," Minthe added with mock sadness, "there was one who was rude. I do not understand, I was

just asking him some things then he just, he was just mean and he shoved me. He also told me that I was a splinter in his eye. "

Her lie was very well rehearsed. Minthe's face spoke of undeniable disappointment. Hades was inclined to wrap his arms around her in embrace. (This was another thing about Minthe he liked, he felt as if he was free to express affection to her.)

"Tell me dear, who is this?"

"I believe his name was Andeon my lord."

"I will see to it that he will know how to respect you."

"Oh but do not do that my lord, I fear his dislike of me will increase."

"Do not be too kind dear, come now, let us go see him."

"I have seen Minthe," Iste said gravely.

"What," Liasa asked," where were we."

"Oh, you were busy relaxing, I saw her the other day with Lord Hades."

"What?"

"She was with him, all we suspect is true."

"What did she say," Vysis asked.

"I tried to convince her to stop doing what she was doing but she said she did not care."

"That Minthe…"

"I tried to tell her that the mortals were suffering but she shrugged it off and said she was pursuing what she truly desired and she would not let us interfere."

"That is truly conceited of her," said Naesi.

"That is truly evil of her," added Belytia.

"Minthe," Liasa murmured in disappointment.

"Please my lord," pleaded Andeon," I have not meant to be rude."

"She was being kind and you disrespect her."

Hades was grave. Minthe looked triumphant and Andeon was terrified as he could possibly be.

"An hour in Tartarus."

"Please my lord, I am sorry," Andeon begged.

Minthe, as if adding insult to injury, said, " Why did you shove me? I was trying to make friends."

Andeon couldn't believe it. She was as evil as he thought her to be and Lord Hades believed every word she said.

"You even did that," Hades said ominously. Minthe looked teary-eyed.

This cannot happen, thought Amus as he saw his fellow shade subjected to such cruel punishment. He walked to the Dark Lord and pleaded together with Andeon.

"Please my lord, have mercy."

"Amus, step back or you will be punished too."

Amus did as he was told, scared of the possible punishment he might share. But he cannot just not do anything. He looked at his fellow servants.

Adelphe, the scribe, was shaking as he wrote down the punishment.

Pyrrha, the head maid, was about to cry. Mirah, the cook, eyes wide and mouth slightly open, was watching in horror.

Some of the shades who liked Minthe were nodding in agreement to Andeon's punishment.

How could they agree to that? He thought.

"Bring him there," Hades finally said and most of them watched in alarm as Andeon was dragged.

To Tartarus, Amus grimly thought.

"Marpessa! Marpessa!"

"What is it Pyrrha, why are you shouting?"

"It is Andeon, he is being punished."

"Punished by whom, why?"

"Lord Hades has subjected him to an hour in Tartarus."

Pyrrha's and Amus' faces were pleading as Marpessa's eyes widened in shock.

"Let us go."

"Where?" they chorused.

"To the Queen."

"My lady."

Persephone looked up from the scroll she was reading. Pyrrha, the head maid, Amus, the messenger and Marpessa stood at the doorway looking alarmed.

"My lady, " repeated Marpessa, "The Lord Hades…the Lord Hades…"

"Why should I care about what he is doing?" She asked coldly.

"Please my queen," Pyrrha pleaded," It is Andeon, he is on his way to Tartarus right now, he might be there this minute…" Pyrrha did not even finish her statement. Persephone stood up and gestured them to follow her.

"Tell me the entire story along the way."

They all nodded.

This is it, Andeon thought, the worse hour of my whole existence has come.

For the first few minutes, Andeon didn't cease to scream because the pain was unbearable. It felt like he was burning, it felt like his body was being twisted, his limbs slowly being pulled apart. It felt like his everything was being subjected to pain.

"Dear fates," he screamed, "let my soul die instead!"

Then suddenly, the flames about to engulf him moved aside, as if letting someone pass and the hands that held him, those phantom hands that caused pain to every part of him, froze.

Then he saw his queen.

"Andeon," she said quietly as she pulled him up, "let us go."

After that, it was all a blur. He remembers being carried by the same guards who brought him there. He felt his whole body throbbing from the pain that was still there then his queen walking up to him and touching his forehead then he was unconscious.

She found them in the throne room, heads close, discussing something.

"Hades," she said coldly, Amus, Pyrrha, Marpessa and a few guards carrying Andeon behind her, "what is the meaning of this?"

"I was punishing him Persephone."

"Unjustly I see," she added.

"It was not unjust, It was because he was disrespectful to Minthe."

"I see you have punished my servant for her sake."

Hades' brows furrowed.

"Listen Hades and do not forget," she said with authority and cold conviction, "If you touch my servants for such light errors, for unproven sins," she looked at Minthe, slightly smiling behind Hades, "I swear by the River Styx, any punishment you give them, I will bestow to her as well."

Hades' eyes widened. Minthe's smile was wiped off her face.

"You know I can do it Hades," she said, not even addressing the nymph, "so take heed."

Persephone did not even raise her voice but every word came as a blow to Hades, Minthe and all of the servants who heard.

AN: Ok, I'm sorry if this chapter does not contribute much to the plot but I was attempting to present Persephone's new behavior further.

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