The evening air is warm and Hades and Persephone and Hera all go for a walk together out on the lawn at Hera's request. Zeus soon catches up with them. "Hades, you and Persephone are spending the night here on Olympus aren't you?" Zeus asks as he slips his arm around Hera's shoulders. She quickly shrugs his arms off. She doesn't like him to touch her even though it angers him to be rebuffed. She doesn't care when she makes him angry anymore. She doesn't care about much of anything anymore.

"I don't know. I really should get back. I never know what my minions may get up to when I'm not around." Hades is hesitant to say the least. He doesn't like staying on Olympus if he can help it and the tension between his brother and sister is palpable more so than usual. He doesn't really want to get in the middle of this whole situation. It's not his marriage to fix.

"Hades, your wife looks exhausted now and it's a long trip back to the Underworld. Why don't you stay the night here and head home first thing tomorrow morning? You don't have to stay with Demeter, in fact, it's probably safer not to. There are tons of spare rooms in this palace, use one for the night. I'd like to talk to you about something over breakfast anyway, just the two of us, if you'll let me." Zeus says trying to persuade his elder brother. He needs advice and he hates confiding in the gods on Olympus. They can't keep a secret.

"What do you think, Persephone?" Hades asks his wife. He allows likes to give her a choice when things affect her. It makes their relationship more cordial and she feels equal to him.

"Thank you for the offer, father. I think we'll take you up on that. The horses from the chariot will be fed and watered, won't they?" Persephone asks sweetly.

"They'll be well taken care of. Isn't the weather lovely tonight? It never ceases to amaze me how lucky we all are to experience life this way." Zeus says as he lies back on the grass and looks at the stars.

Hades sits next to him. "You're waxing poetical tonight. That's rare for you. Is everything okay? I know normally I wouldn't care at all, but you are my little brother and I do care what happens to you especially since you're Persephone's father." Hades says as he looks down upon his younger brother. He glances up at the glittering stars which seem to be unusually bright tonight..

Zeus sighs as he watches Hera who's walking far across the lawn. "I watch you and Persephone so in sync and in love with each other and revelling in the time you have together and I wish that Hera and I could still be that way. She doesn't look at me the same way she used to and I know I haven't helped the situation by doing what I do, but I yearn to be the way you and Persephone are and we were once." Zeus says seriously.

Persephone comes and sits next to Hades and curls into his arms. "I haven't always felt this way about Hades. I hated him for kidnapping me for a long time, but I've come to see that really he rescued me from the life my mother wanted me to have. He is gentle and kind and I find him extremely easy to get along with. He is passionate and strong. He doesn't feel as if I challenge his authority. If anyone had told me what Hades was really like before I would have said they were crazy, but he has a wonderful, soft, romantic side to him that makes him irresistible and he'll probably hate me for telling you all this, but that's alright. He's really just a big teddy bear." Persephone says to her father.

"In truth, Persephone has me wrapped around her little finger and I don't mind at all. The fact that I'm as happy as I am I would have said was impossible, but Persephone has made everything possible. I will even admit, and this is to go no further unless you'd like to tell Hera in strictest confidence, that Persephone and I have to sleep in the same bed or neither of us sleep at all. Our hands fit together perfectly. Demeter may have wished for a more socially acceptable son-in-law, but I'm not going anywhere and I couldn't have wished for a more perfect wife. There is but one minor glitch which Demeter's schedule has created that was quite unforeseen. Persephone and I would like to have children, but we're having trouble and we've discovered, through some careful calculations and a meeting with the Fates that the time she is most likely to become pregnant is the time Demeter demands Persephone be on Olympus with her. That may have been deliberate, but it is causing issues. Isn't there anything we can do to change that arrangement?" Hades asks in frustration. He wants to have children with his wife.

"I get the distinct feeling Demeter knew exactly what she was doing when she set those stipulations on your relationship, but it's hardly necessary and if Persephone wants to stay in the Underworld the entire year I can make that happen. She can't control Persephone's life anymore." Zeus says. His power comes through in his voice. It's rare he's so firm on anything, but his power is always evident.

"Could you really?" Hades asks incredulously. He finds it hard to believe. His younger brother has never really done anything nice for him ever, But Hades knows he cares about his children most of all in the universe.

"Of course I can, I still have some power over Demeter even if she pretends I don't. She listens to me. In fact, I think she's still in love with me even though we bicker terribly. Persephone only has to give me the word and I will make things happen." Zeus says forcefully.

"Please father, do whatever you have to. I'm tired of mother having such a hold over Hades and I. She doesn't realize the damage she's doing by enforcing this silly rule or maybe she does. Tell my mother I'll even give up all my powers that would work on Olympus except for my power to heal. That particular power I would like to keep." Persephone says with conviction.

"I will tell her no such thing. You shouldn't have to give up one power to be with the man you love. Your mother's being unreasonable. Shall I walk you to your room? You look tired, daughter of mine." Zeus says as he looks up into his daughter's eyes. He loves all his children, but Persephone seems to have more substance and intelligence to her than the others. Zeus has always thought she's special.

"Thank you, father. Today has been a long day and seeing mother tonight didn't help the situation any. Are you coming now, Hades, or are you going to stay here and join me later?" Persephone asks as she reaches for Hades' hand.

"I'll come with you now if I don't I'll have no idea where you're staying and you know how that worries me. Besides I'd like you and me to have some time to talk privately before you fall asleep on me." Hades teases his wife. He hears Zeus sigh beside him. "What's wrong?"

"Hera and I used to be able to tease each other like that. Did you notice tonight that she didn't even stay while we were all talking? She loathes me. I never thought she would ever hate me even with my bad behaviour." Zeus says as he stands up and the trio walk in the direction of the palace.

"Does Hera really like anyone though? She's good at pretending to like someone, but I don't think she really even likes me and she and I used to be close. So many gods and goddesses have been drawn in by her only to be burned by her when she turns on them. I never thought I could say this, but I think Hera is more vindictive than I am." Hades says trying to reassure his little brother.

"She loved me once, but things have changed. She can't stand the sight of me now. I wasn't the first one to be unfaithful, but I've never been able to get a straight answer out of her about why she cheated. I feel so betrayed by her and she doesn't care at all. She sneers at the women who fall at my feet and yet not so very long ago she was exactly that way. This is the room you can stay in for the night." Zeus says trying not to let his emotions show, but they are and so he changes the subject very quickly.

"Thank you, father. It looks like a lovely room. We'll be very comfortable here." Persephone says as she enters the room.