Chapter 2

That dress fitted her perfectly he noticed, once again looking at the hologram. Her outraged face that she made when she saw the inside of her wardrobe was priceless, it made him laugh like he never did before. Hades just prayed she would not do anything reckless, like setting it on fire. He knew she didn't want to be there, it was written all over her face, but his selfish side would not let her go, ever. All he could do was to try to make her happy, give her things he knew she liked and hope for the best. Hades knew she liked red tulips, so he had some souls raising them in the botanic garden he had created for her. She still did not know of its existence, but in time she would. Although knowing most of the things that she did and did not like, he knew she would be tough to crack, but that would not keep him from trying. He already knew that the dresses were a bad idea, but he wouldn't give up on them. 'This should be fun to see' he thought amused.

Soon he heard the door to the throne room open and quickly he turned the hologram off, starting with his duties. 'Doros, step inside!' exclaimed Hades to the first soul of the day.

That day went by quickly, it was like a blur with ghostly servants coming in every now and then, asking if she needed anything. Most of the times she would say that she was fine, but then the hunger would come once more. Those were the only occasions where Persephone would call for Agathe or ask something to the other servants. She didn't do much more than laying in the bed-like cushions of the Arabian room and occasionally eating something. She would lie there, staring blankly at the ceiling, it was just like the floor, a beautiful starry night. She kept thinking about what was happening, trying to find a reason why she, out of all of the Goddesses of the Olympus, was the one chosen to be there. He could have had Aphrodite easily, why her? And why hadn't he come to greet her? She had only seen Hades once and those memories soon clouded her mind.

Persephone was still very young at the time, she was maybe eight years old, she could not quite recall. Her mother Demeter had taken her to the Olympus, where her father lived. Zeus' palace was very bright, made out of pure white marble. The great columns were covered in ivies, deep green leaves and purple flowers. Persephone sat on the stairs near one of the columns, she picked up a small vase with dirt inside. It looked like someone had left it there just for her. She guessed that she could practice some of her powers, not caring very much if she got her peach dress dirty. The adults were busy discussing something she had not quite figured out, she had heard them say 'marriage' and talking about someone named Hades, but could not put both things together. Leaving the matter behind, Persephone decided that she would make a tulip blossom from that dirt. With her brows coming into a frown, she focused very hard. Every time she would open her eyes, there would be a white daisy instead of the red tulip she wanted to see, but she kept trying. After five failures: two white daisies, a pink tulip and another two white tulips, Persephone finally succeeded, she finally made a red tulip blossom. Proud of her accomplishment, she put the vase on the stairs letting the sun warm the new flower.

After this, she heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. Looking behind her, she saw a very tall man. He was very good looking to say the least. In comparison with most of the Gods she had known so far, his skin was somewhat lighter, not as sun skinned as her father's. He had dirty blond hair that was combed back, it came to his ears. His eyes were very unique and mystical, one was as black as the night and the other was as green as the leaves of the ivy. His figure was very similar to the ones of her father's, very well built and with broad shoulders. But unlike her father and most of the Gods Persephone had met so far, this man was clad in black. He didn't wear any sandals, there were boots instead, and instead of only wearing a tunic, he also had a pair of dark leather pants, or so it seemed. He came to sit next to her and picked up the flower, but as soon as he touched it, the tulip withered in his hand, with broken petals falling on the marble step. Persephone looked at him outraged, she had put so much work and effort on making that specific flower blossom and in two seconds he had thrown all that away. 'How could you?!' asked little Persephone at the stranger, to which he answered 'It's not my fault little one, flowers don't do well underground.' That answer left her thinking and quiet for a while, trying to figure a way to prove him wrong, she had to. Persephone picked up the vase and saying 'But flowers come from beneath the earth!' she took the seed and the small root of the tulip and handed it to him. 'You're getting my clothes full of dirt little one' he grumbled, while trying to get the dirt out of his tunic, 'Stop being silly' the small girl answered with an innocent smile, a genuine one. Hades eyed her in a slightly confused manner, usually little girls like her would run away from him, scared of his dark appearance and behavior.

Meanwhile, she picked up the rotten flower from the marble and placed it on the vase again, and with a white handkerchief she cleaned his hands. The little brown-haired girl gasped to how cold his hands were. 'Are you ill? Your skin is so cold!' asked Persephone worried, 'No little one' he answered with a small smile, 'Whenever I come to the surface I get cooler, because the place I come from is much warmer and because your hands are even warmer', to this Persephone nodded her little head in understanding of what he was telling her, it made sense. A minute after the strange man asked 'Are you Aphrodite and Hephaestus' daughter?' to which she replied with a smile 'No, my mother is the Queen of the trees. Aren't you cold?', 'In fact I am, little one' he said while taking her small and warm hands in his much larger and cooler.

They stood like this for some time, until he got an idea, 'You know, I can also make flowers' he admitted, 'You can?' inquired Persephone a little confused. 'Yes, little one. I'll make one, but you cannot touch it, understand?' he said with a smug smile plastered on his face, the little girl only nodded her head, she was suspicious. Slowly a silver narcissus blossomed in his cold hands, but its beauty did not last longer than five short minutes. 'You are not giving it life. Try again, please!' said Persephone while putting her hands beneath his, 'Once dead, things don't usually last long.' he told her. 'Don't be silly!' retorted the young girl. He looked at her with an annoyed expression, 'Why?' demanded the strange man. 'You see, the dead tulip can make the dirt good enough to make another seed germinate' said the girl while putting a petal from the tulip on the dirt and making a white narcissus blossom from it. She gently picked up the white flower and handed it to him, saying 'It's for you. It's not as beautiful as the one you made, but it won't die', placing the narcissus in his hands. The man thanked the little girl and softly kissed her forehead before getting up, waving goodbye as he dissolved into the air.

Shortly after her father appeared sitting next to her, while putting Persephone in his lap. He looked very similar to the strange man she had been talking to, but instead of eyes of different colors, his were blue has the sky. 'What are you doing my child?' asked Zeus softly. Persephone made a tulip appear in her hands gave it to him to show what she had been practicing.

As every bit the memory ended, she remembered that that night she asked Demeter who that man was. She had told her that he was Hades, the lord of the Underworld. 'At least he isn't an ugly old man...' thought Persephone to herself in the end of that early memory.

It was growing late, the fiery light started fading into the bluish sparkle of the moon, turning the warm room colder and gloomier. Persephone got up from where she had been lying and carefully made her way into the bedroom she was given. The palace looked haunted at night, some candles were lit and some souls wandered slowly on the hall. This sight made chills travel down her spine, and quickly she was where she had awaken earlier. Going through her wardrobe, she picked the simplest nightgown she could find, it was plain white and went to her knees. It was simple, but for her it was enough.

Laying down on the blue satin sheets, Persephone closed her eyes, trying to forget, for a moment, the turn her life had taken.

Finally, that was the last damned soul of the day. It was the soul of a young woman, but her youth did nothing to smooth her evil ways. Her name was Despoinê, her life had been taken by the guards of the lady she had killed out of pure jealousy and loathe. She had been the mistress of the husband of that lady. 'I think her name was Iola' Hades said to himself, after sending the mistress and the disloyal man to Tartarus. Apparently, to that man she would never go past that, a mistress. Despoinê did not cope well with that decision and, in an act of desperation, she stabbed Iola several times in the heart, after she had poisoned the man. Their sentence was a harsh one, she was to have her hands being cut off every time they would grow back, this several times a day. He, one the other hand, was to left in a dark, cold cave, with no eyes, tongue or ears.

As the years went on, Hades noticed that less and less souls got to the Elysian Fields. The world was becoming more tainted and greedy, people did not seem content with what they had, even if it was plenty.

He made his way to his chambers, dismissing the servants, he would not be needing them anymore that day. Lying in bed, he faced the ceiling and decided that it would be a good idea to check on his beloved. Making the hologram appear on the ceiling, he watched as the beautiful brunette slept wrapped in dark blue sheets, curled around herself. The blue light designing beautifully her features and curves, one would say that she was sleeping pleasantly if it weren't for the lines formed on her forehead that indicated her nervousness and restlessness of her sleep. It saddened him to know she was not as content as he wished she was, those lines pained him greatly. He had to keep in mind that that was only the beginning and that, maybe, with time she would come around. With this, it was his turn to close his eyes and sleep.

The next two days were passed in a similar fashion. She would sit in boredom in the Arabian room. He would watch how she was handling being there whenever he could. Although loving the sight, he had some other matters to attend to. One of them was named Demeter. Hades thought that dealing with souls everyday was wearing, he still had not faced the wrath of the Goddess.

He hated going to the surface, it was much cooler than what he was used to. The Underworld might be a lonely place, but at least it was much warmer and the light didn't hurt his eyes. With one thought he dissolved from his throne room and reappeared on Demeter's doorstep. Hades didn't bother to knock on the door, he just went inside. What his eyes saw was chaos. There were pieces of vases and dishes broken everywhere, chairs tossed on the ground, the white curtains were completely torn, it looked like a Titan had passed there. 'And they say I'm the one with anger management issues...' he thought in disbelief at the sight that was presented to him.

'DEMETER!' he called loudly. He needed to talk to her, to try make her realize that it was his given right to bring Persephone with him into the Underworld. Would she listen? Maybe not, most of the times she would act like an obnoxious and spoiled child. Not a second had passed and there was the blond Goddess in front of him. Her fair skin was red with anger and her light green eyes were darkened, throwing daggers at him. Before he could speak his mind a plate hit him hard on the forehead, making him stumble a bit backwards. She was about to throw him a vase when Hades grabbed her by the neck with one hand, lifting off her feet. While trying to struggle away, Demeter's nails scratched his arm leaving red marks on his clear skin, her feet kicked him in the gut, but none of that made an effect on Hades. 'DEMETER STOP!' yelled Hades, so loud that the trees outside where quickly left by the creatures that lived there. 'Now you will listen to me and you will wait until I'm finished. Are we clear woman?' declared Hades sternly, his hand still on her throat. The blond only nodded her head, for fear that he might rip off her head in anger. Hades let go of her and started 'Your daughter is with me, I believe you already know that. I know you have been against this marriage since the day it was set, but that was not for you to decide. The matter is between me and Zeus and no one else. This was set so many years ago, why haven't you settled your mind? You had enough time. It's not her fault that you cannot let go off anything, it's anyone's fault. Persephone is Zeus' firstborn, do you really believe that he had no plans set for her?', Hades kept a stern look in his face, he felt like he was scolding a small child, 'And never forget that I was the one that has been keeping you and everyone else from what I have locked in Tartarus, so think twice about what you are planning to do! Or do you wish to put this Peace at risk because of your whim?' he said pointing his finger in her direction.

Thinking he was done talking, Demeter, with hot tears falling from her eyes, started screaming 'But why take Kore away from me?! Why take her to the Underworld?', 'Didn't you listen? I already told you why! It's my right and besides, there's no turning back now, she already ate the pomegranate. And I already told you, her name is Persephone' he finished with a more calm expression, the crazy blond women would never listen to him, she never did, but he didn't care, it wasn't his problem anymore. Now his responsibility was keeping Persephone with him, happy and loved.

He turned his back to her, preparing to leave, but not without making justice to his name. 'And let's face it, dear Demeter, it can get quite lonely down there with an empty bed to come back to at night.' he said with a smirk plastered on his face. The blond woman opened her eyes wide and jolted on his direction, ready to hit him with everything she got. Before she got to him, Hades dissolved in the air laughing hard at her face, leaving her to hit her face against the wooden door and falling on floor. 'HADES COME BACK!'

While Demeter screamed her lungs out at the surface, Hades was back home laughing at her loathing screams. The Goddess was crazy and childish, out of whim she got herself in Zeus' bed and out of whim she was throwing a fit over what was happening. He still remembered the night the arrangement was made between him and his older brother. It had been two months since the girl's birth, Zeus had called him with urgency. At the time his brother kept mentioning that the Underworld was a place too dark to be ruled alone, he kept saying that Hades needed someone. In that meeting it was decided that, until Persephone came of age that she would stay under her mother's care and her father's watch, so that there would be no one courting her, after that she should be married off to Hades, then it would be his turn to take guardianship of her wellbeing. Demeter tried every argument she knew to stop this arrangement, but Zeus didn't pay her much attention, for him all that mattered at that moment was to guarantee his firstborn's future and the peace that had been established earlier that year.

Hades never forgot the deal that was made and kept a tight eye on Persephone through the years, learning as much about her as he could. What were her likings and passions. So far he had filled the Arabian with things she liked, some she had already seen, but he feared for the rest. She had already proved to have part of her mother's destructive temper, he just hoped she wasn't hiding her father's stormy nature for when she saw what was hiding inside the drawers of the commodes.

In a few days he would come to her and ask her to join him for dinner, but for now he had some other matters to attend to. Meaning, another line of damned souls to hear and adjudicate.

It had been two days since Persephone's arrival and she had done very little on her time there. She still feared what was hidden inside her furniture and Agathe gave her the chills, she kept appearing and disappearing without any warning whatsoever. Out of tedium and curiosity she looked intently at the diamond incrusted commodes of the Arabian room. 'Is it safe to open them?' she asked herself. She was laying in one of the big pillows, observing the piece of furniture intently. 'Let's see what you have there' she said to nobody in particular, but having Hades in mind. She got up and stretched her limbs that made small cracking sounds, they felt rather stiff, 'I need to start doing some exercise, lying around all day won't do me any good.'

Persephone made her way towards the commode and once in front of it, she slowly opened the top drawer, they were three. Her eyes became as wide as the moon and she started feeling sick, wanting to throw up what she had had for lunch. The drawer was filled with jewelry: earrings made of gold and silver incrusted with different jewels, bracelets of the same style. There were some headbands, all looking expensive and rich. Some pieces had the same writings that she had seen scribbled on every piece of furniture. Feeling panicked, she opened the other two compartments and both of them were filled with rubies, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds. The fiery light that hit them reflected on the ceiling and on Persephone's face. She didn't even dare to touch what she saw, she felt like a luxury whore being spoiled. Breathing hard, Persephone imagined that commode exploding, sending splinters across the room. That was exactly what occurred next, with the powers she had inherited from Zeus, the commode ceased to be, in from of her the gems and jewelry stood scattered across the floor. 'How could he? He doesn't make himself known and yet spoils me with objects that only a whore in these circumstances would enjoy!' she yelled, anger rising, she felt disgusted.

Not wanting to have her eyes meeting those cold gifts, she went back to her bedroom. The notion that she was there as a mistress was gaining even more points, the extravagant and flashy gowns, the Arabian room and the expensive jewelry... He had not even made himself known to give her an adequate explanation of why she was there. Clutching her fists in her pillows, Persephone fell into a dreamless sleep.

In the throne room a crashing sound was heard from afar. Hades, who was attending the soul of an old man that had died alone, drowned in his own greediness, looked in the direction of the sound, he could almost guess what had taken place. 'My lord, if I may, I could repair whatever has been broken, I was a very skilled craftsman back in my young days' said the old man carefully enough not to anger the God, and with hopes of having a lighter punishment. Hades eyed him with suspicion, 'Oh! I believe I have the perfect task for that', he said thinking about that damaged Persephone had certainly caused, 'You shall stay as my servant. I believe that soon enough your skills will be put to good use.' said Hades smirking slightly, like he was putting the soul through some test. 'Thank you very much, my lord. I'll do whatever it takes to make you from reconsidering your offer.' said the old man dropping to his knees in fake gratitude. Hades asked what his name was, the greedy old soul answered 'My parents named me Epaphros, my lord', with this the God rose to his feet and called one of the spirit-like guards. 'Zotikos, take Epaphros to the servants ward if you may.'

Not having anyone else in the throne room, Hades made the hologram appear once more. Persephone was sound asleep in her bed, clutching her pillow with such strength that her knuckles turned white. Waiving his hand he made the images go back to what had taken place ten minutes prior. Sitting back on his throne, legs apart, head supported by his hand, he watched as Persephone blew up the jewelry commode. Like he had guessed, Epaphros would never be able to fix it. This action did not surprise him, but what she had said angered him, to think that he had brought her there has his mistress. Clearly Demeter being egoistical, as she always was, forgot to tell her daughter what she had been destined to become, his wife. With a raged movement of his arm, the plate of food and the chalice of wine, that were sitting beside him, went flying across the floor, food scattered down the throne steps, wine dripping down. 'That crazy woman is making this so much trying than it should be. Had Persephone known why she is here, maybe, just maybe, she would come around sooner'. He could only fear for what could happen to the rest of the gifts he had there waiting for her.