'He watches over her... day... night.'
Her eyes snapped open to see Eros watching her suspiciously. Aphrodite was knelt by her bowl that had been decorated uniquely to be fit for such a goddess.
The bowl was decorated with carvings of lovers rejoicing in the white stone columns stabilising it. The water within the bowl was tinted pink with soft rose petals engulfing the surface – something Aphrodite could easily control so no one knew of the secret lovers she protected and watched over.
"Eros," she smiled, unclasping her hands. Her son outstretched his hand towards her and she gently placed both in his, standing before him in all her elegance. Her blonde hair was pinned up in a bun – braids twisting to secure it; loose ringlets ad escaped and framed her face. Her bright blue eyes shone warmth, guarded by her sultry eyelashes she often fluttered in the presence of others, as she greeted her son.
The ruby coloured silk caressed her slender figure as she walked towards the bowl of water, dipping in a long finger and swirling the liquid slowly.
"What are you up to, mother?" Eros asked, almost chuckling but his eyes remained on her knowingly. She was up to her mischief again. He only hoped it would not backfire disastrously, as it had done at Peleus and Thetis's wedding. Though, secretly, Eros admired his mothers subtle malice at depositing that golden apple. That's all it took for the mortal war.
Aphrodite didn't answer for a moment; taking her time to absent-mindedly grace her fingers across the edge of the bowl's chalky exterior. "Son, still think you're better at making people fall in love?" She smirked, quickly stealing a glance. "Some say I am only the Goddess of Beauty. It's as if they forget the many loving marriages I took part in creating." Sighing, she added, "they suppose it's all you."
"I only do your bidding mother." Eros grinned, standing before her, his wondrous white wings spread out wide behind him; shielding both of them from the ears of the servants. "You pick the matches set for me to strike; I may make love occur but you choose who's match is best fitted."
Aphrodite raised an eyebrow at him. They were both the same height yet his wings could often tower over her, as if he were trying to intimidate her at times. Aphrodite loved the challenges he'd throw though. She wasn't as frightful in his presence, but even when she did feel intimidated by the other Gods, she could always disguise it well.
"And you only do my bidding, you say?"
She turned back to the bowl, swirling the water round, causing havoc for the rose petals that collided with one another; gradually dissolving into the pink liquid for Aphrodite's use. Her long fingers remained in the water, as she turned her head to stare into her son's blue eyes. She noticed how his smile had faltered and he ran a hand nervously through his blonde curls, his gaze landing anywhere but her.
Eros gulped. Kneeling before his mother, his wings slightly encircling him. "I always do as you command."
"Anyone else's commands?" Smirking, she cleared the water with a wave of her hand. The bowl showed the red haired girl prancing through a field, scratches along her skin from just trying to create a rose bush.
"Persephone is a sweet young one, is she not, Eros?"
Eros's ears pricked up at her name. "Y-yes."
"Prettier than me, though?" Aphrodite blurted, noticing just how pretty the youthful goddess appeared to be. Maybe having her in the Underworld isn't such a bad idea.
"Mother," Eros's voice was gentle but he still remained curious as to what she knew of Persephone. "No one could possibly rival your beauty. Wasn't that settled a decade ago? Did you not have it confirmed by Paris?"
Aphrodite grinned pridefully, remembering just how she'd beaten Hera and Athena that day.
"Any reason you seem hesitant, son?"
"No mother."
Frowning, she splashed the water again, more fiercely than she'd meant. A darkness hung in the water, as Persephone peered through trees. From here, Aphrodite could see Hades hidden among the shadows behind Persephone. Part of Aphrodite had been doubtful up to this point but Hades eyes betrayed him when he stared at her and Aphrodite couldn't help but smile at her uncle. Hecate spoke truth.
"Hades' has changed." Aphrodite faced Eros who grimaced, staring at the shiny marble stone steps he knelt on. He'd only done what he was told had been best. Eros hardly ever did wrong; he did as instructed and watched the lovers being hesitant, kissing, touching... Knowing there would never be any one for him; picking someone for himself was too self-righteous, he'd always thought. So Eros agreed that he would not make anyone fall for him and live a life in making everyone else fall in love.
"Oh, Eros, who told you to fire an arrow at him?" Aphrodite was smiling and scowling simultaneously; her voice pleaded to know; she looked fit to burst with desperation. Who would come up with such an absurd plan?
Recognising the tone was mere curiosity and not anger, Eros finally stared back into her own blue eyes.
"Zeus."
Aphrodite blinked. She hadn't expected that. Though she had her suspicions it still came as a shock that her father had wanted this.
When she urged for more, he continued. "Zeus commanded that I bend fate for Hades. He still cares for his brother. He wanted Hades' to find happiness in hell."
"Love cannot be born in hell, Eros," Aphrodite sighed. "That is why his heart rose to Persephone when on the surface."
"The love was aimed when he appeared on Olympus. I've no doubt love could've been found in the Underworld."
"We'll leave that to Persephone, shall we?" Aphrodite snapped circling the bowl yet she kept her piercing blue eyes on his own. "Anyway, Zeus does not care for Hades. The two are civil but that does not mean Zeus is concerned in his brother's love life." She shook her head but stood stock still when the information finally registered.
"He was in Olympus?!" She abruptly blurted, her whole bod stilled.
Eros nodded quickly, rising on his feet, watching her hesitantly. Aphrodite frowned, her eyes peering down in thought; glazed over. "If he were here... that could only mean..."
"Mother?"
She gasped. "Oh." She clapped her hands in excitement. "This is so thrilling. Finally something!"
Eros chuckled nervously, his eyes sparkling as his mother frantically splashed the water in the bowl to watch for Persephone's appearance in the meadows.
"Eros! The war!" Was all she could say through her laughter. It had been years since she had been this maniacally happy. Ever since her fight with Hera and Athena, Aphrodite had had nothing to do. Gloating about her triumph had been shot down by the war Athena blamed her for. The war had occupied many Gods in the past ten years and she had only a few exciting lovers to deal with.
"What about it?" He grinned, but then frowned and said, "please tell me you won't-"
"Oh, no, no meddling of that sort." She shook her head, looking up at her son. "Don't you see? Zeus obviously wanted more than Hades' happiness (which I assume was a ploy for you to do your part) but Zeus thinks that if Hades' falls in love, Zeus can use that to his advantage... to end the war." Her plump red lips were pulled into an amazing mischievous grin he'd seen so many times before.
Eros was frowning at his mother, stepping closer to the bowl to watch Persephone kneeling in the mud. "I don't see how the war could be helped by her..."
"If Zeus knows his brother's weakness, Persephone, then he can promise her hand for his aid."
Finally understanding, Eros looked up at her, a grin creeping across his lips. "Have we any further help to give?"
Though, if Hades had made an appearance on Olympus, that meant that Athena had the helm, the war would be over soon regardless of Zeus's plan. Aphrodite knew Hades was never involved in the war, so the helm would never have gone to Ares.
"Wouldn't Zeus be sorry now?" Aphrodite chuckled. "Athena's not the only daughter with a brain."
Hades wouldn't move fast, she knew that, yet part of her was desperate that he would. She longed to watch two Gods fall in love again. It had been so long and it was much more amusing than the mortals'.
"Eros, this will be more fun than Amphitrite and Poseidon." She clasped his hand in hers, but he looked at her blankly. "Oh, I forgot," she rolled her eyes, "you hadn't been born then..."
The dark silhouettes of trees were now friendly in Persephone's eyes. Their tall, twisted, towering forms intrigued and excited her every time she found her freedom in the dark forest.
Persephone knelt in the cold soil, that felt hard against her smooth skin. Digging her hands deep into the earth so far she felt lost in her work; concentration taking over her mind. She wanted desperately to accomplish this. To make her own flower that resembled something special, as Demeter was able to do. Aphrodite had done with roses. She wanted her own symbol.
The cold soil grasped her hands like a hawk did to it's prey; the damp dirt entered her nails and coated her soft hands yet Persephone persisted, her ginger hair falling forward and surrounding her as she craned her neck forward to push her arms deeper.
Closing her eyes tight, wisps of silvery smoke traveled down her arms and seeped into the soil; the blaze of light that cracked the surface in the mud would have blinded any mortal but Persephone only felt her eyes grow hot and her head pound with dizziness.
The glare of moonlight seeped through the trees, the black and white disturbed by the colours protruding through the shadowed land.
Persephone slowly opened her eyes, feeling the cold night caress her skin but she was too determined with the flowers.
Her heart pounded against her ribs and flooded her ears, the rushing of blood inundated her vision with blurry versions of the forest surrounding her. Swaying, she glanced upwards at the night sky. Each star twinkled in her direction and the moon seemed so much brighter to Persephone. Tonight, the moon rivaled the glory of the sun. It was enough for Persephone to squint until her eyes ached and she had to return her gaze to the mud that caked her dress, matted her hair and splattered her skin.
Finally, Persephone slumped forward in the mud, the slimy dirt smudging across her skin and tangling her ginger hair that lay all our her like fire.
Slowly releasing hands from the earth, Persephone remained on the floor of the forest, exhausted by her creation. The moon kept shining above her. The darkness surrounding it glumly.
Demeter was asleep. She'd never know Persephone was here. Or that Persephone had sneaked out to come to a forest she had been forbidden to enter.
Her bones groaned with exhaustion, her heart hammered loudly in her chest, her breathing so loud and deep it was all she could hear in the eerie silence. The black was so dark now she wasn't sure if she was awake or not. But, by the light of the moon, her eyes opened to understand her surroundings.
The flower. Her own creation.
She marveled at it, gently brushing her fingertips along the stem, staring at each feature. The black outline was thick and bold on the wide petals that hung down and up simultaneously. The black slowly seeped into the blue like ink when water is added. Both colours seemed to have been covered over what was once a pure white flower as the centre had the brightest white imaginable, its innocence delicately protected by the beauty of the petal's odd angles.
Persephone grinned but her tiredness overtook the expression and faint state of heart overcame her.
Rolling onto her back in a slump, her eyes gazed lazily at the moon.
Phoebe. The moon goddess, surely?
The night was blurrier now, she was sure of it but her eyes remained on the pale moon above her. From where she lay, the moon never looked so beautiful. In fact, Persephone was sure that she hadn't fully appreciated something like this before.
Another Goddess I'll never meet. The goddess of the moons' control shines down on me, though. Hecate, the mysterious goddess above me and yet lives below me.
The Olympians were wrong in their own ignorant beauty then...
Persephone tried to reach out, extending an arm above her, her fingers brushing the nights frigidness.
Even the creatures of darkness can shine brightly.
Her eyelids drooped as her own darkness mastered her.
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