"Hecate! This is ridiculous!" Hades shouted, "Allow me to see my wife."
"Is that an order…my lord?" Her tone was a challenge. If he made it an order it could be an outright civil war, because she would refuse, and he could not tolerate refusal. Hades was powerful, but Hecate had no master, she resided in the underworld simply because she preferred it, but she would never become a subject of a king.
"No…" He sighed, defeated. "Persephone…" He said softly.
"Oh let him in." A voice said. "No…I'll go out."
Persephone stood in the doorway, wearing one of Hecate's gowns. Her face was carefully stoic, cold. She'd done a lot of thinking. Facing him was not as hard as she'd thought it would be. Even the look on his face, the slight movement, she'd hit a nerve. "Let's go to your room."
They walked in silence, then she walked into his room, he closed the door. "My love…why? Please, tell me what I have done."
A cold laugh came out of her lips, "Ask your lover living down the hall."
He winced, "Menthe…she is not my lover now."
"Since you kidnapped me or since winter began?"
He hesitated and the hesitation said everything.
She rolled her eyes. "I should have listened to my mother…"
"Persephone, I'm sorry…" He took a step forward.
"Shut up!" She snapped, though she hadn't lifted a finger he looked like she'd slapped him. "How dare you act so high and mighty! I let you touch me! I gave you my deepest reverence, I bound myself to you. I wrote your name on my heart and you can't even get rid of your old mistress!"
"Persephone, she…has no where else to go…" He said, jaw clenching, "how can you be so selfish?"
"How could you do this to me?" She retorted, "To her? Are we just jewels? Items to add to your collection?"
"Persephone, I love you—no, I do." He practically growled, it was his turn to be angry. "I love you more than any other being in any world, but that isn't saying much. I would give every soul in this kingdom, every moment of my life, I would destroy the world for one moment with you. Don't roll your eyes. I was prepared to do it the moment I saw you."
"Why should I care about your love?" Her voice was cold.
"Do you understand how hard this summer was for me? To be so close and so far…Menthe…I needed to be distracted." He was vulnerable now. He stepped towards her, and gripped her arms desperately. "I'm sorry…"
"I didn't need distracting…" She was scared, not of something that he would do to her, but of something in him that seemed it would break.
Hades pressed her against the wall. Then he was on his knees, his face pressed against her stomach, his hands on her hips. "Don't go…please, my only light…"
"I'm not…I don't want to leave." Persephone frowned, the thought had not occurred to her. She found herself stroking his hair. "I don't care if you love me, you're mine, I won't allow someone else to have you…"
He looked up at her, "What was your plan then? You…shouldn't be do honest you know." A slow smile formed on his lips.
"I don't know." She huffed, "Stop, I'm really upset!"
Hades stood up, he pressed her against the wall again, "I promise my love, I will never love anyone the way I love you. You have me, I did not mean to hurt you…I was just…alone. One day you will feel the same, and perhaps you will make the same decision."
"I only want you." She pouted.
"For now." He mumbled, he had her completely pressed against him, his lips on her head, she could not escape, but she did not want to. "We are not mortals, my love, and I am not as good a person as you…I have no light. No mother…only darkness and thoughts of you…"
She could not deny this. "I just…it hurts…"
"I'm so sorry, my love." he lifted her and carried her to the bed.
"It's not as bad now…at least…at least I know it's not something I lack." She was sitting on his lap, he rubbed her back. And her head rested on his shoulder. It was impossible to think that she could have lived through this without him, even though he was the one hurting her.
"I'm so sorry, if I could have you all year round…if you could have been returned to me…" He kissed her neck. "I love you."
She smiled, "I love you too."
"Do you forgive me…?" He looked into her eyes, pleadingly.
"I…I just need you to promise…never put me through it again? I don't mean…I know you may need someone in the summers, but I don't want to know about it." She frowned, "Do you understand?"
He looked surprised, "That's lenient don't you think, my flower?"
"I can't let you be hurt…and let's be realistic, you're a mess without me." She smiled.
"True." His tone was a little too serious. "I promise, my darling, I will never let anything hurt you again."
"Then I forgive you." She kissed his head. "It's only been a few days, but I missed you so much." She flushed.
"Me too," he pressed his lips to her hair. "My dearest one…"
"Winter is too short," she complained.
Hades grinned and rested his hands on her hips, "We'll just have to make the most of it then…"
"When is he going to get over the child?" Methe's voice carried through the halls. "Honestly, she's only a passing fancy."
Orphne frowned, "Look, stop being so reckless, you can't say things like that about the queen."
"Oh please, he's going to drop her like a rotted plant the minute he realizes she's nothing special." Menthe rolled her eyes, no one was willing to hear her complain about Persephone. Her highness wasn't in the throne room anyway…
"What gives you the right to sat such things in my kingdom." A cold voice said, behind the two. The entire room turned to Persephone. She wore a new form, one that was distinctly of the underworld, with silvery skin, long black hair and dark eyes. A crown of silver rested on her long curls. It was enough to make the room go quiet.
"My queen." Menthe said icily, "You looked a bit different last time…"
"Does that give you the right to speak of me like that in my kingdom?" Vines began to curl up Menthe's legs.
"What the hell are you doing?" She said, trying to move her feet.
"You know, I pitied you. I thought I would even allow you to live here." Persephone stepped forward. "But you should know better than to insult a goddess."
"Oh get over yourself. What does some maiden know about—AH!" Menthe felt her legs being turned into roots. Persephone could have snapped her fingers and finished the process, instead a vine wrapped around Menthe's mouth to silence her. Several daemons were there. They watched the display silently, as menthe quietly turned to a sprig of leaves on the ground. They had seen such displays from hades, but no one had expected it from Persephone.
"I am the queen now." Persephone looked out at the room, "We are not mortals and this is not a democracy. I am not asking for your advice. If you think my husband is cruel…I am crueler. Is this understood?"
There was a strange silence for a while, then a daemon stepped forward. "As you wish…my queen."