"Hypnos, my anassa." His voice was rich like honey, and his skin was dark as night. "The Fates predicted we would meet like this."
Stepping closer, the dark man's gaze snaked down Persephone's nude figure, setting it ablaze with his sight. The goddess gulped under his amber stare, stunned by their beauty. A grin crept across the dark one's face, revealing a set of pearl-white teeth.
"Brother, is this the new meat?" A cold hand grasped Persephone's chin out of nowhere.
The goddess opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Her eyes widened as her heart pounded furiously against her ribcage. Turning the naked maiden to face him, the deadly pale man glanced up and down the goddess's figure. Cheeks burning, the goddess stood still as both men explored her body with their eyes. Glancing between the two men, Persephone compared them to night and day. Hypnos had skin that resembled ebony wood, handcrafted to smooth ridges with taunt muscles; his bright eyes were the only source of light on his body. The other man-the lean and taller one-was the exact opposite. This man had blinding white flesh, pale blond hair, and the darkest eyes Persephone had ever seen. His touch chilled every nerve in the goddess's body causing every inch of her skin to prickle at attention.
"Now now, boys, you two don't want Hades to burn you to ash by eyeing his wife?" Hecate warned, peering in from behind the bead curtain.
Persephone sighed as the men stepped aside and disappeared from the room without a trace. The younger goddess made a mental note to thank Hecate later when she had the chance. Hecate, peering behind the curtain, laughed and shook her head at the naked maiden.
"Anassa, no need to thank me, they should know better. They know just how protective Hades is over-"
"Who was that pale man?"
Hecate stopped short mid-thought, and her eyes widened at the sound of the younger goddess's voice.
"Death himself," Hecate snorted, "Thanatos likes to take risks, but I never thought he had that much of a death wish!"
Persephone didn't respond, but instead bit her lip and decided to chew on the inside of her mouth.
"You need to get some clothes on, young one, before your husband comes." The gesture was strange to the maiden. But nonetheless, Hecate still wanted to help her, and that amazed Persephone. The woman's hospitality warmed Persephone's heart and brought a shy smile to the surface of the maiden's face.
Stepping through the curtain of beads, the friendly goddess guided Persephone towards the beautiful chest that she had noticed before the. . .situation occurred. She lifted the top effortlessly and surveyed the contents of the chest. Hecate reached inside the chest and with a swift toss-Persephone let out a squeak. The elder goddess snickered at her masterpiece. Persephone huffed at the cloth distorting her vision but yet let a chuckle pass through her lips. Lifting the clothing from her face, Persephone then placed the garment over her head and let the beautiful cloth brush over her naked body. Hecate, smirking beside her, had retrieved a bow from the chest while Persephone was fixing the garment. She then wrapped the bow properly around the young maiden's form. Taking a step back, Hecate grasped Persephone's elbows and lightly stepped back to get the full view of the colorful outfit that the other goddess had picked out to wear.
"You look breathtaking, Persephone, much like the anassa you were born to be."
Persephone's eyes were glued to the ruby garment that came down to her ankles. The bodice was tight around her middle, showcasing her womanly curves to the public eye, the sight made her cheeks burn. Mother would have never let me wear this, she thought. Turning around, Persephone decided that the way the fabric swirled around her legs was similar to a flora ready to bloom in Spring. Smiling, the young goddess spun round and round just for the beautiful sight.
The older goddess cleared her throat, eyeing the younger maiden, and turned to leave the room. The slap of the beads brought Persephone out of her thoughts, and suddenly the maiden was following the woman. Persephone found herself lost after exiting her sleeping chamber. The two goddesses had taken numerous amounts of twists and turns in this maze-like palace, that Persephone had forgotten to count. Just thinking about the way back to her chamber sent a chill down her spine. Persephone shivered with closed eyes-thud. The maiden laughed at her clumsiness while forcing herself to off the marble floor. Hecate grabbed her hand to steady the goddess, noting how she rubbed her backside tentatively as they approached the marble steps leading towards a door.
"I leave you here, old friend," Hecate said, with a hand on her shoulder.
Persephone felt entranced at what laid behind this old, wooden door. Unlike most of the doors here, this one was smaller, and not intricately designed. Instead, it was plain and seemed to be rotting, giving the goddess an eerie feeling. Lifting her hand to the metal hoop at the center of the door, she clasped her warm hand around the cool steel and pulled. The air smelled dry as the dust fell from the doorway. Taking a breath, she entered and closed the door, sealing her fate. In front of her was a massive staircase that seems to twirl up into the heavens. She finally released the breath she was holding in, and stepped forward for the first steps.
Persephone could handle exercise, but this, she thought, was torture. Five-hundred steps to go on this enormous staircase. The goddess took a deep breath then immediately bit her lip. The staircase swirled like the tight curls on her mother's head, and tears started to form. Clenching her fists, she took her time with each step, gritting her teeth as the cold stone bit into her bones. Through her blurry vision, the goddess could see the three hunched figures in the dark.
"Welcome, my dear," three voices spoke as one.