Only few seconds of calm existed before the Goddess's reality awake her sleepy mind. After opening her eyes and realizing where she was, Persephone gently shifted her head to the right side of the bed; eyes asleep looking at the strange light coming out the window. Her green eyes closed again for a moment, tired as she remembered her plight.

Resigned on a fancy and comfy bed, she changed her clothes and sat on her bed, resting her bare feet on the fresh ground. She covered her face with her palms; blinking away her sleep and gulping back her dry throat. Her green gaze rapidly focused on the dim fire who had not sleep during the chill night. The flames danced a perfectly executed choreography to the sound of an inaudible tune that gave the young Goddess a non-existent calm for her nerves, sleepless nights engaging pain. She was no fool; she knew that her inactivity and her confinement would damage her. Her sleeping pattern was already being affected, and it was only a matter of time before her mind would start to crack.

Contemplating the landscape through the huge window of the chamber, tall and brave trees with a visible fortress in their trunks gave Persephone the courage to endure her isolation with grace and sanity, quietly awaiting the day her mother would arrive to return her home, changing a prison for an another prison, more beautiful and lightly without no doubt, but a prison anyway. Perhaps this is my destiny, to be a little more than a golden cup, a blossoming flower to stay quiet in her place.

It had been a month since the Goddess was trapped at the Underworld. Quite days and nights without seeing anyone, silence buzzing in her ears, spending time studying all the corners of the chamber. An agonizingly slow month. Hades periodically checked on her, egging to saw her, to talk to her, to have the opportunity to explain himself, knocking on the door waiting for an answer. Very rarely had the young Goddess responded to him; and in the few occasions that she had done it, they were only monosyllabic words in order to keep him away from worrying and entering her room. She was her Queen now. Her wife. That conception was so confusing. She remembered Hades' face when he accompanied her at her room. Goodnight, my Queen. Those eyes, that small smile... That look. She didn't dare to discover what was beneath it. How, innocent she was, he wanted her. She thrilled with that feeling. Would he dare to take her maidenhead without her consent? That thought haunted her on her worst days, afraid that Hades appeared any night demanding his rights as husband, though that day never came. But no matter how much she denied herself, deep down in Persephone's heart, she was always expecting for that knock on the door, her heart pounding, waiting for the door to open or to remain closed.

She lazily rose, moving slowly with a few small steps to shift fluidly toward the window. The warmth was momentaneous, and the cold of the outside world seemed to seep into her bronzed skin while she stared out toward that foreign land. What am I supposed to do now? She asked the still air, looking out of the window. Wait for a solution to take away so much fear? Drawing a slow breath, she placed a hand to the window pane. Maybe she was more than she seemed, maybe this was her real destiny, to be more than a Goddess… a Queen. She blinked with the sudden notion than perhaps she was more powerful than she gave herself credit for. Perhaps life was testing her, so many years wanting to leave behind that pitiful image; a delicate flower who everybody worshiped, not for what she was, but for her mother's name.

Within a moment, as if the strange Underworld skies had perceived her realization, a stroke of light cleaved the clouds before the window, haunting the chamber with its momentary glow. A shiver crept through her, and she sighed, turning her green gaze towards the fire who had died. Whatever I thought my life was going to be like, I have realized now that it is not going to be anything like that. But… did I want that life? With a secure step, she put on her cloak, and without bothering how she looked like, she tentatively pushed the door open, prepared to face her fate.

She remembered nothing beyond her quarters; nothing that had happened since Hades had abducted her had been kept in her memory, everything was dark and dull. She was alone in an unknown world… new horizons to explore, new worlds to discover. A part deep inside her was eager to do just that, go out of her element. She had the opportunity to start from scratch, to be the architect of her own existence. But... would it be so? In her dreams she was a bird flying wherever she pleased; but she felt like a bird in a golden cage.

Looking down the corridor to make sure anyone was there, Persephone started walking through the wide hallway, heart thumping in her chest with hope and fear. Slender legs swift upon the irregular stone floor, moving cautiously as the young Goddess tried to remember each of her movements in case she had to rush back to her chamber. A feeling of exhilaration was sweeping through her every time her feet touch the ground. Turning down another corridor, she flew past many windows, torches and pots full of flowers. Driven by her inner nature, she stopped to smell them. That smell was exactly the same as it was on those, now so far, single nights on her own, where Persephone stared at the stars as the flowers accompanied her to make her fall asleep. She had missed it, she felt a million miles away from everything she knew, but the scent of those flowers made her feel as if she were truly within her home; it nurtured her with a renewed sense of confidence. She walked down the halls with eyes wide opened, admiring every detail of the palace decoration. The walls were high and thick, ceiling curved and coloured, breaking the dark atmosphere of that place. Persephone felt like she was walking on a starry night, like walking on a dream. There was a magical and mesmerizing beauty in that palace, that sunless place made everything shone with its own light.

The blonde Goddess found some straight, long stairs that connected with a vast hall decorated with glittering precious stones splayed out over the walls. High arched windows, narrow and in close succession, presided the hall in tidily tied red and golden curtains held by black ropes. At the end of the hall were two large doors, set in a wall of carved marble. With her exploration and curiosity skills increasing as the minutes run, her steps grew confident and opened the doors with both hands, pushing with all her body's weight. Opposite to all the rooms she had seen during her brief journey through the palace, the room before her was an immaculate white stay, making Persephone's sweet eyes close due to the contrast. Distributed throughout the room, white statues like snow rose before her. With arms raised behind her back, Persephone wandered around the room admiring those works of art, pausing each time to give them the time they deserved. At the end of the room emerged a statue which face Persephone could not remove from her head.

There he was, as she always figured him: tall, strong, beautiful. With his helmet on and wielding his two-pointed bident, Hades stood like a real king. The cloak only covered his shoulders, freeing his strong arms, like the tunic which covered only the right part of his muscular chest. She found herself looking at that statue like she always looked at Hades; puzzled and fascinated at the same time. She quickly searched for the part she liked the most; his intense gaze. The sculptor had done a great job with the dark God, even his piercing eyes where quite splendid, but nothing could grasp what truly detached them. They held something she could not describe, they always made her heart flicker with trepidation, but then, they would hold a warmth filled with pride and confidence.

On the corner of the room Hades stood silent, contemplating the scene, leaned back on a column, his arms folded on his chest. Quiet as he was, he was used to going unnoticed, after all, he was known as the unseen God. He still barely believed she was there, admiring him, living under the same roof. He had finally achieved it, after years of waiting, of exasperating days, of eternal and lonely nights; Persephone, the Goddess of Spring, the Goddess of flowers, the most splendid of the creatures that had passed through all the universe, was his wife, his queen. But these were just words, now he had to show her everything, that he truly wanted her, that their destinies were linked.

Distracted and unaware of his presence, she continued staring at the Underworld King sculpture. Hades' muscles lost their usual tension while his gaze lingered along her silhouette before saying a word. After landing in her face, Hades broke the silent scene. "I never liked this statue." Deep voice sliding from the corner of the room. Turning her head, the Goddess caught sight of Hades looking at her, a gentle smile giving his sharp features a light of softness. She immediately held his gaze, her grimace immutable as Persephone assumed a jumpy posture before him. "In fact, I despise this room, full of Gods, of memories. Now that you are here, I have no doubt this will change." Hades added in attempt to lower the strained atmosphere.

In absence of answer, the dark God cautiously approached uncrossing his arms while Persephone kept staring at him, saying nothing. As he drew near, his large fingers intertwined in order to remain calm, thinking prudently what to add next. "Persephone, I…" The young Goddess lowered her head with a thoughtful scowl.

"Perhaps the most appropriate way to proceed for the both of us would be to sit calm and composed and talk about our situation, don't you think?" Persephone suggested. "After all, I am your wife now." Her big green eyes now looking directly through him. Persephone's words left Hades speechless, his eyes flickering of surprise. He nodded, and he stood watching her for a few moments, admiring her collected manners, as she faced him. When he did not say anything further, Persephone offered weakly. "Tonight?"

Hades' eyes shone with satisfaction. "I look forward to it". And with that, the young Goddess walked out the room, her head high and proud, going to prepare herself.


Notes:

Apologies for the late update. You all know the whole scary situation out there. Idk but I found so hard to concentrate and find inspiration these days.

Hope the chapter is okay... Let me know what you think! :) I'm curious how you think the story is doing so far... And keep calm, this is only the beggining, love is coming Persephone 3

Take care and be safe, my lovely followers!