Chapter 4: Rumors and Lies
A couple months later
A television screen turned on. A show logo briefly appeared, and then two gods appeared to stare at the camera.
"HELLO, Olympus!" The orange-skinned goddess with pink hair shook her fists in excitement. "I'm Pheme, your GLORIOUS Goddess of Rumors!"
"WHAT UP, Underworld?" The navy-blue god with lemon-colored hair raised his thumbs up. "I'm Dolos, your GRAND God of Lies!"
"And you're watching RUMORS AND LIES, where the rumor mill gets dissected into truth!" Both deities waved jazz hands at the camera before lounging back on their chairs.
"Juicy details of the day! First scoop! Nemesis, primordial goddess of retribution, has risen in business fame during the divide with her brand-new wrath permit and just retribution insurance company, NEMS INC." As Pheme talked, the company logo appeared on the screen's upper left corner. "Rumors WERE confirmed! Nemesis expanded her business following with Zeus' previous banishment of Persephone, Goddess of Spring, and Demeter, Goddess of Harvest. Said banishment led to a drastic divide, depleting the realms of resources and causing many businesses to ruin! After several petitions, civilian testimony, and the recent demonstration of Persephone's powers during the clash with Kronos, the business has improved. Got wrath problems? Killed several mortals BEFORE filling a problem! Talk to Nemesis!"
"Speaking of the Goddess of Spring, what you're about to hear AIN'T A RUMOR, gods!" Dolos clapped in excitement as Nemesis' business got replaced by profile pics of Hades and Persephone together as a happy couple and somebody's crude caricature of an angry Demeter. "After months of becoming the Queen of the Underworld following her clash with Kronos, Persephone just got proposed to by non-other than the Dark Zeus himself! And from what we've heard, Demeter ain't too happy about it!"
"I know I wouldn't be if I was Green Thumb Mama, Doll!" Pheme laughed. "After a second failed attempt to be voted Queen of the Mortal Realm, I sure as Tartarus would be EMBARRASSED if MY KID became Queen unlike me! Question to answer the rumors, folks: is Hades marrying a fertility goddess? How will the divine hierarchy change now that we have a new power couple? Is it true that Hades and Persephone are now known as 'DeathLovesFlowers'? And more importantly, is Demeter secretly an emotionally abusive parent with loneliness issues?"
"Speaking of parents!" As Dolos spoke, the images now showed a picture of Apollo's presidential campaign. "After the previous reveal of his legacy as Zeus' son and his granted request to return social pariah Leto back to Olympus, Apollo himself has been ongoing a campaign to offer himself as President of Olympus! You know, Pheme darling, I'm curious to how he'll react once he finds out Hades and Persephone are getting married! As the God of Lies, I can definitely assure you that his bogus of him and the Goddess of Spring was fake!"
"No lies get past you, Dolos! You make tabloids cry! Oh, well! Good thing these two will never be together! Purple and pink SO don't mix!" Pheme laughed.
"Speaking of mixes, we got big news for you, gods and audiences!"
"That's right! Literally TOMORROW NIGHT! Friday at 8pm on the Nemesis-Network! We are hosting an EXCLUSIVE talking session with none other than all Twelve Olympians, Nemesis herself, AND 'DeathLovesFlowers'! Not only will we, minor gods, ask questions to our favorite deities, you can too!"
"We've got the mailed questions and fans in our studio can volunteer to ask ANY question of their choice to the divinity of their pick!"
"AND as a special bonus, Nemesis will be opening a SPECIAL video call with the Olympians' BIGGEST FAN! Not only can the fan ask 6 questions to any of the Olympians, the 6th question is… A truthful answer on the Styx!"
"Ooh, I wonder what that question is! Remember, Pheme! Anyone who's sworn to answer the truth on the River Styx MUST tell the truth! The fan might be asking a dirty secret, like how many bastards does Zeus have on Olympus!"
"Please, Doll! At this rate, everyone in the Mortal Realm is his offspring!"
Hecate turned off the TV.
She was currently having dinner at Hades (and Persephone's) house. Most Thursdays, after an average day of reorganizing the shades, figuring out the recent Tartarus issue, and discussing Persephone's drafts for the Elysian Fields, Hecate often had dinner with them.
"Remind me again why people like this show?" Persephone put the salad bowl on the table.
"The Olympian rumor mill." Hecate rolled her eyes until her nostrils picked up the delicious smell coming from the oven. "What is that?"
"Vegan moussaka. Hades' been making up a whole lot of meat-free dishes since we officially settled in." Persephone beamed at the sight of the dish her fiancé was pulling out of the oven.
"Blue Boy converting diets? Can't wait to hear what Zeus will say!" Hecate snarked.
The doorbell rang before Hades could come up with a same-toned response. "Were we expecting anyone?" He asked.
The dogs started barking eagerly at the door. "Well, it ain't the tabloids." Persephone wiped her hands and went to the door. Fortunately, she wasn't accosted by tabloids.
Average side, the dogs immediately circled Hestia.
"Mushroom, no!" Persephone scolded the Husky. "Everybody else, inside! We talked about this! No jumping on gods with food!"
"I'm partially guilty. I brought some homemade dog treats." Hestia showed her basket.
Persephone tilted her head. "Hestia, are you alright?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Hestia smiled.
"Well… You look tired. And how often do you wear grey jackets?" Persephone gestured to Hestia's unusually big trench coat, large enough to conceal her feminine body. And when she squinted, Persephone could have sworn she saw MAKEUP underneath Hestia's eyes.
The kind of makeup people put on their cheeks to hide their tears.
Persephone didn't hesitate to invite her 'aunt' inside as a last-minute guest. Hades and Hecate weren't quite surprised. Hestia had been coming by on a bi-weekly basis to check on Persephone following the last fallout with Demeter. Hestia hadn't asked for forgiveness immediately, but she obviously tried to redeem herself. Talking thoroughly with Persephone about the latter's goals. Expressing interest in the Elysian Fields project. Working on a potential collaboration to create an Underworld-branch for TGOEM. Giving Hades tips on simple home recipes.
In fairness, Hestia was doing a better job trying to accept Persephone's independence than the latter's own mother.
"I'd usually not give a damn, but I'm curious." Hecate cut herself a slice of moussaka. "Are you sure you're OK?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Hestia smiled the same response she'd given Persephone before.
Hades and Persephone looked at each other awkwardly.
"Is it the garbage about tomorrow night's talk session on Rumors and Lies?" Hades asked.
Hestia slowly ate the salad on her plate. "Not really. I've spoken on television before… back in the 90s… when I made TGOEM an official charity organization."
The other three gods didn't buy her words.
Hestia finally sighed and gave in. "I'm considering resigning from the Olympians."
That caused enough shock for the dogs to lift their heads up, for Hades to spit his coffee, and for Hecate to nearly choke on her moussaka.
"Hestia! You can't be serious!" Persephone gasped.
"I am…" Hestia's elbows rested on the table so her chin could rest on her hands while she groaned out her frustration.
"But you're one of the Twelve Olympians! A member of the 6 Traitors Dynasty! A valuable member of the community!"
"Can any of you state ONE noteworthy thing I've done as an Olympian?" Hestia was exasperated. "ANYTHING major that changed Olympus for the better? Besides releasing Hades from his glass jar, I can't think of anything!"
All three gods raised their hands.
"That doesn't include me being one of the 6 Traitors."
Hecate lowered her hand.
"For founding the Goddesses of Eternal Maidenhood. For being the first knocked out by Kronos, being useless for nearly a decade, and after pressuring Kore to join my organization, the best thing I could do was release Hades from a glass jar?"
Hades and Persephone struggled to lower their hands.
"And there you have it." Hestia sighed. "Let's be real, even after the divide, the community center was only built because of Apollo. The other gods and civilians don't even take TGOEM seriously. Artemis told me one of her worshippers on Earth disbelieves in organizational maidenhood."
"You shouldn't hold yourself accountable, Hestia," Hades said. "You can't control how mortals react towards mortal maidens."
"I feel like I should provide more mentorship. I've been getting so many complaints."
"You're the goddess of the hearth, home, and hospitality," Hecate flatly stated. "Every first meal starts with an offering for you. When mortals violate that, they violate you respect. Will the victims feel betrayed? Yes. Can you punish the first offending party? ABSOLUTELY!"
"Athena DID tell you about Medusa, right?" Hades pointed out. "Poseidon's still vague about the consent."
"THERE wasn't any consent! That was the one time Athena and I had a serious argument!" Hestia ate her moussaka miserably.
Persephone hesitated. "You know… I think it's also because as centuries fly by, EVERYONE has their own intake on chastity and maidenhood. Have you tried consulting a psychologist or maybe even a support group?"
Hestia shook her head.
"The rule was 'no sex', not 'no non-sexual relationships'." Persephone held Hades' hand. "Maybe that's something to think about for TGOEM. I mean, you and Athena aren't exactly dating because of nightly activities."
"Of course not… OH!" Hestia rubbed her chin. "Chastity in relationships. Why didn't I think about that? That could help create a network. Maybe I should talk to Athena about it."
Hades smiled at Persephone.
For a brief moment, they enjoyed lunch without having to mention Hestia's resignation consideration. After clearing the table, they got treated to a homemade baklava she brought over while the dogs enjoyed the homemade treats.
"Have you talked to my mother recently?" Persephone asked.
"Last week." Hestia cut out the slices to give to everyone. "When your engagement became public, she got angrier. Telling me to reinitiate you. Yelling at Hera to cancel your blessing. Athena and Artemis tell me I should just block her."
"I still can't believe she's not over it." Hecate licked her lips after eating some baklava.
"I still can't believe she pulled that intervention stunt. Athena and Artemis warned me that it wouldn't be an intervention, it would be 'Kore's initial initiation' all over again." Hestia took a small bite. "I try to tell myself she's just overprotective of her only child in this messed up pantheon. After Kore's fight with Kronos, Athena said that undermining Persephone's newfound position within the hierarchy would be catastrophic. Option-wise, I was thinking things like using your powers for the community. Occasional donations to the org. I mean, come on! The Elysian Fields!" Hestia waved out of her basket a blueprint Persephone and Hades had faxed her. "Your idea for a new ecosystem to serve as shades' paradisaic reward? Demeter didn't even talk once about it! Could you imagine if you had a community center in the EF? I can only imagine all the flowers and trees you'd grow!"
"The nature part won't be an issue." Persephone looked over the blueprint as well. "But the rewarding part is still the challenge. What can the mortals do once they die and are rewarded paradise? Eternal work is out of the question, but it's not like they'll just STAND there."
"A sense of community within the afterlife?" Hestia shot a look at Hades. The kind of look that said he'd die if he mistreated her niece.
Honestly, the kind of family he had.
…
"After the previous reveal of his legacy as Zeus' son and his granted request to return social pariah Leto back to Olympus, Apollo himself has been ongoing a campaign to offer himself as President of Olympus! You know, Pheme darling, I'm curious to how he'll react once he finds out Hades and Persephone are getting married! As the God of Lies, I can definitely assure you that his bogus of him and the Goddess of Spring was fake!"
"No lies get past you, Dolos! You make tabloids cry! Oh, well! Good thing these two will never be together! Purple and pink SO don't mix!" Pheme laughed.
"Speaking of mixes, we got big news for you, gods and audiences!"
Apollo shot an arrow at the TV screen.
His anger clouded the broadcasted nonsense.
Clearly, Persephone was still brainwashed by Hades. And Zeus had botched it. It was an infallible plan. Defeat Eris, announce himself as Zeus' son, be awarded into the royal family, and request his mother's return and Persephone's hand in marriage. It wasn't supposed to be THAT HARD for him to rule Olympus with his family.
But no.
Zeus banished Demeter and Persephone to the Mortal Realm, sealing all the realms. Apollo had to get his fingers literally dirty through community services and charity work to get public approval. If his presidential campaign worked out, he'd surpass Zeus and become the President of the Gods. Nullify everything and demand Persephone as his bride.
She wasn't supposed to be announced as Hades' fiancée! Much less the Queen of the Underworld!
"What did I tell you about trashing my television?" His mother Leto was floating in the air as usual, reading the newspaper rather than sitting on the couch.
"I apologize, Mother…" He sighed.
"Things won't work out with Persephone at this rate." Leto sighed.
"I can still convince her…"
Leto rolled her newspaper and pointed it at her son.
"Guarantee your presidential campaign through tomorrow night's broadcast, and then you can get her," she said. "If it doesn't…"
"I know, Mother. I'm looking for that new fertility goddess." Apollo pushed the newspaper down.
"You've been using the same Trojan priestess. She might be giving you false leads."
"Kassandra's predictions come with their clouds. Trust her instincts. She can track down the fertility goddess."
"You've been saying that since she was 16," Leto warned. "Get her to find out the new fertility goddess' location. Otherwise, you'll start to disbelieve the very prophet your temples bless."
…
The Underworld is eternally dark with its nighttime sky, but the night was at its darkest.
The Fates raced to the door when they heard it knock. They noticed the presence of the cloaked figure at their doorway.
"Just who we were expecting." Clotho smiled.
"Destiny told of this exchange approaching!" Lachesis pulled out a video tape wrapped in plastic.
"Did you bring it?" Atropos held out her hand.
The figure waved its cloaked hand. From mist appeared a sealed box. The Fates smiled eagerly and gladly gave the figure the tape. The moment it touched their fingers, the cloaked stranger ran off.
"Now falls the summit," the Fates said altogether.
Friday night
Lights turned on in the studio stage. Audiences applauded based on the tele-prompts. Colorful clouds exploded on the stage and the hosts appeared.
"Welcome to the special broadcast of RUMORS AND LIES! You know me! Pheme, Goddess of Rumors!" Pheme's appearance caused most of the audience to whisper between one another.
"And why should I lie? I'm Dolos, God of Lies!" Dolos' joke caused the audience to laugh.
"Alright, everyone! Let's meet the main cast of special guests! The Olympians!"
The lights turned on, revealing the twelve Olympians waving at the audience from their lounge chairs. While they smiled at the audience, the looks they gave one another varied. Hera refused to look at Zeus. Ares didn't want to show his bitter scowl while Aphrodite sat closely to his own brother. Apollo waved at the crowd eagerly cheering at him. His smile briefly dropped when he noticed Artemis and Hermes looking away from him. Athena and Hestia looked nervously at a frustrated Demeter.
"The rulers of the Underworld themselves! Soon to be Mr. P and Mrs. H! Hades and Persephone!" Dolos eagerly welcomed the couple onto the stage. The audience quickly did a standing ovation. 10 years ago, most of them wanted nothing to do with them. Following the second defeat of Kronos and the borders' reopening, Persephone had quickly developed a fandom. The recent proposal had excited the civilians further.
Persephone looked straight ahead, but that didn't stop her from feeling Apollo's gaze again. Hades held her hand tightly even after they sat down.
Demeter looked at them sourly.
"And now, featuring the last celebrity guest!" Pheme shuddered in excitement. "The punisher of hubris! The Fury of Olympus! The mogul of wrath bureaucracy!"
A fiery red bird flew onto the set. The audience yelped and ducked to avoid its metal feathers. The bird burst into flames on the last seat. Ashes rose to sculpt a figure. When the dust cleared, the goddess revealed herself.
Nemesis had really made herself a name as the Goddess of Retribution. She was feared, but not as hated as Eris. Still, her appearance was that of a fallen angel. Blood-red skin that got darker at the fingertips, almost as if she'd soaked them in somebody's corpse. Her grey tuxedo had a subtle stitching pattern of blades. Her silver hair was gelled back to match a porcupine's quill. Her wings bore metal feathers that pierced the skin of those unfortunately exposed. Her eyes were so red, it was hard to tell if she even had eyes. Anyone unfortunate to spike her ire would probably think she was an eyeless monster with a fanged mouth.
"Alright! We're all together now!" Pheme clapped her hands and the audience calmed down. She and Dolos got to their desk. "You know the rules. One fan at a time for our guests to answer one question that might be a rumor! At one point, Nemesis will be calling her secret fan to ask 5 rumor questions and one question truthfully answered on the River Styx."
"Can't lie, Nemesis! Your announcement was baffling!" Dolos said. "Why would you accept a fan to force the truth out of a god?"
"I like to say I live up to the name of retribution." Nemesis crossed her legs. "But I'm a hater of misplaced retribution. Suppose the fan asks a REVEALING question that could put the order in jeopardy, I'd have to ensure that retribution was followed. But then again, it's fandom! Worst thing they could ask is if one of us wore white on Labor Day."
Everyone, including some Olympians, laughed.
"Speaking of asking, let's get the ball rolling!" Dolos did jazz hands. "Remember! Only the Styx oath truth from Nemesis' caller gets the REAL truth! The Olympians can decide on their own lies for the rest!"
"Which would make JUICIER GOSSIP!" Pheme squealed.
Many of the fans' question were pretty basic. They wanted to know Aphrodite's favorite beauty products. The number of men killed by Artemis. Ares' prisoners of war (if he had any). Zeus' affair.
Of course, there were some questions that DID sink a nail.
"Lady Demeter? Why do you hate your daughter?"
"I don't!" Demeter's eyes darkened. Persephone tensed in her seat. "Why would a mother hate her daughter?"
"Yeah, that's hard to believe." Nemesis laughed. "My girlfriend's mother hates her."
"Oh, that's right!" Pheme pointed out. "I heard you recently started dating Eris herself! I got a question for you."
"Knock yourself out." Nemesis shrugged.
"HOW are you still a couple? Except for DeathLovesFlowers, and probably Aphrodite and Hephaestus, nearly all godly relationships are terribly toxic!"
"GREAT question!" Nemesis leaned on her chair. "You'd be surprised by the commonality discord and retribution have. Poor choices lead to discord and chaos, and chaos leads to potential retribution. When the realms reopened, I found myself having a long conversation with Eris in my office. She knows how to come up with the best punishments when her chaos gets disrespected. I actually rationalized with her move on blessing Persephone with Wrath."
"You AGREED with that?" Dolos frowned. "Why?"
Many Olympians tilted their heads.
"Pure innocence is for the weak-minded," Nemesis bluntly said. "A lack of wrath? Vanity? Hatred? War? No offense, but where would my job be at if everyone was conditioned to be mindless Samaritans? Flaws lead to events, potential scandals. Emotions lead people to my office 24/7. Besides, I thought Persephone's act of wrath and faceoff against Kronos were admirable. I'd rather see her as Queen of the Underworld than some philanderer's yes-boytoy."
"Uh… thanks?" Persephone frowned.
"Lady Persephone! Are you and Hades going to have kids once you're married?" A fan called out.
"It might not be common knowledge…" Apollo started talking.
"Oh, look at that! I'm about to call the lucky fan!" Nemesis was typing on her phone.
"Ya heard her!" Dolos clapped his hand.
"VIDEO TIME!" Pheme squealed.
The audience cheered. A screen rolled down in the stage's background. The lights darkened, the screen turned on, and a video call started.
Some sort of nymph appeared on the screen.
Many whistled in the audience. The nymph seemed of adolescent age, with a slender, but muscular form. Bubbles flew out of her lapis-blue hair, potentially making her a river nymph or a Naiad. Dark eyeshadow and lip gloss made her grey skin stand out. All she wore was a black top.
"Hi, everyone!" She squealed. "My name's AURA! Hi, Mrs. Nemesis!"
"Hi, AURA!" Nemesis wiggled her fingers. She seemed excited. "You're my secret lucky fan! You get to ask 6 questions to any Olympian, and the 6th one is truth on the Styx! That means the Olympian can't lie to you!"
"I'm so excited! OK! My first question is for Aphrodite. What is the real secret to beauty? I'm so jealous, it makes me ugly!"
"What? You're cute!" Aphrodite chuckled. "The key to real beauty, and my personal tip: DON'T date Ares."
Ares pouted. The audience laughed.
"Noted. I'm not his type anyway." AURA's pout earned some sighs from the sympathetic audience. "OK. Second for Hera. Does Zeus have a REALLY big dick?"
Hera just laughed. Zeus glared at her.
"What do you think, AURA?" Zeus asked.
"Like I don't wanna know." AURA's response made many Olympians laugh. "OK. Third question for Hephaestus: did anyone ever try to hack you, the greatest hacker on Olympus?"
"That's confidential." Hephaestus crossed his arms.
"Fourth question goes to Hades: is Persephone, like, THE BEST person you've ever met?"
"Replace 'the best' with 'the most wonderful', and you and I speak the same language." Persephone cuddled with her fiancé after he gave his response.
"Second-to-last question for Zeus: do you deem yourself a just executioner of justice?"
"Most of the time. But I've screwed up occasionally."
Hera gave her husband a disbelieving look.
"And, for my 6th question, I call Apollo!"
"You heard her, Lord Apollo!" Dolos clapped.
While some of the special guests stared in distaste, Apollo got up. The smug god waved at his cheering fan. He probably anticipated the question to be a big boost for his presidential campaign.
Nemesis had Apollo hold both of his hands out for her to shake. "Apollo. Do you understand your oath to the River Styx?"
"Yes. I vow on the River Styx to answer any question my fan might have."
"And to suffer the consequences should you disrespect?"
"Indeed!"
Grey veins appeared on his hands' flesh after Nemesis let go. She got up and motioned to AURA.
"AURA, I understood during your submission that you had a special clip that accompanied your question for Apollo. Care to share your screen?"
"No problem, Ms. Nemesis! Here's the clip for my question specifically for the son of Zeus!"
The screen switched to a recording.
Persephone's body turned rigid.
Hades' snarl turned into that of his true form.
Zeus was shocked by what he saw and saw his own wife giving him an accusatory look.
Hestia and Athena reached for Demeter as she tried to hold back her tears.
Artemis looked at her twin, who looked mortified at her twin. "Apollo?"
"It… It isn't what you…"
"AURA, that's a shocking clip!" Dolos said in genuine confusion. "Why would you show that?"
"It's for my question that I must have answered under oath of the River Styx." Though her face couldn't be seen due to the awful video, anyone would imagine her face darkening if she was smiling. "Phoebus Apollo, here is my question for you. As your BIGGEST FAN! On Persephone's second night at Olympus, during her training phase with the Goddesses of Eternal Maidenhood, while she lived under YOUR BELOVED SISTER'S roof… Did you coerce her into consenting your assault?"