Hades’ worries slipped away for the moment. “You need not fear my fidelity, Persephone. What man would wish to stray when a goddess waits for him in his bed?”
She laughed. “Do I have to name names? Let’s start with my father Zeus. Then Poseidon or Apollo or Ares — ”
“Fools all.” Hades closed the door behind him and leaned against it, watching her. “I am not a fool.”
“No, you aren’t,” she agreed. “Surely you didn’t think our wedding night was over, did you?”
Hades hesitated. Should he tell her? Tomorrow morning their joint dream would end in the face of the cold reality awaiting them in Zeus’ throne room. Persephone didn’t seem to notice his uncertainty. She rose from the chair and the filmy black gown floated around her slender ankles.
“No, our wedding night isn’t over,” she purred. “We still have a great deal to do this night, my husband.”
When she stood just before him, she let her hands rest lightly on his broad chest. Hades looked down at her, stern and silent, while he tried to think of something — anything! — that might help when he broke the news to her. But, when her hands wound around his neck and her delicate body pressed against his, the god suddenly discovered that every thought save one had fled from his mind. His phallus stirred at the brush of her nipples against his flesh.
“What would you have me do, my beloved?” he asked, his voice little more than an aroused growl.
“I don’t know,” she confessed, slanting a look up at him from behind her lashes. “I think you’ll have to teach me more so I can decide what I like best. Until then, however, you can just kiss me. Kissing seems to help your creativity.”
He laughed and pressed a kiss against her brow. Persephone pouted and Hades laughed again. “What? Did that not satisfy you?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“Perhaps this one will work better,” he replied. He pressed his lips to hers with a silent demand. Obediently, she opened her mouth under the pressure of his lips and tongue and sighed contentedly as the kiss intensified. A wave of desire rushed through the god — one so powerful that his knees nearly buckled.
His wife melted against him and Hades forgot they were facing separation. He put the coming day’s battle on Olympus from his mind. Instead, he pulled his young wife into the bed.
Tomorrow was soon enough to worry. For now, he only wanted her.
“My love, there is something I must tell you,” Hades said.
Persephone was cuddled against his chest while he stroked her hair. She kept her eyes on the flickering fire, afraid that if she looked up at him she would give herself away. It was almost impossible to fool Hades in his own realm. “What?”
“I have been commanded by Zeus to bring you to Olympus in the morning.” His voice was cold and distant. Persephone shivered at the sound of it and chanced a look at her husband’s face.
The hurt in his eyes reassured her.
“Why?”
Hades looked away. “Your mother has been grieving for you and the mortal realm suffers as a result. I have been ordered to return you to Demeter, still virgin and — ”
Persephone snickered. “A little late for that, isn’t it?”
Hades didn’t smile in return. “It doesn’t matter. Your mother will not refuse to take you back, will she?”
She thought for a moment. “No, she won’t. Mother wants me to stay a little girl forever, I think. She’s never wanted me to grow up. The vows of marriage we exchanged will have little influence on her. Even if I plead with her, she would insist I come home just for the victory.”
Hades sighed. “That’s what I think too.”
Persephone looked at him curiously. “You’re not going to deny me before the Olympians, are you?”
“Of course not! Why would you think of such a thing?” A spark of fire flickered in his eyes. Persephone smiled and pressed a short kiss against his lips.
“If you will fight for me, love, then I will fight for myself,” she murmured. “I have no desire to leave you. You are my husband and I love you. We’ll just have to find a way to convince Mother — and Zeus too, I suppose — that we are happily married and cannot bear to be parted.”
“It will not be easy,” Hades warned her. “If you want me to fight for you, I will loose all the denizens of my realm to do your bidding.”
“Oh, I don’t think that will be necessary,” Persephone replied. “Fight for me by all means, Hades, but at my side. If I am your queen, I am your equal, yes? We must convince Mother of that or this will fail.”
She rose from the bed, pulling on her black robe and pushing her tangled hair from her eyes. “If we are to go to Olympus in a few hours, I need to get ready. I will face Olympus as a goddess and not a frightened child.”
“Call for Styx; she will help you,” Hades advised. “Do you mind if I stay and watch?”
Persephone shot him a look over her shoulder, her smile gleaming with fun. “Not if you’re going to distract me.”
Hades sighed as he got out of bed. “Then I’d better leave you. All I’m thinking about is distracting you, Persephone. You could appear before the Olympians clad in a servant’s gown and still outshine them all.”
He pressed a proud kiss on top of her rumpled hair. Their eyes met in the mirror, and Persephone asked suddenly, “What if we can’t convince them? What will we do then?”
The change in Hades was alarming. He drew himself up, his black eyes glittering with cold malice. He pulled his tunic and cloak on as the room grew icier with every moment. He strode toward the door, hesitated, and turned back to Persephone.
“I will not permit us to be parted,” her husband said flatly. “If my brother denies our marriage, I will bring the three realms to war.”
With that, the god of the Underworld left the room. Persephone sighed as a tremor of fear raced through her body.
She knew Hades meant what he’d said. He would never let Zeus or anyone else dissolve their marriage. If he did force war upon the three realms, it wouldn’t be the Underworld or Olympus that would suffer. The wars of the divine always took place on the mortal realm. Humanity, already suffering under Demeter’s grief, would suffer even more under Hades’ wrath or Zeus’ fury.
I have made my choice. I must find some way to make Olympus recognize that. She thought of the seven pomegranate seeds she’d eaten to insure that she remained in the Underworld.
The door opened and Styx hurried in. Her lovely face was creased with concern as she asked, “Has Olympus really summoned Hades because of you?”
“Yes,” Persephone said absently. “He’s been ordered to return me to my mother. I need your help, Styx, in order to prevent that from happening. Will you help me?”
“Of course,” Styx said instantly. “What can I do?”
Persephone smiled, and for the first time the chill implacability of the Underworld tainted her face. “They have summoned the Queen of the Underworld, although they do not know it. I think it best that I remind them exactly who I am.”
Styx laughed. “Poor Hades! He has no idea what he’s created, does he?”
Persephone gave in, the imperious expression on her face shattering into her normal, sunny appearance. “None whatsoever,” she said. “Shall we show him?”
Chapter Eight
OLYmPUS WAS FULL NEAR to bursting. The news had spread like wildfire among the immortals. Hades had stolen Demeter’s daughter and taken her to the Underworld and now Zeus had called him to trial before the full court of the gods. Nymphs from the most remote springs on Earth had left their waters behind, curious to see the judgment of the King upon his brother. The twelve Olympians — save for Hades — were already seated on their marble thrones. Demeter’s blonde head was bent over in her grief as she sobbed quietly into her veil. Hera looked disgruntled, much as she did whenever one of Zeus’ innumerable bastards drew her husband’s attention. Aphrodite looked placid and gracious, smiling while her winged son leaned lazily against her thr
one.
Pan glared at Eros from across the room. It took several minutes, but at last the winged god noticed. He frowned slightly, murmured something to his mother, and came to join Pan.
“What did I do?” Eros demanded.
“This is all your fault,” Pan growled under his breath. “If you hadn’t interfered, this disaster wouldn’t be unfolding.”
Eros seized Pan’s arm in a painful grip. “My mother ordered me to do it,” he snarled in a low voice. “What would you have me do? I am bound to obey her will completely and love is her domain. If you would assign fault, cousin, then place it where it belongs!”
Pan squinted up at the angry young god. Eros didn’t look like a boy anymore. All of a sudden, he looked like a man and a forceful one too. He grinned. “One of these days you’re going to defy your mother and all hell will break loose. Personally, I can’t wait.”
Eros watched him suspiciously for a few more moments before finally relaxing into a friendly grin of his own. “How do you know I haven’t already?”
“You haven’t,” Pan said confidently. “But you’re thinking about it.”
Eros’ smile wavered a bit, but before he could reply Hermes stepped in front of Zeus’ great throne and shouted, “Hades, son of Chronos and Rhea, god of Death and King of the Underworld — come forth to stand before the Olympian Court!”
The spectators murmured as Hades entered the throne room. Hades had adorned himself with all the glory of his domain. Garbed in robes of the deepest black, he stood before Zeus with the easy confidence of an equal instead of the meekness of the accused. His dark eyes narrowed when Zeus frowned down at him.
Hades stood alone. He had defied the King of the Gods. Persephone was nowhere to be seen. The god of Death looked around at the seated gods with a lifted brow, showing no unease whatsoever. “You have summoned me, brother? I am here. What do you want?”
“You know very well,” Zeus said softly. “I commanded you to return my daughter to her mother. Where is the child?”
“Child?” Hades looked puzzled, but Pan could see the mocking smile that hovered around his mouth. “I have no child.”
“Don’t play games with me!” Zeus snapped. “You were ordered to bring Persephone with you!”
“Oh, is that what you meant?” Hades laughed and Pan knew a moment of fear. Hades was acting recklessly, almost daring Zeus to confront him more directly. Zeus realized that too. He sat back in his throne and glared at his brother. Hades continued to watch him, that ironic smile firmly in place.
Pan groaned. Hades was just waiting for Zeus to overplay his role so that he could inform all of Olympus that he’d acted with Zeus’ blessing.
“Did you bring the girl?” Zeus asked with quiet menace.
“I brought no girl. I have no interest in girls. I know no girls.” Hades retorted scornfully. “But I do know a woman, a lovely and confident goddess. And so to honor you, my brother, I did bring my Queen.”
“Oh no,” Eros murmured.
“I’m afraid so,” Pan replied behind his hand. “All of us who’ve been involved in this fiasco are going to catch it now.”
“Your what?” Zeus demanded.
Hades’ smile never left his face. “My Queen. My wife, my beloved, my dread goddess. Would you like to meet her?”
Hades didn’t even turn around, but everyone else in the throne room stared at the great entrance. Hurriedly, Pan pivoted to see what they were looking at and he took an involuntary step back.
Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, stood in the doorway. Her once-unruly black curls had been tamed into an intricate coil about her head. Her face was pale and lovely, a smile curving her red lips. She wore a circlet of gold and opals on her head, a matching necklace around her neck. Her filmy dark gown clung to her figure, and a deep neckline revealed the curve of her breasts. She came to Hades’ side and he looked down at her with pride and love.
“What in blazes happened to her?” Eros sounded stunned.
“My guess?” Pan asked whimsically. “Judging from that entrance, I would lay wagers that the new Queen of the Underworld has no intention of returning to her mother.”
He glanced toward Demeter’s throne. She was staring at her daughter, her face pale with shock. Persephone nodded to Demeter casually, as if she were but an acquaintance. The spectators rustled uneasily.
Pan coughed back a laugh. And this is the “child” Hades is supposed to return?
“You married her?” Zeus demanded in a cold voice.
“By her wish and mine,” Hades retorted in a voice even colder. “And by your recommendation as well, my brother.”
Persephone didn’t react to Hades’ statement, although she was surprised by it. If her father had agreed to all this, why was he making such a show of disapproval now? She darted a look at him as he narrowed his eyes at his brother.
“What?”
Persephone forced herself to turn slowly to her mother. Demeter rose from her throne, glaring at Zeus upon his high dais as she approached him. Persephone felt a brief twinge of remorse when she noticed the ravages tears had made of her mother’s face.
She loved her mother. She always would. But Demeter stood between Persephone and the man she loved. If she was to have Hades, her mother had to slip into second place in Persephone’s affections. There was no other way.
“Your recommendation, Zeus? Do you mean to admit to helping this thief steal my daughter?” Demeter shouted.
“I was not stolen,” Persephone interrupted mildly. “Why would you think I was stolen, Mother?”
Even Zeus seemed startled by this announcement. Demeter turned to Persephone in shock. “I have heard from the nymph whose pool he sundered of your kidnapping, Persephone. What has he done to you to make you believe these things?”
Persephone dropped her eyes, intentionally hoping to ease her mother’s anger. “He loves me and I love him too. What began as theft ended in love. I have married him. You brought unwed gods before me and bade me take my choice. Now I have. I am happy with my choice, Mother, and will not leave him now.”
“You will leave him!” Demeter snapped. “You cannot marry without my consent!”
“I had my father’s consent,” Persephone retorted. “Surely the good will of the King of the gods is sufficient?”
Zeus shifted uncomfortably on his throne as both Demeter and Hera glared at him. Hades intervened, his deep voice rolling over the throne room. “Persephone and I were married in our realm by Rhadamanthys before your messenger came,” he said, nodding at Hermes with just a hint of condescension in his smile. The young god flushed angrily as Hades continued. “Our marriage was administered by an immortal, witnessed by an immortal and consummated before Hermes was ever permitted to enter my realm.”
“Which immortal witnessed your marriage?” Zeus asked, his voice going cold.
“Does that matter?” Persephone challenged him. “Immortals aplenty work and live in the Underworld. Need we summon them all to stand before you when they have but done the will of their lord?”
Zeus rose from his throne. Persephone turned to him with a cool look as she stood proudly at her husband’s side. The King of the gods returned her gaze, his brow furrowed in thought.
“Obviously, the Queen of the Underworld does not wish to return to Olympus,” a new voice said quietly. Persephone glanced at Athena, the goddess who’d spoken. She sat on her throne, looking down at Persephone with her steely gray eyes. “Why should we punish Hades for granting Persephone what she wants? It is not so long since we celebrated the marriage of Hebe to Heracles, and that was a match of mortal to immortal. Why, then, is this so different? They are both willing to be wed and appear happy enough in that decision — after all, they have come together to defy you, Father. Why waste our time with a travesty of a trial?”
Athena’s words made a great deal of sense, but Persephone knew that common sense wasn’t a prized commodity upon Olympus.
“No!” Demeter shouted. “
I refuse! Unless my daughter is restored to me, I will shrivel the mortal realm with my wrath. No plant will grow, no animal will bear its young, no human will survive my anger. I will turn the Earth into a barren, empty wasteland. Apollo’s chariot will ride over nothing but deserts and even the sea will shrink against my fury.”
“You make no sense,” Athena said. “Why punish mortals for what immortals have done?”
Demeter turned to the gray-eyed goddess of war coldly. “It works.”
“If they love each other truly, they must stay together,” Aphrodite said. “Otherwise, you will force insult upon my domain.”
“You insult it yourself,” Demeter snapped. “You know no more of love than a rock or a tree.”
Persephone took a deep breath. The moment had come. “Mother, that isn’t fair. I am with my husband by my own choice. Can’t you allow me to live with him, as I wish, and take pity upon the mortal realm?”
“No. You will return home with me. Now.”
Persephone sighed theatrically. She turned to Hades, who stood grim and silent at her side. “We cannot allow the mortal realm to be punished for our actions, my love. It is our responsibility as deities to care for the life on Earth. We cannot be so selfish.”
Hades’ face darkened. Persephone put her delicate hand on his arm and his features softened. “I can deny you nothing, Persephone. What is your will?”
“I must go back to my mother. If she will not stay her hand against humanity, I have no choice.”
“You would leave me?” he asked and his voice cracked in pain.
“I have no choice,” she repeated miserably, dropping her eyes like a guilty child. “We cannot be responsible for such unkind treatment of the mortal realm; we are bound to protect it.”
“You are right,” the god said. He lifted her chin so that she looked up at him. “If Demeter will not reconcile to our marriage, I release you back to her.”
Persephone sobbed and threw her arms around Hades’ neck. He held her tightly for a moment, ignoring the immortals who watched them in mingled pity and regret. Hades kissed her once on the brow, apparently intending to release her, but Persephone cried out in protest and pressed her mouth to his. Hades responded as if he couldn’t help himself, but then reached up and removed her arms from his neck.
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