by M. M. Kin
Hades was usually able to figure things out quickly, but this was something he had been puzzling over in the last couple of months. The most plausible thing he could think of was that she had been given the information. But by whom?
“Do I need to remind you of the fact that it was your own callousness that set Demeter in her fury?”
Zeus crossed his arms and looked away.
“I had merely thought to come up here and visit with you, and I am not responsible for you bringing up the subject of Persephone.”
“Her name is Kora,” was all Zeus could offer, remembering Demeter's insistence on that name.
“Her name... is Persephone.” Hades's tone was steely as he glared at his brother. Zeus blinked and took a step back.
“Kora does not suit her. She is an extraordinary woman. Not that you would know.”
“Leave me alone.”
“All right then.”
When Zeus turned around, his brother was gone.
o0o
Persephone sat next to the fire in her mother's room, comfortably full after the meal Mother had put together for both of them. Demeter also had a ravenous appetite, and Persephone made note of this. Before, Mother had always disappeared to do her duties, never allowing her daughter to see firsthand what she was capable of. She would be gone for days, but this hadn't been an issue when Iasion was still alive.
A casual observer might have thought that eating was a competition between the two of them. Mother had assembled a feast that could easily feed Metaniera and her family, yet between the two of them, the platters and bowls were quickly emptied of their contents. She was hungrier than she had thought, and apparently Mother suffered the same consequences of using her Gift in such a widespread way.
Persephone used this quiet time to assess the events of today, especially what she had done in Olympia. She wasn't sure where the idea of the web had come from. It had simply seemed like a natural way to connect the dots, to make sure that no living thing that remained in Olympia was left out of her healing magic.
Having used her Gift in such an incredible way, the thought of returning to the Underworld filled her with apprehension. She let out a quiet sigh as she fiddled with the corner of her tunic.
“Is something the matter? Have you had enough to eat?”
“Yes, Mother.” Persephone kept her gaze averted.
“Something is worrying you.” Demeter's tone was patient and gentle, and Persephone looked up at her. What can I say? How best to approach the subject of her inevitable return to the Underworld?
“Well....” She took a deep breath, slightly reassured by her mother's encouraging nod. “I was just thinking about Hades, and...”
“Why dwell on such unpleasant matters?” Demeter asked. “It is over.”
“That is not what I meant. I just...” She looked at the fire. “I was treated kindly down there. I bear no ill will towards Hades.”
“You should! He kidnapped you!” Mother was getting worked up again, much to Persephone's horror.
“Well, yes, I was angry about that, but...”
“There is no more reason to speak of him.”
After hearing the anger in her mother's tone, Persephone quickly fell silent. Maybe another time, but definitely not right now. She wouldn't have even brought it up if Mother didn't ask her these questions!
“I suppose not,” she replied acquiescently, “I am full from all that wonderful food you gave me. I need some fresh air, so I will go sit in the garden.”
o0o
Being alone in the garden had given Persephone some time to think. She knew she had to tell Mother the truth about Hades. But how could she do so without sending her dear mother into a rage? It was one thing to have nightmares, but she had seen the bleak surroundings of Olympia up close, giving a terrifying dimension to her nightmares. She could never forget, ever.
She wanted to enjoy her time up here, but it was hard to do between Hades's promise and Mother's anger. Couldn't a compromise be made? Despite Mother's concessions, it was clear that the older goddess had made up her mind about some things.
Well, so has Hades. What about you?
o0o
Persephone let her mother fuss over her, tucking her into bed. Sometimes it felt nice to be... mothered. She tilted her face to let Mother give her a good-night kiss. Being tucked in and kissed had been a routine between the two of them, and she actually enjoyed it. Mother certainly did.
She lay there in the silence as Mother retreated from the small room. She wasn't afraid of the dark, especially after being in Dis, but she felt alone. It had been only two nights, and already she missed Hades's presence. It was nice having him to snuggle up with under the soft blankets, or to feel him holding her. Mother had left her with an adequate amount of blankets and warm clothing, but she still felt a slight chill.
She wrapped herself within the blankets, much like a cocoon. It was something she had always liked doing, especially during the winter months. When she was little, Father would make a game of 'unwrapping' her from her self-imposed confinement and be rewarded with plenty of hugs and kisses from his daughter.
But Father was dead, and given his decision to go to Lethe, she would probably never see him again. Hades had been so considerate about the whole matter. His kindness and thoughtfulness made her miss him all the more.
“Aidon...” she whispered fiercely.
o0o
In his bed, Hades stared up at the ceiling. The sky outside his Palace was dark to mimic the night on the surface world, so he knew that by now, Persephone would most likely be sleeping.
The bed was so empty without her. It wasn't simply because she was a fun person to share pleasure with; rather it was her very presence that brought him happiness as he had never known. All he wanted to do at the moment was to simply hold her, inhale her scent and feel her skin under his hands. His home was a darker place without her – figuratively and literally.
Almost as if on cue, he heard his name. He raised his head, looking around in surprise. The entire Palace was entirely devoid of souls – living or dead – yet he could have sworn that he heard someone say his name.
He wasn't given to fits of fancy, and considered himself a grounded person. He wasn't the kind of person to create something out of nothing, and his keen senses told him what he already knew, that there was nobody around who could have said his name or anything else! Yet he had heard the voice clearly, soft, sweet, and sad, full of longing.
He glanced up at the ceiling again, feeling a fresh surge of loneliness.
Chapter XLVII
o0o
Several more days passed as Persephone experimented with her powers. She went with Mother to the ravaged areas that remained, becoming more and more experienced with her Gift. She did not feel as drained as she had the first time, though she still felt weak after each feat and needed to eat lots of food to restore her energy, just like Mother.
Things weren't entirely peaceful between them. Mother still refused to call her 'Persephone' but at least she didn't use 'Kora' either, and there were times when Mother tried to dictate her schedule, like right now.
It was an especially cold morning, with a light snow falling outside. She was eager to go outside and take a walk in the city and get away from Mother's constant attention.
“I do not want to weave. Or do anything related to weaving.” No matter how much Mother might try to ingrain it into her, she simply didn't enjoy weaving, period. It might serve as an useful distraction sometimes – or give her something to do with her hands – but nothing could rouse her enthusiasm for this chore. Mother should go weave with Hestia if she wanted a companion for this task, then. Persephone certainly had heard enough about Hestia's talents!
“Come on.” Demeter squared her shoulders. “You have yet to finish your project.”
“I will finish it later.” She could not help but recall Eirene and her obvious dislike of the craft. It turned out that the girl had a talent for music a
nd while her mother didn't try to suppress it, it was clear that making her daughter weave was more important than encouraging her natural talent to Metaniera. Eirene was full of energy, and when she wasn't seated, she liked to dance or skip or run. The goddess empathized with the mortal girl.
“No, now. Weaving is important.”
“Yeah. For you,” Persephone muttered dryly.
“What was that?” came the terse reply. Before her kidnapping, Persephone would have been too afraid to repeat herself. This time she repeated her words clearly and loudly.
“I will not be disrespected.”
“Neither will I!” Persephone raised her chin defiantly. The pair stared at one another for a moment that seemed to stretch on for eternity.
“Oh, now I am disrespecting you because I simply want you to do a chore?”
“You know I do not like weaving.” She didn't mind other chores – sweeping the floor, feeding and tending animals, harvesting various fruits or herbs, cooking, or preserving food for the winter months. She had never had an issue with taking responsibility for chores, but she would be damned if she was going to do something just because Mother said so!
“That does not matter. If everybody only did the things they liked, nothing would get done!”
Persephone didn't even attempt to stop herself from rolling her eyes. “Hades never made me do it.” The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop herself, and she flinched slightly at sudden pained expression on Mother's face.
“... Is that so?” Mother narrowed her eyes.
“Yes.”
“Well, you are not in the Underworld anymore, are you?” Demeter asked crisply after quickly collecting herself. “Come with me.”
Rather than try to argue the matter further, she simply took a deep breath, vanishing from sight. She remained where she was in her seat, silent as open irritation burst forth on her mother's features.
“Are you going to do this every time I ask you to do something you do not want?”
“You never asked.” Persephone's voice was clear, appearing to materialize from the air itself.
Demeter clenched her jaw. Before the kidnapping, Kora had always been easy to manage. Yes, she could be a bit rebellious at times – but then, that was entirely normal for any child, god or mortal. Usually a stern warning was enough to compel her daughter to obedience. Now, with the newly revealed aspects of her daughter's Gift, it was unpleasantly apparent that she could no longer be compelled to do anything.
When the younger woman suddenly came into visibility again, Demeter was unnerved as she recalled the fact that Hades had done the same thing on several occasions. It was most certainly not unheard of for different gods to share a similar Gift, except that Hades had always used his famed helmet of invisibility... Like everyone besides Persephone, Demeter was not privy to the fact that Hades was able to manifest this Gift on his own.
“Enjoy your weaving. I'm going outside.” Persephone rose to her feet.
o0o
Eirene stared at her loom, tempted to just tear all the threads out. Weaving had never been her strong suit. Her rows were never tight enough, and it was agony to spin thread or yarn. The repetitive task of weaving the rows, up and down, up and down, up and down made her want to scream sometimes. She found it impossible to sit still for more than a few minutes, and this inevitably gained her a good amount of scolding from her mother. She envied her oldest sister; Thalassa enjoyed it and she always did such beautiful work! Her patience and creativity seemed endless, and Eirene wished there was some way that Thalassa could share some with her.
As much as she tried, she simply could not enjoy the craft. It was so boring, and she bit back a groan of frustration as she finished a row, fiddling with the loose yarn and twirling it around her fingers. Fortunately, Mother was so focused on her own weaving that she did not notice, so Eirene continued to twist the yarn, winding and unwinding it around her fingers or thumbs in a sort of game of cat's cradle.
Thalassa glanced at her sister, but said nothing. It was no secret that the youngest princess hated being in this room. Eirene was such a lively dancer, and despite her young age, had found a natural affinity with music. Thalassa herself was far more graceful with her hands than her feet, and the few times she had tried her sister's flute or lyre, it sounded terrible. She had tried to teach her youngest sister a few tricks to improve her weaving, and it was clear that Eirene had tried to apply the information, but she had no more talent for it than her elder sister did for music and dance.
Unfortunately for Eirene, she lived in a time where nobody knew of much less understood such terms as 'learning disability' or 'attention deficit', otherwise her mother would have been considerably more understanding about her daughter's restlessness and energy.
“Eirene, you have barely started and already you are just sitting there and playing with the yarn!” Metaniera's irritation was obvious. The other princesses continued working, not wishing to draw their mother's attention towards themselves; Mother could be formidable when she was angry. She didn't become upset as much as she had when Demophon was sick, but she could still be provoked, especially by her youngest daughter.
Every year, Eirene dreaded the winter months because this meant more time spent in the Palace; and more time under her mother's supervision.
“So sorry I am not the perfect princess like Thalassa,” Eirene muttered.
“What was that?” Metaniera stared at her daughter sternly. Thalassa pressed her lips together. Aethra and Melinoe glanced at one another, and the room filled with an uncomfortable silence as Eirene stared down at her hands, twisting the yarn and giving her mother no response.
After several moments, the eldest princess finally spoke. “I will be happy to finish that cloth. I would rather listen to her music, anyway.”
Simultaneously, Melinoe and Aethra held back sighs of relief before glancing at their mother and nodding eagerly.
“Very well.” Metaniera bit back her irritation and gave them a curt nod.
When Eirene retrieved her lyre and started playing, she found it hard to focus on even that. The only reason she was able to play it now was because of her sisters' intervention, and it was clear that Mother was just humoring them. Why can't she humor me, Eirene thought to herself, and her inner turmoil played itself through her music. It wasn't light or graceful, and she could see Mother's growing impatience as she tried to make the music more sweet, but she simply wasn't capable of that ordinarily simple feat at this time.
Persephone strolled along the veranda that hugged the large courtyard before music filled the air. She and Hades would sometimes listen to music or watch dances, and the artists of Elysium were all too happy to put on performances for them. She could feel the frustration and anger in the music that was wafting through the halls of the Palace.
She paused outside the chamber where Metaniera and her daughters were. Her own mother was not with them, since she was currently with Demophon, taking care of the baby so that Metaniera could focus on her duties.
The subtle cues in Eirene's body language alerted Persephone to the girl's discomfort. She also sensed a mixture of impatience, nervousness, concern, and unhappiness from the room's occupants. Over the last few days as she got to know the royal family better, she had picked up a strain in the relationship between Metaniera and Eirene. It wasn't intentional by any means and she knew that Metaniera loved all of her children, but the personalities of the mother and her youngest daughter simply were too different to guarantee a harmonious relationship. In ways, it reminded Persephone of her own conflicts with Mother.
The goddess stepped through the doorway, drawing their attention. Her presence was met with bowed heads and respectful greetings.
“What brings you here, my lady? Have you come to join us?” Metaniera asked. Persephone smiled at her sweetly and shook her head.
“I am here because I need Eirene to come with me.”
“What for?”
“You d
are question a goddess?” Persephone hated pulling rank and preferred to go under the guise of a mortal when she went into the city, but being a deity did have its advantages. She regarded the queen calmly as Metaniera set her lips in a tight line for a brief moment.
“No, my lady.” The matriarch of the family bowed her head.
o0o
It was an especially windy day, but Eirene did not complain as she pulled the cowl over her head. She had been envious of Melinoe since her older sister was now a priestess-in training, and was gone a good amount of the time, meaning that she was often excused from weaving or other chores to go to the temple.
“Thank you for taking me with you!” Eirene said, her cheeks flush from cold and happiness.
“I don't like weaving any more than you do,” Persephone replied with a knowing smile as she looked down at the young princess.
“Doesn't your mother make you sit with her?”
“When I was little, yes she did. I absolutely hated it. She would talk about how wonderful Hestia's weaving was and how all women should learn the craft. But she said it so often it just...” The older woman shrugged.
“Yeah. You hear it so many times you just stop listening. Especially when Mother does not listen to you.”
“Exactly.”
Eirene nodded eagerly. It was inevitable that anyone born and raised in Hellas should know the myths of their gods. They could bless or curse you, depending on their mood. She'd never met any gods until Doso revealed herself to be a mighty Goddess. She had always seen the deities as lofty, unconcerned by mortal issues except to get involved when it struck their fancy. After all, look at the state of the city before Demeter intervened, and she had been very aware of the strain in the family due to outside circumstances even though Metaniera considered her too young to explain the problems to.