by M. M. Kin
“You cannot tell me what to do!”
“I am King of the Gods, and you will bow to my authority!” Small bursts of lightning crackled around him.
“You are unfit to hold such authority!” she screamed back at him, her normally verdant eyes taking on an amber tint as her rage increased.
“You may be my child, but I will not brook such insolence!” He made no attempt to stop his Gift from manifesting itself, allowing lightning to dance around his body in an attempt to kow her into obedience.
“I do not acknowledge you as my father!” She refused to be intimidated by what she was seeing. Had the two not been in such a heated argument, she would have enjoyed the visual effect of the electricity arcing and rippling along his form “The man who raised me respected me more than you ever did! He was more of a man than you will ever be!”
That was it! With a sudden roar, electricity burst forth from his body, filling the chamber. Before he could process anything, he found himself knocked back by an unseen force.
o0o
Rhea respected Persephone's request for a private meeting, but she did not retire from the building itself. That proved to be a wise decision once she heard the shouting that burst from the throne room.
She dashed into the room just in time to see her son fly into the air, lightning trailing in his wake like a madly zigzagging comet's tail. He hit one of the pillars with a definitive thud before sliding down it.
“Persephone!” Rhea gaped at her granddaughter. She could feel the energy rolling off Persephone in thick spikes, and she could almost swear that the room was darker, as if Persephone had actually sucked some of the light out of the chamber. Her granddaughter stared at her for several moments, visibly shaking.
Zeus groaned softly, but Rhea ignored him as she rushed to Persephone's side.
“Persephone!” Rhea reached out to squeeze her hands. The younger deity offered no resistance.
“I am done,” Persephone whispered in an almost inaudible voice. “I want to go home.”
“Very well.” Rhea lifted a hand to cup her granddaughter's face, seeing tears brimming in her eyes.
o0o
There was no mistaking the cold fury in Rhea's face as she stalked towards Zeus's Palace with long, rapid footsteps. The Hall was empty, her son having slunk away while Rhea returned Persephone to Eleusis. The door to his private residence banged open as Rhea charged in, seeing him sprawled out on a divan and drinking from a flask.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she snarled. He jerked upright and stared at her.
“Me? She was the one yelling at me!”
“She had every right to!”
“She insulted me and my authority! I am King of Olympus and her father! And you dare scold me for refusing to tolerate such insubordination?”
“You sit on the High Throne by the grace of your brothers!” Zeus's contribution to the overthrow of the Titanomachy was not greater than his brothers, so he actually didn't have any particular bragging rights. By the Hellenic birthright rules, it was Hades who should have taken the High Throne since he was the eldest son. Poseidon was much happier in the sea, and the thought of living up high on a mountain did not appeal to the ocean deity at all. So by pure default – often termed as luck – Zeus had gained the throne.
“I am King nonetheless!”
“That is not an excuse for being so thoughtless!”
“Mama...”
“Hush. I am very disappointed in you. You have made many mistakes in your life, but lately, the consequences of these mistakes have come with great cost.”
“I did not mean to...”
“Whatever your intentions were, the result is the same. You simply do not think enough when you make certain decisions. You have made many good decisions, but also plenty of bad ones. I keep hoping that the consequences of such errors will instill some wisdom into you, but you still fail to seek the counsel of others. I want to see you succeed as King of the Gods, but you cannot do it on your own.”
“But...”
Rhea raised her hand in a gesture for silence. “No excuses. If you want to avoid more unpleasantness, remember that a king can only rule effectively if his subjects are happy with him. Before you act, talk with someone with more sense than yourself.” She raised her hands, and he thought she would strike him, so he flinched back. A quick burst of energy came from her upraised palms, but to his relief, she didn't focus it on him, apparently letting it dissipate into the air. With a haughty sniff, she spun around and retreated from his house.
Oh, hell. Zeus picked up his flask – a mixture of nectar and wine – and wandered into his garden. Sitting among the roses always helped him feel better.
The flask dropped to the grass, liquid sloshing out of it as Zeus stared in horror at what remained of his private sanctuary, realizing just what his mother had done. His beloved rosebushes were nothing more than skeletal bushes, blackened leaves scattered around them. All of the roses had wilted, the grass littered with dried-up, colorless petals.
Chapter L
o0o
Apollo and Dionysus were taking a walk through Olympus, discussing what had happened with Ares and who the beautiful woman was that had been with Grandmother. Naturally, Apollo was delighted with the outcome of his meeting with Father. He was convinced that his brother was incorrigible and should have been sent to Tartarus on the spot, but the God of War had been frightened by Father's words, so he should at least keep out of trouble for a while.
Apollo had learned from experience that even if Ares might be compelled to behave, it never lasted too long. Nearly every god on Olympus had quarreled with Ares in the past over one thing or another. It actually seemed as if Ares enjoyed the fighting, and clearly that was part of the problem.
He nodded at something Dionysus said before both of them noticed Rhea stalking towards them, her lips set in a grim line. Her displeasure was apparent in the set of her shoulders and the briskness of her pace, and for a moment Apollo thought she might be displeased with him. However, she strode past them, and he let out a quiet sigh of relief before he called out to her.
“Grandmother! Is something the matter?”
Rhea paused and looked over her shoulder. “Yes, something is the matter, but you need not concern yourself.”
“Why should I not be concerned when my grandmother looks so unhappy?”
Dionysus nodded in agreement. Rhea smiled knowingly. Like his father, Apollo could be charming, but he tended to make fewer mistakes than the older god.
“Ahh, your father can be stupid sometimes.”
“We know it,” Dionysus commented. “Perhaps a drink with us would make you feel better?”
Rhea let out a short laugh. Nobody could deny the relaxing effects of Dionysus's wine.
“Thank you, but not right now. Perhaps later.”
“Any time! Just let me know.”
“You think a good drink solves everything, don't you?” Apollo teased his younger brother.
“Well, not with Ares because we know how poorly he handles alcohol. But it does work for most everything else.”
Apollo laughed, and Rhea could not help but smile again.
“I do have one question,” the God of Light said as he turned towards his grandmother. “Who was that woman with you?”
“I should have known you would ask...” She considered simply not answering the question, but realized that by doing so, she wouldn't be much better than Zeus or Demeter when they tried to keep secrets. “That is Demeter's daughter.”
The pair of gods stared at her for a moment.
“Her?” Dionysus asked. The general expectation was that Demeter's daughter would look more like her mother. “She is beautiful! Aphrodite will be jealous!”
“There is no need to get ahead of yourselves, boys.” Rhea used the term 'boys' whenever she wanted to remind the gods to behave or scold them. “A few hundred years has passed since Aphrodite came to Olympus and you made so much trouble vying
for her attentions. I'm sure you are much wiser now, are you not?”
“Yes, Grandmother.” Apollo nodded. Still, it excited the gods to think of a fresh new face on Olympus; it had been so long since a new god or goddess joined their ranks.
“When can we meet her? She will be coming back to Olympus, right?” Apollo asked.
“Persephone will come to Olympus when she feels like it...” came the evasive response.
“Oh, come now! Surely you will introduce us to her! You know we'll be kind to her.”
“All the while trying to woo her,” Rhea responded dryly. “Persephone alone will decide who she will meet... if she wants to meet anyone.”
“You will put in a good word for us, won't you?”
“Perhaps. You would not want to seem too eager, would you?” With a knowing expression, she turned away from them and continued walking.
o0o
Persephone sat on a rock in the Eleusinian woods, her chest aching with racking sobs. It certainly wasn't as if she hadn't expected an entirely satisfactory reunion with Zeus, but for him to act so... blasé about what he did to her hurt more than she thought it would. Was it so hard to understand that his daughter might want some say or even a warning after his agreement with Hades? How come she meant so little to him? And then when confronted with a daughter who would not bow to him, he had tried to force his authority on her!
As she recalled just why she was so angry, she broke into a fresh spate of sobbing. Damn him!
“My lady?” she heard a concerned voice ask. She raised her head to see Triptolemus standing beside a tree, maintaining a respectful distance. He was clad in a heavy himation, but a quiver was visible, peeking out of the thick wool at the back of his neck. As she wiped her face with her own wrap, she heard the sound of quietly crunching snow. The prince and his men must be out for a hunting party, she deduced. He had his head inclined in a bow out of respect for her position. Over her time in Eleusis, she had taken notice of him. He was respectful and humble, gracious to his parents and sisters, and deferential to the two goddesses living with his family.
She had also sensed unhappiness within the young man. He was next in line for the throne and though he was intelligent and capable, Persephone had the feeling that he had no desire for the crown.
“Why do you weep, Goddess? Is there something I can do for you?”
Persephone managed a wavering smile. At least Triptolemus was more considerate than Zeus. He would be a good king, whether or not he liked the crown.
“Only if you could allay the source of my tears!” She sniffled softly, swiping her face again with the edge of her himation. “I thank you for your kindness.”
“It is my honor.”
She took a slow breath before managing another slight smile. She could see the admiration in his eyes and while it flattered her, she did not return the feeling. Of course, even if she did, what kind of relationship could she offer him? She was going back to the Underworld in a week!
“I will be all right. I simply want to be alone.”
“As you wish.” He backed away to join his men.
o0o
The weaving room was empty, afternoon having faded away into evening. However, Persephone found out that her night-vision had become especially acute, and she had no difficulty in continuing her project. She was glad for the privacy as she readied her loom, making sure the warp threads were weighed down enough. It'd been a few days since she weaved. She hadn't yet seen Mother, and didn't want to talk to her at the moment.
The weaving provided her with an useful distraction. Having secured all the warp threads, she chose the colors she needed for the weft threads, wanting to do a rainbow so that the cloth was red at one end and violet at the other, and continued her task, enjoying it more without Mother looking over her shoulder. She was already done with the red and orange, and was now using two different shades of yellow. Her hands moved on their own as she thought.
Zeus had already proven himself an unfit father and there was no real reason to confront him again unless she wanted to provoke him further. She had been a bit scared when he made lightning because it had been an impressive sight, but she had only to envision a barrier between him and herself, and look at how well that had worked! At least there was one thing to be happy about. She became more and more confident in her Gift.
“Hello?” she heard Mother call out. She raised her head, seeing her mother's form silhouetted in the doorway.
“Yes?”
“What are you doing in here? There is not even a lamp lit!”
“I can see just fine.”
“Really?” Demeter's tone was doubtful.
“Really.” Persephone smiled before she realized that her mother could barely see in the room. She rose from her seat, approaching the other woman. “I simply wanted to be alone, that is all.”
“Are you all right?”
“... Yes. Right now, I am hungry.”
“Good, because it's nearly supper time.”
o0o
Whenever Demeter and Persephone joined the royal family for supper, Eirene took a seat next to the her friend when she could. She couldn't help but feel more comfortable around Sephie, because Mother simply didn't seem to understand her – or want to. Eirene often felt out of place in the family, even among her own sisters. Being Princesses seemed to come to them naturally, but she didn't like all the expectations that were set upon her.
Demeter had Demophon in his lap, feeding him bits of meat or vegetables from the yummy stew she had made for everyone. The recovery of her little brother was nothing short of a miracle, because before she came, everyone knew he was going to die though nobody wanted to admit it. Mother and Father had made sacrifices to the gods, but they had not answered. Now he was walking – even running – and his limbs and cheeks were round and rosy. He already had a few teeth, and he chewed on whatever Demeter gave him before opening his mouth for more. His nurse was attentive, making sure to not give him pieces that were too large.
“Can I feed him?” Eirene asked. Demeter smiled and nodded, so she plucked a pea from her bowl and lifted it to her brother's mouth. He clamped down on her fingers, and she laughed.
She could see how happy Mother and Father were that he was alive and well. After eating several more pieces of meat and vegetables, he started to fuss, reaching with his little plump hands for a dish that bore sliced fruit. Everyone laughed at that.
o0o
Persephone sat in the bathtub, her hands on her knees as her head lolled against the edge. Mother had a loom in her room, so she sat in the corner weaving designs of leaves and fruit against a light green background while her daughter bathed.
When she was finished with her bath, she grabbed the towel that sat on the stool next to the tub, holding it up to cover her nakedness as she rose from the water. Nakedness among the same gender was a normal thing, as men and women often bathed publicly with members of the same sex. She had done so with the princesses a few times in the bath room, but Persephone felt shy about her nakedness even in front of other women. Mother's initial reaction to the changes of her body made her especially hesitant to bare her flesh.
Mother barely glanced her way when she retreated to her own room to get dressed. When she came out, the tub was empty and propped against the wall. It took little effort for Demeter to merely lift the tub and pour the water out of the window with her divine strength.
Persephone glanced at her mother's weaving. It was no surprise that Mother had incorporated plants into her design, it was her favorite motif.
“You told me you would talk about what was bothering you,” Mother reminded her as she next to the fire. Persephone stared at the dancing flames before she looked up at her mother.
“I... talked to Zeus.”
“... Oh.” Mother's stare became intense as she waited for details. “Well, how did it go?”
“Not so well.”
Mother didn't look too surprised. “Really...” she commented
in a deadpan tone.
“I remember the first time I met him. He was so kind to me and so... friendly. I could not understand why you did not want to associate with him. I wondered about that for a very long time.”
Mother sighed quietly and nodded.
“He made his agreement with Hades without consulting me or even warning me. I asked him why. He just... acted as if it were nothing. He thought it there was nothing wrong with it because Hades promised him that he would not hurt me. As if that was supposed to make it all just fine, to decide something like that as if my feelings did not matter at all.”
Demeter groaned softly as she rubbed her temples. “That is but one of the many reasons why I did not want to acknowledge him as your...” She choked on the last word.
“You do not have to.” Persephone's smile was wry. “I certainly refuse to consider him as such. I even told him that Iasion was more of a man than he could ever be.”
“You said that?” Demeter asked with shocked delight.
Persephone nodded as she grinned. “I also called him stupid, and told him that he was unfit to hold the authority of King of the Gods!”
Demeter almost couldn't believe it. Her daughter, her sweet, little daughter had said that to mighty Zeus himself?
“What did he do?” Demeter asked in a hushed whisper.
“Well, he tried to make me submit to his... authority.” She emphasized the last word in a mocking tone. “He had the lightning... it was all over his body...” With her hands, she gestured at how the electricity arced along his body, and Demeter nodded, having seen it several times before.
“But I... pushed. Like when you tried to make me a little girl again. I just... would not let it happen. And then bam! He flew up in the air!” She swept her arm up to emphasize her words. “And then he hit the pillar and slid down to the ground.”