The Story of Hades and Persephone

 

 

Prologue

 

Once upon a time in Greece, there was a beautiful young girl named Persephone.  She was the daughter of Demeter, who was the goddess of the harvest.  Persephone was a girl who was full of light, laughter, high spirits, youthful vigor, and most of all, beauty.  Instead of spending time on Mount Olympus with the other gods, mother and daughter would spend most of their time on Earth instead.  Persephone loved nature, and so she’d always be found frolicking in the flower-laden fields with her friends.

It was this light, laughter, and beauty that drew the affections of the grim, dark Hades, Lord of the Underworld.  He’d been very lonely for a long time in his dark and dreary palace under the world, and one day upon gazing into his reflecting pool, he first laid his green eyes upon the lovely maiden.  The rest, as it was said, was history.

Many know the story that they were told: Hades kidnapped Persephone and made her his bride.  Her mother, in grief for her lost daughter, made mankind suffer with her as bitter cold descended upon the world.  Zeus, taking pity on them, said that Persephone could leave Hades with one condition: that she eats nothing of the food of the dead.  Hades knew this, so he managed to persuade the young girl to eat something for her return trip to Earth.  Unfortunately for her, she did not know of the condition, so she ate four pomegranate seeds before she left.  When she went back to Earth, she found that since she had eaten those pomegranate seeds, she would have to return.  Again taking pity on mother and daughter, Zeus managed to make a compromise.  For each seed that was eaten, Persephone would spend one month down in Hades, and the rest of the year she would spend on Earth.  It is during those four months that winter would fall on mankind, the world suffering Demeter’s grief.

What would surprise everyone was the fact that Hades did, indeed, win the heart of fair Persephone.  The story I tell now is how exactly that surprising (and, thought by many, to be impossible) feat was accomplished.

 

 

 

Chapter One

 

 

The day was sunny and bright, and a beautiful young girl, along with her friends, were running and laughing through a colorful field of flowers.  They all had baskets on their arms, and all were laughing gaily as they ran through the field.  This beautiful young girl stopped laughing, and squinted just a bit at something far away.  She shielded her eyes from the sun in order to get a better view.

“Persephone, I think it’s time for us to go home”, one friend said.  “The sun is going to go down soon, and our baskets are overflowing already.”

“Oh…I think I see a narcissus”, she cried happily, ignoring her friend’s comment.  “Go on without me, I’m going to go get it!!”  She ran over to the patch of field where she thought she saw the flower, and knelt down on the fragrant grass.  She picked the flower, and held it to her nose, inhaling its sweet scent, her eyes drifting closed and a gentle smile stretching over her face.  Oh, how she loved flowers!!  Her own basket was overflowing, and she laid the blossom amongst the other blossoms that were there.  She saw a few other beautiful blossoms that she liked, so she began to slowly pick them and lay them carefully into her basket.

She didn’t notice the rumbling at first, but when she heard it, she disregarded the sound in favor of the beautiful flowers that were in front of her.  But the rumbling grew louder, and the ground began to shake.  She stood, picked up her basket and took a few steps, but the ground’s shaking grew so much that she fell backwards on her bottom, dropping the basket.  A few of the blossoms fell on the grass out of the basket just as the ground opened.

She merely watched, wide eyed, as suddenly a huge chariot came out from the enormous hole in the ground.  The horses it was attached to were massive, black horses with red eyes that snorted fire.  The chariot itself was a dark gray metal.  As imposing as the chariot was, it was nothing compared to the driver.

The driver himself was a frightening vision.  A massive giant of a man, with eyes that glowed with green fire.  Ink markings sleeved his arms, and auburn hair flowed out from the black helmet that was on his head.  Garbed in black, his legs bare save for a pair of sandals laced up to his knee, he truly made a picture of imposing authority.

Her eyes darted to her basket, which was now fodder for the horses’ pawing hooves.  The narcissus that she’d been so intent to get was now crushed, which broke her heart.  She shed a tear for the now ruined flowers, and then looked back to the driver of the massive chariot.

They locked eyes for what seemed like forever.  It was as if his gaze cast a spell on her, and she took a tentative step forward.  He then blinked, making the fog in her head clear.  She shook her head, and her eyes widened in horror as he turned his horses in her direction.  She turned and began to run, hearing to her terror the horses’ thundering hooves behind her.  Her legs took her as fast as they could take her, but the horses quickly gained on her.  She felt a hand grasp her arm firmly and pull her into the cab of the chariot, making her scream.

The massive driver held her wriggling form firmly to his large body with one arm, and drove the chariot with the other.   He turned the horses around and drove back through the hole in the ground, the hole closing up behind him.  Her scream was silenced as the ground sealed itself, the only evidence of the encounter being her basket, and the crushed flowers beside it.

Hades, the driver of the chariot, knew he was being rash.  He also knew that there would be serious repercussions to his actions, but one look at the young girl who was wriggling frantically in his arms, he also knew that he would not change a single action he’d taken today should he have the chance to change them.

The girl continued to scream and try to desperately release his iron grip, but it was to no avail.  She stopped to look up at him, breathing heavily.  There were tears in her eyes, and for a moment, she looked as if she was dizzy.  A moment later, her head flopped limply backward as she fainted.

Hades gazed down at her now thankfully still form as his chariot slowed and stopped at his Underworld Palace’s stall.  Her golden hair was tumbling down her back in waves, and her body, though inadvertently, was pressing up against his.  Her skin was warm from the sun, the heat soaking into his own body.  Unable to help himself, he bent his head and hovered his nose a millimeter from the skin of her neck, and inhaled deeply.  She smelled of warm honeysuckle.

Growling, he swept her up and alighted from his chariot, and walked through the palace, carrying her as if she were a rag doll.   He carried her throughout his palace until he finally arrived at his own bedchambers, and gently lay her on his bed.  His bed was draped in dark, muted colors, and it was as if she were a light source in herself, seeming as if she were glowing on the dark silk.

He set up a chair in the shadows in the corner of the room, and made himself comfortable.  He merely sat there, watching her, her chest rising and falling as she breathed deeply.  Her left hand was draped over her belly, and her right hand was resting right next to her face. He waited there for a good three hours until she finally woke.

 

 

Chapter Two

 

 

Persephone’s eyes fluttered a moment, before they fully opened.  She put a hand on her forehead, nursing a throbbing in her head.  She then sat up, massaging her forehead for a bit, before memory sank in.  She looked around with her eyes wide, her head moving slowly from side to side as she took in her new surroundings.  Slowly, she went to slide off the bed, not once noticing the figure that was hiding in the corner, the shadows hiding him effectively.  She jumped, yelping when she heard a voice speak, seemingly from the air.

“You’ve finally awoken”, the voice said, the deep baritone startling her.

She jumped back into the middle of the bed, and backpedaled so she was cowering against the headboard.  “W-where am I?” she asked fearfully.

“You need not worry”, the voice replied.  “You’re in my home.”

“Who are you?  What do you want with me?” she asked frantically.  She cowered even more against the headboard, trying to make herself as small as possible.

She saw someone moving in the shadows, and a moment later the figure made itself visible.  Her eyes widened when she saw the driver of the chariot.  The man moved slowly, as one would move in front of a frightened deer as not to startle it.  He moved until he was standing at the foot of the bed.  He didn’t say a word as he looked at her.  After a long moment, he finally spoke.

“It seems in all my haste that I forgot to introduce myself”, he chuckled.  He then gave her a small, formal bow.  “My name is Hades, God of the Underworld, at my lady’s service.”

“U-underworld?” Persephone squeaked.  “Am I dead?”

“No, you’re not”, Hades said.

“Then why did you bring me here??” she asked.

“I could tell you that I brought you here to be my captive, but that wouldn’t be true”, he replied.  He slowly sat down on the corner of the bed.

She couldn’t help but notice that predatory twinkle in his eyes as he sat down.

“I brought you here because I have been searching for a bride for a very long time”, he continued.  “It just so happened that a while back I was looking through my reflecting pool, and I had beheld the most enchanting creature that my eyes had ever had the privilege to see.”  In a flash, she found herself on her back on the bed, his large form pinning her there.  “The very moment that I saw you, I knew that my search was over.  I knew that I had to have you, no matter what it took.”  His enormous hands began stroking her sides, making her whimper, and look up at him with tear filled eyes.

“P-please let me go”, she whispered, gasping softly when she felt his hands still stroking her sides.

His face turned grim.  “I’m sorry, but I can’t allow you to leave”, he replied.  “I can’t chance allowing you to slip through my fingers.”  His hand went up her side, over her neck, and up to cup her face.  “Beyond reason, I have fallen for you, Persephone.  I was resigned to settling for mere companionship instead of love, but then I saw you.”  His eyes began to roam over her face, down her neck, and he had to raise his body up just a bit to roam over the rest of her.  “The fact that you are exceedingly beautiful is merely a bonus.”

“I…I can’t stay here”, she cried desperately, beginning to struggle again.  Her struggles only made him hold her wrists to either side of her head.  “I can’t stay here in the darkness!!”

“Many believe that it is very dark down here”, Hades said softly, “But there are many things you do not know about the Underworld.”

“I-I don’t care!!” she cried.   “You can’t keep me here!! I want to go home!!”

“How can you go home, when the preparations are so very close to being completed?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.  At her gaping expression, he continued.  “When I said that I wasn’t going to allow you to slip through my fingers, I meant it.”  His hands resumed in stroking her sides, making her wriggle more.  “How can a wedding happen without the beautiful, blushing bride?”  His hands settled on her hips as he looked down at her.  Her face was flushed from exertion, and her eyes were wide.  Her plump lips were slightly parted, and her chest was heaving in trying to catch her breath.

The pull that made him close the gap between them was far too strong for even Hades to resist.  He was helpless against it as he dipped his head and kissed her as thoroughly as he could.

The very moment that his lips touched hers, sparks ran all through her body, and to her surprise, they weren’t unpleasant sparks.  She began to wriggle again as his mouth thoroughly ravaged hers, and for a completely different reason.  Little squeaks issued from her mouth as his lips removed themselves from hers, and trailed little kisses over her jaw and down her throat.  His hands were now roaming upwards to cup her full, heaving breasts, his face nuzzling and suckling at the flesh there.

‘Mother…’, she thought, trying desperately to resist the power his hands and lips had on her, ‘Mother, help me!!  Please…help me!!’

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Meanwhile, Demeter, who was on Mount Olympus, heard her daughter’s desperate pleas as she was resting in the Palace’s Garden, with her eyes closed.

‘Mother…Mother, help me!! Please…help me!!’

Demeter’s blue eyes snapped open wide.  “Persephone!!”, she breathed.

She then ran out of the Palace’s Garden.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Persephone was a mere split second away from succumbing to his charms, when he suddenly wrenched his lips from her sweet, soft skin, growling, and was now standing at the foot of the bed with his back to her.

“I’m sorry”, he panted, his own breathing as hard as hers was.  “Forgive me…please know that it was not my intention to maul you as soon as you awoke.”

She merely raised herself on her elbows, her hair disheveled, and her face even more flushed than it was before.  Her skin was still just the tiniest bit moist from his tongue tasting her flesh just above the collar of her dress.  Her body was still tingling from what his hands and lips were doing to her just moments before.

He looked on her again, his green eyes darkened to near black.  “Were circumstances different, I’d most assuredly jump back into this bed with you, but seeing as we’re so close to our wedding, I thought that it would be prudent to wait.”  His eyes did another once over on her body, this time lustful, and continued.  “If you’ll excuse me, there are some last minute details I must oversee.”  Before he could jump back into the bed and thoroughly ravish her, he stalked out of the room, leaving a confused, frightened, and altogether frustrated Persephone behind.

 

 

Chapter Three

 

Demeter raced through the Celestial Palace, and ran to her room as she waved her hand over her reflecting pool.  What she saw made her immortal blood run cold.

Her friends were calling her name, the sky behind them dark.  Demeter watched as one of them gave a panicked cry, and the others ran over to her.  She, along with those who were searching saw the basket and the crushed flowers.  Closing her eyes, she concentrated, and upon opening them, she was standing beside them.

“What’s happened to my daughter??” Demeter cried.

“We were picking flowers this afternoon”, one said, looking panicked, “When I said that it was time for us to go because it was getting dark.”  The girl looked positively shame faced as she faced the goddess, who was growing angry.  “She told us to go on ahead, because she had seen a narcissus.  We’d gone on ahead because she told us to, but hours went by and she hadn’t shown.”  She looked up at Demeter.  “I swear to you, we didn’t see anything.  If we had, we’d have come straight to you!!”

Demeter’s rage grew.  “Why did someone not stay with her??” she roared.  “Why did you leave her alone here??”

Her friends stood, mute, as they stared at their shoes, looking equally as shame faced as their other friend.

Demeter ran a hand through her own blonde hair in frustration.  “Don’t just stand there”, she snapped.  “Keep looking!!”

The girls scattered as they, along with Demeter, searched every inch for Persephone, but she did not answer to her calls.

‘Persephone!! Persephone, where are you??’, she called through their mental link.

‘M-Mother??  Mother, help me!!  Please!!  He has me, and I can’t get out!!’

‘Who?? Who has you, Persephone??’

‘Mother, please hurry!! He’s coming!! Please come get me!!’

‘Persephone, for me to help you, you must help me!! Now, WHO has you??’

Persephone’s please continued, despite Demeter’s attempts to get her to talk.

‘Mother, PLEASE!! I don’t think I can resist him for long!! Please take me home!!’  The girl’s voice grew even more panicked.  ‘Mother, he’s here!! Please, please come get me!!”

‘Persephone, please TELL ME!! WHO HAS YOU??’

‘Mother, it’s HIM!! It’s-‘

Demeter became startled as the connection to her daughter was suddenly cut off.  Try as she might, she couldn’t restore it.

‘The only ones who can cut off my connection is a God’ Demeter thought frantically.  She had to get back to Olympus.  She just KNEW that Zeus would be able to help her.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Persephone gaped up at Hades, who had returned to the bedroom that she was in, with his arms folded, and smirking down at her.

‘Mother?? MOTHER?? Mother, can you hear me?!’  Unfortunately, no matter how many times she tried to reach her mother again, the connection was broken.

“Now, I can’t have any nosy bodies interrupting my future bride’s rest, can I?” he asked.  He slowly walked up to the bed as she slowly backpedaled up to the headboard.  With that same slowness, he sat down on the corner, and began crawling up the bed, stalking her every move.  “Now, my dear, just WHERE exactly was I when other duties called me away?”  He got her on her back again, and was pinning her there with his huge body.  “Hmm, now I remember.  Right about…here.”  He then attached his lips to the skin right above where her left breast disappeared underneath her dress, and suckled gently, his hands roaming over her.

“B-but…but y-you said…”, she gasped, her body involuntarily arching into him.  Those pesky, insistent sparks went through her again at his touch.

“I know”, he half growled, half groaned against her skin.  “I was going to stay away from this room for the rest of the night, but I couldn’t seem to do it.”  He dragged his lips up her neck to a spot right behind her right ear, making her squeak, her body bucking into him.  This made him growl a bit louder, and his lips sealing on that spot behind her ear.  This made her wriggle more into him, which made him file this information away in his mind for future use.  “I had…to taste…your soft…supple…and perfect skin again”, he continued, punctuating each thought with a kiss to her throat.   “I can’t stop…by Zeus, I can’t stop…  I’m trying, Persephone.  By the gods, I’m trying…” He sounded so desperate as he continued to rain kisses over her skin.

She whimpered as his lips burned their trail into her flesh, not even registering the fact that he was now moving his body so that he was nestled comfortably between her thighs.  She yelped as he ground himself into her.

“So sweet”, he murmured, his hands roaming over her form still.

Her resistance melted away at that moment, her hands lifting to run through his hair.  Her mind whirled as the sparks grew in intensity until fire was roaring through her veins.  She gasped as she felt his hands tug at the top of her dress, and suddenly felt his lips, mouth and hands over her now bare breasts.  Groaning, she arched up into his mouth as his palms reshaped the firm mounds, the heat from his tongue flicking over her left nipple.

No matter how much he forced himself, he didn’t have the willpower to stop what he was doing.  He continued to lavish this sort of attention on her for a little while before his hands abandoned her breasts and moved downward to rest on her bare knees.  His hands slid up her thighs, bunching the fabric as they went, until he was nestling against the core of her, the heat radiating from the spot making him dizzy.  He then began grinding himself into her even more, making little mewls and yelps come out of her full mouth.

“Hmm”, he purred against her skin, “You make such interesting sounds when aroused.”

His voice was like a douse of cold water over her head.  She began to wriggle again, but he just held her fast.

“No, please”, he said, sounding amused.  “Don’t cease those delightful sounds on my account.”  He resumed his attentions on her, and making her groan, and melt once again.

He ground into her repeatedly, making her cry out and shudder, the fire in her bursting in a blinding flash of light behind her closed eyelids.

He growled as she suddenly came apart in his arms, holding her close as her shudders wracked her body.  By Zeus, if she was this receptive to this sort of touch, then he can only imagine if he TRULY took her to his bed.  The very thought made his head spin even more than it had a few moments ago.  He felt her go limp, and looked down at her as she looked up at him with wide eyes.

Persephone’s mind was reeling.  By the gods, that was unlike anything she’d ever felt before!!  That feeling both thrilled her and frightened her in equal measure.  And what frightened her most was that the feeling was given to her by the man who’d kidnapped her!!  Her breathing was coming in pants as her body calmed.

He nuzzled her neck, as his hands and mouth continued to lavish attention on her, his touch becoming more gentle and less frenzied as he did so.  His own desire was screaming to be fulfilled, but he decided to wait on it.  It would be far sweeter if he waited…he just knew that the first time he really took her was going to be EXPLOSIVE, judging by what had just happened.

He continued his chosen course, and just when it was getting heated again, he heard a knock on the door.

“My lord”, an amused voice called through it.  “There are still some things we have to go over.  And, unfortunately, it can’t wait.”

There were really few things that he loathed.  Being interrupted while doing something pleasant was top of the list.  Growling, he removed himself from his bride to be.  “Forgive me”, he grunted, thoroughly put out.  “I believe that given what has just transpired, I should sleep in a separate room.”  Giving her one last heated look, he quickly left, once again leaving a frustrated, and now thoroughly confused Persephone behind.

 

 

 

Chapter Four

 

“You have the WORST timing, Jason”, Hades growled as he walked down the hallways to the Main Hall of his Underworld Palace.  He had the object of his desires currently in his bed, flushed, and actually receptive to his attentions, and he was forced to tear himself away from her.  He was DEEPLY perturbed to say the least.  He may have even got to go even further with her than he had if Jason had not interrupted him.

“Forgive me, My Lord”, Jason said, laughing at his friend.  Ever since he had died about fifty years ago at the age of twenty-three, Hades had seen him interact with others, and had decided that he liked his spunk, so he took the young man under his wing.  Of course, he still had a way to go yet, but ever since then, Hades had become the man’s mentor, friend, and confidante.  “But you know that I do these things to annoy you.  I’d have thought you’d be used to them by now.”

Hades glared at the young man that he looked to as a father would to his son.  Truly, Jason was a thorn in his side, but truthfully, he would not have it any other way.  Seeing as though the young man had died such a painful (both emotionally and physically) death, his immortal heart went out to the young man.  Being murdered by the woman he loved and her lover, he decided that the boy had deserved some happiness, even though he was no longer alive.  Upon thinking some more on the boy’s past, he couldn’t help but grin.  He’d allowed him some measure of revenge, by allowing him to haunt the pair to insanity, and to murder each other.  Every now and then, Jason loved to go see them in Tartarus and torture them by allowing them to see how happy he was being Hades’ protégé while the two of them were tortured daily for their sins.  “I know”, he said finally, his anger dissipating and making him chuckle.

Jason’s laughing demeanor turned serious.  “Are you sure this is wise, my lord?” he asked.

“Are you questioning me, Jason?” Hades asked, turning to him and raising an amused eyebrow.

“Always”, Jason said unrepentantly, and with a straight face.  “I understand your impatience, my Lord, for she is a beauty that even Aphrodite would be jealous of, but should this not be for the lady to decide?”

“You know me enough to see that I am not one to make rash decisions”, Hades said, not pausing in his stride.  “But I felt that this one had to be made.”  He raised his eyebrow again, smirking.  “Do not let Aphrodite hear you saying that.  She will be very angry with you.”

Jason kept up with his mentor, falling into step with him.  “I wouldn’t dream of it, My Lord”, he said, laughing.  If there was anything that Jason enjoyed more than tormenting the former love of his life, then it was tormenting Aphrodite.  Somehow, he felt that it was HER fault that his former love was in his life at all.  “Haephestus would have my head.”

“That he would”, Hades chuckled.

For the rest of the evening, he oversaw wedding preparations.  In about two days’ time, the beautiful, lively, and altogether tempting Persephone would become his bride.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Demeter stormed once again into the Main Hall of the Celestial Palace.  “Zeus!!” she cried.  “Zeus, I need your assistance!!”

The man in question, Zeus, the God of the Heavens and the Earth, walked into the room.  His short gray hair looked as if it was blown back by a fierce wind **Author’s Note: Yep.  It’s Mr. ‘Wind Tunnel Tested Hairdo’ himself. **, his swagger making it easy to pick him out of a crowd.

“What is the matter, Demeter?” he asked.  “What’s happened?”

“My daughter”, she gasped as she skidded to a halt in front of him.  “My daughter has been kidnapped!!”

“Really?” Zeus asked, raising an eyebrow.

“But what’s worse is that the one who’s kidnapped her must be a God, because my connection with her has been cut off!!” she cried.  “My Lord, have you seen anything?  Heard anything?”

“I’m afraid that I was very busy today”, Zeus said apologetically.  In truth, he had been dallying with yet another mortal, but he wasn’t about to tell HER that.  Or Hera, for that matter.  Hera would skin him alive for straying.  Again.  “I have seen nothing.  But maybe some of the other mortals who live in the area might be able to help.  In the meantime, I shall do some asking around to see if anyone has heard anything.”

Demeter shifted agitatedly.  “Do you think that YOU might be able to establish a link with her??” she asked.

Zeus’s brow furrowed.  “I don’t know”, he murmured.  “I shall try.”  He closed his eyes, and reached his mind out to the young woman.  ‘Persephone’, he called.  ‘Persephone, can you hear me?’

Only silence met his inquiry.

‘Persephone’, he tried again.  ‘Can you hear me?’

Still no response.

He tried to break the blockage with his mind, but the barrier held fast.  He did his best to find a chink in the block so he could force his way through, but there was none to be found.  He opened his eyes, and sighed.  “The block is strong”, he sighed.  “There are not many who can block even me so effectively.”

Demeter sighed.  She really did not want to wait until morning, but she had no choice.  She went to her room, and tried to use her reflecting pool again.

“Show me my daughter!!” she commanded.

The pool shifted and shifted again, but to Demeter’s frustration, all she saw was inky blackness.

‘Persephone’, Demeter thought desperately, ‘just hold on a little longer.  I’m coming, my love.  I’m coming.’

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

The next day, just as the sun had begun to rise, Demeter and Persephone’s friends began searching again.  It was hours until they came across a shepherd who was allowing his flock to graze on the same field that Persephone had been taken from the day before.

“Yes, I saw the maid”, he said when Demeter asked.  “Pretty little thing, picking flowers, just there, near the mouth of the cave.”  He took off his hat and ran a hand over his bald head. “It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced.  The ground began to shake like nobody’s business.  And then it opened up, and this huge chariot came up from the ground, carrying the biggest passenger I’d ever saw.  They looked at each other for a mere moment, then the girl began to run, scattering all those pretty flowers she had.  Those big horses trampled all over them, and the man grabbed her up, and went right back through that hole.  The ground swallowed them whole, and closed right up again.”

Demeter gaped throughout this whole story.  “T-thank you”, she said lamely.  She walked away to rejoin Persephone’s friends, and all three began speaking at once.

“What did he say?” one asked.

“Did he give any information?”

“What happened?”

“When did it happen?”

“Who did this?”

Demeter merely looked at the three, and spoke in the iciest tone that anyone had ever heard from her, mortal and god alike. And she put that tone into only one word.

‘HADES.’

 

 

Chapter Five

 

 

Meanwhile, Hades was in his study, looking down at his own reflecting pool.

‘So Demeter knows now’, he thought wearily.  Now the wedding would have to be moved to tomorrow instead of the day after.  He knew that his barriers against Zeus would hold until at least that long.  Zeus always overestimated his own talents.  Just because the lot he had drawn had given him the Underworld, it didn’t mean that he was any less powerful than either Zeus or Poseidon.  Zeus had just been lucky that he got the Heavens, while Poseidon had gotten the sea.

He just KNEW the annoying woman would never leave him alone now.  Her meddling had cost him in the past, and he was not about to allow it to happen again.  His choice in bride had nothing to do with her, and she was just going to have to accept it.

At that moment, Jason walked into the open door of the study.  “My Lord”, he said, “She is awake.”

Hades grinned then; a grin that had made many a maiden faint at the sight of it.  “Good”, he said, his voice a husky growl.

“My Lord, I know I am pleasing to look at, but I have no interest in men”, Jason said, laughing.

Hades’ glare didn’t last long, for he was laughing along with him.  “Go on, I know you have duties to perform, people to torture.”

“Of course, of course”, Jason sighed.  He laughed again before walking out of the study.

Hades, meanwhile, walked through the Underworld Palace, and slowed as he approached his bedroom.  He leaned against the wall right outside the door to regain his composure.  After last night, his blood was still thrumming and boiling in anticipation of their wedding night.  He took a deep breath, and added a mental slap to the face to remember himself for good measure, then walked in.

She was lying on her belly, her golden hair fanned out on the black silk-covered pillow, her arms tucked under her.  It looked like she had dozed off again, her breath gently puffing on the pillow her head was now resting on.  His eyes roamed over her form, and darkened when he saw that one of the servants had given her a nightgown.  The nightgown was white, and it was not too sheer, but sheer enough for him to see her glowing skin underneath.

He sat down on the bed next to her, and braced his hand on it, letting the weight of his upper body rest on his arm.  He reached out and brushed away a stray strand of hair that had fallen over her face.  Oh, how positively goddess-like she looked while she slept!!

The feeling of fingertips on her face made her eyes flutter open.  Upon remembrance of where she was, her crystal blue eyes opened wide, and looked up at the massive figure that was currently staring down at her, with his eyes filled to the brim with unquenched passion.

“Good morning”, he rumbled.  “I trust you slept well.”

With only a frightened squeak in response, she slowly sat up.  This was a mistake, however, because of her nightgown.  She watched as his gaze slid over her, and looked down to see what he was looking at.  With a yelp, she grabbed the pillow and held it over herself, a blush tinting her cheeks.  “What are you smiling at??” she hissed, seeing the slow, wicked grin on his face.

“Can a man not admire his bride to be?” he asked.  “Speaking of, I’m afraid our wedding plans will have to be moved forward, my love.  Certain events have forced me to hurry things along.”

“Certain events?” she asked warily.  ‘Could Mother have found out what’s happened, and where I am?’

“Yes, my love, certain events.”  He lay down next to her, shifting his weight onto his elbow, and gazing down at her.  He reached out and traced a finger over her shoulder and down her arm, grinning internally at the miniscule shudders that he felt racing along under her skin.

“My mother knows where I am, doesn’t she?” she whispered.

Hades’ eyes grew stormy.  “Yes, she does.  Unfortunately.”

“I know that she-” Persephone’s sentence was cut off because Hades had suddenly grabbed her by her shoulders and gave her a short, sharp shake.

“I will NOT have that meddlesome wench get in the way!!” he snarled.  “She’s interfered in my affairs far too many times!!”

Persephone yelped fearfully at his angry tone, making her shrink away from him.

Hades blinked, his eyes clearing.  He saw that Persephone was whimpering, backing away from him in fear.  He grabbed her and held her close to him.  “I’m sorry, Persephone”, he murmured remorsefully.  “Forgive me.  Please know that my anger is not directed at you.”  His hold tightened on her just a little bit.  “My choice in a wife is not her business, and I shall make sure that she understands that.”  His hand began to pet her hair affectionately.  “Please forgive me, my beautiful Persephone.  I really didn’t mean to scare you.”

This man’s moods swung so quickly and drastically, Persephone thought to herself.

He seemed to gather himself, and let her go, clearing his throat.  It wouldn’t do for him to lose control again…not so close to their wedding day.  “You need to be fitted with your wedding garb.”  He extricated himself from her, and stood.  “You will be very busy today.  I’ll leave you to…dress.”  At the word ‘dress’, his voice had gone husky.  Allowing his eyes to sweep over her one more time, he turned, and stalked from the room.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Time was always a fickle thing.  It would always seem that when there was something to be excited about, it would crawl about like a wounded and dying animal, seeming to slow more and more until the day finally ended.  But when there was something that one dreaded, it would speed itself up as if it were trying to win a race.  And the wedding was definitely something that Persephone dreaded.

The day had gone by in a blur.  She barely remembered being fitted for her wedding tunic, nor choosing the courses for the banquet that was to be served at the reception.  Before she knew it, her marriage to Hades, God of the Underworld was only hours away.  Even those hours had sped by as she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, her mind and body completely exhausted from the events of the day, and also her growing agitation.  She had no idea that when she slept, her groom hovered over her during the night, merely watching the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.

The sun rose, and she barely had time to truly awaken before she was in the middle of the whirlwinds of the preparations.   Her wedding tunic and her hair seemed to have miraculously fixed themselves, and though it had seemed to be a blink of an eye (in truth, it had been about four hours), before she was pronounced Hades’ bride, the Queen and Goddess of the Underworld.  Daunting as that thought was, there was one that was even more so:

What was tonight going to bring?

As if sensing her thoughts during the banquet, Hades leaned down to her, his voice a deep, rumbling purr.

“I truly hope you are looking forward to tonight as much as I am”, he said.  He felt her jump as he gently rested a hand on her thigh.

Her mind was in such a whirl she had barely protested anything that had happened today, even when asked for her acquiescence to the marriage.

“I would never harm you, Persephone.  Please know that”, Hades continued softly, squeezing her soft thigh in comfort.  “I assure you that you will be perfectly safe with me.  I do not bite…unless”, he said, his eyes twinkling devilishly, “you wish me to.”

Sparks ran through her again at the touch of his hand.  By the Gods, how was she to resist his touch if her own body betrayed her?!

It was a truly terrifying, yet thrilling thought.

 

 

Chapter Six

 

That night, Persephone was brought back to Hades’ chambers.  Not as a captive, though.  This time, she was brought there as his bride.

‘What am I going to do??’ she thought, looking around fearfully, her arms wrapping around herself against the chill in the room.  What was she going to do now?  She had always been a child of the outside…of nature…of SUNLIGHT.  How was she going to survive here in the dark, cold, and colorless world she now found herself in?  ‘Oh, Mother, what should I do?’  She sat on the corner of the bed, her back turned on the door.

Were she facing said door, she would have seen it open, with her new husband appearing in the room.  His bride jumped when a fire suddenly blazed in the hearth, and spun around to look at him.

“I shall be sure to keep all hearths blazing to chase away the chills in this Palace, if that is your wish”, Hades said quietly, walking up to her.  He placed his hands on her shoulders, and delighted in the shiver that skittered underneath her skin.

At that moment, everything had caught up with her at once.  She began to hyperventilate, taking deep, wheezing gasps of air.  Her dizziness made her fall to her knees, her hand clutching at her chest, where her heart was beating frenziedly.

“Persephone!!” Hades cried, rushing to her side and dropping to his knees next to her.  He tried to get her to concentrate on him, but seeing him appeared to make it worse.  He could only watch, helpless, as she suffered her panic attack, and ultimately passed out.

He caught her before she could hit the floor completely, and carried her over to the bed, lying her down carefully on top of it.  He sat on the bed, and picked her up, cradling her gently while she slept, and running his hand through her golden hair.

Unlike last time, she didn’t sleep for too long.  Only about fifteen minutes passed before her eyes fluttered a bit, before opening fully.

“Are you all right?” Hades asked, his fingers still threading through her hair, his voice thick with concern.  He then chuckled ruefully.  “This was not exactly what I had in mind for our wedding night.”

Persephone sputtered a moment, before speaking.  “Everything hit me at once”, she said, her voice still a bit breathy.  She sat up, while still in his lap, and put a hand to her forehead.

“Do you need anything?” he asked as she looked around.  “Do you need some water, or a little something to eat?  You did not eat anything at the banquet.”

“No”, she said.  “I am not hungry.”  She didn’t fully realize exactly where she was until she wriggled just a little bit while trying to still her thudding heart, earning a growl from him.  She blinked up at him with wide eyes, a hot flush coming up over her cheeks, as she felt something very solid prodding at her.

“I may be a God”, Hades growled softly, “But it does not prevent me from reacting when an exceptional beauty such as yourself wriggles about in my lap.”

Her blush deepening, she bounded out of his lap, and happened to land in front of the still blazing fireplace.  She actually felt his eyes slide over her body, making her blush deepen even more.  She merely stood there as he stood, and slowly walked over to her.  Her eyes were locked on his face as he placed his hands on her hips.  After a moment, one of his hands abandoned its perch and hooked a finger underneath her chin, keeping her gaze locked on him.  She blinked as his brow furrowed.  At first, she didn’t know why he was giving her that look, but a moment later, the finger hooking underneath her chin lowered to her wedding tunic.

“What is this?” he asked, feeling the fabric between his fingers.

“I…what?” she asked.

“What is this?” he asked again.

She blinked up at him again as he suddenly went to the door, and opened it, bellowing his lungs out for someone.  When the person in question came in, she saw that it was the same woman who had worked on her wedding tunic.

“What is this?” he demanded, pointing at Persephone.

Of course, the woman looked at him as if he had gone mad.  “My lord?” she asked.

Hades went over to his new bride, and gently took her wrist, pulling her towards the seamstress.  “What is this fabric?”

“I-it’s wool, my lord”, the seamstress replied.  “It is cold in the Palace, and I thought that she would like something to wear that would chase away the chill.”

Hades pinched the bridge of his nose.  Taking deep breaths, he looked at the woman.  “I shall allow this to pass”, he said.  He then went to Persephone, and wrapped his arms around her from behind.  “But from now on, nothing touches my bride’s delectable body but the purest silk.  Am I understood?”

The seamstress sighed.  God or not, he was like a spoiled child at times.  “Yes, My Lord”, she said.

“Now go”, Hades said, his head dipping to nuzzle at Persephone’s neck.  “My bride and I wish to be alone.”

The seamstress scurried out without a word.

Persephone gasped softly at the feeling of his breath puffing on her neck, chills running down her spine.  A squeak left her lips as she felt his lips press themselves on the skin at her pulse point, her head moving to the side of its own accord to give him better access.  Her own breathing became a little bit labored as his lips ran over her neck.

“Dare I even pinch myself to ensure that I’m not dreaming?” Hades murmured.  His hands began to explore her form, and very slowly began removing her wedding tunic.

Persephone’s mind was in a fog because of the attention he was paying to her neck, mostly the spot right behind her right ear.  She melted into him, her head resting back on his shoulder.  She didn’t even realize he was removing her clothes until she felt the flickering heat from the fireplace on her now bare skin.  Her eyes opened in surprise when his hands glided over her bare body.  Her soft gasp was swallowed when he gently turned her head towards him and pressed his own lips to hers, and kissed her with a thoroughly devastating slowness.

He turned her around, and stepped back, admiring her naked body.  “Jason was right”, he breathed.  “Beauty that even Aphrodite would be jealous of.”

She bowed her head, wringing her hands in front of her.  She and Aphrodite were good friends.  Nobody really knew that the Goddess of Love was really a very self conscious, insecure person who had nearly zero self esteem.  She would always try to boost her friend’s self-confidence by downplaying her own looks.

Hades swept her up so that she was now eye-to-eye with him, and kissed her breathless as he carried her to the bed.  He gently bent so he could set her upon the silken sheets.

His kisses lasted for what seemed an eternity, but it was only a few moments before he let her go, hearing a whimper of protest come from her.  “You need not worry”, he said huskily.  “I shall rejoin you in a moment.”  With that, he began to disrobe.

Her eyes couldn’t tear themselves away from him as he slowly removed his clothes, revealing an enormous, well defined, and thickly muscled body.  He obviously kept himself healthy, his form looking as if it had been chiseled in stone.  Once he was completely nude, her blush returned, and she averted her eyes.

“Am I that repulsive to look at?” Hades asked amusedly.

Her blush deepened, and she said nothing.

Seeing movement out of the corner of her eye, she saw him walk towards the bed, and he began to crawl slowly over her, pressing kisses on her body as he went upward.  Little mewls and whimpers came from her throat as he did this, until he got back to her lips.  He gently settled his weight on her, and gazed directly into her wide, glazed eyes.

“Prepare yourself, my love”, he murmured, his hands stroking her sides.  “You are in for a long night.”

 

 

Chapter Seven

 

Persephone’s breath was stolen away from her again as he kissed her, his hands abandoning her sides to stroke over her heated flesh.  She felt his fingertips brush barely over her belly, before stroking lower.  Once again, little mewls and squeaks made themselves known when she felt his fingers brush over her most private and sensitive area, and began prodding at the slick folds.  Her lips detached themselves from his, gasping as she felt his thumb find that secret throbbing spot that her folds kept hidden.  Her eyes were wide as his thumb began to move, circling the little nub, making her hips wriggle a bit.  She gasped again when she felt a thick finger slide inside.

“So ready for me…and I’ve hardly started”, Hades growled softly in her ear, his mouth moving over her neck.

Her eyes widened even more as his fingers began to move, his thumb pressing on the throbbing nub, and the finger that was inside her slowly slid in deeper until it was up to his knuckle.  At this intrusion, she instinctively reached up to hold on to him, while his finger slowly moved in and out of her.  Her mouth opened in an ‘O ’ of astonishment at the fire that raced through her body, from her head, right down to her toes.  Her left hand was at the nape of his neck, while her right was hanging on to his shoulders as those deliciously wicked sensations that his fingers were causing intensified, making her hold tighten on him.  Her breathing started to come in sharp, short gasps and startled cries as his movements increased in speed.  She vaguely felt his other hand guiding her leg around his waist, and her other leg sort of complied, for it wrapped itself around his waist too.

Hades growled softly as her legs wrapped around him.  He abandoned his work on her neck, and went downward to take a rosy nipple in his mouth.  He suckled avidly as his other hand wrapped around the other firm breast, massaging and reshaping it in his large hand.  Her skin tasted so sweet, and she was so hot and slippery over his finger…it was taking everything he had not to just slake his lust for his lovely wife right then.  “So sweet”, he purred.  “So soft…” He then moved to take her other nipple in his mouth, feasting on her voraciously.

She wriggled, her whimpers and cries growing in intensity as she closed her eyes, her head falling back on the pillow.  She felt him increase the pressure of his thumb, making her take gasping breaths of air.   Out of nowhere, just like last night, the pleasure he was creating within her suddenly reached its crescendo, making her shriek a bit, her body trembling under him.

Hades groaned, watching her reach her peak, furiously working his fingers until the last shudder passed and she went limp.  To see her lose control was truly a thing of beauty to behold.  He removed his fingers from her calming body, and raised them so he could taste the nectar that she had coated his fingers with.  He waited until she looked at him, and then, very deliberately, he licked his thumb clean.  “So very sweet”, he murmured.  He put his finger just an inch over her own lips.  “Would you like to see how sweet you taste?”

She clamped her lips and eyes shut, and turned away, blushing furiously and earning a chuckle from him.

“Pity”, he said, and lapping up the rest of her release.  “Well, more for me to enjoy, then.”  He untangled himself from her long legs, and began to once again press kisses all over her body.

By Zeus, she didn’t think she’d last too much longer if this were the result!!  But even that thought was wiped away at the feeling of his lips moving all over her, accompanied by his hands, making her writhe desperately on the silken sheets.  She felt his lips leave her for a moment, and opened her eyes, finding him settled between her legs.  Her eyes widened.  What was he DOING??

He looked up at her, grinning devilishly as he turned his head and began to press kisses to the insides of her thighs, making her yelp as he went higher.

“W-what…what are you-“

Before her question was fully out of her mouth, she cried out as his tongue had swiped at the very spot that his fingers had been a few moments ago.  She gaped at him, with her eyes wide, as he, without a word, used his tongue to do exactly what his fingers had done.  He lapped greedily at her folds, his arms curled around her legs, and using his hands to hold her hips down.  He moved up a bit, his tongue finding the little nub, and suckling on it, making her cry out sharply.  He was relentless, exploring and tasting every crevice, driving her closer and closer to her release, and suddenly feeling her bow up off the bed, not even making a sound.  Her essence flowed over his tongue, and he eagerly lapped up every drop.  Not even ambrosia was this mouth-watering.  He kept working his tongue until her last spasm ceased, her body once again falling limply on the bed.

Persephone could not even breathe as her climax consumed her, which was why she was unable to make a sound.  After what seemed an eternity, she finally breathed deeply, her breath coming to her in gasps.  She was vaguely aware of him once again pressing kisses to her heated skin, working upward until his lips once against captured hers.  The musky tang of her own release on his lips surprised her.  Not because it was there, of course; more the fact that she didn’t find it at all repulsive.  If anything, it seemed to inflame her senses more as he once again moved between her thighs, positioning his body just so.  Her body tensed as she felt something hot, hard, and HUGE lying just on the inside of her right thigh.  She was too far gone to protest as she felt that same thing prodding just where his tongue had been.

His hands guided her legs around his large waist, his own breathing coming labored.  He’d denied himself gratification since that first time, and, since hearing those delightful sounds that came from her while she was being pleasured, he knew that if he didn’t gratify himself soon, he’d surely go mad.  He rubbed up her arms until his own fingers laced with hers, and held them above her head.   He let go of one of her hands, and used his other to hold her wrists above her head.  He gripped his straining length and prodded at her soft, slick folds with the tip.  Pushing with his hips, he managed to pop the swollen head inside, making him growl loudly.  He kept pushing, until he was halfway within her, and coming to a barrier.  Without preamble, he thrust forward, breaking the barrier and making her scream.

The pain that had ripped through her was sudden and blinding, making her scream and thrash about.  She tried to free herself from the iron grip that was on her wrists and hip, but it was to no avail.

“You lied to me!!” she cried, tears leaking onto her cheeks.  “You said you…you promised…”

“You have to lie still!!” he replied, effectively holding her down.  “The pain is normal…you must trust me!!”

“No!!” she whimpered, still trying to free herself, very much aware that his big body was holding her down, and murmuring over and over that the pain was normal, and that it was going to pass.  Even now, the pain was passing, and was being replaced by the feeling of being completely filled with something that was pulsing seemingly with a life of its own.  Her tears ceased, and she gasped, as he stayed immobile for a few moments more before pulling out experimentally.  He slid back in a second later, pulling another gasp past her lips.

His rhythm became steady, slow, and powerful, making her legs tighten around him.  His grip on her wrists slackened, allowing her to cling to him, her previous fear forgotten at the wickedly delightful sensations that were running rampant through her body.  She whimpered and, unknowingly, was clawing desperately at his back to urge him on.

Hades doubted that she knew that she was letting go, but he wasn’t exactly caring at this moment as his tempo increased in speed, giving her what she was so desperately begging for with her cries.  It was surprisingly quick, but he felt her inner muscles clamp down on him.  He, in turn, growled deeply in his throat as his own release came a few moments later.  He sagged on top of her for a moment, before rolling onto his back, taking her with him.  He allowed her head to rest on his chest, allowing him to run his fingers through her hair.  He gave her about a half an hour to rest, being that she was new to this, before he had his wicked way with her all over again.

It went this way throughout the entire night, until they both collapsed from exhaustion, sated sleep pulling them both under.

 

 

Chapter Eight

 

It was well into the morning when Hades awoke.  His body felt as if he’d done strenuous manual labor the day before.  Not that he minded in the least, of course.  Participating in such delightful activities, he’d have been surprised if he WEREN’T sore.  He looked down at her, and grinned to see that she was still snuggled against his large frame, her arm draped over his waist.  He knew that it was only a matter of time before her meddlesome mother would get in the way, so he decided to at least try to stay one step ahead for as long as he could.  But, however, those thoughts would be ignored for the time being.

He rolled over, gently getting her on her back again so he could nuzzle at her flesh, making her moan sleepily.  Oh, but she DID make some delightful noises.  Whether impassioned cries, sleepy sighs, or frightened squeaks, each sound would tattoo themselves to his brain.  She was so soft, so sweet, and so completely delectable…it was very difficult for him NOT to take her…again.

He watched her sleep, her face a mask of peaceful slumber, as a devilish thought came into his head.  He dipped his head to nuzzle at her flesh again, and opened his mouth, affixing his lips around her nipple, and suckling gently.  One hand began to wrap around her breast, while the other molded and reshaped her other breast in his palm.

Persephone was feeling these delightful sensations again as her hold on sleep lessened.  She fully became awake as she felt her husband’s body nestled gently on top of her, and his hands and mouth doing wicked things with her body.

‘My Lord’, Jason’s voice sounded through their link, ‘You have visitors.’

‘Tell them to go away’, he replied.  ‘I’m quite…BUSY at the moment.’

‘My Lord’, Jason repeated, this time urgent, ‘I’m afraid that this can’t wait.’

Hades sighed against Persephone’s breast.  “Forgive me, my love”, he murmured.  “I’m afraid that I shall have to delay our honeymoon trip.  I have something I must take care of.”

Her fogged mind couldn’t conjure up any sort of response, especially since he was still laving at her nipple with his wickedly long tongue.  All she did was whimper softly when he went to move away from her, and then froze.

‘You know what, Jason?  Send them in’, he thought, a wicked idea forming in his head.  Impish grin firmly back on his face, he settled back into bed with her, and continued to…’play’.   “Never mind”, he purred.

She gasped as he moved between her thighs again, and promptly slid inside, groaning at the fact that she was so quickly ready for him.  His hips moved slowly and powerfully as she whimpered again, wrapping her legs around his waist.  The fire in her blood returned in full force as he gripped her hips, growling deeply in his throat.  She felt him shift in position, sitting up to lean back on his haunches.  He removed himself from her, making her whine in distress, only to pull her so that she was nestled in the cradle of his hips.  She cried out again as he once again made himself at home within her, and soon began thrusting his hips again, this time faster and more urgent.  She didn’t even try to resist, her hands coming up to run over his broad chest.  Her back arched, her head thrown back as his fingers dug into the flesh of her hips, his thrusts coming ever faster.

Hades suddenly felt an uncontrollable need to wrap his arms around her, so he bent at the hips, and repositioned himself so that he was more comfortable as he continued to thrust, his hips pumping hard.  He reached to bury his hand in her hair, and gently forced her to look at him.

Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, she suddenly released, shrieking as her inner muscles clamped down on his hardness, making him groan loudly and find his own release a moment later.  Her hands clung to his shoulders, (as much as they could anyways, because her arms were pinned between them) as her body shuddered with the aftershocks.  It took a few moments, but then her body began to calm.

To watch her face as she found her ultimate pleasure was truly a sight to behold.  Cheeks flushed, eyes glazed, lips parted…it truly was one beautiful sight.  He settled on top of her again, his head resting on her breast, and nuzzling at the flushed skin.  He purred then, much like a contented jungle cat.  He began running his hands over her again, ending at her breasts, squeezing and reshaping them in his palms as he raised his face to nuzzle at her neck.

“Please…are you not sated yet?” Persephone whimpered pitifully, wriggling just a bit underneath him.

His response was an evil chuckle; a chuckle that shot straight to the innermost core of her.  “With you as my wife, I shall never be properly sated, Persephone”, he replied.  He laughed again as she shifted until she was on her side, hiding underneath the silk sheets.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of hedonistic pleasure as she felt the silk of the sheets on her body.  It was almost as if…it were familiar somehow.  She gasped softly as his body spooned up against hers.  The covers were removed from over her head, and his hand was gently guiding her face to his.  He kissed her thoroughly.

“But, alas, as much as I would love to continue such delightful activities”, he purred, kissing her again, “I’m afraid that we are going to have to postpone them.”

“W-why?” she asked, her mind once again becoming dazed at the feeling of his huge body against hers.

“Because, dear heart, I believe”, he mumbled, nuzzling against her skin, “That we have guests.”

At first, she didn’t understand what he meant, but then she felt his hand guide her to face forward.  Her eyes widened at what she saw at the doorway.

“M-Mother…”, she whispered.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Jason was guiding Demeter and Zeus to Hades’ room, and upon hearing cries and shrieks from down the hall, they ran to where the sounds were coming from, and opened the door, only to see Hades and Persephone in the throes of what seemed to be a very intense coupling.  They could only watch in shock (with Jason dutifully turning his eyes away), as Persephone calmed, and Hades began murmuring to her.  When Persephone finally noticed them, Demeter couldn’t help but see the emotions flicker across her daughter’s face:  confusion, horror, shame, and fright.  She looked to Zeus, who was actually looking at Persephone with an interested eye.

‘I can see why Hades chose her’, Zeus thought.

Hades slid out of the bed, but not before making sure that Persephone was properly covered from Zeus’ gaze.  Not that it would have worked anyway, because the silk clung to her every curve.  He turned to the two guests, and grinned lasciviously.  “Good morning to the both of you”, he said.  He strolled to a closet, unconcerned with his nudity, and slowly dressed himself.

Demeter rushed to her daughter, and enveloped her in a hug.  “Persephone!!”, she cried.  “Oh, my darling, has he hurt you??”

“N-no, Mother, I’m all right…”, Persephone replied.  She felt her mother begin to pull her out of bed, but Hades was on them in a flash.

“NO!!”, Hades snarled, forcibly wrenching Demeter’s grip off her, and shoving the meddlesome bitch away from his wife.  “You will leave my wife to rest.  She needs it after her busy day…”  Hades’ face turned upwards into that same lascivious grin.  “…And night.”

Demeter gaped at the large man, and tried to go to her daughter again, but Hades blocked her.

He let his hatred for the woman show on his face, before softening his gaze, turning it to Persephone.  “Sleep now”, he said, his harsh tone gone, being replaced by a loving, tender one, and gently guiding Persephone to lie down again.  “We shall talk later.”

“Hades, was that really necessary?” Zeus asked as Hades guided him and Demeter out of the room, frowning in severe disapproval.

“I shall not talk of this near prying eyes and ears”, Hades said.  He then led them to his study.

 

 

Chapter Nine

 

“Hades”, Zeus said, the disapproving frown still on his face.  “Hades, were such extreme measures necessary?”

Hades sat back in his chair, looking at Zeus evenly.  “Yes”, he said plainly.  “Yes, they were.”

Demeter glared at him.  “You kidnap and seduce my daughter, and you expect me to just go along with it?!”

“My choice in wife has nothing to do with you, Demeter”, Hades said.

“You…you…”, Demeter choked, unable to find the words.  “You…demon!!  You foul, horrid demon!!”

“Could it be, Demeter”, Hades asked, his tone dangerously soft “That you are jealous?”

“Jealous?!?” Demeter yelped, her eyes wide.  “Jealous?!?!?  Why in Tartarus would I be jealous?!”

“Well”, Hades said, keeping that same tone, “I do seem to remember rejecting the far too numerous advances of a certain goddess, who will remain nameless…”

Demeter’s face purpled.  “You wouldn’t DARE use me to justify yourself for this!!” she roared.  “And you have the temerity to use my daughter against me!!”

“It was not I who brought her into this”, Hades said, leaning forward in his chair, and glaring at her.  “You will very well remember-“

“Please, you two”, Zeus said exasperatedly.

“My Lord”, Demeter said, far too angry to continue arguing with Hades, “Please, dissolve their vows!! It is obvious that my daughter does not-“

“I can’t”, Zeus said quietly.

That proclamation halted Demeter in her tracks.  “Wh-what?  What do you mean you can’t??”

“Exactly that”, Zeus replied.  “You must think of it from my position.  We lay down rules for the mortals to follow.  If the mortals find that we have broken those same rules that we expect them to obey, the results could be disastrous.”

Demeter’s mouth opened and closed, unable to find anything to say.  The horrifying thing was: Zeus was right.  “My Lord”, she finally said, her voice tinged with desperation, “Please, think of my daughter!! You can’t mean to allow her to be left to Hades’ dishonorable attentions!!”

“Hades”, Zeus said, turning to him, “I must question your intentions towards the girl.  Your actions do not exactly speak favorably for you…”

“As always, your trust and faith in me is unwavering”, Hades said bitterly.  “I have not once asked any of you for anything, nor have I ever done anything dishonorable in my entire existence.  And yet, everyone insists on questioning my motives.  I wonder, is it because I am God of the Underworld?  Because that job seems to lead everyone to think the worst about me, and anything I do.”

Zeus shifted uncomfortably in his chair, while Demeter looked as if she didn’t buy a word of it.

“I have married her, have I not?” Hades continued.  “If my intentions were dishonorable, marriage would have been the farthest thing from my thoughts.”

“M-Married??” Demeter gasped.

“Yes, married.  You DO know the term, don’t you?” Hades asked, slowly, as if speaking to a very stupid person.

“Don’t take that tone with me, Hades”, Demeter snapped.

“I take it that you don’t, then”, Hades said, shrugging.  “I guess you were not paying attention when I called her ‘my wife’.”

Demeter growled wordlessly at him.  Her mind was in a panic.  How could she keep her daughter away from him if he was her husband?!

Zeus sighed.  “I’m sorry, Demeter, but my mind is made up.  Their vows cannot be dissolved.”

“H-how do we know that this is not trickery??” Demeter cried.  “How do we really know that they are married?!?”

“I assure you, we are”, Hades said softly.  His mouth turned upwards in a small smile, his voice softening even more until it was little more than a whisper.  “Finally…after everything…”  He seemed to clear his head of whatever thought was running through it, and stared hard at Demeter.  “And for YOU to accuse ME of trickery?!  Don’t dare speak to ANYONE of trickery until you look at yourself first!!”

“I did nothing of the sort!!!” Demeter cried, her face purpling again.  “I did only what I had to do!!”

“’Only what you had to do’???” Hades growled, his hands clenching and unclenching, wanting to strangle her.  “Your trickery cost me the most important thing in my life!!”

They continued to argue, until Zeus had finally spoken.

“ENOUGH!!!” Zeus roared, silencing the bickering Gods.  He glared at Demeter.  “I have made my decision, Demeter, and you are going to have to accept it!!”

“But, My Lord-“, Demeter cried.

“SILENCE.”  That one word  cut off her retort efficiently.  “Now, Demeter, should I hear one hint of you trying to circumvent my decree, OR using any sorts of means to try to take Persephone away from her husband, I shall make sure that you regret it.”

Demeter could only puff up angrily, before getting up and stalking to the door.  She threw it open, and froze.

“Persephone…”, Demeter said softly.

Hades was suddenly passing Demeter, and going to his new bride.

“Persephone, what are you doing awake?”, Hades asked, his tone gently scolding.  “I told you that we would speak when you were rested…”

“I couldn’t fall back to sleep”, Persephone said quietly.  She peered up at him.  “What did you mean when you said that Mother cost you something important?”

Hades’ jaw clenched.  “That is a conversation for another time, love”, he said, taking her small hand in his and pressing a reverent kiss to the back of it.

Persephone looked behind her mother and her husband, and her eyes widened.  “My Lord”, she whispered, kneeling as Zeus came up to them.

“Persephone”, Zeus said, embracing her.  Even though he had found her extremely attractive just a bit ago upon seeing her in bed, he only thought of the young girl as a daughter.  “Are you well?”

“Yes, My Lord”, Persephone replied softly.  She allowed the elder to drape his arm around her shoulders in a comforting way.

“Are you sure, Persephone?” Zeus asked, gently pulling her aside  “Do you fear for your safety in any way?”

Persephone blinked a bit at him, and looked back at Hades.  “No”, she answered honestly.  “No, I don’t.”

Zeus nodded.  If Persephone had feared for her life, then maybe he could have done something, but since she didn’t… “All right, dear”, he said.

“Are you hungry?” Hades asked, coming up to her and gently taking her away from Zeus.  He wrapped his right arm around her waist, and used his left hand to take her left hand, cuddling her to his body attentively.  “Do you need anything?”

It was strange.  It had been days since she’d eaten, but she didn’t feel hungry.  “No, I’m all right”, Persephone replied.

“Are you sure?” Hades asked, concern in his voice.  “You’ve not eaten in days…”

“I’m sure”, Persephone said.

As Hades led her back to their room, intent on making her rest, his concern grew.  She would make herself sick if she didn’t nourish herself soon.  He would do something about this later, but for now, she looked very tired, despite what she said about not being able to sleep.

He tucked her into bed, and lay next to her, gathering her in his arms.  By The Gods, he was NOT going to allow Demeter to interfere…AGAIN!!  He lay next to her, fully dressed, until she fell asleep.  He then joined her soon after.

 

 

Chapter Ten

 

A week passed, and after Zeus and Demeter’s visit, Hades whisked his new bride away where, he assured her, not even Zeus could find them.  He’d taken her to this beautiful sort of clearing in the middle of a forest, where there was a small house overlooking a crystal blue lake, with trees surrounding them, and hiding them efficiently.  It was a few days later where Persephone was found walking along the shore, with the sun-warmed water was lapping at her bare toes.

It was the oddest thing.  Any other person would be terrified to be abducted by the God of the Underworld.  But, after those first two or three days, she didn’t feel nearly as scared as she should have been.  The feeling of familiarity increased every day, and she had no idea why.  It was insane, to be sure, but even though she was certain that she had met him only days ago, there was no other way to describe it…it felt as if her body REMEMBERED his touch.  Why else would her body give itself to him so willingly?

‘Nothing’s making sense’, she thought desperately.  ‘Why does this feeling plague me??’  A different feeling spread through her body as she felt her husband’s massive arms wrap around her from behind.

“I shall not rest until you have eaten something”, he murmured in her ear.  He had, not ONCE since he’d brought her to the Underworld, seen her eat ANYTHING.

“I’m fine”, she murmured back.  “I don’t feel hungry at all.  I will not eat if I don’t feel hungry.”

Hades scowled.  Something was definitely wrong…and he didn’t think that Persephone knew it.  He held her a bit tighter as her head leaned back to rest on his shoulder.  His eyes drifted closed, his head dipping to nuzzle her neck.

“I’m so confused”, she whispered.  “How is it that I’ve only met you a week ago, and yet my body seems to know you so intimately?”

Hades’ eyes snapped open.  “Please explain that”, he said, hardly daring to breathe.

“I’ve known you for a week…and yet your presence is the most familiar thing that I’ve ever experienced…as if we’ve been this way before.”

He tried his damnedest, but he couldn’t stop the hope from filling him.  “You would be surprised”, he murmured.

She turned in his arms so that she was facing him, the question clear in her eyes.

“Come on”, he murmured, effectively avoiding that questioning glance.  To pursue that train of thought was dangerous territory, and he knew he had to tread lightly.  He took her hand and led her down the shore.  “I must show you something.”

“What do you wish to show me?” she asked.

“You’ll see”, he said, giving her a grin that made her knees go weak.  “Come.”

He continued to lead her through the trees, until they came to a stop.  He went behind her and gently put his hands on her shoulders.

What she saw made her gasp softly.

It was another clearing.  It was surrounded by mountains on three sides, and trees on the fourth, the one they’d just emerged from.  There was a waterfall that fell into a pool in one corner, with the opening of a cave next to it.  Covering the grass in the rest of the clearing were flowers.  Flowers of every shape, size, and color.  Every flower she’d ever seen, and even some that she’d never laid eyes on before.  She looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Go on”, he murmured, pressing a kiss to her neck and gently nudging her forward.  He bent to retrieve something from the ground, which happened to be a basket.  He then handed it to her. “I know how much you love flowers.”

She suddenly went up on tiptoe to give him a quick peck on the cheek in gratitude, then gently took the basket from his fingers and ran into the field.  While she picked her flowers, she didn’t notice that he had gone around the edge of the clearing and stopped at the waterfall.  He went to a large rock and sat down, merely watching her.

He sat there, immobile, and watched her for hours as she happily ran about in the field, picking flowers at her whim.  It was a secret joy for him to see the delighted smile on her face when she would pick a flower, and have a different one immediately blossom in its place.

It was nearly sunset before he went to collect her to go back to their little hideaway.

“Oh, can I not stay a little longer?” she asked, batting her eyelashes up at him and pouting adorably.

He almost relented, but his resolve strengthened when he saw how dark it was getting.  “I’m afraid we must depart here for now.”

It was the disappointed look on her face that made him think twice, despite his resolve to get her inside before dark.  He looked around, and upon eyeing the waterfall, he got an idea.  He took her hand and led her to it.

“What are you doing?” she asked, blinking at him.

He grinned at her again.  It was the same grin he’d given her before.  Without a word, he pulled her to him, and stood behind her.  He then began to slowly undress her, pressing kisses to the exposed skin as he went.  When she was fully nude, he quickly divested himself of his own clothing, and swept her up into his strong arms.  He carried her as he waded into the pool, and gently set her down into it.

Persephone gasped softly as she was settled into the water.  Instead of slightly warmed from the sun, she found that the water was steaming hot.  Apparently, the water was coming from a hot spring from deep inside the mountain.  She had thought that the steam had come from the spray of the waterfall, but she was wrong.  She moaned softly as he went behind her, and gently squeezed her shoulders, and ran his hands down her arms.  He gently turned her to him, and hoisted her up to make them eye level.  He kissed her then, a searing, soul shattering kiss that left her like a limp rag doll in his arms.  Her head flopped backwards as their lips parted, her breath coming to her in gasps as he trailed kisses down her neck.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Demeter’s impotent rage grew as she watched them in her viewing pool.  Her daughter was melting into the big man’s arms, while Hades touched her all over her body.

‘How DARE he refuse me, then turn to Persephone!!’ she thought angrily.  In her rage, she picked up a large vase on a table, and then threw it, smashing it to bits.  Before the shards had even stopped movement, she stalked out of her room.

This would not go unpunished.  No, it would not.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

After their passionate romp in the heated spring, he brought her back to their little cozy house.  He carried her sleeping form in his massive arms, while her basket was carefully hanging from the crook of his elbow.  Upon looking down at her, he made his decision.  He HAD to tell her.

Everything.

With that resolve firmly in mind, he settled next to her, and fell asleep.

 

 

Chapter Eleven

 

Another three days passed, and when they returned to the Underworld Palace, he took her directly to a healer.  She STILL wasn’t eating.

“You say when you brought her here, she just…stopped eating?” the healer asked, running a hand over his head.

Hades nodded.  “I haven’t seen her eat a single bite since I brought her down”, he replied.

The healer looked up at him.  “From what I can see, physically, there is nothing wrong with her.”  He looked at the door of the room in which she was.  “I’ll only be a moment.”  He went into the room, while Hades was pacing worriedly outside.  It took the healer only a few minutes, until he came out again, with Persephone in tow.  He patted the girl on the head before sending her on her way.  He then turned to Hades.

“Come” the healer said somberly, “We must talk.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

What the healer had told him made it all the more important for him to tell her everything.  He found her about an hour later, looking out from the balcony.

“Persephone, we must talk”, Hades said quietly.

She turned to him, the question in her eyes.  “Talk about what?” she asked.

He took her by the hand, and led her to what was now their bedroom.

“Please, sit”, he said, gently setting her on a chair.  “You asked me a question when Zeus and Demeter were here last, and I told you that it was a conversation for another time.  I HAD hoped to delay this for a good while yet, but unforeseen circumstances have forced my hand.”  He sighed, and ran a hand through his auburn locks.

“This is about what Mother has done, isn’t it?” she asked.

“But first, I must ask you a question.”

“Go on”, Persephone prompted.

“If someone told you a story that they knew for a fact to be true, but it sounded too unbelievable to be true, would you believe them?”

“I would try”, she whispered.

He nodded.  “I’m going to tell you a story, and I ask you to please not interrupt me until I am finished.”

“All right”, she said.

“It started about two or three years ago”, he began.  “Demeter had been making unwanted advances upon me for a good long time, all of which I had rejected flat.  With each rejection, she grew angrier and angrier.  She told me that if I was never going to ‘take her up on her offer’, as she put it, she would not allow me to have anyone else.  It was around that time, that I met the most wonderful woman that I had ever known.  I admit, I was a bit wary at first, with me being who I am.  I was afraid that she wouldn’t accept me.  But a little while later, I would notice that every time she’d look on me, she’d blush and turn away.  Of course, I took this as a good sign, so I approached her.”

He leaned forward, and rested his elbows on his knees, with his head bowed, sighing again before he continued.  “The resulting relationship was something I could have never hoped for.  I realized that I had found the one I’d been looking for all that time.  I told her about Demeter, and she agreed to keep our relationship a secret, if not until we had gotten married.  And yes”, he said, “We WERE going to be married.”    His voice turned bitter.  “Needless to say, Demeter was not exactly…pleased…when she found out.  The worst part was that the girl was pregnant.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Flashback*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

They were lying in the middle of the Palace’s Garden, covered by one of his large animal pelts.  He was holding her in his arms, while they calmed down from their passionate coupling a few moments ago.

“Do you think the child will be a boy or a girl?” she asked, looking up at him happily.

“I don’t know”, he said, running his fingers through her hair.  “I really do hope for a son, though.”

“I would like a little girl”, she said, as she rolled on her back, her breasts bare to the light of the moon, as she caressed her slightly swollen belly lovingly.  She giggled a bit as he rolled over her to rest his head on her belly.

There was a loud noise, and suddenly an enraged Demeter was standing before them.

“So”, Demeter said coldly.  “I had wondered where the two of you would go so often.”

Hades slowly stood, glaring daggers into Demeter, who just glared defiantly right back.  He stood in front of the girl protectively as she dressed.

She was only half dressed as Demeter suddenly lunged, taking Hades by surprise.  Hades was shoved to the side as Demeter took the girl by the wrist and pulled viciously.

“You filthy little whore”, Demeter snarled, shaking the girl violently.

“Please-“, the girl began tearfully, before she was backhanded by the woman who was shaking her.  She fell to the side, and landed, cradling her belly protectively.

Demeter stalked to the girl, while Hades regained his bearings a bit.  He began to stalk over to Demeter to grab the bitch by her hair pull her away from his love, but he found that there was a barrier keeping him from reaching them.  He tried repeatedly to dispel the barrier, but it was to no avail.

“You get to watch”, Demeter said to him, smiling cruelly.  He could only watch, helpless, as Demeter put a hand to the girl’s belly.  A moment later, the girl began screaming, writhing in apparent agony.  A red glow appeared around Demeter’s hand, grew for a moment, and then disappeared.

“Don’t you fret”, Demeter said, patting the girl on the head.  “You won’t remember a thing.”

He looked into the girl’s eyes, and saw sorrow, pain, but most of all…forgiveness.  The last thing the girl did before she passed out was mouth the words ‘I Love You’.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*End Flashback*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Hades’ head was still bowed.  Persephone saw a drop fall from his face and onto the floor.  She watched as he buried his head in his hands.

“Not only had Demeter erased her memory…she’d restored the girl’s virginity…and she extinguished the life that we’d created”, Hades croaked in agony.  “I was going to be a father…”

Persephone’s mind whirled.  It couldn’t be true!!  Her mother would never be this cruel!!  She vowed to talk to her mother about this the next time she saw her.

She went over to where he was sitting, and knelt in front of him.  She took his head in her hands, and brushed his tears away with her thumbs.  “Who was she?” she asked.  “Who was this girl who had enraptured you so completely?”

He looked into her eyes what seemed to be an eternity.  It was a good long while before he spoke again.

“You.”

 

 

Chapter Twelve

 

“M-Me?” Persephone squeaked.  She blinked up at him, with her hands still on his face.  She plopped down on the ground, her mind whirling a million miles a minute.

“Persephone?” Hades asked, concern in his voice.  He swept her up and sat her down on the bed next to him.

“It all makes so much sense”, she whispered, tears filling her eyes.  “I…my body KNEW…my body KNEW you, even when my mind did not…” She didn’t resist when he wrapped his arms around her.

“If you doubt me, even for a moment, ask anyone in Mount Olympus”, he murmured into her hair.  “Everyone knew to keep our impending marriage a secret from Demeter, because Zeus had ordered it so.”  He smiled wryly.  “Haephestus and Jason were going to stand for me, and Aphrodite and Artemis were going to stand for you.”

She peeked up at him.  “Is there any way to restore my memories?”

“I had asked Zeus, but he found that the only way for your memories to be restored is if your mother restored them for you”, he replied.  “As you can tell, that in itself is a problem.”  He then sighed.  “If THAT’S not enough, there is an even bigger problem.”

“What is that problem?” Persephone asked.

“It has to do with your health”, Hades said slowly.  “It seems that even though you don’t feel anything physically wrong with you, it seems that Demeter has taken steps to ensure our permanent separation.”

She blinked up at him in question.

“The healer has told me that you are under an enchantment.  The longer that you stay in the Underworld…and near me…your appetite will continue to abandon you.  Even though you are not feeling hungry, you will essentially starve yourself to death.”

“But that’s impossible”, she cried.  “I see myself in the mirror every day, and I see no change.”  She sputtered a moment, before she continued.  “And how do you know it was Mother who did this??”

“Because any God or Goddess who casts an enchantment has a magical signature attached to that enchantment”, Hades replied.  “For example, were it I that had cast that enchantment (which I never would, I assure you my love)”, he added hastily, “Then there would be certain characteristics that would come up every time you would be examined that would show that the enchantment was mine.”  He ran his hand through his hair.  “The only way to break it is for Demeter to acknowledge and accept us.”

The tears that were in Persephone’s eyes fell down her cheeks.  “Why would Mother do this to me?” she sobbed quietly.

“This isn’t your fault”, he replied reverently, wrapping her in his arms again.  “This is my fault entirely.  Because of me, you were made to suffer.”

“But I don’t understand”, she whimpered, burying her head in his chest.  “Mother always assured me that I could choose my own husband…”

“I don’t think she expected you to choose me”, he replied.  He then gave her one last squeeze before standing.  “Come.  We must go to the Mount Olympus.  No doubt you wish to verify my story.”

Her brow furrowed, deep in thought.  “If we’ve been together before, then why is it that I was treated as if we’ve never met?”

“We had to”, Hades replied.  “Zeus was concerned about your mental state.  He decreed that no one was to speak of it unless you asked anyone in Mount Olympus directly about it.  He didn’t want you to be more confused than you no doubt are.”

Persephone stood and, still with a furrowed brow, put her hands over her belly, feeling about experimentally.  Fresh tears formed in her eyes.  “Yes…” she whispered.  “Yes…the emptiness is there…”

Fresh tears formed in Hades’ eyes as well as he once again drew her into his arms.  “Do not fret, beautiful one”, he murmured, stroking her hair soothingly.  “We shall have the chance to make another one.”

“But…I want the one we’d made first”, she cried, sobbing again.  “I want the one that was murdered!!”

He held her as he felt her weaken against him, allowing her to cry out her broken heart.  He gently knelt as he allowed her to fall to her knees, clinging to him for dear life.  It felt absolutely wonderful to finally get out the truth.  She knew now, and it was truly liberating to know that she believed him.  He’d never lied to her (past OR present), and, thankfully, she knew that.  Demeter was truly a cruel, manipulative bitch, a fact that she’d cleverly hidden from her daughter.

“Why?” Persephone whimpered.  “Why would Mother do such cruel things??”

“Demeter has always wanted control of the Elysian Fields”, he murmured.  “She figured that if she could sway my mind in taking her to wife, then I would give her control of them.”

“But why would Mother want the Elysian Fields?” Persephone sniffled.  “They’ve always governed themselves.”

“Because there are plants there that she wants to bring to ‘experiment on’ which only belong to the Gods”, Hades replied, still stroking her hair soothingly.  His fingers then threaded through the silken strands.  “But if she tries to do that, then the very delicate balance between the plants of the Gods and mortal plants will be thrown into severe disarray.  Zeus says that she might even throw all of nature out of balance.  Demeter says that he overreacts, but Zeus refuses to take that chance.”

As Hades continued with his explanations in his deep, soothing voice, a crushing, overwhelming anger rose within Persephone.  How DARE her mother try to dictate whom she chose for a husband, and do such horrific things because said husband had chosen her instead of her mother!!  The erasure of her memory she could have forgiven in time…it was the murder of her unborn child that made her actions unforgivable.  They would have been a family… If Mother hadn’t done what she had done, right now she would have been nursing her newborn son or daughter.  Why couldn’t she have just been happy for her!?  She had finally found a man who was going to marry her and give her unending happiness, and her mother had snatched that happiness right out of her hands!!

“She’s lied to me all this time…” she whispered.

“If that’s not enough, she’s tried time and again to shove you into Eros’ path”, Hades growled.  “That boy isn’t worthy to come NEAR you, let alone take you to wife.”  **Author’s Note: Eros is Randy Orton.  Just so you guys know.**

“I don’t like Eros”, she murmured, snuggling deeper into Hades’ arms.  “He’s FAR too full of himself.”  Her tears had tapered off, and now that anger that she’d felt was taking deeper root within her, and growing quickly.  She suddenly stood, tension coiled in her body, and turned, stalking right to the door.

“Where are you going?” Hades called after her, standing and following her.

She turned to look at him then; a look that chilled him to the bone.

“I believe I must have a talk with…’Mother Dear’”, she snarled icily.  With that, she whirled and stalked out the door.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Demeter was pacing in her room on Mount Olympus when her door suddenly was thrown open.  No, not thrown open, more like kicked down.  Her daughter was framed in the doorway.

“Mother Dearest”, she snarled sarcastically.  “I believe it’s high time we had a little talk…”

 

 

Chapter Thirteen

 

“P-Persephone”, Demeter stammered, blinking at her.  “What are you on about?”

Instead of speaking, Persephone advanced on her.  Demeter backed up in a panic, but her daughter caught her by the collar and gripped it tightly.

“Give them back”, Persephone snarled, shaking her mother.

“Persephone, unhand me right now!!” Demeter cried, trying to wrench her hands off her collar, but not succeeding.

“I SAID GIVE THEM BACK!!!” Persephone shrieked, shoving Demeter to the ground.

“G-Give what back?” Demeter squeaked feebly.

“Give back what you’ve stolen from me”, Persephone said, stalking her mother slowly as she backed away from her.  “I want what you’ve stolen from me.  Give them back.  Now.”  Tears started to course down her cheeks, while her hands curled into tight fists.  “Because of you, I have this empty feeling within me that I can’t get rid of.  Because of you, I nearly lost the only happiness that I had.  Because of you, I lost the family that should have been mine!!”

Demeter gaped at her.  How could she have known?  Unless…

“And now, I’m dying because you can’t admit defeat!!” Persephone said.  “Does it feel good, Mother Dear, to lose the only flesh and blood you have because of your bruised pride?  Do you take pleasure in the fact that because of this, I can never again call you ‘Mother’?”

“Darling, whatever Hades has told you, he’s lying”, Demeter said, reaching a trembling hand towards her.  “I’d never do anything to hurt you.  You know that!!”

“Do I?” Persephone asked coldly.  “Do I truly?”  She then turned her back on the older woman.  “I sincerely hope, for your sake, that you’re being truthful.”  She then walked out of the room, leaving a startled Demeter behind.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Persephone tried to control her rage as she crossed the Palace of the Gods, and going straight outside to a little house.  She went to the door, and knocked three times.  A moment later, the door opened, and upon seeing the person inside, the anger evaporated, leaving deep sorrow.

“P-Persephone”, Aphrodite cried, ushering the girl inside.  “Persephone, what’s wrong?”  The woman’s glowing red hair glinted in the sunlight.

Persephone really didn’t understand why Aphrodite was so self-conscious.  She truly was the most beautiful creature to roam this world.  She allowed her to sit her down on a plush pile of pillows as Aphrodite sat next to her, taking her hand gently.  At this gesture, Persephone began to sob again.

“Tell me”, Persephone gasped, unable to stop.  “Tell me everything.  Please tell me that I’ve been lied to…that Mother wouldn’t do such horrible things!!  Tell me that this empty feeling within me is because of something else!!  Tell me that Hades has lied to me, and that Mother would never be so cruel!!”

At the look on Aphrodite’s face, she knew that she’d been told the truth.  Which only made her cry harder.

“’Aphrodite, my love”, a deep voice called.

“Haephestus, in here!!” Aphrodite called.  “Persephone is here!!”

“Oh?” Haephestus asked, walking into the room.  He was just as big as Hades; only he had a red and black mask over his face.  Of course, everyone knew exactly how ugly he was under the mask, but he chose to wear it anyways.

“She knows”, Aphrodite said quietly to her husband.

Haephestus blinked, and then bowed his head in sorrow.  Hades was like a brother to him.  If it hadn’t been for him, he and Aphrodite would never had fallen in love and married.  He knelt in front of the sobbing girl.  “Is there anything we can do?”

“I want the truth”, Persephone said.  “I want you to tell me everything that you know.”

So they did.  Every single thing that they told her fit tightly with what Hades had told her.  After about an hour, there was a knock on the door.

Haephestus went to answer it, and opened the door to reveal Athena.

“Is she here?” Athena asked.  She, too, had red hair.  Her hazel eyes were filled with concern.  She was just about as tall as Persephone.

Haephestus nodded, and allowed her inside.

Athena went right to Persephone and enveloped her in a warm hug.  “You don’t need to worry, Persephone.  We are here for you.”

Persephone told them about her declining health, which shocked all three.

“That’s why you look so thin”, Aphrodite said in horror.

“But that’s just it”, Persephone said.  “I don’t see it at all.  All I see is how I always looked.”

“I think we should take her to Zeus”, Athena said.  Even as she said that, Persephone yelped out in pain, doubling over and clutching her abdomen.

“Persephone!!” Aphrodite cried, the three of them going to her.  “What’s wrong??”

She cried out in pain again.  She hadn’t been in the Underworld…and near Hades…for nearly a full day, and she was now feeling the effects of her abandoned appetite.

“Athena, fetch a bowl of fruit, the cheese, and the bread.  Also some ambrosia”, Haephestus commanded.

Usually, Athena wasn’t one to be ordered about, but she complied wordlessly, flying into the pantry to retrieve the items that he’d requested.  Once she’d gotten them, she came back, and set them down on the floor next to Persephone.  She then ran to get some wine, too.

It was painstaking, but they had slowly fed her every single bite and every single drop that was there.  They couldn’t very well force the food down her throat, because it would only make her worse.

Aphrodite went to her reflecting pool, and frantically called for both Zeus and Hades.

“My Lord…please bring your Mirror”, she pleaded.  She ended the connection, and ran back to Persephone, who was sitting dazedly on the pillows, reclined on her back.

Within moments, both Hades, Jason and Zeus were in the room with them.  Hades gently took his wife in his arms, while Zeus shook his head sadly.

“Zeus…is there nothing we can do?” Hades asked quietly.

“No, there isn’t”, Zeus said sadly.  “Either her mother gives her back the memories that she stole, or she recovers them on her own.  We don’t know exactly how long that will take.  And I’ve done as much as I could with the enchantment, but there was no way that I found to break it.”

Persephone stood shakily, leaning on her husband.

“Persephone, come and look at yourself”, Zeus said.  He held out his hand, and waved his other, making a huge mirror appear.

When Persephone saw herself, she gasped in shock.

She was stick thin.  Her cheeks sunk into her cheekbones, and her eyes were deep in her head.  Shadows lined under those eyes, and she now felt so weak.

“You don’t have to worry, my love”, Hades said, coming to embrace her.  “We WILL find a way.”

They all sat down, and converged on what to do next.

Chapter Fourteen

 

Zeus had allowed them all the use of his Private Library.  Every day they would so extensive research, only to find nothing every time.  Thankfully, they had others to attend to their duties for them.

Hades was especially thankful that Jason was there to take care of the Underworld when he was gone.  He was very capable in his work, and would not let him down.  He refused to allow Persephone to do any sort of work, because she still needed to regain her strength.  It killed him, but he allowed himself near her only every other day.

On one of these days, he was sitting on a bench in the Palace’s garden, while Persephone sat in the grass.  Her knees were drawn up, her silken yellow tunic wrapped about her person with just the right fit.  The hem gently grazed the top of the blades of grass.  Her chin was resting on her knees, with her arms wrapped around them.

“How did we first meet?  I mean TRULY meet?” she asked.

A moment later, she witnessed a rather peculiar reaction.  Hades, her husband, God of the Underworld…was blushing.

“Ahem, well…we actually MET when you were but a child.  But as for when I had actually approached you…” Hades said.  Truthfully, compared with most of the other gods, she WAS still a child.  But being that she’d grown considerably since he’d held her in his arms as a newly born babe…

“I do not wish to tell you”, he said, standing and holding his hand out to her.  “I’d rather show you.”

She blinked up at him and took his hand, standing.  She let him guide her to the nearest little house, which happened to be the house that Aphrodite and Haephestus shared.

“Of course you can use our Portal”, Aphrodite said kindly upon Hades’ request.

Every god and goddess in Mount Olympus had their own portal.  It took one wherever they wanted to go, whether be it anywhere on earth, back in time, or even into someone’s memory.

Hades led her to a door, and opened it.  The portal looked like the surface of a pool that was disturbed by a pebble…rippling and shifting.  He touched a finger to it, and it rippled distinctly, until an image appeared.  The image was bright white…it looked as if it was somewhere in the Mt. Olympus Main Hall.  He gently guided her into the portal.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Flashback*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Supper was being served in the Mt. Olympus Main Hall, and Hades and Persephone stood off to the side as everyone dined.  Eros was saying something to ‘Memory’ Persephone, because he was sitting next to her (far too CLOSE to her, in Hades’ opinion), but Memory Persephone wasn’t paying attention.  Her attention was on her food, which she pushed about on her plate.  When she did look up, she happened to lock eyes with Hades, who was sitting across from her.  Her eyes widened, and she blushed as she broke the eye contact, looking down at her plate again.

Supper was just about over, and Persephone seemed to shoot up from her seat, and tell her mother (who’d been sitting on her other side, and wrapped up in something that Hermes was telling her) that she was tired, and she was going to go bathe, then go to sleep.  ‘Present’ Persephone didn’t miss the glint in Eros’ eyes as she walked out.

The image swirled, and it looked as if a little while had gone by, because it was now dark with a full moon.  They were in the forest, with large trees and overgrown bush around.  Rippling water was the only sound, among the other sounds of the forest.

They walked a bit, and ‘Present’ Persephone gasped.  This was where she liked to bathe from time to time, when weather permitted.

They came upon the waterfall and pool, and she raised an eyebrow as she saw herself bathing.  Looking around, however, she didn’t see anything in sight.  Her memory self looked completely content to bathe, looking tired, as there was a rustling in the grass a few yards away.  She watched her own body try to hide itself, eyes staring wide in horror, as the thrashing grew more and more violent.

“If I were you, Eros”, a voice growled, obviously trying to make itself heard by the girl in the pool, “I would leave here right now.  If you don’t, I’ll make sure Zeus hears about it.”

More thrashing in the brush, and the thrashing seemed to move away, and rather quickly at that.

“It’s all right”, the owner of the voice said gently.  “You need not fear being spied on tonight.  Please finish your bath.”

The girl in the pool shakily left the pool, and looked around, wanting to dry herself off.  But, the problem was, her drying towel was gone.  She jumped when a hand shot out of the brush, holding said drying towel.  The hand was attached to a heavily inked arm.

“You can rest assured that I am not peeking”, he murmured, waving the towel in front of her.

Her face flushed when she snatched the towel away, and quickly dried herself off, and dressed. “I-“, she began in a croak, and then coughed.  “I’m ready”, she said, this time in a clearer voice.

The owner of the voice, no other than Hades stepped out.

“Forgive me”, he said, bowing to her with his hand over his heart.  “I saw Eros following you, and I thought he was up to some kind of mischief.”  He looked at her with those piercing green eyes.  “I could not allow that…boy…to inflict any sort of harm or embarrassment on you.  I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I allowed him to violate you that way.”

“Thank you”, she said quietly, her blush returning full force.

Hades had been telling the truth that night.  He really WASN’T peeking.  And he’d be damned to Tartarus for all of eternity if he’d allow anyone ELSE to, either.

When they spoke, they spoke at the same time.

“I was wondering-“

“How is-“

Both chuckled.  “You first, Persephone”, Hades said.

“I was wondering how Jason was?” she asked.

“He’s doing all right”, Hades said, nodding.  He then cleared his throat, his face being covered in his own blush.  “I was wondering…”

Persephone blinked up at him in that positively irresistible way that would melt his heart every time.

“Iwaswonderingifyou’dwanttospendsometimewithmeintheElysianFields”, he mumbled, seemingly all in one breath.

Persephone blinked again.  “Pardon?” she asked, puzzled

“I was wondering if you’d want to spend some time with me in the Elysian Fields”, Hades repeated.

After a moment, she smiled brilliantly at him.  “I would love that.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*End Flashback*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

They came out of the portal, with Hades gently guiding her out.  At her yawn, he guided her to the guest room that Aphrodite and Haephestus had prepared for her.  Persephone was startled to realize that they’d been there all day, and it was now twilight.

He swept her up and carried to her room, and removed her clothes himself to dress her in her nightgown. He then laid her down, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.  Thankfully, Aphrodite and Haephestus allowed him to make a portal in this very room, just in case he had to get to her in a hurry.

“Go to sleep, Persephone”, he said quietly.  “We’ll talk more in the morning.”

She yawned again.  “Good night, Hades”, she sighed sleepily, rolling on her side.

Hades had to clench his eyes shut.  This was the first time since her memory had been erased that she’d called him by his name.  When she was in the throes of passion, however, was a different story, but he intended to work on that after everything was straightened out.

He kissed her forehead again, and walked out of the portal.  He appeared in his own bedroom, and dragged a chair to his viewing pool, intending to watch over his wife while she slept.

 

 

 

 

Chapter Fifteen

 

It was well into the night, and Persephone slept peacefully in the large bed that Aphrodite and Haephestus had been kind enough to let her use.  The room itself was large, and the bed was a huge, four poster one, with white gauzy materials curtaining around it.

She woke, however, when she felt someone slide into the bed beside her.

“Hmmm?” she mumbled sleepily, feeling arms wrapping around her.

“Shhh”, came the voice of her husband.  “It’s all right…it’s only me.”

She sighed softly as she felt lips on her neck, and hands roaming over her body.

“I couldn’t stay away”, he whispered, delving his fingers underneath the shoulders of her nightgown and pushing them down.

Even as he touched her, her eyes snapped open, warning bells clamoring loudly in her head.  Something was…off.  There was no warmth, tenderness, or love in his touch…only lust.  She found his hands, and held them away from her body.  “Please…I’m sorry, but I’m just so tired…”

He froze for just a moment at her protest, but resumed, more insistent this time.  He avoided her hands and began pulling at her nightgown, murmuring soothing words in her ear.

But, the more murmuring he did, the more sure she felt that something was wrong.  She began to try to wriggle away from him, but his grip was too strong.

Eros knew, (for it WAS Eros) that he only had to get her to look at him for one second, and then she’d be his.  He had the power to put a woman into a trance and make her do whatever he wanted…if he could just get her to look into his eyes.  One second was all he needed.

“No”, she said, struggling in earnest, “You are not my husband…”

The figure moved his weight on top of her and began to quickly undo her nightgown.  “Persephone, look at me!!” he whispered urgently.  He buried his hand in her hair and forced her head forward.

“No!! You are not my husband!!” she cried.  She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away, despite the hand in her hair, and tears leaking out of her eyes.

She struggled mightily, repeating the same thing.

“You are not my husband!!”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“You are not my husband!!”

Hades’ eyes opened instantly, his head having rested on his forearms on the edge of the viewing pool.  Just as he began kicking himself for falling asleep, he looked into the pool to see his wife struggling in the dark.

“You are not my husband!!”

Not wasting any time, he shot out of his seat, knocking the chair backward, and went to his portal.  He nearly tore the door off its hinges and ran through, going right to her room.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Persephone struggled tearfully with the figure in her bed until it was suddenly lifted from her person.  She sniffled as she slowly sat up, watching two figures fighting in the dark.  She lit up the candle that was next to the bed, and gasped.

She saw two people.  And both were the same person.  One was beating the Tartarus out of the other.

Hades knew EXACTLY who this was, and it gave him great satisfaction to know that he was beating the life out of him.  He glared downward at ‘Hades’.  “You might as well change back”, Hades snarled.

The faux-Hades glared back up at him, but began shifting anyways.  After a few moments, the transformation to his natural form was complete.

Hades began to attack again, even as Aphrodite, Haephestus, and even Zeus rushed in.  It took no less than six of Zeus’s strongest lightning bolts to get Hades to stop.

If Hades were mortal, he would have done no damage to Eros, no matter how strong he was.  But, since he was a Superior God, and Eros was a Lesser God, he could deal far more damage than Eros could.

Eros was sporting a busted lip, a broken nose, a dislocated shoulder, a few broken ribs, and injured pride to boot.  He’d been so close to having her, but Hades, damn him, had known that he was there.  He must have been watching!!  ‘One day, Hades’, he thought angrily.  ’One day I’ll make her realize that she does not belong with you!!’

He stumbled out of the room like a scolded dog, running off alone to nurse his wounds.

Hades, meanwhile, looked at his crying wife, who was being comforted by Aphrodite.  He sat on the edge of the bed, and held out his hand.

Persephone peeked at him, sniffling, and tentatively reached a trembling hand out to the one he was holding out to her.  She pressed her hand flat, his palm against hers.  He gently curled his fingers around hers.

THIS touch was TRULY her husband’s.  As soon as her mind verified this fact, she threw herself into his arms, pressing her face into his neck as his massive arms wrapped around her.  He stroked her hair gently, crooning comfort into her ear.

‘If he ever comes near her again’, Hades promised himself, ‘I’ll kill him, and they’ll be looking for someone to take his place!!’

“This is Demeter’s doing, I just know it”, Aphrodite said fiercely.  “She sent him in here!!”

“Now, we don’t know that for sure…” Zeus said.

“My Lord, how is it that he knew where Persephone was if he was not told?!” Haephestus asked sharply.

“If THAT is true, how did Demeter know?  SHE wasn’t told either”, Zeus replied.

“She has ways of knowing things that she is not to know”, Hades said.  “She found out about our relationship the first time…I have no doubts in my mind she found out about Persephone’s whereabouts tonight.”

Zeus furrowed his brow.  “I’ll look into it”, he said.

Persephone snuggled into her husband’s arms.  She absolutely HATED how this entire thing had turned her into a sniveling, sobbing mess.  But she couldn’t help but burrow deeper into her husband’s embrace.  “Please don’t leave”, she murmured as he went to get up.

“But…your health…”, he murmured.

“Please, I don’t want to be by myself”, she said.  “Please stay with me.”

He really didn’t want to jeopardize her health even more, but she pleaded with him so desperately…

“All right”, he said.  “Only because you ask me to.”

He settled next to her as everyone filed out.  He kept his arms firmly wrapped around her as she snuggled happily into his embrace.

She felt so safe in his arms…like nothing could happen to her if he were near.

They both fell asleep a few moments later.

 

 

 

Chapter Sixteen

 

The night was almost over, and Persephone’s sleep was disturbed.  She’d only been asleep for about an hour or two, but her body was so keyed up that she awoke after that time.  Her senses were overly alert to the fact that her husband’s arms were wrapped around her.  She lifted herself up a bit, her hand resting on his chest, and looked down at him.

He was still asleep.  It was the darkest hour of the night before the dawn, but she could see his features clearly.

Her body desired him immensely, but she couldn’t wake him because of her selfish need.  She continued to look down at him, tilting her head to the side as she watched him sleep.  He’d hardly slept because of their research, so despite her body, she decided to let him get his much needed rest.  Her hand came up to brush a strand of hair away from his face.  Biting her lip in indecision for a moment, she then leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.

She gasped into his mouth as she was suddenly rolled over onto her back, while he deepened the kiss, a rough, sleepy growl coming from somewhere deep in his chest.  The kiss finally ended as their breathing came in pants.

“I…I didn’t want to wake you…” she whispered.

In truth, he’d been awake the moment she had shifted up to look at him.  He didn’t want to frighten her by moving, so he decided to pretend to be asleep to see what she was doing.  “It’s all right”, he mumbled sleepily.  He settled on top of her, his head resting on her right breast, while his hand petted her left affectionately.  He nuzzled at the firm, yet soft flesh happily.  He growled a bit again as he felt her fingers run through his hair, and her other arm wrap around him, making him look up at her, and raise an amused eyebrow.  “Why did you not say that you were feeling…amorous?”

“You’ve been working so hard”, she murmured.  “I didn’t want to disturb your rest…”

“Never you mind about my rest”, he murmured, his hand now cupping and kneading her left breast.  “…Are you sure that this is what you want?”  The concern was plain in his voice.  “Your health…”

“Please”, Persephone said softly, wriggling against him.  “Please, I need to feel you tonight…”

He cut her off by pressing his lips to hers again.  She kissed him back eagerly as she felt his hands removing her nightgown, then squeaked as she felt said hands on her bare skin.  She willingly accommodated him as he moved between her thighs, and slid easily into her, growling against her lips.  His strokes were long, smooth and powerful as she whimpered, wrapping her legs around his waist.

She gasped as one moment she was on her back, and the next she was sitting up, straddling his hips as his hands guided her strokes.  Her head fell backward, her breath coming in gasps as her blood sang in her veins at the feel of him moving within her.  Within moments, her release came upon her, making her gasp loudly and her body tense, her thighs locking around his hips.

He groaned into her neck as his own release came a moment later, his hands tightening their grip on her hips.  His own body tensed just like hers, until they both sagged simultaneously against each other, their breathing the only sound in the room.  His arms wrapped around her as she snuggled against his chest.

“Was that to your satisfaction, wife?” he asked amusedly, muffled against her throat.

Persephone giggled.  “Yes”, she murmured.  “Very much.”

“Well, it seems that she sees me as a source of amusement”, he growled, pouncing on her.  “I shall have to rectify this.”  With this said, he wrapped her legs around his waist and took her again.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

It was well into the morning, and Aphrodite and Haephestus became concerned.  Neither Hades nor Persephone had made an appearance yet, and it was near noon.

Aphrodite went to the room that they were staying in, and knocked gently on the door.  “Hades”, she called.  “Persephone…it’s nearly noon!!”  When she heard no answer, she turned the knob and gently opened the door.  Her eyes widened a bit at what she saw.

They were both asleep.  Persephone’s arm was draped over her husband’s waist, while his own arms were wrapped around her.  Hades was bare from the waist up, and, from the looks of it, so was Persephone.  His hands began to stroke Persephone’s bare back in his sleep, making her snuggle a bit into his arms.  Both had serene smiles on their faces.

Aphrodite silently backed out of the room and closed the door just as Haephestus came up to her.

“Are they going to join us for breakfast?” Haephestus asked.

“Ahh…no”, she replied slowly.  “I’ve decided to let them rest.”

Deciding to take her word for it, Haephestus nodded.  “All right”, he said.  He then guided his wife away from the door.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

In the days following, in between periods of research, Hades showed her more and more memories from their past.  Their friendship turned into a courtship, until he’d asked her to marry him. Out of all the memories he’d shown her, that one was by far the sweetest.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Flashback~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

It was in the middle of the Celestial Palace’s garden.  Hades had made sure that every single flower that Persephone loved was in bloom at that very spot when he brought her there.

“Persephone, there is a reason that I’ve brought you here”, Hades said nervously as he held her in his arms.

“What is that reason?” she asked as he looked down at her.

“I love you, Persephone”, he said quietly.  “I brought you here so that I could ask you to become my wife.”  He knelt in front of her, clasping her hands in his.

She was silent for a moment, tears forming in her eyes, before answering.  “Yes”, she whispered.  “Yes, I will…”

Without another word, he swept her up and twirled her around happily, the both of them laughing.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*End Flashback*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Persephone was walking through the palace while Hades, Aphrodite, Haephestus, and Athena did their research (they still forbid her to do any work).  She thought it was strange that there was no one around.  Usually, at this time, the Celestial Palace was bustling, but there was no one to be found.  She resumed her thoughts, not aware of her surroundings.  She really hoped that they found a solution soon.  She really didn’t want to separate herself from Hades all the time.

If she had paying attention, she’d have noticed the person who was sneaking up to her.  Said person grabbed her from behind, and covered her mouth, and dragged her backward.  She struggled for a moment, before she was struck in the head.  Before she lost consciousness, she heard one sentence.

“This is for your own good…”

 

 

Chapter Seventeen

 

“Hurry”, Demeter hissed at Eros, who was carrying a limp Persephone.  “Before anyone comes along.”

Eros swept the girl into his arms, and carried her off, with Demeter following closely behind.

Had they been paying attention, they would have noticed the tiny figure who was hiding behind a pillar.

‘Oh, no!’! thought little Hermes, who Hades had employed to keep watch over his wife.  He looked to his little winged sandals.  ‘Bear me quickly to Hades!!  I must find him!!” He jumped into the air and took flight straight to Zeus’s private library.

“Hades!!”, Hermes cried.  “Hades, there’s trouble!!”

Hades, who’d been looking through a thick tome, stood.  “What’s happened?!”

“Demeter and Eros took Persephone!!”  Hermes flitted about, darting this way and that in his worry.  “I don’t know where they’ve taken her!!”

Hades, along with everyone else, ran out of the library to search for her.

They searched for hours, without a single sign of her.  Hades took command rather efficiently as the search spread throughout all of Mount Olympus…without results.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Persephone groaned, and squeezed her eyes shut to try to assuage the throbbing in her head.  She tried to put a hand to her forehead, but she couldn’t move them.  She opened her eyes, and saw that she was in a room.  She had no idea where this place was.  Her body was garbed in a white wedding tunic, and she was laid out on a stone table with runes carved around the edges of the table.  Her hands were bound above her head.

She struggled for a few minutes against the chains that bound her, but to no avail.  Her eyes adjusted to the semi darkness (because the room was only lit by a few torches), and widened her eyes.

Her mother was standing a little ways away from the table.  She walked up slowly to it, followed by Eros.

“I’m sorry, my love”, Demeter said, patting Persephone’s head.  “As I’ve said before, this is for your own good.”

“Mother, please!!” Persephone cried, her struggles beginning anew.  “Mother, don’t do this!!”

Demeter didn’t respond.  She merely patted her daughter’s head.  She watched as the girl went limp again.

“We’re going to have to do this later”, Demeter said.  “They’re going to miss us in Mount Olympus if we don’t return soon.”

Eros growled softly as he gazed down at the unconscious Persephone.  “Fine”, he snarled.  WHY couldn’t they do this now?!

“It won’t have any effect if we do this now”, Demeter snapped.  She turned and swept out of the room, with a sulky Eros following her.

“Don’t worry.  Nobody knows that we’ve taken her”, Demeter said smugly.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

It was dark outside, and Hades, Aphrodite, Haephesuts, Hermes, and Athena were in a panic.  They’d searched all over Mount Olympus, and they hadn’t found her.  They went to Zeus, and told him what was happening.  While they were talking, someone walked up.

“Oh, good evening”, Demeter said, doing her best to look innocent.  “What’s happened?”

Hades, upon hearing her voice, slowly turned and glared, seemingly right through her.  “Where is she??” he snarled.

“W-what?” Demeter stammered.

“You and Eros.  You took my wife.  Where is she?!” Hades snarled again.

“What are you talking about?” Demeter asked, taking a step back as she saw Hades beginning to stalk slowly towards her.

“Don’t dare play games with me!!” Hades roared, making Demeter cower.

Demeter got over her fear, then stood tall, planting her fists on her hips.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about!!”  She walked right up to him.  “And for you to insinuate such nonsense is insulting!!”

Hades’ patience was wearing VERY thin.  “Where is she??? Do not make me ask again.  You don’t want to find out what’s going to happen to you if you don’t tell me.”

Demeter shrugged one shoulder.  “What do I care? She decided to disobey me.  I care not what happens to her now.”

Hades had never struck a woman in his entire existence.  Yet, his conscience made no appearance when he walked up to her, raised his hand, and with all his power and might backhanded Demeter right across the face, making her fly halfway across the Mt. Olympus Main Hall.  The woman barely had the time to recover before Hades stalked towards her and grabbed her by the throat and picked her up, shaking her and snarling in her face.

“WHERE IS SHE?!?!” he roared.  He didn’t even notice that everyone, including Zeus, was trying to pry her out of his hands.

“HADES!!” Zeus thundered, finally prying Hades’ grip off Demeter’s neck.

Demeter wheezed, one hand clutching at her now bruised neck, and the other covering her face where Hades had struck her.  She never thought he’d go this far!!  He’d nearly KILLED her!!

“Hades!!” Zeus said, pulling Hades back.  “Hades, calm down!!”

“I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!! THIS MEDDLESOME, VINDICTIVE BITCH KIDNAPPED MY WIFE!!!” Hades roared.

“It’s true”, Hermes said, darting about.  “I saw her and Eros knock her out and disappear with her!!”

Demeter’s eye widened (she couldn’t widen her other eye because it had quickly swollen shut).  How could Hermes have known?? ‘Unless he was watching!!’ she thought frantically.

“Demeter”, Zeus growled.  “If you don’t return her right now, and undo what you’ve done, you will not like the consequences!!”

Demeter’s eye was beginning to slowly heal itself, until all traces of the black eye was gone.  She stood, glaring at the assembled crowed.  “I am doing what is best for MY daughter!! And none of you can do anything about it!!”

Athena had had enough.  She ran and pounced on Demeter, grabbing fistfuls of the woman’s hair and pounding her head into the marble floor.

“BRING HER BACK!!” Athena shrieked.  “BRING HER BACK NOW, YOU FILTHY BITCH!!”

Demeter suddenly disappeared with a >pop< from underneath Athena, making her howl in rage.

“I’LL KILL THAT-“ Athena began.  Aphrodite then went up to her and put a hand on her shoulder, cutting her off.

“This isn’t going to do any good!!” Aphrodite said.

“Isn’t there anything ANYONE can do??” Haephestus asked.

Aphrodite bit her lip.  “I think I might be able to try something…but I’m going to have think a bit about it first.”

Hades was breathing hard through his nose, with his back turned to everyone.  Then, with a howl of incensed rage, he gripped Zeus’ throne in his hands and flipped the solid marble and gold object over, making it shatter against the floor before stalking off.

He went through the palace and went straight to a portal, going to his Palace.  It was high time to finally put this ordeal to an end.

Permanently.

 

 

Chapter Eighteen

 

Demeter transported herself back to where Persephone was still bound to the stone table.  ‘’Eros, get here now!!’ she snarled.

A moment later, Eros appeared.  “What’s going on?” he asked.

“They know”, Demeter snapped, going up to the table.  She awakened her daughter, and opened a book that was on a stone pulpit.  She flipped through the pages until she found the one she was looking for.

“Mother”, Persephone begged, “Please…Mother, please see reason!!”  She struggled against her bonds as Demeter looked at Eros, nodding once.

Eros went to the edge of the table where Persephone’s feet were pointing.  He got up on the table and crawled over her, holding her body down on the table to prevent her from struggling.

Demeter began chanting, while adding herbs to a golden chalice, and pouring wine over the herbs, making the brew smoke and steam.  The thick steam was pouring over the sides of the chalice as she used a stick to stir it.  Her chanting reached a crescendo as she went to the other end of the table, where Persephone’s head was.

Persephone tried to struggle, but Eros had grabbed her head and forced it to face forward with one hand, while he wrapped his other around his jaw to force her mouth open.  She struggled with all her might, but it wasn’t enough.  Her mother poured the mixture into her mouth, while Eros closed her mouth and forced her to swallow the brew.  The result was excruciating pain in her abdomen, making her scream through Eros’ hand.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

While Hades was in his little research room with Jason, he gasped and fell to his knees, an intense dizziness and pain lancing through his head.

“My Lord!!” Jason cried, rushing to his side.

Hades shook his head, and blinked for a moment.  Something was missing now.  It took a moment for him to realize what had happened.

“Our bond”, he whispered.

“Sire?” Jason asked.

“The bond that Persephone and I formed when we married…it’s gone.”  He got up and frantically continued to do his research.  If Demeter was doing what he THOUGHT she was doing…

He found the book he was looking for, and quickly thumbed through the pages until finding what he needed.  He then prepared things just as the book dictated.  “Jason, find Aphrodite and bring her here”, he commanded.  “Tell her what’s going on, and tell her that whatever she was thinking of, to do it FAST.”

Jason ran out of the room.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Jason found Aphrodite a little while later, and frantically explained the situation.

“No…” Aphrodite whispered.  “She’s found the Unbinding Spell!!”

“Is there anything you can do??” Jason asked.

“All I can do right now is to buy her time”, Aphrodite said.  She dragged Jason to a room that was like a makeshift temple.  She knelt in front of the altar, putting herbs into a bowl and began chanting as she lit the herbs aflame, fragrant smoke rising from the bowl.  She put a blonde strand of hair into the bowl.  Her chanting reached a crescendo as a bright white light encompassed the strand, and disappeared.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Demeter grinned savagely.  “It’s done!! Their bond is broken!!” she cried.

Persephone’s eyes widened, and then drifted closed, tears running from the corners of her eyes.

Demeter flipped through the book, and began chanting again.

Persephone’s heart raced.  This was the same chant that bound her and Hades when they were married.  Her eyes snapped open.  She tried to speak, but Eros was still holding her mouth with his hand.  But even as she chanted, Persephone realized that it was a bit different.

“The binding needs one more thing”, Demeter said, running a hand through her own blonde hair.  She looked at Eros.  “The way it can become permanent…and unbreakable…is if you take her now.”

Eros grinned savagely.  “With pleasure”, he growled, making Persephone squeak in fear and horror.

Persephone began to struggle as Eros began to remove her clothes.  She was powerless to stop him as he made her look at him.  A moment later, her entire body went limp, unresponsive to her brain’s commands.

Eros looked into her eyes, putting her into one of his trances.  This was going to make it SO much easier for him to take her.  He didn’t like his conquests struggling against him.  But, even as he disrobed himself and poised to take her, something happened, making him freeze.

“Well? What are you waiting for?!” Demeter hissed.  “Do it now!!”

“I…I can’t”, Eros said, panicked.

“Why not?!?” Demeter nearly shrieked.

“I…my body won’t respond!!” Eros said.  He sat up and looked down at himself, seeing that his once straining arousal had gone completely limp.

Demeter stared in shock for a minute, before scowling.  “Aphrodite”, she snarled.  “Now, wait, wait, let me think…”  She paced.  “We can let them think they were too late.  Just keep her in that trance, and she won’t be able to tell anyone.  We just have to find a way to get around Aphrodite’s spell.”

Eros nodded mulishly and got off Persephone, who was blinking dazedly up at the ceiling.

“What about her mind?” Eros asked.

“This time, she’ll remember EVERYTHING that she shared with Hades”, Demeter spat.  “That is going to be her punishment for defying me…having those memories and being unable to go back.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

It was about a week since anyone had seen Persephone.  Or Demeter or Eros, for that matter.  Hades was frantic, as were her friends.  The biggest shock came to them when Demeter strolled into the Mount Olympus Main Hall during supper.

“May I have your attention please!?” she crowed happily.  “I would like to introduce to you, Eros, God of Eroticism…and his new wife…”  She grinned evilly at Hades.  “…Persephone.”

Eros strutted into the room, with a dazed Persephone on his arm.  Her gaze was expressionless as she looked around.

Hades’ breath caught in his throat.  She didn’t….the bitch DIDN’T… He got up and walked up to them as Eros sat Persephone down, grinning smugly at him.  He knelt in front of her, looking into her blank eyes.  “Persephone?” he breathed.  He was searching desperately for some sign…something, ANYTHING that would tell him that she was still there.

The only indication that she gave him that she knew he was there was a single tear that ran down her perfect cheek.

 

 

Chapter Nineteen

 

‘Hades!!’ Persephone screamed, sobbing and banging her fists against the invisible shield that kept her consciousness from reaching the outside.  ‘Hades, I’m here!! Hades, please help me!!’ She banged and screamed as loud as she could, but her physical body wouldn’t respond, nor could Hades hear her.  Her voice turned into a sorrowful whisper.  ‘Hades…please…please get me out…’  She sobbed as she turned, her back leaning against the barrier and slid down.  What was she going to do?  If she couldn’t get past the barrier, she’d be stuck in here for however long her mother wanted her in here.  How could her mother do this to her? All she had done was fall in love…was that so terrible?  Through her entire childhood, her mother was never like this…was she?

As she cried, she raised her head, and saw someone making their way towards her.  She had to squint in order to see who it was, and when she did, she started in shock.

She was looking at herself as a small child.

“Hi”, the girl said shyly.

Persephone looked down at her.  “Hi”, she said quietly.

Little Persephone raised her hand, intent for Grown Persephone to take it.

“Where are you taking me?” Grown Persephone asked, standing and following her.

“Shhh”, Little Persephone said, putting a little finger over her lips.  “We have to go this way.”

“Why?” Grown Persephone asked.

“Shhh!!” Little Persephone said again.

Little Persephone guided Grown Persephone away from the barrier, and further into her mind.  They kept going until they came to a door.  Little Persephone pointed at it.

Grown Persephone looked at it, and went to open it, finding it locked.  “It’s locked”, she said.  “I can’t get through.”

Little Persephone went up to the door, and pressed a finger to it, making the doorknob glow.  It glowed for a few seconds before the glow disappeared.  Little Persephone looked up at her expectantly.

“What’s inside the door?” Grown Persephone asked.

“It’s what you lost”, Little Persephone replied.  “It’s what your mother thought she destroyed.”

Grown Persephone’s hands went right to her belly.

“Unfortunately, that can’t be restored”, Little Persephone said.  “But what’s behind this door CAN be restored.”

She looked to the unlocked, yet closed door.  Her memories?  She looked apprehensively at Little Persephone, who urged her on.

“You are going to need them in order to overcome your obstacles.” Little Persephone said.

She opened the door, and a blinding white light assailed her eyes, making her shield them with her arm.  With one last look at Little Persephone, she stepped over the threshold, the door slamming behind her.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Weeks went by, and Persephone hadn’t said a word.  She just stared blankly around, while Eros led her everywhere like a dog on an invisible leash, which infuriated Hades and their friends.  They all tried time and again to reach her, but all she would do is blink dazedly at them.  A few times, Hades thought he saw something flicker in her eyes, but it would always be gone before he could be sure.

Their research went into overdrive, while Aphrodite kept up the impotency spell on Eros to keep him from touching her.  They even started using Hades’ library.

“Hey…I think I found something!!” Jason said, holding up an open book.

Everyone crowded around him as he trailed his finger over the open page.

“It says here that there’s a way for a God or Goddess to be stripped of their powers”, Jason said.  “If that happens, any enchantments that are made by said God or Goddess can be reversed!!”

Athena scowled as she read the page.  “This calls for some very dangerous magic…”

Hades grabbed the book, his green eyes scanning the page.  “I don’t care”, he said emotionlessly.  “Demeter and Eros both deserve what’s coming to them for harming Persephone.”

Aphrodite looked at the page over Hades’ shoulder.  “I have some of the ingredients for this…”, she said.

“Even if we DO make this, how are we going to get it into Demeter and Eros?” Athena asked.  “They’ll know that something is up.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it”, Hades said, marking the page, closing the book and going to his research room.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

It had taken weeks, but Persephone was finally able to go out the door that she’d entered.  And when she did, she had her memories back.  Every touch, every kiss, every loving embrace, every word.  She stalked to the barrier again, and saw that she was once again in the Mount Olympus Main Hall, this time for lunch.

“I am not going to allow this any more!!” she said to herself savagely.  “This has gone on long enough!!”  She put her hands against the barrier, and pushed with all her might.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

As everyone ate, Hades, Haephestus, Aphrodite, Jason, and Athena were all looking at each other furtively.  The potion was ready…they just needed to administer it somehow.

While they were trying to think of a way, Haephestus noticed something, and nudged Hades with his elbow.

“Look”, he hissed, nodding his head towards Persephone.

Hades looked, and widened his eyes, as everyone else began to notice the commotion.

Persephone was now leaning forward, her hands braced on the edge of the table, looking as if she was going to stand.  Sweat was beading on her forehead, and her face was turning beet red.  Her face was expressionless as before, but it looked as if something inside her that was fighting for freedom.

Hades ran to her, shoving a panicking Eros out of the way, and knelt in front of her, prying her hands off the table and taking them in his.

“Come on”, he urged hopefully.  “Come on, fight it!! I know you’re strong enough to fight it!!”

She continued to strain until she suddenly widened her eyes, gasping loudly, and fell to the floor.  She struggled for breath for a moment, and blinked as her face returned to its normal color.  She looked around until her eyes fell on Hades.  She let herself be swept into his arms, as she reached up and brushed a stray strand of hair from his face.

“Hello, my darling”, she said quietly, running her fingers through his hair.

Tears came to his eyes.  “P-Persephone?” he whispered.

“Yes…it’s me”, she said, smiling gently at him.

Those tears ran down his cheeks.  She’d only called him ‘darling’ when…

“Yes.  I’ve remembered myself”, Persephone said, snuggling into him.

“Love does conquer over all”, Athena said softly, smiling at Aphrodite, who smiled back.

Their moment would be interrupted, however, when an enraged shriek rent the air.

 

 

Chapter Twenty

 

“NOOOOOOOO!!!!” Demeter shrieked, flipping a table over.  She stalked up to them as Hades helped Persephone up.

To Hades’ surprise, Persephone resolutely stood in front of him. “This has gone on for too long”, Persephone whispered.  “This has got to stop.”

Demeter snarled at her.  “If you had just listened to me in the first place, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt!!  If you had just STAYED OUT OF IT, I wouldn’t have felt the need to do what I did!!”

“Mother, don’t you understand?!  The wildlife in the Elysian Fields CAN’T BE TAMPERED WITH!!” Persephone cried.  “Everything will be thrown into disarray if you try!!”

Demeter blinked at her for a moment before starting to laugh.  “Is THAT the story that your beloved husband fed you??” Demeter asked, her laughter echoing through the Mount Olympus Main Hall.  She looked to Hades, looking distinctly amused.  “You never TOLD her??”

Persephone scowled.  “Told me what?  Why should I believe anything that you’ve ever told me, after every lie you drilled into me?!”

She felt her husband stiffen behind her.  “Persephone-“ Hades began.

“Oh, this is TOO GOOD!!” Demeter crowed, just as a distinctly disgruntled Eros went to stand next to her.

“ENOUGH!!” Persephone cried, not wanting to hear another word that her mother had to say.  She pressed her hands together in front of her, as in prayer.  A moment later, a ball of white light formed in her hands.  The ball grew as her hands slowly pulled apart.  As she did this, the ball of light grew until it was roughly the size of her head.  She then shot the ball of light at her mother, hitting her square in the chest, making her fly backward.

Zeus went to intervene, but Aphrodite stopped him.

“This is Persephone’s fight”, she said softly.  “She doesn’t want anyone to fight her battles for her.”

Demeter, dazed, looked up to see Persephone conjuring another ball of light.  She didn’t even have time to recover before Persephone shot again, getting her again in her chest, making her roll to a wall.

It took Demeter a moment, but she recovered.  She rolled out of the way as Persephone shot a third ball at her.  She formed a ball of her own and shot her daughter, getting her in the belly.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Eros, meanwhile, had inched his way towards Hades without anyone noticing, and kicked him in the back of his knee, making him fall forward.

Hades recovered quickly, and growled.  He turned and gave chase to Eros, and quickly caught him, once again nearly beating the life out of him.  He even let Athena get a few stomps to his malfunctioning genitals.  They ignored him after that, because he had gone unconscious.  Or so they thought.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Demeter and Persephone continued to trade blows.  Demeter was weakening quickly, while Persephone’s youth and vigor helped her recover quickly.

“Y-you don’t know…the full story”, Demeter panted, standing on shaky legs.

“I don’t need to”, Persephone snarled.  She blasted her mother again.  “You’ve told me too many lies for me to believe anything you have to say.”

Demeter stood again, panting.  “Hades never told you the real reason I wanted to become his wife…”

Persephone decided to humor her.  “And, just WHAT exactly is that?” she asked coldly, raising an eyebrow at her.

“I wanted to ruin him”, Demeter said.  Her breath continued to come in pants.  “If I were his wife, I could find a way to force him out of Mount Olympus for good.

“Why did you want to do that?  Why are you purposely dancing around the truth??” Persephone asked.

Demeter turned to Hades, glaring at him.  “I wanted him gone because Hades murdered your father.”

Persephone’s eyes widened.  She searched her mind, biting her lip.  She turned to her husband.  “Hades?” she whispered.

“It was an accident and you know it!!” Hades growled.  He turned to Persephone.  “You were there, Persephone.  You were but a child, but you were there.  You saw everything that happened.

Persephone searched her mind some more, and found that he was right.  Her father and Hades had been digging near a cliff face (She’d forgotten why), and somehow there was an avalanche.  She and her mother had been sitting a good ways away.  Hades had run to him to try to get him out of the way, but he was too late.  From the angle her mother had been sitting, it looked as if Hades pushed him into the rocks.

“You’re right…it WAS an accident”, Persephone whispered.   She looked to her mother.  “It WAS an accident…we’ve tried to tell you so many times, but you wouldn’t listen!!”

Tears came to Demeter’s eyes.  “He pushed him!! He pushed him into the avalanche!! He never had a chance!!”  Rage stole over her face again.  “And I’ll make him pay for it!!”

Eros had crawled, unnoticed, to Haephestus, and stole his dagger and the vial of potion that was hanging from his belt.  He opened unsheathed the dagger, opened the vial and poured the potion into the sheath (since every god and goddess knew of this potion by its smell), and resheathed the dagger.  Since everyone was paying attention to Demeter, he went unnoticed, that is, until he threw the dagger to Demeter.

Demeter looked at the dagger in her hands, and unsheathed it.  One sniff of the potion made her identify it instantly, making her grin maniacally.   She raised the dagger to throw it.  “It will finally end!!” she cried, throwing it straight at Hades.

It would never get to its intended target, however, because upon seeing the dagger leaving her mother’s hands, Persephone ran to push him out of the way.

Hades gaped as Persephone froze, and after a moment, slumped against him.  To his horror, the dagger was sticking out of her back.

He cradled her in his arms as he slowly knelt.  “Persephone!!” he cried.

Demeter stared on in horror as she saw her daughter fall because of the dagger she’d thrown.  She stumbled, and fell to her knees.  “W-what have I done?” she whispered, horrified and looking at her hands in disbelief.

“H-Hades”, Persephone croaked, reaching up and running her fingers through his hair again.

“Don’t talk!!” Hades cried.  “We’ll get you help…” He turned to the assembled masses.  “GET SOME HELP!!”

Aphrodite and Haephestus ran to get things to fix her wound, while Athena pounced and pinned Demeter to the ground.

“Hades”, Persephone croaked again, coughing a bit and making a ribbon of blood flow from the corner of her mouth.  She smiled ruefully.  “It…was not…to be, my love”, she gasped.

“No”, Hades whispered.  “We’ll get you some help…I swear it!!”  He knew that she was bleeding too quickly for them to get back in time.

“I…love you…with all my heart”, Persephone whispered.

Hades could only watch helplessly as she went limp in his arms…

 

 

 

Chapter Twenty-One

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*One Year Later*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Hades stood at the grave, his head bowed in sorrow.  He looked at the headstone with tears in his eyes as he laid a bundle of flowers on the earth.

“Hades”, said a voice.

He turned, wiping a tear away.  “You shouldn’t be about”, he said softly.  He held out his hand, which the person took.

“I’m all right”, Persephone said quietly.  She leaned her very pregnant frame against his, as they both looked down at her father’s grave.

Hades turned his head to gaze down at her.  It had been only by pure luck that Aphrodite and Haephestus got to Persephone when they did (and, surprisingly, due to Demeter’s assistance)…otherwise, she’d have died in his arms.  Since then, thankfully, they’d found the antidote to the potion.

Since then, because of their actions, Zeus had stripped Eros of his godhood, banishing him from Mt. Olympus and sending him into the caves into the bottom of the world to live out the rest of his days.  Someone else had taken his place.  A nice young man with brown hair and clear blue eyes, and a perfectly chiseled body.  He and Athena had taken a liking to each other immediately, and were a few days away from getting married.  He called himself ‘John Cena’.  Zeus, however, told the young man that ‘his name would have to change.’

Demeter would have gotten the same punishment, but Persephone had pleaded leniency, because, after all, she WAS her mother.  In the end, Demeter had been stripped of her title, and Persephone took her place.  She was still a goddess, however, but Zeus had yet to ‘find a place for her to work’.

He ran his fingers through her hair.  He grinned as she gasped, and took that hand, placing it on her belly.  A moment later, and he felt the baby kick.

What was even better was that since the bond between Persephone and Eros had never been consummated, it was very easy to break.  Hades and Persephone had gotten remarried in a resplendent ceremony, where every god and goddess attended.  Zeus himself had given Persephone away.

“My son will grow strong”, Hades said quietly.

“My daughter will grow smart”, Persephone challenged, raising an eyebrow up at him and smirking.

“Just wait, woman”, Hades growled playfully, bending to nuzzle at her neck and making her giggle.  “Just you wait.  I shall prove you wrong yet.”

“I am so petrified”, Persephone sighed boredly, yawning exaggeratedly.  “Truly.”

Hades growled again.  “I shall properly reprimand you, wife”, he said.  “But I shall do so later.”

They sighed in unison, and looked down at the grave.  Persephone put the flowers that were in her hand on the grave.

“Father would have been happy that we were married”, Persephone said quietly.

“I know”, Hades replied, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder again.

They stayed like that for a while until they heard a sound.  They turned, and upon seeing the person coming up to them, Hades instinctively stepped in front of Persephone protectively.

Demeter stood there, with flowers in her hands.  She shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably.  “I would like to spend some time alone with my husband”, she said, not meeting their eyes.

Hades couldn’t resist getting in a jibe.  “After the way you treated his daughter?  He might not be very forgiving”, he said icily.  He would have spoken more, but Persephone had put a hand on his shoulder.

“Let it go”, she whispered.  “It’s happened, and that’s that.”

Demeter was silent, her head bowed and tears running down her cheeks.  “Persephone…”, she whispered.

“Demeter”, Persephone said, not having called her ‘Mother’ since everything, “I know it’s been a year, and things have turned out so well…but I can’t find it in my heart to forgive you.  Not yet.  Maybe sometime in the future, but not now.”

Demeter’s head was still bowed.  “I understand”, she said, the tears running down her cheek.  Seeing her only child nearly dying before her eyes finally made her understand exactly what she’d been doing.  And because of what she’d done, she’d lost the only family she had left.  Maybe, one day, she’d make it up to her and her husband someday.

Without another word, Hades guided Persephone away.  He guided her to the Celestial Palace, and to where Aphrodite and Haephestus were helping Athena with wedding preparations.

“How are things going?” Persephone asked.

“Just fine”, Haephestus grunted, hauling a huge pillar and setting it down.  “It’s nice to know that I’m only here for the hard labor.”

“But who will pick things up for me?” Aphrodite asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes up at him.

Haephestus just growled as Aphrodite went over to him and snuggled against him.  He grudgingly wrapped his arms around her.

As Athena was looking at them with an amused raised eyebrow, John came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, making her jump.

“Hello, beautiful”, John said, nuzzling her neck.

Athena giggled and melted into his muscled arms.  “Hi”, she said.

Everyone couldn’t help but snicker at the way this proud and mighty woman would turn into a giggly pile of mush at the very presence of this man.  Her glare at them only made them snicker louder.

“If we’re all finished, CHILDREN…”, Athena said.  She straightened, and turned her head, pressing a kiss to John’s lips.  “Has Zeus figured out a name for you?”

John’s lip curled in distaste.  “You don’t want to know”, he replied.

Athena raised an amused eyebrow at him.  “Are you going to tell me later?” Athena asked.

“Maybe…if you’re a good girl”, John said, winking cheekily at her.

Athena winked back, smiling at him.

Hades gently guided Persephone to a chair, and took his own chair after she sat down.  He sat a bit in front of her, and faced his chair to the side.  He picked up his wife’s feet, and set them onto his lap.  He took off her sandals and massaged her swollen feet, making her smile gratefully at him.  He smiled back.

“Do you think the child will be a boy or a girl?” John asked.

Both Hades and Persephone spoke in unison.

“A boy”, Hades said.

“A girl”, Persephone countered.

Everyone began to laugh as they glared playfully at each other.

They resumed talking about wedding plans until Persephone gasped.

“What’s wrong?” Hades asked, getting up quickly (but not before gently laying her feet on his chair), and kneeling next to her.

“I…I think we’ll find out very soon…” she whispered.

“Why do you say that?” Hades asked, taking her hands in his.

She looked up at him, pain etched into her features.  “Because she wants out right now!!”

 

 

Chapter Twenty-Two

 

There was instant pandemonium.  Hades swept up his wife and took her to where she’d be comfortable while she had the baby.  Immediately, Zeus, John, Haephestus, Jason, and a good number of gods and goddesses were in the hallway.  Everyone was murmuring in excitement, anticipation and nervousness as they heard cries from inside.  Hera herself had gone in with the girl to help her give birth, along with Athena, Aphrodite, and a few of the other goddesses.

Hades was pacing in the hallway, while Haephestus, Zeus, John, Jason, and many others milled outside.

“You are going to wear a path in the carpet”, Zeus said amusedly.  “She will be fine.  She is healthy and strong.”

“What if…” Hades began.

“She will be fine”, Jason reiterated, putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder.  “We’ve taken every precaution.”

Hades continued to pace, with his hands behind his back and his head bowed as he forced himself to block out the cries and screams of Persephone as she gave birth.

He was about to rush into the room, but Haephestus held him back.

“We have to wait until they let us in”, Haephestus said.

Hades grumbled as he sat down heavily in a chair that Zeus forcefully pushed him into.  He didn’t stay in it, however, as he got up to start pacing again.

After about another half of an hour of commotion inside the room, everyone heard Persephone scream louder than she ever had before, followed by the wail of a baby a moment later.  Hades froze, looking at the door, and then at everyone else.  But, what made him freeze was the fact that Persephone screamed again, a long, agonized scream, and the wail of another baby.

Hades wasn’t even paying attention when Hera, Athena, Aphrodite, and the others came out, so intent was he that he imagined that second wailing.

“You can go inside now”, Hera said softly, putting her hand on Hades’ arm.

Hades, dazed, blinked and walked into the room without a word.

The room was sunny and bright, but not TOO bright as to not to disturb the newly born baby.

But, as Hades walked into the room, he realized that he HADN’T imagined it.  There was his wife, looking tired but ecstatic, holding a newborn babe in each arm.  One was wrapped in a light powder pink blanket, while the other was wrapped in a light powder blue blanket.

“Twins”, she said, her voice faint yet jubilant.  “We had twins!!”

Hades gaped as he slowly walked over to the bed to look over his children.  The girl had a fine yellow dusting of hair on her head, while the boy had what looked like a fiery red mane over his.  He slowly sat down on the bed next to his tired wife, and gazed down at all three of them.  He wordlessly held out his arms, and Persephone carefully handed him the one wrapped in pink.

“You see?” she said cheekily, “I told you that we’d have a girl.”

“YOU see?” Hades said, without missing a beat.  “I told YOU that we’d have a boy.”

Persephone giggled.

“Who was born first?” Hades asked.

“The boy, I think”, Persephone sighed, snuggling deeper against the pillows that were propping her up.

“Do you wish to let everyone in now, or do you want to rest?” Hades asked, gently holding his daughter in one arm, and fluffing her pillows with the other.

“You can let them in now”, Persephone said.  She then smiled tiredly.  “Better to get it over with now, and save the trouble of waking up to people milling about outside the door.”

He got up and, still holding his little girl, he went to the door, opening it, and allowing everyone inside.  The men immediately crowded around Hades and ‘oohed’ and ‘aahed’ at the tiny bundle in his arms, while the women went to Persephone and cooed over the tiny bundle in hers.

“What are you going to name them?” Aphrodite said, smiling down at the little boy.

Persephone and Hades looked at each other.  “We’re still debating on that”, Persephone said slowly.  She looked longingly at the girl in Hades’ arms.  “I shall like to call her Kore.”

“Kore”, Hades said, looking thoughtful.  “Kore it shall be.”

“What about our son?” Persephone asked.

Hades thought for a good long moment.  “Alexandros”, he murmured.  He snuggled his Kore’s tiny form against his cheek.  “’Defender of Mankind’.”

“Alexandros” Persephone parroted.  She then nodded once.  “Alexandros it shall be.”

Hades smiled, and he stepped out of the crowd of admirers and went to the bed, sitting next to his wife.  He handed her Kore, and took Alexandros into his arms.  “Alexandros”, he murmured.  “My son, you shall do me proud.”  He looked over at Persephone, who was fawning over their daughter.  “Protect your mother and sister should I be unable to do so.”

The little boy cooed and gurgled and did all the cute sounds that all babies do.  The baby’s tiny hands reached up for the huge person that was hovering over him.  Hades brought him up to snuggle against his face as the baby grasped at his nose, which made Hades chuckle.  “I see we have ourselves a nose grabber”, he murmured.  The boy was only a newborn, and yet he seemed to know that the person holding him was his father.  The boy began to cry a bit, as all newborns do, and his father softly crooned to him.  “Hush now, my son”, he said quietly.  “Rest.  You’ve had an eventful day.”

The boy settled, and closed his tiny eyes, falling asleep in his father’s arms as he continued to rumble softly to him in his deep voice.

Hades looked over to Persephone again, who looked back at him with adoring eyes.  He shifted his son so he was holding him with one massive arm, while reaching out and brushing a golden strand of hair out of her forehead with the other hand.  The smile that was on his face widened when she leaned her cheek into his hand, allowing his palm to cup it gently.  Sparks ran through his body when she turned into it, and pressed a kiss to the center of his palm.  He cleared his throat and gently handed back Alexandros into Persephone’s arms.

She held the babies for a little while longer until Hera started to shoo everyone out, insisting that mother and babies needed their proper rest.  Hades took Kore, and Hera took Alexandros and placed the children into their respective cribs.  Hera left them be, while Persephone snuggled down into the bed, and Hades sat in a chair next to the bed.

“You can lay next to me if you wish”, Persephone yawned tiredly.

“You’ve just given birth to our children, Persephone”, Hades said quietly.  He leaned over and brushed her forehead again with his hand.  “You need to rest now.”

“Please”, Persephone whispered.  “Please be here with me.”

Hades didn’t need to be asked twice.  He undid his sandals, and lay on the bed next to her, gathering her exhausted form in his arms.  “Sleep now”, he rumbled softly, kissing her forehead.

This time, it was SHE who didn’t need to be told twice.  She rested her head on his chest and immediately fell asleep.

He held her there, threading his fingers through her hair, just watching her sleep.  The woman he would move the heavens and even the Elysian Fields and Tartarus for had just given birth to his…no…THEIR…children.  There was nothing in this existence that would take away the happy feeling inside his heart and soul at this very moment.

‘No’, he thought, still gazing down at her.  ‘Nothing at all.’

 

 

Chapter Twenty Three

 

The weeks passed, and the children grew bigger and stronger with every day.  All the Gods of Mount Olympus were wrapped around little Kore’s **pronounced ‘cor-ay’’** finger, while the Goddesses were drawn in by the infant charms of little Alexandros.  Both parents couldn’t be prouder of their children.

One night, while their babies slept soundly in their cribs, Hades was holding a sleeping Persephone in his arms.  Upon watching her, he knew her to be dreaming.  She began to stir fitfully in his arms, and he closed his own eyes, laying a hand on her forehead, his own consciousness experiencing her dream.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Dream Sequence*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

‘Everything is so big here’, baby Persephone decided, crawling her way to the Mt. Olympus Main Hall.  ‘So bright, too.’  She was looking for her mama, but couldn’t seem to find her.  ‘Where could mama be?’  No one could understand her baby language, so there was no point in asking anyone.  The problem was, however, that there was no one around.

Persephone continued to crawl through the Main Hall, in search of someone who could find her mama for her.  In her travels, she encountered someone breezing through.

The person, Eros, she remembered her mama telling her, looked down at her with a look that plainly stated that he was not exactly FOND of babies.  “What do you want, ankle biter?” he asked.

Persephone looked up at him, and gurgled, like all babies do.  “Do you know where my mama is?” she asked in her baby language.

Of course, Eros could not understand her.  He picked her up and held her at arms’ length, his face having a mask of distaste.  He looked around, and upon seeing a door, he went over to it.  He got it opened, and seeing that it was a small closet, he set the baby down on top of  a few linens that were strewn on the floor.  He then looked down at the baby, who looked up at him, he shrugged and closed the door.  Baby Persephone distinctly heard the ‘click’ of a lock.

“There”, she heard him say.  “That should keep her out of trouble for a while.”

The room was instantly pitch black as soon as Eros shut the door.  The dark was scary for little Persephone, and she began to cry.  ‘Where is my mama?’ she thought helplessly as she cried.  ‘I want my mama!!’

She spent hours in that closet, crying her little heart out, frightened beyond all measure.  Would anyone come and find her?  Did anyone know she was here?  Did her mama know she was missing and locked in this closet?

Then, all at once, the door opened, and a very big man was framed in it.  Persephone continued to cry, a fist pressed to her mouth, looking up at him.  His auburn hair was pulled back on his head, which was tilted to the side.

“Here’s where that crying was coming from”, the big man said soothingly, his deep voice calming her, as he bent and scooped her tiny form up into his massive arms.  “How did you get in there, I wonder?  Did someone lock you in?”

Persephone cried still, not from fear this time, but so thankful that someone had come and taken her out of that scary place.  She snuggled against him, her crying reduced to fretful whimpers as he crooned softly at her, sitting down and rocking her gently.

“Persephone!!” Demeter cried, running up to them.  “Oh, Hades, thank you!! Where did you find her??”

“She was locked in that closet there”, Hades said.

Demeter blinked. “Locked?  How in the world could she have locked herself in??” she asked.

“Obviously, she didn’t lock herself in”, Hades said, in infinite patience.  “Someone locked her in there.”  He tried to hand Persephone back to Demeter, but the baby began to cry again as soon as she left Hades’ arms.

Demeter blinked again, and once again deposited Persephone in Hades’ embrace, where she quieted instantly.  “I think she’s found her champion”, Demeter said softly, as Persephone began to coo and gurgle happily, clapping her little hands together. After a few moments, Demeter’s surprise grew as Persephone fell asleep in the big man’s arms.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*End of Dream Sequence*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Both Hades’ and Persephone’s eyes opened at the exact same time.

“I remember that”, Persephone whispered.

“So it was Eros who locked you in”, Hades growled.  He was still sorely disappointed that Zeus had not allowed HIM to dish out Eros’ ultimate punishment.

Persephone nodded.  She peeked up at him.  “Demeter always wondered why I took such a liking to you, even when I was a child.”  She snuggled even deeper into his arms.  Those arms that always made her feel safe.  Those arms that chased away the scary things in the darkness.  “I remember you always being my sort of watchdog after that before she took me away.”

Hades chuckled.  “Indeed”, he said, holding her closer.  He’d remembered Demeter’s frantic pleas for him to help her find tiny Persephone, who’d wandered from her babysitter, who happened to be Zeus himself.  Hades went all around Mt. Olympus looking for the little one, until he’d heard crying from somewhere.  It had taken him an hour, but he finally found a frightened Persephone locked in that closet.  Of course, the child was far too short for her to reach the doorknob, much less lock herself in.  Demeter had been INFURIATED with Zeus, who had been, not surprisingly, dallying with another mortal.  Her father had been off on one of his travels, so he hadn’t been there at the time.

He remembered such fear in that tiny, adorable face.  Golden curls were on her head, and her little fist was to her mouth, her face red and tear streaked.  Since that very moment, she had Hades wrapped around her little finger.  It was a shame about Demeter though…he realized that she hadn’t been so vindictive while her husband was alive…only after his death did she begin her downward spiral.

He looked down at her and realized that she’d fallen back to sleep.  Her pale lashes rested against her cheeks, her hair falling in soft, silky ringlets threaded through his fingers, and over his arm.  They had been through so much to get to where they were now.  So much pain and suffering, and yet, somehow, he would not have changed a single thing, given the chance.

He never truly had gotten to watch her grow up.  After her father died, Demeter had taken her somewhere where no one could find them for a good long while.  When they came back, Persephone had suddenly transformed in his eyes, from an adorably happy child, to a breathtakingly beautiful young woman.  It had taken him a long time, but he had finally gotten the courage to approach her.

His arms tightened around her as she snuggled against his large frame, her face raised up to bury itself in his neck.  His body stirred at the feel of her breath puffing against his skin, but despite what his body was demanding at the moment, he didn’t have the heart to wake her.  She looked so very peaceful while she slept now, so very serene.

He stayed awake for a long while afterward, just watching his lovely bride sleep, running his fingers through her silky hair.  His hand moved to her flower petal soft cheek, and smiled a bit to himself when her lips curled upward serenely, nuzzling his palm happily.  It was the quiet moments like these he treasured.  His wife’s body snuggled firmly against his, with his arms around her, and their babies sleeping soundly in the cribs in the corner of the room while the sun slowly began to rise.

He cuddled her a bit closer before sleep pulled him under, a single thought in his head:

‘Eternity.’

 

 

 

 

*~*~*The End