Persephone: Leonidas' Domina

43- Persephone

Persephone sat on the carpet, her eyes closed with the wind in the desert whistling loudly behind her, the door of the tent flapping with the wind noisily.

Every part of her felt at peace for the first time in a while, her thoughts settling down finally as the wind blew through her hair.

The presence of someone else quickly brought her out of her trance as she quickly wore back her mask and stood, tension rising through her before she heard the voice say, "I thought you would be here."

Persephone calmed, turning as she saw the familiar face. "Cleon,"

The male chuckled when he reached her, a saucer in his hand that had a piece of pie on it as he said, "Cleon is my Renatus given name, Christopher is my birth name, but you can call me whichever. Here, I brought this for you."

Persephone hugged him immediately he was close enough, her hands nearly squeezing the life out of him as she said, "I missed you."

"I missed you as well,"

When she pulled away, she took the plate from him, her hand already raising the pie to her lip. "How did you know I was here?"

"Perhaps because I told you I used to come here to be alone a lot before I was taken to Castle Diamandis?" Cleon asked with a smile. "I thought you would like some moments to yourself for a change."

Persephone chewed softly, the taste bursting into heavenly flavours in her mouth as she said, "And how has it been? Being here after so many years?"

"Different, I must say," Cleon said with a laugh. "But I- I am doing alright."

"I can tell," Persephone pointed at a stain on his cheeks. "You have something right there."

Cleon reached out for it, staring at his hand before rubbing it away. "It is the children. They- They get a little carried away sometimes."

She nodded, because she understood.

Cleon loved children, and the idea of taking care of something. When she had heard he had returned, all her hopes had been that he had come to rest for a while but he liked to keep himself busy.

"Have you-" Persephone wiped her blueberry stained fingers on her armor. "Heard from Father?"

Cleon's ever smiling face showed a little crack of tiredness there but before she could question it, it had gone away. "No. Not that I expected him to say anything."

Persephone knew he was not lying. "I feel terrible that you left because of me."

"Oh no," Cleon chuckled again. "It would not be because of you, it was just- Well, I would say that your Father was never really a happy man Persephone, and even I could never make him completely happy."

"Do not say that," Persephone's voice was soft. "He was ever calm with you."

"Pacified, just not- happy." Cleon said, his voice dropping before he sighed and continued, "He had so many demons in his head and no matter what I did, he only stopped hearing them when I was there but at night when I was not or when he sent me away from his sight, there was nothing I could do to make him completely happy. Plus, from what I have heard, he has sent all the servants away as well, he stays alone in the Castle."

"Do you have any idea why?"

"He is sick Persephone," Cleon replied calmly, even though his voice was beginning to crack. "I usually took care of the necessary things to keep him okay but now that I am home, he would rather die than let anyone see him so vulnerable."

"Which he is?" She asked, then sighed. "Are you sure you do not want to be with him now? I can smuggle you there without any harm coming to you, Cleon."