VI

I : Spring

Roseanne was not taken against her will. She was not abducted or raped or imprisoned. She was not dragged down into the Underworld by a dark, selfish god.

None of those things happened.

And yet the story commonly told by gods and mortals alike paints her a damsel, plucked in her prime and made Queen of the Dead despite her protests. Immortals and bards bemoan her fate and curse the six seeds that sentenced her to an eternity of revolving between Earth and the Underworld. They weep for the cursed bride of the dark Hades, who would never grant her children.

To think the goddess of Spring would never have children.

No wonder none of the Olympian gods believed her when she told them it was a choice, her most cherished and best decision. They would never hear of the tender, dark nights spent in Hades' bed, of the richness death grants the living, or of the mercy Hades offered in death for the suffering and world-weary.

After all, most of them still didn't believe Hades was a woman.

As a child growing up on Mount Olympus, home of all the major gods and goddesses, Roseanne was shielded from suffering and pain. She knew nothing of death or strife or hunger. When she heard talk of the cruel, dark Lord of the Underworld who dragged souls down to his realm single-mindedly, imprisoning them forever, she was puzzled; surely Zeus, her father and ruler of Earth and all the gods, would not allow such a cruel, ruthless god his own realm. When she asked her mother, her mother told her it was to ensure that Hades remained far from Olympus so Zeus could reign undisturbed. And yet even as a child, Roseanne knew her mother was only telling her half the truth.

As Roseanne grew and her immortal proclivities made themselves known, her mother moved her away from Olympus.

"Come, darling. Earth will need our tending day in and day out, all the seasons of the year."

Roseanne, in her childlike wonder and trust, followed her mother down the mountain obediently. As soon as her feet touched Earth, flowers sprung up from her footsteps, trailing behind her so she left every place more beautiful and alive. She delighted in it, running barefoot through fields and forests, wind whipping through her hair, her laughter a call and response with birds and other newly born creatures of Earth.

Roseanne's mother, known on Olympus and among mortals as Demeter, wove Roseanne's hair into intricate braids, and Roseanne plucked flowers from beneath her own feet for Demeter to tuck inside. Her mother showed her how to send her energy into the earth, coaxing the wheat to grow, ensuring a bountiful harvest, blessing the mortals with nourishment and beauty. Roseanne was never allowed to interact with mortals, but she delighted in knowing they were happier for her work. She tended to animals and plants as they first peered up from soil and egg and womb. She nurtured each one, her hands giving life and strength, bringing soft rain and gentle sun in perfect harmony with every plant and living creature.

Earth was a garden, always prospering, always beautiful, always green and full of new life.

Roseanne and her mother had to return to Mount Olympus to attend summits and rites and bless new gods and goddesses as they ascended to Olympus. Roseanne accompanied Demeter, and noted her mother's constant minding of her, anxious if Roseanne was out of her sight. After Roseanne went through her rites and was anointed with the formal name Persephone, Demeter was keen to leave Olympus as soon as possible.

But Roseanne was curious about the other ascending gods and goddesses. She had no one her age to converse with on Earth, and she found herself staring at the way robes flowed over the bodies of the young goddesses, the muscles and jaws of the young gods. Demeter saw her interest and tried to call her away, reminding her of the work they had to do on Earth.