Tangled Temptations [Hades & Persephone Retelling]

Chapter 2

Persephone

Olympus. The city of luxury and the gods. Whatever you need or want, it was at your disposal. Anything at all. Just a simple request and they would be at your side in a heartbeat. It was like Las Vegas, per se. So many luxuries and pleasures to discover.

That evening, the streets were crowded with tourists dressed in fancy attire, looking around the buildings and shops with curiosity. Even here, mortals could buy anything at the mall; even if it was just a little accessory. And everyone looked like they were having the time of their life. Well, most mortals were.

Demeter watched her surroundings silently with mild interest; she found it interesting how mortals could be so excited about the trivial little thing. Although, she supposed that it helped that mortals saw themselves as equals to Gods.

Her attention focused once more upon the young woman sitting beside her. She had to admit; she liked Persephone's style. It was different from her typical looks. The young maiden's blonde locks fell softly against her shoulders, her slightly tanned skin glowing in the evening light shining down from above. She wore nothing special; just a simple white dress with gold lace and a matching bow at the collar. Her shoes matched as well, golden sandals.

After a while, they managed to reach the largest building in Olympus, where the rest of the gods had already gathered. They walked together, the mother and daughter chatting casually as if they weren't on an important errand. It was rare for them to spend time together and enjoy each other's company. After all, Demeter's job was to watch and guard Persephone, and Persephone, in turn, had to be prepared to become a responsible adult who could make her own choices independently. So it was rare they could be seen doing such a mundane task together, let alone be able to relax enough to chat away.

Once the two reached the large marble staircase leading up to the entrance doors, Persephone noticed a man standing right below the stairs; he was wearing a dark blue tuxedo with matching slacks. His dark hair had a slight silver tint to it, and he wore dark red shades to complete his outfit. The man gave her a polite smile and bowed his head slightly toward her, but he kept quiet, not wanting to startle her. He knew the Goddess of Spring could see him clearly.

"Mum," Persephone called softly, grabbing onto the older woman's arm.

"Hmm? Yes, dear?" Demeter questioned, raising an eyebrow slightly at her daughter beside her.

Persephone tilted her head slightly, glancing down briefly before turning her head back to the man before them, "Who is that man?"

Dismay filled Demeter, knowing full well who he was. She cleared her throat nervously and replied simply, "That is Lord Hades, Persephone."

"Oh, I think I remember you mentioning him being my father's brother or something?" Persephone asked, looking up at her mother.

"Yes. But I must warn you, my little flower.. He's a dangerous man, so if I were you, I'd stay away from him." Demeter warned her daughter as she led the young goddess of spring through the doors. "He does have a reputation for being a bit... unpleasant. But there's no reason for you to get mixed up with him, alright? If he tries anything, I promise I'll stop him."

A small smirk grew on her lips, "Are you worried about me getting involved with bad people, Mum?"

"No." Demeter shook her head, smiling fondly, before pushing open the doors to let her daughter walk ahead.

As they passed through the door, it began to close on its own behind them, and the sounds of laughter and chatter can be heard in the grand hall of Olympus. Demeter followed closely behind her daughter, her expression unchanging. They continued walking, slowly making their way through the crowd towards the front of the grand hall. Persephone looked around for a moment while taking in the sight of the many guests. Some were sitting on couches talking among each other with smiles on their faces as they sipped wine from delicate glasses. Others were laughing merrily together as they sat at long tables, eating delicious food and drinking exquisite wines as they conversed with one another.

There were other Olympians as well, sitting at their own long tables or standing along with others in smaller groups of three. Many were dressed elegantly, with their heads held high and their eyes bright with excitement as they spoke to one another. There were also men and women alike that were clad in expensive suits and dresses, their hair styled carefully into a perfectly sculptured hairstyle, while the women wore extravagant jewels adorning their fingers and wrists. One female, with flowing platinum blond curls with pastel pink highlights and a small gemstone bracelet dangling down her wrist, stood out among the crowd, dressed in a simple purple dress that went down to her ankles.

That could only mean one person. Aphrodite.

The goddess that she often heard about wherever she went. The goddess whom everyone referred to as 'the beautiful one'. Her beauty was so perfect that it could melt any heart, and anyone with eyes could tell that she belonged to the very definition of perfection. Every time she entered a room, the room would instantly feel warmer and brighter as her presence lingered within. Whenever people gazed upon her with admiration or admiration for her beauty and her perfect smile, it was impossible to take her seriously. She was like a fairy tale princess, one of a kind, and one that was meant to be worshipped rather than loved.

Rumors had it that she once cheated on her husband with the husband's brother, which became quite the news all over Olympus and the rest of Greece. But she never denied it nor did she say a word about it, causing rumors to die down and eventually disappear altogether. She simply smiled as though nothing ever happened, and nobody really cared about the rumors.

Persephone's thoughts were then interrupted by a sudden tugging at her sleeve. Glancing at her side, she spotted her half-sister Artemis standing next to her and holding onto her hand. Artemis raised an eyebrow at her younger sister curiously, "What are you staring at?"

"I wasn't staring," Persephone muttered defensively, averting her attention to her sister. "Just admiring Dite's beauty today, that's all."

But then, another presence caught Persephone's eyes, and it was the man she saw earlier at the stairs—Hades.