Hope for the Underworld

43

'What happened to your mother after the war was over?' she asked one day, quite unexpectedly. They had just enjoyed a nice meal together and now were sitting together on her garden swing; her head on Hades' shoulder. Cerberus was also there, one of his heads resting in her lap, snoring gently. Cora had recently been thinking a lot about her growing family and it struck her that she had no idea about Rhea's fate.

Hades startled a little, as if stirred out of a delightful daydream and then looked at his Betrothed with consideration. 'What has brought this question?' he answered with a question of his own.

'I was thinking about our family.' She instinctively placed a hand on her slightly rounded stomach. 'And I realised I had never met her. I know nothing of her fate. I don't even know if she survived the war.'

'She's still with us.' He sighed and placed his hand on top of Cora's.

'And?' Her radiant eyes turned to him questioningly and he knew there would be no avoiding this conversation.

'She assisted her children during the war,' he started quietly, but she had a distinct impression that he was choosing his words very deliberately. 'Some claim, it was her potion that forced Kronos, our father, to disgorge all the children from his stomach...' He paused and in subconscious gesture, she had learnt to recognise as a telltale of his discomfort, he brushed the hair from his forehead. 'After the war, she withdrew from public life. She lives on Olympus and occasionally assists with family matters, but hardly ever appears in the palace.'

'Is that the reason she wasn't present at the feast?' Cora's voice betrayed uncertainty. 'Or, because she did not approve of me?'

'Darling.' He turned to his consort and looked deeply into her eyes. 'No one, and I mean no one, who has ever met you, disapproved of you!' There was strength of conviction in his tone. 'The one and only time she tried to intervene in her children's love affairs was to stop Zeus' and Hera's match. They ignored her and married anyway.' He shrugged. 'After that, my mother vowed to never get involved again.'

'But they are both her children. And both divine.' Cora bit her lip. 'And I am... not.'

'I told you before and I will keep repeating till my last breath: it does not matter to me if you're a mortal or a goddess! I love you more than anything else and I will do anything to make you happy! You've made so much difference to my life! And for the unfortunate souls in my realm... You are a true goddess by the virtue of your character!' He leant forward and kissed her gently.

'So, if you are confident that she will not change me into a stone on the spot, should we tell her about our baby?'

'I'm sure, by now, everyone knows!' he snorted with disapproval.

'Perhaps. But she's your mother. Should we not visit her?' she suggested gently.

'You want to meet her?' His eyes measured her with surprise.

'Well...' She felt a bit shy about it. 'That's what families do: share their good news with each other. You don't think it would be appropriate?'

'Hmm...' he considered for a moment. 'You have brought so many changes to my life and to my relations with the rest of the family... Maybe you are destined to reconcile me with my mother as well?'

'You have never sought her out?'

'No. I blamed and resented her for what befell us... But I will be willing to try if you wish to meet her.'

'Thank you.' Cora's smile filled the air with warmth and light.

'I will send a message and ask for a meeting.'

'And I will make sure I have a gift to bring to her!' Cora removed Cerberus' head from her lap, which earned her a grunt of displeasure from the hound, and rose swiftly to her feet. 'I am sure that one of the trees we planted will soon bear fruit!' She laughed, delighted, and all the plants instantly leant towards her, as if to the sun. 'I will see you later.' She kissed Hades on the cheek and ran deeper into her garden, calling on Cerberus to follow.

Hades watched her with a mixture of emotions that simply overwhelmed him with their intensity, Cora truly was the most remarkable person he had ever met.

*

She found him later, working in his study. She burst in, carrying a large platter brimming with... fruit. 'Look what I've got!' she exclaimed, a little breathlessly.

He put down his pen and fixed her with a serious look. 'What's that?'

'I think it's a pomegranate. At least, it looks like one. The feel is the same, but the colouring is all wrong.' She placed the platter on the desk in front of him.

Hades took a look at the golden orbs before him. 'Did you grow them?' He asked sceptically. Then his tone became sharp, and he rose to his feet with urgency. 'Did you eat any of this?!'

'No.' She shook her head. 'I mean, yes, I grew them. But no, I have not tried it yet.'

He breathed a sigh of relief, only now realising how fast his heart was pounding in his chest.

'I watched them grow,' explained Cora, understanding his agitation. 'There was no way someone could tamper with them. But I wanted to check with you anyway.'

He picked up a fruit and weighed it in his hand; she was correct, the feel of it was right. He brought it closer to his face and sniffed. It smelled like it should, sweet and citrussy, fruity and earthy at the same time. But it was golden.

'Do you think the colour has something to do with the fact that it grew in the Underworld, where there's no sun?' she considered.

'That is entirely possible,' he admitted, although he really had no idea; nothing had ever grown here before.

'Shall we taste it?' She picked up another golden fruit. 'Can't offer it as a gift, if I don't know how it tastes.' She brought it to her lips.

'No!' Hades extended his hand to stop her. 'We can't risk it!'

'My love.' She dropped the fruit and stepped closer. 'We cannot live our lives in constant fear of what might come to pass.' Her tone was clam and persuading. 'We faced challenges before. And we overcame them. If necessary, we will do so again.'

'You know.' He looked at her with a serious expression, she couldn't interpret until he continued. 'If and when you eventually die, you will not be brought before me for judgement. You will enjoy your reward for the life well lived, joining others on the Elysian Fields.'

'Oh, does it mean that I will not be allowed to live here, with you?'

'You are the Queen of the Underworld,' he stated with solemnity. 'You will do whatever you want to do.'

'In that case,' she picked up the fruit again, 'let us taste our first crops.' She peeled off the soft skin and, holding Hades' gaze, bit into the tiny golden seeds. Juice from it ran down her mouth and throat, but she only laughed, extending her hand in a silent invitation to Hades.

He picked up the fruit and bit into it himself. It tasted sweet and sour at the same time, but both flavours balanced each other in perfect harmony. 'This is fantastic!' He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. 'So much better than the normal pomegranate.'

'So, can I gift it to your mother? If she wants to see us,' she added.

'Yes, that is a worthy gift.' He stepped closer and enveloped Cora in his arms. 'I love you so much,' he whispered, gently kissing her temple. 'You make me want to be a better man.'

'I love you too.' She smiled against his chest. 'And I am already a better person because of you...' She stopped mid-sentence. They both turned around to investigate loud slurping noises, only to discover that Cerberus was greedily munching on another pomegranate. 'I think it's safe to assume the fruit is fine.' Cora laughed and threw a few more orbs for the animal, who gobbled them gratefully, licking his lips with appreciation.