Fallen Love

Prologue

Everyone thinks they know my story, every assumes because that is what the story was, the one my parents spread, not willing to face the truth. I a young woman had free will and stubborn enough to follow through with my threats. You see Persephone was born out of necessity, hidden from the world until Kore hit her breaking point, where she died and Persephone was born. Now? Now I am both, the sweetness and loveliness of Kore, but the anger, the bitterness and the power of Persephone, people call me either. I prefer Lysandra, a name I could chose for myself, one that I wasn't forced to take, one that was wholly my own. I should begin from the beginning, where I was living in my first prison, though I never knew it then. My first oppressor in life? My own mother.

"Come child, we cannot be late for your own naming ceremony!" I heard my mother shout from the quaint cottage we called home. I grinned as I got up from the small garden I called mine and ran to her. "You are not wearing that. Honestly child, change now!" She said icily as she looked over my dress, it was once white but now appeared green and brown from the grass and mud, to me it was perfect, I couldn't understand why she would want me to change, why she had to control my outfit, after all we were just seeing my family, and my father. I changed anyway slipping on another of my many white dresses. I think mother hated colour, she would frown and chided me gently whenever I asked for colourfully dresses like the water nymphs wore.

I skipped out my room and she looked me over, her signature frown on her face, it was rare I saw a smile because of something I did. In the five years of life she only ever smiled when my aunts or cousins visited, which was rare anyway. Many nights I would lay awake and wondered if she didn't like me, if I was a burden she never wanted. Shaking the thoughts from my mind I grasped her hand tightly as she looked at me one last time making sure I looked perfect.

I had never been to Olympus before now and it was bright, too bright. Every where I looked I saw white marble I swore that glowed and gold that glistened. I squeezed my eyes shut, the brightness hurting them. I trusted my mother to guide me. I hated this place already and was glad we would be going back to our island after all of this. I cracked my eyes open as we reached some steps. It was the palace and it shone even brighter than the city below. I couldn't keep my eyes shut forever, I knew that but a little while longer, until we reached the top of the steps. "Child, open your eyes, we don't want to disrespect your father or uncle, do we." Mother chided as she noticed. Reluctantly I opened my eyes, blind to what was in front of me. Mother's hand slipped from mine and I felt my safety leave. She disappeared leaving me in front of a large door by myself. I knew what was going to happen after all it was all mother spoke about when not chastising me for ruining my hair, getting dirt on my dress, for running or swimming or even flailing a stick round like a sword. Anything she deemed improper. Even then when I would try to paint or weave or sew it was never enough. You are the daughter of two of the original six do better, I heard her say as I pulled my shoulders back and trained my eyes to the glowing floor. It didn't seem to matter that I was only five years old, it was four years ago I learned to walk, a further two after that for me to talk. Since then anything I said was wrong. The rules changed daily, how was I suppose to know right form wrong when everything I ever did was wrong.

All thoughts left my mind as the doors swung open, I didn't want to walk in, I didn't want to face the gods and goddesses that would decide my fate, my realm, my name. Yet I walked slowly in, keeping a calm, or as calm a face as I could as I entered the throne room of my father. Power pulsed from all sides of the walls as my uncle, aunts, and half siblings watched me carefully. I got why, I was one of the youngest gods at five years old. War was still waging with the titans and all they wanted was another child to join the ranks, to die for them. All they saw was a disposable soldier or a future wife. I didn't know what the sick feeling in my stomach meant then, but I should have listened to it and ran. I stopped in the centre of the room as I bowed to my father. Zeus. I kept my gaze down but I felt his gaze the most, I sought his approval as much as I did mothers, though I never saw him. Which I realised now I am extremely grateful for. "Child of Demeter and Zeus, what do you ask for?" Came the voice of Hera, my step-mother, my enemy before I was born and the queen of the gods. I gulped, I had thought about this but how was I suppose to know what I want at the tender age of five. "Come speak child." She said impatiently.

"Uhm, freedom." I said without thinking, like it was meant to be. Around me came the laugh of the other gods, my father most of all. I couldn't figure out what was so funny, didn't every one want that? I did, the freedom to run through the grass, to be my chaotic self. I felt a hand dig into my shoulders and I looked up and saw my mother, ire was clear in her eyes.

"I fear you will have to keep an eye on the little one sister." Zeus boomed with mirth, I was confused, why was mother angry at me? What did I do wrong? Why was everyone laughing? Why did father's joke sound threatening? My young brain couldn't comprehend all of this. So I shrunk back waiting for someone to explain, anyone and yet all they did was laugh while mothers nails dug into my shoulder, the only signal I had done something truly wrong. "You child will be the goddess of the grain, you will help your mother with her duty." I bowed my head, that was the exact opposite of what I asked, I didn't see it as the punishment it was meant to be until much later. This was the day I was imprisoned to mother and her obsession over me began to intensify.

"As for your name, Kore would suit you well child." They all laughed again as my mothers fingernails broke my skin as her anger built, and I feared for when I returned home.

"The maiden, how very apt my dear husband." Hera crooned as she hung by his side, I was openly staring now, how had my life turned so wrong, what did I do to irk them, all I asked was for freedom, I wanted no power of the grain, I simply wanted to live a life where I could explore, and run and swim. Now I was stuck by my mother and given a name that would keep me a child for the rest of eternity. "What do you say Kore?" Hera sneered at my new name, this was her doing I knew that, it was to get back at me for even being born. For being her husbands bastard.

"Thank you my King for the grain and for my name." I squeaked and bowed as best I could with mothers hand digging further into my shoulder. Before I had even stood up again my mother was dragging me out of there.

"Kore, of course they would use to get back at me. You couldn't have asked for flowers or trees could you. Now I am being punished for your insolence." She growled chucking me in my room. I threw myself onto my bed and cried for days, refusing to speak to her