Hades and Persephone

Chapter 11

Demeter knocked gently on the wooden door. When there was no response, she wasn't bothered. Persephone had stopped talking to her the day she had locked her in. She unlocked the door, carefully juggling the tray of food she held in one hand as she did so. She gently pushed open the door.

"Good morning Persephone. I have your breakfast for -" The tray clattered to the floor. 

The room was a mess. The bed was shoved to one side, the sheets and pillows strewn about. The plants covering the window were brown and some had curled away, creating a small pocket. In the middle of everything was a hole in the floorboards. The wood looked as though it had rotted away. Demeter peered inside. A few plants lined the hole, but they had had all shrivelled up.

She looked around, her mouth open. She didn't know what to do. Persephone was gone. Had someone taken her? What had happened here? She leaned over the hole and sniffed. The scent of her daughter's magic was faint. She leaned back on her heels. Had Persephone done this? Demeter shook her head. Her daughter's magic wasn't that strong. She could manipulate plant matter, but this was beyond anything Demeter had ever seen.

It suddenly hit her that her daughter was gone. Again. The hole in the floor. The messy room. She had clearly been abducted by some god. Her face contorted into fury. She let loose a scream. Birds and animals nearby hurried to find some cover from the primal fear that had suddenly gripped them. She let her magic well up inside of her and flow out. The walls of the cottage expanded and then burst outward. 

Unfazed, Demeter stepped away from the rubble. Plants withered where she stepped. She would find who had done this to her, and make them pay.

Apollo stormed around his palace on Mount Olympus. He still hadn't been able to find Persephone. Where had she gone? There was no way that she had simply vanished. He had flown over the entire earth 180 times already. His mounts were exhausted. All of his servants avoided making eye contact with him for fear that he would beat them.

He hadn't slept in days. He didn't know what rest was. He ate minimally. He paced relentlessly. He didn't know what to do with himself. He had visited all of the realms and still had yet to find Persephone. He was constantly pestering his father, but Zeus was usually busy fornicating with some mortal. His personal servant that he kept stashed in the throne room was usually serving his lord's sexual needs.

Apollo frowned. Maybe that was it. He just needed to get out some frustration. He whistled for his chariot. He would go find some fair maiden, or handsome young man. He didn't care which. 

The horses rode up, seemingly of their own accord. Apollo hopped in and cracked the reins. He would find Persephone. No woman, goddess or mortal, had evaded him so well. He felt a wicked grin split his beautiful face. The hunt was on. He was just going to take a side trip down to the mortal world before he started up the search for that nature goddess again.

As he was passing over the Earth, Hermes flew up to him. "What do you want, Hermes?" Apollo asked without looking.

"I was just curious if you had found out anything about Persephone's whereabouts?" The messenger god easily kept pace with Apollo's steeds.

"If I had, I wouldn't be out here flying around aimlessly, would I?"

"I suppose not." Hermes perched himself on the edge of the chariot. "Why don't you find someone else to woo?"

Apollo glared at him. "Excuse me? I cannot give up on Persephone just because I can't find her."

"That's exactly why you should give up. Demeter has clearly hidden her well. It would be wise to give up and simply focus on a woman who does want you."

"And who would that be?"

Hermes shrugged. "I don't know. Many of them tend to reject you, don't they?"

Apollo gnashed his teeth. "If you're trying to make me feel better you're doing a terrible job of it."

"I didn't come here to soothe your temper, only to give you some advice. It seems prudent to move on and find someone a little bit easier to snare."

"I will find her!"

Hermes rose up from the chariot. "You know, there's a reason why your sister Artemis is the goddess of the hunt and not you."

Faster than lightening, Apollo released a golden arrow from his golden bow. Despite the god's perfect aim and incredibly fast release, Hermes dodged it easily. 

"Just think about it, Apollo!" the messenger god called out as he flew away.

Apollo turned back to his horses. Despite wanting to deter him, Hermes had only made Apollo's desire to find Persephone even stronger. He would find her, and he would marry that goddess if it was the last thing he did.

Persephone slept soundly in the room that Hades had prepared for her when she had come for their banquet. Hades stood on the other side of her door, listening to her deep breathing. 

"Ahem."

He spun around. "What is it, Thanatos?" he asked, trying to look as though he hadn't just been lingering outside of Persephone's door.

"I have a query for you, My Lord."

Hades motioned for Thanatos to follow him. He headed toward the throne room. He had a long day ahead of him. 

"My Lord, it's about your annual banquet."

"What is it?" Hades took the two steps up to his throne and sat down.

"It's a month away now, and it would seem that now you are harbouring a fugitive . . ."

"Get to the point, Thanatos."

"The Lord Apollo is going to be attending the banquet and you happen to be housing the very goddess he is seeking. What do you think he'll do when he finds out she's here?"

Hades rested his chin on his fist. "I hadn't thought of that."

"She'll need to stay in her room that night if you do not want any of the other gods and goddesses to find out she's here. Any of them could tell Demeter where she is, also."

Hades rubbed his face with his hands. "Gods. I hadn't thought of that. It had all seemed so simple last night."

Thanatos bowed his head. "I know, My Lord. I understand you simply wanted to help the goddess whom you love."

The Lord of the Underworld jolted upright. "What did you say?"

"Just that you wanted to help."

"No, after that. I do not love Persephone. She is a dear friend and had need of my help. There is nothing more between us!"

Thanatos simply bowed his head.

"You are dismissed, Thanatos. You know your duties for the day."

"Yes, My Lord. I'm sorry to have spoken out of turn."

Hades simply waved the daimon away. He was consumed in his thoughts. Did he truly love Persephone? Was it so obvious to those he ruled over? He did indeed have strong feelings for the young goddess. He felt warm whenever she was near. When she hadn't returned to the Underworld after the banquet he had given her, he had felt something snap in him. He had felt such fury and sorrow as he had never felt before. And knowing she had been kept from him by her own mother . . . She had escaped when she had learned how heartbroken he was. She had wanted to see him so badly she had left her only family behind. And now, knowing she was sleeping soundly within his palace . . . He wanted to be close to her. To feel her warmth, to smell her floral magic. To hear her laughter tinkle throughout the corridors.

Was this what love was? To want to be with someone so much it hurt? Hades placed a hand on his chest. This pain. It was nothing he had ever felt before. 

Knowing that Apollo and Demeter would be hunting Persephone down made his stomach harden. He curled his hand into a fist. If they came searching for her, he would protect her with his life. If she had no desire to return to her mother, or marry that ignoramus Apollo, then he would make sure she retained her freedom.

Even if Persephone didn't choose him, Hades would protect her and make sure she was safe.