Seeds: Hades and Persephone

One

"So... Persephone." Ares cleared his throat and crossed his arms. Persephone could something big was about to happen. From the way her mother was standing behind him, apprehensive, expectant, to the way he fidgeted, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and running a muscled hand through his dark brown hair. He was nervous.

"Yes?"

"So... Uhm... I was wondering... you see, I, uhh... talked to your mom.... And.... I was... thinking maybe we could..." He stuttered.

"Oh honestly Ares, just spit it out." Persephone sighed and looked impatiently at her lacquered fingernail. She had gardenias to tend. They were fresh out of the box, and if she didn't plant them soon, some of the roots would die.

Demeter seemed to notice Ares' hesitance, and smoothly cut in.

"Kore, my darling. I've talked with the other gods and goddesses, and they've noticed that you're growing into a fine young woman." Demeter beamed with pride.

No help from you. Persephone thought glumly.

"Well, I've decided it's time that you go from being a beautiful young, free woman, to a beautiful, young, married woman." Demeter chuckled at herself, clearly pleased at the wordplay.

Persephone's fake smile dropped. "W- what?" She said, disbelievingly.

"And the council has convened, and I decided on Ares! What do you think, my little grain sapling?"

Persephone had a lot of thing to say, but wisely decided not to say them, for her mother's sake.

"Mother... may I speak to you in outside, please?" She asked sweetly, trying to contain her furiousness.

"Of course dear! Please excuse us, Ares." Persephone pulled her mother into the other room.

"Mom... I'm literally only 23,000 years old... I'm too young to get married! Especially to... um... no offense, Ares, but, especially not to Ares!"

"Kore, this has been decided already. You're going to marry Ares." Demeter said sternly.

Persephone huffed and was about to say more when Demeter cut her off. "If you even think about talking back to me I swear on the River Styx I will ground you until you're too old to move!"

Persephone's mouth clicked shut obediently. She chose her next words carefully. "Mother... If I am to marry Ares, may I go and tell him the good news? It would be a shame to keep my husband-to-be waiting. I wouldn't want to set a bad example for what kind of wife I'll be." She ground out, hands made into fists by her sides.

Demeter resumed smiling pleasantly. "Why of course, Kore! Go out there right now! Oh, I'm so excited!"

Persephone walked back into the garden where Ares was looming over a beautiful yellow tulip. He ripped it up with his bare hands and Persephone winced as the roots snapped.

"For you!" He turned and smiled cockily, handing her the severed tulip. Persephone didn't smile back.

"Ares!" She said, disgust dripping off her every word. She looked at her mother, who nodded encouragingly. "I just wanted to let you know... that..." She took a deep breath. "I just wanted to let you know that I think you're a disgusting slob who smells like a pig that was slaughtered and left to die in a field full of garbage and I'd rather marry the dead pig than you any day." She finished coldly. Demeter's eyes widened in horror. Ares' eyes flared.

"What did you say to me?" He growled, grabbing her roughly by the arm.

"I said," Persephone said, wrenching her arm from his grasp. "That I think you're a disgusting slob who smells like a fermenting pig. And that given the choice between the two of you, I'd go with the fermenting pig." She hissed. "And I hate cut flowers." She said, dropping the poor tulip.