Persephone and Hades

A World of Splendor - Chapter 4

As I step through the portal door, I have no way of expecting the overwhelming opulence that I face upon my arrival. It is beyond my imagination. Everyone here wears such finery, gowns that are encrusted with diamonds and pearls and made of fabric that shimmers and sparkles. Food and drink are in abundance, platters carried by servants overflowing with green and purple grapes that look as if one bite would fill your mouth with the sweetest taste. There are platters of fine cooked meat that make my mouth water and tables topped with every delicacy imaginable. 

There are alabaster columns around the grand room, matching the pearly white of the floor. Draping curtains of every colour hang suspended on walls, some of them so long, they pool on the floor in a great big masses of fabric, like dripping paint forming a puddle. Gods and goddesses sit laughing and talking together and I just realize how loud the room is with revelry. There are dryads and centaurs and as I look to my side I see someone pop their head above the water of the pond, a fin splashing droplets behind them and I gasp. It is the merpeople, their long black hair with its lustrous sheen, their skin covered in small scales. The one I am looking at brings his hand over the edge of the pool and I can see the webbing between his fingers. I stand there in complete and utter fascination.

"Come along Persephone, don't dawdle." Mother interrupts me from my reverie and I hesitantly rip my gaze away from the dark captivating eyes of the merman in the water, before rushing forward to catch up. I keep glancing around, trying to capture every single detail of my surroundings, like an excited child. In one corner there is a man playing the lyre, his fingers running effortlessly across the strings in a tantalizing melody that enthralls the crowd sitting around his feet. He looks up at me and smiles as the candlelight glistens off his light blonde hair and turns it into a radiant gold. Suddenly his eyes shift to a beautiful woman beside him with trailing ebony hair and they smile at each other before the woman begins to sing with a rich and full voice that fills the room with excitement.

"That's Orpheus and his wife Eurydice. But she is of the dead while he is living. She was bitten by a snake on their wedding day and died in his arms. He searched the world for a door to the realm of the dead to reunite with her and when he found one, he begged Hades to allow his wife to return to the land of the living. Hades conceded to Orpheus' plea under one condition; that he wouldn't look back to check if Eurydice was there until he reached the land of the living once again." My mother pauses for a moment as she focuses on the wonderful music, but I am to eager to discover the ending of the tale and prompt her to go on.

"At the very last second, fearing Hades had only made a fool of him and that Eurydice was not following, he gave into temptation and looked back only to have her disappear the moment he confirmed her presence. Then the portal to the underworld closed and he was left in the world of the living, blaming his stupidity and lamenting the loss of his beloved through song and poetry." I listen carefully to Mother's every word, lost in the sadness I feel for the lovers, suddenly a thought stricks me.

"But then what is she doing here?" I ask curiously. "Isn't she supposed to be stuck in the underworld?" I glance toward them in wonder.

"Orpheus is the best musician in all three of the realms, his music has the ability to change your mood from overjoyed to tormentingly sorrowful and vice versa in a moment. If Zeus didn't allow him this one night concession, then it would feel like a funeral in here instead of a midsummer's festival. So he pulls some strings and makes it happen, to make sure the best quality music is being played at his party." I look over at Orpheus and Eurydice, their eyes were glued to each other as they sang in harmony to the lyre. Their love weaved into the melody.

"Does Eurydice ever blame Orpheus for his impatience?" I look over at my mother who has on a emotionless expression.

"No but she should, she was given a second chance that day, a chance that Hades rarely ever grants, it goes against the natural order, the balance of the realms and he wasted it." Then she turns around and mumbles more to herself than to me, "See how intolerable and idiotic people are?"

I follow her, looking back for one more glance at the two lovers. I wish things were different for them. 

"Demeter!" I turn in the direction of the voice. I have never heard anyone call my mother by her first name and I was curious to see which man was familiar enough to address her like that. When I do find the person who's voice I heard, I am struck in awe. It is Zeus himself, dressed in white, with matching ivory locks and a smile that stretches across his face as he lifts a wine glass up to my mother. I have only seen him once before when I was a child but he has not changed; a god never does. He is accompanied by two beautiful woman who hang off his arms like long sleeves. Mother remains expressionless as she bows in greeting, I follow in her steps, bending at my waist, lowering my eyes and dipping slightly which causes my dress to settle gently on the ground around me.

"Why! Demeter is this your daughter! she's a beauty! Why haven't you brought her sooner! Lovely, darling, come let me have a look at you," I step forward, my eyes focusing on the floor. I feel nervous and glance over at my mother who's face has turned sour but nods for me to go on, so I do. 

He clutches my chin in his hands and tilts my head from side to side, examining my features. I blush at the situation, wishing for it to end. I feel like money being checked for authenticity. When he lets go, I force myself not to pull away too quickly.

"A fine beauty without a doubt! Now, Demeter there was actually something I wanted to talk to you about." He turns to me and tells me to go and enjoy myself, motioning with his hand like one would to a fly. I guess gods aren't too worried about not offending others. I look at mother and realize she has no choice but to agree, even in my limited experience, insulting Zeus would be a most regrettable mistake.

The last thing I heard was, "So the harvest..." I stood there motionless as I watched them slip out of sight, now what? I knew no one here. What should I do? How long would Mother be gone? I guess I was standing in the way because a group of people walked by almost pushing me over, I slipped through the door to the balcony to avoid a collision and backed up right into someone else. 

*Hiya, if you're still reading then good for you because here's where things get interesting. Also, yes I did mess with Orpheus and Eurydice's story to fit my own story line. Sorry not sorry.