Hades and Persephone (Greek Mythology Retelling)

A New Friendship

••••••••••••

There was a soft knock at the door. Persephone lifted her head from the bed of furs, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

 "Come in." she said, sounding much more weak than she wanted. 

The doors opened and there was a man standing at the door, but it wasn't Hades. This man was much more muscular than Hades, and he had massive dark brown angel wings. He was tall and carrying what looked like a package. Persephone let out a fearful squeak when she saw his face. One half of his face was of a human, the other, a skull. He had a cloth wrapped around his eyes (or eye.)

Persephone, a gentle thing at the time, backed away from him, afraid of what he was here for. She was very distrusting of men today. The man, sensing her fear, backed further away from her.

"I apologize if I startle you. I understand that my appearance isn't the warmest. The mortals certainly don't think my face is appealing either. Especially when I escort them down here." he said shamefully.

"It's fine," Persephone apologetically answered, feeling ashamed of the way she acted. "What's your name?"

"Thanatos, my queen." He answered. He gave her a deep bow out of respect.

Persephone rolled her eyes. So Hades told everyone that she was his new queen. No way was that going to fly.

"Listen, Thanatos," she started "As long as I am here, I want you to never bow to me or call me that name. Ever. Understand?"

He was clearly confused by this request, but agreed to it anyway.

"I promise... I'm sorry. I don't know what to call you now." he confessed sheepishly.

"Persephone." she answered. "Or just Seph. That's what my friends call me."

The man looked shocked and, it seemed, prideful. The entity smiled. He was honored to be called her 'friend.'  Never before had he been anyone's friend.

"Ok, Seph. It'll be our secret." He said, smiling at this new friendship.

"What'd you come here for?" she asked.

Thanatos seemed to suddenly remember his task, and brought her the package.

"It's from my King, he wanted to give this to you because he knew you'd be cold."

And indeed she was cold. As soon as he mentioned this, she became aware at how freezing the Underworld was. She shivered as she took the package from him.

"I'll leave you here, I must continue my duties. My King welcomes you to look around his kingdom and do whatever you please."

At this moment, two black eyed children came in, carrying a tray of food in her room, also startling her, but she hid it better this time. 

Thanatos continued to speak,  "He also hopes you will eat something, you must be exhausted from the long trip. We'll leave you to your package. Goodbye my Qu- I mean, Seph." 

He made his leave with the children and closed the doors. Persephone opened the package on her bed. She pulled out the gift her betrothed gave her and gasped. It was a deep green cloak lined with gray fur. There was also a headband weaved just for her. It had green strands weaved in with the cloth. Persephone, a bit ashamed that she loved it so much, put the cloak on her shoulders and placed the headband on her head. This was very thoughtful . 

She glanced over at the tray full of food and walked toward it. But her mother's voice rang through her head.

"Don't Persephone! If you eat the food of the Underworld, you will be bound to him forever."

She reeled her hand back from the food as though it had been poisoned. Her mother was right, she didn't want to be bound to Hades forever.

"I won't eat while I'm here then." She thought. "Mother will get me out of here soon." But she wasn't so sure.