King's Queen ✔

Chapter 11: Flowers Bloom Under Starlight

Persephone rolled over her bed feeling cold empty sheets and she knew right away she wasn't dreaming; Hades had whispered in her ear for her to join him this morning, but she had unconsciously denied. She stretched her legs out like a feline, her heart blossomed at the unwinding thought that she had the entire day to herself. She had excitingly jumped out of bed and quickly got dressed, before dashing out of their chambers, only to find, a cloaked female standing severely straight with a silver tray in her hands.

"Can I help you?" asked Persephone.

Her remarkably grey eyes glistened like the moon deity itself, she bowed, "I've brought breakfast, my Queen," she said with a very melodic voice, oddly it didn't match her fierce crystal gaze.

"Oh," Persephone motioned for them to sit down, but the woman just quietly placed the food on the table and stayed on her feet. Persephone eyed the food for a brief moment when she caught the familiar scent her mother always had on her, after she returned, from the human realm. "This food isn't from around here," remarked Persephone, "It's smells of grain and soil."

"Yes, my Queen," she confirmed through the hooded cloak. "I was instructed to bring you food from the human realm," she said.

"By who?" asked Persephone.

She looked puzzled. "The king," she answered. "If you eat the seeds of this realm, you will be forever bounded."

Persephone wanted to be tied to the Underworld, to Hades, so why was he giving her food of Earth. "What is your name?" asked Persephone to the dark hooded female who stood as still as the sea before a storm.

"My name is, Pain," she answered while taking her dark violet hood off. Her beauty took Persephone's breath away, she had blood red hair that made her skin look as pale as fresh cream, and those enchanting silver eyes glued the beholder to bask in their purity.

"You're beautiful," said Persephone making Pain blush like a wild poppy.

"Er- thank you my Queen," she faltered making Persephone smile at the thought of her just making a friend.

"And stop calling me that," grumbled Persephone. "Just call me by my name."

"Yes, my-" she paused. "Persephone."

For some reason she only liked Hades calling her by her nickname. "Alright Pain, let's go the garden," said Persephone as she took the last few bites of the fresh dough that had been baked to a golden brown.

The garden's entrance was guarded by two demons, they bowed to their Queen, as she smiled at them they seemed to gape at her with a sparkle glistening in their black inky eyes. "Why are they staring at me like that?" Persephone mumbled to the witch.

"Well, everyone here saw what you did for that ghoul, they all admire you as a strong Queen,"

"Really!" Persephone exclaimed.

"Yes Persephone," she explained. "And your warmth is felt till the ends of this place, everyone is comforted by your peaceful aura and newly profound spring smell," said Pain.

Persephone heart began to throb as she felt her eyes begin to sting with the threat of tears, they all loyally followed Hades, and now her, they served Hades with an undying admiration that lasted longer than lifetimes. Before she even arrived, the demons, witches and the spirits seemed to flourish under Hades reign, the immortals followed him past something greater than time.

Persephone spent her whole day at the garden picking ripe fruits to be sent to the kitchen, and she picked flowers that were to be draped and decorated around their chamber. The servants took buckets of flowers as Persephone entered their room, she began to decorate every corner with spring flowers, she especially loved the black and gold roses she put on Hades study table, mainly after having that wonderful moment on it; the flowers fit nicely. Pain helped her reach higher places since she had levitation powers, so the vines of lilac, pink, white wisteria hung around the sitting area flourishing their sweet scent without shame.

"There we're done." Persephone clapped her hands in excitement, as the soft flowers filled the room with their endless smells of springtide, they also brought colour to the hard-black marble rooms, just enough to shift this space from a house into a home. Persephone also changed the sheets, but kept them scarlet red, she like that colour a lot; the thought of Hades flashed through her mind bringing a smile to her cheeks. They shared such a relaxing morning, waking in each other's arm, he told her his plans for today asking if she wanted to come with him, but she denied because she wanted to go to the garden. Nonetheless, for him to ask her to come with him filled her with joy because he thought about her not as just a wife, but a partner, his Queen and that's what mattered to her.

-Hades POV-

Hades had to quickly get dressed because of the meeting this morning with his fellow Underworld councillors. He dreadfully craved to stay by Seph's side and relax with her all day, but matters where pressing, the number of ghouls were increasing and it was getting harder for the demons to handle the heightened emotions. Hades left the council meeting with no solution to the problem, he let out an exhausted groan as he pondered nonstop before he entered his chambers, a strong gust of roses and a hint of sandalwood mixed in with strong freesia took him by surprise, he felt a small smile play on his lips.

His eyes widened as he witnesses the scene in front of him, the room was decorated with flowers of all different kinds, they were hanging on the tall ceilings, sitting in every corner and hugging every bannister, he chuckled softly because he finally understood now, why his wife didn't want to come with him to the meetings today. "Seph," he called out, but there was no answer, he strode into the lounge and spotted that his table had a bouquet of black roses fully bloomed and shimmering with golden flecks, they glimmered as the burning flames basked their light onto them, he particularly loved those flowers when he chose them for the garden, but Seph made them even more breath-taking with her remarkable powers, but where was his beautiful wife now.