The Colour Of Pomegranates

Chapter 8

As usual, Hades and Persephone spent their afternoon in the lush rooms of the Underground Castle. Lights shone dim, all colours were intense and dark, dark red and velvety purple cushions, midnight blue covers on the satin beds, black curtains embroidered with a thin golden thread. More than once Persephone had commented on the rooms as sinful.

'Have you ever known cold?' the summer child asked, playing with the berries on her plate. Even the foods were known to have dark shades of colour, nothing Below was very bright. Except for maybe Persephone herself. Hades raised his brow.

'There used to be cold days, Above. It would snow and-'

'What is snow? I have never seen it.' He chuckled.

'Of course you haven't,' he said, 'it hasn't snowed since Demeter had you.'

'What do you mean?'

'Only when Demeter is depressed the land becomes barren and cold.' Her heart wrung upon hearing that, knowing deep within she broke her mother's heart and that it would be more than plausible that the land again would die.

'Can you show me?' she asked, hardly audible. He rose from his feet and smiled warmly at her as he offered his hand. She got up and followed him to the stately tall windows that opened to a balcony. White flakey crystals fell from the skies and covered everything in pure white. With a bright smile she extended her hand and let the snow flake land in her palm. It melted, leaving a drop of icey water.

'It's amazing,' she said, watching the souls leave their cabins in amazement. 'Have they ever seen snow?'

'Some of them,' he shrugged. She shivered and he took off his jacket to drape it around her shoulders.

'Thank you,' she said shyly. She understood why the land would become barren and hard as soon as the cold would set in. She didn't know if the world could survive, and that frightened her - but she didn't want to think about it just yet. She was having a most wonderful time in the Underworld and she grew to like its inhabitants - the King of Souls himself not in the least.

'Care for a cup of tea?'

'More than ever,' she laughed. 'The snow is beautiful, but my clothes aren't adept to the cold.'

The next day, she woke up to find a new dress on the chair next to her bed. It had long sleeves and woolen lining. It had been two weeks since she arrived in the Underworld. Hades had been nothing but kind to her and she regarded him as a friend. He even gave her a beautiful room to stay in. Sometimes she wondered who else had been in that room, but she never wanted to ask.

'Can we go into the Meadows?' she asked upon entering the dining room. Hades sat in his usual chair, gorgeous food scattered over the table. He took a bite of his bread. The buttered bread looked really good and she tried to remember the taste of it. Of course, being a goddess meant that food and drink was nothing but a luxury - but it was the one luxury she loved to indulge in.

'You can. I have to go see the Judges.' Fascinated she looked up.

'Who are the Judges?'

'Their names are Minos, Rhadamanthus and Aeacus. They sentence whoever walks into the place. First Thanatos brings you here, then Charon brings you over the Styx and from thereon you meet the Judges. The Judges decide upon your fate in the Underworld. They see every little thing a soul has done Above. If they did only heroic, good things, they go to Elysium. If they did more bad than good, they set off for Tartarus.' He hesitated for a minute. 'And if they're neither bad nor good, and their lives left no vast impression on the world Above, they get to go to Asphodel Meadows.' He knew what that sounded like - the souls in the Meadows never had ambitions, they never did anything while they were alive - but both Persephone and Hades liked them best. Overall they had been kind-hearted and that really was everything she wanted from the mortals Above.

'So, if they do all that... what do you do?' An amused smile curled his lips.

'The souls in here are my subjects. Eventually, they answer to me. I keep them safe, and happy I hope. No one can touch them here. I wouldn't allow it.'

'Can I come along with you, then?' Again, hesitation.

'Some other time, Persephone.' She sighed and left the room, considering if she could go against his wishes. She didn't mean to annoy her host.