The Colour Of Pomegranates

Chapter 44

Apollo was lying on her bed, staring at her ceiling, while she was throwing around sun dresses. She couldn't make up her mind as to which ones she wanted to bring with her to the Underworld. She couldn't decide which ones Hades couldn't take his eyes off, she didn't know which ones would seem royal on her body.

'Did you know he can make it snow?' she asked exasperated, holding two dresses in front of her. The woman in the mirror looked fantastic in both of them. Yet they seemed underrated.

'So you've told me.' Apollo yawned. She threw one of the dresses on his face. He grabbed it, inhaling her scent deeply. Horrified she looked at the god who was too tall for her bed.

'What are you doing.' He smiled at her lazily.

'I'm going to miss you. As soon as you leave, Summer is over. You smell like flowers, you know.'

'I know, it's kind of my thing. Doesn't mean you should be smelling my stuff.' He jumped from the bed, closing her in against the wall. Pushing his nose between her curls he started sniffing again. Laughing, she pushed him away, but his body didn't waver.

'Back off,' she giggled nervously. He took a small step back, looking into her eyes with the most wicked half-smile. His eye darkened. Before she could cuss him out, he kissed her swiftly on the lips and jumped back. She opened her mouth to tell him off, but before she could say anything he winked and ran out of the room.

'I will see you tonight! Wear the yellow dress,' he said, leaning through her open window. Speechless she watched him run into the woods.

That night the four of them sat down for dinner together. Apollo sat opposite of her, enjoying her glare with a broad grin. Artemis sat on her left, intertwining their fingers. Demeter plunged another scale on the table and looked at the array of foods proudly.

'Who knows how long your vacation will last,' Demeter said, while Persephone forced a smile. 'It could be a week before you'll have your favourites again!' Denial could be a wretched state of mind for those on the outside.

'So,' Apollo cleared his throat, distracting mother and daughter from a topic of conversation neither was willing to let go without a fight. 'What about Orpheus? Will you leave him behind?' Persephone shrugged and transferred oven baked potatoes with rosemary and salt to her plate.

'If he wants something, he needs to do it himself. I won't be holding his hand on the way Down.' Apollo smiled pleased. 'You could have told me he was your offspring,' she added sternly. Apollo had the grace to blush and looked down to his plate.

'Not my proudest moment, unfortunately. Had you told me you were looking for him, I could've stopped you. He seems to be more like me than I'd like to admit.'

'Stubborn, greedy, egocentrical?'

'I was gonna go with handsome, charismatic and extremely talented. Back to my not-so-proud moment,' Apollo muttered, 'his mother was a very handsome woman. She tricked me in bedding her.' All three women laughed heartily.

'Like you would've turned anyone with a heartbeat down!' Artemis cried. 

He flushed. 'I am not like our father,' he simply said.

'O no? What about Daphne?' Artemis retorted, furrowing her brow.

'Can we not go there right now? You're ruining the mood.' Smiling, Persephone looked from one half of the twin to the other. She was going to miss them heartily. 

'Yes,' Artemis said, 'let's raise our glass to our goddess of Spring, dearest Persephone, bringer of chaos in the mortal realm.'

Before the twins left, Apollo pulled her into an embrace, ruffling up her curls before pressing an endearing kiss on her head.

'If I had to choose another sister, it would be you,' he whispered. Persephone tightened the hug, forgiving him for his outrageous behaviour always, everywhere, and smiled at him.

'If I had to have a brother, it definitely wouldn't be you.' Demeter and Persephone watched them go and Persephone suppressed the sad feeling that it would be the very last time she would see her dear friends. Demeter put her arm around her shoulders and guided her back inside.

'I know you'll be longer gone than I would like', Demeter whispered, 'but I also hope you won't forget that I am here for you, always.'