Three Seeds

Desolation

Hades and Persephone had their first guest the next morning.

Persephone smoothed her hair and gladly excused herself from the awkwardly silent breakfast table and her thoughts that Hades looked especially handsome with the slight stubble on his face, hurrying to the parlor.

Apollo stood in the middle of the ornate room, face drawn and pale. He looked rumpled and tired, like he hadn't slept in days.

Persephone, abandoning all etiquette, ran to him and threw her arms around him.

"Oh, Apollo," she murmured.

He hugged her so tightly she had trouble breathing, but she didn't mind.

He pulled away just enough to look at her, keeping his arms tightly around her waist. She took the sight of her best friend in, relief filling her all at once. 

"What are you doing here, Persephone?" he asked.

The sound of a throat clearing made dread, icy and heavy, fill Persephone's stomach.

"Why, this is Persephone's home," Hades said, voice velvety and dangerous.

Persephone tightened her arms around Apollo briefly and stepped away. 

Hades stepped close to her, so close she could feel the heat radiating off of him. She silently begged him not to act possesive and embarrassing. To show the kindness that the staff saw. To show her and Apollo that he wasn't so bad.

"May I ask why I found you in an embrace with my wife?" Hades asked.

Her stomach dropped along with Apollo's jaw. So this was how it was going to go.

"Oh, Pers...I didn't...I had no-"

"No, Apollo, it's-" she tried to explain.

"I'd like an explanation, please," Hades interrupted.

Persephone began to get angry. 

Hades was making it seem like they were willingly married and she was having an affair with Apollo, or something.

"You don't need an explanation," she said, keeping her voice light. 

"I'm your husband and this man just had his arms around you," he answered, voice equally light but dangerous at the same time.

Apollo held up his hands. "I had no idea you were married," he said quickly. "I wouldn't have-"

"Well, now you know. What do you want?" Hades asked.

Persephone stiffened. "Hades, is that any way to speak to company?" she asked, desperate for him to stop acting like this.

He glared at her, then at Apollo, but said nothing.

"We've all been looking for Persephone. We've searched everywhere and this was the last place...we've all been so worried..."

Persephone's eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Apollo..."

The thought of her family's pain, the confusion they must be feeling, the sorrow in her household...she almost couldn't bear it. 

Hades moved between them, face full of jealousy. "Well, now you know she's here. Leave."

Apollo began to back away.

"No, Apollo, wait!" she exclaimed, attempting to move around Hades to get to him. 

She couldn't bear to see him leave. 

She missed him. She missed Melite. She missed her family.