I Am Persephone

V

Kerberos had eventually decided to follow them, once he'd caught sight of his master, keeping up with Hades' chariot.  He was now clumsily chasing after a butterfly on the surface like an overgrown puppy.  It warmed her heart to see, though she still held back from lavishing him with hugs and kisses and belly rubs.  She wondered if his tail had ever bitten someone.  And then she wondered if it was venomous.  And, if it was, could that hurt her?  She had never heard of a god being felled by a snake before, but this was no ordinary snake, she was quite sure.

Breathing in, she let her eyes slowly close.  The air smelt of honey and pollen.  It smelt of home.  But it was missing something – an earthiness, something...interesting she had only discovered under the ground.  A hint of death.  Her toes curled and the grass tickled her feet.  When she opened her eyes again, the lack of any shimmer in the darkening air filled her with disappointment.  Then she berated herself for feeling that way; it was silly.  She was up here now, not down there, and she'd have to suck it up.

She looked back to see Hades shielding his eyes from the sun.  It was close to setting now, but it was at just the right angle to blind him.  Up here he looked even paler. How is he...?  She didn't know how to finish her thought.  Not still alive, because she was not sure he – or any of them – could die, but still...all right?  There was tone to his muscles; they hadn't wasted away.  Somehow.  Even Artemis sometimes lost the definition in her arms if she spent too long gorging herself on human food in her father's palace.  It could take her a while to regain that.

"I suppose then," Hades said, "this is where I leave you."

His mouth was turned downwards, making him look just as unhappy as she felt.  She wrung her hands together.

"I suppose," she agreed reluctantly.

For a second he hesitated, mouth opening slightly before closing, then moved to place a foot up onto the obsidian chariot.  The horses tied to it looked as though they were formed out of smoke.  Their eyes were rubies.

"Wait!"  Embarrassment bloomed in her cheeks as she realised how desperate she must have sounded, how wide her eyes were.  "I...I, uh..."  She squared her shoulders at his look of hopeful confusion, marching over to him.  "I want to say 'thank you' again."

"Oh- Oh!"  His dark eyes widened when she stretched upwards to kiss his cheek.  The curls of his beard, surprisingly soft, brushed against her face, and she decided she didn't mind the feeling of it.  Gently, his hand reached up to touch the spot her mouth had been pressed against.

"Thank you, Hades.  Really.  I mean it.  For today.  And the name.  And thank you, again, for the crown."  It had become her most prized possession as soon as he'd told her it was hers.

Gently, tentatively, he smiled.  It was wide enough that she could see teeth this time, and it hit her like a bolt from Zeus.  How could anyone see him as a monster?  "I felt no grief parting with it; you see, I much prefer mine.  It is not so heavy upon my weary head."

"Ah, but mine sparkles in the light.  And it is far prettier."

"Prettier, perhaps, but not nearly as beautiful.  Nor as masterfully crafted."

"Oh, but Sir, I disagree!  It takes skill to create jewellery out of gold."

Raising his eyebrow, he crossed his arms.  "But it creates true power to create life itself.  Anyone could fashion a crown out of something if they practised enough."

She felt a tugging at the corner of her lips.  "All right.  Maybe you have a point."

For the first time, his head tipped backwards and he let out a roar of laughter.  She almost jumped back in shock, but very soon she was grinning like a maniac.  She had done it – again!  And he was guffawing!  Laughter straight from his core.  His whole body was shaking with humour, and it was all because of her.  She couldn't remember a time she'd ever felt better.  Surely there could be no better feeling than this?