Seeds: Volume Two (17 page)

o0o

     Persephone would not tell her father about her true paternity because it wasn't something he needed to know. He loved Demeter, and had raised her daughter as his own, and had been happy. How could she blame Mother for the deception when she had been tricked by Zeus? It didn't change her love for Iasion, so why dwell on harsh truths? They talked of other things before lapsing into a comfortable silence as he showed her some of his favorite spots in Elysium, much as he had pointed out interesting places in the forest and village during their strolls.

     Hades took supper without her, not wishing to interrupt her afternoon and evening. He did not begrudge her the time spent with Iasion, and bore no jealousy towards either of them.

     It was not until very late that evening after he had settled into bed for the night, that Persephone entered his bedchamber. Her hair was pulled back into a loose braid that was draped over her right shoulder. She was wearing a comfortable robe and looking very much relaxed, her face serene as she approached the large bed and climbed into it. He regarded her fondly as she wiggled under the blankets. She looked so satisfied that Hades felt safe asking her a certain question.

     “How did it go?” he asked as he reached over to toy with the end of her braid, twirling it between his fingers.

     “It was wonderful. We talked about the past and our family. And then he showed me his favorite places.” She sounded wistful, even a little sad, but he detected no trace of regret or anger. “I am glad to see that he had such a nice place to be, that all of the good souls gain such rewards. Perhaps you can show me some of your favorite places.”

     “I would be delighted to.” He rolled over onto his side so he could see her better. “Will he be staying here?”

     “We spent a lot of time together. I am tempted to have him stay longer, but I told him that he should not let my presence change his decision. Besides, everybody ends up here again, anyway. Life on the surface is wonderful and he should be able to enjoy it.” Her tone was relaxed, so her mention of the surface world seemed to be entirely coincidental.

     “Let us hope the Fates are kind to him. I wish him the best of luck,” he returned easily, drawing her into his arms where she snuggled contentedly.

     “Thank you. I appreciate that. Good night.” she whispered, and he smiled as she draped an arm across his chest.

     “Sweet dreams,” he replied. She smiled rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as she dreamed of past days.

Chapter XXIX

o0o

     As days turned into weeks, Persephone was no longer as concerned with the passage of time as she had been. She spent most of the last few weeks in a state of serenity, barely noting when the sky above Hades' Palace darkened to mimic the rhythm of the world of the living. She always had plenty to keep her occupied, whether it be time with Hades engaged in various activities, visiting with Hekate, or by herself.

     She was content to lay there as she felt the warmth of his body, feeling the gentle rise and fall of his chest against her back. The blanket was pulled up to her chin, and she stared with half-lidded eyes at the muted fire that burnt within the impressive hearth. After sharing the bed of a caring and attentive lover, she knew she would have an impossible time sleeping alone. She loved to snuggle close to him, basking in the heat that came from his form. Down here in Dis, Hades was the only other living person she saw on a regular basis. Like any god, he had a steady, warm pulse of life, and that comforted her in this dead place.

     She rolled over to face him and snuggled closer, pulling up the blanket further as she inhaled his scent, nuzzling her face against his bare chest. It brought back memories of quiet nights in her room at Mother's house, slowly coming out of sleep to feel his hands on her – always in a gentle and reverent manner – or feeling his chest against her back or face. Previously, she had always told herself she was just dreaming, because come morning, she was always alone.

     “Mmm. Seph.” Hades purred softly, pulling her into a tight embrace. He immensely enjoyed her presence and comfort, which was in a way amusing considering the fact that he had spent the last few centuries alone. His hands slid along her face, neck and shoulders as if he couldn't get enough of the feel of her skin, and she cooed in delight, wiggling against him. Sometimes he was surprised with how much he enjoyed these nonsexual displays of affection, and he smiled faintly before leaning his head down to rain kisses on her face.

     Naturally, with such an enjoyable companion and eager lover, he felt his maleness respond. It wouldn't be the first time that they had started off the morning in such a rousing manner, but when she felt the evidence of his desire press against her thigh, she shook her head before pulling away demurely.

     “You are just going to leave me like this?” Hades pouted, trying to tug her back. A tempting peek of her breast was visible through the opening of her robe, and he teasingly reached for it, intent on pulling the robe off her body.

     Realizing his intent, she scooted away just in the nick of time, climbing off the bed before he could try to ensnare her further.

     “You would deny the mighty Lord of the Dead?” Hades demanded as he sat up, the blankets falling to his waist to reveal his sculpted chest and arms.

     “It is not my fault you wanted to turn a morning cuddle into something else.”

     “Can you blame me?” He asked this with a wide grin. She smiled back as she shook her head.

     “No, my lord. But...” She knew she was going to have to tell him eventually, so might as well do it now. “I just started... bleeding again.” Her voice was almost inaudible as a faint blush crept across her cheeks.

     He had never given her a reason to feel embarrassed over such a thing, but she couldn't help but feel awkward over such a delicate topic. Before he could say anything, she quickly retreated from the room.

o0o

     Not surprisingly, a breakfast banquet was set out on the table when she emerged from her room, dressed for the day. She ignored it, going over to the windows and tugging at the golden rope at the side of the heavy curtains.

     “This room needs more light,” she declared as Hades smirked in amusement. After another firm tug, the curtains finally gave way, bringing clean light into the chamber and illuminating everything from the veins in the marble walls and floor to the steam rising from the dishes.

     “You did not seem to mind the darkness before,” he remarked as she remained where she was, looking out the window at the terrace and garden.

     “I cannot remain in darkness all the time,” she retorted. She looked over her shoulder at him, gazing at him steadily. While in her room preparing for the day, she had counted the days she had been here. If not for her bleeding she would have had a harder time keeping count, since she enjoyed her time so much here. Today was the fiftieth day since she had been stolen by the Lord of the Dead to be his bride. That was almost two moons! It was almost hard to believe that that much time had really passed. It would be nearly autumn now on the surface world. Whenever she asked about Mother, Hades was evasive in his answers.

     “That is true.” He smiled. If the entire Underworld was a dark and dismal place like the mortals believed – a myth he encouraged – then he wouldn't enjoy his Kingdom as much.

     A frown flashed over her features. Turning around to face him, she placed her hand on her hip and shook her head slowly, the curls framing her face bouncing slightly from this gesture.

     “It has been fifty days.”

     “Fifty days since when?” Hades asked casually before he picked up a piece of spiced lamb meat, sinking his teeth into the otherworldly food.

     “Since you kidnapped me, of course.” She crossed her arms. She hadn't said anything about the surface world or Mother for a while, wishing to avoid all argument and hoping to lull him into a less defensive attitude. But it wasn't a subject she was going to give up on, of course.

     “Really?” he asked after he swallowed. “Down here, I do not bother keeping track of the days. After a few decades, you know, counting days loses its meaning.” He shrugged. Lacking the rules of Nature above, Dis had no sun or moon, or seasons. Nothing down here changed unless he decreed it. “The days of a god are endless.”

     “Easy enough to say for someone who has lived as long as you.”

     “Of course.” He shot her a grin before taking another bite of his food.

     “Hmph. I want to see my mother. And Zeus.”

     “Come and eat with me,” he replied smoothly, unfazed by her demand.

     “No.”

     “When you eat...” She did not miss the fact that he said
when
and not
if
, “we can talk about it.”

     “There will be no when. You can tempt me all you want, but it will not work. I want to see Mother!” She stamped her foot. “You say that Zeus is not without his faults. But you have your own, as well.”

     He placed his hand over his heart, feigning pain as he glanced at her. “Love, you wound me.” For a moment, he mimicked a swoon, and if they had been discussing something else, she would have giggled at his theatrics.

     “This is not funny. You barely tell me about what is going on in the surface world. Do you think it is right to let my mother worry and look for me?” She could only imagine what was going through her mother's head. Demeter must be fearing the worst after all this time!

     The glimmer of pain in his eyes showed her that she had indeed struck a sensitive spot. She would be sure to exploit that to her fullest advantage. He was usually so cool and collected, practically nothing seemed to faze him. She admired that yet felt annoyed at times.

     “I thought you cared about all of your siblings, even Zeus. I know you have no children of your own, but surely you must feel some sympathy for Mother.” On her father's farm, she had cooed over the baby animals, especially the little chicks, savoring the feel of their soft, yellow fuzz against her hands. Goat kids and puppies were also adorable. She always felt sad when one of them was sickly – a rather rare occurrence in lush and healthy Enna – and mourned every time one of the animals died. She had also seen how Ptheia doted on her children, and how Grandmother would fuss over her entire brood – children, grandchildren, and daughters-in-law. There was nothing like the bond between a mother and her child, and despite Mother's protective ways, her love had been strong and true. She didn't like to think of Mother experiencing any worry or grief.

     “Do you really intend to let this go on indefinitely? Will you condemn Mother to wandering for eternity?” Her voice was sharper, more penetrating now, and she relished in the fact that he now had his gaze averted, as if he was ashamed of himself. Like the legendary Furies, she closed in mercilessly. “You pride yourself on the truth. Yet you will not reveal it.”

     “I am the hidden one,” he replied firmly, returning his gaze to her, refusing to let her see just how guilty he felt. His statement was true – it was even the basis of his name,
Aidon
, or
Άΐδης
, literally meaning 'the unseen'.

     “Is that all you have to say?” she asked coolly, meeting his defiant gaze. Right now he seemed like a child that didn't want to listen to his mother's scolding, all the way down to his squared shoulders and rebellious gaze.

     “I have made my decision.” He had no intention of letting his sister wander around indefinitely, and knew that he had to set some sort of deadline. Right now, she wasn't wreaking any sort of havoc, but he knew his sister would resort to drastic measures if this went on for too long.

     He could just be firm with her and say 'I have your daughter and that's that', but goodness, the Goddess could – no,
would
– storm down here to the Underworld like she had done after Iasion's death and try to wrest her daughter from his grip. He was confident that he would maintain the upper hand, but he had known her for too long to assume that she would give up easily.

     “Ugh!” Persephone threw her arms up in frustration before deciding to express her anger in a more blunt manner. Stalking over to the table, she grabbed the nearest dish and hurled it at him, stuffed olives flying through the air as he quickly dodged her missile, the silver platter bouncing off the cushioned back of the divan before clattering to the floor. Seeing that he had easily dodged her only fueled her wrath, and she grabbed one item after another, hurling them at him as he danced around the room. A bowl of stew disgorged its contents as she hefted it at him, the lid and container separating to shower thick, savory soup against the wall and floor, narrowly missing him. Her aim was improving!

     Dates and other fruit rained against the divan and floor as she cast the shallow bowl containing them. He looked confused, which pleased her immensely, and she picked up the jug of wine.

     “Stop,” Hades growled, his hands out as she jiggled the container, getting a feel of its weight as she felt the sloshing inside.

     “Or what?” she challenged, raising her chin as she lifted her arm backwards. His eyes narrowed, and Persephone felt his shadowy tendrils slide up her feet and legs. Before her arms could be bound, she tossed it at him with as much force as she could manage. He easily dodged the flask, but some of the wine splashed on him as it arced through the air. Immediately after that, her arms were bound, but she smirked at him.

     “Are you so defenseless against me that you must resort to using your Gift, when I have none of my own to use in this dark place?” she taunted. He did not respond immediately, his gaze moving around the room. She had managed to clear most of the table, the floor and walls now splattered with stew, sauces, and wine while the solid food littered the divans and floor.

     “Am I such a bad host that you must throw food at me?” he retorted. She glared at him silently, her eyes now a fierce orange-and-gold.

     “Fuck you!” she snarled. It certainly wasn't a phrase her parents had taught her, but she had heard it – and other profanities – shouted by condemned souls after they had been sentenced. It would be directed at the Judges, Kampe, or any of the shades attending to the punishment of various ill-behaved souls.

     “Oh, but I thought you were bleeding,” he retorted. Her shriek of frustration rivaled the banshee scream of the Furies, and he had to stifle a laugh.

     “Let me go right now!” She twisted and struggled against her bonds, knowing it was useless but determined to not just give up.

     “Maybe,” Hades mused, stroking his chin. “I should bend you over my knee and give you a spanking for your bad behavior.”

     Persephone gasped in indignation. She hadn't been spanked in many years – it was a typical parenting tool used in Enna to correct wayward young children who weren't old enough to understand explanations of why this or that was right or wrong, or for stubborn older children who knowingly went against their parents' warnings.

     “I am not a child!” she retorted hotly.

     “Would you call throwing food mature?”

     “No more mature than hiding from my mother!” she shot back. The silence that hung in the air was tense as the two of them stared at one another.

    
Marvelous!
Out of all the gods and mortals he had known, none dared to stand up against him openly. Sure, some tried to be more conniving and outsmart him, like Sisyphus, but the former king hadn't dared to go face-to-face against the Lord of the Dead and had tried to use his wiles on Kampe, hoping to circumvent Hades' decree. But even the other gods feared him, and were deferential to his presence. She showed none of that, saying just what she thought.