Persephone

Persephone

Chapter 14

    The sweet smell of ambrosia hung in the air as it always did here in Mount Olympus. Reminding me of when I was very young and spent a lot of time here, I never really knew why everybody was so fond of ambrosia, I had always preferred fruits myself. As I walked down the hall I could picture Zagreus growing here, being loved by them all. “Persephone?”, came a voice from behind me. I spun around and found my old friend Artemis standing before me. “It is you!” she screamed excitedly as she ran to me, “Persephone, its been so long, what brings you…”, she stopped, just now noticing the basket I held. Before she got a chance to question me about my child, the door behind us opened, in the doorway stood Hera.
    The world around us seemed to come to a standstill. I felt like a child, young and naïve under her piercing eyes. For a brief moment I actually had the urge to run, run from here, run from her. Then her eyes left mine and moved to the cradle in my hand, in that instant her expression changed so quickly I almost missed it. She looked heartbroken, until her gaze fixed on me again and she looked at me in disgust, jealousy and pure hatred. It was that look that made me realise how she must feel, I hadn’t given her a thought before now, her husband had not only had a child with someone else, but had chosen him to be his successor. I pitied her. But this was not my fault.
    “Bring the child”, she said in barley more than a whisper. I straightened up and walked into the room, passing by Hera and noticing that she averted her eyes from looking in the basket. The room was just as majestic looking as I remembered. Being here always made me feel on edge but I held my head high, I was the queen in my own world, in the same rank as Hera and of Zeus. I stood in the centre of the semi-circle of chairs. “Persephone, welcome. Come forward, let us all greet the new addition to Mount Olympus”, said Zeus merrily. I strode over to him, catching a look from my proud looking mother on the way. I put down the basket at Zeus’ feet, as he stood lifting our son from his bed. “Brothers, sisters, tonight I must thank the beauteous Persephone for blessing me, and us all, with so fine a child. So before you all now, I pronounce young Zagreus here as my heir”. The room broke into clapping and cheers. “To Zagreus, son of Zeus and Persephone, future King of all the Gods!”, they toasted.
    The party for Zagreus went on through the night. I caught up with old friends, spent time with my mother and before heading home I took my boy in my arms and promised him I would think of him everyday. He fell asleep in my arms for the last time, I kissed him and put him into his new bed, taking one last look and committing it to memory.

*****

    Tartarus was always dark, dank and dismal. At the bronze gates, locked by the power of Hades, sat Briareus and Gyges. The two brothers were entrusted to guard the gates, along with their brother Cottus, when they assisted Zeus in overthrowing the Titans. Beyond the gates, in the oubliette that is Tartarus, sat Cronus. The wind above him began to stir, whispering his name… “Cronus…”.
“Who awakens me?”, he asked out, keeping his head in his hands.
“Look at me Cronus”, came the woman’s voice, more lucid this time. He looked up to find the figure of a woman take shape before him. “Go away phantom”, Cronus said simply, returning his head to his hands. “I am no phantom Cronus, you should know me”. Again he raised his head and looked to the woman. Her red hair blew around her face and her hazel eyes stared, unblinking. “Hera?”, he asked, disbelieving. Her lips curved up in a crooked smile. “I come to ask a service from you”, she told him.
“Why would the wife of Zeus“, he said in a sneer, “ask of a service from me?”. She strode over to him, kneeling to his level, placing her hand tenderly on his thigh and said, “In exchange, I will give you back your powers, so that you, along with your brothers and sisters, are free of this place. And when you succeed, I will give myself to you”. Cronus studied Hera.
“And what would you have me do?”.
“I will restore your powers, then you can stop time, allowing you to escape this place. Travel to Olympus. There you will find a baby. Destroy him”.
“Destroy a baby? Who’s child is this?” he asked. Hera closed her eyes and clenched her fist, images of Zagreus flooded her eyes. The eyes, nose and hair of her husband with the smile of her, Persephone, all combined in that illegitimate child. She could feel the anger begin to rise inside her and she fought to compose herself. Turning on a false smile, she opened her eyes. “He is the heir to Zeus”, she stated. Cronus pondered this for a minute before saying, I see. You are not mother to the heir”. He took her silence as confirmation. “I will take the child”.
“And destroy him!”, she confirmed.
“He will be gone from Olympus. He will know nothing of his heritage. Is that not enough?”.
“No! I want him destroyed!”, she shrieked. Cronus let out a sigh and held out his hand to her.  Hera took his hand in both of hers and infused him with his power of time control.
    Power flowed through his body, instantly strengthening him. He opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings in his newly refreshed eyes. “You will go now, awaken the Titans and do my bidding”, she paused, “and Cronus, should you fail, you will be subjected to a worse eternity than Tartarus”. She disappeared in a mist of amber dust. Cronus tried his power by freezing time. He staggered back, forgetting how strong his power was. He laughed at himself then set out on his quest.

*****