A goddess is taken to the underworld as the king's bride; her father knew everything and her mother knew nothing. In this retelling of the Hymn of Demeter, mother and daughter will do whatever it takes to free themselves, no matter the cost.
Book I...
Warning: This chapter builds on the fallout of the previous one. Please be aware that it could potentially upset some readers, so proceed cautiously, and let's see what fuels Persephone even more to leave.
Eyes staring back at shut ones. Tongue dancing inside an inert mouth. A kiss of true love was always given with eyes closed. For those who didn't follow the rule, their love was null and not blind.
Persephone didn't have her eyes closed at all since she had to let him bite hard into her cherry lips. It would only take a few shallow breaths for his hands to fall from her wrists, as she had already made him lose his eyes on her. Then he would atrophy and to which he would also lose all feelings. The sensation of her free hands wandering up on his chest, then higher and higher where the key was dangling. However, Hades' fingers continued to slink lower and lower after her breasts. Her eyes widened at how far he was travelling down, and her knee flicked at this moment, inflicting a kick on his groin.
Their lips suddenly tore apart when one of his guards burst into the room. The infantryman flinched and instantly diverted his face in wariness. "Forgive me my Lord; I was unaware that you were with company." He wasn't sure which one was worse—the sight of his king hunched in pain over his bed with his face uncovered or the fact that he had interrupted him while he was with his barely dressed bride.
Persephone took advantage of the situation to disengage herself completely from Hades and hid her naked body under the golden blanket.
After taking a deep breath, Hades seized his helmet to put it over his head. With the use of his terrifying voice, he answered, "Why are you disturbing me?"
The guard was about to answer when he bowed his head in panic with sweat drops trickling down his brow. "Minos had sentenced a soul to Tartarus, but the soul had rejected his fate. Rather, he asked for a trial of strength. He's currently waiting for you at the Fields of Punishment, where we had escorted him."
Hades stood up and straightened his clothes. "I'll be there shortly." Upon his king's words, the guard left the chamber.
The sound of the door closing made Persephone shiver, and when she peered through the blanket, she saw Hades had taken off his helmet. He pinched his lips together in frustration and flung the metal mask away before heading to his toiletry station.
He poured out a jar of water into his sink and dipped in a piece of cloth before wiping the blood off his body. He performed the motion three or four times while she watched him with fright devouring her. Persephone knew by then that she had failed in her mission. She concealed herself further into the bed, but he pulled the cover out of her.
Nothing could have saved her at this point. Persephone closed her eyes again and surrendered her body, but Hades only cleaned her skin from his blood. With a gasp of relief, she peeled back her eyes to find him now, pulling her dress back on and tightening the belt beneath her breasts.
Hades then arched his back and sat on the edge of the bed far away from her with his hands wrapped around his head. "My desire for you has influenced my behaviour, and for that I deeply apologize." Moving his palms down over his face, his eyebrows gathered in regret. "This should have never happened."
Leaning up from the bed herself, Persephone sniffed, unable to look at him.
Hades rose on his feet with the air from his lungs travelling through his vocal folds to vibrate into a plea as his voice fell flat. "Persephone, please come to see my fight so I can show you who I am truly."
Sounds that seemed unreal to her, as if that same air went too fast into her head. All her interactions with him spun within her mind at once. He took, locked, forced, and kissed. How far could he go? How much could she take?
Ultimately, she didn't trust him, and yet she still nodded her head at his request. Persephone would have to hit harder if she truly wished to leave the underworld.
Upon her consent, Hades went all over his chamber, only to come back with a pair of golden sandals. He motioned for her to allow him to put them on her, and she accepted in return. Before placing them on her, he saw the awful state of her feet and rushed to wash them with a damp cloth. He then fastened the shoes to her feet, tying the laces around her trim ankles all the way up to her knees, up to where their eyes met.
They both became paralysed in this moment. The quest for freedom empowered Persephone with deception, while a strong will to understand his confused feelings defeated Hades.
They were still enemies, chasing after the others.
And Hades would break their tie. Duty was calling on him with increasing clamour, and he hurried to gather the pieces of his armour before donning it. Once he was now towering on his boots, frightening under his helm and loud in his steps, Hades stretched out a shaking hand at Persephone.
Biting on her lips, she hesitated as she remembered where this hand was on her body, and instead of insisting, Hades went to open the door of his chamber. Persephone crossed her arms and followed him as they walked out together into the hallway. They were this estranged couple, Hades high on his guilt and Persephone low on her courage. Yet wherever they went, all the guards in the palace bent down before them.
"Why are they all bowing?"
The motionless Hades just clenched his jaw. "They bowed down to us."
She shook her head and sighed in disbelief. "It must be all for you; I'm just a minor goddess."
Hades ceased his steps and stabbed her again with his blue eyes. Hidden under his helmet, he displayed no other demeanour than intimidation. Persephone shrank back, as she couldn't tell if he was angry, smiling, stunned, or pleased.
"No, they should all fear us both, as I chose you to be their queen," and with that statement, Hades served her a foretaste of her reign by his side.
Yet all she could look at was the key of Erebus in its meandering form over his chest. It called upon her. It took the face of her mother as the symbol of infinity—the sign of unity that made her the eternal flow of life from Demeter, reminding her where she belonged.
Hades interrupted her thoughts as he drew nearer to her, lowering himself down to whisper into her ear. "I meant it; I'm sorry." Then he took a step back from her, dipping his chin into his chest. "The guards will escort you to the Fields of Punishment, as I have to go now." Upon his words, huge black wings burst out from his back, and he took off to his destination alone.
With her lips curled down, Persephone let go of her balled fist, letting blood spill out from it. His apologies didn't matter. She would leave the underworld even if she had to destroy him.
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