A Bloom So Deadly: Hades and Persephone Retold

The Vanishing

The morning before she went missing had been usual. 

Persephone had woken and dressed before King Hades had arisen. He had knocked and she had greeted him with a smile, even though she had to pull her eyes away. Things had not gotten any better in that vein. She thought, perhaps, with time it would ease, but she still found herself ultra aware of him at all times and was constantly scolding herself not to look at him too long. Sometimes she felt his eyes lingering on her and she had to remind herself it was nothing to him. 

He had Minthe.

He had greeted her that morning, as he always did. They had walked together through the entrance hall and parted at the doors of the throne room. Going to Hecate's was enjoyable, though she had started doing it to get some distance between herself and the king, to ease the hurt she still felt. But, the path down had become an excellent place to find herself alone in the company of Hermes.

He was already waiting for her, just off the path. She grinned as she greeted him.

"And what deviousness does Dionysus bring today?" she asked with a broad smile.

Dionysus had become a most unexpected confidant. The others did not seem to like him much at all, but over the past month he had become an outlet outside of the Underworld, who could give her news of her mother's deteriorating state and yet make her cackle with glee in the same breath with some joke.

"You know I have no idea what you two are saying to each other," Hermes said with a grin.

Dionysus had started the trend of speaking in a code that he knew she would understand. Though it had grown out of fashion with the mortals, there had at one point been a most fascinating language represented entirely by flowers. It had started when Dionysus said that when he visited the Underworld, he would come with ivy in his hands. Friendship. Unsure if that is what he meant, she had answered that she would meet him with marjoram. Joy.

That was all the indication he needed to know she followed his line of thought. Through much back and forth over the last month, all disguised cleverly with talk of how this flower was blooming or that flower wilted, they had discerned this much: Dionysus knew of the Fate in some way, knew that she had made an advance on King Hades that had not been reciprocated, and had been trying to convince her to let him help correct the path.

Hermes straightened his shoulders and the voice she'd grown to know came forth.

"Dearest pen pal," he said and she rolled her eyes with a grin at his use of mortal terms. "My silly little friend, you must ask yourself if you desire gladiolus or magnolia." He meant Ares or King Hades - the warrior or the noble one. "Even if that magnolia has sprouted yellow carnations, I think they are secretly pink camellia in disguise." Even though King Hades had rejected her, he believed he actually longed for her. Just the thought made an uncertain knot grow in her throat and she shifted on her feet. "Let me come to you, let us plant a snapdragon together so that we may sow yellow roses in that dead magnolia." Let them create a deception to make him jealous. "It will work, I assure you. I have done this many times."

Of that she had no doubt. Even though she only knew him through his messages and her mother's stories, it had become quite clear that he loved a good story, even going so far as to create them when he was bored. She had meant it when she said he was devious.

"Would you like to compose a reply?" Hermes asked. Which was a silly thing as she always composed a reply to Dionysus, trying to convince him she did not need his help as there was nothing to help. King Hades was not interested. End of story.