Spring in Hades ✔

Chapter 8

The day has come for Persephone's installation as a full-fledged goddess. She has been practising in the last few days; not that she needed anymore practise.

"Ready, my Kore?" asked Demeter excitedly.

"Ready, mother," she said, beaming. She wore a dark emerald green chiton, with a low plunging neckline that exposed her creamy skin down to her midriff. The soft fabric cling to all of her curves, with the sheerness of the fabric giving hints to the secrets underneath. Her rich auburn hair falls into soft curls behind her back, decorated with loose braids in her hair. A floral wreath of spring flowers adorned the top of her head. She looked glorious. Pride swelled in Demeter's heart. Both goddesses climbed onto Demeter's serpent-drawn chariot, and they are off to Olympus.

* * *

The Pantheon on Olympus is a rotunda that sits atop a cliff, with two waterfalls flowing down off the precipice; that is where Persephone's presentation will take place. The rest of the Dodekatheon have already convened in the Pantheon.

Before Demeter went to join them, she caressed her daughter's cheek and kissed the back of Persephone's hand, for good luck. "You'll be great, Kore. Make me proud," she whispered to her daughter. She opened the heavy double doors, turned to Persephone and blew her a kiss. Then the doors closed behind Demeter.

Persephone stood facing the double doors, her heart pounding in her ears. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Excitement and anxiety danced in her belly. As she straightened the skirts of her chiton, the doors opened. She climbed down the rocky steps that took her from the palace to the Pantheon, which stood independently outside of the palace. Perfectly-manicured laurel trees lined up on the ground, giving the Pantheon more privacy; as if it's location by the cliff was not private enough.

As she entered the Pantheon, soft gasps could be heard all around; shameless Hermes gave a wolf whistle. Persephone blushed, she took it in good humour. The panel sat at a semi-circular white marble table. Three identical golden thrones in the middle – each for the rulers of the three realms; her father sat in the center. Five golden chairs on each side of the golden thrones. She had heard a rumour once that everybody on her father's right side were the deities that were friendly with her mother; the ones on her father's left side were the ones that can't stand her. Persephone can't help feeling that the rumour held truth.

She stood in the middle, facing the Dodekatheon, smiling sheepishly. Her eyes traveled across the panel. Artemis and Athena clapped their hands encouragingly, she waved back at them. Her mother blew her a kiss, she winked at her mother. Her father looked as though as he has just seen her for the first time in his life, but she appreciated his enthusiasm. She noticed Hera was glaring at her, her arms folded at her chest. Persephone bowed her head to the Queen of the Gods. Then, in between her father and Hera was – Him!

She froze.

* * *

Hades was bored. He hated that he was always punctual, if not early, while everybody else seemed to take their own sweet time. He hated waiting, and he hated waiting for Demeter the most. Demeter was always deliberately late; said it's her prerogative to be so. Hades scowled for having to waste his time for the little drama queen.

To keep himself occupied, he settled on thinking about Demeter's daughter. The last time he saw her, she was a new-born babe. After Demeter and Zeus' dramatic scandal, Demeter had taken Persephone to live in the mortal realm. She had kept her daughter in an invisible cage; no one was to know about her and she was not to know about anyone. She grew up in almost total obscurity, as Demeter was adamant that all is evil in the world except for her and her little babe. Hades wondered how Persephone would look and act like, growing up in isolation with her mother.