Persephone

Persephone (chaper 16)

      When I was a child, my mother told me once, "everything will be right in the end, and if it's not right then it's not the end." These were the words that got me through the past months. I really needed to believe those words. The River Styx had, over the years, became a sanctuary to me. It's where I was sitting when I saw the ripples in the water. I looked down the river, into the tunnel, where two figures were coming towards me. I stood up, taking a step back as they came into view. Hermes and Clotho.

      I had seen Clotho only twice before, at the birth of my daughters. On those occasions, she had been with her sisters, Lachesis and Atropos. The Moirae. I watched as she spoke to Hermes and proceded to walk to me, leaving Hermes hanging behind. "I welcome you Clotho, but I believe you have made a mistake here, there are no new births." I told her. She smiled at me and I saw the knowledge of an eternity reflected in her eyes. "Thank you for your kind welcome Persephone. I have just come from a birth. Today, a mortal woman gave birth to a god." She awaited my reaction, of course I knew who this woman was, and I knew who she would have given birth to. My son, it had been about 9 months, now that I allowed myself to think of the time, enough time for a mortal woman to carry her baby. I didn't quite understand my feelings, elated, sick, relieved... jealous? My son had came back, but, I was not his mother. "He is the image of his father, just as he was before... Well, I came to inform you that, he will live long. His mother has named him Dionysis." I had to close my eyes to stop the tears that welled in my eyes. Did anything that I had given him remain? My heart craved to see him, to see if his eyes were still mine, to see if he would know me, but my mind was screaming 'not yet'. "Persephone, I came here with more news for you. The life of your son was prematurely snatched away from you, and I am also aware that you raised a son of man as your own, and that he too left you." She reminded me and I could feel my heart twist in my chest, my blood pulsed, causing a roaring sound in my ears. "I came here, not to upset you. My sisters and I are not blind to your loss, if you wish it, then tonight, when you lay with your husband, you will conceive a son. A child god, who will remain by your side for eternity." My head swam with this proposal. A child god was rare, a god that would forever be my baby, who would not leave me for a woman. There was no question. Hades deserved a son, I needed a son. I had to swallow back the lump in my throat before I spoke, "I am very grateful to you, and your sisters. I want a son." She nodded. 

"Then go now to your chamber where your husband waits for you." With that said, she turned and went back to Hermes both going back the way they had come.

     The air in the bedroom was cool, the soft breeze, blew from the open balcony, causing the gauzy material around the bed to billow in and out gently, as if to an unheard beat. Hades watched me circle the bed slowly, until I came around to him. I stroked my hand down his cheek, his hand came up to cover mine, holding it in place and looking up at me. His skin was hot under my palm, heating up as the blood rose to his cheeks, his eyes searched mine and I could imagine what he was thinking. It had been so long since I had shown him any sort of affection, and coming at him like this, why now? In his face, at this moment, I could see the love, the misery and the need that he shared with me. I'd spent so long avoiding him, avoiding his touch, avoiding eyes that I had forgotten what was there, what I had fallen in love with and what I needed. "Clotho came to me. She brought news of the rebirth of Zagreus. Also, she proposed the should we wish it, we will conceive a son. Tonight." He sat up in bed, swung his legs off the edge and encircled his arms around my waist and pulled me down so that I was straddled over him. I could feel my heart race in my chest and from the way his breathing had visibly became faster, I knew he was feeling the same. "If you don't want this. If you don't want... me", I choked, feeling for the first time self concious and a guilt, that he would maybe feel that he had to do this for me. "I'm happy if your happy. And I'll understand if you don't want..." He cut me off by pulling my face down to his and pressing his lips against mine. His kiss was gently, but I could feel the hunger behind it. He kissed along my jaw, until reaching my ear, every nerve in my body was heightened when he whispered, "I love you, my Persephone." He let the words linger, making them sound like song. My body seemed to explode in response as desire and passion overtook all control.