Pomegranates

Welcoming Spring

THEIR wedding was everything Persephone had wanted to be, only with those closest to them bearing witness. The Moirai united them, Hecate, Thanatos, Charon, and the Judges their witnesses. Her father had left, with his blessing to relay their arrangement to Demeter, Hermes followed, sighing and wished her the best.

It seemed he, the most stubborn of her suitors finally understood to whom her heart belonged. They were united in Hades' throne room, the Moirai full of exuberant joy, Hecate with such kindness, Thanatos, polite as always though there was a spark of something in his eyes, Charon smiling sweetly, the Judges as high as the Moirai and Cerberus standing guard, as if waiting for someone to ruin the ceremony.

            Despite the normalcy of it all, everything did seem rather strained. The bittersweet melancholy escaping none of them but the Moirai it seemed. Hades had smiled at her, had kissed her with such love and longing but there was such sadness there, she realized. The sadness he thought he had hidden well.

As they retire, Hades had clung to her like a drowning man, breaking her heart yet filling it. She wished, more than once tomorrow never came. To let them be together for even a second longer. It was not to be. She had awoken to Hades looking at her with such heartbreaking love in his eyes, masked as soon as she saw it and kissed her so tenderly it hurt.

Later, much later, as the appointed time came, they both rode on his chariot, heading towards the place they had agreed upon before Zeus left. Persephone clung to Hades as she said goodbye to her home, her home was here now, with him and she heaved a sigh as the earth split open and they were above once more, bathed in the brilliant light of the sun, the early morning where it did not torment as much.

As soon as the chariot landed on the ground, the earth closed again and Persephone tried to savor the final glimpses of Underworld. When she opened her eyes, hers fell upon that of her mother's. Tears were upon her cheek and as she stepped off, she was pulled away from Hades. She was in her tight embrace, her mother settling between them and Persephone could only glance at him through her back.

It did not take long for her mother's temper to be unleashed. Ranting, whining, sobbing, yelling, screaming, and insulting. It became too much when she accused Hades, "You rapist!"

"Mother!" Her clear, steely voiced shocked her and she looked at her with wide eyes. "I will not stand and hear you accuse my husband of such atrocities. He had never abducted me, he saved me. He had never touched untowardly, only those that I beg of him. He is nothing you accused him of!"

"Kore...? What has he done to you, dear child?" Her mother sobbed as she hugged her tightly and she sighed heavily.

"It is Persephone now mother and he had done nothing. He simply let me be myself, who I was meant to be."

"No! You are Kore! My Kore! You will be with me! By my side!"

"I am Persephone, mother. I will be with you, until the time for me to go to my husband."

"You shall change your mind, Kore! You shall!"

"Mother..." She sighed. "I shall like to say goodbye to my husband now, mother. Please," she pleaded and with reluctance, Demeter let her.

            Persephone embraced Hades as soon as they were close and he returned the embrace, rather indifferently. She sighed as she distanced herself and kissed him. "I shall see you in six months' time, beloved."

"Yes, dearest," he replied, his expression indulgent.

"We will make this work beloved."

"Yes, dearest." He kissed her cheek briefly as he stepped onto his chariot.

"Take good care of yourself, beloved."

"Yes, dearest." He parroted as the earth split again and he pulled his reigns.

"I love you, Hades."

He paused as he answered before disappearing, "I love you, dearest."

            Persephone allowed her mother to fuss over her, stubbornly ignoring the scene she witnessed. In her heart, she sighed heavily. What a stubborn, gloomy husband she had wed.

As she walked, a fond smile was on her face as she whispered to the winds, "I shall have to prove him wrong then, my gloomy Hades."