"I am only my own-
half blooming creation,
half blazing hellfire."
Some romances are legendary.
<<A retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone>>
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Persephone's heart fluttered, a terrible feeling of dismay crawling up her throat as she eyed down the god before her. Yet the warning bells ringing all about her did not stop her from acting with heedless impetuosity.
"What is the Lord of the Underworld doing wandering in a meadow? Do you relish on killing the plants of young women for leisure? Or observing them from afar?" She took a step back, squaring her shoulders in the same way she had seen her mother do many times before when speaking to other men.
She noticed his face remained stoic, yet a flicker of amusement flashed through his dark eyes. What could the king of the underworld be doing there? Had he come to harm her? Had he come to visit her mother? She refused to feel threatened by the god because she truly did not. It had to be something else. Persephone's stomach churned with bitterness and jealousy at the thought of the beautiful god here to see her mother.
"I have not come to bother you or your flowers, goddess. I was merely passing by when your winsome golden hair caught my eye. Heavenly Persephone, never in my eternity have I encountered a creature as lovely as yourself." He confessed, taking a step forward. Hades cast a glance to the sky, his eyes a lighter shade of blue under the light. "I am afraid, however, that our encounter won't last much."
Persephone stood straighter, clasping her hands in front of her just like she had done the night before while waiting for Ares' arrival. She fought the disappointment that tried to crawl up her spine. She had never met this man. She had no reason to miss him. She would not show herself weak or vulnerable before anyone else. Not ever again.
"Why?" She simply asked, keeping her voice a soft tune. Her eyes inspected the man before her. What was she doing?
"Demeter." Was his simple answer.
Persephone's face darkened with anger, yet before the shadow of fury could cross her features and become visible she forced herself to close her eyes tightly. In an instant, she had calmed herself down. The sky darkened faintly, imperceptible dark clouds loomed in the distance. She wished them away.
"Are you afraid of my mother?" Her tone was clipped. She stared at the god with indifference, masking her face with the phlegmatic expression she had mastered over the years. Unlike her mother, who wore her emotions clearly on her sleeve, Persephone had learned to tame them. From Demeter, she had learned how to fake them, but the impassive expression she now wore on her face reflected Hades' own unmoving guise. That, she had not learned from her mother.
Hades' humourless chuckle rang through her ears.
"My sister and I have our disagreements, but she knows better than to cross me. I am not afraid of your mother Persephone, I worry for what she might do to you, however." He spoke softly, yet she understood what he alluded.
