The music bounced off the marble floors creating an elegant atmosphere throughout the palace. Persephone had guessed the men making the beautiful music must have been demigods. This assumption was because they looked like mortals but had the gift of music only a god could have given. She had watched them, entranced by the beauty they created. Persephone had always been interested in mortals since she was a child. It was the lives they lived, so drastically different from hers, that had always fascinated her. A simpler life, one Persephone, a goddess raised on nectar, could never understand. Humans only lived for a short time, and yet they acted like it did not matter. Maybe it was due to Persephone's godly lineage or the gold blood that flowed through her veins that made her unable to understand how they savored such an incredibly short life.
She looked around the imposing room of Olympus and noticed the decorations that glittered the hall for the occasion. There was gold decadence in every corner of the already striking hall, making the light shine and reflect whenever it was touched. As it would have been expected, there was no expense spared on Olympus, and everything was made to be as majestic and magnificent as anyone could dream it would be.
There was no point in being a god if you did not live like one.
Persephone's mother, Demeter, did not usually bring her along to these types of gatherings as they got too unruly for her taste. But every year she would come to this banquet, the occasion always seemed to call for both goddesses' attendance. The Olympian gods had thrown this party to celebrate the summer solstice on this particular occasion. It was a celebration of the end of the year, but Persephone's mother acted like it was a celebration entirely for her. Although Persephone always thought it was eccentric of her mother to claim this holiday as her own, she understood this was what all gods did. She watched the room as each god and goddess put on a show of sorts, showing off their power and prestige. She laughed as she watched Apollo walk-in shirtless, clearly showing off more than his powerful position.
Her mother was only doing what any other god was expected to do; to gloat, to boast, to drape themselves with power until all those around them believed it as truth.
When they had arrived at Olympus, her mother had shuffled her around the room, making introductions and showing her daughter off. She had been pleasant and had talked with the women for some time, and while they were all pleasant and acceptable, the goddesses had nothing in common. She much preferred to watch the proceedings from a corner. She could observe all the gods from her seat, not only the ones her mother allowed her to meet. The ones that were forbidden from her were always the ones that piqued her interest the most.
She watched as Aphrodite finally made her much-anticipated entrance. As she entered the hall, every eye was drawn to her. Persephone could bet not many gods noticed Ares had accompanied her, attached to her hip, with a jealous look in his eye. Persephone's mother had always talked about Aphrodite in a loathful way. She spoke of Aphrodite's vanity and foolishness as if it brought a sour taste to her mouth.
To grow up with tales of the goddess of love framed as life lessons or warnings should have turned Persephone against the beautiful goddess. Her mother's stories should have turned her against Aphrodite, but they only seemed to do the opposite. Instead, Persephone grew to admire her, more than she cared to admit. Aphrodite was everything Persephone was not. Everything she could never be. Aphrodite always seemed to own whatever room she walked into. She was bold and strong, and people noticed her and envied her. And in the world of gods, this meant everything.
Seeing her walk through the main room, Persephone knew she was not wrong. She knew that the goddess of love was not one to be crossed. It was clear Aphrodite's beauty had become her power. And her power, while underestimated, was a force unlike any other god on Olympus.
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DIVINE - A Persephone And Hades Retelling
Historical Fiction"I've told you, Hades, I can not become your mistress." she sadly told him. She had always lived in her mother's shadow, and if she followed Hades, she would once again be living in another's shadow. Even though she loved him, she did not think she...
