Daughter of Goddess Demeter and the God Zeus, Queen of the Underworld, known for her naive yet kind nature, as well as her beauty. She caught the eye of Hades, the God of the Underworld, who wanted nothing more than to make the beautiful maiden his...
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Kore could hear the desperate cries of her entourage that called out her name, trying to find her as she stood before Hades, who continued to hold onto her hand out of his own desperation. When he began speaking of his riches, she couldn't help but roll her eyes as she believed he would begin bragging about his material wealth, but as he presented her with the soils, she found herself wanting to learn more about the god. She could picture the angry look on her mother's face at the mere thought of Kore speaking to him without her permission. Unless they had her mother's approval, no one was allowed to speak with Kore, limiting the young woman's outside interactions.
"May I show you where I live?" Hades asked her. "I certainly believe it could hold your interest."
"You seem to think you know a lot about me," Kore countered, stalling for a moment in time, unsure if she should go with Hades or call out to the others and alert them of her location. However, at the opportunity to see the Underworld, she could deny that it piqued her interest and she would never get the opportunity under her mother's watch.
Hades smiled at her. "Was I wrong?"
Biting down on her lower lip, Kore glanced over her shoulder once more before turning to Hades. "I cannot be gone for long or my mother will be upset."
It wasn't the direct answer of yes, but it was good enough for Hades as he collected her into his arms and brought her down to stand beside him in the chariot. There was a mixture of emotions that swirled in her chest and mind as she knew her mother was going to be upset, but she felt drawn to a sense of escaping her monitors for just a few minutes. Her mother would survive for just a short while. Kore knew her mother would never let her out of her sight again, so she needed to make sure the experience would be worth it.
Her skin tingled with goosebumps as the coldness of his hand brushed against her arm as he pulled her closer into him before commanding his horses to move forward. The horse in the lead, snorted before it took the first step leading the others along. Kore was distracted by the fading of the light as the ground began to close over them, the voices of the others were drowned out.
Her decision would alter the relationships of her life forever, but for the time being, she really didn't care. Hades had discovered her weakness and it fell to her curious nature. She had to assume why Demeter felt the need to keep her close and watch over her, as her curiosity did lead her into questionable situations. Flower picking for the day had turned into a tour of the Underworld.
But Hades' promise of a tour would turn in much more as he hadn't revealed his true intentions to Kore.He wasn't just showing her where he lived, he was showing her where she would live as his wife.
***
A sharp pain shot through Kore's side as her head ached as well from falling to the ground with absolutely nothing to soften the blow. For a few moments, she remained in a state of confusion as she struggled to open her eyes. Even the dim lighting of the room was sensitive to her eyes as she lifted her hand to bring a shadow over her face. When they finally adjusted, she turned her head slowly to see the familiar furniture of her living room. It dawned on her that she was inside of her home, but she knew she had been outside.
