Persephone Incarnate [Wattpad Prize 2014] | ✔️

{12} Sophie

I forged my way down the hill, though there wasn’t much of a challenge; the grass easily gave way. I stared at the meadow that spread so far and wide in front of me. Why was I here? What was I supposed to do here, even? No one had given me any directions or any inkling of my task, my trial, or whatever I was to do here.

So I had no choice but to walk toward – well, wherever. There was no distinguishing landmark at all, so I had to pick a random direction. Following the direction of the sun, I went west. It was rippling grass and flowers and trees and wildlife as far as the eye could see.

I swore I’d even seen a few squirrels and large herds grazing horses. It wasn’t as if I’d never seen these animals before – I’d been to zoos before and had to Google horses a few times as part of a school project. But it was the first time I’d seen them in their natural environment, without the corrals and the fences and the grungy little trailers. They were wild and free and one with the wind.

There was plenty of time to think as I went, and without Persephone, I had the freedom to bring out a few thoughts that I’d had to keep under lock and key while she was there. I still missed her presence fiercely, but I had begun to appreciate the freedom I had in my own mind now.

I wondered where she was – was she now a free floating spirit, stuck in the Underworld? But why and how had it happened like that? Why hadn’t she come with me? I was a little worried about her, because she didn’t have a body to reside in anymore, but something told me that she would be fine. She was Persephone. She was more of a lover rather than a fighter, but she had her own stubborn streak. And this trial shouldn’t take too long. From what I had picked up from her words, this was trial was only about to last 24 hours, and if I somehow managed to beat the clock and complete whatever it was, I had passed. It seemed fairly simple, but I didn’t even know what I was doing here yet. I wasn’t about to make any certain judgments until I knew what I was doing exactly.

Once I had reassured myself that she wasn’t in some kind of life – sorry, soul-threatening situation, I started to wonder about her and Hades. It was a miracle, what had happened to them. The sweet, lovely, kind girl – a maiden of Nature, someone who loved and cared for one of the most delicate things in the world – had fallen for a Lord of the Dead. A surly, moody, creeper of a husband. But she saw his gentle side, she’d told me. She saw through all the things he said and did, and found what he was, found his essence. Found the side of him that loved music, took his job very seriously, and loved her. I was certain of that now.

Persephone herself may not have realized it, but earlier, as I was in the Glass Garden, and I had walked through the palace with Morgan, I had started to see signs of his love for her. He was the one who took care of the flowers in the garden – I knew it. I didn’t know how, and it wasn’t something that I could conclude from anything I’d seen, but I just knew, the same way that you know when someone you love dearly has died. Because if he loved Persephone, like I thought he did, he wouldn’t let another person touch the things that she loved. He would want to keep her to himself, and keep everything about her to himself. Everything that he could.

And during the palace tour – the original one with Iris, I had noticed that there had been a certain painting of flowers and fruits, and certain figure, off into the distance. I hadn’t really paid any special attention to it at the time, but when I had come back to the Throne Room with Morgan, he had stopped by the painting, and explained to me, quietly, about the significance behind the painting.

“This was a painting of Persephone. Nothing noticeable, but you see that figure in the background? With long hair and a white sundress? That’s Persephone. But her face is never depicted, because when Hades commissioned this, he didn’t want Persephone to know that he was having a painting of her made, since he had every intent of putting this in the Throne Room.”

When I asked why, he just gave me a shrug, but his eyes looked sad.

I had dropped the subject, and Morgan led me elsewhere.

I’d seen another painting of Persephone in the palace earlier this morning, when Morgan hadn’t been paying attention, but this one was a gift from a previous suitor – Apollo. It depicted her very accurately – her strawberry blonde locks flowing in light waves down her back, and curling to a rest at her shoulder, a little windswept. She was smiling widely, and her eyes seemed to be staring at something far, far away – away from the painter. One could only wonder whom she was smiling at. What, or who, had made her so happy?

I’d been surprised that Hades had allowed that painting to even be hung up in the palace since it had been a gift from a previous suitor, but when I really looked at the portrait, I could see why he kept it. It depicted Persephone in a very real, natural state, with an emotion that she never seemed to show around him.

Later, when Persephone broke down and told me what she truly felt about Hades, I slowly began to piece everything together. I realized that Hades had to love Persephone. He just wasn’t very good at showing his feelings, I realized, because he didn’t know how to. He wasn’t a very social creature in the first place, because he’d never really been given a chance to talk and socialize with the other gods and goddesses. And skeletons and ghosts could not have made very interesting company. And with someone who was energetic and beautiful like Persephone, it was no wonder that he was tongue-tied and unsure of what to say or how to express his feelings.

But I was sure he had things he wanted to say to her, and he wanted a normal, fulfilling relationship with her. I was absolutely sure. The problem was how to get him to take the first step, and for Persephone to realize how he felt about her.

I smirked at the irony of the situation. I was trying to play matchmaker to the people who had brought this upon me in the first place, when I couldn’t even figure out my love life. ‘It’s complicated’ was what I would tell others if they tried to ask. There was no other way to explain it – it was too confusing and all tangled up and it wasn’t something you could tell people anyway. Sure, you could tell your best friend who you liked, who you were crushing hard on and why, but it was harder to tell them straight out all the problems about the relationship and why it might not work.

A relationship, that at this point is pretty nonexistent, I reminded myself.

My legs started to get tired and I stopped by a tree and sat against it, tilting my head back and watching the changing sky through the green filters of the leaves. The sun had not yet set here, and I couldn’t accurately judge the time, not knowing whether this place was in it’s winter or summer season. It wasn’t cold or chilly here, so I couldn’t assume that it was winter. But it wasn’t humid, especially warm, or anything summer-y.

After a while, I let go of the complicated factors and judged the time to be around noon, give or take. It was so absolutely peaceful, and I closed my eyes for a while, and my whole body slumped, wanting to sleep for some reason. My legs felt leaden and my arms didn’t want to move anywhere, not even to make myself more comfortable. I yawned, and a gentle breeze swept over my face, lifting a few strands of hair, letting another whisper of wind pass through.

It’s so nice here, I couldn’t help but think as I relaxed against the bark of the tree. I wouldn’t mind staying here awhile.

In the warm play of light, the breeze, and the nice floral scent, passing the trial seemed less and less urgent to me. I just wanted to sleep and relax. Where else was I going to get this kind of peace? I yawned again and slumped even lower to the ground. Every extra movement I made now just made me lightheaded, so I stopped trying to move and just lay there. Eventually, I must have fallen asleep.

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Sorry guys, but this was a short chapter to begin with. ^^ And I've been busy the last two days, so I haven't had time to update. But I think I can update tomorrow, so you guys shouldn't have to wait for long. :3 But anyway, if you like it, I hope you'll comment, vote, or share it!

Also, this chapter is dedicated to @DiverseFiction, because I recently critiqued her work, and I found that I kind of liked it - it has lot of potential, if edited, and the plot if pretty original. So if any of you are 'high fantasy' readers, her story Santified Killing should be quite interesting to you.

(This dedication thing will become a daily thing, so if you want you or your story to be here, message me, and tell me why!)