When Spring Met Shadows

4. Married to the Bride of Spring

She awoke in darkness, unaware of the time and exactly where she was. When the door to her chambers opened, a dark nymph appeared. She stood about five feet tall and held a deep blue dress.
"Where is Hades?" She asked but the nymph stayed silent. Her skin was almost black but her eyes shone a bright blue and not once did she blink, nor did she open her mouth. The way she approach the bed made it look like she floated and she laid the dress down, motioning for Persephone to stand. She did and the nymph began undressing her. Her tattered white dress fell to the floor as the silent girl held the new gown above her head, sliding it down her body. When dressed the nymph began walking, and curiously, Persephone followed. She was led to a balcony over looking the Underworld. There sat two thrones and a King holding a hand out to his bride. She unconsciously smiled and took his hand. He pulled her towards him.
"This is your throne. I want you to stay forever by my side." He stood her in front of her dark opal throne and presented a ring of garnet to place on her finger. She was hesitant at first, thinking of her mother who must be worried of her disappearance, but took the ring and throne and clung to the hand of her now husband. The Court of the Dead came forward with a crown in the shape of horns. It was black like her husbands and sat on her head like her flower crowns had. With it, she became Queen of the Underworld, wife to Death himself, and the girl that Hades had longed for, for aeons.

The dead cheered for their new Queen and Hades lovingly studied his bride of Spring. She smiled and felt her heart begin to race when she noticed his gaze. When she turned to him, her face flushed a warm pink color and Hades admired the color he had never seen. He placed a hand on her cheek and took pleasure in her responsive reactions.
"Are you happy?" He asked. Persephone looked him in the eyes.
"Very." She said taking his cold hand and kissing his palm. Although he was dead and his body like ice, his heart thawed and he, for once, felt heat flow through his body. In that moment, each of their minds swam in the river of forgetting and only saw the other. Hades, forgot who he was, and Persephone, paid no mind to her mother and the changes she was about to bring to the world.

On Earth, the bountiful fields turned a deep orange and the birds no longer chirped. Demeter had left her domain to fall to ruin, for she was too mournful over her daughters disappearance. Zeus had tried everything to soothe his wife's pain, but without Persephone, see let the world crumble bellow. The once colorful land was now a mix of gray and brown. Aphrodite traveled to Earth to search for her baby sister. She was met by Lily who ran to her in a panic with Persephone's flower basket in hand.
"The Lord of Darkness has take her away." She said. Aphrodite stared at the basket, feeling guilty at what she had done. She told her mother and father immediately. Zeus called for Hermes to travel to the Underworld to request an audience with the King and his newfound wife.

Down below the two lovers resided to their room. Hades stood by the dying fire as he undressed. Persephone, who was already bare, laid within the many furs upon the bed. Her heart raced and she felt her hand begin to sweat. When his cloak hit the floor he waltzed over to her side and hovered over her. He noticed her uneasiness and took her hand and placed it on his heart.
"I may be dead but you have brought my heart out of its cage." She smiled when she felt his heart beating as fast as hers, and wrapped her arms around his neck.  His eyes traveled to her soft pink lips and he began to lean in closer. She slowly closed her eyes as he kissed her virgin lips. She felt fire grow within her were she had not felt it before and her mind fluttered into nothingness. Neither one had a moment to breath as the night went on. Persephone had felt new pleasure and love like never before and this life she had been given is something she never wanted to lose.