Hades and Persephone

Summers Ending

*Persephone* 

The summer passes so tediously.

Hades tries to make it as bearable as possible. I write to him at least once a week and he always replies despite not having as nearly much to say as I do. Along with his letter, he demands Hermes also bring a large array of black roses for me. Roses such as these do not grow above ground and they fondly remind me of him. Mother despises them, but I always keep them on my bedside table until a fresh dozen arrives to replace them.

I would like to think I walk on a cloud as the summer comes to an end, but I have never been more nervous. Being a careless girl who only aids her mother now and again with her job is a piece of cake in comparison to being the Queen of the Underworld. When I look in the mirror I have begun to simply see a clueless girl once again, not a Queen. The last thing I see is a Queen. 

I jokingly wrote to Hades once that I worried I might develop a split personality if I wasn't careful. A part-time dominant Queen, and a naive sunflower who prances in the meadows the other half of my life. He didn't seem to appreciate my joke, and now it has begun to weigh on my mind as well...no longer in a joking way. I did revert back to my own shy, timid self, quite easily. I am even wearing white again without even thinking about it. I had no such urge near the end of my time in the Underworld. 

I'm being foolish worrying about this anyway. 

A week before the day I was to return, I received a message from Hades. It was a simple note: 

Meet me at the pond at high noon. It's important, or else I wouldn't come during the day.

Yours, Hades. 

It was nearly that time already and it didn't leave me much time to distract Demeter. Racing out of my room, I searched the entire cottage for her presence and found none. She didn't have any work to do, but she may be off visiting with one of her friends. 

I head off to the pond early and wait where I usually do. We met now and again, once every few weeks so that we do not raise suspicion. I had assumed that we wouldn't meet again until the day he would be taking me down with him, but I guess I was mistaken.

"Persephone." His voice comes from behind me. I stand joyfully, only to be greeted with his neutral expression.

"What is wrong?" I stutter worriedly. I didn't know if it would be appropriate to throw myself into his arms at a moment like this, but I so wanted to. 

"Nothing too serious, sweetness, but your mother's pissed me off one too many times." He lightly smirks. He looks behind me to the other side of the pond. "Ah, right on time." 

I look behind me to see Demeter glaring at me from across the pond. "What's going on?" 

"The bitc-" Hades stops himself. "She's been reading all our notes and knows we've been meeting. She's threatening to keep you longer than agreed upon as she believes we've been violating her time with you. Absolutely ridiculous, but if she wants to be like that, I'll be worse." 

"Persephone, come over here this instant!" Mother cries from across the pond. She points to her side angrily. 

I shake my head violently at her. Just being around Hades makes me feel braver and more resistant. "Not happening, mother! You invaded my privacy. Read things that were only to be shared between husband and wife!" There were numerous dirty things included in those letters a girl would be mortified to have her mother read, and mortified I am!

Hades smiles at my mother threateningly. "See you in six months, dear." Demeter screeches as she rushes over to our side. Hades grabs me by my waist and I know his intentions immediately. I smile at my mother as well as he takes me beneath the ground, straight to the Underworld the quickest route possible. The same way he had kidnapped me in the first place. 

*Hades*  

The journey is quick, and I still have Demeter's whiney voice ringing in my ears when we arrive home. Persephone giggles the moment I let her go, hugging me tightly. 
"Oh, Lord, that was satisfying." She kisses me hard without hesitation, and I growl and hold her close. I pick her up and carry her to my throne, her all over me the entire time. Thank goodness no one is here or else it would be quite the sight. 

"How did you find out she was reading them?" She asks between kisses. 

"Our last visit I had the sense someone was following us. I thought I might have been paranoid, but I knew better than to pass it off. After you went home I called for Hermes. It didn't take much threatening before he admitted he had been giving them to Demeter to read before delivering them to you and letting her read over your notes and making adjustments to them before delivering them to me." I told her. She frowns in distress. "But I had said so many nasty things you would have loved in those letters." 

I can only chuckle. "Luckily, we have a week and six months for you to show me in person." 

I take her to bed happily then but know in the back of my head that I will have Zeus on my back shortly, likely first thing in the morning. You can always count on Demeter to complain and protest and demand punishment for me. That's a laugh. Despite Zeus's power, it is practically an impossible thing to punish me. The agreement has been made, and I'd sooner kill him than let him take Persephone away. 

I don't care about any consequences anymore.