Hades and Persephone

Apologies

*Persephone*

I let Hades get back to his work after he told me the truth. 

What is fair at all for Hades? What has ever gone his way? All that he's ever had is....me. Oh, Lord, and I have been selfishly worried about me and how his opinion on children would hurt me, without even thinking about what he would feel. 

He's denied everything every other God is handed without thought. He has to fight for every little piece of happiness he's allowed to have. 

I grit my teeth angrily. I've had just about enough. He fought to have me, so I'll make myself worth having. 

"Isabelle! Jasmine!" I yell at the top of my lungs as I approach the throne room. Hades was in his study and unlikely to hear me, thankfully. The two girls rush to my side, quite literally dropping the dresses they were sewing. 

"We didn't want to mislead you, our Queen." They apologize immediately, tears flowing from their tear ducts. "Please, we will make it up to you. We've been making these as a token for our admiration and appreciation for you. For what you have done for our King and for the light you have brought to us all." Isabelle clutches her hands to her heart, as Jasmine weeps passionately. 

I frown in response at the dramatic display of sorrow. "Is this how Hades forces you to apologize to him? It's humiliating. Stop it this instant. Stand by what you said. There was a reason you said it, wasn't there?" I continue sternly. 

The girls get themselves together quickly, Jasmine blushing furiously. "Sorry, your highness." They both simply bow. 

"Now, that's a humble, not embarrassing apology. You don't need to embarrass me as much as you're embarrassing yourselves." I roll my eyes and seat myself in my own throne for the first time. It felt fitting. "Not tell me the reason why you mislead me." 

"We didn't want you to get hurt and..." Jasmine trails off. 

"And what??" I straighten my back and face them sternly. 

"And Hades was hurt." Jasmine admits sadly. "He was beating himself up about it ever since it became a topic. I'm assuming you brought it up and he didn't know how to tell you. I thought that if you thought it shouldn't ever be brought up, he would not be so stuck on worrying about it." 

I slightly soften at Jasmine's logic, but can't bring myself to dismiss her entirely. "The two of you don't have a right to intervene." I start with that, trying to decide how to proceed. I was barely used to this Queen role, after all. 

"It will not occur again, we can assure you that." They spout desperately. "We ask your forgiveness humbly. Please, our Queen." 

I remain quietly thoughtful. "Hmmm...you can do better than that." 

The two girls are instantly stunned. Frightfully so. "W-what?" 

"You two can help me fix this." 

*Hades*

I sat in my judgment chamber with a particularly deep frown as I judged the daily souls. The poor things even seemed more frightened to meet my acquaintance than usual. A gloomy, upset Hades? Even better than the usual Hades! 

Sure, sure. The usual Hades was a bit more cheerful than I had been for centuries, but now the usual frown is coming back. I'll never find a way to make her happy now. Perhaps, she will even grow tired of our childless marriage, and eventually I'll marriage will become one-sided and loveless, and she will leave me for Apollo or some other imbecile above. 

Doesn't matter, because literally any other God could give her what I can't. 

"Please, my Lord, are you sure I must go to Tartarus? Can you not take pity on me?" 

I could barely listen to this lowly, despicable thief. I wave him off and dismiss him. "Yes, I'm sure. I'm Hades." I respond without emotion. 

He screams as he's taken away. The line moves forward slowly, never seeming to end. What in the world is going on today that have caused so many deaths. "Oh, come on, what war went on today?" I ask the next shaking soul. 

"I am not a soldier, my Lord. We died at sea, my Lord. The worst...and last storm I will ever see." The soul answers. He's honest at least. Nothing special. I can already tell. 

"Oh, I see. My brother thinks he has something to throw a hissy fit about now? He think he has something to complain about?" I scoff, leaning back in my throne. "No one second guesses it when he throws his tantrums."

The seaman waits anxiously for me to give my ruling. I sigh loudly. "Asphodel Meadows for you." I gesture for the next soul impatiently as time slowly continued to pass. For hours upon hours the line of dead eyed souls march forward and the tedious job goes on...until Persephone suddenly makes an appearance.

She saunters over to me confidently. I perk up immediately to greet her. "Sweetness, I wasn't expecting you-"

"I thought you might need some company." She answers as she sits beside me, in her own throne of the judgement room.

I have been too busy for her. I should be there for her more...

"Persephone." The mortal gasps, taking in my flowers beauty. "You are the goddess of Spring?"

Persephone nods stiffly, clearly not used to conversing with mortals.

The mortal throws himself down on his knees. "Hades truly has stolen you as his bride." The mortal wails in grief. Grief for Persephone. I growl. I am aware of how the mortals view my new marriage, but I don't care to see it up front, and center right in my midst.

"Asphodel Meadows," I proclaim quickly to get him out of my sight. I turn to the Queen, who is already looking at me. "Excuse them. Demeters side of the story is the only one that spreads among the mortals." I inform her tiredly.

"Then they'll never be fortunate enough to know the truth." She sighs, before surprising us all by standing and addressing all the mortals left in line to judge. A line that will move must faster now that my flower is here to help.

"Yes, I am Persephone, daughter of Demeter and Zeus, and goddess of Spring...and I am also the kidnapped bride of the God who will be judging you today. I do not wish to be pitied for the circumstances of my marriage." She turns to me to finish her speech. "Because I love him."