Persephone

Persephone

Chapter 3

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    Five months had passed without any word of Persephone. Demeter, in her broken hearted state, neglected fertilising the crops, the land of the mortals lay barren since her daughters disappearance.

    She sat alone in her room, as she so often did now, awaiting news of Persephone, when a knock came at the door.

“Come in”, she called. The door opened slowly and in walked her sister Hestia. Demeter, surprised at her sisters visit, ran over and wrapped her arms around her. Hestia rarely left her place at the hearth of Mount Olympus, for she was the Goddess of the Hearth and it was unlikely to go on burning for very long without her supervision.

“My sister! It has been so long. What brings you here?” Demeter asked her.

“You do, dear one. Has there been any news of Persephone?” Hestia asked concerned. Demeter let out a sigh. “Nothing as yet. It would appear that she had vanished”.

“Sister, your daughter is an immortal Goddess, she cannot simply vanish. Someone knows where she is. One person sees all” Hestia told her. Demeter looked at her sister puzzled for a moment, then her suggestion made sense. One person does see all, Helios. The God of the Sun sees all from his place in the sky. For the first time since Persephone had gone, Demeter felt a spur of hope. She pulled her sister tight to her body and cried with joy. “You are right Hestia. I do not know why I never thought of him before now. I shall send Hermes to him right away. Oh thank you so much Hestia”.

    At the gate of Mount Olympus, Demeter stood restless, waiting for Hermes to return. She saw him emerge for the clouds below and come up to meet her, he was smiling and she had to hold back from running from the gates. “News Hermes?”, she asked excitedly.

“Indeed my lady, Helios did in fact see Persephone”, Demeter’s excitement was clear on her face, and Hermes cautioned, “however it is not all good news. He told that Hades came from his Underworld and took Persephone back with him”.

“Oh Zeus, help her” she cried out.

    “Zeus, the people are dying down there, starving to death. Demeter must fertilize the crops. The land lies barren, this cannot continue”, Hera said to Zeus.

“I hear their prayers, Hera. Demeter will not fertilise the land until Persephone is returned to her”. Zeus rubbed his head, “call a meeting of the Gods, make sure Hades and Demeter attend”.

    The Gods and Goddess’s sat each in their chairs in the circle of the council hall, awaiting the arrival of Hades. Demeter was positioned between Zeus and Hestia. The doors opened and in strode Hades dressed head to toe in black. “Brother”, Hades greeted Zeus.

“Hades”, he acknowledged.

“What is the subject of the gathering today?”

“You must return Persephone to her mother at once”. Zeus ordered.

“All of this is for Persephone? I never knew she was so important to you all” Hades mused.

“Demeter is so overcome with grief, she does not fertilise the harvest. You must return her daughter to her” said Hera. Hades turned to Demeter, who had remained rigid and silent.

“Do not grieve your daughter, good Goddess, I take care of her. She shall want for nothing for she will have everything. No one could protect your daughter better than I”.

“Please have mercy Hades, she is a child, my child. Take another for your wife, I beg you” Demeter asked.

“She will be my queen, with or without your blessing”. Demeter broke down in tears, and Poseidon appealed on his behalf. “Zeus, you will allow him to disobey you? Poor Demeter is not strong enough to nourish the land without her daughter by her side”.

“Yes Poseidon, Hades you are to bring her home. Immediately”, Zeus ordered. Looking back to Demeter, Hades simply said “if she desires to leave I will not stop her”. With that he left the room, leaving the doors to bang like thunder to bang behind him.

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