***
Hades had promised her that she would be able to find beauty in the darkness that was the Underworld and if Kore was being honest with herself, she didn't believe him at first. How could a place where the rays of the sun did not reach, could find anything remotely beautiful was beyond the mind of the young goddess. But she was limited to what she saw as beauty as she had only grown up with the tales of what beauty was defined by her mother and the other goddesses. Light, color, and softness were praised, whereas the dark was always something to be feared or avoided altogether.
His tone was confident as he reassured her that she would be able to find something beautiful in the Underworld even if it wasn't in the most traditional sense that she initially thought of. The screams and cries of the trapped souls that resided under his reign caused shivers to run down her spine as she walked alongside him. Her hands gripped his arms tighter as she looked around, wondering how one could remain so calm with the torturous sounds in the background.
"Do the painful cries of others bring you joy?" She questioned him, peering up at the God. He paused for a second, coming to a stop before glancing down at her.
"If it were the painful cries of the innocent, I would weep beside them, but the cries you hear down here, do not belong to the good," he informed her. "Monsters do not exist solely in the form of beasts, but they can appear in man as well. Those who commit horrible acts and crimes are brought down here where they cannot hurt anyone any longer. But for the rest of eternity, they will suffer the pain that they have inflicted on others. Do not pity those who scream down here, they do not deserve it."
Suddenly, the howls and the yells didn't bring about the same eerie feeling to Kore, they had just become the sounds of the well-deserved punishments for those that acted against the peace of the world.
"Did you always wish to be down here?" Kore asked him another question. "Or did you seek the position of Zeus or Poseidon?"
Kore was asking all the daring questions without knowing what Hades' reaction would be, he was the one reigning over the Underworld, one would have to assume there would be some darkness to him. Perhaps he favored the darkness above Zeus and Poseidon, but that didn't seem to be the case as he shook his head.
"Fate had it that I would preside over the Underworld," Hades said, "I did not wish to be down here at first. It seemed highly unfair to be deprived of the light or the beauty of the waters..."
"What has changed your mind?"
"Come, I will show you," he told her, taking her hand and leading her forward. They arrived at the edge of the waters that moved with strength carving the path between the Underworld and the Earth. The River Styx where many had sworn their oaths upon it had a power all of its own and there were many that did not dare to come close to the waters.
There was one, however, who made his living crossing the River Styx with the use of his boat.
"Charon!" Hades called out to the boat in the distance, bringing the man to turn around. Kore sunk back, hiding slightly behind Hades for a moment as she peeked out. The man took on the appearance of a ragged fisherman with the unkempt hair that swirled about like dark smoke. He was dressed in robes of a deep red, an oar in one hand that seemed stained with blood.
"Do not be alarmed," Hades said to her softly. "He will not bring you any harm, the blood that has stained his oar are from those that do not wish to accept their fate as he carries them over with his boat. There are much willing to fight believing they deserve to travel to Elysian Fields or refuse to believe that they are dead."
"Oh," she managed to utter out in response before looking to the waters again where Charon was waving at them in a friendly manner. However, his skiff was moving in the opposite direction, meaning he had people to collect.
"You have nothing to fear during your time here." She watched Hades turned to her, taking her hands into his and intertwining his fingers with hers gently. Kore only glanced down briefly at their hands before meeting his gaze once more as he continued to speak. "No one will hurt you, they will only have the utmost respect for you. You will have a voice, your word would become law, and you would be a queen. The Queen."
"But I sacrifice not being with my mother..." She pointed out, leaving it quiet for a moment as she thought to herself.
"Is it really considered a sacrifice?" Hades asked her. "Or freedom?"
Kore still seemed unsure of everything until Hades began leading her away from the River Styx and to a small area where it appeared to be barren soil. Looking up, there was no sunlight to provide the flourishing colors of the plant life she enjoyed.
"I can provide you riches..."Hades said bringing her to lower herself down to the ground at his sound. "The riches of the soil you crave."
Kore held her breath as he guided her hand to rest on the soil before pressing it into the ground. When she removed her hand, a beautiful flower sprouted in its place, the rich colors of orange and yellow petals appeared much brighter to her for some reason.
"When you walk on Earth, you are surrounded by the colors constantly, I gather it can be overwhelming at some points, and while you may appreciate them there, you will come to appreciate them more down here. There is not much color to this world but when there is, it stands out more than anything."
***
Kore was finding it incredibly hard to concentrate on anything going on in the flower shop that morning as her mind continued to wander in anticipation with her talk with Hades later on. She couldn't back out of it or it would either leave him upset or just even more persistent in his attempts. She had to get it over with sooner rather than later. But she couldn't help but wonder what was he going to say to her. Would it start off with him just apologizing and begging her to come home with him? Would he be angry with her that she had apparently left him in the first place and had no intentions of returning?
Mark had picked up on her nerves and her distracted mind as he continued to ask her if she was alright. She continued to inform him that she was fine, but she figured it would play to her advantage when she decided to play sick in order to close up the shop early and go home for the day to "rest." He seemed disappointed to leave work early but she promised him his full paycheck. But he wasn't upset about the money, Kore knew that. He just enjoyed doing his work and she was depriving him f that. She assumed that her customers were probably confused by the sporadic hours the last few days as well, but no one said anything to her.
After offering Mark a ride home, the boy declined, leaving her with only one place to go and that was to her home, where a God was supposed to be waiting in her kitchen. She just hoped as she arrived in her driveway that there was no sign of pomegranate seeds or mystery flowers waiting for her. The situation was weird enough, she didn't need him going and making it creepier. There was a pause and slight hesitation on her behalf as she stood on the front steps of her home.
There was no sound that came from inside leaving her to wonder if he was actually there. She couldn't deny the fear that was pumping through her body, wondering if she would be ambushed as soon as she walked in. She really didn't have anything to defend herself with as she wasn't sure if pepper spray would be effective on a god. Kicking him had seemed to work so that was the next best plan if shit hit the fan, to just start kicking and not stopping.
Satisfied with her plan to evacuate during a possible emergency, Kore opened the front door of her home and slowly made her way inside. No one greeted her in the hallway and no one appeared in the living room, ready to pounce on her. The thought that she had run him away with her harsh demeanor earlier certainly crossed her mind and she was praying for that. Although her answers went unanswered as she entered the kitchen and found Hades sitting in a chair with a patient expression.
As soon as she walked in, he quickly rose to his feet, looking eager and anxious to say something, but it looked as though he was waiting for her to say something first. What was there to say on her behalf, she didn't know the man standing before her?
"Persephone," he began, using the name that she asked not to be called. Yet, he said it in such a tone that she couldn't find herself being angry with him. It was also the name that he had known her by for so long. It was the name of his wife and he still believed that she was his wife, even if she didn't remember him.
"I want to start off by apologizing to you for not listening to your requests, I should have respected your wishes to meet here and not in your office. I hope you can at least forgive me for that."
"It's fine," Kore told him."I just didn't want you to scare Mark or any of the customers of the shop. I don't think they would be able to handle the idea of the God of the Underworld being right there, that's a bit unsettling."
He took a few steps toward her and in response, she took a few steps back. However, Kore was foolish in not looking at her surroundings as she only managed to back herself against the kitchen counter, leaving her really nowhere to move. He didn't take the hint with her actions and continued to move closer to her.
"You do not seem rattled by my appearance, though, is it safe to say that you are not upset with my presence?" He stopped just a couple of inches from her, towering over her despite the fact that she stood tall and straight.
"Why are you here?" She whispered."Why now?"
"You ran away from me, you ran away from your home before I could apologize for my behavior, I was only left to wallow in guilt for ever raising my voice with you. I did not mean to utter out all the horrible things I said. It was only out of anger that I dared to say such things, but I can assure you, I did not mean them in the slightest and I understand why you felt the need to leave. But I did not think it would be for so long, Persephone."
His hands reached out and held the sides of her face as he stared at her.
"I-I-I don't even know why I left in the first place," she told him. "I don't remember what you said, I don't remember you!"
"Nothing?" He asked her. "You remember nothing of me?"
She shook her head. "I didn't even know you existed until you popped out of my backyard."
"But...but you are my wife," his tone was wounded, his face pained, and his eyes full of hurt.
"I'm sorry? Maybe you could tell me something that might jog my memory and help me remember what happened. You can-"
Unable to finish her sentence, Kore found herself locked in a passionate kiss with Hades, as he didn't think talking would be the thing to bring about her memories. He was going straight for it with no regrets in sight.