Persephone & Hades

Chapter Eight

Persephone nodded in response. She took slow breaths to calm herself. There was no reason to keep worrying like she did. Hades was exactly the kind man he had portrayed himself to be since the day they met. Even if he was the King of the Underworld, Hades was a kind and loving man. There was no reason to worry about their wedding night. He had been patient with her and respected her wishes thus far. There was no reason to worry that he wouldn’t now. Even compared to other Gods, Hades was completely different. There was a gentleness to him, in fact, it was one of the first things that made her fall in love with him.

Persephone could smell the delicious foods before they reached the banquet hall. The pain of hunger in her stomach made her forget about consummating her marriage with her new husband. When they finally reached the hall, she saw two large, long tables filled with every type of food you could imagine. Her mouth watered as she gazed upon platters of perfectly cooked lamb, fish and even a whole pig roasted over a fire. It was hard to believe she would be living in such decadence from this point forth. They walked past the long tables and, to her dismay, the copious amounts of food to another table where everyone was to be seated. Hades led her to a chair to the left of the head of the table, where he sat after pushing her chair in. Zeus occupied the seat to her husband’s right with Hera beside him.

Since she had been so nervous before, Persephone hadn’t noticed how beautiful Hera was. She had hair so light it was almost silver. Hera’s features were soft and feminine. Her cheeks were rosy, and she had a small, slightly upturned nose. Persephone couldn’t help but stare. She had never seen such ethereal beauty in person before, simultaneously in awe as well as doubtful of her own beauty next to such a woman. Persephone was pulled from her thoughts when Hades placed his hand over hers. “You look lost in thought, my love,” he observed.

He stroked her hand with his thumb along with a small, sideways smile. Her heart jumped in her chest, solidifying even more in her mind that she truly loved him and had made the right decision to wed. Even though she had always assumed her mother would be in attendance when she finally married, Persephone understood why it wasn’t possible for Demeter to be there. “I was just thinking about my mother,” she said quietly.

She quickly raised her glass of wine to her lips, nearly spitting it back in when the strength of it hit her tastebuds. The wine had not been watered down, as she was accustomed to. Hera cleared her throat as she laid a cloth napkin in her lap. “Persephone, dear, it must have been quite different living in the mortal realm compared to Hade’s residence here in the Underworld. Are you adjusting well to your new home?” she inquired.

Persephone nodded politely before answering, “Yes, it’s quite different, but I’m sure it will be easy to adjust to.”

Their conversation was cut short by the sudden appearance of several nymphs entering the room. They followed one after the other in a single file line, to the large tables filled with the delectable cuisine. Each nymph picked up a platter, then proceeded to where they were seated with their guests. They were quick and precise, undoubtedly from years of service to Hades. Persephone couldn’t help but wonder if it was one of them who her husband had been romantic with, prior to their relationship. She hoped for both their sakes Hades had enough sense not to embarrass them both like that by continuing to let her remain in their home, no matter her duties. She nodded or shook her head to those serving her, until she was satisfied with the food on her plate.

Persephone quietly chewed her food as she listened to the conversations around her. Bits and pieces of other people’s lives revealing themselves to her. The brothers', Zeus and Hades, awkward small talk made her wonder about the kind of relationship he had with his brother. The flower nymphs Persephone grew up with were family to her. Perhaps the closeness she shared with them wasn’t common among the Gods. She tried to make mental notes of all the things to ask Hades once their guests were gone and they were finally able to talk privately.

The woman to Persephone’s left leaned in closer to her, speaking in a hushed tone, “It’s always such a bore when men lead the conversation. They always have the same perspective, so close-minded.”

“It’s possible I could begin to feel that way over time, but for now, I find it interesting,” Persephone told her. “There is much to learn about my new home and position.”

The woman was beautiful in a masculine way. Looking at her face, her squared jaw and soft cheekbones gave her a more subtle beauty than one would expect from a Goddess. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun. “I’m Athena, by the way,” the woman introduced herself, extending her right hand.

Persephone awkwardly took the Goddess’s hand in hers. Athena’s grip was much stronger than she was expecting. She shouldn’t have been surprised, the Goddess of War and Wisdom’s bicep was twice as big as her own and looked to be pure muscle. “It’s lovely to meet you,” Persephone said beaming. “My mother always speaks so highly of you.”

“She does? Oh, I don’t think she will after yesterday,” Athena quickly took a drink from her glass in an attempt to garble her words.

Persephone raised her brow. “What do you mean?” she inquired.

She hadn’t noticed the tables around them get quiet. Everyone’s attention was on them and Athena’s next words. “That nasty little debacle in Mount Olympus at the palace,” Athena answered. “Neither of them told you she was fighting Hades’ petition to marry you? It’s been going on for at least seven years.”