Persephone & Hades

Chapter Two

As quickly as he had arrived, he disappeared. It was as though he had never been there. Sometimes, Persephone wondered if he was real or just a figment of her imagination. Something he made up to satiate the loneliness in her days secluded away from the other Gods of Mount Olympus. “Persephone! There you are! Didn’t you hear us calling for you?” Kissos asked in a huff.

Kissos was the more maternal one of her nymph friends. Her over-protective nature towards Persephone rivaled that of her mother. A laugh escaped Persephone’s lips at how worked up the nymph was. “I was painting the flowers of this Poplar. It’s different from the one’s I’ve seen. Look at the strange leaves,” Persephone said gesturing towards the tree her and her love had just been holding her under.

The other two nymphs eyed Persephone suspiciously, perhaps they knew she was hiding something. Ianthe’s eyes met Rhodeia’s with raised brows. They were biological sisters and always knew what the other was thinking, as if they had some type of telepathic power to communicate with one another. “Come sisters, let’s get back before Mother Demeter notices we’ve been gone too long,” Ianthe urged the women.

There was no arguing with Ianthe, she was right. Demeter would be upset if they set the harvest behind. The mortals relied on them to survive, if they did not fulfill their duties the mortals could go hungry which would incur the wrath of other Gods. The Gods relied on the offerings from the mortals. If the mortals no longer worshipped the Gods they would starve and become weaker and weaker until they eventually died, including her mother. As much as the mortals needed the Gods, they needed the mortals just as much, without one the other would perish.

The group walked back to the home Persephone shared with her mother. All the while the nymphs giggled, skipped and twirled. Their joy managed to pull Persephone from the melancholic state she was in after leaving her nameless lover. She wanted to feel his hand softly against her cheek, to feel his lips against hers again. The flowers along the path they walked changed from white to pink, yellow, and orange hues to match the setting sun in the sky.

Even with her companions by her side there was an emptiness now that he was gone. In his absence, she was filled with doubt. Did he in fact love her or was it all a ruse, like her mother’s stories of Zeus? He had tricked plenty of women into bed with him, even after he was married to Hera. It wouldn’t be too far fetched for any one of the Gods to fool her just to bed her. She shook her negative thoughts away. He would never do that. He came off intimidating and detached when she first met him, but over the three years he had been visiting her, he became a different person. There was a tenderness to him now that wasn’t there at first. His cold, unfeeling demeanor became warm and affectionate.

Persephone was brought back to her reality when she heard her mother’s voice. “Where have you been? You all should have been back over an hour ago!” Demeter scolded her daughter and the flower nymphs. “Do you have any idea how dangerous it can be at night? There are all sorts of creatures that could hurt you out there.”

She knew she needed to diffuse the situation with her mother before she got too upset and caused a drought. “I’m sorry, Mom. We just fell asleep when we took our afternoon break. We will make up the work and get back on time tomorrow,” Persephone rushed out.

Demeter extended her arms to her daughter, pulling her in for a tight embrace. She could feel the love in her mother’s hug, like an aura of warmth surrounding her. It made her feel safe and reminded her how loved she was whether her nameless man truly returned her feelings or not. No matter what Persephone would be Demeter’s daughter and nothing would ever change that. “It’s alright, come inside, darling. Dinner is almost ready. Go get yourselves washed up and changed, all of you,” her mother ordered them.

After they had cleaned themselves up, they helped each other dress in white belted chitons, with two matching bowed golden broches. Persephone’s were adorned in cylindrical golden beads, two lilies on either side of the pin, and a small mossy colored gem at the center. She preferred to dress simply, not usually one for vanity, especially among those she regarded as family. Preferring simplicity didn’t always mean she was the quickest to dress, in fact it usually took longer because of her delicate frame. It took a bit more time to get the fabric to an appropriate length or she would trip over the front part of the skirt or the fabric would slip and expose her. A leather belt helped and an extra hidden pin on the inside helped to keep her chest covered and keep everything in place.

Persephone crossed the courtyard to the large dining room. The long, rustic cherry wood table was filled with various cheeses, loaves of bread, fish dishes, plenty of olives, pitchers of wine and water, figs and, of course, honey. Her mouth watered at the sight, she only had a couple bites of bread and cheese with her sisters before they fell asleep in the meadow.

Her mind drifted back to Him, like it always did. Any situation or moment could make her think of Him. Her heart felt like it had wings fluttering in her chest. They had never shared a meal together, the time they had together was always limited and random. At times he would come every fortnight, others would be as many and three moons before she could see his face again. The family conversed about the events of their day and the duties for the next day while they ate, drank and celebrated a successful day together.

Once their stomachs were full and the meal was cleared away, the women gathered in the courtyard to listen to music and relax by the fire before retiring to their rooms for the rest of the night. She kissed each of her three nymph sisters on the cheek wishing them all a peaceful night with pleasant dreams.

Now that she was alone, Persephone clutched one of her pillows to herself. If only it was Him she was holding, instead of this old worn-out pillow. Why couldn’t she have a normal love story like everyone else she knew? Many of the nymphs that worked with Demeter helping the crops grow for the mortals were married to either mortal men or Gods. There was the occasional act of wrath over unrequited love when the object of their affection fell in love with someone else. That still seemed more romantic than not even being able to know who the man she loved even was. She didn’t care who he was, he could have been Cronus and she still would have loved him. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen. His hair was like smooth dark chocolate and his skin was as flawless and pale as alabaster. Persephone could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. She wished he could steal her away and take her somewhere far from here, where it would only be the two of them. Her breaths came slower, and her body relaxed as she drifted off to sleep, fantasizing about her future with the man she loved.