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florafey · 5 years

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Malogranatum - Part 2

Chasing Freedom

Three hours passed since Hades and Persephone exchanged first glances and the party was not slowing down. If anything, it had just reached full swing. Sometime recently Zeus had thrown open the doors of the ballroom and encouraged his guests onto the sprawling grounds underneath a dark, star-speckled sky. The weather was fair enough, tainted only by a breeze that made the goddess squeal and wish they had worn less sheer dresses. Nike had swept Persephone from her perch on the base of the statue and, with Athena and Aphrodite in tow, had given Persephone her first glance of the grounds of Mount Olympus. Of course she had seen them before as a child, but never like this. Never as a guest, never from Zeus and Hera’s home.

It was breathtaking. The vast lawn spread out like a goddess’s fan, bejewelled with flowers and elegantly carved statues. A low stone wall marked the edge, and the mountains in the distance were visible beyond it, giving the impression that you were about to topple off the edge of the world. Some brave deities were seated on the wall, swinging their feet and enjoying the view.

Others were lounging on the low furniture set into the stone pathways but most others were being more liberal and rolling on the grass, chasing and tackling each other with such energy that Persephone immediately identified them as the younger gods and goddesses. And wanted to join in. She delighted in a good chase; she had had tons of practice running from Hermes, her nymphs, her mother, and was a quick little thing when she wanted to be.

Nike slipped away to steal more wine from Dionysus, who was currently prancing around a raging bonfire on the far side of the lawn. Her spot was soon filled with a soaking wet Hermes and it was only then that Persephone noticed the long, rippling pool of water set into the grass to her left. Athena squealed when Hermes lunged for her and caught her in his arms, sending water droplets cascading onto her silk dress and impeccable hair.

“Hermes!” She cried disdainfully. “Persephone, make him stop!” Persephone made a half-hearted scolding noise and managed to yank Hermes off Athena before he could make her truly grumpy.

“If I wanted to get wet, I would have stayed with Helios,” Athena sniffed, flicking her damp hair over her shoulder. Hermes made an odd choking noise in the back of his throat.

“Oh, don’t be dull, Athena, we should go swimming.” Aphrodite stood on her toes to better see the pool and who was around it. “Is that- oh there’s Ares! I haven’t seen him in hours!” She nudged around Hermes and set off towards the god that was never without his entourage of giggling, blushing goddesses. Halfway to the edge of the pool, she turned over her shoulder and shouted, “Come on, Honey!”

Persephone smirked at the nickname bestowed upon her by some of the older goddess. “I’ll protect you if you wish to stay dry,” she nudged Athena playfully and pulled her along as she followed Aphrodite’s path to the water. But Athena quickly found that it was no fun staying on the grass when most everybody else was wading and swimming and she soon joined in. The gods stripped to their pants to swim while some of the goddesses wriggled out of their dresses and some decided they didn’t mind if their clothes got wet. Nike and Aphrodite were more than happy to remove their dresses and as comfortable as Persephone was with herself, she doubted the night would end pleasantly if Demeter happened to see her treasured daughter swimming in a pool of half-naked men and women while clad only in her silk underthings. She doubted the night would end well as it was; she had stayed for far longer than Demeter had intended and she may have been purposefully avoiding her mother for the last three- or four- hours.

So Persephone’s dress stayed on. She waded up to her knees, knowing she would get scolded for the wet silk, and didn’t shy away from splashing the others when they showed interest in playing, knowing she would get scolded for her wet hair. But if she was already in trouble, why wouldn’t she get into a little more trouble and make a good night even better?

Eris appeared with food and it was only for her provisions that the deities ceased their splashing and jumping and screaming.

“Like a pack of children, all of you,” Eris dropped a wink at Persephone and offered her a leg of lamb. The meat was tender and sweet and quelled Persephone’s hunger until a tipsy Apollo grabbed her around the waist to keep her still while he lent down and nearly finished it all off with three bites. Eris tilted her head back and cried with laughter at Persephone’s shocked face.

“Children and brutes, perhaps,” she corrected, wiping the tears from her eyes and handing Persephone another piece of meat. The young goddess gladly bit into the lamb and quirked her lips up. “This is why I much prefer the company of pretty women than curly-haired men,” she mused to Eris, knowing Apollo could overhear perfectly well. His own curls were damp and chestnut brown from the water. She squealed when Apollo shoved her, nearly causing her to topple over. Eris snatched the food from Persephone’s hand as the goddess launched herself at Apollo in retaliation. The god boomed with laughter as the small goddess collided with his chest and stuck, her arms and legs wrapping around his torso like a baby monkey to his mother.

She had intended to knock him under the water, her dress be damned, but the force of her body had not done the job. Persephone huffed with annoyance and slapped away the arms that rose to keep her around his waist. Instead she dropped down to her feet and leveled Apollo with narrowed eyes. “You’re quite rude, Apollo.”

“Of course.” The snarky god sketched a bow.

“And insufferable, too.”

That earned her a smirk. “I suppose I would only prove your point if I asked you to take your dress off and join me for a swim.”

Before Persephone could respond, an apple hit Apollo in the head and landed with a splash in the water. Nike, from behind the pair, yelled, “Yes!” in response to Apollo’s question. Persephone giggled and snatched the apple to toss it back to her friend with a quiet wink.

The pointless games continued. Laughter broke out constantly as friends and strangers splashed and tickled and pulled each under the cool, clear water. Competitions were quickly started, especially among the gods eager to show off in front of the goddesses. It was eventually agreed that Ares was the most proficient swimmer out of them all, along with the fact that none of them were to challenge Poseidon. The High God, while older than most, still showed his youthful side now and then at Zeus’ parties. Poseidon was known to take part in competitions- but only the ones involving his own domain.

But the party-goers eventually tired of the games and of the water. Persephone had hauled herself up to sit on the rim of the pool with her feet tapping the surface of the water, her silk dress pulled up to her knees and spread behind her with the hopes of it drying before Demeter was any wiser. Beside her sat Dionysus, whom had been disallowed into the water to his state of inebriation.

“Let’s play a different game!” Artemis called. She had recently come from inside where most of the older deities had remained. The grand doors were still thrown open and the warm light from the ballroom cascaded onto the green lawn. During the rare moments when the deities outside were quiet enough, the rumble of conversation and music could be heard from the pool.

“As long as I don’t have to watch Ares win,” Apollo grumbled, running his fingers through his sopping curls. Ares smacked Apollo’s ass with an unnecessarily heavy hand which only made Apollo turn around to aim for Ares’ face. Nike was between them before either one could make any rash decisions, putting her hands on their chests and saying to Artemis, “Yes, a different game might be preferred. What do you propose?”

Artemis shrugged. “Oh, it doesn't matter to me.”

“Let’s put on a play!” Dionysus called, eliciting groans from those around him. Hermes groaned the loudest and Dio reached around Persephone to flip him off.

“How about a chase?” Persephone offered. “We can make teams, or participate individually if some of us,” she glanced meaningfully at Ares and Apollo, “can’t get along.”

Ares smirked at her from the water. But Nike was on her feet, excitedly bouncing up and down. “Yes, yes, a chase! Wonderful idea, Honey!”

Athena pulled herself from the water and wrung her hair out, sending droplets pouring onto the grass. “I’ve always enjoyed the Shadow Game myself. That’s a chase enough for anyone, I should say. Except for maybe Nike.” The goddess in question winked at Athena. “The Shadow Game,” she explained to Persephone, “is common enough among the younger deities. We play it on nights like this when the older ones are gossiping and having their idea of fun while the rest of us are too drunk to play anything sophisticated but still aren’t ready to go home.” Nike shrugged. “It’s simple. Easy to play.”

“How do you play?” Persephone asked.

“Like she said. Easy.” Aphrodite climbed out of the water behind Apollo and donned her dress once more. “A single person is chosen to be Mortal while everyone else is a Shadow. Boundaries must be set before the game starts and they can be as large or small as is agreed upon. But all the Shadows must start at one boundary line with the Mortal in the exact middle. Once the signal is given to start, the Shadows must race to the other boundary line while the Mortal tries to catch as many Shadows as possible.”

“It gets tricky when entire properties get included,” Eris added. “And, if we have enough players, there can be more than one Mortal at a time.” She shrugged, a grin tugging at her full lips. “Makes it that much more exciting.”

Persephone’s brow arched. Sounded perfectly intriguing. “I suppose whoever makes it to the opposite boundary line without getting caught wins.”

Nike nodded. “Just what they win is always up for discussion, though. I distinctly remember a few Midsummers ago Aphrodite managed to sneak around Eris and win.” She shrugged. “Hermes had said he would steal Hera’s opal vase for whoever won, but,” she cast a glance towards the open ballroom doors, “as far as I can tell, it’s still there.”

Hermes waved her comment off. “Now, now, I never said when-”

“Are we going to play or what?” Ares was the last to emerge from the water, his dark skin dripping wet and causing Aphrodite to look quickly away. Persephone stood and let her semi-wet dress swish around her feet. She supposed her mother would notice it after all and, with her hair still hanging in damp ringlets down her back, there was a fair chance Demeter would give her a sound scolding. But she didn’t let her mood darken. There was a game to be played.

“Who will be playing? Hands, hands.” Nike lifted her fingers and did a cursory count of the deities that had raised their hands to show participation. She clapped gleefully when she saw how many wanted to be included. “Perfect. Now, who shall be Mortal? Any volunteers?”

Apollo shoved Hermes forward but the messenger god was quick to swat Apollo’s hands away and duck out of Nike’s line of sight before he was picked out. Nike huffed and cocked a hip out dramatically. “Oh, come on. Don’t be sissies.” In that moment she reminded Persephone of Aphrodite.

In the end, three Mortals were chosen due to the amount of Shadows they would have. Eris, Artemis, and Nike herself. The boundaries were set: the far edge of Zeus’ grounds marked one side, and the opposite side was placed through the grand palace and out on the front stretch of lawn near the entrance. It would be a long and arduous game but Persephone was not deferred. If anything, it caused her to want to win even more. Her lack of experience would put her at a disadvantage but she had speed and sheer will on her side.

And at least she wasn’t drunk. Dionysus had insisted on participating but he hadn’t been able to stand straight up for a few hours now and Persephone was interested to see how well he fared on the playing grounds.

Eris herded her fellow Mortals around her, and Artemis set about plotting their strategy for the precious few minutes the rules allowed them. But Artemis was not the goddess of the hunt for nothing. From Persephone’s side, Athena whispered something about being at a disadvantage.

Ares was quick to remind the three when their time was up, and the Mortals broke off and dispersed to hold their strategic placements. Eris remained smack in the middle of the back lawn, facing the Shadows as they lined up against the far boundary. Nike slipped into the glowing ballroom to filter out anyone who got past Eris, and Artemis looped around the side of the palace to halt anyone lucky- or skilled- enough to get through the ballroom and onto the front lawn.

When Artemis and Nike signaled they were ready, Apollo lifted two fingers to his mouth and blew a sharp, clear whistle that marked the beginning of the game.

Deities scattered haphazardly, some running straight for Eris while others dodged and swerved around the outsides, and others still used each other as shields when Eris got too close. Persephone watched Hermes shamelessly shove Aphrodite into Eris’ path, scampering away with a cackle of childish glee. Aphrodite swore and barely managed to avoid Eris’ outstretched hand. She hauled her skirts up to her knee and raced after Hermes, cursing him the entire way.

Persephone laughed quietly to herself and tried to remember to keep an eye on her surroundings. She wasn’t the best at staying focused; any passing movement or light always caught her eye and distracted her from the more important things at hand. But she was able to stay alert enough to scatter away with the rest of the deities when Eris plunged into the middle of the group.

With Eris momentarily distracted, Persephone lifted her dress with one hand and darted into the darkness, closer to the palace. She felt better with Eris at her back. From behind her, she heard the dismayed cry of a female deity being tagged, followed by the uproarious laughter belonging to none other than Dionysus. Persephone giggled again and laughed even harder when she glanced over her shoulder just in time to see Dionysus get tagged.

Up ahead of her was Hermes and Athena. Aphrodite hadn’t yet managed to get past Eris and she was running out of time if she wanted to do so with as many distractions as possible. Apollo had already disappeared inside the ballroom where Nike awaited. Persephone could not see Ares anywhere but she knew better than to think he had already gotten tagged. She allowed herself to slow her pace to conserve energy. Eris was still behind her, picking off the stragglers that hadn’t yet attempted to dash for the ballroom.

The stretch of yard separating the far boundary and the ballroom was long and slightly uphill. Persephone’s breath was coming in quick, short pants by the time she reached the open doors and crept inside.

The ballroom had emptied significantly since Zeus had thrown open the doors to the grounds, and the sheer vastness of the room hit Persephone like a slap in the face. She felt impossibly small as she entered, scanning the thin crowd for Nike’s slash of blonde hair. She spotted her mother who was now seated next to Hera near the front of the ballroom. Zeus was standing a few strides away, deep in conversation with his two brothers. The sight of Poseidon made Persephone laugh as she thought of Ares and the swimming competitions. But the sight again of Hades had her smile freezing and her eyes widening.

From her left, came a polite cough. She spun to see Nike leaning casually against one of the enormous marble pillars, an eyebrow arched into the air and her mouth twisted with a playful smirk. Persephone smiled, a thrill running down her spine, and slowly began to back away.

A little voice in the back of her head warned her about her mother’s presence and what Demeter might react if she caught sight of Persephone participating in such games. She supposed Hera had been the reason for Demeter staying so long; it was a rare honor when the Queen of the goddesses wanted your company for the entire night. But Persephone decided not to listen to the warning voice when Nike said, “You made it farther than I thought you would.”

“I know,” Persephone shrugged, making Nike’s smirk turn into a grin. “I believe I could outrun Hermes if he ever had the balls to race me.”

At that, Nike threw her head back and laughed. “Don’t let your mother catch you using that language, little goddess. And don’t let Hermes hear you saying things like that.” Nike wagged a finger and prowled closer. “You might find yourself in a spot of trouble.”

Persephone matched Nike’s forward steps with backwards ones. She was aware of a second marble pillar rising up behind her so she angled away from it. “Oh, I think I might go tell Hermes exactly that. Once I tell him I outran you and Aphrodite, that is.” She was talking large and Nike knew it. A feral gleam shimmered in her eyes as she lowered her finger and halted her movements. Persephone, too, halted.

They waited, watching each other for the slightest of motions that would set them both off racing- one for safety and the other for a fistful of silk material- both trying not to smile. Then, there- a twitch of Nike’s shoulder- and Persephone turned and fled on winged feet, flying across the marble floor.

It was not uncommon for deities to play such games during a party or celebration, so the gods and goddesses that Persephone raced past barely raised an eyebrow. The paranoid voice in her mind chanted Don’t look at your mother don’t look at your mother don’t look at your mother and for once, Persephone heeded. Shapes and colors became blurred in a panoramic swath as she sprinted towards the front doors across the large floor. Nike was giggling, just a few steps behind, and despite being short of breath, Persephone couldn’t help but laugh as well.

This was fun. She wished she had a better word for it but she did not. Fun. Careless, youthful, slightly mischievous, largely unreasonable fun. Persephone knew then that she would fight and claw for even the slightest scrap of what she was experiencing.

There was no chance that Demeter had not spotted Nike chasing her daughter. Practically everyone left in the ballroom was aware of the game underfoot; some older deities had even taken seats and started watching with interest. The younger gods and goddesses were frequently the night’s entertainment during parties like this one. The forefront of the ballroom was to Persephone’s left- where she could see Hera and her mother, as well as the three brothers slightly closer to the front doors.

She felt a hand close around her elbow in the split second her attention was elsewhere. She jerked, heart thumping, thinking it was Nike, but the skin was a shade too dark and the nails were painted an astonishing shade of gold. Athena.

The goddess pulled Persephone along with her until the two of them were far enough away from Nike that they could safely split off in hopes of losing their pursuer due to the other. Persephone veered right as Athena swerved left. A quick glance over her shoulder told Persephone that Nike had chosen Athena to follow, most likely due to the fact that Athena’s energy was flagging and Persephone was naturally much quicker.

She took a hiding spot behind a pillar and attempted to catch her breath. Athena was running directly towards the forefront of the ballroom, where both Hera and Demeter had paused their conversation to watch. Hera was observing with a hint of maternal amusement as though Nike and Athena were her own daughters she was watching play. Demeter looked slightly baffled- and more than a little relieved that her own daughter was not amongst the rowdy, young deities. So she hadn’t seen after all.

Hermes streaked past Persephone’s pillar and was out the doors in a flash. Seconds passed before Apollo, coming from the opposite direction, followed. Persephone was close enough to the front doors that it was possible to reach them if she made a run for it but her throat was burning, her legs were heavy, and she was hesitant to run for the front lawn when she was in such bad condition. Especially when she didn’t know where Artemis was. Since she was currently safe from behind her pillar, she decided to give herself another moment to catch her breath.

Her damp dress clung to her as she leaned back against the marble and tried to steady her breathing. She could hear the noises of the game around her: Ares darting around pillars in an attempt to avoid Nike’s line of vision, Athena squealing when she ran herself into a dead end and barely avoided Nike’s outstretched hand, the whispering and laughing of the older deities as they took amusement in the playfulness.

“Persephone, watch out!” She spun away from the pillar when Ares cried his warning. Eris had come in from the back lawn and had been creeping around the side of the pillar in hopes to sneak up on her- she would have succeeded if Ares hadn’t seen and called out.

Eris swore at Ares as Persephone dashed away like a frightened deer and quickly out-strode the smaller goddess. Ares’ laugh boomed through the ballroom. He was through the front doors just a second later. Nike and Athena were still playing their game of cat-and-mouse by Hera and Demeter, but Demeter’s attention was fixed on her daughter whom she had just spotted.

Persephone internally cursed Ares. He had saved her skin, yes, but in doing so had also exposed her to her mother. She reminded herself not to care. Think of how much fun you’re having. So what if mother knows?

Eris flanked Persephone’s right, forcing her to swerve left towards the front of the ballroom. A final row of pillars separated them from the daises the elder and more esteemed deities occupied for formal business. Zeus had since halted his conversation with his two brothers, and when Persephone swung around the pillar and pressed her back against it, hiding from Eris, she found herself locking eyes with him.

His eyes were cold blue, much like Poseidon’s, and full of paternal warmth that covered Persephone with a veil of confidence unfamiliar to her. If Zeus could chuckle at her running around in is ballroom clad in a damp dress, how angry could her mother really be? Poseidon had turned to better watch Eris and Persephone, a fact that didn’t fail to impress itself on the latter goddess. And, despite standing nearly thirty meters away, she could feel the weight of Hades’ gaze much like she had earlier that night. Identical, in fact.

She forced herself to focus on the game she was playing. She had successfully made it this far and she would never forgive herself if she lost because of her inability to focus due to someone looking at her. The fact that the someone was incredibly good looking and more than a little frightening and still watching her was against the point, she told herself.

The point was that she had lost Eris. Or it appeared that way. Eris was crafty and had played this game before. She could be hiding in wait for Persephone to make her move or she could be seconds from pouncing. Either way, Persephone only had one way to find out.

With her back pressed firmly against the cold marble, she edged around the left side and slowly peaked around the corner. A barren marble floor greeted her. That was to Persephone’s advantage if she wanted to avoid getting tagged, but the front doors were around the other side of the pillar. If Eris wanted to cut off her escape route, that would be the place to be. And Eris was smart- very smart. Her heart pounding, a smile rising, Persephone eased her way back to the direct middle. Demeter’s eyes were on her, cold and furious, but Persephone didn’t respond. I’m going to get in trouble one way or the other. I might as well win this damn game before I get scolded. Make some memories while I’m at it.

She went to edge her way around the right side of the pillar- but froze suddenly. Hades had just done the strangest thing. Nearly imperceptible, but it was as if he knew Persephone had been watching him from the corner of her eye. The smallest shake of his head- just once- so slight it was almost a dip of his chin. But Persephone had seen it, and froze.

Was he...helping her?

The thought was so strange and so sudden that it halted Persephone for a moment longer. She watched as Hades took in her shock and slowly curled the corner of his lip up in response. She noticed his hair was no longer neatly combed back as it had been a few hours ago. The dark strands curled awry, looking for all the world like he had just dragged his fingers through them. The collar of his shirt was unbuttoned now and she could see the sweeping arches of dark ink rising up to wind around his collarbone.

Okay, idiot, are we done? Can we get back to the more important matter at hand or are we going to lose because you want to act like you’ve never seen someone mildly attractive? Persephone hated her inner voice sometimes.

But some strange part of her gut was telling her to trust Hades. She didn’t move closer to the doors. Seconds ticked by, slow and brimming with anticipation. Across the ballroom where Nike was still chasing Athena, Persephone could hear shrieks and laughter and finally a cry of defeat as Nike triumphed.

Then it happened again. Hades tilted his head to the left, his dark eyes gliding slowly at something just over Persephone’s left shoulder. Eris was on the move. Persephone took the hint. As softly as she could, she gracefully edged around the curved pillar towards the doors. She would eventually have to break away from the safety of the marble structure and brave the vast stretch of open floor, but first she would have to decide when Eris was in the best position to allow her to escape. It would be impossible to know for certain. But she had trusted her help this far and was still safely hidden away, so Persephone figured she could risk it for a third time.

She halted her movements when she got to the edge of the pillar, where she froze, her heart pounding in her mouth. She wanted to laugh, to run, to jump with excitement, and she desperately needed to get out of Hades’ sight so she could finally allow herself to absorb what was currently happening.

With her eyes fixed on the God of the Underworld, Persephone did not miss his next motion. It was just as discreet as all the others, evading the notice of Poseidon but not Zeus, who was watching his brother with obvious amusement. Its meaning was perfectly clear. He sent a sharp nod towards the front doors and raised his wine glass to his lips. Go ahead, now. Run.

Persephone bolted. Her silk dress had somewhat managed to dry off and it flew behind her in pink ripples as she raced towards the lawn on strong legs and nimble feet. Eris was on her heels in a flash, swearing loudly at Persephone in her confusion as to how she had managed to get away. Persephone’s laugh fluttered over her shoulder, reaching all the way to Demeter and Hera. Athena’s cry of encouragement was the last thing Persephone heard before she cleared the doors and her feet met the cold grass of the front lawn. Her eyes immediately found Ares, busy dodging and ducking a hard-working Artemis, and Apollo, already across the boundary that marked her freedom.

Eris was still after her, as was Nike, who had abandoned the ballroom to better help her fellow Mortals with the particularly feisty Shadow they had on their hands.

“Run, Persephone!” Apollo shouted. He waved her closer, his bronze arms outstretched. “Come on! Come here!” She ran as though hellhounds were on her heels, her feet skipping over the grass, barely feeling the chill. Her arms pumped and her lungs burned but she was having fun and she had never been more willing to be in discomfort.

Twenty yards separated her from Apollo. She caught sight of Nike closing in on her left and Eris quickly appeared on her right, pinning her in. Somewhere behind her came Athena’s shout of, “Move, Honey, move!” and Persephone knew that she would not be the only deity who had stepped out of the ballroom to watch. It was like she had recently learned: they were entertainment to the older ones.

Ten yards left and still Persephone flew. Artemis was by now far out of reach, still struggling with Ares, but Nike had grown far too close for comfort. She had two options: move right and into Eris’ waiting arms, or run faster into Apollo’s.

Five yards. Persephone squealed with panic as Eris lunged for her but she was across the boundary line in a flash of color and Eris’ hand fell short. Apollo cheered loudly and caught Persephone, sweeping her up and spinning her around until she heard the cheers and laughter of Athena and Aphrodite who were now racing towards her from the palace. Apollo set her on her feet and let her catch her breath. Persephone’s heart was racing almost painfully and her legs felt ready to give out if she tried to take one more step. She turned to see Artemis feint left and finally tag an exhausted Ares. He swore at her, stumbling away, but she only laughed and let him go.

Nike had her arms crossed and a hip jutted out, her lips pouting at Persephone when she turned. “Since when were you allowed to be that fast?” she wanted to know. “Who told you that was okay? Have you been taking lessons with Hermes? Is that it? Hmmm?” Persephone laughed breathlessly as Nike ran at her and seized her around the waist. They spun a few turns until, both too tired to remain upright, they overbalanced and fell to the grass.

Nike’s long fingers found Persephone’s ribs and dug in, making the younger goddess shriek with laughter and wriggle desperately to get away.

“Alright, alright, let her breath for the first time in twenty minutes.” Ares pulled Nike off and smiled down at Persephone. Her curly hair had fallen out of its updo long before the chase had begun and by now it was sticking to the back of her neck with sweat. The night breeze helped cool her warm skin.

“We were all expecting Apollo to win because he always does, but it’s been a long while since we had someone new manage to make it past me,” Eris said. Instead of extending a hand to help Persephone up, she flopped down on the grass next to her. “Occasionally Hermes will win. Dio isn’t too slow himself when he’s sober, but…” she shrugged elegantly and winked at Persephone. “Not too bad, little goddess. Not too bad.”

“Why, thank you, beautiful one.” Persephone sketched a bow as best she could while remaining seated. “I don’t remember the last time I had so much fun.”

“You’ve been missing out, I’m afraid. Midsummer is always this much fun.” Artemis plopped down next to Eris and stretched her caramel brown legs out in front of her. “We rarely get together like this, you know, so when we do…” her eyes twinkled, “we try to make the most out of it.”

“You can’t go anywhere, Persephone, now that we know how exciting you are,” Apollo said. He and Ares crouched down to be eye level with the goddesses. “We would miss you too much.”

“Oh, please come back next year! You have to!” Athena cried. Her and Aphrodite had just reached their small group and they had only heard Apollo’s words.

“I don’t have any intention of not returning, believe me,” Persephone laughed.

“Good.” Athena sat with her shoulder against Persephone’s. “Because if you did, we would have to come steal you away and make sure you were happy.”

They laughed together at that. The kind words resounded in Persephone’s heart and it was then that she knew the word she was looking for: love. Not eros, love of the body, but philia, love of the mind. Persephone felt herself starting to slowly fall in love with each of the deities that had been so kind to her over the course of the night. She didn’t know what to do with that feeling.

“Your mother is watching,” Apollo whispered. Every head lifted to see Demeter standing in the doorway, framed by golden light, a hand on her hip and her eyes directed at the circle of young deities on the grass. They were far enough away that they could barely make out the hard line Demeter’s mouth was pressed into. Disappointment, a hint of anger, and yes, worry. Persephone mentally added grass-stains to the list of things she would be in trouble for. But when Hera glid elegantly outside on Zeus’ arm, Persephone felt a breath of relief. Demeter would hold her tongue in Hera’s presence. Even from the lawn, Persephone could hear Hera call Demeter’s name with excitement, along with something that sounded like “Where did you go off to?” She left her husband’s arm to reunite at Demeter’s side.

And it was only when Zeus smiled at his wife and moved towards two other figures framed by light that Persephone noticed who, other than her mother, had also decided watching the tail end of the chase was more exciting than anything happening inside.

Poseidon stood leaning against a small stone statue, laughing at something Hades had dryly remarked. Hades had been focused on the figures seated on the lawn but had shifted his gaze to raise an unimpressed eyebrow at his tipsy younger brother.

Persephone’s heart stuttered violently. She hadn’t given it a second of conscious thought- she hadn’t had the time to- but she realized she still didn’t know what Hades’ voice sounded like. But now that she realized she was ignorant, it was as if she had been wondering over it for days and days. She jerked out of her daze when Nike sighed dramatically and rose to her feet.

“I need another drink,” she announced. “If, that is, Dionysus has left some for the rest of us. Come,” she extended a hand and help Eris to her feet, who in turn reached down to help Persephone, “all this talk of Persephone leaving is ruining my mood. The night is still young. We have hours left together. Let us leave it at that.”

Aphrodite murmured her agreement. When the group of friends were on their feet, they began the trek back up to the palace where the golden light beckoned them. And with it came the possibility of new mountains to climb, new thresholds to pass over, new voices to hear for the first time.

#persephone #hades #hades and persephone #persephone x hades #greek mytholoy #retelling #greek gods #greek goddesses #malgranatum

75 notes · View notes