Hades and Persephone Ch 16 4.docx

Hades and Persephone Ch 16 4.docx

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HadesandPersephoneCh164

"Nowwaitjustaminute!

"theGoddessoftheHarvestsaid,stormingtowardthem.

"—Butnotyou.Surelyifthe KingoftheGods cannotkeepaStygianoath,thenyoushouldnotexpectthefealtyofthosewhowould,"henarrowedhiseyesatZeus."Whatdoyousupposewillhappenthenexttimeyourladywifehashadenoughofyourdalliances?

OrifAresorevenAthenadecidestofollowinyourfootsteps,andCronus'beforeyou,anddeposeyou?

DoyouthinkIwillbesoreadytosendBriareostobreakyourchainsandsubduethegodsagain?

"

"Whatwouldyouhavemedo,Aidoneus?

Behonestwithyourselfandlookaround.YourchoiceofbedmateandwhateverwesaidattheStyxaeonsagomeans nothing whenmeasuredagainsttheendingofallthings.Ihadtoconsiderthegreatergood.Surelyyoucanunderstandthat."

"AndIdo.ButyoushouldhavebroughtDemeterinlinebeforetriflingwithme.Instead,youunwiselyengagedinabattleofwillswithherthatbroughtusalltothebrinkofruin,"hesaid,hisvoicedispassionate.

Persephonenotedthedifferencesbetweenthetwokings.Herfatherhadathicker,moremuscularfigurethanAidoneus,likeawrestler,butstoodalmostaheadshorterthanhim.Herhusbandlookedmoregraceful,nobler,aswordsman,awarriorinhereyes.Zeus'eyesandmouthborecrackedlinesofageandhisblondhairwasshotthroughwithstreaksofwhite.Aidon,thoughhewasaeonsolderthanZeus,acontemporaryofsomeoftheTitans,lookedfaryounger.Hishairshonesleekandblacklikearaven'swinginthesunlight.ShesmiledupatherhusbandasZeusstammeredananswer.

"Wecouldn't—"hestoppedhimself,notwantingtogiveawaytotheruleroftheOtherSidehowweakenedbyDemeter'sfaminetheytrulywere."Yourobstinacyhadaparttoplayinallthis,youknow.Didyoutrulyunderstandtheseverityofallthis,orwereyoutoobusy entertaining yourbedmate?

Surelyyourkingdomisoverwhelmedrightnow."

"Itis,"hesaidwithanod.Zeus'accusationstung.Itwastrue—hissingularfocusonherhadbeenawayforhimtoignorethedevastationoftheworldabove.Butheneededherbyhissidenowmorethanever."AllthemorereasontohavetheGodandGoddessoftheDeadtheretosetitaright."

"TheGoddess—"Zeusshookhishead."Your consort,youmean.Whatmoreisshethanthat?

"

"AstheLordoftheUnderworld,itismyrightandmywishtoconferpoweruponher.SherulesChthoniaasmyequal."

"Oh,so that's howyougothertostay!

"Demeterinterjectedandfoldedherarmsinfrontofher."Bypoisoninghermindandpromisingherathroneatyoursideasyourapedherintosubmissioneverynight?

!

"

Aidoneusgrittedhisteeth,wishingwithallhismightthathecouldtauntDemeterabouthow willing herpreciousdaughterhadbeentolaywithhim,toseducehimasmanytimeashehadseducedher.Hedidn'twanttoembarrasshisbelovedbytellingallthesecretsoftheirbedchamber.Ortheirgarden.Ortheirthroneroom.Orthepool.Orthewallsortablesoradozenotherplacesintheirpalace.Instead,hesnortedderisivelyandrolledhiseyesather.Demeterhuffedangrily.

Zeusspoke."Aidon,you'veletHecateandNyxinfluenceyouforfartoolong.Aren'tyoumasterofyourownrealm?

It's yourthirdofthecosmos forFate'ssake,nottheirs!

Andyetyoucall yourrealmby their oldwordforit."

"TheUnderworldisasiteverwas,andwhatIsayisthetruth.MywifeandIpresideoverChthonia.Andwhat'smore,whilePersephoneandIrulesidebysideinAsphodel,thetruesourceofherpowerliesfar, far deeperthanthat."

DemeterandZeusbothlookedatPersephoneinshockandleanedaway,almostimperceptibly.

Hadessmiled."Tartarusbendstoherwill.ShehasfacedTitans.AndmyqueenisnowasmuchapartofmyworldasIam.Askalaphos!

"

Persephonetookastepforwardbeforeherplanfelltopieces."IatethefruitoftheUnderworld,Mother!

"

Demeter'slegsfalteredandshetookastepback."No..."

"Iatesixseedsfromapomegranate—"

"Tellmeyoudidnotdosuchathing!

"

"Apomegranate!

"Zeuslaughed."Pomegranatesdon'tgrowintheUnderworld!

I'veheardsometalltalesinmytime,butthisone,Aidon—"

"Itisthetruth,"Hecatesaidfromherplacebesidethechariot."Foraeonstheseedslaydormant.Butbyyourdaughter'slovingunionwithherhusbandandthroughtheiruniteddreams,theygrew."

"Whereelsecouldyoupossiblyfindapomegranate?

"Persephonesaidcalmly.ShereachedforthefruitinAskalaphos'handsandhelditouttoDemeterandZeus."Certainlynotinthe livingworld."

Demetersnatcheditfromherhandandturneditoverinhorror,thenthrewittotheground.ShegrippedPersephone'sarmstightlyalmostshakingher."BywhattrickdidHadesdeceiveyou?

!

Howdidhemakeyoueatthese?

!

Tellme!

"

PersephonewriggledoutofhergraspandstoodnexttoAidoneusagain.

"Youdidthis!

"DemeterhissedatAidoneus."Youweregoingtoloseheranditwasn'tenoughforyoutohaveruinedherforalleternity,youhadtobindhertoyourhideousdeadkingdom!

"

"Ididnosuchthing,Demeter!

Ididn'teven know thatshehadeatenthemuntilafterIhadsentheronherway.Persephone keptitfromme!

"Heglancedathiswife,hisvoicegentlingwhenitspokeinhermind. Whydidn'tyoutellme?

Persephonewincedathiswords;spokenandunspoken,feelingastingofguiltthatshehaddeceivedherhusband,evenforthesakeofthemall."IatethoseseedswithoutHades'knowledge."

"Ofcourseyouwouldsaythatwhenthreatenedbyyourcaptor,Kore!

"Demetercried."Heforcedthemonyoujustasheforcedhimselfonyou!

Butwecancorrectthis,Kore.Surelywe—"

"Mother,Iatethemalone,andknewexactlywhatIwasdoingwhenIatethem.Aidondidn'tfindoutuntilafterIleft,"shesaidlookingathimpurposefully. Mylove,please...TheywouldhaveblamedyouunlessIrevealeditmyself.

Theywillanyway,sweetone,heanswered. Itmakesnodifference.

Demeterscowled."Youlookto him beforeyouspeak!

WhyshouldIbelievewhatheisobviouslycoercingyoutosay?

"

AskalaphossteppedoutfrombehindAidoneus.HebowedtolowbeforeZeus."Y-yourgrace,"hestoodandnoddedtoDemeter,"andgreatLadyoftheHarvest,whattheQueensaysistrue."

"Andwho,praytell,areyou?

"Zeusboomed.

"MynameisAskalaphos,s-sonofOrphne,nymphoftheriverStyx.IamtheQueen'sgardener."

"YoumeanHades'slave—"Demetersnarled.

"Besilent,woman!

"Zeussaid.HeturnedtoAskalaphos."Speak."

"I..."heswallowedandbreathedshallowly,lookingfromonepowerful,angrygodtotheother."IsawtheQueengoouttothegardenatnight,alone.Shedidn'tknowIwasthereandmust'vethoughtshewasaloneinthegrove.I-Ipanickedandhidsoshewouldn'tseeme.QueenPersephonepulledapomegranateoffthetreeandIsawheropenitandeatsixseeds.Justasshesaid.Ididn'teven want tocomehere,butLadyNyxsawittooandtoldmeIshouldsaysomething.Shesawhereatthem,Erebussawher—"

"Nyxwitnessedittoo?

"Zeusasked.

Demeter'sfacegrewredwithrage."Howdareyouincriminatemydaughteronbehalfofyourmaster!

Youlieandscreechandgivefalsewitness...Ioughttoturnyouintoanowl!

"

AskalaphoscoweredbehindPersephoneforprotection.ShegraspedAidon'shandandtogethertheyshieldedtheirgardener."Youwilldonosuchthing,Mother.Hespeaksthetruth!

"

Persephoneglancedbehindher.Askalaphoshadalreadytakenoffrunningforthesafetyofthecaves,notwaitingaroundfortheangryearthgoddesstomakegoodonherthreat.

Demeter'sfacereddenedandtwistedinhopelessness.SheburstintotearsandturnedtoZeus."Mylord,surelysixpaltryseedsisn'tenoughtobindmypoordaughtertotheUnderworld!

Howcouldsofew—"

"Ifsheateoneseedorateathousand,itwouldmakenodifference!

"Hadesyelled,bearingdownonDemeter."SheatethefruitoftheUnderworldandistherebyboundtoitforalleternity.Persephoneismine!

"

Demeterfacedhimplacingherhandsonherhips,liftingherchin."Yousee?

 Now yourtruenaturecomesout,Aidon.Nothinghaschangedaboutyouinalltheseaeons.Observe,daughter,yourravisher'seternalselfishness!

"

"Selfishness?

!

"Aidonfumed."Thisfromyou,Deme,whokeptmywifeapowerlesschildforalltheaeonsofherexistence,denyinghereverythingandteachinghernothing!

Becauseifyouhadmentionedanythingaboutherdestinedroleinthecosmosthenitwouldhaveignitedherbeautifulcuriosity.Youcouldn'thavekeptyour stranglehold onher!

"

"Youhavenoplaceandnorighttotellmehowtoraiseachild!

Whatwould you knowabouthavingchildrenanyway?

"

"Youheldnomoreknowledgethanhimuponyourdaughter'sbirth,"Hecatescoffedquietly.

Aidoneuslookedatthehandthathadbeenholdinghiswife'samomentbeforeandsawtracesofbloodonhispalm.Persephone'sblood.Hisgazeflewtohers,alarmed. Whatisthis?

!

Whathavetheydonetoyou?

Nothing, shereplied.Persephoneflushedwithembarrassment.It's...moonblood.

Hestaredatherconfusedforamomentbeforeitdawnedonhim.Inthelivingworldwomen'sfertilitycameandwenteachmonth,followingthechangesofthemoon.Aidoneusloweredhisgaze,upsetathisignorance,andstrokedherback. Areyoualright?

Persephonethoughtaboutthestoppingofhercycle,andhowgladdenedshewasattheprospectofcarryinghischild,onlytofindoutthatitwasn'ttobe.ShethoughtaboutHecate'swordsintheboat,howPersephonewascarryingthoseseedstotheworldabove.SherealizedthenwhattheGoddessoftheCrossroadsmeant.AnyunionwithAidonintheworldbelowcouldn'tproducechildren.Instead,ithadbecomethegenesisof