Hades and Persephone Ch 13 1.docx

Hades and Persephone Ch 13 1.docx

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HadesandPersephoneCh131

"ShewenttoAeacustodaytodrinkthewatersoftheLethe."

"Who?

"Persephoneasked."Merope?

"Aidoneusnodded.Shesighedandsatonthedivan.

Hewalkedbehindher,brushingahanddownherback."Doesthatupsetyou?

"

"Onlyalittle,andmostlyforselfishreasons,"sheadmitted."Ienjoyedhavingsomeonefrommy...previouslife...thatIcouldtalkto,buteveryconversationwoulddriftbacktoallthepainsheendured.Idon'tunderstandwhysheinsistedonclingingtothosememoriesdayafterday."

"Manydo,"hesaid."Sometimes,itseemsthosewho'vesufferedthemostaretheleastwillingtoletgo.MeropeisnotthefirstsuchsoulI'veencountered;andIassureyou,shewillnotbethelast."

"Truly?

I'mhappyshefinallydecidedtofindpeaceinAsphodel."Shestilledhishandonhershoulderandlacedherfingerswithinhis,lookingupathim."Anyideawhatconvincedher?

"

"Ihavemysuspicions,"Aidoneussaiddarkly."Aeacussaidthatshewassmiling,andcalmerthanhe'deverseenher.Meropetoldhimshewasreadyanditwaslongoverdue.Shewantedtosaygoodbyetous,buttoldAeacusitwouldonlymakeitharder."

"Ijustwishthereweresomethingmorethatwecouldhavedoneforher."

"Whatmore?

Meropeisatpeacenow."

SheslidoversohecouldsitnexttoherandgazedoutovertheStyxbeyondtheterrace.Persephoneshookherhead."I'mnotsure.Itistrue;MeropewillbeatpeaceinAsphodel..."

"But..."

"...shewillberebornoneday.Andwhilethelivingworldisaplaceofjoyandsunlight..."shepausedwhenshesawAidoncasthiseyesdownward.Helookedexhausted.Shestrokedhischeekandreassuringlylookedhimintheeyeoncemore."Thereisstillsomuchsuffering.Needless,endlesssuffering.Andit'ssostrangetothinkthatshewillcomebackasamortalwithnorecollectionoftheaeonsshewasalive."

"Notforawhile,restassured.Hercircumstanceis...unique,butwearethecaretakersofthesouls.Wecan'tmakespecialexceptionsinacycleasoldasmortalityitself.Butifwecould,whatwouldwedodifferently?

Whatwouldyouwant?

"

Shesmiledanddroppedhergaze,tearsinthecornersofhereyes.NomatterhowvehementlytheHouseofNyxandtheHundredHandedOneshadinsistedthatthisrealmbelongedtoher,shewasstillamazedthatAidoneussoughttoincludeherashisequal."I'dletthebettersoulsrest."

Heraisedhiseyebrowsather."Thebetterones...?

"

"Merope,forinstance.Surelyshehasdoneenoughgoodandsufferedenoughill?

"

"Whoelse?

"

Shethoughtforaminute."Tartarusisthereforthosewhospendtheirlivesdestroyingthelivesofothers,isitnot?

Butwhatabouttheiropposites?

Whataboutthosewhomadethelivesofthosearoundthembetter?

Whataboutthosewhosacrificedthemselvesforothers,thosewhowereespeciallybraveorkind..."

"Andsacrificetheirusefulnesstotheworldabove?

Won'tthelivingworldonlydeteriorateifwecloisterthemhere?

"

"Iftheydecidedtoleave,theywouldhavethatright.Andnewsoulsaremadehereeveryday.Theycantaketheplaceofthosewhowishtostay.Peoplecanchange."

Hefrowned."YouhavemorefaithinthemthanIdo,I'mafraid."

"Theycan.Afterall, we've changed,anditcertainlytooklessthanahumanlifetime.IwouldbeunrecognizabletosomeonewhoknewmeonlybeforeImetyou.Andyou'vechangedaswell."

"Oh?

"hesaidwithasmile.

"Wellofcourseyouhave,"shesaid,brushingthelinesnearhismouthandeyes."This,forinstance.YouweresoverygrimandseriouswhenIfirstarrived."

"Iwasafraid."

"You?

Ofme?

"shesaidwithateasingsmirk.Henodded."ThewarriorwhofoughtTitans?

"

Heloweredhishead,thehalfsmilestillonhisface."Doesn'tcomparetotheterrorofstartingmymarriedlifewithyou,sweetone."Hechuckledwhenhernosescrunchedup."Idon'tmeanthattooffend.Remember,ittookmeallthetimefromwhenyoureachedmajorityuntiltwomonthsagotomusterthecouragetoaskforyou.AndnothinginmylifefrightenedmemorethanthepossibilitythatI'dlostyouforever,thankstothemannerinwhichIbroughtyouhere."

"Butnothingfrightensyounow?

"

Helookedaway,exhaustionevidentonhisfaceoncemore.He'dbarelysleptthenightbefore.She'ddriftedoutofsleepafewtimesoverthecourseofthenight,justasworriedashewas,andeachtimeshe'dseenAidoneusstaringattheceiling,willinghimselftorest.Sheheldhishand."Sisyphus."

"It'smorethanjusthim.Somanythingshavetranspiredthatarenot supposedtohappen.Andafterwhatweweretold—whatwesawinTartarus..."

"Husband,noneofthatwastrue."

"Thereweregrainsoftruth.Andnow..."heshookhisheadandpaledwithanxiety."Amortal...a livingmortal hassteppedthroughbarriersthat gods cannotcross,andhecouldhavedonesoatanytime.Buthechosethat last moment,onthefinallegtothePhlegethon.Heonlystayedaslongashedidtoobserveourstrengthsandweaknesses.AndIdon'tknowwhathelearnedorwhathe'lldowiththatknowledge,muchlesswiththeChainshestole."

"Howcanhepossiblyhavedonethat?

"

Aidonsaidnothing.

"TheTitansareinfinitelymorepowerfulthanheis,soifSisyphuswasabletoescape,whyhaven't they?

"

Heremainedsilent.AllhecouldseewasthelastvisionofCronus.

"Andwhydidn'tHecate—"

"Becauseshewasbusytryingtoreasonwithyourmother!

"hesnapped.HelookedatPersephone,hershoulderstensed,herfacedrawn."Wife,I'msorry.Forgiveme."

Hedroppedhisforeheadintohishandandshuthiseyes.Persephoneleanedagainsthim."It'sallright.Ishouldn'texpectyoutohavealltheanswers."

"Idon'tthinkanyonehastheanswersrightnow.Toomanyimpossiblethingshavehappenedsince..."hesilencedhimself,knowingwherethisled.

"Sinceyoubroughtmehere,"shesaid,andwatchedhimscowl."Notallofthemarebadthings,Aidon.Thegrove,forinstance."

"Well,ourgrove—andeverythingweknow—willeitherendinflamesorvanishintonothingnessifshe—"hebithischeekandtookadeepbreath."Ifthiscontinuesmuchlonger."

"Doyouthinktosomehowprotectmefromwhatmymotherisdoing?

"

"No."

"Thenwhyareyouholdingyourtongue?

"

"Becauseyouaskedmeto.Itwasthefirstthingyoueveraskedofme."

"Irecant;speakyourmind."Thegravityofthesituationdemandedhonesty,butPersephonewasquietlypleasedthatherhusbandhadbeensoloyaltohispromise.

Aidoneusopenedhiseyesaswideasthefloodgatesshehadjustparted."There'ssomuchI'veheld—"heswallowed.Wherewouldhebegin?

"WhenItookyoufromthefieldsitwasbecauseDemeterwaswillingtosacrificeall,includingyou,tokeepyoufromme.Andevennow,herstubbornnessisdestroyingeverythingfromtheheavenstothedepthsofthePit.Idon'tunderstandwhyIbecamethetargetofherwrathwhenitwasyourfatherwhomistreatedherinthefirstplace!

Hedeceivedandabandonedher,leftherheavywithchild,hekilledherlover—"

Persephone'smouthwentagape."Her...Mymother's...what?

!

"

Demeter'spolicyofkeepingPersephoneignoranthadstoppedsurprisingAidoneusawhileago,butthisinstancedidn'tstophimfromshakinghisheadattheinjusticedonetohiswife."Someyearsafteryouwereborn,amortalmancameacrosstheshoresoftheStyxwithstoriesaboutDemeter,andaninfantgoddessnamedKore.HisnamewasIasion—averyskilledfarmer,intruth.Thegreatestmankindhadproducedinthoseearlydays.Zeushadcaughtthem...coupling...andstruckIasiondownashelaybesideyourmother.Hediedinstantly—hedidn'tevenknowwhathappened."

"WhywouldZeusdosuchathing?

"shesaid,horrified."He'dalreadyabandonedmymother!

Whycouldn'thejustleaveusaloneandletherbehappy?

"

Aidonpursedhislips."Becausehestilllovedher,inhisownselfish,foolishway.HesoughtanalliancewithHerabecauseshewasabettermatch.Andthatwasthemostfrustratingthingforme.IalwaysknewthatHerawasabetterchoiceforhim,butwhatcouldIhavetoldyourmother?

Herawascraftier,moreinfluential—cleverinallthewaysZeuswasn't,andtheycomplimentedeachotherperfectly.Butthatdidn'tmeanhelovedDemeteranyless."

Persephonescowled,angry,wishingshecouldhaveknownatleastsomethingaboutIasion,thissingularmanwhohadnevercausedhermotheranygrief.Shealsopuzzledatwhyhermotherhadn'tmadeherloverimmortal—especiallywhenhehadgivenhersomuchjoy.

"AfterIlearnedwhatIcouldfromIasion,"Aidoncontinued,"hisshadedrankfromtheLetheandwasatpeaceinAsphodel,hisnameforgotten.ButIcouldseewhatmannerofmanhewas.Hewastoovaluabletotheworldabovetolanguishbelow,andIreturnedhimswiftlytothemortalworld.Beforeheleft,IdidsomethingIhadneverdonebefore,andhadhisshadedrinkfromtheMnemosyneinsteadoftheLethebeforedeparting."

Persephoneshivered,rememberingthefloodofmemorieswhenshe'dsippedafewdropsoftheMnemosyne."Whathappenstoshadeswhentheydrinkfromit?

"

"ThePoolofMemoriesgivesthemachancetorecallfragmentsoftheirpreviouslifewhentheyreturn.Itwouldbeadangerousthingtogivemortals all theirmemoriesback;theywouldgomad.I'veonlyallowedraresoulstheprivilege.Iasionhadmoretodo,moretoteachtohiskind...butanotherpartofme..."

Sheheldhishand,tracingthelinesonhispalm.

"...IhadhopedthatwhenhissoulreturneditwouldfindDemeter,somehow.Givehersomehappiness,beitasafriendorlover."

"Aidon,whydidn'tyouevertellmymotherthis?

"

Heclenchedhisteethtogether."Hermeswasnotyetborn.WithouttheMessengerof