Hades and Persephone Ch 19 3.docx
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HadesandPersephoneCh193
"Good!
"Heinterrupted."Weshallbefriendstoo."
"Friends?
"Soitwas friendship hewanted...Maybe,Persephonethought,shewastakinghisbehaviorthewrongway.TheOlympiansseemedtobefromaworldsetfarapartfromherandhermother,nottomentionherhusband.HisforwardnesscouldhavewellbeenlearnedfromZeusandtheothers.WhatelsehadsheheardaboutApollobesidesAthena'sbriefwarning?
Artemisrarelyspokeaboutherbrother.SheknewofhispursuitofDaphne.Thenymphsshe'dknownhadhadacheckeredacquaintancewithhim.Exceptforone..."Wemayyethaveanotherfriendincommon."
"Dowe,now..."hebeamed."Andwhoseacquaintancemightweshare,radiantone?
"
"DoyouknowKyrene?
"
Helookedatherblankly."Who?
"
"Shewasafriendofminelongago.Shementionedyouonce.Thatyouandshewere...lovers."
"Youblushsocharmingly,butsadly,Icannotrecallher.AreyousuresheandI..."
Persephoneswallowed."Ah...yes.ShesaidthatyoufoundherinLibya—"
"Oh,nowIremember!
Theliontamergirl!
Yes,shewas..."heranhishandbackthroughhiscurls."Shewassomething.Kyrenehadason,Ibelieve?
"
"Aristaios."
"That'sright...thebeekeeper,cheesemaker...busylittlegod,isn'the?
"
"I'venevermethim,"sheadmitted."Sadly,Ihaven'tspokenwithKyrenesincesheconceivedhim."
Helaughed."Thenthat'sanotherthingwehaveincommon."
Persephone'sfacefell."Nevermind.Ithoughtyoumightknowwhereshewas."
"Heavensno,"hesaiddismissively.Whenshefrownedhetiltedhisheadtowardher."Ididn'tmeanitthatway,Persephone.She'sprobablywrestlinglionsinLibyarightnow.AndIfindmypresentcompanyfarmore...engaging."
"Isee."
"Butspeakingofhim,Aristaiospreparesthemost wondrousdelicacies.Haveyouevertastedcheeseandhoneytogether?
"
"IcannotsayIhave,"shesaid.MostfamiliesinEleusisownedagoat,perhapstwo,andmaybehadsomeextramilkduringkidding,butrarelycouldtheyturnthatintocheese.Apolloflickedhiswristtowardaservinggirl,thenmotionedGanymedetotheirside.Thegirlheldupagoldentraypiledwithdatesstuffedwithsoftgoatcheeseanddrizzledwithhoney.ApollograbbedafullcupfromGanymede.
"Yousimplymusttrythese.Theygosowellwiththenectar,"hesaid,pickingupadate.Shereachedforone,onlytobeblockedbyApollo."Ah-ah...allowme."
Hedrewclosertoher,hislipcurlingintoahalf-smile.Apollolightlycaressedthebackofherarmandraisedthedatetoherlips.Persephonetookafullstepbackfromhisreach."Apollo..."
"What'sthematter?
Youdon'twantataste?
"
"I...yes.Butthisis...YouknowthatI'mmarried,don'tyou?
"
"OfcourseIknow.Everyoneknows."Herolledhiseyes."I'monlyaskingyoutotakeabite...tosample...totrysomethingnew."
"That'snotallyou'reaskingofme."
"Youareabrightflowerindeed."
"Sostateyourintentions."
"You'dpreferIspeakplainly?
"Hepulledhisshouldersback."YoumakesuchabeautifuladditiontoOlympusandIwanttointroduceyoutoallitspotential.Youareaqueen,Persephone.Youcandowhatyouwant,whenyouwant, with whom youwant.Nooneexpectsyoutoabstainwhileyou'reawayfromhim.Anditwouldbeasintobesoselfishwithyourcharms.Isthatplainenough?
"
Shewantedtorunfromtheroom,butsherefusedtoletApollothinkhecouldintimidateher.Ifwordgotaround,hertroubleswiththerestofthegodswouldbeendless."Ifindmyself...steadilyoccupiedwhenI'mintheworldabove.Ihave manyresponsibilities."
"Butyouworksohard!
Youmissoutonallthedelightstheworldhastooffer.Therearesomanydifferentfruitstobiteinto,andsomanywhowouldbewillingtoshowyouhow.Ihumblybegtheopportunity,"hesaid,takingastepcloser,thedateinchingtowardherlips.
Sheturnedherheadaside."Opportunityabounds,mylord,butI'mnotinterested.Ihavemyhusband."
"Forsixmonthsoftheyear..."
"Foralways."
"Persephone,openyoureyesandlookaroundyou...Zeusismarried.Aphroditeismarried,andHermeshasPenelopeia,buttheyalsoknowthatthereisgreaterpleasuretobehadin...sampling.Themonotonywillwearonyouovertime,asitdoestoall.Andtimeisallwehave,radiantone.Whychainyourselftothat... corpse—"
"Ibegyourpardon?
"Thewordsexistedherlipsasahiss.
Helaughedlightlyatherreactionandshookhishead."Whatelsedoesonecallagodwhodoesn'teat,sleeporlustafterwomen?
"
"Afaithfulhusband!
"
"Whomyouarewithonlyhalftheyear..."
"Idon'tconsidermyfidelitytobe'chains',Apollo.Weteachthemortals—"
"Themortals?
Oh,thepeasantsarefaithful,buttheirkingsarenot.Wearedeathless,radiantone,andsuchconstraintsaremerecuriositiestoourkind.Iknowthatasan...earthgoddess...yourarelyspendtimeamong us.EspeciallysinceyourmothertendstoshunOlympusforlesserbeings.Youhaveagoldenchancetoexperiencepleasure... real pleasure..."
Sheraisedherbrows.NowshewascertainAidoneuswouldtearhimtopieces,ifhewasn'ttoobusylaughing.Perhapshewoulddoboth."Realpleasure?
"
"Youareararefruitripeforplucking,radiantone,andthisroomis filled witheagerharvesters.Ithoughttoofferhonestybeforesomeoneelsebeguiledyou.Thereissomuchyoucouldhavewhileyou'rehere...ifonlyyou'dallowyourselftobefree."
"Andyouintendtoliberateme?
"
"Itwouldbemyhonor,fairgoddess.Ifdiscretionconcernsyou,Iwillhonorthataswell.Surelyforonewhohas already tastedforbiddenfruit..."
Shefoldedherarmsandcockedherheadtotheside."Andyetthereisn'tasinglefruitherethattemptsme,Apollo."
Hiscomelysmileresolvedintoasneer."Aheartymealwillleaveyourbellyfull,butyou'llknowhungeragainsoonenough.Suchashametopassupthisfeast.Ican'tfathomhowthatcrustyrindofstalebreadpleasesyouso."
"Iguessyouneverwill,"shesaidplainly.Hiscountenancegrewsmuganddangerous,regardinghercallously.
"Sweet,innocentPersephone..."Hedrewouthername."Youlaywithoneman,himofallmen—andthinkyouknowwhatitwillbelikeaftertenyears...athousand...of nothing."
"Iwonderifyouwoulddaresayanyofthistohimdirectly."
"He'llnevercomehere.Youaresonaïve...agoddessoffertilitylatchingontoakingasinfertileashiskingdom.Icanseeitinyoureyes—smellitonyou—howbadlyyouneedtobetakenbysomeonewhocangiveyouwhatyou truly desire."
Shefeltfirerisewithinherasshestaredathim,wonderingifthePhlegethonlitheririses.Shecalmed.Hewasn'tworthanymoreofherwords.Persephonerelaxedherarmstohersidesandrolledherhips,pushingherbosomforward.Shedrewoutanexaggeratesighandgavehimthemostcontriteofsmiles."Perhaps."
"Oh?
"hesaidwithsurprise.Hiseyesglintedashisgazetraversedhercurves.
Withaslowbatofhereyelashes,shespokeagain."Ganymede?
"
"Y-yesmilady?
"
"I'vechangedmymind,"shesaid,nottakinghereyesoffApollo.Shebitherlowerlip."IthinkI'll... sample someofthatdelectablenectarafterall."
Thegod'sfingerstwitchedandthecornerofhismouthroseasPersephoneextendedherhandtoacceptthecup.Sheheldhisraptandhungryattentionasshebroughtittoherlips...
...andflungitscontentsalloverhim.Thosenearbygaspedandtriedtosuppressnervouslaughter.Apollostareddownathisdrenchedclothes.Sodideveryotherpairofeyesintheircorneroftheroom.Thefluteandtambourinestopped.
Foralongmoment,noonespoke.
"You...youcontemptuouslittle bitch!
"Hesnarled,drawingmoreofthehall'sattention.Hiseyesnarrowed."OnceZeushearsaboutthisyouwon'tbereceivedonOlympuseveragain!
"
"Yousaythattoeverygirlwhoscornsyou,"saidafemalevoicebehindPersephone."Nowonderthewomenyoupursuehaveahabitofturningthemselvesintotrees!
"
Thetensionintheroomsnappedlikealyrestringandtheimmortalsroaredwithloudlaughter,snickersandwhispersspreadingthroughouttherestoftheroom.Apollostoodopen-mouthed.Hisfaceturnedredandhestompedofftowardthegarden,shovingbothGanymedeandtheservinggirlaside.Stickydatesscatteredacrossthefloor.
Persephoneturnedtoseewhohersaviorwas.Herjawdropped—itwasnoneotherthanAphrodite.ShebeckonedtoPersephone."Come.Let'sawayfromthisracketbeforeanotheroneoftheseOlympiansunderestimatesyou."
TheQueenoftheUnderworldfollowedtheGoddessofLoveoutsidetoanairypavilionoverlookingthegarden.Aphroditeuncoiledonacushioneddivan.
Shemotionedagirlover."Khrysothemis!
Wineforbothofus."ShegesturedattheseatandstaredupatPersephone."Please.Sit."
Thegirlcameforwardwithtwogoldencupsandfilledthemwithdarkwine."Itispomegranate,"Aphroditesaid."Ithinkyouwilllikeit."
TheQueenoftheUnderworldfrowned."Iheardwhatyousaidaboutmeandmyhusband."
"Iknow.AndIwanttoapologize,QueenPersephone.Pleasesit.Drink."
Persephonesighedandsattenselyontheoppositedivan,foldingherhandsinherlap.
"Iwasmistaken,"Aphroditestarted."WhenIlookedintoyou,youfeltit,yes?
"
"I...Idid."
"Havenofear.It'smybusinesstoknowthesethings.ThetwoofyoushareastrongerbondthanIhaveseeninmany, manyaeons.Itwaswrongofmetodoubtyourpassionforeachother."
SheblinkedattheGoddessofLove."IfIhearyoucorrectly,then,you'reapologizingforaccusingusof prudery insteadofforgossipingaboutusinthefirstplace?
"