Hades and Persephone Ch 19 3.docx

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?

"