"Persephone, my girl. You must never go to the meadow at night, lest you be tempted by the odd fruit that grows there."
She often heeded her mother's words, always traveling home to Olympus before night could fall. She trusted her mother Demeter with all things that had to do with Greece's oddities, since she knew well the price that a young woman would pay if they ran into Zeus, the man with the tongue of gold. Diligently, she traveled up and down the mountain to and from the meadow after long days of basking in the sunlight. But her curiosity grew ever stronger with each passing day, wondering what her mother could have meant with those cryptic words. Persephone was the spitting image of her mother, with her dark, coarse curls that housed daisy and bluebell alike, her brown skin kissed by the sun, and her curious, but still perceptive brown eyes. Her body was slender, her dark fingers lithe and delicate, having never had to work a day in her life. And why should she? Some called her the Princess of Flowers, and it was a title that she wore well. She was the daughter of a Goddess, and she certainly looked the part. Her face was rounded with no sharp edges, her nose was flat and broad, and the smiles that rested on her lips were infectious. She was beautiful in a way that only a demigoddess could be, and she had many suitors over the course of her very long lifetime. But none of them could manage to capture her attention, as she declined man after man that came to her side and asked for her hand in marriage.
Her mother was worried that she would wither away without a companion, but Persephone knew that her heart could not be won by men. She was adamant on that stance, and eventually, Demeter came to accept it as just another part of her daughter that she loved. Persephone was many things, a bit naive, a bit reckless, and a bit airheaded, but she was smart, clever, and full of love as well. Curiosity was beginning to have its grip upon her mind at the mention of the odd fruit that was left behind when dusk fell, and the young demigoddess found herself disobeying her mother's cautionary words one summer night, when the fireflies began to dance across the sky with the stars. At first, she hid behind a tree and looked for anyone in the meadow. Upon seeing that she was alone, however, Persephone lifted her long, silky skirts and began to peer around in the dark for the fruit that was forbidden to her. What did it look like? More importantly, what did it taste like? What did it smell like, what was the texture of it -- she wanted to know the answer to all her questions.
The silence of the night was interrupted by a crackling noise, and she ducked back behind the tree to peek at whatever was making the noise. A rift opened -- glowing green with the hellish hue of the Underworld -- and a woman climbed out of it atop a chariot, her long, black hair traveling to the middle of her back, her cheeks shallow and rigid, and her eyes a commanding and piercing green like the magic that she was using. Persephone inhaled softly, trying not to give away her hiding spot by gasping too loudly. Surely, this was she, the Queen of the Underworld. Hades, she was called. Her horses, two black steeds that trailed white mist from their ghastly middles, stomped their hooves against the ground as the Queen descended from her chariot, her long, dark cloak trailing behind her. Hades was a pale woman, and her body was statuesque. She was the opposite of slender, lithe Persephone. Her long fingers, curled into pointed claws at the nail, shifted through the flowers and the foliage until she found what she was looking for amidst nature.
Persephone wanted to know what it was. So she crept closer, but in doing so -- her foot snapped a branch rather loudly, and she cursed under her breath. Hades whirled around with the fruit in one hand and magic sparking in the other, until she laid her eyes upon the person who had been spying on her. The pomegranate sat gentle in the Queen's hand, and Persephone stood doe-eyed in the light sparking off of Hades' magical prowess. A silence hung between them for a moment before the Queen lowered her hand, and Persephone exhaled a breath she had been holding in.
"If it isn't Persephone. You're Demeter's child, aren't you?" She spoke in a lulling, husky voice that sent shivers down the Demigoddess' spine.
"You know who I am? Well, I guess that's no surprise. I know who you are, too. Lady Hades, Queen of the Underworld." Persephone's tone in turn was light and gentle, to offset the rather raspy voice of Hades.
"What is a delicate little flower like you doing out here so late?" She asked, without an air of condescension. Persephone bit her cheek to keep back her temper, but she answered shortly,
"I wanted to see the fruit that was forbidden to me."
Hades paused, drew in a breath, and began to laugh. She approached the smaller woman with all the grace of a queen and held out the aforementioned fruit, leaving Persephone breathless from both her commanding presence, and the fruit that she'd been looking for. The pomegranate was scarlet, and the Queen had cracked it open to display the ruby seeds inside.
"The pomegranate is what you're looking for, my dear."
Persephone hesitated. She knew it was forbidden to her for a reason, but she didn't know why. What made this fruit so dangerous? She looked up from the fruit to the Queen, questions bubbling inside of her.
"It's so small. And red. But why would my mother forbid me from taking this fruit?"
"Likely because it comes from the Underworld, Persephone. And you should know well that any fruit you eat from there will trap you indefinitely." The information was given casually, but it made Persephone's heart thrum in her chest like a hummingbird.
"So that is why … What does it taste like?"
She asked, as the Queen took a few seeds of the fruit and placed them into her mouth.
"It tastes of pomegranate," Answered Hades, thoroughly unhelpful. Persephone fixated her with a look of disappointment, which made the Queen laugh.
"I jest. It tastes sweet, and it is a little crunchy. There is the vaguest sense of sourness, barely noticeable. If you are feeling bold enough to try …"
"No! No, I -- no, thank you. I shouldn't."
"That's a shame. I think you'd enjoy the Underworld, Lady Persephone." Hades sighed a little, before turning her back to the other woman to gather a few more of the fruits.
"But why do they grow here, above ground, if they're meant to be food of the Underworld?"
"Because there is no sunlight down there," Answered Hades simply, "And so they cannot grow without the branches poking forward through the dirt, into the surface world."
"And you come here every night, just to harvest them?"
"Yes. They are my favorite fruit, Lady Persephone. They are the only ones that grow in the Underworld, so I suppose it should be natural that they are my favorite."
"I see …" She had a lot to think about, but the information was enough to sate her curiosity. "Thank you for answering my questions. I should be getting back to Olympus soon, or my mother will have a fit."
"Do you need a ride?" The Queen stowed the pomegranate into a little bag for safe travel, and then turned herself around to look at her guest. "My chariot is big enough for two."
For some reason, Persephone's heart leapt at the thought of being in such close quarters with Queen Hades, and she found herself nodding meekly before she could really think through her answer.
"Then, take my hand." The Queen's outstretched hand was taken by Persephone, and surprisingly, it was soft, and warm. Her heart pounded in her throat as she climbed atop the chariot being pulled by the ghastly horses, though not out of fear. Persephone looked a mite silly, standing there in her white silks and with her flowers in her hair. But Hades didn't seem to mind, and she stood beside the other woman and cracked the reins with a powerful sound, her horses alighting into the air. Persephone held onto the dark wood painted black and green, and watched rather gleefully as they soared above the lands of Greece. She watched with curiosity as they passed the rivers, and traveled far into the clouds towards Olympus. The horses snorted and breathed out the same ghastly mist as they exerted themselves, climbing higher and higher until they came to a halt at the steps to Olympus.
"I can go no further," Hades said with a hint of sadness in her tone. "But you should be able to go the rest of the way by yourself."
"Thank you, my Lady Queen. You did not have to do that for me," Persephone said with an anxious little chuckle, "But the ride was smooth and very interesting."
"Nonsense, I couldn't leave you there to trek back on foot." The Queen stated, with a prim, but genuine smile gracing her mouth. She placed a hand around Persephone's waist and helped her step down from the chariot, making the smaller woman blush.
"Well, my Lady Queen, I shall hope to see you again."
"Oh?"
"Perhaps I'll sneak down to the meadow more often at night. I find you intriguing and easy to talk to."
Persephone's words made the Queen's pale cheeks flush pink, and a less proper, more genuine smile tugged at her lips.
"And I, you. Do tell Demeter I said hello. Farewell, Lady Persephone!"
With another crackle of the reigns, Hades descended the mountain, Persephone watching until she couldn't see her retreating figure anymore. She rushed up the steps and to her and her mother's house amidst the Gods, gently pushing the door open and thanking the stars above that her mother appeared to be asleep.
Persephone snuck into her room and laid down, though her thoughts were entirely upon the Queen of the Underworld, pondering what it meant that she did not see a wedding band upon her finger, and the gentleness of her touch. She fell asleep quickly, exhausted from both the exhilarating conversation, and the excitement of learning something new.
❀❀❀❀❀❀
"What were you THINKING, Persephone?!"
Demeter's voice rang through the house as Persephone sat across from her mother, the Goddess stirring a large cauldron full of that morning's breakfast. Persephone shrunk a little against her stool, her hands grasping her skirts. Demeter was a tall woman with a head full of dark curls speckled in grey strands, her nose broad and flat like her daughter's, and her brown eyes were tired and wise. Gentle wrinkles cascaded against her brown skin, primarily at the corners of her eyes and at the laugh lines on her mouth she'd gained from centuries of laughing and smiling. But right now, she was furious, and no such gentle expressions donned her face.
"You made me worried sick, coming home so late and -- and you didn't eat the fruit in the meadow, did you? Did you?" Demeter fixed her daughter with a look of concern and fury alike, and Persephone shook her head softly, just enough for her mother to see.
"I did not. Lady Hades --"
"You. Met. With Queen Hades?"
Persephone shrunk against her seat as her mother continued to speak,
"I forbid you from going back there at night. I can't have you --"
"Doing what, exactly? What do you think I'm going to do?" She blurted out the words before she could stop herself, and Demeter's gaze became dangerous.
"I can't have you eating that fruit, Persephone. I can't have my little girl taken from me like this!"
"Mother, you're doing that thing where you catastrophize. Again."
Demeter sighed, putting breakfast down in front of her daughter. Creamed oats, yoghurt, and a piece of bread, lightly toasted with goat butter and some milk.
"Can you blame me, Persephone? There's so many devious people in the world that we live in. I can only thank the Stars that you didn't run into Zeus."
"Well, that makes two of us." She began to eat, and Demeter's eyes softened for a moment before they hardened once more.
"Persephone. I forbid you from going back there at night."
"What! I'm not a little girl anymore!"
"I don't care. I forbid you."
Persephone's brows furrowed into a glare as she tried to compose herself.
"You can't do this to me - I finally might have a friend, and now you forbid me from seeing her?"
"She's dangerous, Persephone. She could kidnap you, or worse."
"She wouldn't."
"You don't know that!"
"Neither do you!"
Persephone slammed her hands onto the countertop and stood, foregoing her breakfast to storm out the door instead.
"Persephone --"
"Persephone!"
But it was too late. The demigoddess had stormed out and began her descent down the mountain to the meadow, fury and determination alike blazing inside of her. Demeter called after her daughter a few more times, but it was for naught. Persephone had a plan in place, and she was going to see it through. There was no changing her mind once it was set, and that was the aspect that mother and daughter had the most in common: They were both glaringly stubborn. Persephone made it to the meadow, and waited, and waited. She would wait all day if she had to, and though her anger ebbed away little by little as the time passed, Persephone still found herself unable to agree with her mother. No matter. It would all change soon enough.
❀❀❀❀❀❀
Night fell over the meadow gently, as though the sky were being covered by a blanket. Persephone waited on a tree stump, until the moon was high overhead. She heard the same thunderous crackling of the earth splitting open, and was delighted to see Hades' chariot surface, with the Queen in tow, of course.
"Lady Persephone?"
"Your grace." She did a little curtsy to show her respect, "I would like to try your fruit tonight."
The Queen's brows raised in surprise as she looked over Persephone, finding no trace of lying or hesitation within the Demigoddess.
"Really? And what brought this on? You do understand the ramifications of what you're about to do, don't you? Think carefully -- there is no sunlight in the underworld, and you will not be able to leave once you ingest the seeds."
Persephone smiled, mischievously. "I am aware, yes. I know what I want, your Highness. I am quite interested in getting to know you, and if that has to be done by leaving the surface world for a while - so be it. I'm not going to take no for an answer, my Queen."
Hades' own face twisted into one of amusement as she moved past Persephone to pluck a pomegranate from the branches poking through the dirt, cracking it open and revealing again, the ruby seeds inside.
"If there is truly no stopping you, then … by all means, Persephone. Eat your heart out."
Persephone's fingers plucked seven seeds from the rind, and she held them in her palm delicately, as though squeezing them would make them disappear. Her heart thrummed in her throat as she took the first one, and ate it. The sweet, slightly citrus taste hit her tongue and she shuddered with sheer anticipation. Then she took another, and another, until all seven seeds were consumed. Hades awaited her verdict, glancing once at the slowly darkening skies.
"Well …?"
"It's delicious," She watched the Queen's shoulders relax, and a smile appeared on her face. Hades laughed just a bit, though her expression darkened soon after.
"What's wrong?"
"Demeter will be furious with you. And with me, for supplying the pomegranate."
"She can be furious all she wants. I've made my decision, lady Hades."
"That you have. Come along. I'll show you to the Underworld."
Hades held out her hand and Persephone took it, stepping aboard the chariot yet again as the skies grew darker, and darker still. Demeter was coming, and they had no time to waste. The Queen cracked the reins and the horses whinnied and began to dive through the crack in the earth, Persephone watching the last of the light above dwindle as they went deeper and deeper still.
And soon enough, they were upon the Underworld. Everything down here glimmered green and black like the Queen's dress and her chariot, the lost souls of the river Styx especially so. Hades' chariot landed at the entrance to her palace, and she stepped down first to offer her hand to Persephone.
"Welcome, lady Persephone, to my home."
"Oh, my Queen -- it is stunning."
And it was! The architecture was cavelike, long stalactites hanging down from the ceiling, dead and gnarled tree roots poking through the black earth, and a fountain of misty water pouring into the moat underneath the drawbridge made it unlike anything that the young Demigoddess had ever seen. Persephone raised her skirts and stepped down into the palace, admiring her surroundings with glee. So this is where she would spend seven months of the year, in the Underworld - with Queen Hades, and her heart leapt at the thought of being so close, yet so far away from home.
"I am glad that you enjoy it. I did not think you would, truthfully. It is far from the comforts of the surface above." True to her word, the sunlight did not reach here. Instead, Hades lit the torches with a wave of her hand, and the same green fire sprouted inside of the metal fixtures, lighting everything with a hellish undertone.
"That's precisely why I adore it so, Queen Hades." Persephone answered honestly, taking a few more steps into the throne room. Her throne was laden with bones and skulls, very fitting for the Queen of the Underworld. It was black metal with a green shine, and Persephone took a moment to adorn one skull with a flower in the eye socket, having plucked it from her hair. She said a little incantation to keep it fresh, and turned to see Hades smiling at her with something like fondness in her expression.
"Enjoying yourself, lady Persephone?"
"As much as I can. I know my mother will be furious with me, so I'm going to have as much fun as I can before I have to face her again." She stood and drew closer to Hades, pushing some of her hair behind one of her brown ears. "So, um." She smiles shyly, "Will you show me where I'll be staying, my lady Queen?"
"But of course. Only the best for my guest of honor. Right this way, lady Persephone. I will give you the room that overlooks the lights on the moors."
Hades strode along the tiles, taking a torch with her and illuminating the walls in green as they walked together. Persephone admired the decor yet again, as they turned the corner and walked into a room with a huge window. The bed was covered in some sort of fur and soft cotton sheets, green in color to contrast the black bedframe. But the sight to note was the window itself, sprawling and large across the room's interior. Outside of the window lay the moors just before the river Styx, with souls lighting the air and glittering like fireflies. She drew in a little breath, excited by the view.
"My lady Queen, it's beautiful."
"Only the best for you, lady Persephone."
Persephone felt her heart thud in her throat when the queen addressed her directly, and she stood and quietly marveled at the view for a few moments more. Turning towards queen Hades, she offered the other woman a bright smile.
"Well! I think I will take a little nap before it is time for supper, if that's alright."
"But of course. Please do feel at home here, my lady."
Hades swept out of the room with a clack of her heels and Persephone sunk into the bed, surprised at how soft it was. She was exhausted, the adrenaline of her decision running thin, and leaving her with heavy eyes and a slowing breath. Persephone drifted into sleep, curled up on her side, uncovered by the blankets. She dreamt of nothing but dancing with queen Hades inside of a grand ballroom, the queen leaning in every so often to whisper into her ear – though she could not discern what she was saying, it made the young goddess smile in her sleep. It was restful, and she was roused in the evening time by someone gently shaking her shoulder.
In a daze, she asked, "Queen Hades?"
A man's voice greeted her, making her sit up and finding that someone had put the blankets over her.
"No, my lady. I am her steward, Charon." She rubbed her eyes and looked over Charon, knowing him as the ferryman – but he was also the steward to the queen?
Charon stood tall, a little hunched over, and well-built from his part-time job of ferrying the souls across the river Styx. His hair was short and silver, his hood was pitch as night, and his eyes were glowing a faint green, the sclera black, the lashes white as his hair. She looked about the room, noting that someone had set aside a dress for her, an unusually pastel sight in the otherwise dark and green room.
"My lady queen requests you for dinner now, miss Persephone. She has provided you with a garment to wear for the occasion, keeping in mind your aesthetic."
Getting up to her feet, she looked over the outfit in question. It was a soft dress, likely made of some sort of silk. Spider, if she had to guess, as they would be in abundance in Hades' realm. It was a white chiton with the ends trailing off into sheer, nearly see-through finery, and a pink peplos to go over it, little golden flowers at the shoulders to tie the peplos together. She blushed, thinking of how much thought and effort Queen Hades had put into this get-together for her sake! Though, she found a question on her lips.
"Is it not dangerous for me to eat the food in the Underworld?"
Charon shook his head as he turned to leave, explaining, "No, lady Persephone. It is only dangerous if you eat it on the surface. Once you are down here, the food functions as, well, food. There is no danger, except for overeating, I suppose."
"That … explains it quite well, thank you Charon. Now um, I am going to change, so please leave."
"I am, my lady, I am." He gave her a polite little bow of his head before ducking out of her quarters so that Persephone could layer the dress and its components. She slipped out of her simple chiton, and pulled on the silk one that lady Hades had graciously given her. It fit perfectly, curving in all the right spots, sheer, but not too much. The peplos was next, and it also fit perfectly. She adjusted her curls by twisting them into braids with magic, and then made her hair bounce, springing pink roses through the dark, tight curls to match the peplos. Little vines even curled against her forehead, making sort of a tiara as she slipped on the shoes that had also been provided, a soft heel with sparkling bits of white silk, to match the dress. And with that, she was ready. She picked up the ends of her dress so that they would not trail on the ground and stepped out into the hallway, down the corridor and towards the dining hall.
Queen Hades was waiting for her, sipping what looked like a blood red wine in a glass. On her shoulders was a black silk chiton, and accompanying it, an ornamented, emerald green himation with snake brooches at the shoulders. Her crown glimmered in the low light, and Persephone felt her heart thump in her throat. Her lipstick was black as night to match her dark hair, and when she looked over to her guest, Persephone felt herself blushing once more.
"You look lovely, lady Persephone. Please, come, sit with me."
"As do you, my Queen. You look ethereal, really." Persephone pulled up a seat beside Hades, looking over the vastly empty table.
She wondered if Hades got a lot of visitors, but then, who would want to come to the underworld willingly? Aside from herself, she was a special case in her own eyes. She was shaken from her thoughts by the queen's clearing of her throat as she poured her guest a glass of pomegranate wine.
"So, lady Persephone. I must ask, as though it were not already obvious, but – why did you choose to come to the underworld? Knowing how lonely it can be here, I am curious as to your reasoning. It's hardly a vacation spot as my brother Zeus' Olympus is, and I know that you're still so young and carefree – so why come here?"
"Well," Persephone began, gently taking a sip of the wine before her, "I came here because I want to get to know you, your highness."
"Please. While we are in each other's company, my dear lady, you may call me Hades."
"Very well, Hades." She felt the blush rise to her cheeks yet again at being so intimate with the other woman, calling her by her name, drinking her wine, eating her food …
"I think you are a very interesting person and the way that you make me feel is … indescribable. Like I've found a piece of myself that has been missing for a decade now."
This time, it was Hades that blushed, much to Persephone's surprise!
"Oh, how peculiar," she stated quietly, "For I feel much the same way about you. You're a refreshing sight here, and I would be remiss without you. Lady Persephone, if I may be so bold as to ask," Hades seemed to hesitate before voicing her thoughts, "One might think that you and I were meant to be together, really. As though fate has wound the two of us together with her funny ways."
"Oh, goodness."
"I understand if it is too much too soon –"
"No, Hades, I feel much the same. You and I are … Well, I must admit that I am very attracted to you. Sort of like a bee to pollen, or perhaps a nymph to the spring."
"Glad I am to hear it, my lady. I find myself, also, attracted to you. So with this knowledge, how would you like to proceed?"
Persephone hesitated before picking up one of Hades' regal hands, laying a kiss on her knuckles.
"I would like to court you, I believe."
"Funny. I always envisioned myself being the one to ask that question. Very well, Persephone, I accept."
Just like that? It was so easy – and Persephone wasn't regretting her decision, but she certainly didn't know what to do next, and it seemed to show on her face.
"... surely you have had other suitors before, Persephone."
"None that I liked until I met you."
"Oh, my. Well, my dear, this will be a new experience for the both of us."
Hades laughed, and Persephone joined her. The two talked late into the night, the food growing cold, and their fondness for each other growing tenfold. When Persephone went to slumber, it was with a smile on her face, and a warm feeling in her chest.
Within the next few months, as they grew closer and closer, the queen of the Underworld showed Persephone her most vulnerable sides – opening up to being one of the feared Gods of the pantheon, and how lonely she felt until Persephone came along. Persephone, in turn, opened up about being inexperienced and young, and under her mother's control, yearning for freedom and the ability to make her own choices. It wasn't until the two of them were alone at the river Styx that Hades asked her a question that would forever change each of their lives …
❀❀❀❀❀❀
Persephone had never felt happier. She knew that she was going to face her mother's wrath when she came up from the Underworld, but all that her mind could focus on was the softness of Hades' skin, the crinkle at her eyes when she smiled, and the way that she laughed with her full chest. She sat by the riverside, watching Charon ferry people across, playing a gentle lyre tune to ease the souls in the Styx's waters. Hades' head was on her lap, and Persephone's eyes kept trailing to the queen's face, watching her in quiet bliss.
"Persephone," Hades began, sitting up and looking quite serious. "I must admit that I will miss you terribly when you go on to the surface. So I have a proposal."
"Yes," Persephone asked meekly, batting her lashes, "What is it?"
"Will you allow me to wed you?"
Persephone gasped quietly, inhaling a soft breath and exhaling it quickly. So suddenly, she felt her heart thrumming in her ears.
"I …"
"Perhaps I asked too soon. But I really do –"
"I accept your proposal, Hades. I love you dearly, and I would love to be your wife."
"Splendid, oh, Persephone, you have made me so happy!"
"And you have made ME happy, Hades. I would like nothing more than being your wife and companion forevermore."
Hades cupped Persephone's face and pulled her in for a kiss, her eyes fluttering shut as their lips met. Hades' mouth was soft and sweet, and it tasted, ever so faintly, of pomegranate seeds.
❀❀❀❀❀❀
The wedding was set up within the last month of Persephone's stay in the Underworld. It was with their teary vows that Charon wed them, and the inhabitants of the underworld all attended the wedding. There was a grand feast, a large party, and of course, live music to commemorate their marriage. Persephone and Hades were happier than ever, and it seemed like it would always be that way in the moment, until the two of them realized that their last few days together were beginning to creep up on them. Hades lay with her in her arms that night, the queen dressed down in a black sleeping robe, her makeup cleaned away, and her arm wrapped around Persephone's waist as the goddess of spring yawned and yawned, exhausted but elated from their wedding party.
"Persephone, my love…"
"Yes, Hades? What is it, my honey?"
"I shall miss you sorely when you are to go home to the surface."
"And I, you. It will only be for a few months, but even so, that feels like a lifetime away."
"Will you write to me?"
"Every day, Hades. I swear it."
"Then my heart will be sated. I love you."
"And I love you, my wife, my black lily."
As they dozed off, Hades could think only of how easily Persephone fit into her arms, and how much she would miss the sensation of the other woman curled against her, sleeping daintily, a little smile on her face. But love, like all things, takes time and effort to grow, and the distance would only draw the two of them closer together, even when the nights were long and cold, and the letters were stained with her perfume and pressed flowers from the surface.
When the day came for Persephone to return to the surface world, Hades reluctantly let her go, watching her slip away from her fingers and onto the chariot that she had provided. Hades waved goodbye until she could no longer see her wife, and then retired to her room and wept bitterly.
Persephone, on the other hand, returned to the surface world with apprehension – knowing that her mother would have choice words for her. Much to her surprise, she returned to see the world frozen over with ice and snow, and stepping off the chariot, she shivered, knowing that her mother's wrath had been laid upon the people for her own impulsive decision. It was mere moments after she arrived that the Goddess descended from the mountaintop, with a crack of the whip from her own chariot. The familiar face of her mother should have been comforting for Persephone, but instead she felt only dread, and guilt.
"Mother!"
"Persephone, oh my girl, what did they do to you down there? Look at what you're wearing – blacks and greens – and what is this on your hand? A ring?"
"Yes, I … I have wedded queen Hades, mother."
Demeter fell to her knees and wept, but Persephone knew better than to assume that it was out of sorrow.
"I wanted to invite you to our wedding, but you would not be allowed down there without –"
"Consuming food from the Underworld, I know, child."
Demeter stood back up and embraced her daughter, squeezing her tightly against herself.
"I have had many months to think about our last talk, Persephone. And I wanted to say: I am sorry. I should never have treated you like a child. You're a grown woman, and I should not shelter you so. But you have wed the queen of the Underworld? I want to hear about the wedding."
And so Persephone told her everything, including the wedding, and as she went to sleep in Demeter's house that night, she found herself excited for the future, spending time above the underworld and in it would certainly be a change, but she was an adult – and she was, finally, recognized as being one.
It tasted sweet, like pomegranate wine.