"Kore...?" Hades held onto her as she fell unconscious. "Kore hold on."
"... Let her rest..."
"... Absolutely no food..."
"... I want to know the minute she is
awake..."
Hades...
Persephone's eyes fluttered open. She looked around and found herself alone in a dark room. She couldn't make out many objects in the sparse light from a fireplace. She was laying on a giant canopy bed made of a deep oak wood. She was wrapped in black silk sheets and - someone had put her into a silk night slip?! She grabbed at the soft black material, stunned that she was changed.
The light flickered across a bright red and gold rug, beneath a pair of matching arm chairs in front of the fireplace. Dark paintings and tapestries were hung on the walls, and silhouettes of pottery, statues and furniture stood about the room
"Hello?" she called out, her voice was hoarse.
A quiet knock at the door and a small woman opened it. "Hello, Miss. I am his Majesty's head maid. May we tend to your needs?" She held a lantern up, showing 3 other women behind her.
"Uh, I suppose?" Persephone answered a bit confused.
They entered, lighting massive lanterns about the room. As the light flooded in, she saw that these women were gaunt - almost skeletal. Their skin was dull and their hair was sparse and tattered. One woman carried a beautiful black silk wrap, and another carried silver pins and jewelry on a tray. The final woman was filling a large bowl with water and laying out fresh towels.
"Oh thank you!" She got out of bed, walked over to the bowl and proceeded to clean her face.
"We have some proper attire for you while your dress is being washed." The woman gestured toward the dress that the other handmaid held up.
"Yes, thank you." She was grateful to get out of the tiny black slip that barely covered her buttock.
Persephone stood still with her arms out, allowing them to wrap her body in the silk. They placed the silver pins in place and left the tray full of perfumes, jewelry and brushes on a table. They changed the bedding, taking her slip and the dirty towels with them.
"Will you be needing anything else?" The head Maid asked, as the others filed toward the door.
"How did I get here?" She asked, The night before being a complete blur.
"You were drugged, not by his Majesty, by another god. He brought you here to sober out properly. You're Aidoneus's guest, that's all we know." She said, "Will that be all, Miss?"
"No, thank you very much." She nodded her head graciously as they bowed and took their leave.
She turned and grabbed the brush, rushing to a mirror. 'Oh my GODS.' She thought, taking in the tangled mess that had become her hair. She moistened her hair with water from the bowl; brushing it through until her hair was damp and contained. She wandered back to the tray of goodies, grabbing one of the perfumes, pulling off the cap and smelling it. The smell of lavender danced out of the bottle, making her skin tingle. She dabbed a bit on her wrists and neck, waving her hand in front of her face, to keep the scent in her nose.
Among the jewelry, she noticed the necklace that Hades had given her. She picked it up and secured it back around her neck. When she was done admiring herself in the mirror, satisfied with the way she looked, she explored the room a bit. There was a large painting of the King hanging in the center of the farthest wall, titled "Aidoneus." On either side were large windows, long dark drapes pulled to the side.
"The windows are open?" She marveled, running over to peek outside at the darkness.
There was light, but very dim light coming from streams of molten rock that streamed and pooled in deep rivers about the land. She was in a very large castle made of grey bricks, rather high above the ground. Villages and farmlands sat out beyond the walls of the castle. There was a large courtyard outside the vast building, with a few trees growing about. Her stomach was painfully empty as she imagined the fresh fruit she could grow on them. She walked over to the door, opening it and addressing the guard that stood outside.
"Excuse me?" She peeped in a tiny voice. "Could I take a walk in the courtyard?"
"O-Of course! I guess?" He was startled, and almost lost his grip on the spear he held. "Well I think it would be okay - His Majesty said you are a guest here, not a prisoner." He smiled and stood tall. "Shall I show you the way?" He gestured down the big hallway outside the room.
"Yes, thank you." She followed him as he lead her down several hallways and staircases. They came to a giant ballroom, with marble floors, large pillars and tall windows. He guided her through a pair of glass doors to the courtyard that she had seen from the window.
"Do you need an escort?" He asked.
"No, thank you." She said and he nodded, stationing himself with the guards outside the doors.
She wandered through the statues and the sparse plant life. She felt her powers urging this garden back to life; the plants sprang up as she passed them. Flowers started to bloom and the trees started to blossom. She walked up to a tree, placing her hand on it, allowing it to rapidly spring to life, producing a bushel of plump, ripe pomegranates. She picked one, her mouth watering as she peeled away the hard flesh to expose the juicy seeds inside. She plucked a couple of them loose, and plopped them into her mouth.
"Mmmm!" She cooed, peeling away more of the flesh to take a proper bite.
"KORE!" A familiar voice startled her, making her drop the fruit on the ground. "Kore! Did you eat any of that?" Hades was behind her, grabbing her wrists as she turned around.
"Only a few seeds. Why?" She asked.
"Oh Kore..." His face filled with anguish. "Nobody can leave if they've eaten food from the underworld."
"Not even gods?" She asked in shock.
He closed his eyes, and shook his head. "I'm so sorry..."
"But... I..." She stared at him in horror, "I need to bring Spring to the mortal realm." Tears started to form in her eyes, and she sat on a nearby bench.
He sat beside her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Perhaps we can work something out with Zeus and the Fates." He placed his index finger beneath her chin, coaxing her head up to look at him and stroking the tears off her cheek with his thumb. "I'll do anything in my power to assure you are free from this place." He promised her.
She smiled, nodded, and wiped her tears away. Hades called over a guard, demanding that Zeus be summoned to the Underworld right away, and to bring the Weavers of Destiny with him.
Hades was now able to take in the full scene around him. His gardens were blossoming like never before; the plants had completely overgrown their lots, thick ivy flowing out into the walkways and up statues.
His heart throbbed as he looked down at her, taking in her beauty. The deep silk set a stark contrast on her golden skin, and hugged her generous curves. Her bright autumn red hair had dried into a waterfall of loose curls that fell about her shoulders.
"You made all this?" He asked, gesturing to the bountiful vegetation that occupied a once dead space. "It's beautiful." he responded when she nodded her head. "You have amazing powers, Kore."
"Thank you." She blushed, "Sometimes I can't help it; things just grow around me."
"I like it. You give so much new life to everything." He looked around, "Even the land of the dead." He laughed.
"Well, it's what I was born to do." She shrugged, "I would hope I'm good at it." She said with humor in her voice. "What happened last night?" She asked after a pause. "I can't remember much. Why am I here?"
"I think Ares drugged you." He looked down. "I was at your party, I was trying to stay away from your mother, and I saw his eyes on you - I mean, all eyes were on you last night," he laughed, "but these eyes intended to do you harm. I could feel it. I watched him follow you into that room. When I entered, he was violating you..." His fists clenched hard, and his muscles went rigid.
"Did he get that far?" She asked.
