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badass_tiger) wrote2024-02-10 12:24 am
badass_tiger) wrote2024-02-10 12:24 am
Entry tags:
Return to Earth (Greek Mythology)
Title: Return to Earth
Prompt: Separation & reunion
Fandom: Greek Mythology
Pairing: Hades/Persephone
Summary: As the time for Persephone's return to the Underworld approaches, Persephone reflects on her conflicting feelings for Hades.
In the last few days, Demeter had been even more possessive than usual, calling out anxiously whenever Persephone strayed out of her sight, fussing over her whenever she reappeared. Persephone normally did not mind her mother's protectiveness, but all she wanted then was some time alone to think, to process the storm of emotions brewing in her chest.
'Why do you keep wandering off, Kore?' one of the serving dryads said, half-reproachfully, half-worriedly. 'Anyone would think you wanted what happened to you the last time you strayed too far to happen again!'
Pursing her lips, Persephone suppressed the urge to retort that maybe she did want Hades to erupt out of the ground to take her away again because it was clearly the only way she would have any peace.
It had been peaceful in the Underworld, the air still and warm, a different kind of warmth from the warmth of her mother's spring and summer. When she had begun to recover from the fright of being abducted, from the fear of him, Hades had asked her to attend court as Queen, and that had not been peaceful. It was nothing like anything she had ever known or imagined. After all, Demeter had carefully guarded her from their family, from the mad going-ons in Olympus, so that she would never have anything to do other than be her free-spirited Kore. Persephone had been confused and bewildered at first, but eventually ... she had enjoyed it. She had no power, no responsibilities on Earth - in other words, she had nothing to do. It was a pleasant state of affairs, to be sure, but as Queen, she had been important, necessary. And as Hades' wife, she had been wanted.
Persephone was no stranger to being wanted. Almost every god, on Olympus and otherwise, had expressed their interest in her, which had eventually lead to Demeter bundling her away to keep her safe on Earth. The way that Hades desired her was fundamentally the same as the way every other god desired her, but -
Was it only because he had been successful in obtaining her that it felt so different?
Everything had been so strange, so terrible, so foreign to everything she had ever known in the Underworld. The Earth that Persephone knew was full of life, flowers bursting into bloom, creatures birthing offspring, the air almost never still, blowing rain, seeds, and chatter across all the lands. The Underworld, being the realm of the dead, was the exact opposite of all that. If the air was full of anything, it was listlessness and desperation, as the dead begged for favours from the King they now served. Persephone felt as if the daughter of the goddess of the seasons should despise that place, and yet, somehow ...
Every time Persephone came to the point, she was inevitably called out of her thoughts, drawn to her fretful mother's side, or to her mother's servants who equally worried for her, who lamented that she would soon leave them.
'Must you go to that horrible place? Is there nothing anyone can do?' they said.
From the moment Persephone had set foot in the Underworld, she had wanted to leave. So why did she bristle whenever her friends spoke in that way? Why did the words to defend Hades rise in her throat? She always swallowed them back, half-ashamed of herself. But whenever she had another quiet moment, her thoughts turned to him again.
Was it such a bad thing to enjoy his desire for her, to find pleasure in the power she held in the Underworld, to find that place fascinating in its own right?
In the final day before Persephone was to leave for the Underworld for a second time, Demeter took her into her arms and, embarrassingly, wept.
'What a wrong I've done you through my neglect,' Demeter mourned. 'I hoped to protect you from all men, yet now you are bound to the worst of them! How can you ever forgive me?'
Persephone was doubly chagrined, to witness Demeter's grief, and to hear Hades spoken of in that way.
'Don't grieve so, Mother,' Persephone tried to say soothingly. 'It's not your fault, and I don't mind being with Hades.'
Demeter sobbed for a few moments more before the words reached her.
'You don't mind being with him?' Demeter said so disbelievingly, her tone was almost sharp. 'That dreadful brother of mine?'
'I -'
'He's worse than Zeus and Poseidon put together! And I know precisely how terrible Zeus and Poseidon are. The thing I hated the most about Hades was how he always kept to himself. You never knew what he was thinking.'
'I like that about him,' Persephone said quietly.
'What was that?'
'I - I like that he isn't so talkative ... it's because he thinks more than he speaks, you see ...'
Demeter stared at her, a frown settling on her brow, as heavy as snow piled on a bough.
'My poor daughter,' she exclaimed, giving in to spasms of grief once again, to Persephone's chagrin. 'Not content with binding you to that wretched place, he has placed a spell on you to make you love him! Does he know no compassion? Can not even your feelings remain your own?'
Persephone was struck by her words, and fear crept into her heart. Was it his power that made her heart incline towards him, just as his power compelled her to return to him after six months on Earth? But she couldn't help thinking it wasn't so. She had not always liked him. It was only after many months of his gentle treatment that she had learnt not to fear him, and many more months of seeing him every day, of observing his quiet ways, and the cold justice with which he reigned over his realm, that she had begun to feel something for him.
Knowing her mother as she did, however, Persephone had the feeling that she wouldn't be able to accept that she held any genuine feeling for Hades. Instead, she said, 'Isn't it better this way? I'm bound to the Underworld now so I may as well like it than otherwise.'
But Demeter was not comforted. She continued to wail about her poor daughter's fate and Persephone could do nothing but sit quietly in her embrace.
Hermes arrived punctually the next day to take Persephone away. There was no power which could keep Persephone above the earth for a moment longer, and Demeter was forced to give up her daughter for the next six months. Persephone had hardly said goodbye before rain began to fall, a terrible rain that drowned instead of nourished, that made men and creatures alike curse and hurry to shelter. But the weather was no longer any concern of Persephone's, and she left for the Underworld.
As she began on her brief journey, trepidation filled her heart, a shadow of the same fear that had overcome her when she had first been brought there. This time, it was not a fear of what would happen to her, but of what her heart would tell her once she saw Hades again.
'Sorry about this. I know you don't want to be here,' Hermes said as they approached the House of Hades.
Persephone frowned, disturbed from her thoughts. Why did everyone around her insist on presuming her feelings?
'What are you apologising for?' she said imperiously.
'Oh ... nothing.'
To her delight, the swift-tongued Hermes fell silent, looking embarrassed. She had learnt these manners from Hades, from her duties as Queen, diffident to use them at first, but eventually had become almost accustomed to it. The servants of the House and the shades who passed through it treated her with such respect and reverence that it was easy to fall into the habit of speaking like the Queen they expected her to be.
Hermes opened the door to the throne room. Persephone lifted her eyes, looked into the large, commanding room, yet her gaze saw only Hades, standing expectantly in the middle of the room. Gladness flooded her heart, dashing away all of her doubts, and she ran to him. For a moment, she caught sight of Hades' expression, even more surprised than she was, but he caught her in his arms and held her.
'Oh,' said Hermes behind her. Hopefully, word would spread quickly, and put an end to all presumption of her feelings.
'Is it through some power of yours that I am happy to see you?' Persephone said softly.
'If I had the power to do that, I would have used it from the moment I brought you here,' Hades replied.
She smiled, pulling back to look at him, to take in the face she had missed for so long. Her feelings were truly her own.
'I am home, husband,' she said.
Hades didn't quite smile back, but Persephone knew him well enough now to perceive the softening of his expression, the tenderness and the passion that blazed in his eyes. Her heart filled with light.
'Welcome home, my Queen,' Hades said, and kissed her.
Prompt: Separation & reunion
Fandom: Greek Mythology
Pairing: Hades/Persephone
Summary: As the time for Persephone's return to the Underworld approaches, Persephone reflects on her conflicting feelings for Hades.
In the last few days, Demeter had been even more possessive than usual, calling out anxiously whenever Persephone strayed out of her sight, fussing over her whenever she reappeared. Persephone normally did not mind her mother's protectiveness, but all she wanted then was some time alone to think, to process the storm of emotions brewing in her chest.
'Why do you keep wandering off, Kore?' one of the serving dryads said, half-reproachfully, half-worriedly. 'Anyone would think you wanted what happened to you the last time you strayed too far to happen again!'
Pursing her lips, Persephone suppressed the urge to retort that maybe she did want Hades to erupt out of the ground to take her away again because it was clearly the only way she would have any peace.
It had been peaceful in the Underworld, the air still and warm, a different kind of warmth from the warmth of her mother's spring and summer. When she had begun to recover from the fright of being abducted, from the fear of him, Hades had asked her to attend court as Queen, and that had not been peaceful. It was nothing like anything she had ever known or imagined. After all, Demeter had carefully guarded her from their family, from the mad going-ons in Olympus, so that she would never have anything to do other than be her free-spirited Kore. Persephone had been confused and bewildered at first, but eventually ... she had enjoyed it. She had no power, no responsibilities on Earth - in other words, she had nothing to do. It was a pleasant state of affairs, to be sure, but as Queen, she had been important, necessary. And as Hades' wife, she had been wanted.
Persephone was no stranger to being wanted. Almost every god, on Olympus and otherwise, had expressed their interest in her, which had eventually lead to Demeter bundling her away to keep her safe on Earth. The way that Hades desired her was fundamentally the same as the way every other god desired her, but -
Was it only because he had been successful in obtaining her that it felt so different?
Everything had been so strange, so terrible, so foreign to everything she had ever known in the Underworld. The Earth that Persephone knew was full of life, flowers bursting into bloom, creatures birthing offspring, the air almost never still, blowing rain, seeds, and chatter across all the lands. The Underworld, being the realm of the dead, was the exact opposite of all that. If the air was full of anything, it was listlessness and desperation, as the dead begged for favours from the King they now served. Persephone felt as if the daughter of the goddess of the seasons should despise that place, and yet, somehow ...
Every time Persephone came to the point, she was inevitably called out of her thoughts, drawn to her fretful mother's side, or to her mother's servants who equally worried for her, who lamented that she would soon leave them.
'Must you go to that horrible place? Is there nothing anyone can do?' they said.
From the moment Persephone had set foot in the Underworld, she had wanted to leave. So why did she bristle whenever her friends spoke in that way? Why did the words to defend Hades rise in her throat? She always swallowed them back, half-ashamed of herself. But whenever she had another quiet moment, her thoughts turned to him again.
Was it such a bad thing to enjoy his desire for her, to find pleasure in the power she held in the Underworld, to find that place fascinating in its own right?
In the final day before Persephone was to leave for the Underworld for a second time, Demeter took her into her arms and, embarrassingly, wept.
'What a wrong I've done you through my neglect,' Demeter mourned. 'I hoped to protect you from all men, yet now you are bound to the worst of them! How can you ever forgive me?'
Persephone was doubly chagrined, to witness Demeter's grief, and to hear Hades spoken of in that way.
'Don't grieve so, Mother,' Persephone tried to say soothingly. 'It's not your fault, and I don't mind being with Hades.'
Demeter sobbed for a few moments more before the words reached her.
'You don't mind being with him?' Demeter said so disbelievingly, her tone was almost sharp. 'That dreadful brother of mine?'
'I -'
'He's worse than Zeus and Poseidon put together! And I know precisely how terrible Zeus and Poseidon are. The thing I hated the most about Hades was how he always kept to himself. You never knew what he was thinking.'
'I like that about him,' Persephone said quietly.
'What was that?'
'I - I like that he isn't so talkative ... it's because he thinks more than he speaks, you see ...'
Demeter stared at her, a frown settling on her brow, as heavy as snow piled on a bough.
'My poor daughter,' she exclaimed, giving in to spasms of grief once again, to Persephone's chagrin. 'Not content with binding you to that wretched place, he has placed a spell on you to make you love him! Does he know no compassion? Can not even your feelings remain your own?'
Persephone was struck by her words, and fear crept into her heart. Was it his power that made her heart incline towards him, just as his power compelled her to return to him after six months on Earth? But she couldn't help thinking it wasn't so. She had not always liked him. It was only after many months of his gentle treatment that she had learnt not to fear him, and many more months of seeing him every day, of observing his quiet ways, and the cold justice with which he reigned over his realm, that she had begun to feel something for him.
Knowing her mother as she did, however, Persephone had the feeling that she wouldn't be able to accept that she held any genuine feeling for Hades. Instead, she said, 'Isn't it better this way? I'm bound to the Underworld now so I may as well like it than otherwise.'
But Demeter was not comforted. She continued to wail about her poor daughter's fate and Persephone could do nothing but sit quietly in her embrace.
Hermes arrived punctually the next day to take Persephone away. There was no power which could keep Persephone above the earth for a moment longer, and Demeter was forced to give up her daughter for the next six months. Persephone had hardly said goodbye before rain began to fall, a terrible rain that drowned instead of nourished, that made men and creatures alike curse and hurry to shelter. But the weather was no longer any concern of Persephone's, and she left for the Underworld.
As she began on her brief journey, trepidation filled her heart, a shadow of the same fear that had overcome her when she had first been brought there. This time, it was not a fear of what would happen to her, but of what her heart would tell her once she saw Hades again.
'Sorry about this. I know you don't want to be here,' Hermes said as they approached the House of Hades.
Persephone frowned, disturbed from her thoughts. Why did everyone around her insist on presuming her feelings?
'What are you apologising for?' she said imperiously.
'Oh ... nothing.'
To her delight, the swift-tongued Hermes fell silent, looking embarrassed. She had learnt these manners from Hades, from her duties as Queen, diffident to use them at first, but eventually had become almost accustomed to it. The servants of the House and the shades who passed through it treated her with such respect and reverence that it was easy to fall into the habit of speaking like the Queen they expected her to be.
Hermes opened the door to the throne room. Persephone lifted her eyes, looked into the large, commanding room, yet her gaze saw only Hades, standing expectantly in the middle of the room. Gladness flooded her heart, dashing away all of her doubts, and she ran to him. For a moment, she caught sight of Hades' expression, even more surprised than she was, but he caught her in his arms and held her.
'Oh,' said Hermes behind her. Hopefully, word would spread quickly, and put an end to all presumption of her feelings.
'Is it through some power of yours that I am happy to see you?' Persephone said softly.
'If I had the power to do that, I would have used it from the moment I brought you here,' Hades replied.
She smiled, pulling back to look at him, to take in the face she had missed for so long. Her feelings were truly her own.
'I am home, husband,' she said.
Hades didn't quite smile back, but Persephone knew him well enough now to perceive the softening of his expression, the tenderness and the passion that blazed in his eyes. Her heart filled with light.
'Welcome home, my Queen,' Hades said, and kissed her.