My greatest fear was for her to be taken for me. My siblings could not reverse what I had done. My last resort was to crush the seeds and make her drink them while she slept.
I quickly swooped down to taste her lips and avoid her suspicion should she try to read me. The moment I tasted her lips and the remnants of the sweet fruit in her mouth, I forgot about everything but my beautiful Spring Goddess and Queen of the Underworld.
The ruler of my heart.
Epilogue
Persephone
Three Years Later
I bit my lip as my mother continued to fuss over me. It was my third annual cycle, and she still treated me like a young child. The first cycle was difficult due to the amount of destruction my mother caused, but when I heard her woes, I understood her pain, just as she eventually came to terms with me consuming food from the Underworld.
I had spent the spring and summer months coaxing the world back to life, my hands brushing over the fields and forests, my presence a balm to the land. As the days grew shorter and the first hints of autumn tinged the air, I felt the familiar pull in my chest—a longing for the shadows, the cool stillness of the Underworld, and the God who waited for me.
Demeter continued to fuss nearby, her voice a constant stream of reminders and warnings. “Don't forget to bundle up, my dear. The Underworld is so cold and dark. And remember, you must return to me as soon as the first buds appear. You belong here, with me, where it is safe.”
I clenched my fists together because they were the same words each time. I loved my mother dearly, but the constant coddling and the endless reminders of my supposed fragility grated on me. I wish I could tell her that all I wanted to do was fuck my husband nonstop for the first three months of returning to the Underworld. That his massive cock would keep me very warm. I took a deep breath as my rapid thoughts calmed me down, and I stifled a snigger.
My mother would always see me as the young maiden who had been whisked away by Hades all those years ago. She wouldn't accept that I was a Queen, a Goddess in my own right.
“Don't forget your plant,” she said with a smirk.
My mother might be overbearing, but she would never allow anyone to disrespect me, be it as her daughter or the Queen of the Underworld. Motherhood was complicated.
“Thank you, Mother,” I said, kissing her cheek and hugging her before I took the plant from her.
The sun dipped below the horizon, casting the world in hues of gold and crimson. A low rumble echoed through the earth, and my heart began to beat faster at the thought of seeing Hades again after six long months. The ground trembled, and a fissure opened, releasing a plume of dark mist. From the depths emerged Hades’ chariot, drawn by our magnificent black horses.
I ignored my mother’s grumbling as I heard the hooves of Hades horses. The meaning behind the shadowy dead horses were Blazing, Avenger, Of the Night and Darkness. Their eyes were hollow and dead, but their black coats shimmered under the faint light.
Hades stood at the reins, his tall, imposing figure cloaked in shadows, his dark eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made me clench my thighs together. I could feel the aggression oozing from my mother, but my gaze was locked on Hades. A smile spread across my face as I stepped forward. Hades brought the chariot to a halt, his eyes softening as they met mine.
“My Queen,” he said, his voice low and deep but more of a rumble from his chest, carrying forth a warmth that only I could hear. He extended a hand to me. “It is time.”
I took his hand without hesitation. “I have a few things that I’m bringing.”
“Of course,” he said, scanning the box and plant before he gathered my items and placed them on the chariot.
He paused to look at the plant before he reached for my hand again. As soon as I stepped onto the chariot, I felt a surge of exhilaration, the thrill of returning to my realm, to my throne, to a man who saw me as his equal and not a child. The horses stamped their hooves, eager to return to the depths, and Hades tightened his grip on the reins.
“Persephone, remember your duty. You must return to me,” my mother said sharply, stepping forward.
I knew this reminder was for Hades, but I remained calm.
“I will return, Mother, but I am needed elsewhere for now,” I said firmly.
Before my mother could respond, Hades flicked the reins, and the chariot surged forward, plunging into the fissure. The world above vanished in a blur of light and colour, replaced by the shadows of the Underworld. I breathed the familiar scent of earth and stone, filling my lungs up. A sense of homecoming took over as the weight of my mother’s expectations fell away.
Hades glanced at me with a small, knowing smile playing on his lips. “You’ve missed it,” he said, his tone teasing but affectionate.
“You know I have,” I said, excited to be back. “I’ve missed the quiet, the order, the…power. And I’ve missed you.”
“You are the heart of this realm, Persephone. It has been dull without you,” he said, rubbing his fingers along my cheek until I closed my eyes.
The chariot descended further, and the landscape of the Underworld came into view—the dark Rivers, the towering palace, the various meadows and fields. A thrill of anticipation filled me as the chariot came to a stop at our palace.
“Welcome home, my love,” Hades murmured, his breath warm against my ear.
