“How much longer, do you think?”
The goddess straightened, one hand still on her stomach. “Perhaps we will have twins for Christmas.”
“That is days away.”
She’d had a lot of feelings about giving birth over the last few months. Anxiety and fear were definitely there, but as she crept closer and closer to the end, she also felt ready. She wanted to meet her children.
“We can always try to expedite things with a little walk around Asphodel,” said Hecate. “You can also have sex with Hades.”
“Tell him that,” Persephone said, unable to hide her frustration on the topic. “He’s worried the babies will retaliate.”
At first, he’d been afraid he’d hurt them. It had taken a lot of conversation and reassurance to convince him to try. She’d been so relieved when he’d agreed, her lust insatiable at the time, but her victory was short-lived when he noticed a pattern. Each night after they’d been intimate, she’d wake up screaming from horrifying nightmares. He put two and two together and determined that the babies were not fans.
Needless to say, they hadn’t been having sex. While she didn’t blame the twins, she missed connecting with Hades in that way. When he made love to her, it was worship, and that worship gave her energy, something she needed now more than ever.
And honestly, she would take the nightmares if it accelerated the birth of these babies.
Hecate sighed. “Divine babies certainly have their challenges. They have no control over their powers, and you have two working together in there.”
“I know.” Persephone frowned, looking down at her belly. “I wonder how much trouble they will get into outside the womb, considering they are already so mischievous.”
“Don’t wonder, my love,” Hecate said. “Prepare.”
Persephone gave a short, breathless laugh as the goddess nudged her to sit.
“Let’s get you ready for the ceremony,” she said.
Persephone took a seat at the vanity and the lampades descended. They spent more time on her eyes than usual, likely struggling to lighten the dark circles that had appeared in the last few weeks. She could glamour them, but that took effort, and she had just enough to get the palace ready for the holidays and the babies, so the lampades would have to work their own magic.
They kept her hair down at her request. She didn’t want to bother with the headache of tight ponytails or braids.
When the nymphs were finished, she rose to find Hecate ready and waiting to help her into her gown. It was white and satin, and as the goddess slipped it over Persephone’s head, she found the fit comfortable and flowy. The waist was high, the sleeves long and billowy.
“The dress is lovely, Hecate,” Persephone said, smoothing her hands over her satin-covered belly, turning to the side as she looked in the mirror.
“It is lovely,” Hecate agreed, lifting her hands as a crystal crown appeared between them. It looked like a cascade of falling ice and gleamed like snow under the sun. Persephone bent so that Hecate could place it upon her head and took a step back to admire her work. “Almost as lovely as you.”
The last additions to her outfit were a pair of slippers for her swollen feet and a white fur stole for warmth.
“I believe you are ready for the first snow of the season, my dear,” Hecate declared just as a knock came.
“Come in,” Persephone called.
She expected Hades, but was also not surprised when Hermes threw open the door and sauntered into her suite dressed in a puffy white snowsuit. The sleeves and hood were lined with fur.
“Never fear, I am here!” he announced.
“I don’t think any of us feared you weren’t coming, Hermes,” said Hecate dryly. “We all know how competitive you are.”
“I’m not competitive,” he argued, hands on his hips. “I simply have a title to defend.”
“What title is that, Hermes?” Persephone asked.
Hecate gave her a look, as if to say, Why are you encouraging him?
“I am the two-time champion of the Annual Underworld Snowball Fight,” he said. “And it’s about to be three.”
“I had no idea it was a contest,” Persephone said, a note of sarcasm in her voice Hermes either did not hear or completely ignored it.
