Tears streaked her face, one half of a pomegranate resting in her palm, the other half staining the rug beneath her knees. A pair of metallic onyx cuff bracelets adorned her wrists now, and her crying turned into sobs.
Clenching my jaw, I numbly picked up the other half of the pomegranate, some of its seeds falling like raindrops between us. “Persephone, you didn’t—” It was all I could manage to say because I knew full well what had happened. The bracelets were a clear enough indicator that she’d eaten food of the Underworld.
“I didn’t mean to—I—” Persephone fought to catch her breath, the pomegranate toppling from her hand to the floor. “—I was so hungry. I thought maybe onlyoneseed.”
I’d wanted to sympathize with her, desired to tell her everything would be alright, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I warned her, and she disobeyed. Telling her all would be well would be a bold-facedlie.
“I told you not to eat anything, and what was the first thing youdid, Persephone?” Rising, I tossed the pomegranate to the ground with a snarl.
It had landed nowhere near her, but the action made Persephone jump nonetheless. “I know what you said,” she yelled, her voice cracking from crying. “But I couldn’t sleep with how much my stomach rumbled with hunger.”
A fire lit in my veins, and I clenched my fists to keep my anger at bay. “You can’t leave now.”
“What?” Persephone sniffled and scrambled to her feet, clutching my robes with such ferocity the cloth pulled taut against my back. “I know you said that, but there has to be a loophole. Therehasto be.”
With as much delicacy as I could manage through the rage surging within me, I took her wrists and pried them away. “There isnoloophole. The Underworld is your new home, Persephone.”
Her eyes grew wide, new tears forming, her nose and cheeks having turned crimson from her sobs. “No, no. I’ll never see my mother again. My friends?”
Casting my gaze to the floral rug, I flicked two of my black claws together. “You will. One day.”
Hope brightened her face until the daunting realization of my words settled in. “You mean when they’redead?”
I stayed silent and only offered her my unfaltering eyes on hers.
“Get out,” she whispered, her own anger simmering now.
Moving for the door, I paused with my hand on the frame. “I never meant for this to happen.”
“Then you should’ve never brought me down here, Hades,” she shouted, tears still streaming down her cheeks. “This isallyour fault, and I will never forgive you for it.” Persephone lifted her chin and sucked in a deep breath of defiance.
Bowing my head, I floated through the door, wincing when Persephone began to wail. I believed her when she said she’d never forgive me because I couldn’t be sure I’d ever forgivemyself.
Two days passed and Persephone had yet to leave her room. She’d cry and wail through the day until she lost her voice, resorting to throwing things in anger after that. Countless times, I walked past with my hand nearing the door’s handle, only to recoil it the moment sounds of her sobbing echoed through the wood paneling separating us. Most amenities were made available to her, therefore, she had little reason to leave if she didn’t wish, but she’d soon run out of food and beverages. Even gods had to consume sustenance. We’d never die of starvation, but it sure as Tartarus was anything but a pleasant experience to endure.
On the third day, I conjured a platter of fruits, bread, nuts, cheese, and a variety of meats. Persephone’s sobbing was far less today, having dulled to sniffling and sighs. After knocking lightly on the door, I didn’t say anything at first. I half expectedsomething to crash against the door or for her to tell me to go away.
When neither scenario happened, I cleared my throat. “Persephone, stay in there all you like, but youmusteat something, darling.”
“Must I?” Persephone mocked. “Eating is precisely what got me into this mess in the first place.”
Grimacing at that valid point, I twisted my grip on the tray. “I understand yourreservationsregarding it now, but what’s done is done. You must eat something, or the hunger pangs will become more painful the more you try to ignore them.”
“I’ll deal with it,” she snarled, tossing something at the door that sounded like a light thwap. A pillow, perhaps?
Where was her reserve when I warned hernotto eat?
Suppressing a growl, I plunged only my hand through the door, unable to see anything inside, and dropped the platter on the ground. It wasn’t high enough that the fall would ruinallthe food, but it was enough to make a loud clanging sound. Persephone yelped, and I yanked my hand back.
“Eat it or don’t eat it and let it rot. I’ve got akingdomto run.” Snapping my robes behind me, I turned and headed down the hallway.
A light shuffling sounded from her room, the scrape of the tray against the floor following. Sighing with relief, I continued, pausing only when I spotted Cerberus crouched with all six ears drooping. His noses sniffed the air, no doubt transfixed on our new guest.
“Cerbie, old friend, she doesn’t want to be here. Even if she likes canines, something tells me you are not the solution to her problem right now.” I scratched his middle chest, using my claws against the black and brown fur.
Cerberus knew better than to whine, but made up for it in unappreciated laps of his tongues against my cheek andshoulders. Encouraging him to follow, I led us back to the throne room where I sulked in my seat, awaiting the next batch of souls Thanatos had sent to me.
This was all I ever wanted for decades now—someone to share my time with in the Underworld. Zeus was right when he’d said he never forbade me from taking a Queen, but what goddess in their right mind would wish for this to be their home? My own god-king brothers wouldn’t have been able to handle it, so what made me think anyone else would?
