| |
The day was still and quiet, and for once the castle of the god of the Underworld did not ring with the sound of innocent laughter from children playing in the courtyard.
High above his kingdom, Hades surveyed his land with bleak eyes, his heart still grieving for the humiliation that his people had suffered because of him.
Even now, the mere memory of what he witnessed made him shudder in renewed fury while the desire to claim vengeance still throbbed powerfully in his veins.
The centaurs had been turned into brainless donkeys, forced to carry on their backs lesser immortals that could never even aspire to possessing a fraction of their nobility and courage. The Harpies, fierce, brave warriors, had been hunted down like they were no different from ordinary fowl.
And the list went on and on, Hades thought numbly. All around him, his people had suffered, and he had not known – because his own queen had deliberately kept him in the dark.
She had plied him with wine and kisses and seduced him with sweet flattery and coy gestures. It was Persephone the way she had been when they first met, and it intoxicated him, so much so he had become deaf to the agony of his own subjects.
If not for Thanatos deliberately crashing the party and reporting to him of the incidents taking place, his people’s agony would have lasted the entire night. But even then, she had tried to stop him from learning the truth, had even threatened to leave him if he followed Thanatos out of the castle.
It was at that moment the spell his queen had woven over him was broken, and Hades began to see Persephone for who she really was. Just looking at her beautiful lying eyes was enough, and he knew, without seeing anything else, that something was terribly wrong.
He knew that, but even, so it did not prepare him for the horrors that awaited Hades upon leaving his castle.
Underworld’s beauty had not been spoiled by Persephone’s ball, but its heart had been trampled upon. All around Hades, he could only see unspeakable anguish, with his people reduced into slaves and pets subjected to the vilely capricious whims of the queen’s guests.
Rage nearly blinding him, the god of the Underworld summoned for the winds, and they raged across the kingdom. Windows exploded and the guests began to scream and rush out of the castle.
Rising to the air, he appeared in front of the stampeding crowd, hissing, “If I ever see any of your faces again, you will suffer a fate far worse than death.”
Cries of horror rose from the queen’s guests as they fought among each other for the chance to flee.
Hades then turned to his subjects. “Once the silver sun touches the sky, you have my permission to devour anyone who remains on our land.”
****
“ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?”
The queen’s words destroyed the bleak solitude Hades had isolated himself in, and he turned away from the sight of his kingdom to face Persephone.
When he didn’t say anything, Persephone said bitterly, “You really are cruel just like they say you are.” She began to cry, and the sound of her sobs made the god of the Underworld clench his fists, knowing he was the cause of her tears. Even now, despite knowing her faults, he still loved her. It broke his heart to see her in such a state, but he also knew he could and would not regret what he had done.
At her continued sobs, Hades said tiredly, “There is nothing for me to say.”
Persephone’s head jerked up at the words. “How can you think there is nothing for you to say when you have taken away my pride?” she demanded shrilly. “I will never ever be able to show my face to anyone again. You have turned your own queen into a pariah!”
Hades didn’t answer, knowing that perhaps in the eyes of one so young, his actions had been as cruel and humiliating as his queen thought they were.
“Say something!”
His temper flared, and Hades snapped, “Tell me then.” His eyes blazing with fury, he gritted out, “Tell me how you could have done such a thing to them. Tell me!” He wanted to say much more, to accuse her the way she had accused him, but Hades managed to swallow the rest of his words, knowing how it would only make his queen shed more tears.
Guilt stung the queen’s conscience, and a part of her heart shriveled at the disenchantment she glimpsed on her husband’s face. But even so, vanity and pride had her lifting her chin and muttering defensively, “I do not see anything wrong in what happened. It was all done in the spirit of fun—-”
Hades let out a hiss of disbelief. “Fun?”
Flinching at the revulsion on her husband’s face, Persephone momentarily faltered, unused to being treated thus.
“They are our people, Persephone. Our people! There is nothing the least bit fun,” Hades gritted out, “about having our subjects turned into a goddamn freak show—-”
“They are our subjects,” Persephone screamed, “and I am your wife! You must take my side!”
“Not when you are wrong,” Hades roared.
In a fit of fury, she jumped out of the bed and grabbing the first object she could get her hands on, she threw a priceless vase at her husband. “How dare you treat me this way? How dare you?”
She threw everything she could reach at him, but the god only had to wave his hand in the air for his powers to deflect them, and her rage took on a venomous and vengeful turn.
“You promised me they were mine to command,” she hissed, “and they know it.”
Hades whitened.
“So if there’s anyone to blame for this—-” She looked at him straight in the eyes. “It is you.”
She walked away, leaving the god of the Underworld broken because both of them knew she had spoken the truth.