Chapter 13 - Elysium

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The handmaidens worked furiously that morning preparing their mistress for her journey to Elysium. Her body was scrubbed so thoroughly that her skin was pink and raw by the time she emerged from the bath, her hair brushed with such vigor she was surprised to see any remained on her head, and even her poor toes were subject to their meticulous ministrations. They dressed her in a sheer, cream colored toga that plunged down the front, a golden chained belt was fastened around her waist, and gleaming bands were placed on her upper arms. Her hair was kept loose about her face and her lips were darkened with the crushed petals of her roses. Persephone had watched carefully, making sure they did not take too many petals to cause harm to the plant. They were giddy with excitement at her visit to Elysium and they were full of both questions and advice as they nestled flowers in her curled tresses. Persephone let their chatter flow around her and she hoped it would settle the sick feeling in her stomach. Jocasta had tutted when she had not touched her breakfast again, but everytime she thought of last night she felt sick. Why had she said those words to him? Why had he asked her to?

Her gaze narrowed as she studied the gown. “Is this toga not too transparent? You can almost see my hand through it!” Persephone exclaimed.

Jocasta laughed, “Well that is the point my dear. Your husband should enjoy more than just the view. But desire starts first with a glance.” The women snorted with suppressed laughter, both grabbing a dry brush to stroke against her skin. “We are hoping that tonight will be the night when the magic happens.”

She was tugged back and forth as they rubbed her down with oils, and when she began to feel dizzy, Persephone pulled the brushes gently  from their hands and set them on the dresser. “Magic? Will someone be performing tricks tonight?”

They looked up at her with surprise and laughed again. “Your husband will be when he beds you!” The younger servants howled with laughter and Jocasta shooed them away.

Persephone felt her face burn. “That is impertinent!” Once the two younger women were out of hearing distance, Persephone leaned closer to the older woman and whispered, “And besides, how do you know we have not already?”

“It is not impertinent to assume that two people who love each other will spend the night together. Especially when they are a husband and wife,” Jocasta said, patting Persephone’s cheek. “And how do I know you have not shared a bed yet? Well, I have not seen a man after his wedding night still watching his wife like a hungry wolf, and you look at him like you have not had a good meal in… well ever! ”

Persephone’s blush turned deeper. “Do people talk about us?”

“My dear,” Jocasta said in a motherly tone, “you are the beautiful, new Queen of the Underworld who does not share the rooms of her new, very handsome husband. Of course they talk about you.”

She stood, still embarrassed that the servants gossiped that she was not sleeping in her husband’s room. She paused before the mirror trying to pull at the low neckline of her gown and then gave up the fight. She replayed Jocasta’s words in her mind. Two people in love? There was that word again, could she not escape it? “You think I am in love?” Persephone asked in what she hoped was a steady voice.

The older lady bent to fasten the sandals around her ankles. “Sometimes love roars like a lion, but sometimes love...it is a whisper, a whisper in a world of roars. Love is whispering to you dear.” She rose and looked Persephone in her eyes, her eyes sad as she surveyed her. “I hope you will listen to the whisper.”

Her nieces returned and Jocasta said in a louder voice, “Well, I think you are ready, your majesty!” Then all three were pulling her through the halls to the stables, pushing her to the doors, chortling as Jocasta leaned forward and whispered, “Let the magic happen.” And gave her one final push through the stable doors.

Hades was bridling one of the horses as she stumbled like an oaf through the doorway, catching herself quickly before she landed on the ground. He looked up just as she caught her balance, eyebrows drawn over his dark eyes. “Are you unwell?”

The infernal blush returned and she eyed the doorway, but the women had vanished leaving her alone with her husband. She pushed her hair from her face and tried to look queen-like as she replied, “I am quite well. The maidens were a bit over exuberant this morning.” Hades laughed softly, turning his attention back to the bridle. Well, he would at least not mention last night it seemed. She moved closer to him, eyeing the horse.

“Who is this?” Persephone asked, anxious to change the subject.

“This is Aethon,” he replied, running his long fingers through the thick black mane. “I have been told she is swifter than an arrow, which perhaps seemed appropriate given the circumstances.” Before she could respond he extended his hand to her. “Come and meet her.” She placed her hand in his without thinking and caught her breath as he brushed his thumb against her palm before lifting her hand to the horse’s soft, black nose. Aethon gave a delicate sniff of approval, and Hades brushed Persephone’s hand against the horse’s elegant neck. “She is beautiful isn’t she?” he asked softly behind her. Persephone could only nod, her mouth suddenly dry at his nearness. His warmth seemed to soak into her and she wanted to lean into him, let the heat of his body take away the chill that she always seemed to carry with her, that seemed to be so much a part of her.

Persephone cleared her throat. “Which horse will I be riding?”

“Aethon,” his voice was a dark whisper behind her.

“And you?” she asked.

“Aethon,” he replied again. Persephone turned to look at him and he let their hands drop, but did not step away from her.

She looked up into his shadowed, inscrutable face and knew she should argue and demand her own mount. It was clear by now that any physical contact between them was dangerous, but all she said was, “Oh.”

A smile played about his lips. “Shall we go?” She nodded and Hades grabbed her waist, his large hands spanning her rib cage. In the sheer gown she could feel his fingertips pressed against her cool skin and she closed her eyes, savoring the sensation, very glad he could not see her face. He lifted her onto the raven-black steed, and if he let their bodies linger together longer than necessary, she would not be the one to mention it. Once mounted, she leaned forward and brushed her hands again over the horse’s ebony coat. She suddenly felt Hades hard body behind her and then he pulled her tightly against him and murmured, “Aethon, take us to the Meadows.”

The horse took off, her hooves pounding furiously beneath them and Persephone let out a gasp of laughter as the wind pulled at her hair and gown. It felt like she was flying, flying higher and higher and leaving the world far behind them. Hades pressed Persephone closer to his body and she let him, let the movements of the horse press them tightly against each other, until the three of them moved as one. Aethon sped through the landscapes of the Underworld like a whirlwind, until finally  the River Styx appeared ahead. The wind tore at her and Persephone felt a thrill of uncertainty as the horse turned towards the water. She caught her breath almost letting out a scream of warning, but then Aethon began running on the water, her hooves sending glittering sparkles in the air around them.

Persephone let out a gasp of delight and turned her face towards Hades, almost brushing her lips against his ear so he could hear her against the rushing wind. “How can the water sparkle without the light of the sun?” she asked breathlessly.

“Those are souls lighting the waters. Souls glisten. Like stars.”

Persephone stared into the sparkling waters below. Like stars. “Under the stars,” she whispered and she began to turn her face towards him when this time she did let out a small scream as the horse dove into the river. The waves pulsed around their faces as they descended down into the starlit waters and her breath caught in her throat. She was reminded of her descent into the Underworld, but how different this was as lights of brilliant colors shot all around them. Souls. Pure white light dancing across eternity, more beautiful than any night sky. Suddenly the heavens seemed suspended in time as the world turned topsy turvy, so that they were hanging from the darkness itself, and she felt the blood rush to her head as Aethon galloped in the upside down universe. And all the time his strong arm was kept so tightly around her. Had not he always kept her still when the world moved in chaos around them? She closed her eyes tightly, afraid that they would fall into nothingness, but she knew that Hades would never allow it.

She realized they had stopped moving when she heard his voice in her ear, “Open your eyes, Persephone.” As she let her eyelids slowly lift, she let out a quiet sound. They had crossed time itself to enter another universe. They stood in clear endless water that sparkled from the bright sun hanging high in the azure sky. “Can you swim?”

“Of course,” she said, piqued, and then she had only a moment to process his smile as he took her hand and pulled her from Aethon’s saddle and they tumbled into the soft, warm water beneath them.

Persephone watched as Hades swam towards her in the clear water, his dark hair billowing around his face and she felt her heart give a curious squeeze at the smile on his lips. She floated in the water, her dress and long hair encircling her, and she let him reach her when she shoved her hands causing a small wave to crash against him. She gave a laugh, bubbles coming from her lips at the expression on his face and then she began making long strides in the water. She felt a hand on her ankle as he pulled her back to him and she gave a noiseless little scream. He pulled her against him giving her a stern expression as she gave him her most innocent look. Clearly not convinced, he took her hand and they swam together, his long legs propelling them faster than hers could alone. When they reached the surface Persephone emerged from the water to feel the sunlight warm on her face and she kept her eyes closed against the heavenly sensation. When she glanced over, Hades was watching her, rivulets of water travelling down his face. He looked so darkly sensual she found it hard to catch her breath or look away. She swallowed as one droplet of water disappeared slowly down his neck. Persephone opened her mouth, anxious to break the quiet moment, when a large wave splashed over her head. Strong hands grasped her as she sputtered to the surface again laughing.

“Yours was much larger,” she said, trying to school her features into a ferocious expression.

“It is not revenge if you do not pay it back ten fold, my sweet,” he said in a courteous voice, his face close to hers.

She held up her hands. “Truce?” she asked.

“Now where is the fun in that?” With that cryptic statement he took her hand and they waded from the waters, petals falling onto the surface like gentle raindrops. Aethon was already waiting at the shore. Persephone turned in a circle surveying the land around them.

“This is beautiful,” she breathed.

The Meadows consisted of lush green grass as far as the eye could see and ivory flowers danced in the fields and she felt an irresistible urge to join them. Giving Hades a mischievous look, she set off and she felt him on her heels, the sunlight illuminating their skin. She heard other living things in the tall grass and made out rabbit and deer and creatures of the forest following behind them; her heart felt light. She was amongst those beings who made her the happiest, the free spirits of the wild. Hades ran ahead of her and she barrelled into him and his strong arms kept them upright. She looked up, her breath coming in short gasps and mingled with laughter.

“Must we stop?” she asked.

“This is only the Meadows, do you not want to see Elysium?”

She bent and scooped up a rabbit that was settled at her feet. “Oh, can we stay here just a bit longer?” She rubbed the soft fur against her cheek and then lifted him to Hades’ face and to her surprise he bent and rubbed one soft ear between his fingers.

“Bring your friend and I will show you the lake,” he said.

They walked through the fields and came to a large lake bordered by olive trees and pink wildflowers. Hades led her towards the shore and there they sat playing with the animals that had followed them, and to her delight even a badger came eventually, its striped little face peeking curiously at her.

Finally Hades asked again, “Are you ready for Elysium?”

“It cannot be better than this,” she said, reluctantly setting down the skunk that had settled into her lap.

He smiled, “It is.” Hades whistled and Aethon appeared again. He jumped onto the tall back of the horse and she stood up as he raced towards her, grabbing her in steady arms as he placed her in front of him.

“To Elysium, Aethon.” The horse bounded towards the forest beyond the meadows, booming hooves echoing through the woods as she swerved in and out of trees. As the horse flew over the ground, the landscape began to change again. The blue skies turned purple and pink and a vast ocean replaced the endless fields of the meadows. Craggy mountains appeared  in the distance and waterfalls fell from the sky, pouring their sapphire waters into the ocean below. It was Elysium, it was heaven. Never in her life had she seen anything so beautiful and she found for once that words failed her. Hades steered the horse to a precipice on the edge of white cliffs which stretched around the sea. The grass was green and lush, the terrain mountainous with cypress trees decorating the landscape. Roses draped over the jagged rocks and melted down into the ocean. He helped her off the horse and she looked out at the eternal  pink skies.

“Hades, your kingdom is greater than Zeus’. Never in my life have I seen anything like this. Nothing on Earth can compare. Not my mother’s temple, not Posedian’s sea, not Mount Olympus.”

“That is praise indeed,” he replied, taking her hand again to lead her down a long white staircase carved from the mountain. At the bottom lay a blue lagoon surrounded by lush grass and red roses that grew along the shoreline. Persephone grabbed Hades’ hand and ran towards the water, forgetting her shyness in the excitement and for a while they were consumed with who could produce the largest wave. Persephone’s shrieks of outraged laughter echoed off the mountain as a particularly enormous one sent her under water.

She waded towards him. “You win!” she cried laughing still. She paused as she heard his low laughter, realizing she had never heard the sound from him. He had laughed previously of course, but always with irony or dark humor. She had never heard him laugh with happiness. She walked closer, mesmerized by the sound. “I like your laugh,” she said softly. She was close to him now and only several inches separated them from touching. She was surprised at the look of uncertainty that crossed his face. Was the Prince of Darkness feeling shy, she thought with astonishment. Taking pity on him, she grasped his hand again and pulled him towards the shore. “I am hungry! Let us find some food.”

They sat on a swing in the inlet, picked grapes from the vines and watched the sunset, shades of orange and yellow playing across the sky. A pale icy moon rose over the horizon and she watched in wonder as the sky turned a brilliant shade of shifting green.

“What is that?” she whispered in awe.

“That is the Aurora Borealis,” Hades replied, one of his hands wrapped around the rope holding the swing as he glanced upward. She watched the phenomenon, mesmerized as it lit up the night sky.

"I have never seen one of these," Persephone said, turning her face to look at him.

“The first of many things I hope to share with you,” his low voice said. The colors bounced off of his pale skin and in the changing shades his expression was impossible to read. She gave a small shiver and he stood suddenly, his back to her. “I will make a fire to dry us.” Persephone walked to a nearby cove that held many fruit trees and gathered a variety of each, arranging a platter for them. They sat by the crackling fire and she raised her hands to the enticing warmth.

She stared at the flames, deep in thought, as she realized that this was the first time, perhaps since childhood, that she had felt truly free. Free to run with no walls holding her inside. She had been held so long within the confines of her mother’s temple and then behind the gates of the Underworld that she had forgotten what it meant to have no restrictions. She looked up at the stars. “Thank you for one of the best days of my life,” she said.

His heart ached at the sight of her, her face alight with the colors in the sky. She smelled of honeysuckle and dewdrop and he almost thanked the God above that had cursed him with the arrow that had forced his hand. He did not respond to her simple statement, he found he could not find his voice, but instead he picked up the small hand close to his own and pressed it to his mouth. He pretended to look up, to watch the sky, but really he watched her, wanting to absorb every emotion that passed on her face, however briefly, to carry the memory of her with him -- forever. He kept her hand in his and to his surprise she did not pull away.

“Why did you not marry Apollo or Hermes?” he asked suddenly, the question one that had long nagged at him. “They have their faults, but they both could have protected you from Ares seeking your hand.”

She picked up a mango and bit into it thoughtfully as she considered his question, the juice running down her full lips, and he wanted to groan. He forced his eyes back up to the sky, “There were many reasons I refused them,” she said finally. “I did not love them. I did not respect them. I did not desire them. Marriage to them would be like all the others on Olympus, superficial and unfaithful. They had no affection for me; I had no affection for them. Besides,” she continued, “I like being alone. Like Athena.”

He glanced at her then, relieved she had finished her fruit. “No you do not, Persephone,” he said. “Your soul starves for love.”

“How do you know what my soul ‘starves for’?” she demanded.

“Souls are my specialty,” he said, the tinge of mockery back in his voice.  “Were those the only reasons you refused them?”

He saw her tense and he could not bear that distrust enter between them here, so he reached for her, pulling her into his arms and whispered into her hair, “No more questions, Persephone, just sit with me and watch the sky. For tonight that is the only thing I will ask.”

For a moment she was stiff in his arms, but then he felt as her body began to become pliant against his. He could feel her heartbeat against his chest and it seemed to beat to the rhythm of his own. Or was it his heartbeat that acquiesced to hers? Was such a thing possible?

A star shot across the sky and Persephone tilted her head back to look at him, her lips brushing against his jaw. Did she know or was it merely an accident of proximity? “Make a wish,” she said against his ear.

Hades brushed a lock of her hair from her face, watching her expression. “If I could have one wish it would be to have a family. “ Her eyes shot quickly to his face and then glanced away and he felt her muscles tighten beneath him. When she said nothing he finally asked softly, “Do you not want children one day?”

She kept her face averted from his as she replied, “No,” in a quiet voice. “And you are not supposed to say your wish, you know. It may not come true.”

Hades laughed, “Superstition failed to impress me long ago.” He hesitated and then continued. “It is unusual that a fertility goddess would not desire children.”

She did turn then, her hair whipping across his face as she regarded him with narrowed eyes,“Strange that a God of Death would want to bring life into the world.”

Hades smiled, though it did not reach his eyes. “I was not always a God of Death, Persephone. Though my time here has taught me how closely death and life are intertwined. From death comes rebirth; from endings – new beginnings.”

Unabashedly he stated,  “If I could, I would trade all the riches in my kingdom for something more priceless - a family that loved me.”

“I thought I wanted children too... once,” she admitted.

“Ah, once… but not anymore? That is a shame Persephone, you would  be a magnificent mother.” He could imagine her with a sweet babe against her body and the thought was so enticing that Hades could not bear to look at her. He set her away from him and stood, walking closer to the fire. It was not difficult to guess what had changed her mind. Her hope for a future died the day she married him. Who would want to raise a family in the Underworld, who would want to share a family with him?

He felt her step closer to him, her heat mixing with his. “It is not what you are thinking,” she said softly. “I just cannot… I do not …” her voice paused and then she continued. “It has nothing to do with you. I think that you would make a devoted father.”

He turned around, “Then what did change your mind if it was not me?”

Her green eyes stared up into his own, uncertainty mingled with a deeper expression in their depths. “I do not know.”

“You lie either to me or to yourself. You can trust me, Persephone. Tell me what happened,” he said, his voice a mere whisper. For a moment, pain flashed in her eyes and she opened her mouth -- the words almost spilling from her lips before she stepped away from him.

“I do not know,” she said again. “But I decided I did not want children before I came here, so you cannot lay that particular decision at your feet. You are not responsible.”

He reached for her hand and brushed his thumb against her palm. “Someday, Persephone, you will trust me.” He pulled her towards him. “Come, little flower. There is something I want to show you.”

Persephone felt her throat tighten as she realized Hades was leading them towards the darkened caverns they had passed earlier in the day. Their footsteps were soft on the ground as she peered reluctantly into the darkened entrance. It looked black and forbidding and she pulled back as they neared the gaping mouth. The last time she had entered a cave she had left with a great deal of her flesh missing.

Hades looked down at her. “Afraid? This time you enter the darkness with me, I will not allow any harm to come to you.”

“I know,” she said, surprising both of them. She let him pull her forward and they entered the blackness together. In the distance, golden light danced in the inky blackness and she was relieved to see that they were travelling towards it. Thousands of tiny golden threads hung from the ceiling and glittered throughout the cavern and they weaved through the small threads, bathed in their light. As the wisps of gold touched her cool skin, she felt warmth soak into her flesh and a million thoughts echoed in her mind. Sorrow and joy; pain and pleasure, emotions swirling so swiftly she felt dizzy from their potency. “What is this?” Persephone whispered, reaching up to touch one of the thin beams of light as they waved gently in the wind, like thin spider webs blowing in the summer breeze.

Hades lifted his hand to one of the threads, letting it run gently over his fingers. “These are the golden threads of fate. Each string is a person, the glow is their life. When a person’s time ends, the light extinguishes, and the thread is cut.”

“It is the Cave of Fate,” Persephone whispered, a shiver running through her as the delicate threads brushed against her. The cave opened up into a small room that was covered in dark stone. It was cold and barren and Persephone longed to run back into the free open spaces of Elysium. There was something lonely about this cavern of souls and a chill seemed to have settled into her own. He pulled her reluctant hand and they walked towards a gleaming thread that swayed gently. Persephone looked at its glimmering light and a peculiar sensation travelled through her as she moved closer. The sway of the thread seemed to follow the cadence of her heart and she wanted to both caress it and turn her back on the slim brillant fiber. “What is this?” she asked.

He brushed the silken web almost reverently and she felt the contact within herself, within her spirit. She had felt that touch before, but the memory fluttered from her mind, leaving only shadows in its place.

“Persephone, this is your thread of life.”

Shock filtered through her mind and a sliver of fear travelled down her spine, causing her to step back as she stared at the thin thread held so softly in his hand.  “But I am immortal, how can I have a thread?” she questioned.

Golden light reflected in his dark eyes. “We all are spun of golden thread," he said, "Gods are not immune to death. One day, we too, will pass.”

Persephone looked down at the fibers he held in his long, pale hands and frowned as she saw a mark on its golden length. She hesitated and then placed her hand over it, withdrawing her fingers from the thread quickly when it vibrated at her touch. She indicated the dark indention with her head.

“What is this?” she asked.

He ran his hand over the mark and she shivered at the touch. “That is the scar on your soul.” He raised his dark eyes to her face. “You hide it away so no one can see it, but that does not erase it. It stands out all the brighter because of your desire to suppress it. You alone know why that injury is there and what caused it.”

“It scarred my soul?” she asked, tears swimming in her eyes as she shook her head.

He lifted his hand and brushed a tear away as it fell down her cheek. “Tell me, Persephone. What happened? You do not have to bear it alone. Let me share your burden.”

She grasped his hand tightly as tears began to stream down her face. “Hades, I…” Her voice was cut off abruptly as laughter reverberated through the cave. Persephone turned quickly but Hades had pulled her behind him.

“Stay behind me, Persephone,” he said in a low voice.

Three women stepped from the darkness, their eye sockets empty and gaping as they sniffed the air. Each held a portion of a golden thread between their gnarled hands, stroking it like a lover’s touch. A milk white eye was held in the hands of the creature in the middle and she placed it in the blackened socket with a sickening squelch, its dull pupil staring ahead unseeingly. Persephone watched in horror as a golden scissors was raised to the gleaming thread and she wanted to cry out in warning, but it was too late… the thread had been cut and Persephone’s eyes filled with tears as it  turned a dull grey. A life that had been stolen. As if sensing her distress the pupil turned to Persephone and a finger beckoned to her. She felt Hades hands grasping for her but she was out of his reach as she stepped towards the Fates.

“Little Flower,” three voices echoed in different cadences, “you want to leave this place, but you cannot. In the end, you will want to stay - but you will not. Think quick, or the King's castle will tumble down - it started with an arrow; it will end with an arrow."

The voice of the crone in the middle echoed in the cave , “The man who kissed you in the woods is coming. You will see him again, little girl.”

Persephone’s heart began to beat uncontrollably at her words. “No,” she whispered. She felt rough arms grab her, Hades had pushed her behind him again. A gnarled hand reached toward the ceiling, grasping another glittering thread between the claw like fingers, as a loud slice rent the air again and a second thread swayed to the ground, grey, dull and lifeless. They came closer to Persephone’s thread, and Hades took a menacing  step forward. The three heads simultaneously turned towards him, eagerly sniffing the air. “The answers you seek are in the Lethe and wound tight in golden threads. It destroyed you once and could destroy you even now.” The milk white eye turned towards her again. “She will bring about your ruin. She will destroy you.”

Persephone’s legs trembled beneath her and she felt Hades’ arm tighten. She tugged on Hades robes and tried to pull him further away from the frightening creatures. “Do not listen to them,” she begged. “Please, let us go away from here.”

Hades raised his hand, the wind helping to rush them from the temple as the Fates began to laugh, their voices rising to deafening tones and Persephone covered her ears as they began to scream . “Which one did you trust? Which one do you trust? The man who kissed you in the woods is coming. He is coming; He is coming in you. The king will be mad; the king will go mad. The king will be mad.”

Persephone bent her head to his chest, the wind tearing at their clothes as they rushed through the tunnels. He will come. She could feel the bile rising in her throat.

“No,” she whispered.

She pressed her face closer into his robes, letting her tears soak into them and she felt his hand brush her hair. They stopped suddenly and Persephone raised her head, seeing with surprise that they stood in her bedroom. Her legs trembled beneath her as Hades stepped away and he lifted his hand to steady her.

“How did we get back?” she asked, looking around blinking, her voice muffled by tears.

“As the King of the Underworld, I am entitled to use hidden tunnels.” Hades brushed her cheek. “Persephone, do not listen to the Fates, they twist their words to confuse and dismay. Their true meaning is nearly impossible to decipher.”

“But they knew…” she whispered painfully.

“They knew of the man in the woods,” he finished for her. “What are you afraid of, Persephone?” She felt herself begin to tremble and Hades shook his head. “That is enough for today, I think. Jocasta?” She stepped in from the doorway and Persephone could feel her concerned eyes fixed on her face. “Take care of my wife. See that she rests.”

He turned away from her and Persephone grabbed his hand. “Where are you going?”

“The darkness calls, my love,” he said with a small smile. He lifted her hand to his mouth and then he was gone.