Work Text:
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Hadestown belongs to Anaïs Mitchell. Myth elements belong to their stories. This is just for fun.
Italics-inner thoughts
Regular-normal story
" "-Speech
Orpheus has just turned 8. It's barely weeks after Persphone went back up top, and she’s already missing her husband.
‘This party is never-ending. I get it, it's their anniversary. Not sure why they have a gala when everyone knows Zeus hasn’t been in her bed in centuries. Well, at least I get to see Hades. The only good thing about this party. I get to see my husband during the warm months. Not that it's’ been too long since I went above. I wonder how much I can tease him until he decides it's time to go to bed..not that we’ll do much sleeping. Wonder what momma would say if I had a massive hickey tomorrow when we back down...I should find that out.’
Persephone walks over to where Hades is talking with Hephaestus. Hades looks up, see’s his wife walking towards him. He smiles, extends his arm towards his wife.
“Hello, sweetheart. Did you come over just to say hello?”
“Oh not just that.”, smirks Persphone. Leaning in, she whispers to her husband, “how much longer do we need to stay to be nice? I was rather hoping to go back down with some hickies at least. I would prefer to send you below with some marks as well.”
Smiling Hades whispers back, “Not too much longer sweetheart. We just need to stay for a bit longer. Just have to make a couple deals with some folks and handle some business. Then we’ll get out. And don’t you worry about that my wife, you’ll go back to your mother with plenty of my marks. Now I’m wondering how many bite marks I can fit around your neck?”
Persphone blushes and moves closer to Hades. She stays with him while they walk around meeting and making deals. She nurses her drink, after all, she did promise Orephues she’d play with him tomorrow. She keeps touching Hades. Just light touches, meant to remind him she’s there and ready to go to bed. Leaning into Hades touch, she listens to what’s going on around them, and then she hears something that makes her furious.
“You know I don’t know why Hermes isn’t here. Not like he had to take in the little bastard. Calliope told him in the note to just dump him. Can’t understand why he’d pick that thing over the party here.”
Persphone froze when she heard that. Only one person would be that crude. “Hades my love, hold my drink for me, please. I need to go handle something real fast. Then perhaps we can retire for the night.” She hands Hades the half-full drink and takes a deep breath. At that moment, she changed. No more fun-loving goddess of spring, oh no. Her dear half-brother will be facing the queen of the underworld, her whose name means bringer of death. She remembers how Hermes found the boy. ‘All alone in that little shack, with just a note and some too-small clothes. How tiny he looked still after she got back that spring. When even 6 months of a good life with Hermes hadn’t been able to undo the damage done. How even now, he’s so small for his age, and might always be small. How scared he was still of being left after all this time. Oh no, now Apollo is going to be reminded why you don’t talk about what belongs to her.’
“Apollo! How good to see you. No, no, now you stay there. We need to talk, and I”m sure everyone is wondering why. I mean you’ve been running your mouth for how long now? Don’t answer that. It doesn't matter. Apollo I think you’ve forgotten one key factor there. It's not been just Hermes raising Orpheus, but me as well. I would hope your not stupid enough to insult the little boy I help to raise now. What am I saying? Of course, you're that damn stupid. All the folks below agree with that. Do you know what else they say about you, sunny? That you're a bad lay. You have let's just say performance issues. The men and women agree on that point. That even when you can perform, you're not very good at it. I mean why would you be? You're the god of so much, you have to be compensating for something after all. Now if you ever talk about that little boy again, I’ll be right here to remind you.” Persphone is smirking the whole time. She’s been saving up the ammo for ages. Suddenly she’s on the ground. ‘ He slapped me! The stupid flake slapped a queen.’ Looking up from the ground she smiled again. Hades is on his way over, and she knows the look on his face. Apollo will be lucky to leave in one piece.
Hades makes it over to them and pulling back his arm the king of the underworld lets one solid hit lose. Apollo hits the ground hard, head spinning. Leaning over him like a shadow is Hades himself. And the king is furious. No one hits his wife.
“APOLLO!! WHO ARE YOU TO HIT MY QUEEN AND WIFE?! If you ever touch her again boy, you won't see the sky until the next ice age ends. You're a worthless, spineless, weak god. You don’t even deserve to be a god. You're nothing. God of so much because you're a flake who can’t decide. All the other gods and goddesses have one or two areas, where we rule completely. You, you're so weak others have to help you. A god of healing when your own son is the god of medicine. God of poetry when the muses do all the work. God of archery, but your twin is the better shot. God of young men, hah! Ares does a better job of protecting his soldiers. No god of herds I know of should have lost his herd of holy cattle to a day old infant, even an infant god. Certainly no sun god, that’s Helios. What good are you boy?! You're nothing. The only reason you’re anything is that your sire is Zeus. That’s it, boy. Without him as your sire you’re nothing. Not a god, not special, not worth the dirt your mother birthed you on. Let this be the warning not only to you but to everyone here.” And with that Hades straightens up, pulling Persphone up with him. “If anyone goes near the boy my queen and Hermes have claimed without their blessing you will regret it. I will personally come to you and address the issue. Need I remind all of you exactly who lives in my domain and obeys me? Now my wife and I are going to retire for the night. Zeus! Come help your bastard, and keep him out of our sight.”
Turning around, he goes to leave with Persphone. Apollo being shameless gets up and lunges for Hades. Persphone though, see’s him moving. She spins around, pulls one back, and wallops him hard. Right in the same spot as her husband. Apollo drops. Looking around she states, “anyone else have an issue with Hermes and I raising the boy, or anything else? Speak now or hold your tongues. No? Good. Husband let’s go. We need to clean up. I have his blood on me, and it's disgusting.” She smirks when she says that. ‘Oh, my husband. That was amazing. You're going to get the best reward every once we get cleaned up. Maybe Orpheus is going to get that cousin after all.’
The next day back at Herme’s bar…
“Lady Persephone! Hi! Did you have a good time at the party? Did you see Mr. Hades?”
“Hello, Orpheus. Yes, I saw Mr. Hades. He says hello. I had a brilliant time at the party. Thank you. Now, why don’t you go get your lyre? You said you had a new piece of music for me to hear.”
“Oh, yes, ma’am. I'll go get it right now!”
“A good time at the party?”, smirks Hermes. “I bet. So good you're walking a little funny there sister. You pull something dancing last night?”
With a huge grin on her face, the queen of the underworld responds, “Of course not. My husband is far too talented to let me pull anything. He was just a little shall we say vigorous. After all, our beds are cold right now. I had to warm him up. Repeatedly. Most of the night. And after what he did for me at the party, well he deserved a little special something.”
Face paling, Hermes grimaces, “ I did not need to know that. Just..forget I asked. Your momma is going to ask about these hickies though sister mine.”
“Oh, I know, I don’t care. Besides, the ones she can’t see are certainly more plentiful. Orpheus, my boy, play me that new song of yours sweetheart. It's a long time until fall.”