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Apollo had driven his chariot across the sky 14 times since Persephone had left the Underworld. Her mother was obviously happy at her return, it was promising to be an excellent harvest. She was sitting in the area where she had been…
Abducted? Forcibly taken? Stolen?
Recused?
She was plucking idly at a flower, picking off the petals and letting them drop to the grass beside her. Mother would be furious if she knew what she was doing, what she was thinking.
She squinted as she glanced around, there was no real sun, no real telling of the passage of time in her ho...No not home. She shook her head, her long locks getting the best of her as she exhaled annoyed, blowing a stray lock out of her face as she laid on the ground.
The Underworld. It wasn’t really her home. How could it be?
She was the daughter of the Harvest Goddess and the Lord of Olympus, so...why in Gaia’s name was she longing for...more?
Perhaps that was why she didn’t put up much of a fight at first when she was taken? Sure she was surprised at first, but of course, she recognized Lord Hades. She had seen him skulking around Olympus occasionally when he was allowed of course. She had, at first, felt pity for him. It was a shame that he wasn’t able to enjoy a simple walk in the sun, to smell the air perfumed with the flowers and the crops from the harvest.
In fact, it was one of those things that she had been contemplating when she was taken, next time he was on Olympus she would extend an olive branch, (of course Athena would probably be amused at that) as a peace offering to him, maybe offer him a little time to just walk around, to take a break from the darkness and death.
She didn’t realize how...homey the Underworld felt, yes it was cold, but Hades assured her she would get used to it. Which she surprisingly did after a day or two. Yes, it was dark, but her eyes also adjusted quickly. She was also surprised at how much freedom she was allowed as well. Despite the lack of sun or any natural water, there was a beautiful garden of trees and plants she had never seen before, it was obvious that he had taken good care of it.
Her new favorite flower had to have been the pomegranate blossoms, she never knew something could smell so beautiful. She had taken to putting one in her hair each time she woke up, finding the scent to be quite calming.
She opened her eyes, hoping to be surrounded in the surprisingly warm surroundings of her new home, with her new...well husband. Of course Hades, despite what she had heard, had been a perfect gentleman to her, never forcing himself on her, keeping himself away until she had asked for him.
A blush covered her cheeks as she covered her face with her hands, remembering their first time together. It was...amazing. Better than anything that Aphrodite had ever described.
And then...he had felt the need to trick her, she really had no idea what she was eating, only that she had been lost in her thoughts and realized that she hadn’t eaten and had gratefully taken the delicious smelling and tasting fruit, eating six of the delicious seeds.
Her wrath at finding out he had tricked was great, possibly greater than Ares during a battle, or Hera finding out Zeus had taken another female lover. Didn't he understand by then that she would have willingly stayed by his side?
Hades unleashed something in her, helped her to be more than what everyone thought of her.
She wasn't Kore, the beautiful and dutiful child. She had grown into her own as Persephone. And she never wanted to leave.
6 on Earth, 6 in the Underworld.
Everyone begged for a change in the bargain, she was just a child, she didn't know. She was tricked, she was…
On and on they made their excuses until she surprised them all by putting her foot down. She would uphold the agreement.
Secretly of course she hated that she had to return, her mother was dramatic enough that she could be one of the Muses. She laughed a little at that thought, closing her eyes again.
She wasn't scared to go back to him, in fact, she was looking forward to going back.
Her eyes popped open as she smelled a familiar scent, she quickly got up and glanced around, hoping beyond hope.
And there...right where she was taken….
A small pomegranate bush was growing.