Chapter Text
Morgan stood in front of Chad a recently anointed King of the Gods and wondered if he had always been this power hungry or was it the power rushing to his small pea-sized brain.
“You cannot just come down here and make demands of me, brother!” Morgan yelled at him, they’d already been exiled to the underworld could they not be left alone?
“That is exactly what I can do I am King of the Gods and you will do as I bid!” Chad demanded of him the title of Zeus having already gone to his head.
“I am not marrying your mistress just so you can fuck her behind your wife’s back!” Morgan snapped the world shaking around them and without flinching energy crackled from Chad’s fingertips giving Morgan only a moment to shield their eyes as a bolt of lightning shocked through their system all of their muscles tensing from it.
“I will not tolerate your disobedience.” Chad said electrical lines crowding round them like chains forcing Morgan to their knees.
“You will marry her and keep your mouth shut.” Chad told them before relenting on the lightning releasing them so they could keel over and pant with the relief from the pain.
By the time Morgan looked up again Chad was gone and they wanted to curse the very day he was ever created, if they had it their way Zeus and his entire lineage would be eradicated. What had the gods done for anyone anyway?
Morgan let out a shrill echoing yell their frustration cracking up walls and mountains to the surface of the earth above and tore the lands apart. Their father might’ve been proud of the carnage as a Titan but alas he was trapped further beyond that of even Hades.
A yell came out from above and Morgan looked up surprised, no mortal should survive it should they have fallen into the shattering ground. Except that it wasn’t a mortal,
“Oh fuck…” Morgan sighed as they watched another god slam hard into a jagged rock, bounce off of it and slide down the rest of the rock face. Morgan knew that was going to cost them.
“Are you alright? I saw you fall.” Morgan asked as they saw a very disgruntled mop of what they imagine is normally lusciously beautiful hear whip up and around to glare at them.
“I did not fall, the ground moved up around me! What is the meaning of this?!” The god yelled as they stood angrily and Morgan knew them, it was Persephone the Goddess of Spring.
“I, uh, ah…actually…how do you feel about marriage?” Morgan asked suddenly surprising themselves and they both blinked.
“Ex-fucking-scuse me?” Persephone recovered quickly the ground beneath growing thorns showing their anger. It was odd with they smiled viciously in their rage it was almost as if they might be enjoying it and it unnerved Morgan to say the least.
“I know, I know, okay that was an awful way to start. Hang on.” Morgan tried to recover waving their hands as they realised they would marry anyone to spite their brother right now. That’s…worrying.
“My brother, you know, Zeus, that asshole wishes for my hand in marriage to his mistress so he may bed her without Hera’s knowledge.” Morgan said his face curling into a sneer for his brother’s power-hungry ego.
“What does that have to do with me?” They asked and Morgan gave them a weak laugh.
“I cannot wed if I am already am…wed.” Morgan suggested giving them an awkward slow shrug.
“So you kidnapped me to force me to marry you?” Persephone stepped forward with a kind of fire Morgan had only seen in the deepest depths of the underworld.
“No! I just…it would be convenient if you would.” Morgan said quickly as if this goddess might cut their tongue out otherwise.
Imposingly Persephone stepped forward that same grimaced anger twisting their features and Morgan ignored the way that their cold heart spiked with the fear of it.
“If I would. If I would. I have been told the god of the underworld is an unsightly prick and alas it has been confirmed.” They insulted harshly but in fairness Morgan had swallowed them into the earth they cared for so greatly.
“Yes, yes, yes everyone hates me, I’m well aware. If you are not interested then make your way. I shall deal with this myself.” They relented and spread their hands apart.
The wall shattered spilling into rubble that formed into stairs creating an exit for the god. Persephone looked at the sudden show of power their eyes widening and they turned to the God of the Underworld and smiled recognising a trap when they saw one, or so they thought.
“Then farewell.” Persephone said grandiosely and turned to the stairs starting to make their way to the waking world the Sun lighting their way.
“Farewell, apologies for the disruption.” Morgan held up their hand in a wave and sighed as they sat down and tried to think of a solution to their problem.
They did not look back and did not expect Persephone to either, it had been a chance meeting and a pure mistake that she had ever stepped foot in their domain. Something of the Sun should never have to suffer underground anyway. Especially one so beautiful for it too, as if something as beautiful as a spring would ever even glance at the rocks beneath it.
The only interaction they should have ever had is the slow chipping away of sediment to eventually burrow further into the ground around it so that the water may spread. Persephone would bring new life and Hades would welcome the dead that flowed down to their dirt and rocks to become part of a world that would fade away and be forgotten.
Morgan kicked up quickly off the rock they’d been sat when they felt leaves rapidly growing underneath them and they rushed forward a bit to turn and see what was happening. The goddess was before them still at the base of steps they’d made for them looking oddly disappointed.
“Hang on, so that’s it?” Persephone asked with a huff.
“What?” Morgan blinked their brow furrowing.
“You’re just, letting me go?” They said stepping forward the grove of wildflower having grown around them and started creeping further into the underworld.
“I, uh, yes?” Morgan tilted their head confused.
“I am one of, if not, the most, coveted god for my hand. You have your chance and you refuse to take it.” Persephone said sounded insulted as they held up the aforementioned hand and Morgan was simply perplexed.
“You said no?” They said like a question because they were truly unsure what they could actually want at this point.
“Of course, I did, look at you.” Persephone spat gesturing the same hand at them.
“Ouch.” Morgan’s head reared back and okay they weren’t the nicest thing to look at but it’s not like they were Hephaestus’ levels of bad.
“Well? You just gave up?” Persephone said and actually stamped their foot and Morgan let out a baffled huff of breath.
“Was I meant to force you?” They asked their face scrunching up now with their confusion.
“Yes! That’s how everyone else does it!”
“Right. Right. Did it occur to you, that possibly, just perhaps, I might have been exiled down here because I am not like the other gods?!” Morgan’s voice echoed and boomed across the darkened room shadows starting to cling to them again as the ground shook.
Persephone stepped back but not in fear as if they were getting a better, clearer picture of Morgan while tilting their head with a small corner of a smile on their lips.
“Oh, that was almost scary.” They teased lightly and Morgan’s shoulder’s slumped as they moved through the ankle high grove of flowers and clover.
“Alright, time for you to leave. This has been fun.” Morgan said sarcastically shooing them gently and gesturing to the stairs which wild vines had started to climb up and cover.
“It kind of has.” Persephone said without a touch of irony as they instead walked forward to Morgan.
“Why would you arrange a marriage with me rather than just take the arranged marriage Zeus wishes?” Persephone enquired stepping into Morgan’s personal space and they straightened up realising that all the time underground might have made them shorter. Or perhaps they always had been and just didn’t want to admit it.
“I want to spite him. Excuse me, why are you still here?” Morgan asked looking up and furrowing their brows as sharp thorny vines had started to close off the exit.
“You’re excused, you brought me down here now I want answers.” They retorted quickly and Morgan shook their head.
“I assure you it was a mistake.” Morgan said rather harshly and didn’t show their regret, they were always so harsh with their words.
“Oh, was it? Then I must stay, Hades.” They said with a smile.
Before Morgan could say anything else there was a flash of the Sun being blotted out the stairs to the overworld was filled with a rush and rapid fly of vines stabbing into the roof of the causing a cave in. As the rubble fell down the vines grew flowers that curled over the walls pulling them forward so it looked like a perfect floral mural. Like there was never an exit there at all only something of immense beauty and honestly, to Morgan, horrifying. Who the fuck is this god?
“What is happening?” Morgan asked as Persephone took their hands in theirs.
“Oh no, Hades, this is the consequences of your actions. You want to play with your power and defy your brother? Then you can deal with the fact that I am now your wife.” Persephone told them and Morgan blinked rapidly at their fingertips curled over each other.
“Wait…no. What…?” Morgan lifted their hands out and held them up like they were in surrender.
“We’ll be married at dawn, or whatever that is down here. I shall see you after I rest.” The other god smiled at them and Morgan nodded before watching them go.
“…What the fuck just happened…?”
Morgan wasn’t sure what to expect when they went to the main entrance from the Styx the next morning to see the newly deceased and ensure everything was on schedule. Only that they found the main archway wreathed in flowers and the newly deceased fighting their way through thick foliage. Morgan found their betrothed(?) dressed in a flaxen outfit head to toe with the most perfectly blossomed flowers flowing around them.
“That’s what you’re wearing to our wedding?” They asked immediately sounding disappointed and Morgan looked down at the long black tunic they had worn since the dawn of time. They looked entirely out of place next to a goddess such as Persephone who seemed to be upset by that fact.
“You are still here?” Morgan said somewhat in awe having thought the goddess might’ve left during the night once they had come to their senses. Apparently not.
“You asked me to marry you, so…make haste!” With that they snapped their fingers and to rush them along and Morgan laughed more from the shock of all this.
“I think we should talk.” They said putting their hands on Persephone’s shoulders and the brushed their arms aside grabbing their wrist to pull them away from the onlookers and stream of dead.
“There is no time, the second your brother and my mother find out all of Olympus will rain down on your head, I cannot help you unless we are already married.” Alex explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world and Morgan was just going along with it at this point.
“Why would they find out?” Morgan asked.
“You kidnapped me, what other reason if not to entrap me forever?” Persephone said like it was some giant devious plot.
“It was an accident!” They defended themselves.
“And yet the rumours will only grow.” Persephone shrugged and it’s not like Morgan was forcing this, this just happened to solve their other problem. Although they are starting to wonder what other problems might occur because of it.
“This is ridiculous.” Morgan said as they turned a corner to find a once forgotten and broken statue yard alight with firelight as it faintly lit the floor and walls of greenery. There was an archway of some twisted and twined wood that was then layered with more vines and flowers at one end. One of Morgan’s recently deceased high priests stood looking solemnly prepared that they could only assume Persephone had gotten to witness the ceremony.
“I agree. Now, you know the rites?” Persephone asked and they nodded as they looked around at the now cosy room.
“Of course, marriage is a form of death.” Morgan said distantly.
“Only if you allow it to be.” Persephone retorted with a light tone and gentle jab to get their attention.
“No, it is a vow of choice, a death of a path you do not stray from.” Morgan said resolutely.
“Though many do.” Persephone pointed out a small crease between their brows.
“Those that are wretches might.” Morgan rolled their eyes and brushed their thumb across their betrothed’s forehead as if to brush away the crease. They should not frown when they have done so much work, they should be proud of this.
“Then this is forever to you?” Persephone asked leaning into Morgan’s hand as it cupped their cheek. Morgan wasn’t really thinking of their actions or words still wrapping themselves around the concept of the fact that they are about to get married after millennia of having successfully dodged it. In one day it had been changed.
“Of course.” Morgan told them sincerely and they just stood a little straighter.
“You may call me by my true name, it is Alex.” The goddess of spring told them with a gentle smile and Morgan nodded returning the smile.
“Oh, right, uh, Morgan.” Morgan told them quickly with the sharp look Alex gave them to prompt them to return the favour.
“A strong name.” Alex complimented and Morgan felt themselves once again surprised by their response.
“I-really?” They asked as Alex chuckled their laughter filling the room easily, like it belonged there. Is this what life does? Creep in, make itself at home and then it’s absence feels cold and hollow. Morgan knows they have never felt a kinship like this and with someone who seems to hold them in an entirely new regard they have never felt before. Like Alex might feel the same kinship.
“Come on, or we’ll be too late.” Alex said brushing their hand away to take their hands together in a hold as they pulled them to the archway.
“For what?” Morgan asked feeling dazed.
“Our wedding!” They reminded insistently and Morgan shook their head with a laugh.
“Right, yes, that’s actually happening?” Morgan asked feeling like they were breaking back into reality.
“Are you always this slow?” Alex asked furrowing their brows hands tensing over theirs.
“No, I’m actually quite fast, I’m just confused.” Morgan confessed looking down at their hands.
“It’s not difficult, you summoned me–” Alex started.
“I did not.” Morgan cut in although it didn’t stop them.
“–And now we are to be married. Easy.” Alex finished squeezing their hands reassuringly this time.
“Right. Alright, let’s get married.” Morgan acquiesced and Alex beamed at them.