Hades and Persephone

Life and death. There is a fine line between them, one on which we all walk on but when you bring both of those things together; what do you have? A perfect combination; the Lord and Lady of the Underworld. Hades and Persephone. They both stand on opposite ends of those two things. You have Persephone; as fresh as a rain drop, as lovely as a flower and the Goddess of Spring; the season that brings back life. Then stands Hades; as dark as ebony, as handsome as death can be and the King of the Underworld; he is someone you greet in your after life. Never would anyone have thought that these two would end up married and well, happy. Although, it didn’t start like that.

Hades never wanted a Queen. It wasn’t that he didn’t favor women; it’s just that none caught his eye; he didn’t feel for any of them. Not to mention, all the Goddess feared or loathed him too much to actually marry him, despite he offered wealth and power. The only women that took interest in Hades were nymphs, which he found vexing and unappealing. Then one visit to Olympus changed that.

He had found the poor, young Goddess weeping near a pool in the Garden’s of Hera and it seemed as if everything around her also wept. Hades had never seen this Goddess before in his visits or maybe he had but mistaken her for a nymph. The king of the Underworld knew that he should have just kept walking; it was none of his business why this creature was crying. He had no ties to the young goddess but something compelled him to walk closer and crouch next to her.

“I don’t mean to startle you but someone like you shouldn’t shed tears.” He said gently and she looked up.

Hades was struck with those emerald green eyes and that wheat colored hair and that fair skin. Her looks would be part of what would tie him to her forever.

From those couple of words, she poured her heart out to him about everything that had happened and then apologized. Hades told her not too. After that they spoke as if they were old friends and he finally learned her name; Persephone. With learning her name, Hades knew her linage; Demeter and Zeus. He remembered from Hera ranting to him on her extremely rare visits to the Underworld when she felt as if there was enough of a crisis to visit her older brother. Hades could have never imagined that this perfection would come out of the one in a million affairs.

Not only was he wonderstruck with her beauty but with her mind and her heart; everything about her seemed to speak octaves to him. Their day ended with Demeter pulling away Persephone, saying something on how men were vile and hadn’t she taught her better and glaring at Hades. What Demeter didn’t know is that they had already made plans to meet again.

They only meet at night or when Demeter was away. Hades taught that Persephone would shy away from him like everyone else did because of his position but she never did. Instead she asked question after question, as if wanting to know every detail of the Underworld. It amused Hades how whatever he said seemed to be different then what they had taught her. Persephone always took his word over what she was taught. The Lord of the Underworld knew how naive she was, how innocent she was so he never lied to her, nor did he hide things from her. Despite, her naïveté and her innocence Persephone was an adult and should be treated as one.

This continued for a year until Hades had found that he could say her name and love in the same sentence. For Persephone it seemed the same. Never did they say aloud for they both thought their friendship would be ruined, so looks were enough. It came to a point that Hades needed to take action. He wanted Persephone as his companion for the rest of eternity. Oh he tried to convince her to come with him to the Underworld but he was never able too because of her mother. Always her mother. So Hades took matters into his own hands.

With permission from her father, Hades took Persephone from the Earth and down into the Underworld. That fine line between love and hate become blurred for Persephone and she couldn’t remember that she loved him; all she could feel was hate for the man that took her from her world. For 3 months all Persephone did was yell, cruse and even hit Hades for what he had done. All he did was treat her with kindness though his temper did show at time. Eventually, she calmed down and realized that she wasn’t leaving anytime soon, so she became civil with Hades; only speaking to him and seeing him when she must; nothing more, nothing less. She found it was too hard not to smile or laugh around him, so they made a deal and resumed their friendship from where they had left off. One of those days, Persephone came to terms that she was happier and freer than she had ever been with her mother. This felt like home.

One night, Hades confessed everything.

“Why did you bring me here?” Persephone whispered as her head lay on his shoulder and gazed up at the starts in the Elysian Fields.

“Revenge against Demeter,” Hades lied.

Persephone smiled, “I don’t believe that. I think you were lonely. I think you have loved no one and no one has loved you.”

Hades couldn’t believe how well she read him. He swallowed before he spoke, “You are right, Seph. I brought you here… because I was in need of a companion. No one that was vexed or here for their own gain but a friend, may call it.”

Persephone lips turned down into a frown, “Just a friend?”

Hades looked down at her emerald green eyes and with a smirk he said, “If you believe you are here just to be my friend then you, Persephone are clearly mistaken.”

He watched as her eyes lit up. “So what do I mean to the great Lord and King of the Underworld? Hmm…”She teased.

“Much more than you could ever imagine, Persephone. I want you to be my Queen and my wife. That’s why I took you Persephone, because I love you enough to be selfish.”

Persephone smiled. “And I love you, Hades. And I’ll gladly marry you. Even though I’m not sure what that will do my sanity.”

“That’s why you love me.” He whispered as he kissed her for the first time.

That next night they were married and consummated their love and Persephone assumed the role as the Queen of the Underworld. Despite, their love and joy Hades knew the time was ticking. It wouldn’t be long before Helios talked and Hermes was sent down here to retrieve his wife. So that night as they laid together, Hades had the fruit in hand. He explained to her what would happen.

“If I do not eat that pomegranate, they will take me from you even if we are married?” Persephone asked.

Hades nodded.

“Then give it here because I will not part from you. Not now, not in forever”

So Persephone ate a mouthful before Hades took it from her and showed her that he would never let her go.

It wasn’t long the next morning Hermes came with instructions to retrieve Persephone. With his trick up his sleeve, Persephone and Hades journeyed to Olympus where their fate would be decided.

6 months with Hades. 6 months with Demeter.

Honestly, it didn’t satisfy either party, both wanting Persephone to themselves but it was decided and no one could go against the word of Zeus.

Many things were born from their tale. The seasons and the one almost too or comparing the standards, perfect marriage between the Greek Gods. And that even the most opposite of things attract.