Hades |Lesbian Version|

Chapter 11: The Departure

As soon as Hades saw her beloved maiden walking into the dimly lit hall, her crimson lips parted and dark eyes widened at the sight of her tattered dress and disheveled hair. The goddess descended from her throne and rushed to meet Persephone.

"Persephone," she said in a voice with deep concern, "Are you alright?"

As the maiden stood, shivering mutely, Hades conjured up a comforting fleecy cloak and quickly wrapped it around the goddess. Persephone looked at Hades's distraught face as her eyes swept the length of her dirty form.

"I met Minthe by the River Cocytus," she began in a sad exhausted voice. "She tried to overpower me...it happened so fast...and I did not mean to..."

"Worry not, my love," Hades interrupted, her tone soft and comforting. She already knew of what had befallen her beloved maiden. "Hateful to me as are the doom of hell is she who wishes harm upon you. Persephone, you are not at fault."

Persephone swallowed the lump in her throat. Though by the grace of her divinity, Persephone had turned Minthe's form to fragrant mint in sheer self-defense, the kind-hearted goddess was conflicted, shocked, and humiliated by her action. The stern ruler of the Underworld uttered not a word of accusation. Hades coaxed her chin up with the tips of her fingers until their eyes entwined.

"Come with me, Persephone," Hades spoke. There was something about Hades' warm and caressing words that made her follow as told.

Hades took Persephone back to her own chamber. The dark goddess ordered the maids to tend to her. They immediately escorted the young goddess to an indoor pool, full of fragrant warm water. After they bathed her and anointed her hair with perfumed oil, they dressed her in a fresh set of silk garments.

When Persephone returned to the bedroom, the thought of her tragic day came back to haunt her again; but that wasn't the only thing that troubled her mind. She could still smell that redolent scent of the pomegranate. Her heart felt both light and heavy all at once. She wondered whether or not her gardener had already told Hades about it.

Presently, she could feel the presence of another divine goddess in the room. She knew the other was there, watching her and waiting patiently.

"Where are you, Hades?"

"Here."

Her powerful yet melodious voice spoke to her softly from nowhere.

The maiden reached out her arms. She felt the slender shoulders of Hades. She felt herself being enfolded by the goddess' embrace. She buried herself into its warmth and reassurance. Strangely, Hades made her feel safe in her arms.

"Why don't you let me see you?"

There was a long silence in the room. Persephone could hear a heartbeat; it was fast and loud, but it wasn't her own.

"I just don't want to trouble you with my presence," Hades said honestly. Her voice filled with so much remorse and self-hate, it shocked the young maiden like a blow. Hades was extremely upset about what had happened to her beloved.

The maiden stepped back from the invisible goddess. She lifted her hands hesitantly then reached up and wordlessly removed the helm.

"Persephone," Hades whispered with a hint of surprise. Staring back at her with those impenetrable black eyes, her beautiful face startled Persephone once more with its glowing radiance. The helm dropped to the carpeted floor by their feet.

When her eyes trailed over Hades' mouth, Persephone's lips parted in suppressed yearning. Her heart pounded like thunder in her chest. Then as if the event repeated itself, the hunger for those tender lips was even more intense than the time she tasted the sweet pomegranate.

"Hades..." Persephone finally understood the pain of rejection she had inflicted upon the taller woman.

She leaned forward and kissed the goddess of the Underworld.

A swoon of happiness enveloped her mind. Her body trembled, both from the chill and the fire of their kiss, which Hades deepened with her own burning desire. It blossomed and grew and raged with passion.

Then a high glad yelling cry split the air. It was a cry that any god recognized - Hermes's keen herald shout. This meant that he was coming with news, good or bad but worthy of high attention.

The two goddesses broke apart from each other. The sweet miraculous moment they just shared had abruptly ended. Now Persephone was enthralled. Her undying hope to leave the Underworld had returned, filling her heart to the brim with uncontrollable joy.

"Hermes!" she cried.

Hades's face hardened instantly for there was nothing she could do to prevent what was going to happen.

Once they entered the throne hall, sure enough, she found her nephew Hermes, the messenger god, approaching. His hair tumbled from the wind and the wings on his ankles still fluttering from the speed of his coming.

He entered the hall of Hades and bowed to the goddess of the dead, who was sitting on her grand ebony throne, scowling blackly at him. She knew the news-bearing Hermes was sent by the King of the Gods from Olympus; and she had a feeling that she wouldn't like what she was about to hear.

"O Hades!" he cried cheerily, "I bring you a message from Father Zeus. You must return Persephone to her mother immediately."

"No," Hades spoke, her face had become solemn like a white mask. Only Persephone noticed the flicker of grief in her coal-black eyes.

"But this is the decree set by the hand of the King of Heaven, which you must obey! The gods are on the verge of perishing under Demeter's wrath. Giving the maiden back is the only way."

Then Hermes turned to Persephone, who was standing nearby in silence.

"How are you, good cousin? You don't look too excited, do you?" the god said. "Your mother wants you back. She has frozen the whole earth while mourning for you. Haven't eaten anything here, I hope...No?"

Persephone turned her face to look at Hades with conflicted eyes. The Mistress of Soul gazed back at her so steadily. She could almost feel the pulse of Hades's begging heart with her own.

Forgive me.

"No, I haven't," Persephone replied to Hermes.

"Good! Then let us be on our way!" the messenger god came to escort the goddess of spring from the hall. Hades stood up from her throne and rushed over to take Persephone's hand.

"Please, pity my heart, don't leave me," she whispered, deeply saddened.

Persephone stared at the mighty goddess of the Underworld, speechless. She didn't know deep down in her innocent heart that she had wanted Hades from the moment they first met on Mount Olympus. But she felt it was too late to confess this now.

"I have a mother waiting for me," the young goddess said and pulled her hand back slowly from Hades' grasp.

Then the winged god put his arm around Persephone's waist, and they both rose into the air and flew away from the hall and out of the palace.

Persephone looked over her shoulder and saw the dark goddess standing motionlessly. Those dark eyes followed her like two burning stars. Persephone began to weep. Hades did not cry; but no one had ever seen her looking so grim and so lost.