[FIC]: Awakening
Title: Awakening
Characters: Hades/Persephone
Rating: G
Notes: So erethesunrises has had a terminally average Easter weekend so I decided to write this to cheer her up~ We've been looking at this myth in class so I've been mentally tinkering with the source material (the Homeric Hymn to Demeter) and bending it to fit my own interpretation of the gods and their backstories (hooray fanon). Honestly, I could credit the PJO series or the demigod_elite PJORP but these interpretations have kinda taken on a life of their own. I don't even know any more and I'm rambling so w/e. Enjoy~
Persephone was surprised when she was shaken awake by Hades that morning.
"Get up," he said gruffly, "and get dressed. Now."
"Mmm, what?" She squinted in the torch light.
"You need to get up. Quickly."
Confused, Persephone stretched and slipped out of bed. "Why?"
"Come to the drawing room when you're ready," he said, ignoring her question as he went from the room.
Persephone frowned sleepily. She had grown accustomed to his generally gruff manner, but he was not usually so short. She dressed quickly and pinned her hair back loosely off her face before walking swiftly to the drawing room. Hades was pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace when she entered.
"What's wrong?" He looked up.
"Close the door." When she did, he gestured for her to sit and spoke again. "Do you... Do you like it here?"
Persephone was surprised by the question. In truth, she hadn't considered her feelings about living in the Underworld for several weeks. When she first arrived she had felt depressed by it constantly: being underground and missing her mother had weighed heavy on her heart. Yet things had changed.
"I... do not dislike it as I did," she admitted. She fiddled with the gold band on her wrist nervously as Hades thought.
"The reason I woke you up," he said finally, "is because Hermes is coming here today to escort you back to Olympus." Persephone looked up in shock.
"How long have you known?"
"Only since last night," was Hades' reply. "Obviously, you will want to go to your mother. By my brother's word, I am still able to have you as my queen." He paused a moment, gazing at her intently. "However, I would release you from this contract if it was abhorrent to you."
Persephone could only stare at him, lost for words. Months ago the answer would have sprung immediately to her lips, but now she could only gape. Though he had forcefully plucked her from her home, Hades' behaviour had been nothing short of gentlemanly. His austere manner was formidable; yet he had treated her with kindness, generosity, and respect, even going so far as to gift her an area of ground to cultivate as a garden. He had never bullied or belittled her, never looked on her with contempt or annoyance. He was quite different from anything she had expected, from anything her mother had told her to be wary of in others. She was intrigued by him, something about him wholly attracted her attention to him. His detached manner, she believed, masked a sensitive heart. She did not know if she loved him, but she certainly did not hate him.
"I don't... No," she said. "I don't abhor it."
"I do not want to force you to stay for my sake," Hades told her quietly. Persephone shook her head.
"You don't understand... I can't... I want..." Persephone was surprised by how strongly she suspected that she would cry. Hades knelt on one knee before her and took her hand.
"Persephone," he said, "I am giving you a choice." She looked at him with wide eyes. "If you despise it here, if you never want to return, then I will release you from the contract. However," he took out a small bundle and placed it in her hand. "If you do want to return, if you want to have a hope of returning, then take this." He closed her hand gently over the handkerchief. She looked into his dark eyes.
"What-?"
"You will understand my meaning when you open it." He held her gaze steadily, and she could sense the tension quivering between them. She suddenly felt exposed; her heart was pounding in her breast. It would take almost no effort to close the gap between them, for her lips to meet his, for her to throw off her childhood completely...
There was a knock on the door. Hades stood abruptly; the moment was gone. Persephone bowed her head modestly, emotionally reeling. She blinked back tears from her eyes.
"Yes?" The door opened, and a footman stepped in.
"Lord Hermes is here to see you, my Lord."
"Right. Thank you." The footman disappeared, closing the door after himself. Hades looked back to Persephone. "You will have only a few minutes. I will send a servant to collect you when we are ready for you. Excuse me." Persephone looked up to see him leave the room. She gasped, tears rolling steadily down her face. She unfolded the handkerchief carefully. Inside was a small portion of the honeyed pomegranate cake that had been placed before her so often at the dinner table. A sob escaped her lips, but she suppressed her crying. She had no time to dwell on the enormity of the decision she had to make. Wiping her eyes, she breathed deeply and considered her options.
Several minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and a servant stepped in. "I am here to escort you to the chariot, Miss."
"Of course," Persephone nodded. She stood, smoothing the fabric of her dress. She followed the servant impassively, leaving the handkerchief empty on the chair behind her.
Characters: Hades/Persephone
Rating: G
Notes: So erethesunrises has had a terminally average Easter weekend so I decided to write this to cheer her up~ We've been looking at this myth in class so I've been mentally tinkering with the source material (the Homeric Hymn to Demeter) and bending it to fit my own interpretation of the gods and their backstories (hooray fanon). Honestly, I could credit the PJO series or the demigod_elite PJORP but these interpretations have kinda taken on a life of their own. I don't even know any more and I'm rambling so w/e. Enjoy~
Persephone was surprised when she was shaken awake by Hades that morning.
"Get up," he said gruffly, "and get dressed. Now."
"Mmm, what?" She squinted in the torch light.
"You need to get up. Quickly."
Confused, Persephone stretched and slipped out of bed. "Why?"
"Come to the drawing room when you're ready," he said, ignoring her question as he went from the room.
Persephone frowned sleepily. She had grown accustomed to his generally gruff manner, but he was not usually so short. She dressed quickly and pinned her hair back loosely off her face before walking swiftly to the drawing room. Hades was pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace when she entered.
"What's wrong?" He looked up.
"Close the door." When she did, he gestured for her to sit and spoke again. "Do you... Do you like it here?"
Persephone was surprised by the question. In truth, she hadn't considered her feelings about living in the Underworld for several weeks. When she first arrived she had felt depressed by it constantly: being underground and missing her mother had weighed heavy on her heart. Yet things had changed.
"I... do not dislike it as I did," she admitted. She fiddled with the gold band on her wrist nervously as Hades thought.
"The reason I woke you up," he said finally, "is because Hermes is coming here today to escort you back to Olympus." Persephone looked up in shock.
"How long have you known?"
"Only since last night," was Hades' reply. "Obviously, you will want to go to your mother. By my brother's word, I am still able to have you as my queen." He paused a moment, gazing at her intently. "However, I would release you from this contract if it was abhorrent to you."
Persephone could only stare at him, lost for words. Months ago the answer would have sprung immediately to her lips, but now she could only gape. Though he had forcefully plucked her from her home, Hades' behaviour had been nothing short of gentlemanly. His austere manner was formidable; yet he had treated her with kindness, generosity, and respect, even going so far as to gift her an area of ground to cultivate as a garden. He had never bullied or belittled her, never looked on her with contempt or annoyance. He was quite different from anything she had expected, from anything her mother had told her to be wary of in others. She was intrigued by him, something about him wholly attracted her attention to him. His detached manner, she believed, masked a sensitive heart. She did not know if she loved him, but she certainly did not hate him.
"I don't... No," she said. "I don't abhor it."
"I do not want to force you to stay for my sake," Hades told her quietly. Persephone shook her head.
"You don't understand... I can't... I want..." Persephone was surprised by how strongly she suspected that she would cry. Hades knelt on one knee before her and took her hand.
"Persephone," he said, "I am giving you a choice." She looked at him with wide eyes. "If you despise it here, if you never want to return, then I will release you from the contract. However," he took out a small bundle and placed it in her hand. "If you do want to return, if you want to have a hope of returning, then take this." He closed her hand gently over the handkerchief. She looked into his dark eyes.
"What-?"
"You will understand my meaning when you open it." He held her gaze steadily, and she could sense the tension quivering between them. She suddenly felt exposed; her heart was pounding in her breast. It would take almost no effort to close the gap between them, for her lips to meet his, for her to throw off her childhood completely...
There was a knock on the door. Hades stood abruptly; the moment was gone. Persephone bowed her head modestly, emotionally reeling. She blinked back tears from her eyes.
"Yes?" The door opened, and a footman stepped in.
"Lord Hermes is here to see you, my Lord."
"Right. Thank you." The footman disappeared, closing the door after himself. Hades looked back to Persephone. "You will have only a few minutes. I will send a servant to collect you when we are ready for you. Excuse me." Persephone looked up to see him leave the room. She gasped, tears rolling steadily down her face. She unfolded the handkerchief carefully. Inside was a small portion of the honeyed pomegranate cake that had been placed before her so often at the dinner table. A sob escaped her lips, but she suppressed her crying. She had no time to dwell on the enormity of the decision she had to make. Wiping her eyes, she breathed deeply and considered her options.
Several minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and a servant stepped in. "I am here to escort you to the chariot, Miss."
"Of course," Persephone nodded. She stood, smoothing the fabric of her dress. She followed the servant impassively, leaving the handkerchief empty on the chair behind her.