Abaddon: The Story of Persephone and Hades

Persephone

The cottage has been complete chaos all morning. Mother has been distraught for the past week, begging me to call off this ceremony, to hide away from the Olympians until they forget about me becoming a goddess. Begging me to decide for myself what I want to be the patron goddess of. She wants me to be her little minion in the garden.

This is what my life has been like for the past eighteen years: Mother molding me to be just like her. Every move I make must be done with her approval.

Athena arrived at our cottage early this morning to help me prepare for my coming-of-age ceremony. She drew a bath for me with the finest soaps and salts from Olympus. Mother makes her own soaps, but today is too important to use ordinary products. While Athena is helping me dress appropriately, Mother has been tending the garden to calm herself down. Athena ordered Mother out of the house when she noticed how upset she is.

How am I feeling? I ask myself as I'm lathering bubbles onto my olive-toned skin. The sound of Athena muttering to herself about how plain and modest my dresses are interrupts my thoughts. "I'm... excited," I whisper to myself, pausing from washing myself in the warm bath.

Not that my feelings have ever mattered. I've read stories of princesses' lives being planned since the day of their birth. Their parents had decided their future husbands, what dresses they'd wear, what they'd do and say. I've always related to the girls in those stories. We just want to choose something for ourselves. Something spontaneous. Something new. Something exciting. This, becoming a goddess, is my chance to pursue freedom and happiness. I have to take it, or else I fear I won't receive another chance.

"Kore, are you almost done bathing?" Athena calls, softly knocking on the door to the washroom.

"Y-yes!" I reply hastily, stepping carefully out of the bathroom and yanking on the towel, which was hanging on a hook on the wall. "Just a minute!" I quickly dry myself off, then comb my hair. "Athena, you can come in."

Athena opens the door and sighs in annoyance. "Your wardrobe is not fit for a goddess. It's unacceptable. There is nothing suitable to wear tonight in your wardrobe."

I take in the sight of Athena's silky, colorful dress. It's dark purple and reaches her ankles. "Is that what you're wearing to the ceremony?"

"Of course," she laughs. "Normally, I'm wearing armor, but you knew that already." Athena places both of her hands on her hips. "Hmm, maybe I have a dress for you to wear."

"Really?" I ask, a smile crawling onto my face.

Athena gives me a small grin. "Only if you don't tell your mother."

"I promise! Oh, Athena, please!" I beg, rushing up to her and pulling on her arm desperately.

Athena laughs, pulling her arm from my grasp. "Very well. You're lucky I brought extra dresses with me today."

She leaves the bathroom momentarily, then returns with an armful of a few elegant dresses for me to borrow.

"I think a red dress would suit you best," she murmurs, carefully laying the dresses for display. "You have the complexion for it, and your hair would complement it, too. What do you think?"

My eyes pop out of my head when my eyes land on the red dress. It's breathtaking. It has a slit on the side, revealing the leg of the person wearing it. Athena has always been subtly scandalous in the way she dresses, and this dress proves it.

The red is like a candy apple, slick and smooth and beautiful. My hands graze the silk fabric, causing my heart to flutter. If I close my eyes I can imagine this dress being worn by me. The new me. Confident. Happy. Independent.