Abaddon: The Story of Persephone and Hades

Hades

My ember throne strains my spine as I've been sitting in it for the past several hours. Nothing interesting has happened today in the Underworld, and I don't expect that fact to change for the remainder of the day.

So, I stand from my throne and wince when the pain shoots through my back. Just as I'm about to exit the throne room, a dark figure stands on the other side of the door, about to knock.

"Hades," Thanatos greets. "You weren't present last evening."

"I'm in no mood for your antics, Thanatos. I had a meeting to attend, not that I need to inform you of my whereabouts," I deadpan, brushing past him with a tired mind. All I want at the moment is some food as I lie in bed.

"It seems as though your concerns are elsewhere; like the Underworld isn't a priority," he says slyly behind me. 

"Must we have this conversation every day? Go back to your realm. You know I'll always be King," I snarl, clenching my fists tightly. 

Thanatos smirks and turns to leave. "Just you wait, Hades."

With that, he disappears into the shadows of my realm. Every time I converse with him, I feel overcome with a sense of indescribable anger.

I walk back to my castle and on the way, I make sure everything is in order. The horses are taken care of, the servants are working, and the dead mortals are in their designated areas.

I enter the castle with nothing on my mind but food. The servants in the kitchen automatically know to have dinner ready upon my arrival, so the dining hall has a place at the table decked with dinner for one.

I sit in my seat and gaze at the dozen empty seats surrounding me. Every time I sit here, I'm reminded of how lonely I really am. 

I'm simply the god who likes dead people.

Shaking my head, I focus on the food before me. A servant walks by to make sure I have a glass of wine at my disposal.

"Would you like to eat with me?" I ask the servant.

His eyes widen and he vigorously shakes his head. "Lord Hades, I have so much work to do."

"Ah, don't worry about that. Please, sit," I insist.

The servant gulps before rushing out of the dining hall. Am I really that horrifying? I sigh and, as always, finish my dinner alone. I leave the dining hall to head towards my suite, but a knock at the front door interrupts my dreadfully lonely plan.

I open the heavy door slowly, cringing when the door creaks and moans as it opens. 

My sister, Hera, is on the other side of the door with a smile on her maroon-painted lips. She wears a golden crown atop her head and a shawl around her neck. She waves at me. "Hello, Hades."

"What are you doing here?" I ask, my eyes narrowed.

She steps inside, passing by me, and rubs her arms to keep heat intact. "Who knew the Underworld could be so cold?"

"No one would know; nobody comes down here," I deadpan as I close the door.

She sighs and regains composure. "Anyway, I've come to ask a favor of you."

"Why should I do anything you ask of me?" I demand, also feeling somewhat concerned. Why would Hera want my help with anything when she has her dear husband Zeus to do everything?

Hera turns around and studies the foyer of my castle. "You know, Hades, you have such a wonderful domain, and no one to share it with."

"How kind of you to state the obvious."

Her golden hair whips around when she turns to face me again, this time not as gentle. Her eyes are hard and are bearing into mine. I take a step back. "I passed a garden on my way here. Is it in use?"

"It hasn't been used for millennia. It was cursed," I reply. "Why?"

"Cursed?" she repeats, pacing back and forth. 

I roll my eyes and lean against the door frame. "Yes, the pomegranates that used to grow there were controversial."

"Hmm," Hera muses. "Would you be willing to hire someone to care for the garden?"

"I don't see why that would be necessary," I reply.

Hera groans, rubbing her temple. "You recall Persephone, yes? Newly appointed goddess? She wants a garden to work in that is away from her mother."

"Persephone?" I ask, instantly piquing my interest. "Why would she want to work here? For me?"

"I just told you. She wants to be away from Demeter. Besides, the garden is an eyesore. I'm sure Persephone could revive it easily. She's quite talented," Hera responds, biting her fingernail. "So?"

"I'll speak to my scribe about it first." I cross my arms over my chest. 

"Oh, the scribe you've been seeing on and off for the past century? Please, Hades, she's not good for you," Hera insists, concern etched in her voice.

"She's been... away." I shrug. "I haven't seen her since she left for Rome."

"What, stealing from mortals? I'm telling you, Laverna is not suitable for you," Hera sighs in defeat. 

I've been seeing a goddess named Laverna for about a century, but we rarely have happy moments together. We're normally fighting about minuscule issues or not around to see each other. She's always traveling to steal from or cheat on mortals. How lovely, right?

"Anyway, send word if you'd like Persephone to work in your garden. She'd really appreciate the job and would do it well. She's such a sweet girl," Hera says gently, stepping towards the door. "Goodbye, Hades. Please think about what I said."

With that, she leaves the castle. The sound of door shutting echoes throughout the castle, and I'm left with nothing but the knowledge of Persephone potentially working here, in the Underworld.

A girl as sweet and pure as she could never be happy being in a place as dreadful as the Underworld.

Soccer ended today! I have mixed feelings about it. I'll have much more free time, but I love soccer a lot.  Anyway, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed! :)