Abaddon: The Story of Persephone and Hades

Hades

One year later...

I lean my head back against my throne, eyes tightly shut as I pray that there will be no more deceased mortals needing me today.

Today has been horrible.

Usually, I don't dwell on the fact that there are children who die in the mortal realm. When they speak to me, they naturally beg for their lives back; they want to live their lives to their full potential. I don't blame them, and, often, I pity them, but I cannot resurrect them.

I'd have hell to pay if I did.

But today, there was a little girl, only a couple years older than my one-year-old son, Zagreus. She had died, of course, and was begging me to allow her to live. She sobbed that her mother was pregnant and she wanted to live to see her sibling. The girl's father had died bravely in battle.

I hear heart-wrenching stories like this on an hourly basis in my position. The difference with this instance is that she is too innocent in addition to the fact that her pregnant mother is alone now. It put things into perspective for me, though there was nothing I could do to bring her or her father back to life.

I did, however, send her to Elysium to spend eternity with her father. I normally don't send any mortals other than dignified warriors to the paradise, but I figured it was the least I could do for her. How desperately I wanted to comfort the little girl.

I'll be damned if anything like that were to ever happen to my children or Persephone.

"Hades?"

Relief washes over me as if I were taking a warm bath in the purest waters of Olympus. "Yes, my love?"

Persephone stands at the bottom of the stone-made steps leading to my throne. She's contently holding her stomach with one hand and carrying a sleeping Zagreus with the other. "You look upset." She carefully climbs the few stairs and sits on her own throne, directly next to mine. I feel her big, beautiful eyes on me as I stare ahead, fingers gripping the armrest of my throne. "Talk to me."

I shake my head and rub my temples. "I hate that I can't resurrect children."

Persephone nods in understanding, eyes falling to the floor. "It's not your fault, darling." She stands from her throne and gazes down at me. I have no choice but to stare up at the beautiful woman before me. Her reassuring smile seems to wash my worries away. "Please don't be so hard on yourself."

I bite my lip, pondering any other possibilities. "I need to speak to Hecate."

Persephone frowns. "Don't do anything that you might get into trouble for--"

"I'm the King, Persephone--"

"Zeus will know," she warns, giving me an "I-dare-you-to-argue-with-me" look. "I'm going to put Zagreus to bed." She seems disappointed and concerned as she turns to leave the throne room.

While she's gone, I turn to Thanatos, who has been sitting on his lower throne in silence all day.

"Your wife is correct," Thanatos tells me monotonously. His eyes seem heavy and his cheek is resting on his fist. "You can't cheat death. Hecate is not a goddess you want an innocent little girl to be involved with."

I sigh. "Every time I think of the little girl, I imagine my own children dying and leaving Persephone by herself."

"That's not going to happen. You're immortal," he reminds me, his icy blue eyes finally meeting mine. "Besides, I'm sure Hera is answering the mother's prayers. It's not your duty to care for her."

"Perhaps not," I agree.

"Finally coming to your senses," Thanatos mutters. "May I go back to my house? I'm quite exhausted."