Page 67 of Tempted By Hades

Hades remained silent, though Persephone detected a flash of anger when Demeter had mentioned his brothers. “If the other gods are as you say they are, Mother, then they won’t care what he does.”

Now, this got a reaction from Hades—a small, approving smirk.

“Please, Persephone?—”

“Mother, enough!” As she waved her hand, a gust of wind blew by, shaking all the shrubs and trees. “We can keep arguing, or rather, you can because I’m just about ready to walk away from you, or you can let me make my own decisions and let there be peace between us.”

Calming the tumultuous emotions within her, she approached Demeter carefully. “You may not like my decisions and may not even approve or give your blessings. But you can choose to be there by my side on the most important day of my life.”

Demeter’s expression slackened. “Y-you want me there at your wedding? Still? Even after everything I’ve said?”

“Yes.” She smiled, gently taking her mother’s hand, and pressing it to her cheek. “You are my mother. I want you to be there. So please, Mother, will you come to our wedding?”

“I…I…” Her eyes shone with unshed tears. “Of course. For you.” Sniffing, she scowled at Hades. “I am doing this for her.”

“I have no illusions that you will be there on my account, Lady Demeter.”

“Good.” Trembling, she turned her palm up to cup Persephone’s palm. “Tell me when and where, and I will be there.”

“Thank you, Mother.” She pressed her lips to Demeter’s cool cheek. “It means a lot to me.”

Taking a step back, the goddess of the harvest glowered at Hades. “You better take care of her, and you better make her happy,” she warned, then disappeared without another word.

“Well, that was interesting,” he remarked as soon as they were alone.

“Indeed.” She glanced at her future husband, who remained still as a rock. He had remained a silent observer all throughout the exchange, which had initially irked Persephone. However, as she carefully peeled away the tough layers of his outer countenance, she could feel one single emotion from him—fierce pride. He remained silent not because he didn’t want to help but because he knew she could handle herself.

Grinning at him, she padded to his side and slipped her hand through his arm. “Shall we head inside?”

He answered her by waiving his hand and transporting them to his—their—bedroom.

And so, the wedding day came, with much fanfare in the Underworld and not much more drama from anyone else, not even Demeter, who gave her blessing, though begrudgingly. Persephone wore her wedding gown, which had turned out to be even more spectacular than she had dreamed. The dress, a reflection of both the Upperworld’s grace and the Underworld’s mysterious allure seamlessly blended the two realms, a testament to Persephone’s dual existence. The base layer was a rich, dark velvet meant to evoke the deepest recesses of Hades’s realm. But then, delicate layers of white fabric embraced Persephone’s form, and delicate embellishments echoed the intricate patterns found in the garden.

“All hail, the King and Queen of the Underworld,” the officiant declared as he proclaimed them married. Their ceremony had taken place on a grand stage and altar built just outside the gates, with the magnificent palace just behind them.

A cheer went through the crowd—everyone in the Underworld had been invited, after all—as they welcomed their new rulers.

“I can’t believe it,” exclaimed Persephone as she scanned the throng of people who had come to celebrate their day.

“Believe it,” he said, then took her in his arms and kissed her deeply and passionately, which only made the guests applaud and shriek louder.

“Okay, knock it off, you two,” said Geri, who stood beside Persephone as the maid of honor. “Let’s wrap it up so we can get to the reception.”

“Is food the only thing you think about?” Adonis, who had appointed himself as flower boy, piped in.

“What else is there to think about?” she asked with a shrug.

Adonis looked aghast. “Have you seen some of these guests?” He gestured at the VIP guests seated at the chairs closest to the stage, most of them gods, goddesses, and other beings who knew about their existence. “How can there be so many attractive people gathered here in Jersey today?”

“Jersey?” Hades asked, his eyebrow raising.

“I’ll tell you later,” Persephone said, trying to suppress her grin.

“My congratulations,” Apollo interjected. He was next to Hades, standing as his best man, though Persephone could have sworn Hades hadn’t appointed him as such. “I wish you both well.”

Persephone narrowed her eyes at him. The normally jovial god seemed uncharacteristically muted today. “Thank you. We still have the reception,” she reminded him.

“How can I forget?” Apollo said with a grin. “I’m always up for a party.” Glancing around, he waved at a portly guest in the front row. “Hey, D! What’s up? Did you bring any wine?”

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