Page 21 of The Queen & the King

1 The Nightmare & The Daydream Chapters 9-15

Fifteen

Persephone

“MOTHER, I’M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND.Why am I to dress in my best for this afternoon tea?” I ask. Margaritte pulls the corset ribbon tight, forcing me to exhale all the air from my lungs.

Mother walks over and smooths out my skirt before looking me over. “This is an important day, Persephone. Our efforts have reaped rewards.” Her voice is light, almost… happy.

She steps back, taking me in fully, as Margaritte puts the finishing touches on my hair and makeup.

“You look pleasing, Persephone,” my mother says, and if I didn’t know her, I would say I could hear some affection in her voice. But my mother isn’t able to show affection or love. She sometimes shows pride, but never regarding me.

The doorbell rings, and my mother smiles. “Hurry, Margaritte. Our guest is here, and he will be eager to meet Persephone.”

Margaritte nods, moving faster. “Yes, Your Greatness.”

Mother leaves, I assume to greet our mystery guest. My mind keeps going to my dream mystery man.

Hades.

Even thinking his name makes my cheeks heat. Is he real? He feels real. When I sleep regularly, I can very much tell I am dreaming, but when he is present, it all feels more real, and I wake up not as rested as usual.

I replay the last dream from the start. How it felt when our fingers almost touched, how his laugh sent a shiver from my spine right to my core in the best way. His words…“Spring is so much more than just growing pretty flowers.”How I have longed to hear those words from another, for someone to see that I have so much more potential than just Demeter’s shut-in daughter. Then I can’t help but think about how my gaze slowly drifted over his criminally handsome face, landing on his perfect, full lips.

Were we about to kiss before the ground shook? Who was that woman’s voice who called to him? His queen?

How would his lips have felt against mine?

“Lady Persephone!” Margaritte exclaims, flustered. “We really must go.”

I flush, meeting her gaze. “Right, sorry. I’m ready.”

As we walk down the stairs, I hear the muffled voices of my mother and the visitor. His voice is deeper than my mother’s, but the pitch does not hit my ear with anything other than disinterest.

My mother spies me through the slight crack in the door and opens it, gesturing me inside. “Ah, Persephone! There you are! This is Adonis,” she chirps, her voice almost unrecognizable. “Adonis, this is Persephone.”

I turn slightly, looking at him. He’s tallish, probably a few inches taller than me. His body is wrapped in muscle, but it almost looks unnatural, unlike my dream man. No, Hades’ muscles make him look large and strong…and I want to lick every inch.I blush at my inappropriate thoughts, pushing them to the back of my mind.

I can tell that Adonis believes the blush is for him by the way his lips twist into an arrogant smirk. I allow myself to continue scrutinizing him, knowing that he believes I like what I’m seeing. His hair is longer on top and shaved much shorter at the sides. There is nothing kind about his eyes, and nothing about him draws me in. In fact, I want to run in the other direction, fast.

Straight into the bed of the mysterious Hades…

I blush deeply again, the heat spreading down my neck. The more I blush, the more I seem to have a bad taste in my mouth. I recognize it as a reaction to someone trying to force their magic on me. It has happened a couple of times in my life.

Adonis narrows his eyes at me, and the foul taste worsens. I feel a weight wrap around my left ring finger, leaving it throbbing. I glance down at my hand to see nothing there, and I force myself not to react.

I hear the floorboards shift and look up, watching Adonis as he slowly circles me like a vulture. I keep my eyes on him until he is behind me, watching him, learning him. Something deep down makes me feel like it’s vital that I get to know his weak spots. He’s not divine. I can definitely tell that, but he’s not quite human, either. There is something about his stance, his arrogance, that makes me think he isn’t happy about his lack of a god title and power.

I glance at my mother, but I’m not sure why. She looks on passively, her face set in a biddable smile.

“Strip,” Adonis demands from behind me. I feel him tug on the ribbon of my corset, loosening it.

My heart seems to stop and speed up all at once. I look at my mother again, praying to every deity that she will stop this. Every shapeless dress and every dull hairstyle has convinced me she will do almost anything to protect my modesty. At this moment, I would kill for her overbearingness to force me into a shapeless, unappealing box without womanly wiles.

My mother’s cheeks go pink as she steps back. “I will leave you two to become better acquainted.” My mother spins on her heel and glides from the room, closing the doors as she leaves.

I am frozen, my eyes wide as I stare at the closed door. My chest is tight, and though my corset has been loosened, breathing has never been more challenging. I stumble a step toward the door.

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