"You will refuse me. What is so different between-?"
"No. I don't have the authority to approve or disapprove. I raised the issue with Hephaestaean and he's already considering it. But Hephaestaean is working on reorganising the entire pantheon so your marital status isn't a high priority. And once that's done he is still going to need Hades's support. He and I are both aware that you did not enter into your marriage entirely of your own free will, but we've really got no idea how to handle the situation in a way that doesn't just blow up in our faces."
So, a very delicate situation. As it was said in Dune: Beginnings are a delicate time. In this case, the beginning of Hephaestaean's reign.
"So he might grant my petition at some point in the future?"
"It's possible. If you wish to help your case, I strongly suggest coming up with a solution that isn't just the petition being granted and you leaving. If there's anything that could allow you and your husband to reconcile, ask and I'll make it happen."
The problem is, will she
accept that reconciliation? Could she accept it, as she is
now?
"I have lived in fear of that man for longer than your people have had the wheel. There is nothing."
"Well… We'll try and come up with something, but it's going to be a while."
But will she wait that long? I get the feeling she's
determined to have this done, consequences be-damned.
"I understand. I have grown accustomed to such disappointment."
She kneels, then the exterior of her vessel starts to harden and grow woody. After a few moments the skin is solid bark, and I see roots extruding from the lower part of the body into the ground.
Ouch, that sadness. This is not going to be pleasant down below...
"Huh."
"That was Persephone."
Ah, right, your first visitation by a God? Swamp Thing excluded, due to merely being an Avatar of his Kingdom..
"Ancient Greek telepresence. Honestly, that was quite creative. I hope we end up being able to keep her on board."
"I… So… She's in the underworld?"
Yes, quite impressive to cross dimensional barriers like that.
"Erebos." I flash her a smile. "Honestly, given your association with Euanthe, you'll probably end up going there when you die."
"Euanthe offered to have me reborn as a dryad."
Huh. I suppose with her Green-altered physiology, she's practically halfway there anyway.
"Oh? I didn't know that she could do that. Generous of her."
"She said it was…" She's staring at the bark-encrusted body. "Was because I was already so closely tied to her, she'd basically take my soul into her to make it happen."
...And that isn't a little concerning? I don't know, that does sound a little
scary?
"Sounds plausibl-."
"Does-? Does winter really happen because Demeter misses her?"
She's powerful, but not
that powerful...
"No, of course not. Don't be ridiculous. Winter happens because that side of the planet is facing away from the sun."
"No, I-. I know that. I just don't know how much of the stories are true."
Most likely the generalities are reasonably close, but many of the
details have been garbled over the millennia.
"Demeter caused crop failures, but it wasn't over the whole of the world. If she'd tried that the gods of those regions would have stepped in and stopped her, which might have resulted in the Hellenes deciding to worship one of them instead of her."
"She doesn't want to be married to Hades."
Much to Hades' disappointment, alas.
"Correct."
"Why doesn't she just leave him?"
Because Zeus said so... But now that he's out,
well...
"Ah, well, when Demeter went crazy crops failed and a lot of people died. Do you know what happens if the God of the Dead decides to spend all his time trying to woo his wife back instead of doing his job?"
"Oh. Would he do that?"
There was a
time not so long ago when another afterlife had a
little disruption. I'm guessing Ivy would have been in high school, at the latest...
"Oh yes, he genuinely loves her. How well do you know the story?"
"I skimmed it as Poison Ivy. Hades tricked Persephone into staying in the underworld -Erebos- with him by spiking her drink with pomegranate seeds. Demeter turned the world into a barren wasteland until Zeus stepped in and negotiated a compromise."
As tempted as I am to quote Luke Skywalker
("Amazing, every word you just said was
wrong.") As noted,
some details would have garbled by human poets and scribes recording the tale...
"The main thing is that Hades got permission from Persephone's father to marry her, and incorrectly assumed that that meant that said father had talked it through with Demeter and Persephone. He hadn't. So when Hades turned up she thought that she was being abducted, but was too intimidated to actually say anything, and as far as I know the pomegranate thing didn't happen at all."
"But Hades knows now."
And he's been a complete gentleman, once she spoke up. Alas, the damage was done very early, so...
"And he keeps trying to improve their relationship because he does actually love her, and it's not working."
"Have-?" Dr. Isley shakes her head. "Have they considered marriage counselling?"
It's been thousands of years. I don't think there's any counsellor, mortal or otherwise, willing to step into
that train-wreck of a relationship.
"They know all of their issues. I've talked to their children and quite a few other people who know them, and there isn't really anything that could be fixed by adding a new perspective. The problem is how the relationship started, and Hades has done everything he could to fix that."
"Other than letting her get a divorce."
Which wasn't entirely his choice. Doing so after having sealed his compact with Zeus (the original pact to marry her) would have been a slap in the face to his brother-king. And Sparky doesn't take that kind of thing
well.
"That wouldn't fix the relationship." I quietly snort. "There was a… Case I was involved a while ago, in India. A group of refugees accepted refuge in a magical land, and one of their children was made the magical heir to the place. His mother freaked out because she hates magic, grabbed him and fled. The current ruler used force to get him back."
"I don't see the link."
Patience, I'm sure he'll draw diagrams if need be. Said situation began
here, for reference.
"The boy and Persephone both have a place of honour. Neither are mistreated, and the consequences for them going elsewhere are bad for a lot of people. In utilitarian terms, the choice between being a prince and condemning a nation to death is simple. For most of history, a woman complaining that her king-husband who loves her, is faithful to her and is actually a pretty good father was a bit brusque when they first met thousands of years ago but apologised as soon as he found out about the misunderstanding would be…"
At least the Jarhanpur situation turned out better than the canonical comics storyline. The Persephone situation, though...
"Unreasonable. But at the same time, it's not right to force her to be somewhere she doesn't want to be." She frowns. "If Euanthe joins the Greek pantheon, does this become our problem?"
I shrug. "Not more than it is already. Has Euanthe extended the gift of chlororeincarnation to the rest of her worshippers?"
I doubt it would be as popular as you might be expecting. Only the most
devoted might consider trading super-human flesh for enchanted wood and leaves...
"No, not yet. You mean that they're going to Erebos when they die?"
"Probably."
Won't know until some of them
do die and turn up in the line for judgement.
"What do we..? Get out of worshipping the other gods?"
"Someone magical overseeing the parts of existence that Euanthe isn't and doesn't care about. And given that Hephaestaean wants the gods to become more active, probably low level blessings and active guidance for the devout. For me, afterlife services was the big thing I wanted because my rings already give me a mission and a method."
And that's quite the figurative commute for the Olympians. Nearly halfway around the world. I take it there's any number of mountains of suitable size for a permanent link to Olympus to be formed in the region?
"You worship Hades? That seems a bit sombre for you."
"No, I worship… In the sense of making offerings, to any gods who deserve it. My particular patron is Eris."
"What's she goddess of?"
Do you really need to ask, knowing
him?
"Chaos."
"That makes a lot of sense." She nods. "I'll tell Euanthe about this when she finishes with her tree."
Do make sure she takes all due diligence with the experiment, though. Don't want to leave any backdoors for unwanted attention.
"Thank you."
She nods and starts to walk back towards the temple-palace, then stop herself.
...Sometimes, all you need for a problem is a fresh pair of eyes on the matter...
"Would Persephone like Hades if they hadn't met like that?"
"No idea. Objectively, they have the best marriage amongst the major Olympians."
Says says a lot about the
others, doesn't it?
"Kind of a shame they can't just start over."
"Yes, it-."
...Oh, dear. that's the sound of a Paul-iphany...
There is quite a clever Checkov's gun sitting around in Erebos, just waiting to be picked up, you know...