Discord & Death

Based on the characters from Disney’s “Hercules” film & TV show

Chapter 9

It was one of those days when you just knew that something bad had happened. Getting called up early in the morning was one thing; to get called up early in the morning by the queen of the gods was another! To top this off, Demeter's body was filled with that horrible tingling sensation of dread, and she just knew that whatever she and her partner, Bacchus, had been summoned for, it wasn’t going to be good. Good news was discussed over nectar evenings, after all; bad news was delivered in the mornings so that the rest of your day became significantly more rotten. Demeter’s thoughts were half confirmed when she walked into the throne room and came face-to-face with the sight of her daughter and of Hades, lord of the dead.

And Hades meant trouble...

For once, though, she cast the thought of Hades out of her mind and gave her daughter a large smile. She had been missing her daughter so terribly as of late that, despite their disagreement over the situation involving him, she was happy to see her. “Persephone!” she called, rushing across and giving her daughter a hug. “How are you? I’ve missed you so much!”

Persephone smiled at her mum, half with embarrassment and half with apprehension. “I’m --" she began to say, but was quickly interrupted by her mother.

“You look pale…" Demeter said. "Are you feeling all right? Has that man been feeding you proper food? You haven’t been drinking the water down there, have you?”

Persephone pushed her mother away from her, giving Hades a glare as she heard him scoff under his breath. “Mom, please!” she said. “I’m fine!” But of course she was lying. Morning sickness wasn’t being kind to her, and she’d had another appointment with the the bottom of the toilet this morning. Forthcoming motherhood wasn’t glamorous, she’d give it that much.

Demeter stroked Persephone's hair and managed a weak smile. “I just worry,” she said quietly.

Persephone turned her eyes to the floor, more than a little mortified by her mother’s overenthusiastic affection for her. She then noticed that her father was smiling at her discomfiture as well as Hades. She sighed - at least Bacchus didn’t make such a fuss. He knew her better than that.

Demeter then glared at Hades, unable to mistake his proud posture, nor miss the huge grin on his face. She was about to rebuke him for his arrogance when Hera and Zeus suddenly entered the room, and everyone turned to watch them take their seats.

“Good morning everyone,” Hera smiled cheerily, whilst Zeus barely managed an audible grunt, feeling mighty hard done to for having to get up so early. It didn't help that he had to see his brother on top of this - they weren't exactly on the best of terms after their last encounter. And then there was Persephone, two, another rebel. It was too much at this untimely hour!

“I trust we all slept well?” Hera continued politely.

“Hell, yeah,” Hades smirked, placing his hand about Seph’s shoulder and rubbing it tenderly.

Demeter swiftly threw Hades another harsh glare, but he just responded with another taunting grin. Persephone saw it this time and gave him a nudge in the chest. “It doesn’t help if you upset my mother to begin with!” she hissed at him. He gave her the ‘I can’t help myself’ look in return, by which she was not impressed.

“Moving on,” Hera said before Demeter pounced upon Hades, “I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve summoned you all here... apart from the small party who do know, of course.”

Demeter and Bacchus politely nodded; “Yes, we are curious,” Bacchus said, deciding to get a word in before his wife had the chance.

“Me too,” Zeus loudly yawned, before he scratched beneath his armpit. “I should still be in bed. I can’t afford to lose sleep on my brother’s account.”

Hades growled deep in his throat and his hair briefly flashed a shade of orange as the insult hit home. Seph quickly placed a hand onto his chest, trying to keep him grounded. She couldn't be doing with another fight. Hera also threw Zeus the ‘behave’ glare, before returning to the task at hand. "I have arranged for this little gathering to give Persephone and Hades a chance to speak to you all. They have things they need to tell you.”

The alarm bells began to ring in Demeter's head and she gave Hades an accusing look. “What have you done to my baby?” she asked him, before Bacchus took a hold of her hand and shook his head at her. He knew that Demeter was waiting for an opportunity to knock Hades' face down his neck. “Demeter, please…” he murmured softly. “Let them speak…”

Zeus, meanwhile, was twisting a finger about in his ear hole. He flicked away a bit of wax, before he reluctantly began to pay attention again. “Get on with it,” he asked grumpily. “It can’t be any worse than what has gone before.”

Hades looked at Persephone, and she nodded to him in return, asking him to let her speak first. Stepping forward a bit, she said, “Mom, dad, lord Zeus, I… well, Hades and I…”

She sighed. It wasn't easy when you had the king of the gods and your parents staring at you. It had never been easy. Seeing Hera give her another encouraging nod, she took a deep breath and continued. “Well, you all know how much we want to be together. Before I left the Underworld the first time, you all know that I had agreed to marry Hades, and I…well…” Seph felt her voice trail off as she saw the horror in her face. Demeter had been fraught at losing her to the Underworld alone, so how she would cope when she learned that she had married Hades, she didn't know. And so Persephone faltered, her nerves catching up with her again.

Bacchus, on the other hand, could only smile at his daughter, his eyes full of sympathy – Persephone had certainly gotten herself into amost awkward situation.

Hades silently shook his head and stepped up to Persephone's side, taking her hand in his and squeezing it hard. She jumped and looked up at him, and when he gave her a reassuring wink, she managed a weak smile. Hades then took it upon himself to do all the explaining himself. “Look," he said bluntly, "You're intimidating the poor gal. What she’s trying ta say is that me ’n’ her have got hitched, so deal with it.”

Demeter’s mouth fell to the floor . “Married?” she gasped in disbelief, “Sephy, you haven't married this brute?”

The insult fired up Persephone's fighting spirit and she snapped in reply, “Mom! He’s not a brute! He’s your son-in-law. Just deal with it!”

‘Son-in-law’ – those words made Demeter shudder; she was now connected, through her daughter, to Olympus’ most hated god.

“But Persephone,” she gasped. “Are you aware of what you’ve done? You’ve --”

“I’ve sacrificed part of my life to be with him already,” Seph interrupted. “I shouldn’t have thought you’d be so surprised to find that I've bound myself to him further.”

Demeter knew that Persephone was right, she just found it hard to cope with. Her daughter had made some crazy decisions as of late, and she couldn't deny that part of her had always clung to a small thread of hope that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance that this entire thing would blow over, and her daughter would be allowed to return home. It was an impossible hope that she clung to, however, and she knew it. She couldn't help but be in denial, though.

“And who exactly wed you?” Zeus now asked, slamming a fist down onto his throne. “Your parents gave you no consent, and I certainly did not! I should like to speak with the person responsible.”

Hades couldn't help but laugh out loud at this, and he didn't even try to prevent himself.

Zeus glanced at him sharply. “Watch your step, Hades... I'm well stocked with thunderbolts."

Hera sighed and turned around to face Zeus. “I wed them,” she said straight, folding her arms.

Demeter and Zeus gawped at Hera, totally dumbfounded by the revelation. Bacchus, however, had a somewhat knowing glint in his eyes, but decided to voice no opinions on the matter.

Once an awkward pause had passed, the king of the gods finally managed to stutter. “You wed them? But why?”

Demeter was equally desperate for an explanation. “Yes. You wed them without giving me word? Without telling me?” She understandably felt quite betrayed by the queen of Olympus.

Hera gave the both serious glances and said, “I wed them because they wanted to be wed. I see no reason why a couple, completely happy with being with one another, should be prevented from getting married. We are not to be the judges over everyone's private affairs."

Demeter stared at Hera, still completely stunned, before she slowly turned her eyes back on her daughter, who was now leaning into Hades and letting him hold her close to him. She watched how he rubbed her shoulder affectionately, before his eyes then connected with hers and an air of hatred passed between them. She ignored him and just looked hard upon Persephone once more, studying her content face as she leant upon the lord of the dead. She couldn’t deny that her daughter loved Hades, no matter how much she wanted to. “Persephone," she stammered, "I just can’t understand you...”

Seph had had enough of this, she decided - it didn't help that her hormones were making her cranky. “Would you please think about what I want for once,” she said. She then clutched at Hades' chiton and had to lean harder into him as she felt her stomach begin to churn again. She was glad of the physical support.

Demeter was clearly taken aback by her daughter’s sharpness and stared at her for a while, startled. She had had a taste of this kind of temper before, but she couldn't say that she was used to it, or comfortable with it. Bacchus, on the other hand, had known that this was coming. Persephone had done everything in her power to prove her love for Hades, and Demeter just would not accept it. Seph was now getting aggravated over the fact that she couldn’t seem to move forward without her mother constantly trying to pull her back.

“Look," Hades said, breaking the awkward silence."I know I’m possibly the most unpopular deity this side of the cosmos, but I love yer daughter."

Seph hadn’t seen that coming, and she gave him a curious look. That was one crack through his ego.

"And I would never harm her,” he continued, giving them both a glare of defiance which dared them to say otherwise.

“I think we’re all finding it hard to trust you these days, Hades,” Zeus snarled. “Can you blame poor Demeter for her distress?”

“Yeah," Hades retorted, "It’s her distress, not mine.”

“Stop it!” Persephone asked him abruptly.

He glanced down at her and they held a silent battle of wills as they stared at one another.

"I know I’m a bit peeved off with my mom and Zeus as well," Persephone said to him quietly, "but I don’t want to have a rift with her and Olympus forever. I want to be able to come back here for my 6 months and be able to talk with my own mom and dad, and the other gods, without feeling threatened or outcast. I want to be able to bring our baby up here and --"

“What, Sephy?” Demeter interrupted, hoping that she had overheard those last words wrong, and that her recent shock would not give way to a possible other.

Persephone bit her lip and froze, before giving Hades another glance. He just gave raised his eyebrows in return. 'Go on' he insisted wordlessly.

“What?" blurted out Zeus from behind. "What did she say?”

Even Bacchus looked like he had been caught off guard, for he was sure he had heard his daughter correctly, yet couldn't quite believe it was true. By the look on his wife's face, though, he had heard exactly the same as she had. Did this therefore mean that…?

“What did you say, Persephone?” Demeter asked her daughter again, taking a step toward her.

Persephone turned away from Hades and faced her parents, before passing a glance at Zeus as well. “I…” she stuttered.

“Did I hear you correctly?” the goddess of plants continued anxiously.

Persephone looked down. “I don’t know…" she dithered, "it depends what you heard."

Hades had to grin at that – she was learning tactics from the master!

“What did she say?” Zeus asked Hera. “I didn’t hear her.”

Hera sighed and walked forward between the mother and daughter. “I wed Hades and Persephone for another reason besides love,” she said. “Persephone came to me yesterday with a concern. She felt that something might have happened which she wasn't expecting--"

"So to speak," Hades murmured. Seph's elbow then hit him in the stomach.

"--and she feared the consequences of it. She feared her parents’ reactions, the pantheon’s reactions, and even Hades’ reactions.”

Hades blinked and gave her a curious stare. Seph looked down sheepishly, and didn't meet his gaze.

“And what is this ‘thing’ that may cause these feared ‘consequences’?” Zeus asked, his patience wearing thin.

Persephone just closed her eyes, and said it straight. “I’m pregnant.”

If Demeter had been shocked before, she was overcome now. She looked more liable to faint than Persephone did. Persephone took in a large breath and opened her eyes slowly, watching to see how everyone would react. She was thankful that Hades gave her a light kiss on top of the head. It made her feel so much better. Hera also gave her a brief tap on the arm as if to say 'well done’; she knew it hadn’t been easy for her.

“My daughter…?” Demeter stammered.

Zeus rose up from his throne. “What?” he yelled.

Hades held Persephone tightly against himself and gave his brother a hard glare. “If it’d been any other god, you’d be celebrating, bro',” he said outright.

Zeus’ brow furrowed at this. “You must have taken advantage of this poor girl,” he scowled.

“I’m not a girl!” Seph shouted back at him, pipping Hades to the post. “I’m a woman. And I haven’t been ‘taken advantage of'.”

Zeus looked at her hard now, too.

Hera shook her head, knowing that this would happen. She stepped between Zeus and the other deities and said sharply, “Zeus, buckle up!”

Zeus flinched, sitting back down promptly. “But, Hera…” he implored.

She sighed with exasperation. “Look, we’ve been through this. She and Hades are quite happy together, so let’s leave them be.”

Zeus blinked at her, before saying. “But it’s Hades, Hera, he's --"

“Been an absolute swine in his time, I know,” she interrupted.

Hades was suddenly affronted by this and scowled at her.

Hera ignored him. “But this woman has been the best thing to happen to him in a long time, and I think she will change him for the better.”

Bacchus looked at his daughter and could only agree with Hera. He had said that he would always support his daughter, no matter what, and he was planning to stick by his word. Leaving Demeter find her voice again, he walked across to his daughter and opened his arms to her. “Congratulations,” he said.

Persephone’s eyes lit up, and shge pried away from Hades’ grasp so that she could cuddle her father. “Thanks, dad…” she said quietly.

“You’ll make a wonderful mother,” he added hushly.

“And you’ll make a wonderful grandfather, dad…” sheadded, stepping back from him.

Hades felt a pang of jealously as he watched Persephone and her father. It was completely unlike how his parents’ had ever treated him, and it all seemed so alien, and so unfair.

Bacchus chuckled lightly to himself in return, nodding to her, “I’m sure,” he said.

Demeter meanwhile could only shake her head as she tried to put things into perspective. “Persephone, I…” she stammered, still taken aback. “I mean, you’re so young, and...”

“Mom,” Seph sighed, “I’m not that young. For so long, I was on Sicily, wasting my life away, but now I have a place, and a purpose, and… well, soon I'll have a family I can call my own.”

Demeter looked at her daughter half heartedly, “But, him… you’ve… with him!” she stuttered, struggling to get the words out.

Hades found it all very amusing. “Demeter, babe,” he said smoothly, “Let’s be honest: when have you ever heard of a celibate married couple?” He then flashed her a grin and placed a hand upon each of Persephone’s shoulders, whilst Seph shook her head and struggled to suppress a smirk.

“Oh, be quiet, you!” Demeter snapped at him. “I dread to think what kind of a father you’ll make.”

Hades went a bit soppy again at the mere mention of paternity, and clutched Seph about her waist; “I’m gonna be a daddy…” he smiled proudly, before he gave Seph an impromptu kiss on the cheek.She pushed him away with a smile.

But the moment was shattered by Zeus' spiteful laugh. “Ha!" he barked. "You? A father?”

“Hmm," Demeter concurred. "I find it hard to imagine myself…"

Hades pulled an angry face, but Persephone silenced him before he could speak, placing her fingers across his mouth.

“But, when did this happen?” Demeter continued, “If you’ve only just been married…?”

Persephone wriggled uncomfortably under her mother’s gaze, the question a little too personal for her. “I dunno… the night I went back to him?” she guessed.

Demeter found it hard to believe that her daughter was so ‘grown up’, and she shook her head in dismay. “Oh, Persephone…” she sighed.

Hades shrugged. “What’s the big deal? It wasn’t the first time.”

“First time?” Demeter repeated, looking at Hades with a wrathful gaze. He just grinned back once again, and Persephone found herself shaking her head; he really wasn’t helping things.

Hera stepped in again. “This was an extra reason for my marrying them,” she said, raising her voice above those of Demeter and Hades. “I knew that, should they be having a child together, then they should be wed.”

“A child? In the Underworld?” Zeus commented gruffly, “It’s just not right.”

“If I have worked things out correctly, I believe the child will be born here,” Hera said, “And, I should think that he or she will be spending most of its time with its mother.”

She looked over at Persephone and then up to Hades, and saw the sudden realisation in his eyes. “When Persephone is up here," Hera continued to explain, "she will have the child with her, and when she goes back to the Underworld, so too will the child, to the domain of its father.”

There was a clear disappointment in Hades’ eyes now. “It's nothing against you, Hades,” she confessed, “It’s just that I can’t see Persephone being able to leave your child with you when she comes up here. Not yet, anyway. We know you’re a busy god. Realistically, would you have the time to care for a baby on your own?”

Zeus was about to comment, but Hera glared at him before he could open his mouth.

Hades sighed, pursing his lips. “Yeah, I understand,” he mumbled.

“Now, I know that this has been a shock to you all,” Hera went on, now addressing all assembled, “But it has happened, and I think we should look to the future positively. Persephone has four more months with Hades in the Underworld before she’ll have to return here. The child will be born in approximately seven months, which gives enough time for all parties to get their heads round exactly what is going to happen.” She then walked up to Persephone and Hades. “I offer you both my congratulations and best wishes,” she said kindly. “I think it is about time there was new life in the Pantheon, and I pray that it brings out the best in both of you.”

Zeus was somewhat sulking in his throne now, unhappy that not only had he not got his own way, but he had been gotten up early as well.

“And Zeus?" Hera called. "I think that now is the time to give Persephone her purpose as a goddess. At this rate, her offspring will have a sphere of duty before she does.”

Persephone managed another smile for Hera. She was more than thankful for what the goddess had done for her.

Zeus sighed. “Oh, all right…” he grumbled, walking down to Persephone from his throne, and giving his brother a brief glare on the way. “Persephone, daughter of Demeter and Bacchus," he said, "Now that your life is bound with that of Hades, I pronounce you Queen of the Underworld for the six months you reside there.”

He raised a hand over her head, and with a swift wave of it, he sent a current of magic swirling about her. In a flash, her chiton had warped into one of a similar nature to Hades’, and her toga pin morphed into a skull with a 'pop'. She looked over herself and felt a smile prick up at the corners of her mouth. She looked at Hades happily, and he winked at her in return. "Lookin' good," he said.

“For the other six months, “Zeus continued, “You will be goddess of vegetation, and will aid you mother in the spring and summer of the year.”

Persephone nodded to him, understanding her role in life. "Thank you, mighty Zeus," she said.

Zeus nodded gruffly. “You are now goddess of two worlds,” he stated. "And a full member of the Pantheon."

Persephone leapt at Hades and hugged him tightly, taking no heed of those around her as she proceeded to kiss him solidly on the lips. Hades held her into him in return, and stroked her back.

Bacchus gave his daughter a wide smile, and was uplifted to see how strong she had become, and how unique. She may have chosen to be with a god he neither liked nor approved of, but he couldn’t deny that his daughter loved him, and he could clearly see that Hades was besotted with her in return. They were a balanced team, and he couldn't be prouder to know that it had been his daughter, and no one else, who had tamed the wild card that was Hades. Anew chapter had begun in his daughter’s life, as well as in his own. She was going to be a mother, making Hades, her husband, a father, and bringing, as Hera had said, new life to the pantheon.

Plus, when his grandchild was born, there would have to be a celebration! And who was the god of partying? Well, he was, of course!

To be continued…

Quid dulcius hominum generi a natura datum est quam sui cuique liberi?