So I grabbed my king and ran away
to a land of death,
where I reigned and people whispered
that I’d been dragged.
I’ll tell you I’ve changed. I’ll tell you,
the red on my lips isn’t wine.
I hope you’ve heard of horns,
but that isn’t half of it. Out of an entire kingdom
he kneels only to me,
calls me Queen, calls me Mercy.— Peresphone Speaks by ― Daniella Michalleni
Persephone lay with Des. He snored softly beside her. A soft hint of fire crackled across the room. Heat for her, since he preferred cooler temperatures.
She missed the bird songs greeting her upon waking. The wind in the trees and the grasses. The lull of water in the brook outside her window in her mother’s house. Windows, she missed those; pulling back the curtains to let the sunshine in.
Mother humming in the common rooms as she baked or weaved magic. Or reading books from humans.
Des snorted and shifted closer to her.
Yes, Persephone missed those simple pleasures. But she loved her husband and being the Dark Queen beside him.
They could visit. Today. She smiled and snuggled into his warm body. After she woke him to make love once more. Carnal desire rushed through her, another reminder of where she belonged. And who she belonged to.
Soft kisses and caresses opened Des’s eyes. He smiled, alert and in charge, rolling her over. His weight pressed her down, lips claiming ownership of her body. As he devoured her mouth, he moved down her chest. Biting the sensitive tip of her breast until she arched, breath hissing between her teeth.
“So soft, so tender.” He nipped at the skin as he moved down, kneeling between her thighs. “So sweet.”
Persephone squirmed as his breath puffed against her inner thighs. The warmth made her shiver, straining for his touch. His tongue licked her open with tenderness, as if he wanted to savor her creaminess.
Taking his time to tease the layers of her body, he finally reached her center. Persephone’s desire twisted in her belly, dark potential seeking the right touch to burst. The continuous movement of his tongue on her clit released the arousal into her veins.
The divine contact of his mouth on her spread through her body, shooting tingles down her spine. Every nerve, every cell came alive, singing the praises of Des, Dark Lord, God of the Underworld. King of her heart and soul. Keeper of darkness.
He swirled around her clit, drawing her into the hedonism of the moment, desire building. Until she shattered in lush pleasure, shivering against his attention.
Persephone quivered as he rolled her over, the weight again pushing her down, demanding her surrender. And she opened for him, allowing him ease of access to her body, thrusting into her still sensitive pussy. Her clit rubbed against the bedsheets as he fucked her.
She moaned, body twitching, aching from the hyperarousal of her senses. “More, my love. More.” She urged him to assert his rights over her being, over his delectation from her.
He bit her shoulder, then his body stiffened, then thrust faster, spilling pleasure.
Whispers rose over their moans.
“Incoming.”
“Visitor.”
“Demeter.”
Persephone felt cold prickles crawl over her body, “Oh.”
“Have her wait in the throne room while we dress.” Des stiffened as he looked at his wife, but remained cool and confident.
Their bed-chamber door slammed the wall. “Where is my daughter?”
Des grinned at Persephone. “Welcome my lady. She’s here.”
Persephone hid her face in Des’s shoulder, turning away from the voice of wrath in the doorway. “Mama.” A squeak of acknowledgment.
“You are my Queen now,” Des whispered. “Demeter, please wait in the throne room. We are not dressed for company.”
“You kidnap my daughter, and expect me to wait.” Demeter stomped closer. “I have come to take her home.”
Persephone pushed Des back to stare at her mother. “This is my home. Des is my husband. I am Queen.” Her voice wavered. “I love him.”
Demeter howled. “He’s stolen you from me. Stolen your innocence. Turned you against me.” Tears streamed down her face.
“He asked, and I gave myself willingly. You couldn’t keep me sheltered my whole life,” Persephone shot back. Confidence grew with each word.
“This is my fault. Letting you pick flowers with those asrai by the river. They filled your head with nonsense stories of love.”
Des let go of Persephone and sat beside her on the bed. She grabbed his hand. “Des loves me unconditionally. He doesn’t want to own me.”
“Then he won’t force you to live in this dank place. It’s not fit for you.”
Persephone jumped off the bed. “This is my home.” Her attendants wrapped a robe around her shoulders. “He promised we’d visit often.”
“Visit? Often? Unacceptable. I demand a trial of Zeus.”
Des’s head snapped up as Demeter invoked the God of all God’s name. “Ready my carriage. Leave, so we may dress.”
While they changed, he explained to Persephone, he could not refuse the challenge of trial by Zeus. And what the God ruled, they’d live by.
“Mother will understand reason. And love.” Once she calmed down, Persephone hoped.
The three traveled in Des’s carriage in tense silence. Once they reached the Overworld, Persephone gasped at the scene out the window.
It was colder here than the Underworld. Snow covered the ground, only seen in the highest mountains before. The trees had no leaves; the grass was brown and rivers froze over. Deer pawed through the snow in search of sustenance, looking sad.
“What have you done?” Persephone asked.
“She stopped the growth and the harvest because you were gone,” Des said in awe.
“I searched for you.”
“But the animals and people. They’ll starve.”
Demeter huffed and crossed her arms. She looked out the window and said nothing.
Persephone shook her head. Wrapping herself around Des, she closed her eyes.
The carriage halted, and Des opened the door. Mount Olympus was even more grand than she recalled. Gold pillars and fountains. Marble walkways led them to Zeus’s throne room.
“Demeter, why have you ceased the harvest?” Zeus thundered, reminding them he was in charge.
“Hades stole my daughter, Persephone. He tricked her, and she refuses to leave him.”
“We fell in love. There was no kidnapping. She agreed to marry me.” Des squeezed his wife’s hand.
Zeus looked between the God he appointed to rule the underworld, and the Goddess who brought life to the world he created. “Persephone, speak.”
“I miss my Mother. But Des is my husband, I love him. He is my home.”
A sob escaped Demeter. “If she is gone, my heart will break and I can no longer sustain the harvest.”
“She ate and drank with me. We have lain together,” Des said.
“How much?” Zeus asked.
“Three times.”
“I ate three pomegranate seeds,” Persephone offered.
“My child. My heart,” Demeter wailed.
Zeus sat on his throne. “Persephone married Hades and loved him. She will return to him.”
Persephone quieted as the God announced his verdict.
Demeter shrieked.
“For one third of the year, she will be Queen beside him. The rest, she will live in the Overworld.”
“I’ll renounce my Lordship.”
Zeus, Demeter, and Des argued. Demeter argued a third was too much, Des promised to leave his Lordship, and Zeus tried to reason he was in charge.
Persephone stomped her foot. “Stop! All of you stop. I am in charge of myself.”
The three fell silent and stared at her.
“I love you, Des, but I don’t want to live in the Underworld for all my life. I want us to be in the Overworld, and enjoy the flowers and trees and rivers.”
“I have duties…”
“You can attend them and return to me when you are done. And a third of the year, as stated because I am bound to the underworld now, a third of the year I will live there. Eat, drink, be Queen of my domain. I am neither the innocent young Goddess, nor Queen of the Dark. I am both.”
Demeter nodded, agreeing. “Fine.”
“Okay, my Love. I will live with you.”
“We’ll have our own cottage, Mother.” And she’d be free to Love both the light and dark parts of herself.