Chapter 26: Chapter 26
Silver orbs fluttered open in alarm, the possessor of those magnetic eyes tensed as he could not find the feel of Persephone's soft skin on his fingertips.
Hades sat up abruptly only to find a pure white wolf laying on the far end of the bed. He touched it, stroking it's fur gently......his Persephone.
Dark Purple eyes opened to greet the King of Underworld, no streak of recognisation present in them.
Hades' jaw clenched when he realized his queen's spirit was locked inside this body.....the wolf infront of him was just an animal.
He picked up the white she-wolf not paying heed to her growling, making her lay down on his chest, wrapping his arms around her.
The she-wolf again growled loudly baring her teeth to him not at all acknowledging her own mate. If Persephone could feel what was happening, she wouldn't never forgive herself if her cursed wolf hurted her king.
Hades' eye glowed cerulean in anger, soon...very soon Selene would beg on her knees for forgiveness.
The she-wolf felt extreme fury radiating in waves and flinched, whimpering.
"I am sorry love, now be a good girl and sleep." Hades sighed, his fingers rubbing her ears, softly scratching behind it, as he peppered kisses on her snout and fur and she was a goner.
She opened her violet eyes, bigger than before, glowing like a starry night purring at him.
Her tip of tongue licked Hades' hand, keenly observing his reaction, when he didn't complained, she nuzzled herself in the crook of his neck making him chuckle.
If there had been a book on how to make a wolf turn into a kitten it would definitely be written by Hades.
A short knock broke the string of silence, the atmosphere suddenly becoming thich with dominance of an other worldly presence.The vigor of it increasing per second.
Hades threw the door open to see three male demons bowing their head.
"Some Olympus gods are requesting you for a rendezvous King Father."
********************************
"Welcome to Olympus King Hades." Hermes bowed his head in a respectful gesture, his legs trembling slightly.
Flattery was not going to help him now because the King of Underworld knew why were the gods so keen to meet him. There are two types of people in the world, one that cannot be broken with force and the other who bow down to it and this man came into the first category wiithout a doubt.
His stance was glorious, the black cloak covering his shoulders burned the ground which he walked on...a warning.
The high corinthian pillars in the hazy peach colour adorned the halls of Olympus. Lilac satin draped over the walls supporting the high ceiling.
A huge fire burned at the head of the assembly, the insignia of hell flames.
Constellations covered the ceiling in their bright blue light....the shine was the grace of goddess Astra sitting in one of the carved seats covered with gold embellishments.
Astra wanted to meet her daughter but the reins of time obstructed her path... She had to wait... For the reunion with her long lost love Damien and daughter Persephone. When she ran away she could ensure that she was able to monitor her daughter's life and fight Selene in a cold war.
Selene broke Persephone's mate bond but Astra rejoined the fates of thread of Hades and Persephone again.
Zeus was sitting at the head of the oval stone table covered with marble grapevines, his shoulders were tense and figure firm as he saw the ground Hades had walked on before taking his respective seat.
"Hades how are you, brother?" Poseidon smiled warmly at him, His long green hair was tied with a crown covered in topaz gems, unlike Zeus whose platinum blonde hair fell in curls. Both the gods had oceanic blue eyes, sparking resemblance of brotherhood .
The greet followed a chorus of greetings by other gods and goddesses.
"My well wishes to everyone. I am well Poseidon, how are you? ."
"Everything is good, Amphitrite and children miss you." Hades genuinely smiled at the thought of his relatives.
"Well they will meet him soon in the Coronation ceremony and how is your mate King Hades?"
Hera teased Hades to which he chuckled, she was the same, her beautiful brown hair flowing in curls and her mischievous honey coloured eyes shone with mirth on talking about her best friend's mate.
"Apollo have seen some visions and they are quite........underwelming" Zeus though happy for his brother didn't beat around the bush.
"She is dangerous." Apollo said
"Now is she?....just a regular werewolf."
"It isn't that simple and you aren't so naive but we trust King Hades you won't break the rules of nature for her"
He smirked "Trust gets you deceived."
"She is cursed and she isn't a goddess-"
"I don't know what vision you saw Apollo, but my mate isn't cursed and she definitely is a goddess, my mate is the moon goddess."
*********
The pitter patter of light feet could be clearly heard in the dark end of Tartarus. Selene was bound with shackles from the wall, her platinum locks matted with dirt and her eyes clenched shut, if it wasn't for the iron chains holding her she would have fell a long time ago.
Her body was swaying with exhaustion. The feet stopped in front of the moon goddess.
"Selene" the voice was calm, almost peaceful and melodious to Selene's ears but she couldn't make herself to raise her head and see the azures of Persephone.
With a loud clank the chains were released and Selene dropped to her knees, her once beautiful face now ashen.
"W-What d-do you want?"
"You are giving your powers to me?" It wasn't an order of the Queen of Hell, just a curious enquiry.
"A-as if I have a choice." Her lips were dry and voice groggy....almost gone.
Water appeared infront of her eyes in a small earthen pot and Selene forced her hands to hold the glass taking greedy gulps and then resting her weight on the wall behind.
Persephone sat beside Selene, her shoulders relaxed and legs drawn out.
"Why are you here?"
"To know if you want to give your powers to me." It almost sounded sympathetic.
"You are my arch nemesis, I destroyed your bond, cursed your mate, cursed you, let your father become a beast and shackled your mother, I am a psychotic and toxic person and I feed on power, why are you showing me your pity. I can ruin you!"
"I knew what happened in Zeus' temple." Selene's eyes widened as her body froze but when she revived her rage was harsher than before.
"You know nothing, absolutely nothing about me, did you forgot I asked Dolus to take Hades' form and destroy your trust."
"I just want to tell you Selene that I am sorry."
"BITCH! I WILL SNATCH YOUR POSITION."
"Stop torturing yourself. What happened was not your fault." Persephone whispered.
"I HATE YOU!" Selene snarled in rage but after three thousand years, angry tears prickled her eyes. A lone tear escaped Persephone's eyes.
"Fuck you, I don't need your sympathy!"
"I know you don't........you are strong." Selene clutched her fingers hards trying to break her own bones, just a little pain and the heart ache will go and after minutes of silence she became numb.
"What do you want Persephone?" She sighed and in so many years for once she saw her own creation properly. Persephone looked just like her.
She was something Selene could never be... smart, kind, brave and above all a true Luna. Selene was a lifeless dead shell while Persephone was filled with life, joy and above all with valour.
"Hades knows about you Selene, he had put efforts to stop you without hurting you, he forgave those sins which were unforgiving. If he wanted you dead you would have died a long time ago but he was just to you like any king should be."
A drop of crystal liquid fell on the pale skin of moon goddess....her tears were flowing without any abandon.
"I had worshipped him throughout my life but the day in altar when I needed him the most.....he never came."
"He came Selene....Hades came, her fate was inevitable but he still came, she wasn't there when they were ripping her body....he was, she was locked in the heavenly skies, neither her soul registered what was happening nor her senses...it was him which they tortured."
"You are a liar."
"You created me and you know me, I am not lying."
PAST}
The city of Athens held on those strong pillars of connemara marble was in great commotion. Hundreds of temples of Zeus were crowded as people prayed for the ending of plague.
Only one abandoned temple covered with black onyx stood proudly on the far end of the cliff- the temple of Hades.
A maiden covered with pure white silk gown entered the temple to worship the the Lord....she was dedicated to it her entire life, she started when she was twelve and was daily beaten to submission before....so she ran here to take refugee.
Her devotion was unmatched, her trust unwavering, maybe because the day she first stepped foot in the temple her abuser and slave master was burned alive as he followed her inside.
That day when she returned to the village, a group of boys threw stones at her for killing their friend and whipped her till blood dripped off her back ...she couldn't remember much but when she called the god of Underworld with all her devotion darkness engulfed her.
Next day she was in infirmary and those boys were found dead....a beast had clawed their heart out.
The twelve year child could not understand much but what she did understand was that the temple was her safe haven and God Hades her best friend...her protector.
Her parents had sold her to a slave master for money and she never saw them again. But she promised herself she would never let those bastards live if she met them again.
The Masters had broke her, countless times forced to submission and life destroyed but now everything was good because a bundle of joy was born from her heart....her own daughter- Mairen.
She was twelve when Mairen graced the world but she was never regretful....it was the essence of her first love- Erim. Erim loved her and their daughter but he was sacrificed just like an animal infront of her and she could do nothing to stop his death.
But that day onwards she bowed to protect Mairen......a vow which unknown to her would be soon broken.
The maiden was Selene.
**********************************