Love Like Winter: Chapter Six

For the first time since her fall from the surface, Persephone was scared. Furious, betrayed, lonely, miserable, spiteful; all these emotions she could handle. Even this new, fluttering thing between her and Hades could be hidden, protected. The pomegranate was heavy in her hands, and she could feel it's puckered texture teasing the skin on her palms and fingertips. One bite would change everything. She had always had her freedom, her mother believed that her daughter should grow up to be independent, self-sufficient, and while she relished in her daughter's company, she never closeted her away or prevented her from pursuing her own passions. And now all she had to do was eat one seed and she would be entirely at Hades' mercy for a month of every year. One split-second decision would alter the rest of her immortal life, and she was making it on the slim hope that he really loved her.

*

"… let us summon Hades and Persephone to Olympus. The goddess shall be taken away as soon as possible, to clear her head of any of the Underworld's influences. I will persuade my brother to leave her alone, by any means necessary. Demeter I want your solemn oath that the second your daughter's feet touch the earth as a free woman that you will never freeze the earth again, and Aphrodite, as punishment you shall help me to… persuade my brother. Trust me, it won't be nearly as enjoyable as you seem to think. I might allow him to murder you as leverage."

"Winter will still come Zeus, whenever my daughter's feet don't touch the earth," Demeter said.

"What do you mean? The earth never froze when Persephone came to Olympus," Zeus said impatiently.

"I have slowly sent her some of my power whenever I felt her spirit strongly enough. If she needed to escape, then I wanted her to be able to. If not, I felt it was time for her to play a more important role then minor one she formerly occupied anyway. My daughter is a powerful individual, and she will make an extraordinary goddess. It is time she received her own realm. She takes after our father, Zeus. I've only enhanced her natural gifts."

"What do you mean enhanced?" he bellowed.

"I mean that while she will always be Goddess of Spring, the other seasons belong to her as well. Continued exposure to her presence will send the earth into the throws of Summer. As she withdraws her influence, Autumn will come, and if she departs, Winter."

"What have you done, Demeter?" he roared.

"I have guaranteed my daughter her independence."

*

She sliced the dark fruit in half, and extracted four slippery seed from its sticky center. Persephone sucked in a breath, and raised one to her lips—

"Persephone, wait—" Hades said, and her eyes met his as she felt a tug in her abdomen, and he vanished before her frantic eyes.

*

Deep in the core of the world, the sisters clucked their tongues. This was definitely not good.

A/N: *Nervous Laughter* Hi everyone. To everyone who I made promises to update far sooner than this to, I'm SO sorry Dx. Honors and personal stuff have held my life hostage these last few months, but especially in the last 3 weeks. Between homework and moving, I just haven't had the energy for creative work. But I've used Spring Break to clear my head, get my story lines in order, and you can expect more frequent updates for LLW and my other fics from now on, with new stories to be posted soon. This is my first school year as a part of the fanfiction community, and my freshman year of high school (great combination, right?). Sorry this chapter is so short and ends on a cliffhanger by the way, but there's only a chapter or two left until the end (I'm planning a sequel) so I felt it was fitting. Jeez this author's note is almost as long as the freakin' chapter. Shutting up now. Sorry. Review?