Beauty And The Beast

“I wanted to change her perception of me. I wasn’t evil, and I wasn’t a beast or monster. Although, I acted the part and was bloody good at it. It came naturally to me. My dark half was reserved for the Underworld and its occupants, but the rest of me was for her. The good side of me.

Book of Hades

I have always wanted to spend more time with Persephone, but of course, we have always been at odds. I never gave much thought to what we would actually do if we spent time together away from the Underworld.

I returned from my trip to the Gardens of Hesperides with Persephone, and it was an awkward journey. She had just kissed me, and the silence that followed was eerie. I wasn’t sure if she regretted it or if she had finally decided to try to make our marriage work. 

I had to leave her to talk to Bidon, my trusted minion, about an issue in Tartarus. He had left word of a disturbance while I was gone. It was a normal and routine problem that I dealt with daily. There were certain individuals taking liberties who needed to be put back in their place. It just happened to be Furies this time. 

I left my wife next to our thrones with a kiss on the hand and a small smile, which she returned to my relief, and went about the intolerable business of ruling the dead. I didn’t want to leave Persephone for a moment after our little trip, the kiss still lingering on my lips like a coating of lipstick. The overwhelming feeling of love and pain it caused had my head spinning and my stomach turning. 

Bloody feelings.

I was still trying to grasp what these feelings were and how they changed a person or god. I had always loved her, but I had never felt it that intensely before, and I was beginning to think it was more than just love. Perhaps it was a mixture of guilt and longing that made it an overpowering brew that put me on my knees, leaving me mentally and emotionally exhausted. Overpowered by my desire to be with her, I took out my phone and brought up the cameras for Tartarus. The Furies had tried to sneak out when the latest army of human cockroaches were brought to their final destination, but they were caught by the new alarm system I had secretly added to the ever-growing security.

One day I won’t be needed here for days at a time.

With the cameras up on the screen, I opened the voice communication and bellowed with my most furious voice, causing the ground to shake and dust and rock to drop from the walls and ceiling. A quick warning, but I knew it would keep things in order for a while. I put my phone back in my pocket and suddenly felt self-conscious, almost ashamed. I had just screamed in the most terrifying and evil manner, my hate and anger blasting out in the form of venomous words.

She must see me as a monster. I am a beast, while she is everything good and pure, a gentle beauty.

Once again, that feeling of love and pain mixed up in my stomach, making me feel physically sick with the churning and turning.

How do humans deal with this?

I wanted to change her perception of me. I wasn’t evil, and I wasn’t a beast or monster. Although, I acted the part and was bloody good at it. It came naturally to me. My dark half was reserved for the Underworld and its occupants, but the rest of me was for her. The good side of me. It never occurred to me that she only ever saw my dark side because we were always in the Underworld when we spent any time together, however brief that time was.

I will take her out somewhere away from this shit heap we call home. I wonder if she likes cars?

I made my way back to where I’d left her. She was sitting on her throne with a distant look on her face. What she was thinking was a mystery, and I hated that.

“Are you alright, my dear?” I asked her as I walked over and sat on my throne next to hers. She faced me and smiled, but I could see she was troubled.

She regrets the kiss. She made a mistake.

“I’m fine,” she gave me another small smile before looking away. 

She always looked away from me when something was troubling her. It was like she couldn’t hold my gaze while she wasn’t being totally truthful with me. She liked to keep her pain to herself, just as I did. I never wanted to burden her with my issues or problems. I was guessing it was the same with her. But it was more than probable that I was the source of her issue or problem, which is why she would never mention it to me.

“Come on, we are going out.” I stood and offered her my hand. She gave me a quizzical look.

“Going out?” she asked bemusedly, like she didn’t quite hear me correctly.

“Yes, my dear,” I said with a small laugh at her expression, “let’s get out of this place. It’s bloody depressing.” She took my hand and stood with the same look on her face.

“So, where are we going?” she asked. It appeared she was humouring me and just going along with it.

“I have no idea.” I chuckled. “Let’s get in the car and just drive. I’m sure all roads lead somewhere.” She smiled at that and nodded her agreement. I was very nervous and had no idea what I was doing or where we were going. This could be a disaster.

Hades (John Decarteret)
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