DA : Chapter 95: Betrayals and Pleas III

( Persephone POV )

( Later That Evening )

The queen of the underworld sighed softly to herself as she looked at her reflection in the vanity, her eyes seeming strange even to herself. Where they were once radiant with hints of bright green within warm pools of brown like the renewed earth of spring, now they seemed faint and grey from lack of sleep and worry.

Her hair was cast into a low pony-tail and tossed over her left shoulder as she combed the end, trying to steel herself for what she was about to do.

Once her hair was combed to her satisfaction she waved her newly free hand to apply a modest touch of make-up and even focused some of her divine energy into her eyes to make them seem radiant again.

Once completing her make-up she stood and tossed of her bathrobe before putting on a simple, black gown that reached just to her ankles with a slight running up her right leg to the thigh. With a pair of simple, black heels she left her bathroom, stepping into the master bedroom of her palace.

She looked to her bed and saw her husband well and truly asleep. A hefty night of eating and drinking a fine wine from Rhea's new vineyards after a rather taxing day restructuring the Underworld with Nico's assistance had assured her that her husband wouldn't join the world of the living any time soon.

Stepping up to the side of her bed she leaned down and softly kissed Hades on the forehead, the god mumbling something before turning over in the bed and snoring away.

She smiled wistfully before grimacing as she remembered what she needed to do tonight. It weighed heavily in her heart, knowing that the repercussions could be severe for her and several others, but she needed to try.

If things went as expected, it might be possible she would never join her husband's bed again … even though she did love him and wanted to stay with him. She prayed to Chaos it didn't go as far as to her worst fears but if necessary…

She steeled herself as she swiftly left their chambers and moved on towards the throne room, ignoring the few ghouls and servants traversing the late hours of the castle.

She morbidly thought of how the pained wails in the distance had become rather soothing to her after so long, especially when she was nervous.

Still, with a slight shake of her head she arrived to the throne room before mentally picturing the Temple of the Primordials. One intense flash of golden light and she was gone only to reappear seconds later just before said temple.

She looked up at the rather simple yet imposing sight of the temple, the main doors reaching five stories and wide enough for four cars to pass comfortably at the same time.

Small torches of warm orange and yellow light up the white halls and she walked inside, idly noting how quiet it was unlike the bustling center of activity it usually was during the day.

Her heels clacked throughout the halls as she moved further into the structure before turning down a large hall containing several doors, the offices of Primordials.

She'd always been interested in going into one, finding the idea of mental plane brought to a physical manifestation rather fascinating, but had never really had the chance even when she swore her domains to Rhea. Well, at least now she might get her chance.

With a quick step she arrived to the door she wanted, the wood being ebony as to match the primordial using the space. Two blades, a katana and a Viking sword, crossed with a black flame being the symbol that let her know she was correct. Mentally focusing on the task at hand and what was at stake, she raised her hand and knocked.

It took a few seconds of mind numbing silence before the door slowly and soundlessly opened, an expanse of pitch darkness beyond. Gulping nervously she took her first steps into his inner world tentatively, unable to so much as see more than an inch or so in front of her.

Once she was passed the threshold the door audibly snapped behind her making her jump with a start. She turned to see but everything was pitch black as her heart started to race, her body shuddering as a cool breeze swept over her.

Then suddenly like a switch being flipped she could see and all she could do was gasp. Where once an all-consuming darkness was now a majestic forest of ice. Trees of ebony or even obsidian carved to look like trees dotted around her with leaves of white and light blue ice.

She moved slowly as she observed her surroundings, the softest snow she'd ever felt muffling her steps. She looked up to see little floating orbs of blue fire carried by the breeze and lighting the forest around her.

She walked within this icy wonderland, idly noting some rose bushes with white and black flowers, or at one point a waterfall coming from seemingly nowhere and pouring into a frozen pond.

For several minutes she walked, her wonder nearly making her forget why she was even here in the first place until she arrived at a particularly large tree.

A Weeping Willow if she recognized it correctly but within the long falling vine-like leaves there were hundreds of little orbs. Upon closer inspection she noticed it had a shadowy, moving image of trees and a running deer. From the point of view, she guessed that it was seeing through the eyes of the chaser.

"Like my viewing tree?" asked a voice right behind her.

Persephone jumped with a squeak as she whirled around to see Percy standing there, arms crossed and smirking wolfishly at her with amusement in his flaming eyes. She huffed while fighting down her embarrassed blush before remembering her manners and giving a little curtsy.

"Hey, none of that," Percy said with a wave as she straightened. "Come on, this isn't a council meeting. So, what can I help you with Persephone?" he asked lightly.

Persephone shied away from his gaze as her nerves stirred up again, wondering if somehow this would be all for nothing. 'No … I need to try. I can't … I won't stand silent about this,' she thought as she looked her king in the eyes.

"I have a request, my lord," she said, slipping back into formal form while Percy raised one eyebrow but made no motion to interrupt. "After some thought over the last few days … I …"

She trailed off as her heart hammered away in her chest, her hands wringing the sides of her gown.

"Can … can you spare my mother…?"

...

( Percy POV )

Percy looked at Persephone in surprise, note having expected the goddesses request in the slightest. He watched her carefully, seeing the near desperate glint in her eyes as she looked at him.

"Why?" he asked after some time, even if he had a sneaking suspicion of why.

"Because …" Persephone started as she glanced down for a moment before looking at him again. "She's my mother," she said in a trembling voice. "I know that at times she has been a petty goddess and caused such things as famine and strife but was it honestly that bad?"

"That bad?" he echoed with a slightly colder voice, his eyes flashing icily. "The random starvation of entire regions and the suffering, completely disregarding season and local conditions wasn't that bad?" he asked sarcastically.

"Not like that!" Persephone quickly backpedaled as she noted his tone. "The loss of life was bad but … I mean …" Persephone dropped to her knees as she looked at Percy pleadingly. "Please, regardless of what she's done she can't be deserving of what happened to Ares.

He was a bastard, through and through. Senseless wars and everything held within it were his passion so turning it all against him has merited but my mother hasn't done anything deserving that."

Percy sighed as he scratched his chin while looking down at Persephone.

"You realize it's more than that right? There are several gods and goddess on this very mountain that were her friends, many of whom she stood aside as they were punished and abused by her siblings while she did nothing."

"But she can hardly be blamed for that!" Persephone retorted. "Even if she had tried to help, it would have merely meant that she would have suffered along with them. Father was never very forgiving and in the ancient times he was even more arrogant and entitled than he is now."

"Hard to believe," he muttered as he looked in her eyes.

"It's true!" she persisted, her fists clenching up. "I know sometimes the silent bystander can be just as guilty as the criminal in question but she simply didn't have a choice. There wasn't any higher authority to report to, no one to enact the punishment. At best all she could do was try to support the victims after the fact."

"Makes me wonder what would have happened if I just 'stood by'," he replied with clear distaste. "Plenty of times where I was in over my head or it was someone else's problem and I still stepped in to help, and I was just a mortal facing monsters and gods."

He paused before giving a frustrated sigh while rubbing his temple. But could he really even compare his circumstances to that of Demeter? It had been a different time and even if a goddess, she had been a woman, not particularly dangerous or aggressive, surrounded by violence prone idiots with the law in their favor.

Sadly it was a very 'watch your own back' environment and even Hestia only got spared having to give similar concessions due to having the favor of her two brothers and generally staying out of the way.

He was pretty sure it was thanks to her power and pulling a fast one with her maiden oath that even kept her virtue safe, otherwise Zeus and several others would have made far more attempts than the one recorded in mythology. But Demeter had neither the power nor the closeness with her two other powerful siblings to keep her relatively safe.

At the end of the day she simply became a part of them rather than stay as the odd one out. Petty, temperamental, obsessive with her domain, and generally disinterested in the happenings of man, whether they suffered or succeeded.

"Please," Persephone begged as she looked up at him while breaking him out of his thoughts. "If it helps I'll take part of the punishment or offer my own services, just let her live."

"Anything?" he asked with a raised eyebrow making her gulp nervously.

Then, with a trembling hand she started to reach for one of the straps of her gown, her eyes starting to get misty while Percy's widened in alarm. Acting quickly his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist before she could remove the strap, stopping her as the duo locked eyes while he silently cursed his big mouth.

"I … see how far you're willing to go with this," he said, his mouth feeling oddly dry. "Maybe … maybe the council needs to have a discussion of the fate of some of the Olympians." Seeing Persephone's face brightening he raised his free hand to stop her.

"Don't jump the gun here. I may be king but I don't rule alone and in the end the council must come to the decision together. Pray that Demeter hasn't personally pissed off any of the members … save trying to stuff Nico full of grains a few years back," he added as an afterthought.

"Thank you!" Persephone cried as she suddenly lunged forward to hug his knees.

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Don't forget to throw some power Stones, to keep the story going.

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