Forbidden Fruit

The bustling about the palace was quite the spectacle, to be sure. Of course, as a palace, it always brimmed with activity, but who could say how long it had been since it bustled with this level of activity? After all, the wedding and subsequent consummation ceremony of the King of the Underworld and his new Queen were hardly events that the average creature, mortal, or God alike could rival.

The new Queen remained still, prim and proper as ever as her ladies in waiting rushed to and fro, each more eager than the last to attend to her most basic needs. The Queen paused to angle her kátoptron, the ivory of the handle carved with the most exquisite symbols. Her symbols. Dominated, naturally, by the pomegranate. She gazed at her reflection. But it was no longer the sweet, innocent Kore who stared back, but the woman for whom all of creation was currently in chaos. Olympus, the kósmos ton thnitón, and, most critically, the underworld itself. Persephone. Yes, with all of creation abuzz and in chaos, the Bringer of Destruction had rather a nice ring to it.

She tutted as her newest lady in waiting tugged a bit too roughly at her long ebony locks as she prepared to adorn them with her laurel crown. She rushed to apologize, but the Queen brushed her off, entirely unbothered. Her mind was far, far away, and not even an insistent tug of her own hair would yank her back down.

Neither of her parents had been in attendance for the wedding. Well, perhaps it was best that Demeter was kept far away, lest she try to yank her pride and joy back to the overworked. But her father? Surely even the highest god could spare some time for his own brother's wedding? Well. She supposed that it would make the impending coup far less guilt inducing. The new Queen had given her husband every possible drop of information about his dear brother and his throne, as well as his numerous forays amongst the mortals. Including the women. Especially the women.

A lesser goddess might have worried that her uncle only crowned her for that very purpose: dethroning her father, his brother. But Persephone knew otherwise. The woman who stared back in the kátoptron was ravishing. Completely beautiful. The same long ebony curls draped around her shoulders, interrupted only by the swell of her ample cleavage. The same brown eyes and gentle smirk gazed back at her as they had what felt like an eternity ago. Had she heard it was months? Years? Those who left and returned seemed to insist time passed differently down here. Perhaps she could get a clearer update from Eros.

Nevertheless, the same features that adorned the face of Kore smirked back as Queen Persephone. And Persephone would never allow any man, even her king, to take her for information and power alone.  "That will be sufficient," she suddenly snapped, punctuating the silence that had, thenceforth, been punctuated only by the occasional swishing of fabric or jangle of jewels. Once the crown was finally atop her head, she nodded to her ladies.

She knew what was to follow. Indeed, the lesser goddess she once was had feared the next steps, not particularly liking the idea of all of the guards and courtiers overseeing the ceremony to follow. Now, however, she marched in perfect step with the guards, even daring to surpass them feet from the enormous bed of state. "And the rhóa?" She questioned.

A nearby servant rushed forward, the coveted fruit balanced perfectly and lushly atop a bed of green. "Perfect," the goddess murmured. Of course she was familiar with the rumors. Anyone who ate the fruit of the Underworld would be trapped there forever. Foolish Kore had so stubbornly avoided everything offered to her for that very reason. But as the newly crowned Queen, she instructed the servant to cut the fruit into perfect halves. Of course, the King and Queen would share the same half, but the symmetry was visually appealing.

She stood proudly before her subjects, who eagerly bowed, the expected addresses pouring forth from their lips.

The Queen nodded, smiling, before beginning her oath. "As I ascend to the throne of the underworld, I, Persephone, solemnly swear to preside over this realm with compassion and wisdom. I pledge to honor the delicate balance between life and death, to ensure justice prevails in the afterlife, and to show mercy to the souls who find themselves in my domain."

"I vow to respect the cycle of the seasons, bringing forth life and growth to the mortal world when spring blooms and to oversee the quiet slumber of winter. I shall be a beacon of hope in the darkest of times and a guardian of the souls who reside here."

"I will remember my responsibilities as queen, knowing that my actions affect both the living and the deceased. I pledge to be a fair and just ruler, upholding the traditions of this realm while also embracing the light that resides within me."

"May my reign bring harmony to the underworld and serve as a reminder that even in the depths of darkness, there is the potential for renewal and transformation. So, I swear by the river Styx, this oath shall bind me as the new queen of the underworld, now and for all eternity."

Her oath completed, she nodded to the head guard to that she was ready. "Bow before the King," he heralded as two other guards snapped into place, opening the doors into the bedchamber.

The Queen drew in a breath. This was really husband. Could it be? Was her husband and king really just feet away, ready to enter, swallow a pomegranate, and claim his bride for eternity?