AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I take a long look at Gaia, trying to understand her intentions.
Trying to change the mood, I hand Persephone the wedding crown that my lair made for her and she accepts it with a smile, placing it atop her long, loose hair.
"It's not true, Gaia," she says, turning to face her dear friend. "I love Poseidon. And he loves me. Can't you be happy for us?" she asks.
"Happy? Seph, I think this is the biggest mistake of your life."
"You're wrong."
"They will get jealous of one another. It's in their nature. This will never work."
"What do you know about love?" I ask coolly.
"I know that I love Persephone like a sister," she says, anger in her eyes. "And I have a bad feeling about all of this. All of you."
"You should go now," Persephone tells her. "I don't want you here today if you can't be happy for me."
"You can't mean that?" she asks in a cry.
"What am I to do? Let someone stay who is hoping this ends badly?"
"I don't want it go badly. I just fear that--"
"Stop," I shout. "Think of the babies," I say, wrapping my arms around Persephone's waist and pressing my palms to her full belly.
"That is exactly who I am thinking of," Gaia shouts, fleeing the room, sobbing as she runs down the hall.
I pull Persephone into a tight embrace as her shoulders shake. "I can't believe she said those things to me," Sephy cries.
"Shhh, my love. It's okay now. I've got you."
"How do you know you will always love me?" she asks. "I know you say you will but how can you be certain?"
"This morning I went to the ocean, told the sea my plans: that today I would make marriage vows to the mother of my child, the heir to the water. It rejoiced at my news, and the waves crashed in a symphony that reached new heights. There was no doubt, only pure bliss. That is the way I feel when I look at you."
Persephone's eyes soften at my words. "Thank you for saying that. I feel so sure too but then Gaia placed so much doubt in my mind."
"She just has her own reasons for doubting you. Maybe she is mourning the loss of what life was."
Persephone nods, and just then the other gods enter the chamber.
"There our bride is," Ares says, a big smile on his face.
"Is it strange for three brothers to marry the same goddess?" Persephone asks, blinking away any traces of tears and looking between me, Hades, and Zeus.
Hades shakes his head. "We each have our own realms, and we plan on sharing you equally. There won't be any strangeness between us."
"I haven't been to the Underworld," she admits. "Is that crazy? To marry someone when I've never even been to their home?"
"Not as crazy as carrying four different gods' children at once,” I say with a smirk. "Besides, we have a lifetime to learn all there is to know."
"True," she says, taking a deep breath. "Gaia was just here," she tells the others, "and she said it was all happening too fast, so I was just..."
Hades frowns. "Do you think this is too fast?"
Persephone lifts her eyebrows, a smile drifting across her face. "Honestly? No. I feel like this is a culmination."
"No," I tell her. "Not the culmination. Only the beginning."
* * *
An hour or so later, we are in a great hall, music in the air and guests celebrating with us. Our wedding ceremony went smoothly, Gaia wasn't to be seen, and Persephone only had eyes for us.
Now, flutes of nectar are in everyone's hands, except mine -- my hand is on my wife's belly. It seems to grow an inch every hour.
If I'm right, she'll have our children before the night is through.
"Toasts! Toasts!" guests chant, asking for wedding toasts.
Everyone is smiling, relishing this moment of pure love.
Clotho stands, flute of wine in hand, and her sisters Atropos and Lachesis join her. The Fates are dressed to impress today, and no wonder: a wedding feast means raucous partying for the gods and goddesses all through the night.
And many mortals are here to celebrate as well, coming from distant farms and fields to honor their Goddess of Harvest on her wedding day. Plenty of men and gods for the Fates to choose from, even though the four of us are off the table.
"May we offer a toast to Persephone," Clotho asks, her voice alluring and velvety smooth. Persephone nods, clapping her hands. Everything is going just as it should.
"May your daughters be brave and bold and wise. And may you never see them hurting, not once, not twice."
Then Lachesis speaks next: "May your love run deep and never fade, may your face stay young and never gray." This receives a smattering of cheers from the guests.
