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Hades barged into his office, slamming the door open with such force that it bounced off the wall and slammed shut behind him. Walking straight for the mantel Minthe sat upon facing the window, he cursed loudly and kicked the large padded chair by the hearth.
“Foolish,” he grumbled to the plant, rubbing a small leaf with his forefinger and thumb, breathing in the sharp fresh scent that rose into the air. Minthe calmed him when she was alive, and he was beyond grateful she still managed to now, as a small plant.
He rubbed his face, dragging his hands through his hair, snagging on the untamed curls. As he did, the chair he’d kicked onto its side righted itself and moved silently across the floor behind him. It gently nudged the back of his knees, coaxing him to sit down.
As he sat, dropping his head into his hands, the room filled with the same fresh mint scent that he had inhaled seconds before.
“Foolish to harm one of my few leaves? Yes, I have to agree,” a soft lilting voice sang out.
Hades rolled his eyes and looked up from his hands at the shadowy figure in front of him. She looked precisely as she had the day that she died, her leafy green hair as bright as the eyes that bore into him. “You’ll survive.”
“As much as I can survive without any sunlight.” Minthe stepped closer, her feet soundless on the floor. “You rarely visit me; why are you here?”
Hades raised his eyebrows, and said, “Straight to the point as always, Minthe.” She shook her head, the flat green strands of her hair floating with the gesture, but said nothing. “What?” He asked, noticing the questioning look that crossed her face.
She didn’t answer, instead gliding to the window and setting her transparent hand against the frame. “I miss the Underworld terribly,” she said as she leaned her elbows on the edge of the window and leaned out of it, her hair falling off her shoulders toward the ground outside.
“I know.”
“You do not,” she said tightly, casting a sharp glare over her shoulder, the air around her tingeing a deeper green. “You do not know what it’s like to essentially die as an immortal turned plant, without the release and numbness that comes with a true death.” She turned from the window, leaning her back against the ruby curtain hanging beside the window. “I spend every second in that tiny pot on the mantle,” she pointed to it, as if Hades could forget which pot she was talking about, “until you deign to visit me. I can’t take this form,” she gestured to her transparent body, “without you here.”
Hades recoiled at the disdain lacing her words, and guilt weighed heavily on his shoulders. He hadn’t realized she would feel trapped in the room that was once her favourite, foolishly believing it was the best place for her. He should have known she would be unhappy, feel trapped in such a small space, inside a tiny pot with nobody but herself for company.
Walking past this room was difficult for him on the best days, let alone stepping foot inside. They used to spend days locked inside with only each other and wine for company, talking endlessly about the future they imagined they would have.
Nothing had been touched since the day she died. Rolls of papyrus were scattered across the floor, glasses andamphoraeleaning against the shelves and walls, tucked into the spaces between the cushions of the chairs. His desk remained centered between the windows, facing the door, empty save for the thin mussed sheet of aged linen laying across it.
“I’m not angry with you,” Minthe said, following his gaze to the covered desk, her expression softening. “I’m still adjusting to my new…life,” she swallowed, giving him a tentative smile. She turned, grabbing the heavy curtains on either side of the window and running her hands down them.
Hades glimpsed her reflection in the small mirror above the mantel, and his chest tightened. Her mouth was in a tight line and her once brilliant green eyes had dimmed, lined with silver tears that would never fall. They snapped to the mirror, briefly making eye contact; Hades apologetic expression bringing Minthe’s closer to contempt.
She spun back to him, the curtains slamming shut as she did without her touch. “My point, Hades, was that your Queen – my Queen, I suppose,” her lips curled back from her teeth at the mention of the new Queen of the Underworld, “does not know the realm. I know it well after living here with you for those few decades,” she said, her voice cracking. They both pretended not to hear it. “But she does not. I think after she spends time here she will realize how much influence she can have over the inhabitants,” a pointed look at Hades, “even the foliage and the growth.” Minthe rolled her eyes as she listed the goddess’ expertise. “And then she will be happy.”
“She doesn’t want to, Minthe.” Hades stood up, knocking the chair into the wall behind him. “And I don’t blame her. I forced her into this position, she would probably refuse to realize the potential of her influence just to spite me.” He walked the length of the room and back again, cracking his knuckles and rubbing his hands together. “That isn’t even why I’m upset right now, I don’t even want to think about that until she’s here again.” He stopped pacing, but did not face her, opting to stare into the flames of the hearth instead. “I embraced her,” he grimaced, “and then I kissed her lightly on the shoulder. I don’t even know why I did it, I just couldn’t let her leave without touching her again.”
Minthe made a sound of discontent and Hades turned to her, eyes burning with shame at his admittance. “Vulnerability isn’t a weakness,” she said stiffly. “You’ve trusted immortals with your heart before, this is not any different.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes as she continued, “Though, not every immortal can be quite as understanding and affectionate as me.”
“It is a weakness,” he said, his blood boiling. “I was vulnerable with you,” he spat, taking a slow and deliberate step toward her, “and you were beaten and turned into a plant. I was vulnerable with Leukke,” another step, ignoring the fear widening Minthe’s eyes as he did, “and she was drowned and dropped into my garden without a word.” Another step and he was directly in front of her, forcing her to crank her neck back to look at his face. “Vulnerability leaves one exposed to their enemies, and I have many enemies.”
Tentatively, Minthe raised a hand to his shoulder. Hades felt nothing physically, her hand might as well have been a breath of air along his bare shoulder, disappearing as quickly as it touched his skin. His anger dissolved at her touch nonetheless.
Placing his hand on hers, he felt the warmth of his own body instead of the cool, cloudy hand laid there. They stood that way together, watching each other for minutes that felt like seconds and hours and days all at once.
Her eyes shone brighter with tears, the green glowing bright against her pale form, and leaned to softly kiss him. Shutting his eyes as she did, Hades inhaled the minty scent that flowed between them, the only evidence of her close proximity.
When he opened them again he was alone. Her lingering scent the only indication she had been in the room with him at all.
Hades sniffed and cleared his throat, wiping the lone tear streaking down the side of his face. Better not to let the Dead see him showing any real, very human, emotion. A quiet goodbye to Minthe left his lips as he strode from the room and through the house, aiming for the open gold gates.
The walk would clear his head, and hopefully push him past the feeling that he’d made a grave mistake in his farewell to Persephone. He couldn’t have helped himself if he had wanted to, not after last night.
When he looked at Persephone he saw someone completely the opposite to himself. She was soft and kind, gentle and pretty. Not radiant and graceful like Leukke, the whiteness of her hair catching his eye and the irresistible sharpness of her tongue catching his heart. Nor as terribly gorgeous and glowing as Minthe, whose deep amber colouring had dazzled him the moment he saw her, her strong opinionated personality holding him in her grasp.
It was clear that Persephone had not faced many, if any, hardships in her life. Her brown eyes were bright in a way Hades had never seen, blazing with innocence and love of life. They shone from within her, as if she was a beacon of pure happiness and cheer for the world.
Both disgusting and intriguing him.
He hoped that kiss was eating her from the inside right now. That she was as confused as himself about his actions, questioning his intentions.
