[Greek Mythology] After Being Sacrificed to the God of the Underworld

1. Persephone opened her eyes, wearing a flower crown and a white burial shroud. She held a sprig of myrtle, like a maiden who had died young.

She was lying in a small boat, drifting slowly along the River Styx toward the entrance to Tartarus in the underworld.

The wedding mass and the funeral dirge sounded at the same time. She was about to marry a living corpse.

She was to become Hades, King of the Underworld's bride.

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2. Persephone accidentally ate food from the underworld, and her young life came to an abrupt end.

Her extraordinary beauty caught the eye of Hades, King of the Underworld, who had lived alone beneath the earth. He chose her to be his queen.

The wedding gift Hades gave her was death.

After they married, they slept in separate beds.

Hades was cold as ice, like a consumptive lurking in the dark.

“Do as I say, or I'll have the monsters of Tartarus tear you to shreds.”

There was no light beneath the earth. She had lost the sunshine, flowers, and friends of her old life.

She was kind and affectionate, while Hades was withdrawn. His frightening face often made her cry.

She tried to change things, putting all her strength into making flowers bloom across the land of the dead, which was piled high with skulls.

But Hades did not like the flowers and ordered them pulled up.

“Don't presume to do as you please in my domain.”

Persephone realized she was living with an unreasonable madman, and that she was on the verge of going mad herself.

Fortunately, the little god of love arrived and gave them a pair of lead arrows that made them hate each other, setting them both free.

Back on the surface, Persephone met the beautiful youth Adonis.

Just when she thought her life could get back on track, Hades came after her again and showed no mercy in killing her love rival, Adonis.

Persephone was furious, and the stern, imposing King of the Underworld knelt before her, looking aggrieved.

He carefully planted a handful of flowers for her.

“I don't know how to grow flowers. I don't know if I did it well.”

“Could you teach me?”

#By the side of the one I love, I will live and die with him

Persephone x Hades

*Marriage first, love later

January 28, 2023

Theme: Life is worth working hard for