Poseidon

"Kore!" I called through the empty estate."Kore! You rang!! I got your signal. I'm here!" I raised my voice.

"Kore!" I call again but only see Demeter in a pile of debris across the floor.

"Demeter!" I run to her, hugging her in my arms. She looked tired and fatigued, "What happened to you! where is Kore?"

"Poseidon" she whispered and sobbed into my arms, "she's gone!"

My heart broke as I heard her words. "Gone? What do mean gone?"

"She's been gone for a month! Those foolish nymphs didn't see who took her but some deity kidnapped her!"

"Why are you so certain of this?" I whisper, "an accusation like that can garner a response"

"Who cares" she spat as she cursed the ground.

I make us a pot of tea as she admits her woes. You could see by her sadness what she had been through. Despite her hardships, she still looked effortless.

"She called for help with the necklace I gave her. I thought she would be here with you" I admit.

"How long ago did you receive her call"

"About 4 days ago"

"What girl were you pleasuring that you neglected to come earlier?"

"Demeter" I started to defend myself. She had no idea what I've been through these last couple of days.

"You ignored her call for four days?"

"Demeter now is not the time to put the blame on me. We will find her!"

"We better. Or it will be on your conscious " she threatened as crashed a glass onto the floor.

—-

I take Demeter's arm into mine as we step out to get fresh air. She had been trapped in her house for weeks so I persuaded her to finally come out.

"Have you talked to Zeus about any of this?"

"Yes" she blushed but looked away.

"My brother can be very persuasive in one's times of vulnerability" I curse him, knowing she already fell back into his deceitful rms.

"Poseidon he was very..."

"I am being accused of rape because of him"

"What!" she whispered with disbelief. I filled her in on Medusa and the party and why I had taken so long to answer Kore's call for help.

"He is despicable!" she cursed. "What power does he possess to make me love him despite all this?"

As we continued to walk, Zeus dropped down from the skies.

"Demeter" he called. She stood close to me as he stared me down. "don't you want to hear the good news?"

"About Kore?" She gasps, falling victim to his charm.

"You have some gusto showing your face here brother" I challenged him interrupting his shine.

"Poseidon you look well." he smiled ingeniously. I charge to seize his throat but Demeter held me back.

"I know you had some part of Kore's disappearance!"I seethe.

"Demeter you came to Olympus! She was not there! Tell him"

"Now that I remember...the nymphs did say she pricked a blackened rose." Demeter admits.

"Demeter why didn't you say this earlier!" I grab her shoulders.

"I forgot" she panicked, "I was frantic and failed to tell anyone about that clue"

"Those Black roses are synonymous to hell" I snapped.

"No...no..." her head shook frantically.."surely not there!"

"She is in the underworld. Most likely taken by Aideonius"

"Aides?" she looked to Zeus as he pretended to be shocked by the news.

"Demeter! I did not know!" he tried to convince her.

"My daughter! I must go to his realm"she started to run to get her things.

"Demeter no, let me go and get her" I halted her actions, "she called me to help her. It's the least I can do"

"Please Poseidon! Bring my daughter back to me"

"I will!" I kiss her cheek and tap my trident to travel to the depths of the earth.

-——
Demeter
——

"Demeter.. I didn't know" Zeus came to comfort me.

"I want to be left alone!" I snapped and turned from him. "Oh and Zeus?"

"Yes Demeter" he came and held me in his arms.

"If I find out you had something to do with her disappearance, I will make it my mission to reek famine on this earth and it will all be thanks you" I plant slow kisses on both sides of his cheeks and turned to depart to my estate.

——-
Kore
——

I wake up to yells and commotion beyond the room. I quickly dress in a black dress given to me by him and step towards the noise.

"Where is HE?" I hear a manly voice in the distance. I paced down the halls to follow the noise. My eyes watered as I took in the scheme.

No
Surely they were playing a trick on me!

As I step away from my hidden spot,I  see my uncle in the distance.

"Aides! I swear if you do not return her to earth!" he threatened in anger, making his trident glow.

Before the king could answer, both men's eyes fell onto mine. While the King's eyes held a fiery anger, Poseidon's held an instant relief.

"Poseidon?" I whisper softly with disbelief.

"Kore!" he smiled and opened his arms to take me in. We run to hug each other in glee as he kisses my forehead repeatedly. "You came! You really came!" I rejoice with hope.

Aides

I only stare indifferently, looking at their affectionate display. Her laughter rolled through my empty throne room and I couldn't help but perk my head up to its sound.

It was a sound unfamiliar to I?
I had never heard her laugh nor did I remember how it sounded being stuck in the underworld for so long.

Her thick tears stained his robes as they hugged in silence. Poseidon observed her and blushed as he saw her choice of skimpy lace.

"You have nothing else to give her?" he fumed, using his trident to produce a robe and covered her.

"It is my realm; she wears what I give her." I sigh, tired of their sappy affection.

"Aides she is 16!" He fumed.

"That is the problem with you deities. Everyone  keeps treating her like a little child instead of a goddess. She is grown"

"Poseidon take me away from here. I miss my mother and you and life in earth" she interrupted me.

"You cannot leave as I've told you before innocent flower" I interjected.

"Aides enough! You have stolen her from her mother. I am taking her home! Come on Kore" he pulled her to the exit.

She waved goodbye with a prideful smirk and skipped off to return to earth.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." I advise them once more. He ignored me and continued out my throne room. "Kore pinched herself with the blackened seed of a cedar rose. She was bound here 4 days. "

"Was?" He asked.

"Yes. After four nights she was free to go and I offered her her freedom but she ate the forbidden fruit. So by law she is mine. If you leave past my gates, you are adducting my fiancé which is a crime punishable by death in my realm"

Kore

"Kore please tell me you didn't" Poseidon whispered with defeat. He turned me around to inspect my exposed back. He cursed as he saw the line of ravens lined up on the top left shoulder blade.

"She did" the king leaned back in his throne and slowly pulled his soft shirt, exposing markings of ravens that looked indential to mine.

"no no no" Poseidon curses.

"You should have arrived here earlier brother" he shrugged, " maybe you could have talked some sense into her?" she smiled sinisterly.

"He tricked me Poseidon!" I curse as tears start to reform in my eyes.  Poseidon fell to his knees in defeat, refusing to meet my eyes.

"Kore what have you done" he whispered, most likely knowing about the forbidden fruit. I am silent by his weakness.

"I didn't...I just bit into it thinking I would—"

"You would what Kore?!! Why would you bite into it? It was forbidden." he yelled. I could tell he was more angry at me than the king. I had dug myself into a deeper predicament than he was expecting.

Even with time to think, I honestly couldn't answer him....maybe I wanted to taste the forbidden fruit?

Aides stepped down from his throne and stood between us, pulling me away. "You know the rule Poseidon; it's under oath. We will wed on the fourth day of next month"

I snap my arm away from his reach and run to hug him "uncle! please! Help me"

"Leave us" Aides demanded, snapping for his guards.

"No!!! please!! no" I begin to cry and hug Poseidon as the guards swarmed into the throne room, "Poseidon don't leave me! please!!" I begged but the king stepped back to let the soilders escort him out.

He was my last sense of familiarity,
My last sense of hope.

"Please Aides you know what you have done is not right. She belongs on earth or even Olympus! Not in this dystopian waste land of despair" Poseidon yelled as the pushed him out the doors.

He held up his palm,halting his departure."And what makes Olympus so special? What makes your seas better than my realm?

"Brother that is not what I meant" Poseidon tried to correct himself.

"When Zues freed us from Cronus and we cast lots, I was bestowed this realm. Zeus the heavens, I the underworld, and you the fiery seas. I have grown to take pride in my realm just as you take pride in yours. The underworld is just as safe as earth and Olympus combined. Do you dare question the security of my home?"

"Aides... you have stolen her from her mother"

"I am tired of him. Escort him out" he snapped.

"NOOOOOO!!!" I collapsed to the floor as he is escorted out. I am on my knees, crying and cursing this cold heated king.

"What is this to you?" I stand and step to face him. "Is this some game to play with my emotions? Why are you the way you are?"

He only stared at me as I asked him my questions. "Do you think your actions will make me fall in love with you? Do you think I will run to your arms for comfort?
I told you before... I will never love you. Have you no problem with this?"

"I do not Kore because I know your heart. It is you who has a problem with the vow you so boldly proclaim."

"No I don't" I refute his words.

"Yes you do. It is foolish to make a claim as bold as this?" he smiled, pushing his fingers to caress my lips.

He turned and climbed up the steps to sit in his throne. "Here's a challenge for you. If you come out victorious, I will give you your freedom. No tricks or strings attached."

I perk my ears as I hear his words.

"If by the end of the first solstice you do not fall in love with me, I will bestow to you your freedom."

"Is this a trick?" I scoffed.

"I wish it was Kore" he sighed, leaning back in his throne.

"So the challenge is to not fall in love with a monster like you? How foolish a challenge" I smiled with pride.

"We will see goddess." He smirked, taking one more look at my features. "Guards" he snapped, "escort my fiancé to her room."

They came and surrounded me but I snapped my arms away before they could touch me.

"I know the way" I seethed and ran out the fiery throne to return to my room.