Kore had wanted nothing more than to spend eternity with her love, but her love included mother as well. She couldn't live without her mother. And surely Kore, being a Nature goddess, would have to come up some time.

"Never see mother again?! This is not what I wanted!" She pulled Demeter to herself, inseparable.

"Can't you do something, Zeus?! We'll surely die!"

"I cannot change the scripture for any case, Demeter," he empathized.

"Well, clearly she didn't it the whole of it," Athena voiced, noticing the seeds spilled on the floor.

Kore smiled at her sister's wisdom and took the hint. "Oh, yes. I surely couldn't have eaten all the seeds. I just ate the five, no, six of them."

Zeus appreciated their loophole. "Alright, then. Seeing as you only ate six seeds, then you will spend six moons in the underworld. The rest you will be with us!"

Everyone agreed to that decision and Demeter and Kore celebrated.

"Oh, how I've missed you, my little bud. Let us stay together the while that we can."

"Surely I've missed you as well, mother. But you see," Kore fixed her hair. "I've been with you for twenty two years. I will come back to you!" She quickly added, "but I'd like my months with Hades to begin tomorrow."

Kore pleaded, and Demeter gave in to her charm. "Tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night," Kore agreed, and returned to their castle once The Council dispersed.

Kore returned with her mother back to their castle, enjoying her last night on Olympus for a while. Her friends wished to see her off too and held a musical party in her honor. They made her wait with Demeter in the visiting parlor while they prepared her party room.

Kore sat by the fire, having tea with her mother as the duo talked about sweet nothings. That's when Hestia stopped by and Demeter went to get more tea snacks.

"I see you have his ring," Hestia said, nodding to the jewelry on her finger.

Kore twisted the ring around her finger, smiling as she assessed it. "He gave it to me. It's so beautiful, is it not?"

"It's much more than just beautiful, Kore," Hestia said as she pulled Kore to sit beside her.

Kore sat quietly, interested in what else her aunt had to say.

"The sapphire has many qualities. It is believed to be good for attracting abundance, blessings, and gifts. Suppose that's why it's the color of hellfire," Hestia added lightly, and Kore smiled. "It also has the ability to protect against negative energies, calm the mind, and eliminate impediments among many others."

"Well, it certainly protected me against negative energies," Kore chuckled, recalling the incident at court.

"Yes, but if it is here with you, then it is not with him," Hestia said ominously.

Kore furrowed her brows. What would Hades need protection from? He was almost the most feared god present. Then she remembered what he had said when he gave it to her.

"This ring is his strength," she repeated out loud. "What would Hades need protection from?"

"A broken mind," Hestia revealed. "Aidoneus has had a lot happen to him in his life. But he accepts his fate without quarrel. Holding your head that high weighs down your shoulders."

"And he gave it to me," Kore whispered as she looked at the ring with tearful eyes.

"He cares for you more than you know, little one," Hestia caressed her face, lifting her chin.

"I- I should go back," Kore acknowledged. 

"Well, you are going home tomorrow. Any sooner and your mother would combust!" Hestia laughed.

"Yes, I can wait till tomorrow," Kore agreed.

Music played and her friends arrived with a floral canopy to walk Kore to her party. Demeter arrived just in time and the goddess and her sister walked her down the aisle. Her friends played instruments, danced, and sang songs that teased her about her coming future.

Sunlight made the scene even more bright as her garden was decorated with light floral decorations and silks that flowed with the breeze.

"Oh, everyone! This is all so beautiful!" Kore gleamed.

They first sat her in a pool of milk and rose, cleaning her and making her smell amazing. They took turns smearing a cream of chickpeas and oatmeal to her skin so that it would glow.

Next they helped her into a pink floral dress that matched the theme of veils and flowers, and accessorized her with jewelry made of flowers. Many of the guests were singing and dancing while Hera sat Kore on a swing and decorated her hands in intricate designs using a paste that was sure to entice her lover. She even snuck in his name for him to find.

"It is said: the redder the hue, the deeper your love will be," the goddess of marriage told her.

"Oh, I just know I'll be garnet red!" Kore
exclaimed.

"What's garnet?" One as her friends asked.

"It's a gem stone," Kore explained. "Red, just like the little red seeds I brought with me."

"Oh, I know that one!" Thalia said excitedly. "It's the stone of protection and manifestation. It protects the wearer from negativity and evil thoughts." She leaned in closer to tease her friend. "It also induces passion, fire, and energy, and is believed to bring good luck in love and relationships."

Kore blushed. "Thalia, my sweet. Could I ask a gift from you?" Kore implored, twisting the blue stoned ring on her left
hand.

"Anything, princess! It is your final day after all!" She replied softly.

Kore stroked her face "It is only for a little while. I will be back." She promised.

"Wonderful! What is it you would like?"

Kore thought about how full circle her friendship with Thalia had come. It had originally been Thalia who helped her take a piece of him with her. "Well, Aid, I mean, Hades gave me his ring to me to remember him by," she showed Thalia the black ring with blue stones. "I want you to make a signet ring, with a granet in the middle. And oh, please have a border of sapphires around it. Since I stole his."

Thalia giggled. "You sure know your stones, Kore."

"I learned about them in the Elysian
fields."

"You went to the Elysian fields?!?" Artemis asked, impressed.

"Yes! And they are beautiful. In the dark
Underworld, it's this land surrounded by a parameter of clouds! And Oh!" she squealed, remembering the best part, "it's guarded by a white horse. It's whiter than snow on the surface, but it's skin is all the
colors in the world And, has a sharp silver horn in the middle of it's head..."

"A unicorn!" Artemis the huntress gasped.

"How I wish you could see it. It has special tears, you know. I cut my hand on it's horn and it cried on the cut and look!" Kore showed them her smooth hand, "no wound!"

"Amazing!" Her friends oohed.

The elder goddesses left to let the children have fun, and Kore caught Hera's eye as she left.

The party went on late into the night with many more musical performances and games and dancing. Almost everyone gave her a trinket for her to remember them by. Kore was in her room sorting through her gifts as she couldn't fall asleep. She was feeling mixed emotions: sad to leave here and more than excited to begin her life with Hades. At least, it would be if he gave her anything to look forward to. That's when she remembered how to get help and went to see the marriage counselor.

"I was expecting I'd see you some time," Hera said as she brushed her hair, almost as if she had been awake just for Kore.

Kore blushed, but got past it and strode in. "He still calls me princess!" She vented. "He abducted me. The fates declared me his wife. I bound myself to the Underworld. But he still won't call me queen!"

Hera giggled. "I suspect he fears he'll break you."

"I am not fragile!" Kore spun around. "I was the best in your school! I prepared for this! I- I dream of this!"

"Don't yell at me what I already know," Hera turned her around and shoved Kore to the nearest wall, closing in on her personal space. "Show him, that your are not a pretty little princess he can break, but that you are his equal," Hera modeled how she expected Kore to dominate the king of the underworld. Who better would know how to seduce Hades than her? "Demand to be queen. You've never failed in getting what you want, Kore," she smirked.

Kore thought. If he treated her like he thought she wanted him to treat her, she'd just have correct his beliefs.

Hera smiled at the smirk growing on Kore's face. She was proud of her student's abilities. Still, she knew Hades just as well, and wondered how ever the goddess of life would endure the lord of the dead.