What Really Happened Between Persephone and Hades?
An Immortal Gazette Investigation—Where We Spill the Myths Like They’re Hot Tea.
Alice sat at the head of the Immortal Gazette’s grand, candlelit table, absently twirling a pomegranate seed between her fingers. Across from her, Loki reclined lazily, smirking like he already knew the story but was going to enjoy the drama anyway. Rumplestiltskin, as expected, looked mildly irritated just by existing in the same room as both of them.
Alice popped the pomegranate seed into her mouth, chewed thoughtfully, then grinned. “Alright, darlings. Let’s talk about Persephone and Hades—one of the most misunderstood love stories in mythology. And before anyone starts, yes, I’ve had tea with Persephone. She has opinions about how history has treated her.”
Rumple crossed his arms. “Let me guess—this isn’t going to be the kidnapping story everyone expects?”
Loki chuckled. “Oh, it was a kidnapping. Just... not the kind mortals think.”
Alice’s eyes gleamed. “Oh, absolutely. See, the mortal version of the story—the one poets and sad, lovesick scholars love to romanticize—goes something like this: Hades, dark and brooding god of the underworld, sees Persephone, this sweet, innocent flower child, and decides, ‘Mine!’ Then, without so much as a conversation, he snatches her away to his realm and forces her to become his queen.”
Rumple drummed his fingers on the table. “Sounds about right.”
Alice smirked. “Wrong.”
Loki grinned. “Tell him, Alice.”
Alice leaned forward. “First of all, Persephone wasn’t some helpless little flower girl. She was the daughter of Demeter, one of the most powerful goddesses in existence. You really think Demeter’s daughter was some weak-willed thing waiting to be rescued? No. She was already growing into her power—she just didn’t realize it yet.”
Rumple sighed. “Alright, so how does Hades fit into this?”
Alice tapped her fingers against the table. “Hades didn’t just take Persephone—he offered her a way out.”
Loki raised an eyebrow. “Elaborate.”
Alice grinned. “Demeter... smothered her daughter. Kept her sheltered, hidden, too protected. Persephone was never supposed to rule anything—she was just meant to be the eternal Spring Maiden, never growing, never changing, always playing in the fields under her mother’s watchful eye.”
Loki smirked. “Sounds like a prison of its own.”
Alice pointed at him. “Exactly. Hades knew this. And unlike Zeus—who did technically agree to the whole thing behind Demeter’s back—Hades wasn’t about brute force. He talked to Persephone. He offered her a throne, a kingdom of her own. A chance to be more than just someone’s daughter.”
Rumple narrowed his eyes. “And the pomegranate?”
Alice’s grin turned wicked. “That... was Persephone’s choice.”
Rumple blinked. “Wait. She ate the seeds?”
Loki laughed. “Oh, she did indeed.”
Alice sipped her tea. “See, Demeter was furious. Stormed Olympus, threatened to let all of humanity starve if her daughter wasn’t returned. Zeus—being Zeus—tried to play both sides. So they called Persephone up from the Underworld and said, ‘Alright, darling, if you haven’t eaten anything down there, you’re free to go.’”
Rumple muttered, “But she had.”
Alice nodded. “Six pomegranate seeds. Just enough to bind her to the Underworld for half the year.”
Loki stretched. “And just like that, she became Queen of the Dead. Not a prisoner. Not a victim. A queen. And let me tell you, by the time she returned to the Underworld, she wasn’t some frightened girl. She walked in like she owned the place.”
Rumple was quiet for a moment. Then—“So it was her choice all along.”
Alice smirked. “Darling, of course it was. Persephone chose her power. She chose her throne. And Hades? He was the only one who ever offered her one.”
Loki tilted his head. “And the part where she and Hades fell madly in love?”
Alice swirled her tea. “Well, let’s just say... being the rulers of the Underworld together gave them plenty of time to bond.”
Loki smirked. “I can respect that.”
Rumple sighed. “So the real story? Persephone was never stolen. She walked into her power, her throne, and her destiny—and she did it on her own terms.”
Alice leaned back, satisfied. “Now you’re getting it.”
Loki tapped the table. “So, Alice... about that tea you had with Persephone... what did she say about all the modern takes on her story?”
Alice’s grin was pure mischief. “Let’s just say... she thinks they’re hilarious.”
And with that, the Immortal Gazette wrapped up yet another history lesson—one that left you wondering just how many ancient queens had rewritten their own stories... and how many more were still waiting to be told.
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