waiting for winter

Dearest Hades, 

Though it may be that the sun shines upon me here, I am drowning in darkness without your presence. Though I am obligated to maintain the growth of the flowers here, I want nothing more than to let them meet their end. My mother is oblivious to my mood. She still rejoices over my return, as if every time I go back to you it will be the last. I long for your arms to envelop me, and I envy every mortal who is able to die and spend eternity in your presence. 

All my love,

Persephone

My darling Persephone,

Were that I could, I would make my way above and find you, taking you back to your rightful throne beside me. You are my queen, the flame of the underworld, the only flower whose beauty I am not immune to. It is darker than usual here without you, as it always is when you leave me. Even the mortals notice something is amiss- but do not envy them. They hardly hold a candle to your grace, knowledge, and excellence. You are a goddess. Don’t forget it.  Do not let your mother bring you down. I am counting down the days until your return. 

Hades

Hades, 

To see your handwriting scrawled messily over parchment is almost enough to bring tears to my eyes. Without you, immortality would be a curse. The nymphs have started to notice my downcast mood, but their attempts at cheering me up are futile. All the roses from this realm mean nothing if you are not the one to give them to me. In the underworld, I am feared. Respected. Loved, even. Here, the mortals are ungrateful and narcissistic. They blame every hardship on us and every accomplishment they give themselves credit for. I suppose it’s true what they say, that death can humble the soul. We will never know. When I was younger, I used to adore the essence of nature. It only serves as the symbol of our separation now. It is not easy to remain in high spirits when everything here reminds me of you. The whisper of your voice in the wind. The softest touch of your fingertips in the soft caress of the grass. The hard lines of your face hidden within the ripples of the stream. I thought time would make the pain fade, but it has only proved to burn stronger. 

Write back soon, 

Persephone

My love, 

My work is more and more of a chore the longer you are gone. Though we may never be humbled by death,  I know I have been consumed by my love for you. There is no part of me, immortal or not, that does not live simply for the sake of you.  Every beat of my heart is a steady whisper of your name, and were I to bleed, you would see your reflection in the gold. Trust me when I say you are not alone in your melancholy. Though others may claim it is the death that surrounds me, it is merely your absence that leads to my sorrow. I am made foolish by the desire of you and find my temper grows thinner and thinner with each passing day that you are not here. I tire of the contentment of those in Elysium, and the quiet gloom of the Underworld that usually serves to calm me is a nuisance without your presence. Cerberus seems to long for you as well; he has grown harsher in your absence. You are everywhere here as well, and I am tempted to wipe your presence from my space, though I know very well that would only serve to deepen the pain. 

I love you with everything within me. 

Hades

To the god that has captured my heart, 

I am ashamed to admit that hearing of your sorrow has lessened some of my own. Here, I am an inconvenience for my mood, but knowing that down below, you feel the same, is calming. Perhaps I am as cruel as they say. Know that my mind, body, and soul are eternally yours as well. The sweetest nectar they put before me here is coal in comparison to your lips against mine. My mother is furious. When she noticed I was upset and suspected why, she gave a long lecture about family coming before anything else in life, especially among the gods. She accused me of acting like a mere mortal, upset by trifling things like waiting when we have all the time in the world. She doesn’t understand. She never did. I know for her, a few months is not even a speck on her timeline, but away from you, the seconds are hours and the days are years. I stumble over my duties carelessly, as if I needed to give my mother yet another reason to harbor resentment towards me. It is unbearable to know exactly where you are and yet be unable to traverse there. 

Let Cerberus know I miss him too. 

Persephone

My heart and soul,

Demeter’s behavior towards you appalls but does not surprise me. She never did approve of our marriage, and I doubt her disdain towards it has anything to do with familial values. To compare you to a mortal is unforgivable. Were she not your mother, I would certainly make it clear to her who is the greater god. Though the mortal world does not appeal to me in any way, while you are there, it seems to me greater than Olympus itself. I have been here in the Underworld for the better part of my eternal life, but only in your absence do I remember my early days of disgust over this barren excuse for a kingdom. I am a king without his queen, an empty void without you to fill it, no better than a mere mortal myself. I long for the calming caress of your palm against my cheek. There is no companionship here. I am alone and desperate for your return. Though the days drag by, they are passing, and I look forward to reuniting not long after you receive this.

See you soon my love.

Hades