Persephone met her friend’s gaze in the mirror. She wanted Hades. They didn’t even need to talk; she just wanted his presence for comfort.

“Come, the souls have a surprise for you.”

Hecate reached for Persephone’s hand and they left Hades’ chamber. The lampades followed, zipping away to take their place outside.

The palace was decorated throughout. The bouquets of flowers Persephone and the others had worked on brought life to the shadow. Banquet tables were crowded with food and candlelight. The smells were mouthwatering. The French doors in the ballroom were open and led to the courtyard where a fire blazed and the souls had erected a maypole.

As Persephone stepped outside, the souls and daimons and nymphs cheered.

Yuri ran forward, taking Persephone’s hands.

“Persephone! Come, the children have a surprise for you!”

Yuri led her away from the stone courtyard to the springy grass where the lampades had gathered in a circle. Souls followed behind them.

She was surprised when Yuri directed her to a throne that sat at the top of the circle. Unlike Hades, it was a chair made of gold. The metal had been shaped into flowers and the cushions were white.

“Yuri, I am not—”

“You might not be queen by title, but the souls call you their queen.”

“That does not mean I should wear a crown or sit upon a throne in the Underworld.”

“Do this for them, Persephone,” Yuri pleaded. “It is part of the surprise.”

“Okay,” Persephone said, nodding. “For the souls.”

She took a seat and Yuri clapped her excitement.

After a moment, children from the Underworld appeared from the darkness, wandering into the circle of light, dressed in colorful clothing. They began their performance by stomp their feet and clap their hands in unison. The effect was musical, increasing in tempo the longer they went. Soon, their voices joined the clapping and stomping, and they began to move about, creating different lines and shapes with their bodies. By the end of the performance, Persephone was clapping along and smiling so wide, her face hurt. The children grinned, bowing to the applause.

Then a flute began to play, and the children started to sing, their voices rising and falling in a haunting melody. The song they sang was the tale of the Lethe, the river of forgetfulness, and told of a woman who drank from its waters and forgot the love of her life. When the song ended, a hard knot settled at the back of Persephone’s throat. She stood as she clapped, and the children ran to her, hugging her legs.

“Thank you,” she told them. “You were all so wonderful!”

After the children’s performance, the real festival began, and the residents dispersed. Some danced and played instruments while others played games—races, disc tosses, and jumping competitions. A group headed inside the ballroom to eat and the children gathered around the maypole.