She picked up another of the surface-grown fruits, and with her other hand she held the fig from the other table. They were both firm and rich in color. She could not tell the difference between them simply by looking at them.

Hades watched her. “Our marriage places you under my protection and proves to the other gods that you are mine. It could not be delayed any longer. But binding yourself to the underworld is a choice you will make for me and only for me.”

What kind of choice was that? “I’ll never taste of your food, nor drink your wine,” Persephone said.

A small smile played about Hades’ lips. “We shall see.”

Persephone could not believe her arrogance. She turned her attention away from Hades before she could lose her temper. She drank her fill of water next, easing her dry throat, then sampled each dish before her, forcing herself to chew slowly to avoid overwhelming her empty stomach. Hades slipped a few choice morsels onto her plate and the finest garnishes, and Persephone was not so proud that she would leave them uneaten.

Hades was a different goddess in the underworld, more relaxed than she’d even been above ground. She chatted to her guests, jested with them, her pale cheeks flushed with color and her lips curved into a smile more often than not.

Her pleasant countenance hid a dark heart. Persephone could not forget the way she’d been manhandled in the overworld, nor the way Hades had humiliated her the other night and enjoyed it, no less. Was she as bad as Zeus, with his endless philandering? Persephone ought to hope that was the case, as it would mean that Hades would pay her less mind. But she didn’t think she would be so fortunate. Knowing how gods loved gossip, she would’ve heard rumors.

As the night wore on, a steady stream of well-wishers approached their table. Hades introduced each of them in turn, with their name, function, and a few words about their person.

Persephone stared at them in silence, her face expressionless before their ingratiating smiles and pithy words. She would form no ties here, cultivate no friendships. She wanted nothing of substance from the underworld, save for an exit.

During a lull in the flow of visitors, Persephone took the opportunity to have some of her nagging questions answered, though she misliked her chances of getting an answer she wanted.

“Why did you unlock my door the other night? Was it simply for sport?” she asked, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice.

Hades lowered a chalice from her lips and set it on the table before speaking. “I cannot deny it was an enjoyable side effect.”

“You humiliated me! Is that how you want your consort to be remembered?”