Ambrosia (1x1)

mamoru

mamoru

wannabe prince
The festival was starting soon, Hades realized early one morning as he gazed out at the frozen land that was his kingdom.

If he squinted enough, he could see the faint outlines of one of few towns that dotted the snowy lands. Dark gray with cold stone buildings, the barely noticible flicker of flame that was weak warmth against the abrasive cold. There was no flurry of snow falling down from the heavens to obscure his view out into the distance, but even without obstruction it was still difficult to see past the blank white canvas. He should go talk to his people before he leaves for the festival. Deliver some much needed wool and furs, as he would be spending roughly a month out in the warmer climates of his brother's kingdom.

The festival. Hades closed the wooden window doors and secured them closed with a metal latch and it clicked closed. It would be nice to see his brothers again, nice to see a land that flourished with life and beauty that his own severely lacked. For as much as he hated Zeus and how pompous he could be, and how successful the trade and economy of Poseidon's water-encased kingdom was, he did care for his brothers. There was no point hating the only family you have left, especially when the three of them ruled all the land there was upon the earth.

Hades turned away from the now closed window, upon the chests of gifts and of his own belongings, and let out a deep sigh. Even from the enclosed castle walls, protecting him from the worst of the cold, his breath came out still in puffs. Without sparing another moment to mulling over what little he had in comparison to his brothers, he called for aide from his servants to begin loading his chests onto the carriage and to begin his trip out from the cold, empty kingdom of his to the festivities of the summit at Olympus.

---

The only reason Hades arrived so early to the festival was because Zeus insisted upon showing him around the newly renovated castle at Olympus. Though Zeus boasted that it was now more 'modernized' and showcased the new trends of the people, Hades could see just about no difference other than more flowers being presented and shown off at every corner. He didn't say it out loud though, especially when Zeus was in the middle of a spiel about the new curtains, how a brighter shade of red was more 'in style' this time of year. He wouldn't be heard over Zeus anyways.

Though, the area that seemed most new to Hades was the garden. As the roamed the expansive hallways with high, high ceilings they maneuvered deeper and deeper into the heart of the castle, where the castle gardens were encased with glass walls to allow a steady stream of sunshine in. Hades couldn't recall at all if he had ever even seen it before -- any view of a large group of flowers looked like the same bright muddle of colors to him -- but it at least looked different. The flowers were arranged by color, it seemed, or maybe it was color and breed of flower? Hades didn't know, and he had long ago tuned out Zeus' babbling. Warm sunshine filtered down from above, and instantly Hades felt that soothing warm that could lead you into a comfortable nap.

They weaved through the multitude of flowers and plants, the occasional butterfly or bee flittering away. Hades did his best not to scream and run when he heard a bee buzzing by his ear. Bugs were nonexistent in his castle. As they moved about by Zeus' lead, he noticed a girl, seeming to be busy gardening, digging into the moist dirt to plant in a few new flowers. She seemed too focused on her work to even spare a glance at the fantastical musings of Zeus, perhaps all too used to this behavior.

That would make the two of us, Hades thought to himself, watching her work. All this stuff about plants and gardening was an absolute mystery to Hades. There were large pine trees, at most, towards the warmer border of his kingdom and that was about all his knowledge on the subject. He was quite interested in the ginger care she took with digging into the ground then placing seeds or an already blossoming plant into the hole she created.

It seemed like Zeus finally picked up on Hades' focus on the girl, as his heavy arm suddenly wrapped around his shoulder and he pulled his brother in close. "Bored of your brother already, Hades?" Zeus teased, bright smile on his features.

"Persephone is her name. She enjoys working here at the gardens," He continued before Hades even thought about replying.

So, she's a servant or something, Hades thought. Though he wasn't really caring much about status or who she was right now. He just cared about the damn plants. Zeus had other ideas on his brother's thoughts, it seemed.

"Persephone! Why don't you come here and meet my brother, Hades?" Oh geez. Zeus was trying get Hades to talk to more strangers again. It was already alienating enough being on a land mass that was 99% snow. Zeus constantly babying Hades into making friends and the like was even worse.

Well, maybe he'll get to learn about the plants at least. It couldn't be that bad, right?
 
Persephone woke early that morning to a wash of sunlight that filled her room, bathing everything with a comfortable warm glow. Though not chilly the air was crisp this early, the sun having not been up long enough yet to bring the temperatures up to what was considered normal.

She dressed quickly, simple clothing from the far back corner of her closet, garments fashioned for work and to keep their wearer cool rather than anything extravagant. That sort of clothing would get its turn in a weeks time when the festival truly started. Though more often than not the banquets and balls that were held every night ended up being gaudy and a little too much she loved this time of year. There was endless work to be done in the gardens and fields, allowing for a whole day to be spent outside under the sun among the vibrant flora that the region boasted. It was especially interesting to see people from all three of the kingdoms gathered in one place as well. She herself had never been given much of a chance to travel away from Olympus, mostly because of the constant overprotectiveness that emanated from her mother at all times.

Gathering a few of the servants from around the castle Persephone set out for Zeus' castle, the sun now having risen fully above the horizon. There had been many of those under Demeter who had been sent to Zeus' castle to work on the gardens over the past few months in order to make preparations for the upcoming festivities. Persephone herself had only been there for a few days, bidden there by Zeus himself in order to keep everything on schedule and make sure all of the plants flourished. Even unfinished as they were the gardens were a magnificent sight and she imagined that she'd end up spending much of her time there in the future.

---

The dirt was cool against her fingers as Persephone created several small divots and dropped a seed into each one, covering them again and giving the soil a gentle pat before moving onto another section of the garden. The sun was high in the sky by this point, the heat of the day almost fully realised. They would have to take a break soon, give it time to cool off a little before continuing their work to avoid any heat stroke or sunburns.

She settled down on the cobblestone path next to a basket holding several different varieties of lily, though the majority of the plants had not started to bloom yet she knew them to be vibrantly coloured, most sporting faint stripes and speckles as well. As she set about getting them into the ground she caught the boastful voice of Zeus, growing louder as he approached the gardens. A smile pulled at her lips and she smiled to herself, not bothering to turn and look. It was a scene she had seen several times in the past few days, Zeus showing off to anyone and everyone that he could convince to 'walk with him'. He'd even done it to her mother the last time she had come to oversee the development of the garden.

With a few of the lilies now planted, Persephone leaned back to dust the dirt off of her hands and look over her work. Already she was able to imagine the way they would look in full bloom, bright splashes of colour against verdant green leaves. So caught up was she in imaging the end result of her hard work she would have missed her name being called had it been anyone but Zeus that had done it.

A glance over her shoulder proved her earlier suspicions to be correct. Next to Zeus stood a rather uncomfortable looking man, dressed in dark shades that couldn't have been very cool under the unrelenting gaze of the sun. She stood and stretched before making her way over towards the two men, brushing the remnants of dirt from her hands by wiping them on her pants.

"Zeus," she said, offering a respectful tip of her head toward the high king before turning to Hades with a smile. "It's good to meet you Hades, you're here for the festival I imagine? What do you think of the new gardens so far?"
 
From the distance that Hades saw her from at first, and with her many curls hiding her face and her position facing sideways from he and Zeus, he couldn't really see much of her appearance. Now that she was up in front of them, there was really only one way he could describe her: beautiful. She was tanned, freckled, and.. quite shorter than he was. Her smile was as bright and as radiant as the sun. Though, to be fair, there was seemingly an endless amount of beautiful and radiant women at Olympus -- perhaps Zeus did that on purpose. His brother was known to be a womanizer of sorts. It wouldn't shock Hades to know that his castle was letting countless gorgeous women just running about. He held back the urge to roll his eyes.

"The festival is the only reason I allow my dear brother to drag me around his castle," He replied, sending a playful glare towards Zeus. "But the gardens are nice. I've never seen so many beautiful flowers in one place before," He continued, looking around at the flowers as he spoke.

"Dear Hades is from a lonely little castle in a snowy country just north from Olympus." Zeus got a sharp nudge to the side from Hades. "Nothing but pine trees dare to grow there."

While the explination of Hades' home and country was absolutely unnecessary coming from Zeus' mouth, especially the light insult to his wonderfully empty castle, it probably explained more than anything else Hades could say about his interest in this garden. It was like giving a thirsting man water, and explaining to onlookers that the reason he drank it was the last thing he'd do was because he never had water before. Hades rarely saw flowers before because the most he saw on a good day was the outlines of a nearby town.

"Don't insult my kingdom or I'll consider never coming to a festival again," He retorted, and Zeus laughed heartily.

"Do you work for Zeus?" Hades asked Persephone. "I haven't seen any others here at the castle besides you and Zeus."
 
Persephone seemed to light up at the compliment, the fact that it was coming from someone who didn't reside in Olympus making it doubly as meaningful. "I'm glad you think so! They've been brought in from all over the continent," she paused and turned, pointing to a tall cluster of vermillion flowers that ringed the edge of a decorative pond. "Those were brought in straight from the water's edge in Poseidon's region. They're Cardinal flowers or Red Lobelias. I had never seen them before but the colour is beautiful."

"I bet I could get things to grow in the snow." She mumbled in response to Zeus, the words almost too quietly to be heard as the two men bantered. Her brow furrowed slightly as though she were searching her thoughts for plants that would grow in the snow, though it only lasted a few seconds. She'd heard the rumours about Hades kingdom to the north, how it always snowed and the sun didn't shine, neither were the most comforting thoughts but they were only rumours. Surely people made it out to be much worse than it was in actuality.

"Oh no, I'm just here helping in order to make sure that everything is ready by the time the festival starts. Flowers, well most plants are sort of my speciality so I was asked here. Evidently it's a family trait." She explained, "my mother helped to design the gardens."

The second part of Hades comment had her looking around the garden, searching out the workers she had arrived with that morning but finding no one, though there were still trowels and baskets of half planted flowers and seeds that lined the edges of the walkways. "I suppose they've likely taken lunch, it is getting rather warm out." She said, running a hand through her hair to push it back out of her face. "I don't know how you can be wearing dark colours on a day like today." She teased. It was likely he had only just recently arrived and had yet to change into more weather appropriate clothing but at the same time, she was having a hard time picturing him wearing the style of clothing that was popular in Olympus at the moment.
 
It was nice hearing Persephone talk about the gardens, and it came as no surprise to Hades that she had a talent for this work. Although he didn't know if she had done most of the gardening work here, he didn't doubt that she had quite a green thumb. Her gentle care and work with planting alone was evident of that fact. Though it did surprise him that she worked her by her own volition, but said much about her character. She loved doing this work, and didn't mind volunteering her own time dedicated to it.

"I agree, the vibrancy of the flowers is like nothing I've seen before. Comes as no surprise it comes from Poseidon's part of the world." His eyes were drawn to where she was speaking about. It seemed like this garden had every type of flower one could boast to have from all corners of the earth. Hades better understood the longer he spent here why she enjoyed it so much.

"I assume you're going to the festival as well, then?" He asked, looking back to her. Practically everyone was invited to the event, regardless of their status or their home region. It was what unified the many different people of the kingdoms together in a cause for celebration, a favorite holiday to everyone involved.

Hades was surprised not to hear a small chime in on the comment about his attire from Zeus, but then noticed that it seeme like his brother vanished. Perhaps he got bored of not being included and slinked off somewhere else to take up his interest. "Dark colors retain heat. It's a necessary fashion choice for the colder climates, and Zeus absolutely hates it." He replied. "Though I must admit that I am quite warm."
 
From the corner of her eye, Persephone caught Zeus glancing between the two of them before making a face and heading back inside of the castle. He may be the both the high king and a well-respected man, but often times it seemed that he had the patience of a child. Though when you held that much power it could almost be expected, having servants to wait on your every beck and call and in Zeus' case a following of some of the most lovely women in Olympus to entertain and be entertained by constantly as well it would be easy to grow bored with a simple conversation.

"But of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world. The banquets are often overdone but it's wonderful to see people from all corners of the land all together." She replied, willing to talk a bit more honestly about her opinions on the festivities without worrying if she was going to offend Zeus since he had left.

"Forgive me then, I should have suggested we continue talking in the shade, I suppose I'm just so used to it being hot. There are some taller trees and benches just a bit further down the path." Persephone said, taking a few steps and gesturing the direction she had been talking about. Is it truly that cold in your kingdom?" She asked, suddenly looking a bit sheepish, "people say that it never stops snowing, I can't even imagine what that would be like."
 
The lack of an imposing presence from his brother was certainly welcome. It felt more freeing to have a comfortable conversation with someone he didn't know sans his brother breathing down his neck. Plus, it was nice to talk to new faces, despite his first initial hesitence to it. Common points of interest were always a good starting point, and Persephone was a gentle presence that didn't intimidate him and make him feel obligated to impress her.

"That's Zeus' style for everything. Show off everything and anything you can because you can and whenever you can. At least he puts on a good show," He said with a simple shrug of his shoulders. He always enjoyed coming to see his brothers, no matter Zeus' stupid antics.

"No need to apologize. Zeus often just lets me suffer, so your kindness is welcome." He replied, then leading the way to the trees and benches she suggested, taking a seat towards one end to leave ample space just for her. "It's not constantly snowing, there's just constantly snow on the ground." He corrected. "It's a bit... isolating, since most of the lands are warmer and have seasons while my kingdom is always in winter. Just imagine a blank white ground, gray sky, and a simple stone castle and that's where I live." He continued. He didn't have anything at all to boast or brag about. He preferred it that way, though. He was still happy with what he had.
 
Persephone remained quiet as they walked, her gaze alternating looking over the plants that lined the path and over to Hades then back again. She'd taken note of it at a first glance but though they were brothers Hades and Zeus were as different as day and night. Being left alone, even just to talk with Zeus or even Poseidon often ended with her feeling uncomfortable and taking the first chance she got to leave. It made sense that with the nature of his kingdom Hades would hold himself much differently than his brothers, though it still came as a bit of a surprise.

"I do what I can." She smiled and took a seat next to him, sitting perched on the edge in order to pick a few small flowers from around the legs of the bench, braiding them into a small chunk of her hair as he spoke. The more he talked the more questions came to her mind but she held them back, it would be rude to bombard him in that way. Not to mention that the last thing she wanted to do was offend.

"That would be very strange, not being able to see grass, or even dirt because of the snow covering everything. There are some paintings in Zeus' library that make it look beautiful though. I think I'd like to see snow for myself one day, or the ocean and the archipelagos. Olympus is nice but, there's so much more." She said, sitting back further on the bench, turning slightly and tucking one leg up beneath her so that she could face him.
 
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Seeing Persephone just.. pluck flowers and then braid them into her hair was something he had never seen before. It wasn't uncommon to wear flowers in ones hair, but just her comfort at doing it right then and there was really what surprised him. He was used to people being so formal and uptight, not making one movement out of the norm due to Hades' relationship with his brothers and he being a king himself. Persephone's openess and casual nature was.. new.

"It's odd for me seeing snow be nonexistent in Olympus. Even when it's winter here, it barely snows anything like it does back in my kingdom." He shifted himself so he was turned slightly as well, mirroring her movements to also face her. No point in being rude and facing away, right? "I could ask my brothers if they could one year have the festival at Poseidon's kingdom. A new setting for a familiar festivity," He offered. He hadn't seen Poseidon's lands in a long while; it would be nice for him to see the beach again.

"Not sure if I'd like the beach. I get burned easily." He added after a moment, sighing wistfully. The last time he went he was nearly burnt to a crisp, his skin red and raw from only a few hours in the sun. She'd probably fair better in the heat, though.
 
Though his staring as she braided the flowers into her hair was not all that subtle Persephone didn't point it out. It was something that she did without thinking but there were cultural and societal differences between all of the kingdoms, even within them though that tended to be on a much smaller scale. Not to mention that in a land of snow and little greenery it was unlikely they used what little they had for something as silly as a decoration for their hair. That thought brought a smile to her face, Hades with his cool, reserved demeanour and rather stony expressions with colourful flowers woven through his dark hair. It made almost as good of a picture as Artemis and her guild of huntresses adorned with expensive jewels and dressed in the latest fashions rather than their more practical hunting gear.

"It disappears the moment it hits the ground usually, midday is warm enough to melt anything even if it lasts long enough to gather." Persephone contributed. "That would be fun, though I'm not sure Zeus would be willing to give up hosting. He gripes and complains about not wanting to deal with arranging things and officiating but I think he enjoys it." She said with a chuckle, "the over-extravagant first-day banquet is his claim to fame after all."

Persephone couldn't help but laugh at that, "you definitely seem like you would." She teased. The difference between their skin tones was somewhat comical, even though she was tan from the time she spent under the sun her natural skin tone was still nowhere near as light as his. "I've heard the sand gets everywhere, that doesn't seem like it would be very nice."
 
Hades realized a few moments after his staring that he had been staring. Hopefully she didn't think him a creep for doing so, but it was something you do without thinking when its something you've never seen before. Sort of like when you can't look away when you're stuck in thought and then midway through thought you realize you're staring. And it seems like that's what Hades is doing again because he's staring at Persephone. Again.

He really hopes he doesn't seem creepy.

He looks away and at the flowers. "You are right. I'm not sure Zeus could survive one single year without bragging to anyone and everyone who is forced to listen," He sighed in agreement. "A change of pace is always welcome though."

"It's happened before and I'd rather avoid it happening again." Though he doesn't recall the exact severity of the burns, he doesn't forget how terrible it felt to even move days afterwards. Persephone was luckily she tanned. "The sand sucks too. It does get everywhere and it stays everywhere. But it looks extremely beautiful, especially during sunsets,"
 
"It sounds rather unpleasant, I can't blame you." The times that she could remember getting burned badly enough for it to last were few but vivid, most when she was young and naive enough to continue playing outside under the full force of the sun.

Idly she braided a few more chunks of her hair, fingers moving quickly and without her having to look to see what she was doing. It was a habit that frustrated her mother to no end. The woman had just as much, or more, of a green thumb than she did but with that came a much more uptight attitude. More likely than not it stemmed from being the head of an entire house and having the responsibility of a large portion of the crops in the kingdom.

"Speaking of Zeus, he just left you here." She noted, almost wanting to apologise for it as well but Hades was likely used to it. Zeus was his brother after all. "Was there somewhere you needed to be? I know the castle pretty well, I could probably take you there?" Persephone offered, though she didn't move to get up off of the bench just yet.

"I should really get the rest of those lilies planted as well, and find the others." She worried her lip slightly, looking out across the gardens before turning back to Hades. Hopefully, it didn't seem as though she was trying to get rid of him. Talking with someone who seemed genuinely interested - even if that interest primarily stemmed from the fact that he had little experience with plants of any sort - was nice.
 
With the subject change, he turned his head back to look at her. He wasn't surprised that she wasn't too happy with his antics. Zeus often wasn't the most considerate to Hades, but at the same time, Hades knew what he did at times was all for Hades. It was his brother's weird way of showing he cared, even though it mostly seemed like he was an absolute jerk at times. This time around, he was glad for it, but regardless of meaning, it wasn't a new occurance.

"It bothers me none that he did so. Your company is much better," He replied mildly, unbothered. "The only place would have to be the guest room I'd be staying in for the duration of the festival. Maybe you can lead me in the right direction?"

Along with her last comment, Hades knew it would probably be best to head off now. Maybe later the two of them could talk again, when she was no longer doing her duties and were expected to socialize. "If you've still got work to do, don't worry about escorting me the full way, then. I don't want to keep you from your duties," Hades did have a few chests to unpack and a room to settle in, anyways. Though, he didn't want to leave just yet.
 
"You flatter me," Persephone said, unable to keep a smile off her face. His tone had been mild but the compliment felt genuine, from the limited time she had spent in his company he didn't much seem the type to sugarcoat in any case. Talking with him in such a casual manner had her forgetting that Hades was not only a king but one that was nearly on the level of Zeus himself. It was nice to be able to interact with someone where a difference in status did not bar the potential for relaxed conversation, not that her status was much below his, being the first daughter of Demeter, but even still.

"But of course," She replied, rising from her seat on the bench waiting for him to follow suit before starting back down the path at a leisurely pace. "It really is no problem, there's a shortcut to the guest rooms through the new wing of the garden. It's still closed to the public, but I would hardly classify you as public."
 
Hades was easily able to forget the class difference between he and Persephone. She wasn't a peasant by any means, but still a lower station than that ofthe nobles. Even so, and despite it, it was nice not having someone suck up to him because he was a king. He was a person at the end of the day who had better things to do besides imprison people for not addressing him correctly. Plus, he did want to make friends, but its hard when that's not what others' agendas include as well.

Hades easily kept pace with her stride, though it was shorter than his own. He slowed down to stay walking beside her. "If the public is the High King's brother, than I would beg to differ." He retorted, playfully.

He went silent for a moment, before speaking up again. "Persephone, I'd like to thank you for your company today. You're very sweet." He said, looking over at her with a soft smile.
 
"I don't think anyone will try and stop you." She replied with a laugh.

The winding cobblestone path through the gardens took them past several brightly coloured clusters of flowers and marble statues posed in elegant contrapposto, many of which depicted either coy looking women or handsome men. Up until the construction of the gardens, they had previously resided in banquet rooms and hallways. Both a show of wealth and very particular taste on Zeus' part. Though she had always admired the work that went into carving something so lifelike from a block of stone Persephone had never been that interested in them, finding their perfectness beyond realism to be unnerving at times.

"Oh." She faltered slightly in her stride, having to tilt her head up a fair amount to actually look at him. "It was my pleasure. You're wonderful company yourself, I enjoyed talking with you quite a bit." He was smiling she noticed, the expression soft against his sharper features. It almost seemed to change his whole face, making him look younger and less like the king of a land that knew little but snow and cold. He looked very handsome like that she noted. A flush rising on her cheeks at the thought she turned back to facing the direction she was walking, attempting to recompose herself. A compliment from a kind was not slight to be certain but there was no reason she need let it affect her this much.

Eventually the path split, leading deeper into the gardens before turning back toward the castle again. The flora around the path changed, there were fewer flowers in this section of the gardens though there was no shortage of greenery. Further down the path were doors to the castle, propped open with the warm weather. Persephone stopped next to one of the flowerless clusters of greenery, a smile on her face as she rocked on her heels.

"Do you know what flower is considered to be the flower of Olympus?" She asked conversationally. "I'm sure you saw some on your way here, though they're not the most recognisable if you don't know what you're looking for. They grow wild all over the kingdom but most never bloom into full flowers without very specific growing conditions."
 
As they made their way doing the cobblestone path, Hades couldn't help but feel a bit sad that a genuinely good time was coming to a close rather quickly. Persephone was a unique person who seemed more interested in Hades as a person than anything else, and her interest and knowledge of flowers also added to his own interest in her. She was vibrant and talented, and was damn good company. Gazing at the flowers and at the numerous marble statues did little to placate his dread over it ending so soon. He made a mental note to try his hardest to find her during the banquet.

Hades had no doubts that her compliment was disingenuous, and was glad that they both had mutual feelings of enjoyment in the conversation. One sided conversations are never fun, and Hades knows that all too well. He almost missed the red color that flushed across her cheeks thanks to her turning away, but he did see it. Was she embarrassed by what she said, or what he had said? Either way, the hint of the red flush on her cheeks... looked really cute paired with her freckles. When Persephone spoke again, he stopped his train of thought immediately.

"I know nothing of flowers, besides the fact that they grow in warm climates and they look awfully pretty." He replied. It was a bit sad he didn't know more about something he was quite dearly interested in. "Do you mind indulging me on the answer? I'd hate for you to leave me in the dark about what sounds to be a wonderful plant."
 
"Close your eyes," Persephone instructed, waiting patiently for him to oblige before turning a bend in the path and making her way toward a small cluster of flowering plants. The dark red-violet hue of the petals had seen Zeus in a fit once she had finally managed to get them to bloom. He had insisted them not bright or beautiful enough to be included in the garden and only after being talked down by her mother had begrudgingly allowed them to remain. The majority the flower breed came in several different colours from a peachy pink to sunset orange, the near black of the one she had just picked was a rarity, something that was almost never seen. The fact that it had been the first type she had managed to grow had the flowers holding a special place in her heart.

Carefully Persephone broke off one of the long stemmed flowers and made her way back to Hades, peeking around the corner to make sure he still had his eyes closed before continuing the rest of the way. "You can open your eyes now." She announced, offering the flower out for him to take.

"They're called Ambrosia flowers." She explained, "most come in vibrant colours but occasionally some will grow dark like this one. It is from the first plant I managed to get to bloom in the garden. Zeus still hates them, but I think they're beautiful."
 
Being instructed to close his eyes when they were the only two in the garden did not settle easy in Hades' mind, but he obligated to do so anyways. What would she gain murdering him or something? She'd be an instant culprit anyways. Regardless of his fears, however, nothing of his violent worries came true. After a few moments of peaceful but also suspenseful quiet did he hear Persephone return, the soles of her shoes lightly patting along the cobblestone path beneath their feet. When instructed to do so, he opened his eyes, looking down at her, and then... the flower.

It was the darker hue of colors he was accustom to seeing in the dead plants he tried having as decoration once years and years ago, the color of the clothing that was best suited for his cold home and the color that seemed to just engulf his life. He was hidden away in the darkened, cold corner of the world, away from the light and warmth of his brothers. While it certainly was a color that reminded him of his less than impressive life, the fact that she was even giving it to him was... extremely sweet. With ginger fingers he reached forward and took it, letting it rest lightly in his palm as he looked it over.

He was silent for a long while, looking at the petals of the flower and occasionally poking the leaves with a barely-there touch, as if he were afraid of it shattering with any forceful stroke. He didn't notice that a silly, happy grin had spread across his features as he examined the flower. Finally, he looked at Persephone, smile still on his face. "Thank you, Persephone. It's beautiful," was all he was able to say.
 
Persephone remained silent as Hades took the offered flower from her, watching him handle it as though it were made of glass and ready to shatter at the slightest rogue movement. She knew Ambrosia flowers to be much sturdier than that, though they did require special care to bloom the plants and their flowers were resilient, each flower lasting well over a week before it started to wilt. It made sense though, coming from a place without much diversity in the plant life that he would want to treat flowers as carefully as possible.

If she had thought that the small smile he had shown her on their way through the gardens earlier had changed his face she hadn't known what a full grin would do. For a few beats, her heart fluttered like a trapped bird in her chest and Persephone had to take a deep breath in order to calm herself. She had planned on showing off the Ambrosia flowers to Hades nonetheless but was very content with her choice in picking one of the black ones to give to him over the more brightly coloured ones. They were nice but very loud, bright in a way that reflected the people of Olympus but not Hades.

"I'm glad you like it." She replied, sounding a little bit giddy as she returned the smile, not saying anything more to allow him to appreciate the flower without interruption.

After a minute Persephone spoke again, clasping her hands together to keep herself from fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "I should be getting back to work soon, those lilies aren't going to plant themselves." She joked, glancing back toward the direction that they had come from. Faintly she could see the shapes of people moving between the bushes and shorter trees, likely the others under house Demeter who were getting back from their breaks. "The guest rooms are straight through those doors and to the right. There's a staircase to the ones on the upper floor at the end of the hall."
 
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