The Two Lives of Ariadne by Honey Beezleigh

Author:Honey Beezleigh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Dionysus, Ariadne, Olympus, romance, gods, Labyrinth, immortals, royalty, retelling, reimagining, bacchus, novella, short read
Publisher: Honey Beezleigh
Published: 2023-10-03T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 10

FADE AWAY

KING HADES DIDN’T SEEM surprised to see her. Queen Persephone, however, was startled by her appearance.

“I thought she had drank from Lethe.” She murmured, brows high as she surveyed Ariadne.

“Do you prefer Queen Persephone or Dread Persephone? I was never clear on that.” Ariadne asked, ignoring the implied question. The thought of Lethe was never as far from her thoughts as she would have liked these days.

“Context. If I am to be addressed as a Queen, then Queen Persephone. But any other time I have a fondness for Dread Persephone myself.” She said smoothly before continuing, “Now. Why have you requested this meeting?”

“What?” Ariadne asked, caught completely off guard. “I didn’t. Thanatos said you requested this meeting.” She gestured vaguely at the two lounging on their thrones.

Queen Persephone turned to her husband, eyebrows still high. She asked in a tone that was more of a demand, “Darling?”

King Hades tilted his head at Ariadne. “You’re still waiting for Dionysus.”

Ariadne flinched. She didn’t want to see the judgement in their faces, so she didn’t. She whispered to the ground, “I shouldn’t be.” To her horror, her eyes fill with tears. There is a whisper of fabric and Queen Persephone is standing before Ariadne and gently wiping her face with a sleeve that smelled overpoweringly like flowers.

The Queen told her, “There is no shame in believing in love.” Ariadne shook her head and cried harder. The Queen of the Underworld pulled Ariadne into her arms, holding her as she wept.

“I’m sorry.” She sobbed. “I thought I was done crying. I’m sorry.” She repeated before her throat closed up entirely. They waited until she had cried herself out. The pain didn’t stop, but eventually the tears dried as they always did.

King Hades spoke again, achingly kind. He repeated the words from their prior meeting. “I wait for my wife to return to me every year. There is no shame in that.”

Ariadne couldn’t find the air to point out again that the Queen came back for him. She came back. She came back to and specifically for her husband. No one came for Ariadne. She should have known better.

Hermes had visited for a while, despite his chronically busy schedule. He was a good friend like that. It helped one of his many jobs was taking souls to the Underworld, she supposed. But it was his job and that meant he wasn’t supposed to interact with the dead more than superficially. So it had ended, but Ariadne knew he had tried to be there for her.

Queen Persephone pulled back from Ariadne and put a cool hand on her wet cheek. “Your love and faith are credits to you.”

King Hades agreed with his wife, “We are of the same mind. It’s why I called this meeting.” He stepped off his throne to stand before Ariadne and his wife. “The nature of Asphodel Fields is to encourage people to move on and let go of the living so they can be at peace. You are fighting it and it is causing you pain.

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