Persephone looked at the signatures next to each other. Hades had really good penmanship... she could have stayed there ages but it was getting late and she guessed the second task would be soon, she explained this to Hades, who nodded and said “we’d better go then.” They left the room and entered the main hall, then she saw Selene “Selene hi!” Hades said, he seemed pleased to see her. “Hello Hades, and this is Persephone?” She said eyeing up Persephone “yup.” Hades said “Now Hades, I’ve come becuase it isn’t your birthday tomorrow- how old are you again?” Selene asked “I’m sixteen," Hades said proudly. Selene grinned. "Nice!" Persephone nodded slightly embarrassed. of course Selene knew he was turning seventeen and she didn't. What would she get him? Suddenly Artemis appeared. "Persephone, a word?" Persephone had been caught off guard “I um... of course.” She stammered hurrying to Artemis. “What is it?” She asked, once they were out of earshot. Artemis began talking,“Hades is going to have his ceremony again-“ “that soon? Persephone interrupted “yes,” Artemis said tartly “And I can see you are getting close to him." Persephone looked away. "DO not. he will abandon you faster than you can imagine. You still have at least a month of working for Zeus. I heard him. And he'll make it tougher" Persephone looked shocked. So he had lied to her! "Yes," Artemis said urgently. "Focus on yourself only." she said, getting up and leaving.”B-but Zeus said he was going to go less hard on me!” Persephone called after her. “He lied.” Artemis said simply, walking away. Persephone fell to the floor, she felt sick, physically And mentally. She held her mouth to stop herself from vomiting. Her head spun, one thought echoing through her head, /was there something in the food?/ she heard someone’s say “Hades come here.” In a disguised voice, then she saw a figure in a red cloak run away, before she could do anything, everything went black. “Persephone? Persephone are you okay?” A voice called, she opened her eyebrows slightly, every part of her heart and her stomach felt weird, Hades was in front of her, his eyes looked as if he had been crying, and the woman was gone. She felt dizzy as she tried to sit up. "I'm.. I feel sick." Hades looked worried and stressed. "I don't know what's wrong with you!" "Go get Apollo," it suddenly occurred to persephone, and hades ran to get him as she attempted to sit up. /WHo was the lady?/ her head span. She knew one thing for sure. Artemis was right. She couldn't trust Hades OR Zeus. Hades came back a few moments later, Apollo was behind him “here she Is.” Hades said, out of breath, it was evident they had been running. “What hurts?” Apollo asked straight away, there was an odd look on his face as though he was smiling- “my Stomach and my Heart.” Persephone explained, “Hades, go away for a minute.” Apollo said Hades nervously left “Hades is behind this, I’m sure of it.” Apollo said. Persephone sighed and told him everything between hiccups. he nodded. "Trust only Artemis and I. Clearly another woman is behind this too," he murmured thinking. She nodded. Waving his hand, Apollo made all dizziness and ashiness disappear, and she stood up with his help. Hades reappeared. Apollo snarled at him “come with me.” Hades followed him, sending a confused glance at Persephone which made her stomach twist with guilt. She could hear raised voices but not much more. A few minutes later she got up and looked at where Hades and Apollo Hades been, yeh you were gone. “Persephone.” A smooth voice called from behind her, Persephone spun around, Eris was there, wearing a familiar red cloak “Apollo lies." Suddenly Persephone understood. Hades and Eris worked TOGETHER. behind HER back. Taking advantage of HER. She had enough. In one flick of her hand, Eris turned into a daisy. With another, the daisy wilted until it was an ugly piece of ear plant, and Persephone hurled it as far as she could. Persephone knew her power wasn’t strong enough to keep Eris as a daisy forever, but it would hold for a few minutes “WHY IS EVERYONE LYING TO ME!” She shouted, looking around the room, she then realised this was Hades room, she saw the canvas he had told her not to look at and she kicked it, it fell over and then she saw it was a painting of her “Hades...” she whispered, perhaps Hades wasn’t the bad guy... She shook her head. Another lie. She ripped apart that canvas too, and every other canvas in her anger before storming out in a haze, running to her room and shutting the door before destroying things inside as well. When there was nothing left to destroy, she sat on the floor cross legged and just looked at the wall sullenly until the door opened and the nanny appeared “What on mount Olympus have you done to this room!” She shrieked, Persephone didn’t reply “answer me you little!” She pulled at Persephone hair “OWW Get off!” Persephone shouted, shoving the woman away “IT IS VERY IMPOLITE TO MESS UP THE+
ROOM YOU WERE SO LUCKILY GIVEN!” The Nanny shouted,
