Chapter Text
Things were always hectic in Satyrbucks. Pretty much all of the company’s locations were swamped in the mornings. Then there was the second rush at lunch time, and one more before they closed around two to three in the afternoon. Most locations closed around four, spent an hour cleaning and closing, and then the workers left around five.
Things were different in the Underworld, however. The Satyrbucks location in the headquarters of Underworld Corp had similar general hours of operation, but one employee was required to stay late into the evening, every evening - even weekends. It was a shift that was usually rotated between employees due to the nature of the long hours. Not many were eager to do this task, that is to say, no one was.
The only saving grace was that during this time, the shop was closed to the general public. High level employees could swipe their ID card and gain entrance for a late night coffee. The nights were usually quiet because of this. And it wasn’t unusual to not have customers at all.
Tonight was quite different - unusually busy. And for once, the flower nymph Daphne was glad to have assistance. As she was making the fifth red-eye for the evening, she glanced over at her coworker - the newest hire at this location.
The pink goddess was hurriedly working on a latte, her hands comfortably adding ingredients without having to look up from the drink. It was almost like the girl was in some kind of trance when she worked this way, moving fluently and multitasking - all the while humming to herself.
With one hand, Persephone put a lid on the drink, while the other slid a cardboard sleeve onto the cup. She went over to the serving counter and placed the drink down. An absent minded flourish of her fingers caused a flower to sprout, nestled securely inside the sleeve. It was a shock of color in an otherwise very neutral coffee shop.
Daphne smiled to herself. Persephone had been a transfer from another Satyrbucks location in Olympus. It was an odd thing - most people tried to transfer out of the Underworld, not into. But Persephone seemed quite pleased with the location and the Realm.
And Daphne was not going to rebuff the girl who also happened to be quite the competent coworker.
As Persephone turned to start on the next order, she met Daphne’s gaze. The two smiled at each other. There wasn’t much time for chit-chat at the moment, but things would quiet down soon. It would give them time to do other tasks around the shop, and once they were finished with those, they could laze about until the next customer came in.
Persephone reached for the last ticket of the rush, and smiled. “Another red-eye.”
Daphne laughed to herself. “There has to be something going on - I don’t think I’ve ever made so many.”
Persephone shrugged and got to work - at least they were easy to make. She grabbed the largest cup they had and set it next to the espresso machine.
Since it was the last ticket, she took her time packing the basket with grounds, making sure it was perfect and level before loading it into the machine. With a swipe of the hand over the control panel, the machine went whirring away, loudly brewing the double shot for the drink.
Once that was finished, Persephone grabbed the recently brewed coffee from the warmer and filled the remaining space in the cup. Then it was back to the usual routine of placing a sleeve around the cup, and a lid on top.
But she didn’t get a chance to add the flower before it was snatched off the counter by a disgruntled winged god. He scowled at Persephone before turning away and practically flying out of the shop.
“Oh!” She exclaimed. The goddess was left there, blinking in surprise and frozen to the spot.
Daphne looked up from washing the various carafes and containers used to brew the coffee and make the drinks. Her attention was on Persephone for a moment before glancing behind the girl. Then her expression changed to one of understanding.
“Ah, don’t mind him. It’s not you. That’s Thanatos - and he’s usually grumpy when he has to work late,” Daphne explained.
“O-oh,” Persephone relaxed and went to help Daphne with the washing. “He just surprised me, that's all.”
The nymph nodded, reaching for another carafe. “Yeah, he’s like that sometimes. He is nice, though, when he’s not stressed from… whatever seems to be going on tonight.”
The pair fell into silence after that, concentrating on cleaning the sink full of dishes and loading the washer.
Once that task was done, Persephone reached for the broom and started to sweep the floor. Daphne retreated to the back room, eager to return to her pet project of organizing the shelves. Apparently it had been “overflowing” and “out of control”. At first, Persephone thought the girl had been exaggerating, but after getting an eye full of the disaster zone, she quickly agreed with the nymph.
Over the past couple of shifts, though, Daphne had really been making some progress. For one, you could actually walk in the room without having to climb over boxes and risk twisting your ankle on things scattered about the floor. And there was the added bonus of being able to see all the overstock the store had accumulated as a result of not being able to see what they already had.
Persephone was humming away, sweeping the crumbs and mess from the floor. She had started outside of the store room where the floor had been relatively clear. But the closer she got to the drink station, the worse the mess became. She was noticing now that there were drops of syrup everywhere. Persephone supposed it was a natural consequence of their swift movements when making drinks, but the damage seemed excessive.
Regardless, she balanced the broom against the wall and reached for a rag and disinfectant from under the counter. It wasn’t the most efficient chemical to use, but it was the closest. With a huff, she crouched down, and started to scrub the sticky spots from the floor, thinking to herself that she’d definitely have to mop sooner rather than later.
It was just as she finished with the final spot that the telltale whirring of the ticket machine went off. Persephone glanced at her watch as she stood. It was nine-thirty now, an hour having passed since she made the last red-eye. It surprised her that so much time had elapsed while they completed their tasks.
The goddess put the rag and cleaner back under the counter. She quickly washed her hands in the sink and dried them. Absently, she took the ticket in hand and read it, her hand automatically reaching towards the cups.
“Double ris… r-ris-ter-ret-to,” Persephone sounded out to herself, eyebrows quirking up in surprise.
She knew the drink, of course, but making it was an infrequent request. Most customers who ordered it only did so once out of curiosity, then never again. By far it was the strongest drink that Satyrbucks made, and it was only on the menu in certain locations.
Her hand finally settled on a small cup. Not the espresso cup like the drink would usually require, but the actual small size. Whoever had requested this, wanted a double. And so Persephone got to work, tamping the grounds and putting the basket into the machine. She adjusted the temperature for a softer brew in order to make the drink richer in flavor, and then started the machine. It didn’t take long - the espresso only required about a minute to brew. She removed the cup, and placed it on the counter.
Then it was back to her usual routine - sleeve, lid, a flourish of the hand, a flower. Since the cafe was empty, Persephone found herself spending extra time on making the small bloom perfect, fussing over any hint of wilting or discoloration. There was one section that wasn’t quite right, the barest hint of darkening right at the edges. She leaned close and gripped the very edge of the petal between her index finger and thumb.
“Does it pass inspection?”
“Oh!” Persephone gasped, clamping her fingers down on the flower in surprise. She had jumped at the same time, ripping the flower from the coffee with such force that the cup tipped over, spilling its contents across the counter and down the front of her apron. “Oh gods, I’m so sorry!”
Her hand went for the towel under the counter once more and she wiped at her the garment, furiously trying to wick any remaining liquid from it. Persephone’s tone was embarrassed as she attempted to explain, “W-we had a lull in customers, and I just think it brightens everyone’s day. T-the flowers, I mean. Especially when they’re working… so…”
Her voice trailed off as she looked up at the customer, the apology clear upon her face.
His face, however, was amused as she took in his appearance. He was a god - that was obvious - tall and slim with cerulean skin and nearly navy eyes. His hair was longer than she would have expected from his attire (a suit, by the way - tailored to perfection), stark white and pushed back away from his face. He had one hand slipped into his pant’s pocket as he waited patiently for her to finish her explanation.
There was an awkward pause as they continued to stare at each other - him amused, her nearly slack jawed. And then her brain caught up to what she was saying. Her jaw closed with a snap. And the words tumbled from her lips in a hurry, “Especially when they’re working so late, is- is what I… was trying to say.”
“So, you’re not normally so clumsy, then?” the god asked, a coy smile on his lips.
“No!” Persephone protested, continuing to wipe up the mess. She took the cup and tossed it into a waste bin before rinsing her hands off and returning to the drink station to remake the spilled coffee. Her hands moved swiftly and surely as she repacked the grounds and loaded the machine. She looked up at the man, not needing to look in order to press the correct buttons. The machine whirred to life again as she spoke, “I’m usually quite coordinated.”
He nodded at her confident movements, “I can see that.”
The machine finished brewing several seconds later, and Persephone grabbed the cup. She brought it over to the serving counter, put a lid and sleeve on it before pushing it forward for the man to grasp.
But to her confusion, he only stared at it. A moment of silence passed before his gaze shifted to her. “Well?”
“Uh,” Persephone said, confused. Had she made the drink incorrectly? She wracked her brain for a moment before shaking her head internally. No, she’d used the proper amount of grounds, half the water that an espresso usually takes, and set the machine to the correct temperature.
He could tell that she didn’t quite get it, so he helped her out. He leaned forward slightly, over the counter. His smile grew wider. “Don’t I get a flower?”
“Oh!” she exclaimed with a laugh. “Of course.”
Her hand moved forward automatically, surprising herself as she reached not for the coffee, but for the breast pocket of his suit jacket. He seemed surprised, too, leaning back a half inch before realizing what she was trying to do. He remained still, waiting for the goddess to work her magic.
Persephone’s wrist twisted, and her fingers flourished, compelling a bud to start growing in the empty space. She wasn’t even sure what she was making until it was already blooming. It started out small, but quickly blossomed into three separate flowers. Chrysanthemums*.
Persephone quickly felt her face turning red as she lowered her hand, now clutching it towards her chest. “Oh.”
He seemed surprised as well, though perhaps it was from the number of flowers, and not the meaning behind them. At least, that’s what Persephone hoped with every inch of her life.
The god’s expression changed to one of happiness as his hand reached forward to grab his coffee. Persephone’s eyes did not leave his form as he moved. It was like she was transfixed.
He leaned back after his hands grasped the cup, onto his heels and turned in one smooth movement. His steps grew quiet as he exited. As the door was slowly closing, she heard him call, “Thank you, little goddess.”
She was stuck, staring as his form disappeared across the lobby of Tower One. It was like she was frozen in place, unable to move an inch. At least, until the door slammed shut, causing her to jump.
The spell holding her was broken, and Persephone looked down at the counter top, embarrassed at herself. But it wasn’t empty. There was a card - a business card, dark and rectangular with silver writing. Persephone’s eyes scanned the text, and her heart dropped as she absorbed the words.
Daphne's footsteps grew louder as she approached, her eyes examining Persephone’s expression curiously. “Did I hear someone come in?”
“Just left,” Persephone managed to croak. She swallowed roughly, as she considered whether or not she would have a job in the morning after nearly spilling a coffee on the King of the Underworld - and she flirted with him. WITH FLOWERS.
Daphne plucked the business card from Persephone's grasp and examined it. After a moment, a strangled choking noise came from the depths of her throat, her eyes became wide circles. "The- the King?"
Persephone could only manage to nod. Her throat was incredibly from her anxiety, and for a moment it was difficult to remember to breathe. "Do you think he's going to fire me?"
Daphne handed the card back, and gave Persephone a weird look, "Why would he fire you?"
Persephone untied the back of her apron, suddenly spurred into movement. She pulled it over her head and held it up for Daphne to examine. "Because of this!"
Daphne eyed Persephone confused, before turning to the garment. In the back of her mind, she took note of the fact that the hand holding the apron was shaking violently. "Because of your apron?"
"No," Persephone scoffed, "Because I nearly spilled coffee all over him. And I spilled coffee all over me!"
Daphne grabbed the apron and rolled her eyes. She started towards the store room. “You are not going to get fired because you spilled coffee in a coffee shop.”
Persephone followed at her heels, gesturing dramatically, “You don’t know that! I could have offended him. I mean, I practically drooled over him the entire time he was here!”
Daphne shot her an odd look before disappearing into the store room. Persephone stood in the doorway, and watched her coworker dig through some of the boxes waiting to be organized.
“Daphne,” Persephone implored her, emphatically, “I made him chrysanthemums*.”
Daphne paused her search at that and straightened, mechanically. The damp apron fell from her grasp. Her voice was a gasp. “What did you say?”
Persephone didn’t think her face could grow any more red than it already was. Her cheeks felt incredibly hot from her blush. She laid one hand on either side of her face, hoping that her chilly palms would cool the warmth that pooled there. “I said I gave him chrysanthemums*.”
“Why?” Daphne inquired. Her face was a mixture of confusion and astonishment. Daphne knew of Persephone’s history, of her candidacy for the Goddesses of Eternal Maidenhood. Had Persephone left it, and Daphne hadn’t heard the news?
“I don’t know,” Persephone whined, pressing her body against the door frame and hunching over in a moping sort of way. “I didn’t mean to.”
Daphne hummed at that, considering Persephone’s actions. “You know, maybe he is gonna fire you. Fraternizing with royalty is against company policy, after all.”
Persephone straightened instantly in shock, jumping nearly a foot in the air. “What?!”
A fit of laughter escaped the nymph’s lips as she bent back over into the box she’d been searching previously. “I’m just joking, Persephone. I’m sure you’re fine.”
Persephone crossed her arms, indignant. Her teeth worried at her lower lip for a moment. “You know that’s not funny.”
“Oh, come on. It was a little bit funny,” Daphne teased the goddess with a small smile.
The expression seemed to be contagious because Persephone found herself grinning, too. Her posture finally relaxed and she exhaled, letting her arms fall to her sides. She relented, “Okay, fine. I guess it was. But only the tiniest bit.”
Daphne nodded in a self-assured way, her grin growing wider. The nymph got to her feet, holding a rolled bundle of fabric in her hand. She raised it in triumph, and exclaimed, “Aha!”
Persephone raised an eyebrow, “Am I supposed to know what that is?”
Daphne threw the bundle at her, and stuck out her tongue. “It’s for you, silly. I knew I saw an extra when I was looking through the boxes earlier.”
Persephone barely caught the fabric before it hit her in the face. Once it was in her hand, she knew it was a new apron. Her hands unrolled it, and she smiled, “Thanks, Daphne!”
“Yeah, no worries. We’ll just throw this one in the wash with the rags at the end of the night. Why don’t you go check the time, and we’ll start to close up?” Daphne suggested, turning away and heading towards the two appliances in the back of the store room.
Persephone turned back towards the dining room of the cafe pulling the apron over her head as she walked. Her fingers quickly knotted the apron ties behind her back, and the apron was held securely in place. Her eyes glanced up at the clock. It was later than she thought, nearly ten-thirty and only half an hour from closing.
The remaining end of the night was uneventful as she and Daphne closed shop. The cleaning went swiftly, thanks to their earlier preparations, and they were ready to head out by eleven twenty.
The entire time they worked, though, Persephone’s thoughts were stuck on him. The god. The King. For some reason she found herself unable to think his name. A blush rose to her cheeks in embarrassment as she recalled actions and cringed internally. But when her mind drifted to him and she considered his actions and his behavior, she was filled with a different kind of warmth. It was strange - not something she’d ever quite felt before.
His coy smile had left her stunned, speechless. Persephone had been unexpectedly stuck to the spot, unable to move and barely able to think. It was not something she had ever done before, so she wondered what was different about this interaction.
It wasn’t like she hadn’t come into contact with handsome men before. N-not that he was particularly handsome, Persephone corrected herself. Okay, maybe he was a little bit handsome. But that shouldn’t have made any difference. There were other gods that were considered to be just as attractive.
So maybe his voice? He did tease her lightly, poking fun at her clumsiness. But in her youth, she’d been teased all the time by her friends. It wasn’t like it was any different from that, right?
So what was this strange feeling? This fluttering in her stomach had taken her entirely by surprise in a way nothing had previously. It was completely new. After so many years alive, Persephone thought she’d felt everything, all the emotions available to someone at her age with her disposition. At least, reasonably. Most emotions were combinations of others, so she would have at least felt a little of this in her life by now, surely.
But the goddess couldn’t recall. She had no concept of this feeling in her mind, no word for what it was called.
The door to the cafe slammed shut, finally drawing Persephone from her thoughts. She realized she’d made it through the rest of the evening and closing time without paying any attention to what she was doing. The two of them were standing outside the cafe now while Daphne fiddled with the lock.
“So,” the nymph started as she turned away from the door, towards Persephone.
Persephone suddenly felt very on the spot, and her cheeks grew red. “...So?”
Daphne started forward, encircling Persephone’s arm with her own. “So, you like him.”
Persephone’s footsteps stuttered, and were it not for the sure grasp of Daphne’s hand on her arm, she likely would have fallen. “Excuse me?”
“Persephone, you’ve been running on autopilot all night. You did the closing duties in no time flat, and did most of them on your own,” Daphne told her with a laugh, “I mean, I tried to get your attention like, four separate times. And you never responded to me.”
Persephone blushed, “Did you really?”
Daphne pursed her lips, amused. “Oh, girl. You’ve got it bad.”
“It? What’s it?” Persephone asked. Was Daphne talking about the feeling that had been taking up space in her mind all night? Did she know what it was?
“A crush, little flower,” Daphne said, reaching forward with her index finger to poke Persephone playfully on the nose.
“A crush?” Persephone sputtered, taken aback.
Daphne seemed confused at the goddess’ reaction, and her footsteps slowed. “Haven’t you ever had a crush before?”
Had she? Persephone tried to bring up any memories of ever feeling this way, but none came to the forefront of her mind. Surely, she must have. I mean, it would be weird if she hadn’t, right? Judging by Daphne’s reaction, it wasn’t an uncommon thing to have - a crush. So why was Persephone so overwhelmed by this feeling? Why did it feel so fresh and new to her?
“I… I don’t know,” Persephone admitted.
Daphne seemed surprised by her reply. She reached a hand and patted Persephone’s comfortingly. “That’s alright, little duck. Maybe you’re just a late bloomer.”
Persephone groaned at the pun, whether it had been intentional or not. Daphne seemed taken aback by the sound, so Persephone inferred that the wordplay had been accidental. After a moment passed, though, a smile reached Daphne’s face and she giggled once.
“Oh, I didn’t even mean that, but it works so well,” Daphne remarked.
“I’ve heard it way too many times to count,” Persephone told her, tiredly.
Daphne was quietly bemused at Persephone’s over dramatic suffering. “Oh, do you still need a ride home?”
Persephone nodded, “If you don’t mind.”
“Not at all! You’re on the way back to Olympus anyway,” Daphne commented, reaching into her bag and pulling out the keys to her car.
Persephone waited until she heard the locks click before opening the door, and climbing inside. The two were silent as Daphne turned the ignition and started the car. Then they were off, and the nymph’s questions began again.
“So, what did you think of him?” Daphne asked.
Persephone groaned. “Oh, I don’t know. He was fine, I guess.”
“Fine?” Daphne replied, her tone oddly offended. “You do not get to describe a man who elicits this kind of reaction from you as ‘fine’. You said you were practically drooling over him, didn’t you?”
The goddess relented, “Yeah, I mean. I guess so. Sort of stunned into silence anyway.”
“Gods, Persephone,” Daphne complained. “You make it sound so uninteresting.”
“It was!” Persephone insisted. “I made his drink - which by the way, had so much caffeine it’ll keep me awake for the rest of tonight from just smelling it. He got a double r-ris… terotto.”
“A ristretto?” Daphne asked.
“Yes, that. I can never pronounce right,” Persephone replied, gratitude washing over her for a brief moment. Then she returned to her story, “And- and the flower was wilted along the edges! I was trying to fix it when he scared the crap out of me.”
She screwed her face up in a poor imitation of his expression, “‘Does it pass inspection?’”
The impression drew a bark of laughter from Daphne. “Is that when you spilled the coffee?”
“Yeah,” Persephone grumbled, crossing her arms, “All over the front of myself and the counter. And then he accused me of being clumsy!”
“Oh no! The horror!” Daphne gasped with a laugh.
“I am not clumsy, especially not when I make drinks,” Persephone refuted.
Daphne considered that, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’ve literally never seen you mess up an order, or make a mess since you’ve started working with me.”
“I know!” Persephone stated enthusiastically, “I take pride in it.”
“So you spilled the coffee…” Daphne prompted, returning to the story.
“I remade the drink and gave it to him. And I stared at him like an idiot until he finally asked me to remake the flower, too!” The goddess leaned back in her seat and threw an arm over her eyes. “I felt like such an idiot. Not only did I make him a flower. I made him three.”
“Three?”
“And they were chrysanthemums!”
”Ooooh boy.”
“And I made them in his suit jacket pocket! His pocket!” Persephone wailed.
Daphne couldn’t help but laugh at the drama of it all, receiving a withering look from Persephone in return. In terms of embarrassing events, this wasn’t even all that bad. But, if Persephone hadn’t ever had any sort of crush, Daphne could see how the night’s events could be overwhelming, embarrassing, even.
“I’m so dumb,” the goddess groaned, drawing out the last syllable. She sat forward, letting out an exasperated breath. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“Try not to dwell on it,” Daphne advised, “I’m sure you’re imagining it was worse than it actually was.”
“Yeah…” Persephone conceded, but not really believing. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am overthinking it.”
“I’m sure you are,” Daphne said, comforting the girl.
The car pulled to a stop outside of the tall apartment building Persephone lived in.
Persephone gathered her things, and thanked Daphne again for the ride, promising, as she exited the car, to see her again at work soon. Daphne waved with a smile before the car pulled away.
As soon as she was on her own, Persephone determined that she was decidedly not overthinking it. In fact, with a rush of adrenaline surging through her and a fresh wave of embarrassment, she realized she was definitely underthinking it.
With another groan, her feet drew her forward, towards the lobby of the building. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense - a twisted sort of sense - that she’d likely not have a job by the start of her next shift.
The goddess had her key fob in hand as she reached the door, making it easy to enter without pausing. She glanced at the elevator doors as she walked past, unsurprised to see it marked with an old and stained piece of paper announcing that the device was out-of-order. From the state of the proclamation, she idly wondered if the machine had ever been in order.
Nonetheless, she reached the door for the stairs and started up without ceremony. The trek up was long and tiring. More than once, Persephone had made the mistake of carrying way too much down with her in the mornings, forgetting that eventually, she would have to carry it all back up again.
Thankfully, today was not one of those days. The goddess carried only a small purse with her, slung across the front of her body and laden with only her old, cracked phone, a small, nearly empty wallet, and her keys. It definitely made the journey up the ten flights of stairs easier, and Persephone was pleased to find that she didn’t need to pause once to catch her breath. It was an improvement from when she’d first moved in, and needed to stop every other flight to rest.
That being said, she was huffing and puffing when she reached the landing of her floor and pushed the door open. The hall was empty at this time of night, she noted.
She’d never been out quite so late before - a glance at her watch told her it was nearly half past midnight now. Routinely, Persephone made it a habit to be in bed by ten thirty at the latest, so she could be rested for her shift at the coffee shop the following day.
But, as her feet drew her forward towards the door marked 814, Persephone mused to herself that she didn’t need to make that accomodation tonight. She was off work the next day, and so she could sleep as long as she desired the following morning. Still, the girl would likely stick to her routine in order to keep it.. well, routine.
For a moment, her pink hands fumbled with the keys and the lock. More than once, she nearly dropped them to the floor, but after a small amount of additional fumbling, the lock clicked and the door swung open.
Persephone reached down as she entered to grab the mail from where it lay on the floor. She turned and closed the door with one hand, while placing the stack of envelopes (and her keys) on to the end table besides. In a moment she had the handle and deadbolt locked.
With an exhausted huff, she discarded her shoes, kicking them into the corner of the room where a sizable stack of footwear was accumulating. The goddess had been so tired every evening following work that she really hadn’t made any time to clean the apartment. With a sigh, she made a mental note to tidy up the following day.
Her hand drew the purse over her shoulder, releasing herself from its confines. She unzipped it as she walked to the kitchen and retrieved her phone. The cracked screen came to life, announcing that she had no notifications. Persephone was fine with that. She was too tired to bother herself with the phone and put it on the counter for the next morning.
With one hand, Persephone grabbed the electric kettle from where it rested on its burner. With the other, she turned on the tap, letting the cool water run into the carafe. Her thoughts absently wandered, and she found herself thinking of her encounter with the God of the Dead.
Daphne had wanted details, but Persephone found herself unwilling to divulge them. The goddess realized belatedly that she’d been embarrassed to find herself so captivated by the man, by his smirk, his teasing tone… and, she admitted reluctantly, his body.
It made her stomach flutter uncomfortably, and Persephone couldn’t decide if she liked the feeling or not.
Her gaze drifted down to the kettle, to check that the water level was appropriate. Deciding that it was, she turned off the tap and turned to set the kettle on the burner. With a practiced hand, she pressed a few buttons and the kettle came to life, heating the water within.
Persephone opened the door to the cabinet above the kettle and looked over the shelves of perfectly stacked mugs, trying to decide which to use. After a moment of consideration, she grabbed one that had been handmade.
It was one of her favorites that she’d gotten at the first festival she visited when left home. An artisan had made it, and told her the glaze had been imbued with crushed blue stones that made the cup sparkle and shine. The rest of the clay was a pretty, pearlescent white that shifted with the light.
All in all, it had to be her favorite of all the mugs she owned.
From the bottom shelf of the same cabinet, Persephone retrieved a tea bag of her favorite nighttime tea. Lemon and ginger. The smell alone nearly sent her off to dreamland, now, after so many cups of it nightly before bedtime.
Making it was her favorite ritual.
The kettle hissed as it came up to temperature, drawing Persephone from her thoughts with a smile. She laid the tea bag into the mug and gripped the handle of the carafe, carefully drawing it up. With a practiced hand, she poured the steaming water over the tea leaves and the force of the water kept the bag submerged.
The smell of ginger wafted into her nose, and the girl sighed happily, humming to herself.
She placed the kettle back onto the burner, grabbed the mug and brought it over to the bedside table in the far corner of the room.
Quickly, as Persephone waited for her tea to cool, she completed her nighttime routine - brushing her teeth, changing into an old, oversized t-shirt and flannel shorts, and climbing into bed with a book in hand.
She smiled contentedly as she drew the covers up and opened the novel. It was an old and familiar tale, one that Persephone had read so many times the binding had broken nearly in half. This hadn’t even been her first copy, either. She’d bought this one and two additional after reading her previous copy so much the text became illegible.
Still, she never grew tired of it, a romance that told the story of a maiden smitten with a prince and their journey as they ran away towards true love. Her heart sang.
Tonight though, as much as she enjoyed the tale, she couldn’t focus on it. Her eyes skipped over the same words as she forced herself to read the page over and over, never absorbing any of its content. She found herself instead thinking of the King, of his story and his adventures.
Persephone knew the history, of course. Everyone did. But there was so often more to the story than what was written in textbooks - context that couldn’t be recorded diplomatically on paper. Idly, she wondered what more she could discover if she asked him. Was there romance? Was there angst? Action and adventure? She considered it.
Definitely action and adventure.
Her musings continued until the book lowered in her grasp and then fell from her fingers altogether. The novel came to rest on the duvet she lay beneath. As her thoughts became few and far between, her eyes drifted towards the mug sitting on her nightstand. She realized with a quiet thought that she hadn’t once taken a sip of her tea.
And Persephone marveled, as her eyes fluttered close and her mind drifted off to sleep, at how perfectly the mug matched the cerulean color of the King’s skin.