Based on the greek goddess Persephone. Crown and costume custom made and makeup done by Amber. Short story by Amber. Modelled by Lynsie

It was another lonely and rainy night on Mount Olympus. Persephone wept as she ate the seeds her mother, Demeter, lovingly plucked from a pomegranate, her favourite fruit, out of a fancy bowl in her favourite shade of purple. It had been a long day of harvesting and bringing life back to dead plants. All they ever do is nurture crops. Persephone was tired of the same old thing. They are the harvest and spring goddesses after all, but isn’t there more to life? 

“I will never find love here,” she thought to herself, every night she wished someone would show interest in her, but she was growing despondent. Setting down her snack, she ventured out into the frigid night.

Persephone was wandering a field of flowers lit by the moon when she was struck from behind with an arrow. Miraculously, the arrow pierced her heart but she did not fall; instead, she looked up to the sky and saw the light. Her soul was filled with this warmth she had only dreamt of, but it only lasted for a second before she heard Eros giggling in the distance. He had heard her cries for affection, and it was time for him to do his part. Suddenly, large, strong hands emerged from the Earth and grabbed Persephone just above the ankles. Forcefully, she was dragged down into the ground through the layers of dirt and into the underworld. 

Hades, sitting on a throne made of polished bone, smiled at her. “Hello, my love, why don’t you come closer,” he cooed. He held out a pomegranate to her. An entire pomegranate. He didn’t even remove the seeds. Although Persephone doubted this was love, she knew the rules of Eros, and she knew better than to cross Hades. She would come up with a plan eventually, but for now she will enjoy the pomegranate. 

After Persephone took a large bite, Hades chuckled. “Once you eat the fruit of the underworld, you can never leave…” His chuckles faded into aggressive booms and shakes coming from the cave-like walls, and soon he was no longer laughing. His face showed nothing but fear. 

One last rumble, and Zeus materialized between Hades and Persephone.
“Persephone, I am here to bring you to your mother,” Zeus explained, “it’s felt like merely minutes to you here, but on Earth, years have passed. With you gone, the crops are dying, and there is no food. Soon, all the humans will die.”

“Uncle, I cannot leave Hades, I love him,” she lied, knowing full well that if she left him, the sun would explode. 

“I’ve thought this through, we have a plan,” continued Zeus, “I have to put the sacred markings on you and you can come back for half of the year to be with your mother and rebuild the crops.”

“I can stay with Mother and Hades?!” Persephone couldn’t contain her excitement. 

“This will barely hurt…” Zeus used his finger to carve the triple goddess symbol into her chest, linking her to her to the goddesses Selene and Artemis. To allow her to come to Earth during the months when the constellation is visible, he carved the Virgo symbol into her forehead. Clenching her jaw at the sight of ichor coming from the wounds, she did not otherwise show any signs of pain. 

This all happened so fast, she still held her pomegranate. She almost took a bite of it when Zeus stopped her. 

“Fool, don’t eat any more fruit of the underworld! You mustn’t trust this place. Because there have been no pomegranates growing for years, we need you on the ground.”

Persephone grabbed Zeus’ hand and asked him to take her to the nearest tree. She now knew her purpose; she had a role to play, and she was needed on Mount Olympus!