More Than One Love

                                    

                                          
    The harvest was over. After days spent outside gathering sheaves of wheat to be turned into flour and picking the last of the fall vegetables, it was over. 
They'd gotten their flour, paid their taxes, and checked their stores of dried fruit, flour, and oil for the winter. 

    One cold winter morning Nico accompanied Hazel to the well. He usually slept in during the winter, but he'd been restless this morning. Hazel glanced at her brother's shadowed face and wondered what was on his mind. The wind cut against her face and Hazel was grateful for her long skirt and sleeves. The wind snapped at Nico's cloak, making it flutter like a standard in the army. 
                          
     The grass glittered with frost that crunched underfoot as they approached the well. Hazel lowered the first bucket using the rope. When it was filled, Nico took it and handed her the second one. They rested briefly before picking up their buckets and trudging slowly back home so as to not let the water slosh over the rim and spill on the ground. "At least there's no snow yet," Hazel remarked.
                          
     Nico's breath was visible in the morning air. "It's cold enough for it."
                          
    Hazel looked up at the sky. It was slightly overcast. Was it going to snow already? She shivered, the warmth of the hearth sounding better than ever. They passed a few people as they laughed the buckets of water home, but no one stopped to talk until they were nearly there. "I can help you if you want," Will said. 
                          
    The two siblings had set down the buckets to rest their weary arms. Will looked calm and collected in leather boots and a dark brown traveling cloak. His smile was open and pleasant, but Nico merely scowled. "I don't need your help, scholar," he said, putting as much venom as he could in the last word. 
                          
     Nico picked up his bucket and quickly stomped into their house. Hazel glances hopelessly at Will. "I'm sorry about Nico's behavior," she said. "He can be irritable sometimes, but he's a good brother."
                          
     Will nodded, as if he understood something Hazel did not. "Tell him I'm leaving, will you? I'm going to a monastery and I won't return until spring."
                          
    He waved sadly and left. Hazel gaped at him. Why did he want her to tell Nico? Baffled, she laughed the bucket of water into the house. Nico had already poured his bucket into the cauldron, so she set her own bucket to the side and then took out a measure of wheat groats to make porridge. Using a wooden spoon, she stirred the mixture until it thickened; they'd have enough for leftovers. 
                          
     After their simple breakfast, the di Angelo household went about their day. Hades and Nico went out to collect kindling, while Hazel worked on mending torn clothes. By the time they returned, Hazel's eyes hurt and she was only too glad to accompany her brother on a walk. 
                          
    If they worked hard during the harvest, winter was the lull in the year. When Hazel had been younger, her mother had sent her to Chiron to learn her letters. She could read the Bible — in Latin no less — and write her own name; she could even read and write letters. It was one of the few things that she was proud of, but some of the other villagers looked at it suspiciously. "Are you learning to brew potions like your mother?" the other children had taunted her.
                          
      Hazel shook away the tangle of painful memories and tried to enjoy her walk. She suddenly remembered Will's request and turned to her brother. "Will told me to tell you he left today and will be back in the spring."
                          
      Nico grunted and said nothing. They passed the rest of the walk in silence and only returned when their hands and feet were growing numb with cold. Nico swung open the door and both siblings gasped at the sight before them. 
                          
     Persephone was sitting on their house. Not only was her presence a surprise, but her appearance. Her hair was not covered by a wimple, but flowed freely down her shoulders. "Father?" Nico said, his voice hoarse as if he had a cold. "What in Saint Mary's name is going on?"
                          
     Hades' normally pale face flushed pink. "Go on, tell him mon chou," Persephone said, nudging him gently.
                          
    Mon chou? Hazel had an inkling of what was going on and it seemed Nico did too. His dark eyes burned. "Nico, Hazel," Hades began. "Persephone and I are getting married."
                          
      Nico made a noise of disgust. "You can't be actually considering this?"
                          
       "Why not?" Hades asked. "You two have gone without a mother for far too long."
                          
     "Don't act as if that's the reason!" Nico retorted. "You just want someone to keep you warm at night. You never actually loved my mother did you? Or Marie? You disgust me!"
                          
      With that he flung open the door and stomped outside. Hades turned to look at Hazel. "Perhaps I should go," Persephone said. "I don't want to disturb your children."
                          
   Hazel wasn't sure how she felt about this, but Persephone's words irked her. "We're not children! Nico is a grown man and I'm of marriageable age. We've been living quite fine without you for five years. You're not needed here."
                          
      "My pomegranate," Hades said, lacing his fingers around Persephone's left hand. "My children are just upset. They'll come to love you as I do."
                          
    But Nico's conspicuous absence and Hazel's angry expression did little to calm Persephone's nerves. She tied her hair up underneath her wimple and stood up. "Perhaps we should have introduced this another way."
                          
      "We suspected," Hazel said. 
                          
      Both of them stared at her. "The way you two look at each other," Hazel explained.  "I just don't get it, dad. Did you not love Maria? Did you not love my mother?"
                          
    Hades' expression was sad as he heard his daughter's voice break. "It's possible to love more than one person. I just hope you never need to learn that lesson."