Persephone and Hades

In Greek mythology, there is a story. One of love and loss and how the seasons change. There are many retellings of the story, some sweet and romantic, others brutally honest. The story is about a young goddess named Kore. You may know her as Persephone. Persephone is the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of harvest and fertility. One day as she roams alone picking flowers, the god of the underworld, Hades, notices her, and falls. He decides he must have her. Set out on his desire, he goes to her and whisks her away to his realm. Meanwhile, Demeter has set out looking for her daughter. She searches everywhere and upon realizing what had become of her daughter, she withdrew. The world went through drought, the crops died, victim after victim was claimed by her loss. The gods saw what was happening and urged Hades to return Persephone to her home. But, Hades had a plan. Before he brought her back, he offered her the seeds of a pomegranate, the fruit of the underworld. Persephone ate 4 seeds and Hades knew he had sealed her fate. You see, with that taste on her lips, she was bound to him, to spend 4 months with him as his queen. The rest of her time, she was free to be with her mother again.
This is the version I've known since I began studying Greek mythology. It is not the sweetest but it is my favorite. I'll admit I strongly prefer the more romantic versions, the two fall into a forbidden love before ultimately realizing they are eternally fated. They're story is one that should not be forgotten, though. Either version. You see, in the honest version, Hades seems selfish and dark. However, we don't know how his story went. We dont understand what happened with him. So let me leave you with this. Recognize your own red flags. Do not wear rose colored glasses. Do not listen to everyone outside. Listen to your heart.