Twisted Mythology: Ariadne

by Ashleigh Matthews

  “The gates to the Labyrinth will be unlocked at dawn tomorrow,” her mother told her. “You know what that means.”

  Ariadne nodded. “The first tribute will be sent down the following morning. I will be ready, Mother, I promise.”

  Her mother smiled. “You will make a wonderful wife one day, daughter-mine. Go and sleep well.”

  She came to her feet and gave her mother a short curtsey. Pasiphaë nodded as her maids filed inside. Ariadne returned to the shrine but instead of heading straight to her apartment and her waiting servants, she stood in front of the Labyrinth gate. It had one lock on it and only her father held the only key, despite promises that he would entrust it to her someday. While yes, the monster within was her brother, she felt no lingering feelings as for him. He was a reminder of what happened when the gods were displeased. And he was a weapon Minos had little trouble using against his neighbors.

  Theseus was right that someday a tribute would find a way to slay the monster. Her father would have no more use for her at the shrine, and she would be married off to someone in her father’s favor. This man would not be handsome, like Dionysus, and he would likely be cruel with children who were perhaps old enough to have children her age. She watched it happen all the time and she was destined to become one of them if she did not find a way off Crete.

  The winds brought the sounds of the ocean to her ears. Ariadne turned her head towards the docks. The ship that had brought Theseus and his fellow Athenians to Crete was still moored below; the captain would only leave when the last of the tributes had been sent down into the Labyrinth so he might take word back to his people than their kin had met their fate. There was one other reason he might leave: if he had the tributes on board. But that would only happen if the monster was dead. He wasn’t; she could her his growls echoing up from the center of the Labyrinth. And he was in good health. Her father had sent her into Labyrinth enough times to find out. Like the sorcery placed on Daedalus to keep quiet about the path to the center of his creation, there were spells, renewed at regular intervals, to keep the Minotaur from causing Ariadne any harm.

  A smile crossed her lips. Her going down would send up no alarms. And the two servants at the shrine had made up a potion that helped her sleep sometimes. Her grin grew wider. Even the King had no idea what she kept hidden under her bed, all thanks to her Amazon tutor. Now all she had to do was play on the lies Theseus had told her.

  Chapter 5

  The unlocking of the Labyrinth gate went unannounced and unattended by all beyond the three guards who accompanied the King no matter where he went. But the howling of the Minotaur woke every citizen in Knossos. Ariadne had come awake at the sound of her father’s voice outside her window directing the guards to keep a look out for the tributes. This event always brought out their fears and in the past, one or more tried to run from the shrine when they heard the monster’s cry. She sat up in bed and listened. She heard one scream from the dormitory but not one Athenian tried to escape.

  Upon hearing her father and his guards retreat from the shrine, she pushed herself out of bed and wrapped a robe around her as she headed towards the palace. Sacrifices had been offered to the gods the day before as the priests did prior to the gate’s unlocking. Several uncooked portions were still stored in the kitchen cellars where they would remain until the King decided to distribute them to his favorite members of court. The kitchen staff had grown used to her sneaking inside and taking a choice cut. They likely believed that she offered it to her servants as a reward for their services, and she had in the past.

  The cooks and their assistants hardly noticed her when she slipped inside and made her way to the cellar. She found the sacrifices already wrapped into smaller portions. She quickly grabbed the nearest piece and hurried back to the shrine. In the privacy of her apartments, she hid the meat under her bed before her servants caught her out of bed. Their faces were pale and their eyes bloodshot. They hadn’t done anything so stupid that would persuade her father to introduce them to the Minotaur, she wanted to shout. Instead, she kept her mouth tightly shut and let them help her prepare for the day.

  Servants from the palaces were bringing down platters when she emerged from the shrine. Only Theseus had come downstairs by the time she entered the dormitory. Ariadne smiled. He ate nothing but did join her at the table to watch her eat in silence. He looked to be considering his words. He had questions and before he had a chance to ask them, she gave him the speech her father had been made to memorize.

  “You will only know when a tribute is to be sent down when the King and a priest come to the shrine,” she told him. “It could be today or another. The King will ask for a brave soul to volunteer to be the first.” She smiled. “It doesn’t have to be this way.” She reached out and took his hand. “Forgive my silence from yesterday, my love. Knossos is all I’ve known, though I have dreamed of seeing Athens one day.”

  Theseus twisted his hand around and folded his fingers around hers, a smile forming on his lips. “It will be more than you can imagine. The citizens will be enchanted by your beauty. What is your plan?”

  “Unless something changes, I will leave a sword just inside the door with a ball of twine with one end tied to the door,” she lied. “This will help you find your way out once you’ve slain the monster. It is my duty to check on the Minotaur with my own eyes. Fear not, my love, he will do me no harm.”

  At the sound of footsteps on the stairs, she pulled her hand away. She stayed in the dormitory until all the tributes had come downstairs and had taken a seat at the table. They ate little or nothing at all. She left them soon after and set her servants a long list of chores to be done so they would not disturb her in her bedchamber where she soaked the meat in a solution of the sleeping potion. She left it under her bed and continued about her chores. Forever seemed to pass before dusk arrived along with a messenger sent down to escort her up to the palace to dine with her mother and sisters.

  Upon returning to the shrine, she dismissed the servants to their shared bedchamber early, claiming that she would dress herself for bed. She waited until their door clicked shut behind them before gathering the meat and a sword forged in Athens. Let the King think Theseus had slain the beast and taken Ariadne away during the escape. She hurried to the gate, opening it only far enough for her to slip inside. Sorcery provided light throughout the Labyrinth expect for one corner where her brother could sleep.

  She found him pacing at the center of the Labyrinth, his massive nose sniffing the air. He stood several heads taller than even the King who stood taller than most men on the island. The Minotaur had the body of a well-muscled human male and the head of a bull. Every time she saw his horns rise above his head, she wondered why they didn’t hit the ceiling above his head. She smiled as she unwrapped the treat in her hands. He took two massive steps in her direction, his nostrils flaring. To she threw the meat at him. Catching it, he brought it up to his nose to sniff. For a moment she feared he would not eat it. Her heart pounded in her chest until he tossed it in his mouth, swallowing it whole.

  Ariadne grinned. “Dearest brother,” she said, “I have some new tales to tell, if you wish to hear them.” She hit her knees and began reciting the tales of Dionysus, beginning with his abduction by pirates. The Minotaur watched her carefully, sniffing the air as she spoke. Eventually he could barely stand and he soon hit his knees until even sitting up was too much effort. He fell backwards. She finished the tale she was telling before taking a grip on her sword.

  Her heart pounded louder in her chest with every step she took. Other than when the initial sorcery had been performed on him to keep him from harming her she had never been this close to the Minotaur. Breathing became difficult as she took one last stride. His eyes were closed and his breathing steady. He remained perfectly still as she used his massive arm as a means to climb onto his chest. Ariadne sent a prayer to the gods that he would never wake nor react when she plunged the sword downwards.

  Her years
of training with the Amazon came back to her. There were several blows that would kill an adversary quickly. Her tutor liked a strike to that head, but the Minotaur’s skull was too thick for someone of her size and strength. A slice in the neck, deep enough, would do the trick as would a stab to the left side of his chest, straight into the heart. She smiled. Her dear half-brother was the heart of the King’s campaign to strike fear to every polis that owed him tribute. Ariadne softly chuckled, gripping her sword with both hands and plunging the blade with all her strength right into the Minotaur’s beating heart. Blood splattered onto her dress and face. The monster gasped as his body jerked. She almost lost her footing, but thanks to the gods, her brother’s body collapsed and he moved no more.

  She left the sword in his chest and slowly climbed down. More than once she had fallen from shorter heights and broken something. She could not have it happen now. Once her feet were firmly on the ground, she raced back to the entrance. She raced to her bedchamber to wash way the blood and change into a clean dress. Before leaving, Ariadne gabbed a ball of twine form under her bed and gathered her stained dress. She returned to the courtyard, tossing the clothing into the well and tying the twine to the gate. As she finished, the sounds of rioters from the center of Knossos reached her ears. Ariadne grinned. The people of Knossos were predictable. From the moment the gate of Labyrinth was opened and until the last of the tributes was sent down to the monster, the citizens rioted.

  Ariadne pulled the Labyrinth gate completely open and then raced into the dormitory and up the stairs as fast as her feet could carry her. The gods were granting her luck that night, she found Theseus first. “The monster has escaped the Labyrinth,” she told him. “He’s wrecking havoc on my father’s capital. The King will have no other option than to put him down. This is your chance to escape.”

  “But our guards?”

  “They were most likely called to assist with the Minotaur, but I know a back way to the docks. Wake the others quickly.”

  Theseus nodded. “Head upstairs, my love, and wake the maidens. We’ll meet you in the courtyard.”

  She rushed up to the third floor and started waking the maidens up. Soon they were in the courtyard with the youths. Many were still wiping the sleep from their eyes, but they had little time to rest. “Follow me,” she said and guided them through the back path. As they headed towards the docks, Ariadne kept an eye out for guards and others who might be spying on them. Soon enough they were at the shore and Theseus took the lead, taking them straight the boat that had ferried them to Crete where the captain stood waiting. Theseus stayed on the dock until everyone including the captain was aboard. She watched him untie the boat from its mooring before jumping on after giving the boat a push.

  Ariadne could not help but smile as the boat sailed further out to sea. Her eyes focused on Knossos and the clouds of smoke rising above the city. Now all she had to do was convince them to take her to Dionysus. Theseus stood beside her, silent for a moment.

  “What really happened?” he asked.

  “You killed the Minotaur,” she answered. “He’ll be found with an Athenian sword in his heart, and a ball of twine at the door. You’re a hero, my love.”

  She turned to see a grin on his face. “Too bad we are not supplied for the journey back to Athens,” he said.

  She chuckled. “I thought of everything else, so what makes you think I haven’t considered this as well? Have your captain take us to an island called Naxos. It’s close by, and it will give everyone a chance to rest while we gather enough supplies for the rest of the journey. There’s a secluded cove we can sail into on the north side of the island.”

  “It’s a long voyage back to Athens,” he argued.

  “There are other islands, and I’m certain we’ll have enough gathered to trade along the way.”

  Chapter 6

  The ship’s captain pulled the ship into a hidden cove near dawn. Along with two other youths, Ariadne and Theseus had stayed awake, each of them watching from the four sides of the boat in search of pirates. Thanks to Poseidon, they reached Naxos safely. She smiled. It would not be long before she would be with Dionysus, if he still remained on the island. Her heart sank at the thought she had reached him too late. At worst, she could sail with the Athenians all the way home. The Amazons were always easy to find, and her tutor’s name carried weight among them. But there would not be a need for that, she vowed.

  The Athenian youths jumped into the shallow waters to drag the boat onto the beach. If she got the edge of her skirts wet, so be it. Once with Dionysus, she would want for nothing. The other Athenians came awake around her, and the maiden she had seen flirting with Theseus convinced him to help her out of the boat first. So be it, she thought. She would soon be the wife of a god, not some second rate Athenian youth. It had been by her hand that the Minotaur had died, but Theseus had already started boasting to the others how he had found the monster in the Labyrinth and won. He enchanted them with his false words and deeds. He was such a skilled liar. She would do well to leave them as soon as possible.

  Theseus helped her off next, and as she walked further onto the beach, winds carried the sounds of music and laughter from deeper in the island. “Thank Zeus,” she whispered. Dionysus had not abandoned the island yet. The winds made the air chilly and even the small fire the youths had built offered little warmth. Ariadne sank down and immediately fell to sleep. It seemed only an instant had gone by before she was awake again. Midafternoon must have come, she thought before opening her eyes. The fire had long ago gone out, and looking around she found not one of the Athenians nearby. She pushed herself to her feet and spun around. They were all gone, along with the boat. The Athenians had abandoned her! Theseus had played her as much as she had played him.

  But in the end, she had gotten what she wanted. She had made it to Naxos. Now all she needed to do was find Dionysus. But there was no music to guide her. Had he abandoned her in the night, too? With her deeds of the night previous, the gods knew she deserved no less. Ariadne collapsed to her knees. Worse stories of unimaginable deeds had reached her ears. The crimes of Heracles came to mind and he was welcomed on Olympus.

  A faint smile formed on her lips. Dionysus and his followers had been celebrating all night; they would need the morning to rest and sleep. Perhaps they would continue their festivities again in the evening. She just needed to keep herself busy until then. Her growling stomach gave her the best idea. Coming to her feet, she headed inland, towards a thick stand of trees and other bushes. Perhaps she might stumble upon Dionysus’ fire. The possibility drove her onward, but despite her best efforts, all she found was enough food to fill her belly. She returned to the beach and waited.

  At dusk, a lone flute began playing. Ariadne rose from where she had deposited herself and headed towards the simple tune. Near the forest’s edge, another flute added its song to the first. By the time she had taken two steps into the woods, she had lost track of the number of instruments joining their tunes to the song. Voices –both laughter and screams—followed. Dionysus had not abandoned her; he had yet to resume his ministry. She quickened her pace. Her feet wanted to run but the ground was too uneven and too much debris blocked her path. More times than she cared to count, she had to climb over downed trees. By the time she reached the clearing with a group of dancing women and satyrs playing their flutes, her feet were caked in mud and the edges of her skirts were dirty and torn.

  No one stopped their festivities even as they welcomed her to join them around the fires. She joined her voice with theirs, laughing and screaming as her eyes darted from one edge of the clearing to the other until she spotted a fire with only a satyr and Dionysus sitting there as they had in her dream. Ariadne moved through the clearing dancing around each fire with the Maenads until she reached the one nearest her god.

  Humming softly to herself she moved away from the dancing at a hope. She almost felt like a child on his or her way to play. If this is what it felt like to be arou
nd a god, her god, she never wanted the feeling to leave. At the edge of Dionysus’ fire, she twirled around, her skirts lifting up with her arms. She circled the fire once before coming to a stop in front of the god himself. The robes he wore were of a deeper color, a richer purple, than she had seen in her dreams of him.

  His eyes looked in the direction of the fire, but she could see his thoughts were miles away. She wondered where and if he would tell her if she asked. He sat away from the fire his legs stretched out in front of him. Ariadne lifted up her skirts enough to straddle his legs. Her knees hit the grass on both sides of his legs. She smiled as his eyes looked up at her.

  “I dreamed of you, beloved,” he whispered.

  “And I of you,” she whispered back, sliding her hands over his shoulders.

  Ariadne leaned forward and took his lips in hers. He kissed her back, his hands grabbing at the back of her neck. Behind her she felt him pull up his knees, and an instant later, Dionysus had her on her back with him on top her. He pulled his lips away her and buried his head into her neck. A moan escaped her as he kissed her skin. She released her grip from his shoulders and sent her hands down to his robes. The god pushed himself up with one hand and helped her pull his robes up with other. She freed a hand from his body to pull her own skirts up. She gasped as he entered her. A smile formed on her lips and grew wider each time he pushed himself deeper inside her.

  At last she had found her way home, to where she belonged. Her sins against the Minotaur no longer mattered and neither did the lies she spoke to Theseus. She whispered into her god’s ear, begging him to stay in her as long as he needed. And he did until the dawn illuminated the eastern horizon. He collapsed next to her, resting his head on her shoulder and one arm across her chest.