Yet these emotions warred with such pleasure, such awareness, that he could only stare at her. In the depths of her Aegean blue eyes, something shifted and changed. Whatever it was affected her as well – so much that she turned from him, breathing rapidly.
He suspected the punishment might be worth it if he were able to touch her for even the briefest moment.
###
Her heart raced, her lungs gasped desperately for air. He’d reached for her. She’d wanted him to…
What had almost happened could never happen. He must never touch her. The Goddess would punish him, most severely.
Her chest tightened, a sharp, physical pain. Medusa could not abide such a thought.
He bowed awkwardly, his voice hoarse, “Lady, I beg for your forgiveness.”
Medusa stared down at him. Worry over losing him was troubling. If Ariston’s actions were witnessed her forgiveness would carry no weight.
She searched the grounds in the dim morning light, her gaze seeking out each shadow and movement. She could see no one present in the courtyard. It appeared they were alone. She prayed it was so. He would be safe. She would not lose him.
Her thoughts jarred her, and she corrected them. Athena would not lose a worthy soldier.
Her eyes settled upon him again. What had he done, really? Nothing.
His hand, so close that she’d felt his warmth upon her shoulder, had not reached her. It was her doing. She had forced him, pushed him without the wisdom or reason she should take care to use. She would not have him punished for her failings.
A gust of wind stirred the air about them, setting his wheaten curls dancing in the wind. Her fingers were intrigued by them. She wondered what they would feel like, slipping between her fingers...
She clenched her hand, trembling where she stood. “There is nothing to forgive. It is my fault – my doing.”
He stood straight, staring at the ground between them. “Allow me to gather my weapons, mistress, so that I may carry out my duty.”
Her heart pounded on. “I will wait for you,” her voice wavered.
He ran without a backward glance, tearing into the guards’ house. He returned quickly, carrying his spear, shield and a tangle of nets.
She smiled. He would fish for the Goddess in offering.
They made their way to the shore in silence. She used the time to calm herself, a greater challenge than she expected. But the peaceful sounds of the morning helped ease her strain. Birdsong, the whistle of the wind through the olive trees and the whisper of the waves bid them good morning. As they neared the shoreline the hill dropped, falling away to soft sand and rolling white-tipped surf.
She dropped her cloak and parcel onto the beach and ran to the water’s edge. Wriggling her toes into the warm sand, she relaxed. The muted waves roared, washing against the beach to froth around her ankles.
Pleasure erased all else. She loved the sea, and the peace it afforded her.
###
Ariston watched her sprint into the shallow water, her glorious hair moving with the ocean breeze, the smile on her lips pulling one from his own. He walked slowly, desperately trying to rein his wayward thoughts.
Why must this woman wreak havoc on him, when there was no hope for them? He dropped his things with hers before coming to stand at her side.
Having viewed her beauty through the veils, he explored the features of her face in the rising sun. Her skin was alabaster, without freckles or imperfections. Her eyes, he knew all too well. Her nose was slight and straight. Her cheeks were high and soft, making his hand itch to touch her.
He could do nothing but stare, memorizing her as she was.
She seemed unaware of his fascination, lost in the pleasures of the morning. Her brilliant blue gaze was trained on the sun breaking over the water, watching its gilded fingers streak across the water to reach them. She smiled and closed her eyes, tilting her face towards the sun’s light.
If there had been any hesitation about his feelings, they vanished. He’d vowed to serve as her protector, he’d promised to look upon her as a handmaid for their Goddess.
But now he loved her, as a woman.
He stared out at the sun, Apollo’s orb, grappling with this realization.
He would not deny the truth of it; he could not. Nor could he ignore the dread that filled his chest.
The Persians offered no threat, for his body was prepared for the challenge they brought with them.
But his heart… His heart offered him his most daunting battle.
He would fight against his love. He must. If he was found out, the wrath of Athena and Olympus would fall heavily upon him – and likely Medusa too.
He took a steadying breath, willing such thoughts from his mind. It would not come to that. He would make certain of it.
Two fish jumped from the water’s depths. Medusa laughed, pulling his gaze back to her.
She glanced at him, grinning. “Are you hungry, soldier?”
He nodded, rendered speechless by her beauty.
She ran back to their things, left on the edge of the rocky shore. She sat gracefully on the soft sand and waved him to her. Within her bundle she’d packed a fine breakfast for them – cheese, fruit and crusty bread that she ripped into equal portions with nimble white fingers.
He watched her fingers, her hands… He took a steadying breath.
“You should have a larger share. You need your strength more than I.” She held a larger piece of bread to him.
He took it, carefully avoiding her fingers. “I need no more than you, lady.”
She nibbled her bread, watching him curiously. “I suppose mistress or lady is better than my lady. But it is still more than my name.” She looked displeased as she offered him cheese.
I cannot speak your name, for it will reveal my affections for you. He regarded her silently, before asking, “What will you find here? To take to the Goddess in offering?”
She turned her attention to the beach. “Shells of white and lavender and pink I shall string as a necklace or bracelet. Athena has a most discerning eye, so only those fine and delicate and whole are acceptable.” She ate a grape, silencing the conversation briefly. “I once found a pearl. After swimming for hours, that is. Athena was very pleased.”
Ariston imagined her, her tunic tucked up to allow her to swim, emerging from the sea with a triumphant smile and a pearl. Her long hair would have dangled about her thighs, her face alight over her treasure – beautiful and tempting. He shifted, his arousal immediate.
“A pearl?” His voice revealed nothing.
“It was a gift from my parents, I think.” She mused, her face closing. “They dearly loved to surprise me.”
His brow furrowed at her sudden change in disposition. “Should we try to find another?” He would cheer her – that much he could do.
She shook her head. “There will be no gifts now.”
“I will look.” He stood, seeking her approval. He would stay close and protect her, but do his best to make her happy as well.
Her face lightened and she smiled up at him, blue eyes sparkling. His heart ached anew. “You may try.”
He tossed his cloak on top of his shield and ran to the water’s edge. The water was warm, inviting him into the crystal clear depths. He turned to see her, tucking her skirts up around her legs and wading into the shallows behind him. The flash of her thigh, white, amidst the fall of her thick honey hair, gave him pause.
Sucking air into his lungs, he dove deep. Knife in hand, he began to chip away at the larger oysters at the base of the oldest rocks. If there was a pearl on this shore, he would find it for her.
For the Goddess.
The pale morning sunshine turned bright and hot, and still Ariston continued to dive and cut loose oysters from their rocky anchors. Each one he removed brought a twinge of hope. Only to have it dashed once he’d pried the shell apart to find it empty. This news had not surprised his lady, but he’d seen the sheen of tears fill her e
yes. It pained him to see her sadness.
After collecting a pile of empty oysters, he collapsed on the beach with a sigh. He could not bear to further disappoint her. His arms ached and his lungs protested any further dives, anyway.
He whistled, echoing the call of a gull as it swooped closer to the scraps of the breakfast. The gull answered, settling close to the blanket. He threw it the last bits of crust.
He felt her kneel beside him in the sand. “Can you teach me?” she asked as the gull lifted, riding the sea breeze higher into the midday sky.
“Possibly – it’s no easy trick.” He arched an eyebrow at her, knowing she would accept his challenge.
“It is said that a student’s only as good as her teacher, soldier,” she returned, smiling.
He laughed and she joined him. It was a glorious sound.
He taught her how to make the call of the gull. And when she mastered the call, she laughed with such delight that his pulse quickened.
“I fear I’ll not have enough for Athena, soldier, if you keep distracting me.” She stood and made her way back to the shore to wade into the water once more.
She trawled the shoreline, scooping bits of loveliness from the water and assessing their worth. If she was pleased with her find, she dropped it into the pocket the tuck of her tunic provided. If she deemed something unworthy, she tossed it over her shoulder to fall back into the water.
Normally, the bright sun and roaring waves reminded him of his tiny home of Rhodes, making him homesick. But today, watching her in the morning sun, he felt only happiness. She was a tribute to Athena, taking time to find only the best for her Goddess. It served as a reminder to him…
She glanced up, smiling at him.
He smiled back. He had no choice.
“Mistress?” a woman’s voice called from the hill above.
Ariston rose quickly, standing at the ready. But the young sprite of a girl who bounded down the rocky hill to the beach posed no threat, so Ariston returned to his resting place. He wrestled with a sense of disappointment. The fragile intimacy they’d built would be gone now. He would simply be Medusa’s guard once more.
“I’m here, Elpis,” Medusa called back.
The young woman – Elpis -- leapt onto the beach, a basket in her arms. She caught sight of Ariston and held the basket to him. “Here, hoplite, for you and your mistress.”
Ariston rose, taking the basket from the girl before she bounded into the water. She giggled as Medusa splashed her. They splashed and laughed until they were both squealing and dripping wet.
He turned away, suddenly wishing this adventure was behind him.
Though he was loyal to Athena, he was a man, young and virile. The sight of his lady, wet and lush, would be too much for even the most indifferent of men. The Gods were surely laughing down at him as he tried again to deny the hunger raging in his blood.
The air by his ear stirred suddenly, causing him to turn – alert once more. He was greeted by two yellow eyes. A regal owl sat on the rim of his shield.
It stared at him, clicked, and bobbed its head.
“Hello.” He grinned, amused by the animal’s behavior.
The owl cooed, its gaze narrowing to slits. It clicked again, then turned its attention to the women in the water. It made a series of small coos, as if pleased by the sight.
Ariston looked too. It was a lovely sight to behold. His blood warmed as he watched Medusa. The finely spun linen of her peplos clung to her curves. He turned, looking desperately for distraction.
“You were up with the sun,” Elpis spoke, still gasping from their antics.
“I slept not at all,” Medusa said.
“How could you? I’ve been haunted by their visit and I have yet to see them.”
Ariston shifted closer to hear them. Whatever troubled his lady, he would find it out.
“Tis a shame such terror is caused by those I call kin,” Medusa teased.
“What will you do?”
Ariston watched as his lady’s features changed, her earlier sadness returning. He felt the desire to go to her. Instead he leaned forward, fetching the water skin and shifting to better hear their conversation.
“There’s nothing I can do, Elpis.”
Elpis nodded. “Either choice has grievous consequences. My heart breaks for you, mistress.” The girl sounded close to tears.
Ariston watched as Medusa drew her companion to her, hugging her. “I have asked Athena. Surely the Goddess of Wisdom and Reason will know my path.”
“But to go against your parents?” Elpis gasped. “Against Poseidon? Or against Athena? Is the gravity of such decisions lost upon your good parents? If so, do they love you well enough? It is cruel, to leave such weighty matters on your delicate shoulders.”
Ariston sat frozen, the water skin gripped in his white-knuckled fists. What matter would place her at odds with not one, but two Olympians?
“Poseidon cares not. Why would he? But my father and mother…” Medusa sighed. “Titans are fearsome creatures. Their wrath is something I know, Elpis. And I fear for Athens, for her people, if my father is too displeased. I could not bear being the cause of such a disaster.” Medusa’s hands swirled in the water as she continued, “I will trust Athena’s guidance.”
Ariston stared at her, a knot of anxiety hardening his stomach.
Medusa splashed Elpis then, a gay smile chasing her gloom away. “I will swim, Elpis. Join me?”
Elpis splashed Medusa, making her mistress laugh with delight.
The owl at Ariston’s back cooed when Medusa laughed, making him smile up at the small bird. “It is the sound of joy, is it not, little one?” he whispered.
The bird’s eyes narrowed again and it clicked at him, softly, in reply.
“I may splash, but I do not swim. It’s your delight, not mine,” Elpis said.
“Will you stay and eat with us?” Medusa glanced at Ariston, her eyes growing wide as she saw the owl. “Be careful, soldier. My Thea is a fickle friend. She will woo you with her bright eyes and soft sounds, and bite you when you’d stroke her.”
Ariston assessed the delicate owl with a dubious frown. “She’ll not bite me.” He cleared his throat when his gaze settled upon Medusa, her wet form undeniably woman. But his voice belied none of his agitation as he asked, “Your Thea?”
Elpis nodded. “Thea was Medusa’s gift from Athena. And Thea is Medusa’s most loyal companion.”
“She rivals even you in her fierce protection of me.” Medusa smiled, teasing him again.
He did not still his smile, for his pleasure at her happiness was swift. “She is a fine specimen indeed.” As is my Lady – my love. May the Gods forgive me.
He lifted the water skin, drinking deeply.
Medusa nodded. Her eyes flashed in the bright sunlight as she added, “She is.”
The water skin paused on its way back to the sand. The curve of her smile, the impish merriment of her eyes rendered him immobile. She would be the end of him, with only a smile.
Elpis splashed her mistress then, breaking the spell that held him so transfixed. She cast a wide-eyed expression upon her mistress and said, “Swim, then, mistress, so that we may eat.”
Medusa nodded, took a deep breath and disappeared beneath the waves.
Ariston braced himself as Elpis sloshed out of the water and went to the basket. She spread the linen sheet upon the sand and regarded him steadily.
“If you care for our mistress, you must be more careful,” Elpis said softly, peering over her shoulder. Medusa’s feet disappeared as she dove under the water, leaving him at the mercy of Elpis’ scolding. A scolding he knew was founded.
Ariston arched an eyebrow and took an apple, but said nothing.
Elpis returned the look, shaking her head. “I saw you this morning. And if I saw you then someone else might have, too. She’ll need you now. She needs someone to watch over her, to care for her, as they’re pulling her every which way.”
Ariston
sat forward, eyes narrowing. Finally he might have his questions answered. “What is it that grieves the lady so?”
“You know who she is?” Elpis asked incredulously, kneeling on the blanket by the basket.
Thea cackled, displeased by the brittle tone of Elpis’ question.
Ariston regarded the owl with a slight smile before turning to Elpis. “She is Athena’s high priestess.”
Elpis assessed him with care. “You have much to learn about our mistress. For our lady is also the daughter of sea titans, Ceto and Phorcys. She is sister to those monstrous creatures, the Gorgons.”
Elpis’ words briefly silenced him. “How can that be? Phorcys is a…a monster, not a man.” Ariston’s voice was sharp.
Thea cackled again, ruffling her feathers.
“He is. A monster that does not deserve his sweet daughter,” Elpis choked out. Thea hooted, causing Elpis to glare at the owl. The young woman clasped her hands in her lap and lowered her voice. “Phorcys was steadfast to Zeus and the Olympians during the war with Cronus and the Titans. As reward, he kept his powers and Medusa was born. A mortal child, she is all that is most valued among man – loyal, gentle, and beautiful.”
“But what use can such a creature have for such a daughter?”
Elpis shook her head, her eyes drifting to the water where Medusa swam. “Phorcys has found his uses. She was bartered to Galenus as a child, offered to Athena as a youth, and she will marry now – if her father has his way. Master Galenus believes she will wed someone of value and stature. I have heard him speak of Phorcys’ hunger for more power or wealth – that he’s shameful and selfish. Our mistress is simply another means to achieve his goals.”
“I did not know,” he murmured. His head was spinning.
“And yes, she is also Athena’s priestess.”
Ariston turned towards the water. Medusa lay back, floating on the vibrant blue waves, seemingly at ease. Her hair surrounded her, as if she wore her veil. “She cannot…” He could scarce speak the words, and his mind rebelled against such thoughts.
Medusa, A Love Story (The Loves of Olympus) Page 5
