The Love Light of Apollo
Page 13
At the same time she had sometimes felt very lonely for her family and she had longed to see her sisters and brothers again and the friends who she had been brought up with and their families.
She could hardly believe that Fate had moved in such a mysterious manner to take Avila back to Greece.
She had to admit, however, that Prince Darius was the most charming young gentleman.
Only as the ship moved into Port did Mrs. Grandell stand rather close to her husband.
It was as if she was afraid of what might be waiting for her personally in Greece.
The first person to come aboard was Prince Darius.
Avila was waiting for him and, as soon as he stepped on deck, she ran towards him.
He kissed her despite the presence of the Captain and other Officers.
She said in a rapt little voice that only he could hear,
“You have ‒ come! It seems like a ‒ million years until I ‒ saw you again.”
“Ten million for me, my darling.” he answered affectionately.
Then behind him came a tall good-looking man of about forty years of age.
He ignored Avila and went straight to her mother.
“Welcome home, Lycia,” he smiled and kissed her cheek.
Avila saw the tears coming into her mother’s eyes as she said,
“Oh. Ptolemy, it is wonderful to see you.”
“And to see you back where you belong,” her brother said. “I think you should know that your title has been restored officially only this morning and you are now ‘Princess Lycia’ as you have always been to us.”
Mrs. Grandell wiped away her tears.
It was, Avila realised, a moment of overwhelming happiness that her family accepted her again.
She saw that her uncle was now shaking hands with her father and she looked up at the Prince.
“Now everything is all right,” she sighed
“Of course it is,” he answered her, “because you are here and I am never going to lose you again.”
It was something that he made very sure of the following day.
He had arranged for them to stay at the British Embassy and Avila was touched when she learned that she and the Prince were to be married early in the British Embassy Church.
There was to be no one to witness the Marriage Ceremony except for her mother and the British Ambassador.
“You will understand, my darling,” Prince Darius said, “that all my family and all my friends who have known me since I was a child would wish to come to the Cathedral.”
He kissed her forehead before he went on,
“We will be married according to the Greek Orthodox faith in which we will then bring up our children.”
Avila blushed and looked a little shy and he went on,
“We have to do everything together and where we worship outwardly is important to the outside world.”
The way he spoke told her without him saying anything more what he was thinking.
She and he together would also worship the Gods that were so very close to them.
Yet officially they must pay tribute to the faith that they had been brought up in.
“You think of ‒ everything,” she murmured softly.
His fingers tightened over hers as he said.
“I think of you and nothing else is of any consequence.”
When Avila put on the beautiful and sublime Wedding gown that had been made at the Prince’s request, she knew that it was a perfect garment for the part she had to play.
It was in a very soft chiffon which was not so popular amongst brides at this moment in time. It clung to her figure and made her appear ethereal and an intense part of the sunshine.
The skirt swept out at the back and made a train of its own.
Over the softness of the gown there was a lace veil made by Greek fingers at least two centuries earlier.
She expected the Prince to lend her some of the superlative jewels that her mother had told her were famous in Greece.
The wreath that came with the veil was of small white lilies and field flowers which she knew grew in such profusion on Delos. And there was a bouquet for her to hold of the same blossoms.
When she entered the Embassy Church to find Prince Darius waiting for her, he thought that she might have stepped straight down from Mount Olympus.
Her father duly married them and Avila was certain that it was a Service they would both savour and remember for the rest of their lives.
Every word he spoke told them that he understood what they were feeling for each other.
Also that the God he worshipped and in which he fervently believed was blessing them as well.
When she rose after the Blessing, the Prince lifted back Avila’s veil.
He then kissed her very gently on the lips.
It was a simple kiss not of passion but of dedication.
She knew that he was vowing to protect and love her for the rest of his life.
A little while later Avila drove to the Cathedral with her father.
Prince Darius had already gone ahead of them.
Because everyone in Athens had heard about the Ceremony which was to take place, the roads were lined with people who waved and small children who threw flowers at the chaise.
To Avila it was all very exciting and very moving.
When she stepped out at the Cathedral, the crowds started to cheer and wished her luck as she walked up the stone steps to the West door.
The huge Cathedral was filled with both the Prince’s and her mother’s relations.
Everybody who knew either of them wanted to be present on this exceptional occasion and be a witness to the ultimate happiness of the young couple.
Every pew was packed and there was a full choir, who sung divinely
The Marriage Service was taken by three Priests dressed in long robes.
To Avila it was a little awe-inspiring, but the Prince was beside her and he made certain that she made no mistakes.
When they walked down the Aisle, those watching thought that no two people could look more radiantly happy.
Outside the Cathedral the crowd had considerably increased since they had gone inside for the Service.
There were cheers as they reached the open carriage that they were to travel back to The Palace in.
Having heard of the marriage, King George had sent a message to say that he was deeply disappointed that he could not be present on such a splendid occasion and that he wished the couple all the happiness in the world.
But he placed his Palace at their disposal for the Wedding Reception.
It was a kind action that considerably endeared him to the Greek people who he was just getting to know.
It was, Avila thought later, a very intelligent thing to have done.
The Palace was very impressive.
The multitude of flowers that Prince Darius had arranged to have displayed everywhere made the air fragrant and aromatic.
There was a huge Reception first to which everyone who had been in the Church was invited.
Then there was a Wedding Breakfast for all the families and relatives.
These amounted to over three hundred and naturally there were speeches from some of the older members. And there was a very amusing and witty reply from Prince Darius.
There was a room set aside in The Palace for Avila to change from her Wedding gown into a going-away dress.
It was particularly attractive with a little hat which was not much larger than the wreath she had worn at the Wedding. She looked lovely yet at the same time very young.
When she said a fond ‘goodbye’ to her mother, the Princess Lycia was once again nearly in tears.
“Enjoy yourself, my darling Avila,” she said. “I know that Darius will take extra good care of you.”
“You can be quite certain I will,” the Prince chimed in.
They drove away amid more cheers and a cloud of rose petals.
As they went down t
he street, he said,
“Now we can have the Wedding the way I really want it.”
“Another Wedding!” Avila exclaimed in surprise.
“You have been quite marvellous,” he answered. “You have said all the right things to the right people and now, my precious one, we will be alone. There is so much I want to tell you and so much that matters only to you and me.”
She did not understand, but she was so happy she just pressed her cheek against his arm.
He was driving an open chaise in which he had taken her driving before.
The horses were even faster and she thought even more impressive this time.
They did not talk very much as they left the City of Athens and the houses behind them.
Avila was just happy to be with him.
Then to her surprise instead of going as she had expected to his beautiful house, she saw that they were nearing the sea.
A short while later she was aware that his yacht was waiting for them in a small bay.
She so wanted to ask him questions, but she felt that it would be a mistake.
When they went aboard, the Captain congratulated them on their Marriage and then put out to sea.
The Prince did not take her below as she had thought he would.
They stood on deck and watched until the Islands came into sight.
They seemed to glitter in gold as the sun was sinking in the East.
Suddenly Avila realised that they were going to the Island of Delos.
She did not say what she had just realised aloud, but the Prince then said,
“That is where I thought we should both be and in case you are frightened, my precious one, let me tell you that I have arranged for us both to be very safe even though you will not see who is guarding us.”
For a moment Avila was afraid that the man who had shut them up in the cave might spoil the happiness of their night together.
Then she reckoned that the Prince would have seen to everything.
They drew nearer and nearer and then they stopped in a different part of the Island to where they had been on the previous occasion.
There was a small bay with a wooden jetty jutting out on one side of it.
Avila found they could step on to it from the yacht.
The Prince took her by the hand and they walked off the jetty and up a path on to the top of the cliff.
It was then that she saw they were in a part of the Island where there were trees.
The ground was covered with anemones that had been there before and their scent was in the air.
They walked in the shade along what seemed an easy path until suddenly to her surprise, she saw a building.
She was not certain what it was.
But it was something that she had not expected to find on the Island of Delos.
Then, as they drew nearer she saw that it was made with trees and the many branches still had their leaves on them.
The Prince did not speak.
Then when they reached the strange building, he pulled aside a green curtain.
It blended in with the trunks that constituted the walls.
Inside there was a room.
At one end there was a large bed draped with soft muslin curtains.
To her surprise she saw on the other side that there was no wall.
She could then see that there was a large pool on which the last glimmering light of the sinking sun was shining.
She looked at the Prince in surprise and he informed her proudly,
“I built this for you, my glorious one. I knew that tonight of all nights, we should be in Delos where the Gods will be close to us and will bless us for all the years of love that lie ahead.”
“How could you ‒ think of anything so ‒ wonderful, my darling Darius.
She could see now that there was a soft carpet on the floor and there were small pieces of furniture that seemed to melt into the background of the tree trunks.
The Prince drew her into his arms.
“We will talk about it later, now I want you really close to me.”
He kissed her very gently.
Then he disappeared behind the bed where she thought that there must be another room.
She knew what he wanted.
Quickly she slipped off her pretty going-away dress and put it down on a chair.
She then saw lying on the bed a pretty diaphanous nightgown that must have come from her trousseau earlier in the day.
She slipped into the bed and now her heart was beating and she felt a wild excitement creeping up over her.
From the moment they had set foot on the Island of Delos she had felt again the strange quivers hanging in the air that had been there before.
Outside on the pool the sun had gone.
Now she thought that there would be a reflection from the stars up above.
Then the Prince came into the room.
She heard him, but because she was shy, she could not look at him but continued to stare at the pool outside.
Instead of coming to her as she expected, he began to pull at a rope she had not noticed hanging beside the bed.
With a rustle the ceiling overhead moved slowly back until it almost reached the muslin curtains that fell on either side of the bed.
Now she could see the stars above in the sky.
She gave a gasp and gazed up at them.
Then the Prince was beside her pulling her into his arms.
“Now we have the stars in the sky and the wonder and glory of Delos for our Wedding night,” he said.
“How could you ‒ think of anything so ‒ perfect and so ‒ incredible,” she asked him.
“This is what it will be, my precious,” he answered, “my little Goddess, my wife.”
He was now kissing her.
Her eyes, her cheeks and the softness of her neck.
Avila knew that there was a vivid Light shining in the room and the air around them was like a dancing flickering flame.
She could feel her whole body quivering against the Prince.
As he kissed her and went on kissing her, she could hear the beating of silver wings and the whirring of silver wheels.
‘I love ‒ you, I love ‒ you,’ she wanted to say.
But her heart said it to his heart and her soul to his soul.
As Darius made her his, the Gods of Ancient Greece blessed them both with the dazzling Light of Apollo.
OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES
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Elizabethan Lover
The Little Pretender
A Ghost in Monte Carlo
A Duel of Hearts
The Saint and the Sinner
The Penniless Peer
The Proud Princess
The Dare-Devil Duke
Diona and a Dalmatian
A Shaft of Sunlight
Lies for Love
Love and Lucia
Love and the Loathsome Leopard
Beauty or Brains
The Temptation of Torilla
The Goddess and the Gaiety Girl
Fragrant Flower
Look Listen and Love
The Duke and the Preacher’s Daughter
A Kiss for the King
The Mysterious Maid-servant
Lucky Logan Finds Love
The Wings of Ecstacy
Mission to Monte Carlo
Revenge of the Heart
The Unbreakable Spell
Never Laugh at Love
Bride to a Brigan
d
Lucifer and the Angel
Journey to a Star
Solita and the Spies
The Chieftain Without a Heart
No Escape from Love
Dollars for the duke
Pure and Untouched
Secrets
Fire in the Blood
Love, Lies and Marriage
The Ghost who Fell in Love
Hungry for Love
The Wild Cry of Love
The Blue-eyed Witch
The Punishment of a Vixen
The Secret of the Glen
Bride to the King
For All Eternity
King in Love
A Marriage made in Heaven
Who can deny Love?
Riding to the Moon
Wish for Love
Dancing on a Rainbow
Gypsy Magic
Love in the Clouds
Count the Stars
White Lilac
Too Precious to Lose
The Devil Defeated
An Angel Runs Away
The Duchess Disappeared
The Pretty Horse-breakers
The Prisoner of Love
Ola and the Sea Wolf
The Castle made for Love
A Heart is Stolen
The Love Pirate
As Eagles Fly
The Magic of Love
Love Leaves at Midnight
A Witch’s Spell
Love Comes West
The Impetuous Duchess
A Tangled Web
Love lifts the Curse
Saved By A Saint
Love is Dangerous
The Poor Governess
The Peril and the Prince
A Very Unusual Wife
Say Yes Samantha
Punished with love
A Royal Rebuke
The Husband Hunters
Signpost To Love
Love Forbidden
Gift Of the Gods
The Outrageous Lady
The Slaves Of Love
The Disgraceful Duke
The Unwanted Wedding
Lord Ravenscar’s Revenge
From Hate to Love
A Very Naughty Angel
The Innocent Imposter
A Rebel Princess
A Wish Comes True
Haunted
Passions In The Sand
Little White Doves of Love
A Portrait of Love
The Enchanted Waltz
Alone and Afraid