Part Four
“Ah, now that we’re all here, let us eat in celebration of my daughter-” Zeus began, but before he could finish a loud commotion came from further down the hall.
“What in the heavens” Hera said, I looked down the table to my mother. My mother stood up and followed the noises.
“Curse you” I heard a man yell, the entire castle was shaking as if- two gods were fighting. No it couldn't be, the gods so rarely fought one another.
Suddenly the two gods burst into the hall. To everyones surprise, yes, they were fighting one another.
“Oh no” I said out loud.
It was blue eyes….and Eros.
“STOP IT AT ONCE” Zeus commanded. His powerful voice ripped through the whole party. His words caused lightning to flash from the sky.
I hid instinctively behind Athena, however she did not seem phased by their fighting.
“Athena, who is that man?” I asked her quietly, she turned to me but before she could speak Zeus spoke once again.
“Acting like complete fools” He scoffed, the two men had stopped fighting. Hermes actually helped the blue eyes man up. Both of the gods looked like they had been fighting for some time. Had then been fighting ever since they saw me in the pool? However Eros seemed to be covered in his own blood, whereas blue eyes hands were covered in Eros’s. Blue eyes had beat the absolute crap out of him.
Had he done that for me? For my honor?
Eros sat down near the middle of the table, he angrily sipped large quantities of ambrosia. I watched in awe as the ambrosia quickly healed his wounds. In seconds he was back to normal, minus the blood stained clothing. The members of my mothers royal court began to whisper around him in disaproval.
To my horror, blue eyes began to walk towards my father and I.
“Another gambling brawl?” Zeus asked, Hera looked down on blue eyes as well. Blue eyes took a deep breath and looked to me then back to Zeus. I swore my heart skipped a beat.
“Yes your majesty, my apologies. It was just a silly...disagreement between Eros and I.” he confirmed.
“Wonderful, now, as I was saying,” Zeus said.
My father then began a very long speech which became a series of speeches. After Zeus was my mother then her maidenhood sisters, Athena and Hestia, Hermes, Hera, several members of my mothers court, and finally my ladies in waiting. We were permitted to eat during the speeches but I was barely hungry, a certain someone seated across from me had encaptured my attention.
The entire time blue eyes was seated across from me. I tried to focus on the speeches but our eyes continuously met one anothers. I wanted to stop the speeches and demand that he tell me who he was. I could barely focus on the words being said about me.
His jawline was so sharp, I wanted to slam my hand against his throat and demand he tell me his name. The veins in his neck were visible from the adrenaline from his fight. His large chest muscles were nearly popping out of his tuxedo.
At one point he caught me staring at him. He winked and lifted his glass to me. I immediately looked away from him and to the speaker. The last one now.
Narcissia, my best friend went last. Her speech was so beautiful that it brought tears to my eyes. I asked my father for permission to go hug her and he warmly granted it.
After the end of the speeches I stayed up from my seat and tried to elegantly thank and greet all of our guests. As desert was served my friends latched on to me and I jokingly stole a bite of Narcissia's cake. We giggled together but I couldn't help but feel like blue eyes was still staring at me. A quick glance in his direction, and he was.
Instead of finally going over to him and confronting him, my mother made an announcement.
“Thank you very much, please proceed from the hall into our main courtyard for dancing” my mother said.
I saw from the corner of my eye my mother approaching me and I clutched Narcissia with all my might.
“Let's go dance!,” I said to her and my other friends, motioning my mother with my eyes. Sophie and Zoe noticed that my mother was approaching us now and we all broke out into giggles.
“Is now a bad time to suggest sneaking champagne ambrosia” Zoe said, and I burst out laughing as we all connected hands and walked (in a rather fast) line towards dancing.
Once in the courtyard the remainder of the party had joined. The dinner before had only been for honored guests, but now we welcomed the forest nymphs and lower members of our court. The hierarchy my mother had in place pained me, but I tried to make the most of the celebration.
The nymphs handed me so many flowers I eventually had to start handing them off to my mothers staff. I laughed and smiled with so many people that I felt I barely had any time to catch my breath.
When dancing began my friends grabbed me from a group of members from my royal court.
“Excuse me, your grace.” I said to them as gracefully as I could manage, bowing to my mothers head of affairs before being spun around by Zoe. In the center of the courtyard my friends and I began the dances that we had done together so many times. Every spring solstice from the day I could walk I had performed these steps and twirls, but tonight, tonight was different.
Tonight I was eighteen. Tonight my father was here and threatening the perfect image my mother set me up to be. My father wanted me to be powerful, independent, and marry. My mother wanted me to be quiet, modest, and her devoted subject.
Upon making eye contact with blue eyes I nearly tripped.
“Kore, are you okay?” Narcissia asked me, I shook my head up and down.
“Yes of course” I said to her, we stepped into each other, then twirled away from one another.
I was then passed to Zoe,
“Kore there’s a man staring at you” she whispered in my ear, then twirled me around. It was blue eyes.
“Everyone is staring, it’s a performance” I said to her.
“No like, he hasn’t taken his eyes off you all night” she said to me. I was twirled again and passed to Sophie.
“Kore you have an admirer” Sophie said to me,
“Mysterious blue eyed man? Yeah I know” I told her.
“We’ll do some digging and find out who he is” she winked to me, and I spun off to the next person.
After all of the dancing festivities the forest nymphs then began a performance for me as well, as they did every year. Their voices were so beautiful, I was happy that all of the olympians were here to hear them sing as well.
“Kore, we need to talk” someone said at my side, it was my mother. Oh no, I thought.
“Uh, actually Kore we need you right now! Narcissia is having an emergency!” Zoe said, rescuing me and pulling me away from my mother.
"Girls" My mother scolded.
"I'm sorry your highness it's life or death!" Zoe said, pulling me frantically.
"Sorry mother!" I said to her, running away happily with Zoe.
“Here, you need this more than I do,” Zoe said to me, handing me a flask of spiked ambrosia. My mother completely forbade me from drinking.
“Well I am of age now” I said to Zoe, pouring the golden liquor down my throat. Zoe just laughed.
“Oh my gods, thank you so much” I said to her in relief. Since everyone was watching the nymphs the halls of the large courtyard were almost completely empty now.
“I mean my mother gods, she can be so controlling!” I complained to Zoe,
“Uh, Kore” Zoe said,
“Don’t wear makeup, don’t wear your hair down, don’t talk to strangers!” I continued complaining, chugging another large sip of the spiked ambrosia.
“Kore” Zoe said louder, shaking my arm. I looked up to see none other than blue eyes..I gasped and my father, I gasped again. Oh gods. Of course. Of course they had heard me complaining.
“Turn around!” I squeaked to Zoe, right as we were about to turn around blue eyes called my name.
“Little goddess, come here” He said to me. His tone was so dark and commanding.
“I-uh, I have to attend to some wishes of my mothers. I really wish I could chat.” I said to him and my father.
"I just saw you run away from your mother." Zeus said,
"Ah, yes. Well, that is true." I began, blue eyes cut me off.
“Kore don’t be disobedient. Come now.” Zeus said. Gods he was so scary, I looked at Zoe fearfully.
“What do I do?” I asked her quietly.
“Don’t make your father repeat himself” blue eyes warned. Somehow his voice was even more scary yet magnetic than my fathers.
“Just go,” Zoe said to me.
“I don’t want to die” I said to her, Zoe just winked at me.
“Happy birthday Kore, good luck.” she said, pecking me on the cheek.