Medea: Priestess, Princess, Witch, page 19
His laugh made me smile. “You don’t have a servant’s bone in your body, beautiful woman. You carry yourself like a queen.” His smile dimmed slightly. “But in truth, tales often come with the ships, and there’s been an interesting one arriving from the far sea. They say a Kolchian princess was taken away by a Iolian prince, who killed her brother as well as stole a valuable golden fleece.”
To hear I was stolen like some piece of jewellery was vexing; even in story, my power was taken from me. But I nodded as though interested in a tale and nothing more. “That does sound like an interesting tale.”
He nodded, playing along. “And to think, I then had a ship arrive in port with an Iolian prince and a priestess of Hecate who looks very much like a Kolchian princess who is far from home.”
I remained silent. That he knew who we were and what had happened put our lives in his hands. He could easily call the soldiers and have us placed in custody. My father would pay a handsome reward for us, no doubt. It also meant there had been, or were, Kolchian soldiers in Chimaira.
“I am a young king, as you can see,” he went on when I didn’t say anything, “and keeping your people happy so that you remain king isn’t always easy.” We passed beneath a beautiful bower of trees as we made our way up a deeply forested hill. “And in this city where tales come from all over the world, we love our heroes, and tragedies, and stories of the gods.” He stopped and brushed a piece of my hair behind my ear. “And in you, we find all of those.”
We continued on, and I was still unsure what to say. Were we in danger? In my heart, I didn’t feel it to be so. We emerged from the overhanging trees into the bright sunshine on a clifftop, and the view from there was stunning. The sea went on and on, dotted with boats like the ones I’d seen in the goddess’s map.
“Princess, I will speak plainly. We don’t know each other but the moment you stepped into my palace, my heart sang for you and you alone. Somehow, I know we are meant to be together, that the fates have brought you to me. If you would stay, I would make you Queen of Chimaira, and your father’s people would have no choice but to accept that you were spoken for and under my protection.”
I searched his pretty eyes for any sign of the gods, but there was none. He spoke truly and I wondered at it. “What if I were a shrew, a nag of a wife you came to despise?” I thought of the blood on my hands. “What if I were violent? What if I’d sinned against the gods and they wanted revenge?”
He laughed. “But when I look into your eyes, I see that you’re none of those things.”
It showed how little he knew me and how the tales had been spun. Had he been there that day that I slit my brother’s throat in front of fifty men, he would not be so quick to invite me to his throne. Although…he was a king. A queen willing to do anything necessary might appeal after all.
I turned to look at the beautiful temple overlooking the sea. “I will pray on what you say, King Chaon. I will ask the goddess for guidance and hope to find an answer that pleases us both.”
CHAPTER 25
ANSWERS
At a sound behind me I turned to find an acolyte waiting, her head bowed beneath a long white veil. She moved without a sound, and I followed her inside the large open temple with an eye in the ceiling that made it easier to see the gods.
To be queen…the thought went around in my head like a swarm of bees. I stopped before a pool and the acolyte waited while I washed my hands and face, then she led me to a room at the back where incense smoked on an ochre altar. I knelt and soon felt the blessing of the head priestess as she placed oil on my brow.
“May you find the answers you search for.”
Her voice was soft and held nothing but the common words we spoke as priestesses, and yet they sent shivers down my back.
I knelt there for some time, my mind whirling with the idea of being queen to a young, handsome king who already knew at least a portion of my story. I would have power and wouldn’t have to bend to anyone. And my status as a priestess would mean people would come to me not solely as their queen but for spiritual advisement too. Should Chaon ever become like my father and try to break me… Well, I knew how to deal with that.
I put the thoughts from my mind and called to the goddess, asking for guidance for her servant. When the room grew chill and it became difficult to breathe, I opened my eyes and my heart lurched. Before me wasn’t one of the lesser goddesses who had chosen me as a toy, but my own goddess, Hecate, goddess of the underworld and darkness. The goddess I’d dedicated myself to when I was young and looking for escape. Her black eyes were doorways into a world I didn’t want to see yet, and I bowed my head.
“Your thoughts betray you, child.” Her voice was sibilant, like a snake’s. “You are not given to make your own choices. Not yet. For now, you must listen to my sisters and follow as they will. To do anything else would bring only misery, and your role in this story is far from over.”
I wanted to weep, to rail at the injustice. “Will I never be free to walk my own path as others do?”
The walls seemed to rattle. “You would cast off the honour of being chosen by the gods so easily? To walk alone without us by your side? Can you not see how powerful it makes you? Beyond that of any silly mortal queen. You are power, Medea. You are the goddess’s hand on the world. There is nothing greater.”
I trembled at the anger in her voice, at the way the sound of her words dredged up dark places full of hollow echoes. “I meant no disrespect, goddess.” Of course she wouldn’t see how it would be better not to answer to anyone, not even to the gods. Their desire for service meant they couldn’t see beyond their own needs. Mine would certainly hold no interest for them.
“The day will come when we will choose someone else and you will understand all we have given you. Until then, you will do as we bid. And my sisters have chosen you to take this journey with the prince of Iolcos.”
“But why me?” I asked, knowing it could be foolish.
“You have immortal blood in your veins. You are strong, stronger than most mortal women. You crave power in a way we understand, and you have the ability to use it. You are the weapon we wield in a game you cannot understand.”
The words soothed me. I wouldn’t have an easy life as a queen here, but I would have a powerful life elsewhere. To know the gods saw me as a weapon worthy of using was intoxicating like the finest wine. I bowed my head until it touched the cold stone. “Thank you, goddess. I will obey with an open heart.” It wasn’t true, not really, and I knew she would see into my heart and know it. But she would also know that I would obey because of the promise of power she held before me. When I felt her hand on my head, my stomach churned and I nearly mewled like a scared kitten.
“Your head and your heart will battle until the end of time. But you are strong enough to withstand the darkness you must walk through time and time again. For you are my priestess, dedicated to the underworld and to darkness. And that is where your true power resides.”
The pressure of her hand left me, and I could breathe again. The room began to warm, and I dared look up. In front of me lay an exquisite dagger made of obsidian and marble, the black blade edges sharp enough to slip easily through skin, the elegant marble handle heavy and beautifully carved. Beside it was a vial and when I held it to the light, the swirling blackness inside nearly made me drop it. I stood, unsteady, with the vial in one hand and the dagger in the other and stumbled from the room into the light created by the oculus above.
The high priestess looked at what I held in my hands and shuddered. She backed away and bowed her head deferentially. “If you would like to prepare yourself and bathe—”
“No. I would like to go back to the palace and lay down.”
She glanced at me, searching, and then nodded. “As you wish. I can have an acolyte come with a clean gown for the festival, if it would please you?”
Desperate to lay down, I nodded and turned away. “Thank you.” I made my way unsteadily down the path, stopping occasionally to rest against a tree. The weight of the vial and the dagger seemed to drag me down, as though they wanted to go back to the underworld to be with their giver. By the time I made it to the palace, I was sweating and shaking, and I’d never been so glad to see Kip, who sat in the shade waiting for me. She rushed over and wrapped her arm around my waist, and I gladly let her take some of my weight.
“I knew I should have gone with you,” she muttered softly.
“We can’t know when they’ll shake me and when they won’t.” She was my only friend, my only tie to this world, and without her I’d be lost.
She didn’t say anything, just led me into the cool palace to our rooms, where our trunk was already open. After laying me on the bed, she went to fetch servants, who drew me a cool bath in a large copper tub. Once I was in, Kip knelt behind the tub and gently massaged my scalp, and it wasn’t long before my body relaxed and I closed my eyes, safe and comfortable.
I didn’t remember getting into bed except for how nice the cool sheet felt against my skin. When I woke, Kip sat weaving in the corner and the sun rays were low through the window. I stretched and sat up. “Thank you.”
She looked a little surprised. “There’s never a need. I’ll always be here, you know that.” She motioned towards a bundle of material with her needle. “The temple priestess delivered that.” She motioned towards another, more vibrant coloured pile. “And Chaon had that brought to you.” She tilted her head toward the dagger and vial on the table beside the bed. “More gifts?”
I nodded, not wanting to look at them.
“It explains the odd belt the priestess handed me. It’s beautifully worked.” She held up a thick band of white leather decorated with lapis and obsidian. “Jason knocked earlier to see if you were okay, and Chaon sent a servant to ask you to dine with him for lunch. I told both you were resting after your visit to the temple, and they said to wish you well.”
She waited, as usual not prying but knowing there were things to be said. “Chaon has asked me to stay and be his queen.”
Her eyebrows rose. “And your answer?”
“Not the one he’ll want. But the one the goddess insists on.” I didn’t miss the fleeting relief that passed through her eyes. If we stayed, Neleus would still have to go, as his loyalty was to Jason, no matter where his heart lay. I understood, though a flare of jealousy still surged through me.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I do think you would be well matched.”
I got out of bed and looked out the window, over darkened olive groves and white houses. “I think so too. But while the gods have hold of me, perhaps no man should be in their path.”
“Except Jason.”
I shrugged. “He has been chosen too, and so his fate is twinned with mine. But that is the gods’ doing and not my responsibility.”
She looked thoughtful but didn’t say anything further, for which I was grateful. Together we laid out the garments from the priestess and Chaon and put them together so the white of the temple was offset by the beautiful blues and reds of the long peplos given by Chaon. And over them both, I wore the belt from the temple low over my hips, with the dagger slipped into the band that held it securely. The vial I tucked away with my other potions and herbals. I dreaded the day I would be called on to use it, though I had no doubt it would come.
Kip used the remaining material in blues and reds to dress for the festival, and she looked beautiful. I kissed her softly, this woman who stayed beside me and never asked anything of me.
She cupped my face and rested her forehead against mine. “In this world and the next, Medea.”
The simple statement nearly made me weep, and I hugged her tightly before we left the room. As soon as we were in the long hallway, we could hear the commotion from below. Music and laughter filled the air, and my spirits lifted. The burden was heavy, but it wouldn’t do to forget the excitement life had to offer as I took this quest on behalf of the gods.
Dinner was a lavish affair with roasted swan, and fruits, and vegetables I’d never seen before. Chaon was an enchanting host, conversing with people by name and making them feel special. He was funny and charming, and it was easy to see that his people loved him well. He was the light to my dark, and there was no denying the pull I felt towards him. He would occasionally take my hand or touch my arm, often including me as he told stories of the people around him, who in turn enjoyed telling tales of their king’s bravery and good will. He referred to my beauty and power more than once, making me blush.
And throughout it all, there was Jason, glowering from his special place at the table. I’d never seen him in a foul temper, and I admit it wasn’t unpleasant to know that he might be jealous of the handsome young king’s affection towards me. Or perhaps he was simply concerned that his promised guide might leave him. Whatever it was, it put him in a strange mood, and it wasn’t long after the meal he excused himself, saying that Neleus was far better with the tales of our adventure than he.
It irritated me that I felt bad for a moment when he met my gaze before he left, and I saw the jealousy and sadness in his eyes. After he’d bedded Queen Agave, surely he had no say in where I spent my time or with whom. And yet, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him as he left, alone.
But my attention was soon pulled away by Neleus telling grand tales of our journey, including my place in them. King Chaon looked at me with such admiration it made my blood stir. The tales and drinking went on until the morning stars were fading, and Chaon took my hand as we walked outside for some air. Kip and Neleus had long since left together, and this walk through the quiet corridor felt heavy with possibility.
“Princess, I must ask…did the goddess answer you?” He stood close, his hand in mine, his eyes searching.
I did him the courtesy of not looking away. “She did, sweet king. But I’m afraid her response wasn’t one either of us wanted.”
He looked so crestfallen I couldn’t help but cup his face in my hands. “I am the goddess’s chosen. I must go where the gods’ send me, whether I would or not.” Gently, boldly, I kissed him. “Have no doubt, if I could stay with you, I would. I would defy the gods to be at your side, but we both know the penalty would be high, and to lose you because I refused to do as they said would destroy me.” They were pretty words, but this time, I meant them.
He sighed deeply and lowered his head to kiss me. “What sorrow, to love so quickly one who has a different path.” His hand slid down my arm and tugged on the robe. “The combination of my colours and those of the temple suit you. A woman of both worlds, but not wholly of either.”
“And because I am of neither, the rules women must abide by don’t apply to me.” I took his hand and waited to see if he understood, even though I couldn’t voice the desire that grew within me.
He searched my expression, then turned and led me across the courtyard to his quarters. I strode at his side, an equal ready to claim ownership of my body by sharing it with a man of my choice. Desire flowed through me, as well as a sense of disapproval that wasn’t mine at all. I ignored the gods and entered his bed chamber.
CHAPTER 26
LETTING GO
I won’t say anything more of that beautiful night. It has remained with me all these years, a perfect spark of light among the black chaos that came later. It was a moment I returned to in my dreams when I needed to feel cherished. It was a gift from the goddess of love, one I have never taken for granted.
In the morning, breakfast was served in his room, and we spoke only of dreams. He wanted the best for his people and talked of the things he wanted to build. I talked of travel, of being free to roam as I wished. I wanted to see the great pyramids being built in the vast deserts and see how the Amazons trained on their fabled isle. He didn’t say anything but I could see the pity in his eyes, because we both knew that only his dream could come true. I held on to the miniscule hope that once the gods were done with me, perhaps I would board a ship and never look back.
After our meal, we dressed leisurely and I took pleasure in his slow, soft touches that left my skin tingling like I’d emerged from a clear lake in the summer sun. He held my hand as we crossed back to my room, and he kissed me softly in front of my door.
“I will never forget last night or the gift you have given me. I leave you now to go to the temple to give thanks.”
His smile was sweet and sad, and I kissed his cheek even as my heart broke. It wasn’t for what we had, which had been brief, but for what might have been. I bade him wait and ran inside. I took a rare purple gem from my box and came out with it. I pinned it to his robe. “Wear this and remember the woman who gave herself to you and to no one else.”
He covered it with his hand and his eyes grew wet. He bowed his head and left.
Kip was waiting for me inside, her smile wide. “You truly walk your own path.”
I laughed, filled with lightness of spirit for the first time in a long while. “And why shouldn’t I? The goddess herself told me mortal rules didn’t apply to me, and that I’d have to choose and choose again. So last night I chose with my heart.”
“I’m not sure it was your heart you were thinking with.” She motioned to the steaming bath. “You should wash before we see Jason. He’s asked to speak with you before we sail.”
The thought dampened my joy, but I shook it off and bathed, laughing and sharing some details with Kip about my night, as young women are wont to do. It was wonderful to feel so free, so mortal.
Dressed in my outfit from the night before, my hair in long braids and my dagger at my waist, I went to the main hall and asked a servant about Jason. He directed me to the garden, and I made my way into the grove of orange trees to find him sitting on the ground, his face turned to the sun. As it often did when I caught him unawares like this, my heart stuttered at his simple beauty. Whether it did so because of the gods or because I truly felt that way, I wasn’t sure, and that set it apart from the way I felt towards Chaon. The king had been my choice but with Jason, I would never be certain. “Good morning,” I said.
