Slowly Thera made her way back inside the palace with her mind focused, surely determined to have an outcome to this dire situation that she, and her former nation, might find pleasing and beneficial, so she walked with great purpose whereupon one of the older women attendants, up late fetching an amphora of wine for one of the many guests in the king's household that hot summer's night, stopped and smiled letting Thera pass and she thought to herself that this foreign, legendary, 'Amazon' woman had a powerful countenance about her that let a person know clearly you had two choices with her: one was to get behind Thera for she will PROTECT you.., or two run away from Thera for she will DESTROY you. Happy to be in the good and gracious presence of such a brave and noble warrior queen the old gray maid bowed with courtesy to the tall green-eyed Thera, nearly spilling the wine out of the vessel in doing so.
"Careful, dear lady, the blood of the grape is sacred." Thera said as she reached out and tilted the neck of the bottle up as the two laughed a little. "I pray thee, good woman, please bring a vessel just as this out to the courtyard, for I must awaken my ladies now, there is bad news I must impart to them. I pray thee hurry."
"Yes, right away." the servant replied hastening her steps. Having sent the gentle woman about her task, Thera set about hers. Going down the long corridor to the gynaikon, the woman's quarters of the palace, Thera stopped at the first door she came to, unsure which of the women were inside, she knocked upon the chamber door thrice.She paused hearing a stirring from within the room, followed by whispers and giggles, mixed with laughter, then Thera clearly heard the shuffling of bare feet coming to the door; which opened up slowly groaning slightly under it's own weight. "Ah.., good evening Katara."
"My Queen." she smiled her face radiant in the warm glow of the flickering torches in the hall, her blue eyes gleaming, hair a disheveled mess of copper strands covering her breasts "Please forgive my appearance, as I..," she blushed "you remember my breeding partner, the father of my son, Temenos." Katara said as she opened up the door exposing the sight of the handsome, naked Spartan lying atop her bed. "Vyakles brought out our partners around to us all.., hours ago."
Thera was a little shocked by this information, for she did not know that, nor had Vyakles bothered to mention that fact, however this to her seemed brilliant and Thera only thought this would better her cause in matrimony, so she paused to get a good look at the handsome, muscular Temenos, his bare skin glistening with beads of sweat as Thera smiled slyly, giving him an approving nod of her head, then she said "Forgive the intrusion, oh Spartan, I must take your good lady away for a brief moment." Thera explained.
"Good, good.., for that will give me time to catch my breath and rest." Temenos smiled with a laugh.
"Come, Katara, dress yourself and summon our Themiscyrans, meet me in the courtyard, for I have interesting news." Thera said with a serious gaze.
"Yes my Queen." Katara replied made anxious in her heart by the look in Thera's eyes.
So it was with much excitement Katara threw on her white linen shift just barely covering her naked body as she ran barefoot down the hall banging loudly on all the doors calling out each of Themiscyran women by name loudly shouting " Johanna, Ia, Iona, Scotia, Jessa..," etc as the ladies all leapt from their warm beds and off of their partners. Each of them beginning to grow concerned as they covered their nakedness and went outside to meet with Thera, who sat at the head of the long table under the ancient olive trees swaying in the warm summer wind as moonbeams filtered in through the leaves. Thera was smiling, pouring out the wine into little cups as she bade them all sit down and have a drink before she began speaking. Here Thera had already consumed three, or seven, cups of wine before the women had assembled before her. Now the wise, former queen knew there were many paths to the truth and red wine was one of them."Drink up my fine ladies! For I have a very sad story to tell you all.., and the saddest part of my tale is that.., it is.., in fact.., the Truth. Not some twisted figment of my disturbed imagination, no, this is no tale of drama." Thera paused as she stood to her feet, cleared her throat, then clasping her hands behind her back, she began to walk slowly around the table as each of the women drank up the wine and listened intently, all suddenly feeling extremely ill at ease.
"Careful, dear lady, the blood of the grape is sacred." Thera said as she reached out and tilted the neck of the bottle up as the two laughed a little. "I pray thee, good woman, please bring a vessel just as this out to the courtyard, for I must awaken my ladies now, there is bad news I must impart to them. I pray thee hurry."
"Yes, right away." the servant replied hastening her steps. Having sent the gentle woman about her task, Thera set about hers. Going down the long corridor to the gynaikon, the woman's quarters of the palace, Thera stopped at the first door she came to, unsure which of the women were inside, she knocked upon the chamber door thrice.She paused hearing a stirring from within the room, followed by whispers and giggles, mixed with laughter, then Thera clearly heard the shuffling of bare feet coming to the door; which opened up slowly groaning slightly under it's own weight. "Ah.., good evening Katara."
"My Queen." she smiled her face radiant in the warm glow of the flickering torches in the hall, her blue eyes gleaming, hair a disheveled mess of copper strands covering her breasts "Please forgive my appearance, as I..," she blushed "you remember my breeding partner, the father of my son, Temenos." Katara said as she opened up the door exposing the sight of the handsome, naked Spartan lying atop her bed. "Vyakles brought out our partners around to us all.., hours ago."
Thera was a little shocked by this information, for she did not know that, nor had Vyakles bothered to mention that fact, however this to her seemed brilliant and Thera only thought this would better her cause in matrimony, so she paused to get a good look at the handsome, muscular Temenos, his bare skin glistening with beads of sweat as Thera smiled slyly, giving him an approving nod of her head, then she said "Forgive the intrusion, oh Spartan, I must take your good lady away for a brief moment." Thera explained.
"Good, good.., for that will give me time to catch my breath and rest." Temenos smiled with a laugh.
"Come, Katara, dress yourself and summon our Themiscyrans, meet me in the courtyard, for I have interesting news." Thera said with a serious gaze.
"Yes my Queen." Katara replied made anxious in her heart by the look in Thera's eyes.
So it was with much excitement Katara threw on her white linen shift just barely covering her naked body as she ran barefoot down the hall banging loudly on all the doors calling out each of Themiscyran women by name loudly shouting " Johanna, Ia, Iona, Scotia, Jessa..," etc as the ladies all leapt from their warm beds and off of their partners. Each of them beginning to grow concerned as they covered their nakedness and went outside to meet with Thera, who sat at the head of the long table under the ancient olive trees swaying in the warm summer wind as moonbeams filtered in through the leaves. Thera was smiling, pouring out the wine into little cups as she bade them all sit down and have a drink before she began speaking. Here Thera had already consumed three, or seven, cups of wine before the women had assembled before her. Now the wise, former queen knew there were many paths to the truth and red wine was one of them."Drink up my fine ladies! For I have a very sad story to tell you all.., and the saddest part of my tale is that.., it is.., in fact.., the Truth. Not some twisted figment of my disturbed imagination, no, this is no tale of drama." Thera paused as she stood to her feet, cleared her throat, then clasping her hands behind her back, she began to walk slowly around the table as each of the women drank up the wine and listened intently, all suddenly feeling extremely ill at ease.
No comments:
Post a Comment