Page 19 of Song of Memories

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Eurydice hated Orpheus’s home. It was too large for her taste, mimicking some of the estates he had lived in in Greece, and there was a dreadful lack of trees, which was her number one complaint about most locations.

Unlike some stories told by priests and parents, homesteads in the Underworld were not provided based on a sliding scale of morality. Wherever someone ended up in the afterlife was entirely dependent on their comfort. Some souls refused to even become corporeal; others spent their days in the same body they lived their mortal life in. Aside from the greater estates owned by the gods—with the exception of Hecate, who also preferred a smaller, cozier home—the lands of the Underworld were dotted with everything from coastal cottages to sprawling manors.

The first time Eurydice laid eyes on Orpheus’s property, she viscerally fought to keep her initial reaction to herself. It was a near replica of the palace he’d passed away in, without the sprawling grounds. She forced herself to put on a wide smile and act pleased.

In the following few days, Orpheus and Eurydice fell into an awkward rhythm, something that disturbed Orpheus more than Eurydice. She was more used to her days consisting of slower paced activities, rendezvous with her friends, and spending time growing in one of her many gardens. Orpheus was having a more difficult time adjusting to the slower pace of the Underworld. He missed the endless parade of admirers he was accustomed to in the mortal world.

Eurydice was more comfortable in the silence between them, finding that any attempts at conversation always ended up with even more of an apparent divide. She’d only been living in his house for a few days, but she insisted on her own bedroom, another thing that she could tell was infuriating Orpheus. Jumping right back into a marriage she had no recollection of, sharing that sort of physical intimacy with Orpheus without her heart being in it, could only be disastrous.

Eurydice was out in the garden, the only part of the house she didn’t despise. The late afternoon sun was pouring in over the tall walls, creating an effective barrier between Eurydice and the rest of the world. If she was going to be living in this more populated part of Asphodel, she appreciated the little bit of privacy the garden gave her.

The garden was tucked into an interior courtyard surrounded by a peristyle. There was a dirt trail running up the middle, flanked by beds of flowers on either side. The very center of the garden had a fountain, carved with a likeness of Apollo. Eurydice had half a mind to break off the top of the fountain and bury the statue. Apollo and Orpheus split ways from each other years before Orpheus died—and Apollo met his end years before Orpheus did—but Orpheus still had a bizarre obsession with the deity.

Eurydice ignored the numerous benches and opted to sit in the flower beds, relishing the feel of the cool grass and dirt on her skin. It was one of the first times since Orpheus’s arrival that Eurydice felt genuine peace. Her gaze flickered towards the far wall of the garden and her beloved trellis. The vines, with a little bit of magical encouragement, were already fully intact and climbing up the stone. Eurydice thought of the hours Pan had spent hand-carving it for her, and her smile widened.

“Are you thinking about Orpheus?” A soft, dainty voice trickled through the air and snagged Eurydice’s attention.

“Telodice?” Eurydice turned around without standing, watching in glee as Telodice appeared in the garden. A column of yellow smoke started evaporating from a patch of daisies, and one of the flowers stretched taller. A flurry of petals fell down from the skies as the flower morphed into the shape of a woman, and Telodice gracefully stepped out of the flower bed.

“Eurydice!” Telodice grinned, holding her arms out for her friend. Eurydice jumped to her feet and ran towards Telodice, practically launching herself into the nymph’s arms. She hadn’t seen Telodice since the day of Orpheus’s arrival and was desperate to speak to one of her friends. Eurydice released Telodice andsmiled.

“This place is beautiful!” Telodice looked around.

Eurydice nodded her head bashfully. “It’s certainly something.”

“Oh, come on.” Telodice gawked, stepping around some of the ornate flower beds. “Who doesn’t want to live in a house like this?”

“It’s beautiful like you said,” Eurydice agreed easily while avoiding the question. “What brings you here?” Eurydice followed Telodice and settled next to her on a marble bench.

“Well, it’s been a week since you were reunited with Orpheus,” Telodice waggled her eyebrows with a salacious expression, “so I figured it was safe to pop in for a visit.”

Eurydice’s eyes widened, and she wasn’t able to hide the way her gaze flicked away from Telodice. A nervous feeling started building in her body, and her palms started to sweat.

I haven’t even let Orpheus hug me for too long.

It was perfectly normal for her best friend to assume that reuniting with her long-lost husband meant a week between the sheets, but Eurydice had nothing to report. Telodice leaned forward, sobering at Eurydice’s reaction.

“Do you mean that you… You two certainly… Is there something you want to tell me?” Telodice put her hand on Eurydice’s shoulder. Eurydice sighed heavily and turned away, pointlessly trying to hide her reaction from Telodice.

“Well, it’s been a little awkward, you know?” Eurydice muttered, unable to meet Telodice’s gaze. “I don’t remember anything about him. I only know that we were a couple, so jumping back into a relationship like nothing happened is difficult.”

Telodice looked stunned, her mouth dropping open. She turned to look at the entrance to the house as if she expected Orpheus to appear at the mention of his name.

“I mean, girl, who says you need to be in love with him to sleep with him?” Telodice chuckled awkwardly. It was written all over her face that Telodice had no idea what Eurydice was talking about. “That man is beautiful. It doesn’t get more attractive than Apollo-blessed.”

The first thing that popped into Eurydice’s mind was Pan’s face—the rugged wildness of his features, a slightly crooked nose that had been broken in drunken brawls, dark brown eyes…

Oh my gods. Eurydice’s nervousness increased as realization dawned over her. You cannot start thinking about your best friend when Telodice is trying to talk to you about Orpheus!

“Yes…” Eurydice nodded slowly. “He is attractive, but I don’t necessarily want to jump in bed with someone only because they’re attractive.”

Telodice nodded slowly as if she didn’t fully understand what Eurydice was saying, a patronizing look on her face.

“That’s true.” Telodice looked around awkwardly. Her face lit up when she saw some of the flower beds, walking over to the gardens. “Tell me about these!” Telodice bent at the waist and smelled some of the blooms. “They’re positively gorgeous.”

Eurydice inwardly sighed in relief, grateful for the subject change, no matter how awkward it might be. Her heart lifted at the sight of her precious blooms. Eurydice’s face flushed as she leaned down next to Telodice, a wider smile on her face. If there was one thing she could talk about, it was her garden.

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