Page 32 of Song of Memories

Orpheus gently grabbed a hold of Eurydice's hand and led her towards the banquet table. It had been elaborately set for two, with lit candles, a fresh amphora of wine, and a myriad of meats and cheeses.

"It's only a decoration." Orpheus shrugged, nearly completely out of character from what Eurydice had come to suspect from him. He pulled out her chair for her, and Eurydice sat, unable to keep some of the pleasant surprise off her face. "I had them redone after you told me how you felt about all the artwork in the house."

"That was very kind of you, Orpheus." Eurydice beamed at him as he took his seat. Her body was flooded with relief. This was the Orpheus that she could be married to. This was someone that would've captured her affections when she was living in the mortal world. She wouldn't be concerned about being seen with this man; this was someone who she could be with, and no one would question the legends.

"It was the very least I could do." Orpheus shrugged modestly. "Quite honestly, I was rightfully very embarrassed as soon as you pointed it out to me." Orpheus served Eurydice a plate, and she nearly fell out of her chair. There was a very small voice in the back of her head trying to remind her that Orpheus was only displaying the barest amount of manners, nothing exceptional, but she ignored it.

Orpheus and Eurydice fell into an easy conversation. It shouldn't have been remarkable, but it registered to Eurydice like she was suddenly existing in a whole new world. Who was this person who nearly broke her nose feeding her a piece of fruit in the garden, not even an hour ago?

Perhaps Orpheus was nervous with Makaria around. Eurydice's thoughts quickly defended him. He might not be the only person who is a little overwhelmed at the sudden attention of the entire Underworld on his relationship.

Eurydice popped a bit of bread and cheese into her mouth. "What happened when Apollo revoked his favor?" She asked the question quietly, wondering if it was too inappropriate to ask. "You don't have to retell the story if you don't want to, of course."

"No, no, I don't mind." Orpheus wiped a little bit of wine from his lip. "You're my wife, Eurydice. There's nothing from my life that is off limits for you. It's a fair question, anyway, seeing as it was that day that Apollo decided to send that snake to our wedding."

"That was Apollo?" Eurydice's eyes widened. She didn't remember much, and she definitely didn't remember the reason that a snake bit her on her wedding day was because of Apollo. Orpheus blanched as if he'd done something wrong, freezing with a bite of food halfway to his mouth.

"Oh, shit. Yes. That was because of Apollo. I'm so sorry, I thought you remembered that."

Eurydice waved her hand to encourage him to continue. "I don't remember much. It's okay. Now I do really need to hear the story though." She finished with a lame chuckle. Orpheus picked up her hand and placed a small kiss to the back of her palm.

"You're entitled to every story I have. Every bit of me is because of you, Eurydice, and I won't forget that."

Eurydice blushed furiously, and Orpheus continued with his story.

He spared no detail in spinning the entire bawdy tale. Apollo had grown angry with some drunk satyrs approaching the Feast of Dionysus, and he rigged a bet that resulted in the death of one of the satyrs.

"A satyr?!" Eurydice gasped, dropping her goblet. Wine splattered everywhere, staining the bottom of her tunic. She cussed and jumped up from the table while several servants rushed over to help clean it up.

"Don't worry about it. Let them help. Thank you." Orpheus nodded towards the staff. Eurydice said nothing as she sat back down at the table, suddenly in a mild state of shock. Orpheus continued with his story.

"Pan was there," Orpheus mentioned Pan's name without any consequence, but Eurydice's heart jumped. "He was furious. Rightfully so. I knew the gods were deceitful and tricky, even downright conspiratorial when it came to their own political plotting and whatnot. I never imagined Apollo to be that cruel, however. That satyr didn't need to die, and he didn't need to die the way he did either. I rejected Apollo on the spot, and he revoked his favor."

Eurydice was staring open-mouthed at Orpheus. "You rejected Apollo?"

"I did," Orpheus murmured casually, as if this wasn't a world changing revelation for Eurydice. "Are you upset?" Orpheus studied the terrified and surprised look on her face. "Because what I did, rejecting Apollo—it led directly to your death," Orpheus whispered the words as though it was a great secret he'd been carrying all his life.

"I... No..." Eurydice shook her head. She grabbed Orpheus's hands and squeezed them. "How could I be mad? Orpheus, I'd never heard you tell this story before. Everyone assumed Apollo rejected you first, likely for some ridiculous reason because, you know, it's Apollo. But you abandoning him? A mortal returning the favor of a god? And because he was involved in the murder of a creature of the forest, no less!"

It was a bizarre sensation, but Eurydice was overjoyed. There were pieces of her memory that started trickling back, of pleasant evenings and long nights spent with Orpheus. She would marry a man who abandoned the gods to defend the deities of the wild, without a doubt. A pleasant weight settled in Eurydice's stomach, resolving some of the doubt she had been feeling since Orpheus's arrival in the Underworld. She'd finally heard a story about Orpheus that made her realize—no, it made her remember—why their love had once been, and could be again, the stuff of legends.

Orpheus said nothing, simply chewing his food quietly for a few minutes. When he finally spoke, his voice was solemn.

"It was a cruel thing to see. No matter how many things I've seen happen at the hands of the gods, it was...barbaric. How could I sing about something like that? How could I worship someone who was so excited to destroy life? Music celebrates life, even in memoriam. It doesn't destroy it. I had to walk away, but it meant Apollo's revenge killed you in the end. I didn't know how to live with it."

Orpheus paused. There was a look on his face that Eurydice couldn't quite place, as though there was more he wanted to tell her but couldn't. Eurydice leaned closer to him, crossing the small distance between them, and linked their fingers together.

"It's okay, Orpheus. You don't need to tell me anything else if you don't want to."

"No, no," Orpheus shook his head, grabbing another bite of food and feeding it to Eurydice. This time, she accepted it gracefully and relished the sweet bite of honied bread.

The rest of the dinner passed simply. Orpheus never talked directly about Apollo again but rather entertained Eurydice with stories of some of his more benign adventures in the mortal realm. Eurydice found herself enjoying Orpheus's company with every passing story, some of her fears and concerns over their relationship slipping away. His hand kept moving around to touch her, whether he was holding her hand or tracing his fingers on her thigh. Eurydice was surprised to find that in combination with his warm smile and the sudden shift in his attitude, the barely there touches were starting to make her shift in her seat.

After the household staff had removed most of the serving platters and empty dishes, Orpheus stood up and offered his hand to Eurydice.

"Would you like to retire with me, my wife?" His smile was open, but his eyes roved over Eurydice hungrily. Her stomach flipped as she realized what Orpheus was implying; he didn't think they'd be sleeping at all if she followed him to his bedchambers. Their dinner together had been wonderful, and Eurydice was starting to remember what it felt like to love Orpheus for the first time since she arrived in the Underworld. But she wasn't nearly ready to have sex with him.

"I would," Eurydice slowly placed her hand in his, and her voice dropped lower, "but I feel like I need to warn you that if I come with you, nothing else is going to happen between us tonight." There was a pause, and Orpheus said nothing, simply staring at Eurydice as though he was confused.

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