Page 62 of Meduso
I let out a long and heavy sigh. “It wasn’t ashe. It was ahe.” I tugged on the bag against my hip that contained Meduso’s head, a constant reminder of my inner turmoil. “His name was Meduso. He was the love of my life. The only person I ever loved and will ever love.”
Andromeda could not help but question me. “…lovedas a friend, you mean?”
I shook my head. “No, princess. I loved Meduso with every bone in my body. He was the one person I was meant to be with.”
Andromeda was taken aback by my response. I’m sure she wondered how a man could love another man in such a way. She was likely not accustomed to such a love affair in these lands. “I see. Well, I am sorry he needed to be sacrificed for your cause. But I hope it was truly for the greater good. Surely, he should not be forgotten,” she explained.
Little did I know that Andromeda could not help but think that this was clearly a message from the gods. That I was not allowed to love anothermanin my lifetime. That it was only right for me to love a woman. She was putting her own pieces to the puzzle together in her head. She thought the gods specifically led me to her, to saveher, to loveher. Why else would a demi-god arrive on a gallant horse to destroy a sea-monster in order to keep her alive? Deep down, Andromeda believed that I was destined to be hers. That I was to be her man. It had to have been prophesized by the gods. She thought there was no other explanation for it.
I could only lift my head and turn away from her, thinking on her sentiments. “Yes. I will never forget him. But I am unsure of how to proceed,” I revealed. “I have no clue of what to do. No idea of where to go from here.”
I was in a vulnerable state, willing to relinquish opinion and power over to her. Any form of direction was something I would be willing to accept at this point, not knowing of what my next steps should be.
“We were destined to meet Perseus. The gods wanted you to come here to find me. And I truly believe you aremydestiny. You must take me away from Aethiopia, my hero. I fear that yours and my presence here will only be of more danger to the both of us.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You must know, Perseus, there have been many suitors after me. Many men who have requested my hand in marriage. When they realize you are the man that was destined for me, as foretold by the gods before us, surely they will want you dead.”
I began to feel sorry for Andromeda. She was a woman without power and control. To only be told what to do, and even serve as a sacrificial lamb by her very own parents was something that completely disgusted me. And in this very moment, I knew it was imperative for me to take Andromeda away from this land and with me on the journey that lied ahead.
“Then, we must leave here at once,” I resolved. “Let us depart later this evening. We must make out like thieves in the night, unheard and unseen.”
Andromeda nodded. “Yes. Let me gather my immediate belongings. Meet me at my bed chamber in a few hours when the rest of the castle is asleep. We can make our escape then.”
I placed a kiss upon her forehead. Although it was meant to be a kiss of friendliness and out of concern, I would later learn that Andromeda took it as a whole different sort of meaning, one that tugged at her very heart.
I laid awake in the guest chamber the king and queen offered me. King Cepheus was thoughtful enough to send me three of his most beautiful maidens to attend to my every need and desire. But I was not having any of it. I refused their kisses and advances at me, tossing full goblets of wine in their direction, hoping they would get drunk enough, quick enough, to pass out and leave me alone.
Once the maidens were sound asleep scattered unflatteringly across the chaises and my bed, I realized it was the perfect time for me to leave this place. I wrapped my tunic around me and grabbed the bag with Meduso’s head and Hephaestus’s sword. They were the only two imperative items I assumed I needed for my trek away from here. I snuck my way down the corridors of the castle towards Andromeda’s room just as she had described its whereabouts to me among the vast halls. Three light knocks on her bed chamber door was the signal she instructed me to perform in order to know it was me that was there, ready to lead her out of this castle.
We avoided all the guards and warriors in the palace, sneaking by each and every one of them, until we arrived at the castle entryway, which consisted of several men that now surrounded us in our escape.
“And where exactly do you think you’re going?” A bald, hefty man, stood directly in front of us, blocking our path of escape. He was rather tall and large, compared to the other warriors around him.
“Phineus,” Andromeda spoke. “You must let us pass. I have now refused your offer of proposal three times now. What more is there to discuss? Please, leave me be!”
Phineus was King Cepheus’s brother, which meant that he was Andromeda’s uncle. Earlier, Andromeda had informed me that he had been promised her hand in marriage, despite the princess’s constant refusal. Now that I was in the picture, the king’s brother knew that his plans to marry her were in jeopardy. “No. Not until I get what is rightfully mine. It is my duty, my destiny, to have you, Andromeda. You will not leave here without accepting me as your husband.”
Phineus and his henchmen approached, closing in on me. “I’m warning you. Do not come further,” I yelled.
But the king’s brother and his men continued to stand their ground. “You will not threaten me, demi-god. I am not scared of you. If you dare to take what is mine, then you must suffer the consequences.” Phineus pressed onward and raised his sword towards me.
I leaned into Andromeda’s ear. “Close your eyes.”
“What?” she questioned my motives.
“Just close your eyes, for your own safety,” I demanded.
Andromeda did as she was instructed, and the second she did, I withdrew the head of Meduso out of the tote attached to my hip. I held the eyes of the gorgon open and closed my own, spinning it around in a circle to make sure that it faced all of the warriors around me who were impeding our escape. Hearing no further movement, I opened my own eyes and returned the head to its place in my bag. Feeling safe, Andromeda too opened her own eyes, astonished by what she was witnessing. Eight statues around us, all of the purest limestone.
“But how!?” Andromeda asked.
“We must go! I will reveal it to you later!” I explained.
She took my hand and we sprinted out of the castle. I could no longer stand the thought of Andromeda staying here on this land, having been completely betrayed by her mother, father, and her people. I needed to bring her with me, as far away from this toxic nation as possible. I brought her to the cliff side where Pegasus was tied up and then broke him free with my sword. I took Andromeda’s hand and we climbed aboard the horse’s back, flying off into the lit-up night sky. I vowed that we would never return to Aethiopia again.
Chapter 22
