Page 66 of Meduso
“I see…” Athena then began to pace about the atrium. “I am not here to force you to do otherwise, but I do want you to reconsider.”
“Against my king’s request!?” I exclaimed.
“Yes. Think about it, queen. If you were to disclose to the rest of the world that King Perseus had a formermalelover, what would they say?”
I crossed my arms over my chest, gazing at the ground, deep in thought. “I never really did consider that.”
“Not only this, but what about hislegacy? Everyone already views Perseus as a hero among men. If you told them an alternative story of him beheading the gorgon to one of tragic love, the people would view him differently.”
“Would they really?” I asked with skepticism.
“Of course they would. His name would forever be tarnished. King Perseus would no longer go down in history as a hero to gods and to the world. Is that the legacy you want for your late husband?”
I was at a loss for words. I was torn now, unsure of whether or not to listen to these wise words given to me by the goddess or to move forward with fulfilling my husband’s final request.
“It is your choice, my queen. But know that your decision here will forever shape the future of what you and your husband leave behind in this world.” Athena turned her back towards me and transformed back into a dove, flying off, out of the castle.
I fell onto the bench, needing to have a seat to comprehend all that had just happened. I placed my hands over my face, crying over the choice I would soon have to make. No matter what, I would be disappointing someone and it hurt me to the very core. After several minutes, I finally wiped the tears from my eyes and made my way back into the halls of the castle and towards the balcony.
I climbed the stairs and stepped outside, overlooking the railing at the thousands of people below me who had come to pay their respects to my late husband.
“Thank you all for coming!” I shouted over the masses. “We all have a great man that we lost today. A man, a father, a king, and above all else ahero!”
I paused for moment while the crowd yelled and cheered over my comment. I stared down at the ground mumbling to it as if Perseus were overhearing me.I’m sorry my king.
I rose my head back up and continued to speak. “King Perseus may have left for the Underworld, but his heroic tales and legacy will live on in our world. All hail King Perseus, the slayer of the vile and vicious gorgon!”
And thus was the beginning of a long falsehood of narrations that would be passed down from generation to generation. Perseus would still be known as a gorgon slayer. Even the descriptions of the mortal gorgon would be altered from mouth to mouth, eventually being portrayed as once a beautiful woman, instead of a handsome man.
It would only be Perseus who would know the full accurate version of Meduso’s story. After all, he loved and lived through it.
