Page 36 of Orpheus
I nodded. “Of course! I think they will be pleased to know that I love a man with such artistic talents.”
“I hope so,” Eurydalos stated with such ambiguity, as he shook his head, making me think he doubted my thoughts.
“You don’t sound so sure of yourself. What would make you think otherwise?”
He let out a deep and long sigh before responding. “Oh, Orpheus! If only you really saw the world through my eyes, you would truly understand. But you haven’t. You have lived a completely different life from me, and therefore, I cannot expect you to ever see my perspective when it comes to such things as this.”
I was bewildered by his skepticism and also slightly agitated at the same time that he would disregard my welcoming him into my family. “I get that we have grown up in very different lifestyles, but I can assure you that you have nothing to ever worry about from here on out. I will protect you for the rest of my life. I know, without a doubt, you will be welcomed into my family with open arms. You have nothing to fear, Eurydalos. I promise you that. And even if you weren’t, what is the worst that could happen? If my family did raise any sort of issue with you, I would leave them. I would part ways with them, all for you. You have to know that!” I exclaimed, squeezing his palm tighter.
My shared thoughts elicited a warm smile out of him. Eurydalos prompted us to stop walking. He pressured me to pause and turn to the side to face him directly as he spoke. “You think things so simply, Orpheus, which I truly admire about you. You view the world with such positivity and with such a naivety. It’s why I love you so much. But I cannot allow us to move forward without expressing my doubts about this. You must know, I think your parents and aunts will find our relationship to be an impertinence to them. After all, it was your mother who practically threw you into Apollo’s arms. She wanted you to be with a god. When you return to her, expressing that you are in love with me, a mere Earth-dancing mortal, she will be beyond disappointed. People like me do not become so willingly accepted into the lives of princes, kings, queens, and gods. You must realize thetruereality of our situation, Orpheus.”
I had a feeling Eurydalos would come to have this reluctance, but I would do everything in my power to make him feel welcome into my life and my family. Even if they did not accept him, I would be willing to shun them, only to be with Eurydalos for the rest of my life. And I wanted to make him know that.
“Honestly, I’m indifferent to their opinions. Yes, I will tell them how much I love you and how I take pride in the amazing qualities you have. But if they ever do have reservations about us being together, I would leave them in a heartbeat. I do not need anyone’s approval to be with you, Eurydalos. You must know that,” I explained.
A slight tear dripped from the corner of his eye, as I said this. “My Gods, I’m not sure how I could possibly deserve someone like you in my life, Orpheus. Sometimes I honestly think this whole experience is just a dream. But I’m beginning to realize that it isn’t, and you are teaching me to stop feeling sorry for myself. I should live in the moment. Inthismoment, and stop worrying about what everyone else thinks about me and my insecurities. I need to be grateful that I love you and that you love me. There should be nothing else to consider beyond that. As long as we love each other, we can conquer the world.”
I could not help but press my face into Eurydalos, kissing him longingly. “Exactly. Which is why we must confront Aristaeus. As long as we have each other, nothing can stop us. Let him raise all the fuss he wants. At the end of the day, as long as you and I are adamant to love and stay with each other for the rest of our lives, what is the worst that Aristaeus could do? Even if he does not release you, I have other tactics I can utilize to make him reconsider. Do not forget, I have the King of Thessaly who has my back,” I boldly stated.
Eurydalos still seemed worried, despite my confidence. “Very well. Let us meet with Aristaeus and see how this goes. It’s time for us to stop pondering
over his reaction and just see it for ourselves.”
The Vale of Tempe was breathtaking. The slopes of the mountains on both sides were full of the most beautiful trees and flowers I had ever seen. Flowing at the bottom of the valley through all of it was a slow-moving river. Its water was a unique color. The surrounding vibrant flowers and trees reflected off of it, giving certain parts of the river tinted shades of yellow, green, and purple. The river itself looked like a labradorite stone.
This valley was spectacular. I could even picture living here. My eyes darted in so many different directions, not being able to land on a single setting. Everything was grabbing my attention all at once. There was so much to take in.
“It’s beautiful, is it not?” Eurydalos asked me.
“Yes. I’ve only ever heard about this vale from the scholars at my castle. It’s one thing to hear about it, but completely another to actually see it up close,” I shared.
“This place is special to the gods. It was created by Poseidon himself. The God of the sea used his mighty trident to strike the mountain that once lied over this land. Instantly, it was crushed. Millions of pieces of rock and debris scattered across the nearby lands. It left this gorge as a pile of rubble. Poseidon then blessed this area with a soothing river to pass through it. Gaia and Demeter also assisted in turning this place into the dramatic and fertile land it is today,” Eurydalos explained.
“I see. Apollo once told me he came here often with his sister Artemis. They would go on hunting excursions together every so often. This was one of the spots they frequented,” I revealed.
“Gods and goddesses come and go from this vale on a regular basis. The laurel leaves that lie at the banks of the river are even used in making the crowns for the victors who triumph at the Pythian Games at Delphi,” Eurydalos enlightened me with.
The Vale of Tempe really was a special place to not only mortals, but the gods, too. This left me questioning how Aristaeus, a vicious and cruel god, could live in such a gorgeous place. How could the surrounding beauty not have an influence on him? Why would someone so callous live in such a peaceful place? His actions and personality surely tarnished the allure of this valley.
Soon enough, Eurydalos paced slightly ahead of us. The winding dirt path we were walking on was no more. It had completely disappeared. Only soft grass lied ahead of us, with a small stone structure in the far distance of the plains.
My lover raised his arm, pointing at it. “That is where Aristaeus lives. I do too when I am needed by him,” Eurydalos hesitantly stated, as if he were ashamed to say it aloud.
“Well, you won’t be staying here for long,” I expressed with a smile on my face.
My remark managed to get a smirk out of him. “I hope so. Now come, let us do what we came here to do.”
And so we pressed on. Eurydalos reached to hold my hand as we ran across the plains towards Aristaeus’s home. As we got closer, I noticed a figure standing outside the house. There were many tiny bugs flying around him. But as we continued approaching the house, I was able to make out that they were actually a swarm of bees he was tending to. I was shocked by how docile they were in his vicinity.
Our jog slowed down into a walk once our steps made enough noise to capture Aristaeus’s attention. He stopped tending to his bees and folded his arms. A scowl was on his face. His eyes focused in on mine and Eurydalos’s hands that were joined together, not once pulling his gaze away even as we moved to stand directly in front of him.
Aristaeus was not what I imagined him to be. He had an olive complexion. His hair was dark and long, accompanied by a thick black beard. Soot covered his face. His arms and hands were full of dried mud and dirt. The man was about my size. For some reason, I pictured him being statuesque, standing much taller than me. Perhaps it was because he was a god. But seeing that he was at my level made me less fearful of this man that now stood before me.
“Eurydalos!” he shouted in anger. “Where have you been!? You were supposed to return here after the king’s coronation. It has now been days since. Get inside now!” Aristaeus demanded, pointing towards his stoned house.
I then stepped forward, blocking Aristaeus from getting anywhere near my lover. “Yes, Eurydalos. Go inside and gather your belongings.”
Eurydalos ran into the house, leaving Aristaeus and me outside alone to talk.
