Page 28 of Hermes
So, my concerns were valid. Aphrodite did listen in on my admission to Crocus earlier. She now knew I had lied to her, and that it was me who led Smilax to her dreadful fate.
“You have to understand. She was a mortal who disrespected me. Such actions from a mortal against a god cannot go without consequence,” I tried to explain.
“No. You cannot use that as an excuse. I warned you, Hermes. You were to never approach Crocus nor Smilax again to begin with. Even you agreed to it, saying you would move on from him. Yet you deliberately disobeyed my command.”
“Despite my claims, I found that I could not part ways with him. I love him. Even you must know my struggle, as the Goddess of love. The heart’s yearnings cannot be ignored. And so, yes. I did return here to Corinth. I had to get Crocus back!” I declared.
She folded her arms over her chest. “Even still, I cannot ignore your actions. This has now been the second time you have went out of your way to disrespect and harm me. And you think I should just let this slide?”
I shook my head. “No. But I just want you to empathize with me. Realize why I did what I did.” Even as I said this aloud, I knew it was all to no avail. Telling Aphrodite to empathize with anyone or anything was already a lost cause. The day she empathized with someone would be the day Prometheus was released from his chains, which would be never.
Aphrodite shrugged. “This is a pointless conversation to be had,” she blatantly stated. “What’s done is done. I will not reverse the curse I put on Crocus, no matter what you might say or do to try and persuade me otherwise.”
Curse she put on Crocus!?
Those words struck me with horror. She was the reason I could not find Crocus. “Where is he!?” I demanded her tell me.
“Just as you had transformed Smilax into the shrub that she is, I too decided to give Crocus a little alteration. At least what I turned him into is a flower much more beautiful and symbolic than what you had made Smilax. Aphrodite eyed the lavender-colored flowers that were on the ground beside me.
My head lowered to scrutinize the gorgeous plant closely, now becoming fully aware of what the Goddess of beauty was insinuating. “You didn’t…” I softly whispered in disbelief.
“But I did. And you should not be surprised. It was the very same fate you gave to Smilax. Why not return the favor? I believe this is fair…”
Fair!?I felt like screaming at the top of my lungs at her. If I could kill Aphrodite right here and now with no consequence, I would. My wrath was now fully awakened. A wrath that I didn’t know I possessed, as I’m sure all the other Olympian gods and goddesses did not know I had either.
“You will shift him back into a mortal human,” I sternly said, while grinding my teeth.
“Or what? Are you going to get your father involved?” She chuckled at her own remark, which only added to my anger. “You see, once Zeus gets the full picture of all that has happened here, I have a feeling he will accept my decision and demand nothing more from me.”
She may have been right. Who knows what Zeus’s verdict would be, but this was the only choice I now had. I would have to go to my father. Clearly, there was no way for me to reason with Aphrodite and persuade her to bring Crocus back to me. This would be my only option, and hopefully the King of the Gods would hear my side of the story and sympathize with me.
“So help us gods, Aphrodite, if you do not change him back, I will be sure to make your existence miserable. For any omen or curse that will happen to you in the very future, know that it was likely me who caused that for you. I will destroy you!”
“Then so be it!” she replied to me. “You don’t think I’m capable of having another enemy? What’s an additional one to the many I already have? You do not scare me, Hermes! Not one bit!”
I glared at her with rage, but before I could utter another word, she spoke up once more. “I’ll leave you to mourn the loss of your lover. A lover that you will never get back.” And with that, she vanished, without a trace.
I glanced all around, but there was no longer any sign of her. I couldn’t think straight. For the first time in my life, I couldn’t rationalize any of my thoughts. All I could do was fall to my knees and weep. Anger, bitterness, heartache, anguish, vengefulness. So many emotions stirred within me.
My hands cupped the bottom of what would be known as the Crocus flower, or saffron, in the far distant future. This was now Crocus. This is what my lover has become. No more would I be able to hear his voice, his moans, his laughs, his cries. Tears dripped from the corner of my eyes and onto his soft petals.
How could I have let this happen? How could I have been outmaneuvered by Aphrodite? I was the god that should be conniving enough to always win over the other gods and whatever mind games they threw my way. Yet I had lost here to Aphrodite. I had never lost since that time I dealt with Apollo and his sacred cattle.
And now, for not being able to withstand Aphrodite, I had lost the love of my life. How I wish I could feel him in this moment. Hold him close to me. Kiss him. Make love to him. I didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye to him.
His last memory as a mortal would be distrusting me. Fearing me. That’s what was most painful about this entire experience, was that Crocus and I could not resolve our disagreement before this fate that befell him. How I wish I could go back in time and change what transpired. I would be more careful, more cautious when all was said and done.
But now, all I had to live with was regret. I remained on the ground beside him for the next several days, just sobbing and weeping from what happened, not daring to leave this spot. I cried for what could have happened with our future together. For what would never become of us.
ACT III
Disrepair
Chapter 17
IstoodinZeus’sthrone room, my head tilted back to be able to see him high up on his throne on the dais. Aphrodite stood beside me, with a bit of space between us. While I wept and cried over Crocus for several days, she had already made her way here to Mount Olympus to recount all that had happened to the King of the Gods. I was certain she embellished much of what actually happened, wanting my father to rule in her favor.
And to think she previously mocked me over the idea of me running to Zeus to have our problems sorted out. Yet here she was, doing that very same thing. Her hypocrisy was oblivious to her. It knew no bounds.
