The Coming of Aphrodite Pt. 04

Chapter 10

Reconciliation and Ruin

ZORAVELINA WAS NOT happy.

She had arisen at daybreak and washed herself, then checked in Hypergamy's room to see whether she was there. The bed was disarrayed with the covers thrown back, which was unusual for her. Hypergamy generally left things neat and tidy before going into the garden for morning prayers. She would also get dressed first ... and yet there were her sandals under the chair and her gown folded on the seat. Dreading what she would discover but unable to stop herself, Zoravelina tiptoed along the balcony walkway that led to the master bedroom. When she got there, she didn't even have to put her ear to the door - Hypergamy's sighs, punctuated by the occasional grunt from her husband, were clearly audible. Feeling her throat tighten and her face burn, Zoravelina turned on her heel and marched away.

She splashed water on her face and calmed down before having breakfast with her children. As Hypergamy had not joined them for three days, she was barely mentioned and Zoravelina was able to maintain her composure. But after the children went to their lessons and neither Hypergamy nor her husband had appeared downstairs, Zoravelina called for Yiorgos and the two of them left the house to go into town.

They first walked to a row of artisan stalls at the market, where Zoravelina felt the urge to spend her husband's money on something useless and expensive. Fortunately, Yiorgos was able to suggest some items the household might actually need and that proved to be a satisfactory outlet for her desire for payback. She then dropped in on Planina, the eldest of her three younger sisters, who was also married to a merchant in Iolcos, although he was not as rich as Syphon. Planina was something of a chatterbox, which in Zoravelina's current mood was a welcome and even amusing distraction. Among the four sisters, Zoravelina was known as 'the boring one' and as Planina was giving her advice on how she might spice up her no-doubt predictable life, Zoravelina found herself thinking, 'If only you knew'.

But her good mood began to evaporate as she walked home with Yiorgos. It was mid-afternoon and Zoravelina was tortured by the possibility that Hypergamy and her husband might still be in bed together. Despite Hypergamy's assertions to the contrary, Zoravelina still found it hard to believe that a woman could actually enjoy sex with that man. Her own experiences with him had been dismal, especially their wedding night, but she had always put that down to bad luck. Some men are born with the sexual equivalent of a great singing voice while other men are tone deaf, and it was her misfortune to have married a man in the latter category. The thought that Syphon might be a good lover with a different woman had never occurred to Zoravelina, and yet her own sexual experience with Hypergamy now made that a distinct possibility. And it was a painful one.

At the gate of the house, the guard informed her that Syphon had left by chariot a couple of hours earlier; he would not be returning until tomorrow evening. Zoravelina kept her expression neutral as she acknowledged the message and went down the pathway towards the house. She wondered whether Hypergamy would continue to avoid her, but as she walked into the atrium, there was Hypergamy sunning herself on a stone bench.

The woman leapt up with such a smile on her face that Zoravelina felt her heart melt. Hypergamy was wearing a blue dress, her long hair was brushed and pulled away from her face, and she looked absolutely gorgeous. Zoravelina turned away, not yet ready to let go of her anger. She looked around for a servant to bark orders at, but the two women were alone. Hypergamy went up to her.

'Are you upset with me?' she said.

'What do you think?' said Zoravelina.

'I think you should talk to me.'

'Oh, really? Am I allowed? Is it now permitted?'

Hypergamy sighed.

'Zora, I'm sorry,' she said. 'I know I was pushing you away, but I needed time to think.'

'Hypergamy, I'm not angry about that! I understand! Of course I understand! But...'

Zoravelina turned away. She covered her eyes with her hand, as though suddenly afflicted with a terrible headache.

'Why did you go to him?' she said. 'Why didn't you come to me?'

Zoravelina stood with her eyes screwed shut, waiting for an answer. Yet when Hypergamy's arms snaked around her from behind and she felt Hypergamy's breasts and body press against her back, the lady realised she had been secretly hoping Hypergamy would do this. Zoravelina wanted to be angry, but she also wanted to be touched ... and Hypergamy so understood that. If lovemaking was a skill comparable to a great singing voice, then Hypergamy was an Orpheus of the bedroom. Zoravelina pressed herself backwards and felt the other woman's mouth by her ear.

'I will answer each and every one of your questions,' whispered Hypergamy. 'But only when we're naked together.'

'That's not fair.'

'I don't care about fair. I care about getting what I want.'

Zoravelina felt a hand cover her breast, the thumb exploring the nipple through her gown. The tip of a tongue gently teased her earlobe into a pair of waiting lips. Zoravelina immediately felt wet between her legs, her breath coming out in a gasp.

'Stop...' she said.

The lips gently sucked. The hand gently massaged the breast. Zoravelina felt her legs begin to buckle.

'No ... please...' she said.

From inside the house came the shout of a child. Both women sprang apart, Zoravelina slowing her breathing and fanning herself with her hands, Hypergamy taking a few steps away and straightening her blue dress. Callista ran out of the house, closely followed by Castor, a rolled-up piece of parchment in his hand.

'Hypergamy!' cried Callista. 'You're back!'

'Well ... I was never really away,' said Hypergamy with a big smile.

'Hey, I've done some writing!' said Castor, waving the parchment. 'Do you want to see?'

'Um...'

Hypergamy aimed a concerned look at the other woman and Zoravelina realised she was worried about offending her. According to the unspoken rules of love, Castor should have wanted to show his mother first. But Zoravelina wasn't the least bit bothered. She gave Hypergamy a big smile to signal her approval and then went over to join her as the boy knelt to unroll the parchment.

*

Night had fallen and the women were in bed.

Zoravelina was on her back and Hypergamy lay half on top of her, kissing her and running a hand over the other woman's body. There were times Zoravelina felt guilty about how often Hypergamy was the giver and she the receiver, but not tonight. If anything, Zoravelina felt entitled to a little self-indulgence. Hypergamy was making her way from the other woman's lips towards her neck, and Zoravelina put a hand onto Hypergamy's head and gently pushed it down to her breasts. Hypergamy immediately went to work.

Zoravelina closed her eyes as she felt the bud of her nipple being sucked and licked and nipped and caressed. To her, Hypergamy's mouth was a miracle of nature, especially her tongue. The green eyes may be captivating, even mesmerising, but that tongue ... Zoravelina felt it flatten out over her areola, then leave a trail of warm saliva that cooled in the air as the tongue licked its way over to the other breast. As the second nipple began to receive the same attention as the first, Zoravelina let out a deep, almost masculine grunt, not dissimilar to the man's grunt she had heard through the door that morning. This same tongue had caressed its way around her husband's cock. Suddenly, Zoravelina felt her desire evaporate.

'Damn,' she said quietly to herself.

One of the things Zoravelina loved about Hypergamy was her ability to sense a shift in the energy. With her husband, she'd have to say, 'No, stop...' but not with Hypergamy. She stopped what she was doing, gave the nipple a brief 'See you later' kiss, and then looked up. Zoravelina could see that the other woman was not the least bit upset or offended, and she felt a burst of love and appreciation for her. She took her hand and Hypergamy moved upwards to join her, moving her legs so that their bodies could entwine while they talked. Zoravelina looked the other woman in the eyes.

'I'm sorry about this,' she said.

'Don't be silly,' said Hypergamy. 'What's on your mind?'

'I need to know why you went to my husband last night. And why ... and why you spent the entire morning with him.'

Hypergamy nodded seriously. She considered what she would say and began.

'This is what I see,' she said. 'Before this news about the temple, you and I were essentially a couple. I would sleep in your bed, be your lover and companion, and when it came to your husband ... well, I would basically give him enough sex to keep him happy so that he wouldn't interfere with us.'

'And you were trying to get pregnant.'

'Yes, but mainly to consolidate my position here. The unspoken plan was for you and I to live together, taking care of the house and the children—both yours and mine—with Syphon like a lion watching over his lionesses, but not really being involved.'

Hypergamy looked at Zoravelina, her expression inviting her to disagree. Zoravelina sighed and moved her leg so that their bodies could be touching even more.

'So what changed?' she said.

'I became a priestess of Aphrodite.'

'You're not a priestess yet.'

'I am in here.'

Hypergamy tapped her chest with a finger.

Zoravelina frowned and said: 'I still don't see why you went to my husband's bed in the middle of the night.'

She left out the words 'instead of mine'. Hypergamy seemed to chew on her own words before speaking them out loud.

'I've seen two versions of your husband,' she said. 'The first is a man who believes that love and sex is a kind of war between men and women. And that using his power and position to get sex unethically is better than not getting it at all.'

Zoravelina's face darkened. Hypergamy could feel the sudden tension in the other woman's body, but she continued speaking.

'But that day in the andron, I saw a second version of him,' she said. 'I saw a man who understands that true power lies with the gods, and that whether or not we fulfil our destiny depends on our willingness to listen to them.'

Hypergamy took Zoravelina's chin and turned her head to face her.

'And you know that better than anyone,' said Hypergamy, 'because when push came to shove, you stood with your husband.'

Zoravelina swallowed and her eyes teared up.

'That still doesn't explain why you went to him.'

'I had a choice to make, my darling. Do I deal with Syphon as the first man or the second? Do I treat him as a man I'm at war with, throwing him sex the way you throw meat to a dog, all the while scheming to punish him for it? Or do I go to him of my own free will, bearing in mind that this is a man willing to face a king on my behalf?'

Now it was Hypergamy's eyes that filled with tears. She rolled off the bed, breaking their contact, and landed on her feet. She stood with her hands on her hips, then she turned to face the woman on the bed. Zoravelina saw defiance in the other woman's gaze.

'Your husband loves me,' said Hypergamy. 'And I believe his love is sincere. Now, I cannot return that love, but I can do everything in my power to support the second man against the first. I liked the version of Syphon who told us to sit down because he had something to say! And more than that ... I was aroused by it!'

Hypergamy straightened her back so that her breasts stood out. Her green eyes glittered in the flame of the lamp.

'So in answer to your question, Zora,' she said. 'I went to him because I wanted to.'

*

Syphon had spent the night in the upstairs room where he and Hypergamy had met for afternoon sex. He awoke at his usual early hour, got dressed in chiton and cloak, and went for a long, vigorous walk. He ended up by a circuitous route at the agora and went up the steps to the Temple of Hermes. Syphon wanted to pray and offer his thanks, but he was also hoping to see the young priest. Syphon remembered being somewhat dismissive the last time and he now regretted that. However, his luck was out - the priest wasn't there. So, after prayers, Syphon left the temple and went back to his rooms to have something to eat and change into his magistrate's toga. He then returned to the agora, this time heading for the bouleuterion.

Syphon spent his morning taking care of the usual business. However, as the hour approached noon, he was in his office when he heard a commotion from the corridors. He rose from his desk and was about to make his way to the doorway when a soldier from the palace guard walked in. The soldier, a hard-looking man of about Syphon's age, took off his helmet, gave the magistrate a curt nod and announced the purpose of his visit.

'Magistrate Syphon,' he said. 'I have been instructed to escort you to the palace.'

'Why?'

'The king wishes to speak with you.'

'For what reason?'

'I'm sure His Majesty will make his reasons known when you get there, sir.'

The soldier put his helmet back on and stood to the side of the doorway. His meaning could not have been plainer. Syphon considered a moment, then gathered his toga about himself and went with him.

It was a walk of maybe fifteen minutes to the palace. The sun was high and Syphon dripped with sweat under his garments, but he kept his expression stoic and expressionless. When they entered the palace grounds, the soldier took Syphon through a side entrance, which confirmed the magistrate's suspicions. Today was the king's regular fortnightly meeting with the Fourth Magistracy and the king no doubt wanted to avoid having Syphon bump into the other magistrates on their way out. The soldier took Syphon to the administration wing of the palace via a different route. When they entered the building and went through the corridor and into the antechamber, Syphon saw a guard standing outside the door to the meeting room. The guard stepped aside for the senior officer and the soldier opened the door and turned to the magistrate.

'Would you wait in here, sir?' he said. 'The king will be along shortly.'

Syphon stepped into the room and the door was closed behind him. The large table was surrounded by chairs, all unoccupied except for one. Nomikos had been sat at the table with his head in his hands, but now that head snapped up at Syphon's appearance. The moment the door was closed, he leapt up and almost ran around the table, his face red with fury.

'You and your damned women!' he spluttered.

'Calm yourself, Nomikos.'

'I should have known not to have anything to do with you!'

'Nomikos ... there is a guard outside who almost certainly has orders to report anything he overhears.'

'Why should I care? You're the one who created this mess!'

Syphon straightened up and folded his arms, tightening the toga around his torso. He looked towards a small window, as though giving the question serious thought, but the silence seemed to remind Nomikos that the other man was much bigger than he was. He took a half step away, while still trying to maintain his accusatory stance. Syphon looked back at him.

'I don't see what we've done wrong,' he said.

'The king thinks we've been plotting behind his back!'

'Plotting?' Syphon seemed disgusted by the word. 'Since when is putting together a plan "plotting"?'

'Because it's about the temple!'

'But why is it so important to him? I mean, you said something about his mother, but what exactly?'

'Does it matter?'

'Of course it matters! Besides, you were the one who found it a shame to have that building doing nothing.'

'Yes, that doesn't mean we wanted to install one of your whores!'

Syphon glared at the other man and Nomikos's face went from red to white. He backed away, stumbling against chairs, as Syphon's chest seemed to expand and his hands opened and closed into fists. Nomikos went behind a chair and drew in a breath to call for the guard. Then Syphon picked up his own chair and slammed it aside, making Nomikos jump. Syphon sat himself down, put one hand onto the tabletop, and looked across at the other man, raising an eyebrow.

'Take a seat and relax,' said Syphon. 'If I know the king, we're in for a long wait.'

*

King Pelias considered himself to be a reasonable man. He knew there was a difference between his subjects' obedience and their genuine respect, and he liked to think he inspired the latter. It was one of the reasons he was careful about how he wielded his kingly authority.

But he had lost patience with Syphon. The man was clearly besotted with this foreign woman and seemed unable to exercise any discretion. But the rumours buzzing around the bouleuterion were not the only problem - the king had also heard that the man's wife no longer patronised the Temple of Hera. Queen Valissa was friendly with many of the priestesses and one of them had shared a very troubling exchange. Apparently, Syphon's wife had threatened to start her own Temple of Aphrodite! Pelias had promised the queen he would get to the bottom of this, and he remembered that the magistrate Nomikos had recently made a proposal with regard to the temple building. So, after his regular meeting with the Fourth Magistracy, the king had asked Nomikos to walk with him to the residential part of the palace and then he dropped a question about the old temple.

Nomikos instantly folded, gushing information like a water spring from a mountainside. Pelias made a mental note of how quickly the magistrate capitulated, but that did not stop him from getting angry at what he was hearing. The news that Syphon and his wife had showed up at the temple was a particularly disturbing detail. After Nomikos finished spilling the beans, the king ordered him to wait in the meeting room and dispatched a soldier to bring Syphon to join him. The king almost ordered another two guards to take this Hypergamy woman to the Temple of Hera, but he stayed his hand. Pelias believed in the principle of hearing both sides of a story before passing judgement, and he forced himself to abide by it here.

The king had just started his midday meal when a soldier of the palace guard came in to inform him that the magistrate Syphon was now in the meeting room with Nomikos. Pelias saw no reason not to finish his meal and he took his time eating, only asking the guard to report back if the two men said anything interesting. After wiping his mouth with a napkin, the king made his leisurely way to the administration wing, accompanied by his bodyguard. The guard at the door bowed and opened it to grant entry.

The two magistrates were sitting at far ends of the table, but both immediately sprang to their feet to bow. The king sensed the animosity between the two men and decided that questioning them together would not be as productive as he thought. He turned to Nomikos and spoke in a voice of deliberate courtesy.

'Thank you for waiting,' he said. 'You may go.'

The small man's face reddened, but any protest at having his time wasted was squashed by his sense of self-preservation. With a bow and a garbled 'Your Majesty', Nomikos held onto his toga and scurried from the room. The bodyguard closed the door and placed himself before it, while the king went to sit at the head of the table. Syphon remained standing, his head still bowed, waiting to be addressed.

'So,' said King Pelias. 'I understand that you're planning to reopen the Temple of Aphrodite?'

'Your Majesty, I was merely putting together a proposal,' said Syphon. 'Only you have the authority to reopen the temple.'