Seeds (10 page)

     “You most certainly would be better off working on being a better husband than chasing around every maiden that comes along and seeing the hard-to-get ones as a challenge.”

     How many times had Zeus heard that from other goddesses? How many times had he agreed? But invariably, as he saw another pretty face, such admonitions were forgotten.

     “Nothing can change the past. But as my way of apologizing...” Zeus never liked hurting the women he loved, including Hera. He could deliver up splendid apologies, and Hera always took him back At least before he betrayed her one too many times. Other maidens would forgive him too. It was all part of his charm, after all. “You can have her and raise her. I will speak of this to no one.”

     “I also reserve the right to turn other gods away from her. She will not remain a babe forever.”

     “Indeed. But give others a chance! All maidens grow up and need a man to take care of them!” Athene, Artemis, and Hestia had all decided to lead chaste lives, and personally Zeus thought that his daughters and sister were too prudish for their own good. Sex and pleasure were good and natural! It was something that the gods had in common with the mortals.

     “Like you take care of your wife? Or your sons; and the regard they have for their conquests? Your sons are no better than you. No. Forget she exists.”

     Zeus could see that Demeter's mind was made up, so he shrugged. Kora would not remain a babe forever, and he would take action then. He could wait. Once Demeter had made her mind about something, she was as unmoving as the earth itself. Besides, Demeter did have a point. If Hera found out... And he wouldn't have to worry about the upbringing of one of his many children... and he did grudgingly owe his sister for his trickery...

     “Very well. Do as you see fit. I am sorry about what happened. Take Kora and keep her safe.” His voice was filled with a firmness that was edged with remorse. If Demeter heard the remorse, she gave no indication of it. She regarded him silently for a moment before turning away from him.

Chapter VI

o0o

     Kora let out a loud giggle before she stifled herself, darting between the rows of wheat that her father had planted, hiding from Phemos. The soft rustle of an eleven-year-old boy making his way through the veritable jungle of thick stalks and leaves met her ears, and she darted back when a tanned hand suddenly reached through the wall of growth, barely missing her arm. She shrieked in delight and bolted through the thin path that the neatly-planted rows afforded, hearing her cousin behind her, off to her left in the next row.

     When she broke free of the leaves, Phemos grabbed her from behind, his slender but strong arms wrapping around her wrist before she found herself spun through the air. She kicked her legs and laughed as she tried to reach behind, swatting him around his head. He grinned, his thick black curls glistening in the sun as he shot her a toothy grin, a gap in the upper row showing where he had lost a tooth a couple of days ago.

     “You should know you can't hide from me, Kora,” he boasted as he set her down.

     “You're the one who keeps chasing after me!” she laughed. Growing up, he had always been her closest playmate, even when she had plenty of neighbor boys and girls to play with.

     “Oh, but you're too fun to chase,” he shot back. She smirked back and pushed him away playfully.

     “I thought you were supposed to be at home taking care of Eraphus?” she asked. She had seen Grandmother, Ptheia, and her cousin Alestis head off to the village to visit some of their friends and trade for some dyes, leaving Phemos behind to take care of his younger sibling while his father and uncle worked outside. Little Eraphus was a handful, and would inevitably stir up some kind of trouble if there wasn't someone to keep an eye on him.

     “Oh, I told him that if he did not behave himself, the Furies would get him,” Phemos replied offhandedly while Kora gaped at him. Mother didn't talk much about her family, but she had learned of the Furies from the tales Demeter shared with Iasion and the rest of his family.

     Sure, Eraphus was a high-spirited child who was constantly getting into trouble due to his own insatiable curiosity, but nothing he had ever done was done out of malice, and she knew that the dread Kindly Ones wouldn't bother themselves with a little boy when there were wicked mortals like Sisyphus or Tantalus.

     “You should not have said that,” she chided. Being the daughter of a goddess and seeing her mother use her powers gave her a healthy respect for the supernatural. Before her cousin could retort, both of them heard a high wail come from Hyalos's house, and Kora narrowed her eyes at her cousin.

     “I
told
you,” she chastised him as she wiggled under the fence that separated her uncle's field from her father's own, and ran towards the house, fearing the worst. She didn't see her uncle anywhere and figured he might be up in the hills where the vineyards were. Before she or Phemos could reach the door, a dark-haired little boy – a smaller version of his older brother – came out crying, covered in something wet and sticky that was in a moment recognized to be honey. It took several minutes to get him sufficiently calmed down enough to speak coherently.

     “I.... I was hungry,” Eraphus sniffled, his hair matted with the sticky golden substance, a good amount of it making its slow, oozing way down his knee-length tunic. Kora could easily guess what had happened. He had probably tried to get something off a shelf and had tipped over a jar of honey. A peek through the door revealed shards of the jar scattered along the floor, along with an ever-widening puddle of honey. It was fascinating to see the thick liquid slowly creep along the floor.

     “Mamma gonna be mad,” Phemos muttered, scolding his brother. Kora raised an eyebrow.

     “Look who's talking,” she interjected, “Your father is working in the field all day, and all that is asked of you is to look after a little boy for a bit of time!” She turned to her younger cousin. “Better get that honey off you before you attract the ants. And the floor has to be cleaned up too.”

     “You clean it,” Phemos declared.

     “Me? Why?”

     “You're a girl. Girls cook and clean and do laundry and the men work outside, doing manly work.”

     “And you 'manly men' would not be able to eat a good meal or have clean clothes if your mother did none of that!” Kora snapped back. Ptheia was a good wife and mother, but having two boys could be a handful, especially because her belly had started to swell a couple of months ago with her fourth child.

     “See, girls keep things clean and the men keep them safe.” Phemos placed his hands on his hips, puffing out his chest in a way that struck Kora as comical.

     “You're not my husband, and it was
you
who failed the duty your mother thought you were old and responsible enough to perform,” she coolly reminded him.

     “C'mon. For me?” He grinned, showing a dimple in his left cheek, the same dimple that Iasion and his brothers shared. She had no dimple of her own.

     “No.” The girl shook her head, her thick braid swinging back and forth. She looked at Eraphus and held out her hand, holding back a soft sigh.

     “I will take Eraphus to the well and get him cleaned up. The floor is easier to clean than a child, so you can have that task. Better do it unless you want your mother to know what happened,” she pointed out. Before Phemos could argue, she had the hand of the younger child, leading him outside.

     “Oh, why do you seem unable to stay out of trouble?” she scolded him as she stripped him of his tunic, leaving him naked under the sun as she threw it in the bucket of water she had drawn up.

     “I was hungry.”

     “I know, but could you not have gotten something else? Something more within your reach?” she asked, shaking her head. Ptheia kept a dish of dried fruit for the children to help themselves to. Apparently Eraphus found the lure of honey to be more enticing than a piece of dried fruit – and Kora didn't blame him. Honey was wonderful!

     Once the garment had been soaked and wrung out, she concentrated on the power within her. With care and concentration, she directed the energy at the damp fabric, and the water rose from it in a gentle steam. The child received several bucketfuls of water over his head amidst his protests at the almost-frigid temperature of his shower, instructed by his cousin to run his fingers through his thick curls and work out the honey. The result was a happy and mostly dry child.

     “Next time you decide to try something, think before you do it!” she chided. “Your mother works so hard around here, and if you would settle and behave, she would be happy.”

     “I know,” Eraphus pouted. “But I get bored and I want to do things and then people tell me I am too little.” He crossed his arms, and Kora found herself being struck with a burst of compassion and understanding, remembering when she had been this child's age, and how protective her parents were of her – and still were.

     “I was little too once. Everyone was little. But if you are a good boy, you will grow up into a strong man!”

     “Promise?” he asked as he looked up at her with big dark eyes. She laughed and nodded.

     “Of course.”

     “Kora!” She heard her mother's voice across the fields, and looked in Demeter's direction, barely seeing her above the rows of wheat. “Come here now!”

     “Go back in the house. Help your brother clean up. And this time, please try to not get anything off the shelves!” she wagged her fingers at him before she bounded along the ground, her slim legs bringing here over to Demeter within moments. Her mother did not dress to catch attention and was comfortable in the same garb that her neighbors wore.

     This day was an apparent exception, for the gown she now wore was of a fine material that Kora had never seen, a vibrant shade of green that matched the rolling waves of grass in the uncultivated areas of the valley. Her hair was pinned up, looking almost like a crown, the golden-brown tresses glinting in the sun. Around her waist was the girdle that Hephaistos had made for her years ago. Once, when Kora had been admiring that girdle, Mother had told her that Hephaistos made it for her so she would have something pretty to wear for Father.

     Kora had never seen her mother so... Goddess-like. There even seemed to be a soft glow around her – Demeter had thrown off every bit of her guise of mortality – and this vision of her mother was almost foreign to the girl.

     “Mother.” Kora tilted her head to one side. Despite her radiance, her mother seemed unhappy.

     “What is the matter, Mother?”

     “The King of the Gods wishes to see us,” Demeter said.
Commanded
, was the truth. But she knew that if she did not honor her brother's message, Zeus would come down here.

     “... Oh.” Kora had never met any other god or goddess, though she knew of them through the stories shared amongst the village. But her knowledge of the divine side of her family was no greater than that of anyone else in the village, because Mother didn't like to talk about her family. But mighty Zeus himself! What was Mount Olympus like?

     Demeter glanced at her daughter, seeing the loose wisps of hair around her face and the calf-length light green chiton she wore, woven with green leaves and bright red poppies along the hem, courtesy of her loving grandmother. After the land had become good and Eurycleia's hands didn't hurt so much, she weaved with a passion. She could sit for hours, chatting with others or merely sitting by herself in the sun, and dye, spin, or weave, ensuring that her family and grandchildren had no end of clothing or blankets. It was almost hard to believe that over a decade ago, her hands had been too twisted and arthritic to even consider doing fine work like this.

     “Go put on that green tunic you wear when you help us in the fields.”

     “But this is the King of the Gods we are seeing! What about that new chiton Grandmother gave me for the spring festival?” she asked. The cloth in question was a rosy pink, with green and blue woven along the edges.

     “Do as I say.” Mother placed her hands on her hips. Kora frowned but went to do as her mother asked, exchanging her chiton for the plainer outfit. There was nothing wrong with it; the light green fabric was comfortable and recently washed, so there was no dirt on it. But it was lacking in embroidery and was rather plain and a little baggy. Why was Mother dressed so nicely when she had to wear something drab?

     Kora came out in her changed outfit, and Demeter nodded approvingly. Clean and plain, just the way she wanted. She wasn't trying to make her daughter look drab out of any spite or jealousy, but there was no denying that Kora was a pretty child, and she wanted to downplay that, drawing Zeus's attention to herself. The less interest Zeus took in her daughter, the better.

o0o

     Kora had spent her entire life on the earth, and the only water she had ever seen were the ponds, lakes, and streams that ran freely through the valley. The openness of the domain of the gods overwhelmed her, especially with the silence that pervaded the place. Why were there no other gods here? Wasn't Olympus the home for many gods, and the meeting-place for all of them? She glanced around at the buildings and pavilions, at the white and sometimes pastel-rainbow hued marble as her mother led her along, a firm grip on her right hand. The bushes and gardens were immaculately kept, the fountains and pools clean and pristine, but she barely had time to see one thing before she was pulled away from it. There was no time for sightseeing, as it was clear to Kora that her mother wanted to get this over with. Despite her daughter's questions, Demeter was very mum about the entire affair. Was Mother angry with the other gods?

     Kora almost stumbled when they climbed the high steps to their destination due to her mother's brisk pace, and it was clear from the mosaic-work on the floor within the building – clouds and lightning against a light blue background – that this place belonged to Zeus.

     And then there he was – the ruler of Olympus himself on a grand throne of carved white marble that was accented with gold-work. Sky-blue fabric covered his body, gathered at one shoulder with a golden pin in the shape of an eagle with outstretched wings. He was an impressive sight, tall even when seated, his skin a radiant and healthy tan in sharp contrast with his pale hair and beard. His eyes were the color of a bright afternoon sky, attentive and piercing as he gazed at his former lover and their daughter.

     Kora's mother regarded Zeus with stony silence while the girl gazed at him for a moment before lowering her eyes.

     “Thank you for coming,” Kora heard Zeus say. His voice was deep and strong, undeniably masculine, the tones filled with strength.

     “You have seen Kora. Are you satisfied?” Demeter asked. Kora's suspicions of her mother not getting along with her family was confirmed by the tension she felt in the air.

     “There is no need to be worried. I told you years ago that I wished to avoid trouble. I just wanted to see how she has grown.” Zeus sounded so kind and concerned that she couldn't imagine why her mother might be angry at all. His attention turned to her, and he gave her a warm smile.

     “Come here, will you let me have a closer look at you?” He offered her his hand, and suddenly she felt her mother's hand grip her shoulder fiercely. She was sure her mother didn't mean it, but the grip hurt a little.