Goddess

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A note from the authoress:

This, while fictional, is based on a possibly true story - ergo, a legend - told about the Aphrodite of Cnidus. I first heard of it while I was reading Lucien's Amores, and if you read that to hear the story, it is in parts 15 and 16. Otherwise, I'm sure there are other versions of the story out there. Just a word to the wise... if you are offended by homosexuality, while this story contains none, don't read the rest of Amores.
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The noise was barely perceptible as his footsteps padded on the carpet, making their way to the balcony.

He could feel the cool breeze as it blew across his bare skin, straight from the ocean crashing against the rocky shore. He loved this moment, dawn, standing above the powerful ocean screaming Poseidon's fury.

Perhaps the sea god simply didn't want to be up this early.

And best of all was the privacy. His family's house was extremely large, seeing as they were incredibly wealthy, and his room had this balcony looking out over the ocean, where no one could see him, no one could bother him.

He blinked and jumped as a spray from a particularly large wake sprinkled his bare legs. That was the one downside of this balcony – if one could call it that. He really didn't mind that much.

Of course, there was still the problem of Euthalia.

She was so... stuffy. She had began pestering him for more time, more attention... how long would it be before she mentioned that dreaded word – marriage? He did not want to marry her. She wasn't ugly, but, frankly, he was getting bored.

And besides, she was so... common. His was one of the most important families in all Athens. It was his duty to marry a woman whose bloodline was worthy of him.

He walked inside with a sigh. It was going to have to end, and soon.

Euthalia was awake. She blinked and sat up in his bed as he finished getting dressed.

“Dion?”

“Good morning, Euthalia,” he said flatly.

“Is something the matter?” she asked, her lips turning downward in a frown.

“Euthalia...” he said, sighing as he straightened after putting on his sandals. “I don't think this is going to work out.”

Her dark eyes widened in hurt. He felt a twinge of guilt, but forced it back down.

“Dionysus?” Her voice was trembling. “What... what do you mean?”

“I think it's time we moved on.”

Her mouth dropped open. “You're leaving me?” Her eyes were filling with tears. Women.

“I'm sorry, Euthalia. The servants will show you out.” He left, closing the door behind him.

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“You left her.”

Thales’ voice was full of disapproval. He had never liked Dion’s promiscuous ways.

“Well, yeah.”

Thales scowled. “What, Agape wasn’t enough? Or Circe? Or-“

“All right, all right!” Dion hurriedly cut of Thales’ tirade. “Calm down. It’s no big deal.”

“No big deal? No big deal? Dion, is it entertaining to you? Do you enjoy hurting people? You must have broken the hearts of half the women in Athens!”

Dion blinked in the face of Thales’ wrath, baffled. “Why are you so angry? You’ve never gone of on me like this. Ever. Why now?”

“Maybe it’s different this time!”

“How is it different?”

To Dion’s surprise, Thales blushed and looked at the ground. “Just is,” he muttered.

Dion frowned. “What was going on? “It’s only Euthalia. She’s just an ordinary girl. Nothing special.”

Thales’ head snapped up. “How dare you?” he snarled. “The only thing important to you is using your empty promises and that face of yours to get women into bed!”

Well, he couldn’t blame them, Dion thought. With his height, powerful physique, golden hair, and blue eyes, he was considered the prize catch of Athens. Yet somehow, he didn’t think Thales would appreciate hearing that.

Wait! That was it! His friend was just jealous of his good looks. Thales was smaller, slimmer, and darker – almost feminine. It wasn’t his fault, then. Dion figured that appeasing him would probably work.

“You’re right,” Dion sighed.

Thales blinked. “I am?”

Dion nodded. “Absolutely.” He sighed again. “Perhaps… perhaps I should leave Athens for a bit. Clear my head. Change myself.”

A grin was beginning to form on Thales’ face. “That’s a great idea. I have some relatives in Cnidus. We can stay with them!”

Dion smiled, a smile, as he was often told, of the gods.

“Thank you, Thales.”

Thales grinned back. “Go home and pack. We leave tonight.”

They said their farewells, and parted ways. Dion smiled to himself as he made his way back home.

No, it wouldn’t do at all to be in Athens when Euthalia’s family found out about their little... relationship.

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“It’s beautiful,” Dion said to Thales, meaning every word. Cnidus, though not as wonderful as Athens, had its own special something. He gazed appreciatively at the architecture as they made their way to the temple of Aphrodite.

“The statue, it’s lovely!” Thales had assured him. “One of the finest sculptures in Greece. And it’s so real. It was made by Praxiteles himself.”

As the temple came into sight, he smiled. Surely she couldn’t be that wonderful. It was only a statue, after all.

Then his mouth fell open as the goddess came into sight.

If Thales had been guilty of falsehood, it was because he had understated her beauty. No wonder she was the goddess of love: he could see how the mere sight of her could inspire all of the beautiful works he had read about her and more. In all his nineteen years, out of all the women he had been with, none had ever been half as lovely as this. The form was perfectly proportioned, everything a man could want in a woman’s body. Yet, the careful placement of her hands indicated a shy modesty that would be maddening, but promised ecstasy once the difficult work of seduction was complete. He was close enough to touch her now, and was reaching out to do so when the unthinkable happened.

“You are quite correct about the ecstasy,” a tinkling, melodic voice laughed.

At first he looked around wildly, uncomprehending, but then the voice spoke again.

“In front of you, Dionysus.”

He froze and allowed his eyes to move up of their own accord to look into the face of the goddess.

Her face had changed, now wearing a small, seductive grin below glittering, alive eyes.

“A… Aphrodite?” he whispered. “Is it truly you?”

The smile widened.

“Oh… Beautiful Lady…” He was too shocked to say anything intelligent.

“Shh,” she whispered. “Come tomorrow. Alone.”

He nodded, dumbfounded.

“If you can’t come,” she purred, “or if there is someone else here, come the next day. I will wait for you, Dionysus.”

He nodded. “Yes, Lady.”

“Who are you talking to?”

Thales’ voice next to his ear made him jump.

“You didn’t see that? Or hear it?” Dion asked, his voice hoarse.

Thales eyed him oddly. “Hear what?”

Dion sighed. “Nothing. No one.”

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The problem with Aphrodite, Dion decided, was that she was so perfect.

For it was this perfection that drew the crowds to her, day after day, never allowing him a moment alone. For a week, impatience had been gnawing at him and the ache in his groin had been growing.

“You’re going again?” Thales asked him in exasperation on the seventh day since they had first seen her. “Dion, there are more things to do in Cnidus than stare at Aphrodite!”

“I know! And I’ve been doing them with you! I don’t stay all day, just a few hours until closing time. That’s when it’s the least crowded.”

"Two and a half hours yesterday. Two the day before. And if you leave now, you’ll be there for three today. Face it, Dion. You’re obsessed.”

Dion rubbed his eyes. Perhaps he was. Perhaps he was even insane. His dreams had been tormented by elusive goddesses every night, and he had seen no sign of life from the goddess since the first day. Had he simply imagined it?

“This is the last day, Thales. I promise it.”

Thales nodded. “Good.”

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Dion paced anxiously around the temple, ignoring the odd looks he got. It was almost closing time, and not once had he been alone in the temple with Aphrodite. This was his last day at the temple, and he was going to be here alone with her. Damn the cost.

He heard the announcement of closing time and bit his lip. No luck. His eyes wandered around the walls, taking in the architecture. Then before he had time to change his mind, he slipped into one of the shadowed niches to wait.

He was certain that the pounding of his heart was audible to all, but no one spotted him as they closed up for the day. He waited, hardly daring to breathe, until he was certain that everyone had left. He walked out of his hiding place on nearly trembling legs and approached the goddess.

She was as still as a statue, with no sign of life at all. For one awful moment, he was terrified that the goddess had merely been his imagination.

Then she blinked.

“Dionysus,” she whispered in a silky, beautiful voice. “You came.”

He nodded in awe. “Yes, lady.”

She laughed as she stepped down, stretching her arms and taking down her hair as her color changed from gray stone to rosy skin. He watched the perfect form, unable to move his eyes.

“You… you’re real?”

She gave him a beautiful smile. He stared at her, entranced. “Of course, Dionysus. Come. Feel my flesh.”

He tentatively put out his hands and touched her. She smiled seductively and stepped closer, whispering in his ear.

“Feel all of me.”

It was surreal; indeed, there were moments when he was certain that it was a wonderful, heavenly dream. He had no idea what happened to his clothes; perhaps he had removed them, perhaps she had. The only thing he could concentrate on was pushing that perfect body to the ground, skin now warmer and softer than any mortal woman, and burying himself in her. They both cried out more than once, and it found surprising that no one heard them. Dion seemed to be filled with an unearthly vigor, perhaps from the goddess, that allowed the two to couple for hours, with only a little rest in between.

Dion considered it his greatest triumph: seducing a goddess.

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“Dionysus,” she panted, tracing a finger down his chest.

“Mm?” he asked sleepily. It had taken a while, but he was finally spent and happy. Perhaps later they would continue.

“I don’t think you should sneak here night after night,” she continued, fingers still tracing patterns on his chest. “Besides, you live in Athens. So I want you to come to Olympus with me. Become my lover. I think we could arrange to have you made into a god. You’re beautiful enough.”

He blinked, surprised. A god! How fitting! And he could stay with Aphrodite forever. He was in love with the goddess, infatuated as never before.

“I would very much like that, Beautiful Lady.”

“Good.” He watched her stand, skin gleaming in the moonlight. “Put on your clothes. We’re going now.”

His fingers were clumsy with excitement, but he managed to get dressed eventually. She led him out of the temple and into the moonlight, all the way to the sea. She gestured, and a bridge appeared, shining and golden.

“We follow this to Olympus,” she said, smiling, as he walked towards her.

He didn’t even notice Thales, calling his name and running towards him. He had been gone too long: his friend had come to find him and now saw him, alone, heading towards the sea.

The goddess beckoned to Dion, and he set first one foot on the bridge, then another. He had taken a few steps when he looked up at her. She smiled brilliantly…

Then there was nothing beneath him, and he fell, crashing into the sea.

He floundered, half-stunned, as he sank beneath the waves, wondering what had happened. Then he saw her, above him, emitting a soft light. He tried to reach for her, but she just smirked and waved mockingly.

No!

“Aphrodite…” he tried to call, but he could just watch in horror as only bubbles escaped from his lips. He could feel a tight pain in his chest and noticed his vision beginning to fade… And then there was darkness.

Only darkness.

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Poseidon sighed as he watched the light fade from the youth’s eyes. He glanced at the goddess above him.

“What was that all about?”

The goddess just shrugged.

Poseidon raised an eyebrow. “Aphrodite’s not going to be happy that you borrowed her shape, Eris.”

She sighed. “And I thought it made such a wonderful disguise.” Her appearance blurred, then shifter to a dark-haired, red-lipped woman with a cruel smile. “Besides, this was a favor for Aphrodite.”

Poseidon’s other eyebrow went up. “Oh?”

“Mhm. She wasn’t too happy with this lout when he dumped one of her worshipers. The girl apparently prayed all the time for the kid’s love, and he made a mockery of it. So she let me take care of him.” She scowled. “Of course, this means that I have to stop some of my nastier tricks for a century.” She shrugged. “Oh, well. It’s not that long.”

“And where is Aphrodite?”

“She’s back in Athens, consoling this kid’s former girl. She’s also gonna hook her up with some guy. Think it’s the guy that was trying to stop me earlier.” She shrugged again. "None of my business.”

Poseidon rolled his eyes. “Women.” Then he lifted Dion’s body. "I suppose I have to go take care of this." His eyes strayed to Eris’ inner thigh. “You know that your little trick is going to leave Aphrodite’s statue with a stain, right?”

Eris made a dismissive gesture. “Not my statue. I don’t care.” Then she floated back to the surface, resuming Aphrodite’s shape as she did so. A wave of her hand took care of the water, and she made her way back to the pedestal where the statue had once stood, posing as it had once posed. She allowed herself a small smile at a day’s work well done before she slowly turned back into stone.

A goddess of only stone.

fin