Dancing With Dionysus

Chapter Three

Mount Olympus

“Hello, Athena," Dionysus said languidly, leaning against the door frame.

Athena looked up with a look of cool distaste from the scroll she was carefully writing. Behind him stood the figure of her High Priestess, Mercia, wringing her hands fearfully. With a sigh, Athena waved a hand at the woman in dismissal.

"And to what do I owe this pleasure, Dionysus?" she asked, setting down her stylus. "You've certainly succeeded in terrifying my staff."

"I understand you paid a visit to my son," he said, maintaining his relaxed pose. He lifted one finger, examining the nail carefully. Athena leaned back in her chair, eyeing him. He was tall and muscular, with fair skin and piercing green eyes. His face was the portrait of physical perfection. Full, sensual lips. Chiseled features. Dark, curly hair just long enough for a woman to run her fingers through…none of that impressed her, however. Beneath that façade of beauty, he was cold and heartless.

"I prefer not to be disturbed when I'm in my study," she said finally. He quirked an eyebrow at her, his expression mocking.

"Oh, really?" he asked, sauntering across the room and dropping into a chair near her desk. He leaned forward and his face grew cold and harsh. "I prefer not to be disturbed in the midst of my annual festival. I should be fucking nymphs right now, and drinking,dearest goddess. Instead, I find myself forced to come here and see you. Why were you on my island? Sabiniano tells me you've interfered with my people."

"Kalliara was not yours," Athena said quietly, folding her hands in front of her. "She was mine and always has been. I saved her from your son, and took her to the underworld myself. She'll be safe there, with her mother. There's no reason to discuss the issue further."

"Is that so?" he said quietly, his voice filled with menace. "I don't appreciate your presumption, Athena. If you had come to me asking for this one, I probably would have given her to you. But you invaded my space and took what was mine. I simply can't tolerate that. I'm taking her back, and if I find out you've been bothering Sabiniano again, I won't be as polite about it as I've been today."

"Are you threatening me?" Athena asked, startled. She'd expected him to be upset, but a direct challenge was something else entirely. "Are you sure you can beat me, Dionysus? No one's bested me so far."

"There's only one way to find out," he replied lightly, his tone mocking.

"I'm at the height of my power, Athena. Every time a mortal takes a drink of wine, fucks or dies, I get stronger. Don't push me, pretty virgin. I'll push back. Ilike the taste of blood…and something tells me yours would be sweeter than most."

With that, he stood and strode purposefully out of the room. Athena stared after him, filled with surprise. She'd never taken Dionysus very seriously.

Perhaps she had underestimated him, she thought.

She picked up her stylus again, and turned back to her scroll. She chewed thoughtfully for a minute on the writing utensil, then placed it back on the table with carefully controlled movements. She had to do something about Dionysus. The thought of her poor little Kalliara at his mercy was unbearable…

Then an idea came to her, and a slow smile spread across her face. It might work, if she could get Aphrodite to help. That shouldn’t be a problem; her sister goddess still owed her for taking Kalliara's mother. Time to call in the debt.

She stood and stretched her arms above her head. Purposefully, she forced out the tension Dionysus' visit had brought. She inhaled, willing herself calm and focusing on the feeling of her body as she stretched. She was stiff, and she wondered how long she had been sitting at her desk, writing. Three days? Four days? It was hard to keep track sometimes, she thought ruefully.

She leaned over to one side, enjoying the pull of her tight muscles as she moved. Finished with her stretch, she walked across her study to the door. She stepped out into the hallway, then started moving through her temple toward the open porch. Her priestesses scurried about, watching in awe and concern as she strode through their midst. Perhaps it had been longer than three or four days, she thought. They certainly seemed surprised to see her.

Ahead, on her right, a young woman dressed in the white robes of a novice had stopped in her tracks, staring at the goddess with an open mouth. Athena's mouth twitched in amusement.

"Who are you, child?" she asked kindly, pausing before the girl. She reached out to touch the novice's chin with her finger, raising her head so she could see into her eyes. She quickly searched through the girl's mind, drinking in her personality and spirit like fresh spring water. She was pure of mind and body, a devoted servant. Her name was Savronia, and she was 19 years old.

Athena smiled in delight, patting the girl's cheek. Her skin was soft and fresh; she trembled under Athena's touch.

Savronia seemed unable to speak, and Athena laughed, her heart lifting.

Savronia would be an excellent addition to the temple's staff, she thought in satisfaction.

"Don't worry, you don't have to answer," she said. "Please go to the stables and have my chariot brought around. I have a visit to make."

The novice nodded, trembling. Athena leaned forward, allowing her lips to touch the girl's cheek ever so softly. She pulled back, smiling gently.

Turning away, she started walking out toward the front of the temple and porch again. Behind her, she could sense Savronia watching her, one hand pressed to her lips.

"I need my chariot today, Savronia," she said lightly, and the girls'

footsteps rang through the hallway as she ran off to do her mistress' bidding.

Aphrodite lay on her stomach, purring like a cat. Her newest pet massaged her with strong fingers, digging into the flesh of her legs and ass deeply and rhythmically. His fingers weren't the only part of him that had delved into her deeply in the last hour; she felt sleek and satisfied. Now, if only she could find another just like him, she thought languidly. She'd always liked the thought of being pleasured by a matched set…

A light tapping on the door caught her attention. Why would one of her priestesses be interrupting her? she wondered. They wouldn't bother her unless it was important.

"Come," she called, leaning up on her elbows so she could see her visitor.

"I am sorry to bother you, my Lady," her priestess said quietly, her eyes filled with awe. "But the goddess Athena is here to see you."

"Please, make her comfortable," Aphrodite said, surprised. She rolled off the bed, pulling on a filmy robe. Her pet, a well-endowed Cretan she'd found in a shipwreck, sat back on his heels, smiling. He was besotted with her, she thought in amusement. How much fun mortals were to play with…She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'll be back before long, darling."

Then she walked out of the room, following her priestess into a well-appointed sitting room. Athena was standing to one side, carefully examining the mosaic floor.

"It's my son Cupid," Aphrodite said, gesturing toward the design. It showed a nymph and her human lover staring deeply into each other's eyes, while woodland animals danced around them. Athena cocked one eye in question, and Aphrodite explained further. "Cupid designed the mosaic. I think it's lovely."

Athena nodded, her face unreadable. Aphrodite burst into laughter.

"You must need something from me," she said. "Otherwise you would never agree that you like the design. Now admit it, you find it overly sentimental, even nauseating."

"You know me too well, Aphrodite," Athena said, amused. She walked across the room and allowed her sister goddess to envelop her in a warm hug. "I do find it nauseating, but I didn't want to offend you…"

"Please, sit down," Aphrodite said as they pulled away from each other. "Make yourself comfortable, and I'll ask my priestesses to bring us something cool and refreshing to drink."

"No, this won't take too long," Athena said. "I can see I interrupted you.

What is he? Human?"

Aphrodite laughed again, stretching her arms up in the air like a cat.

"Cretan," she said with satisfaction. "I rescued him from a shipwreck; he's been showing me his appreciation ever since. I'm sure I'll tire of him eventually and let him return to his people, but for now? I'm certainly enjoying myself. What is it that you needed?"

"Do you remember a priestess of mine named Kalle?"

Aphrodite cocked her head, thinking. "Refresh my memory."

"It's been years, but you lured her away from me," Athena said quietly. "I was quite upset at the time. She was traveling in my service when her ship ran aground on Naxos. She fell in love with a weaver, a runty little man. I never understood her interest in him."

Aphrodite thought for a moment, and the memory came to her.

"Oh, yes," she said, her face softening. "They were very much in love, Athena. I never meant to steal her away from you, but I simply couldn't bear to separate them. They were meant for each other!"

"Really?" Athena said wryly. "If they were meant for each other, how come she died ten months later giving birth to her daughter? She regretted what she had done toward the end, you know. She called upon me to accept the girl into my service, and watch over her."

"That was the pain and fear talking," Aphrodite said gently. "She didn't mean it. Besides, true love transcends death. They're together in the underworld now, and happier than ever."

"Well, regardless of how much happiness it brought them, they left a daughter behind with no one to protect her. Her name was Kalliara," Athena said coolly.

"Do you know what happened to her?"

"I have no idea," Aphrodite said lightly. "As you so gently reminded me, her mother gave her intoyour service, not mine."

"Dionysus' son, Sabiniano, tried to rape her yesterday," Athena said. "She's dead now. I saved her. But Dionysus is angry with me for interfering and he's decided to retrieve her from the underworld. He's doing it purely out of spite."

"What?" Aphrodite asked, her face twisting in disgust. "That poor child. She doesn't deserve that. Dionysus makes me so mad sometimes…He doesn't give a damn about the people under his protection."

"Yes, I know. That's why I need your help," Athena replied. "He's forbidden me to interfere. If I do, he'll consider it a direct challenge, and I'm not sure I can afford to fight that battle. But he didn't say anything about you interfering."

"You want me to go and save her?" Aphrodite asked, shocked. "You know I’m no match for Dionysus, Athena. He's so violent, and I don't even know how to fight. I could never beat him in a direct confrontation."

"You can't beat me in a direct confrontation, either," Athena said, her voice filled with bitter humor. "It didn't stop you from stealing Kalle from me. You did it right under my nose. I never saw it coming. I want you to do the same for Kalliara. It's too late to keep Sabiniano from getting her. But if he falls in love with her, he'll treat her well and she'll be spared suffering whatever Dionysus has in mind…"

"Athena, as much as I want to help, I can't make love appear where there's no feeling at all," Aphrodite said, her voice filled with concern and pity. "I can encourage it to grow, but I can't create it out of nothing. If Sabiniano doesn't have any softness in his heart to begin with, then he's beyond my touch."

"I didn't realize that," Athena said slowly. "I thought you could make anyone fall in love…"

"No, I can only encourage what's already there, sister," Aphrodite said sadly. "Otherwise I'd share the gift of love with everyone."

Athena stood slowly and walked across the room, deep in thought.

"What if there was a hint of softness in Sabiniano?" she asked finally, turning slowly toward Aphrodite. "Could you do something then?"

"Perhaps," she replied. "I've never sensed openness in his heart, though."

"When I took Kalliara away from him, he was upset," Athena said slowly. "I could hear his howling all over the island. His reaction was very strong, far stronger than losing a human woman he had just met should have evoked. Could there be something behind that anger? Aren't love and hate closely connected?"

"If he was truly as cold as he seems, then he shouldn't have cared about losing her," Aphrodite said slowly. "But are you sure his anger wasn't simply because you stepped into his father's territory? He may not have cared about the woman at all, you know."

"Yes, I know," Athena said, her voice tired. "But it's the only hope I've got for Kalliara, sister. He'll rape her and give her to his satyrs when he's done. And when they're done, the Maenads will rip her apart and drink her blood. I can't let that happen to my child, Aphrodite. If there's a way you can make Sabiniano fall in love with her, then she'll be safe."

"If she falls in love she won't be your child anymore," Aphrodite said gently. "She'll be mine. You've never willingly given me one of your daughters before."

Athena turned to her, and to Aphrodite's shock, there were tears in the goddess' eyes.

"I've failed her, Aphrodite," she said simply. "I failed her mother, and now I've failed her. I promised to keep her safe. If I have to attack Dionysus, I will, but that will mean war here on Olympus. It would be better if you could take her from me and keep her safe."

"I didn't realize it was this important to you," Aphrodite said softly. "Of course I'll try to help. But I can't make any guarantees."

"That's all I ask."