Dancing With Dionysus

Chapter Six

She awoke the next morning feeling alive. Alive and wonderful.

She was in his bed, alone in his chamber. He had promised her the night before that he would stay away, and he had kept his promise.

Although she knew she must be within the temple, Kalliara could hear birds all around. They were singing in a new day, new life, and for once she imagined she could understand what they said.

They were expressing joy in life, and she felt like jumping up and dancing to their music. Whatever might happen to her at the end of the month, she was going to enjoy this last chance to experience the world.

First things first. Time to find some food…

She sat up, still wrapped in the cloth from the bathing room, and walked across the room to a cabinet. She found clothing inside, and while there were no women's dresses, one of Sabiniano's tunics was large enough to more than cover her. She could tell that nymphs had spun and woven the fabric as soon as she pulled it out. It was fine and smooth, far lighter than anything she had ever owned. She dropped the drying cloth to the floor and pulled the tunic over her head.

It was soft against her, and to her embarrassment she could feel her nipples hardening in response to its smooth and silky touch. What would it be like to wear such garments all the time, she wondered? No wonder Athena preferred coarser clothing…This was far too distracting for comfort.

There was nothing else for her to wear, however, so it would have to do. She found another strip of cloth and belted the tunic around herself tightly. Time to find something to eat, she reminded herself, and perhaps find her way out of the temple. She had no idea if Sabiniano would allow her to return to the village, but she wanted to try. She wanted to see her friends again, and perhaps give away some of her possessions. She had one month left; she would use that time to finalize her business in life.

But the first challenge would be simply finding a way out of the chamber.

There were doors at one end, but they looked vast and heavy. Enormous slabs of carved wood, they reached all the way to the ceiling, and she doubted she would be able to budge them. Assuming they weren't locked…

On the other end of the room was an archway covered by billowing drapes. A balcony? It looked like it. She could hear the birds outside and sunlight seemed to be filtering through. Perhaps there would be a staircase down into a garden. She walked over to the opening and pushed aside the fabric. Her breath caught at the beauty of the site before her.

She stepped out to the railing, marveling. Spread before her was all of Naxos. She could see the forests, the oceans, the hills. This was a view fit for a king, and for the first time she understood the breadth of Sabiniano's power. There was nowhere she could go he couldn't easily find her. She could even see the village from her viewpoint. It looked small, unprotected. There were several little fishing boats in the harbor, but nothing capable of helping her escape to another island. She was well and truly stuck here…

"Are you hungry?" Sabiniano asked, his voice low and smooth in her ear. She turned to him, startled. He was dressed in a tunic similar to the one she wore herself. But a light cloak was draped across his shoulders, colored a brilliant purple, and a thin gold circlet crowned his brow. The combination was utterly simple, yet regal at the same time. It took her breath away.

"I just returned from Mount Olympus," he said quietly. A chill ran down her spine. He radiated power; he traveled with the gods. How would she ever find the courage to stand up to him? But she had to, if she was to stay true to Athena. She shivered again.

"Good morning, Lord Sabiniano," she said respectfully. She dipped in a graceful curtsy of respect, frantically trying to figure out what to do next.

"Good morning," he replied, an amused smile playing across his lips. It was hard not to stare; he was so handsome. She blushed, remembering the way he had touched her in the pool the night before. Who would have thought such a thing possible?

No wonder so many of the villagers worried about their children being swept away by Dionysian lust, she mused. Had the nymphs and satyrs really felt like that? They had been like animals when she'd seen them in the woods…but so had she. She had had no more control over her reaction to Sabiniano than an animal. Would Athena forgive her for what she had done?

"You didn't answer me," Sabiniano said softly, breaking through her thoughts.

She looked at him blankly.

"I asked if you were hungry," he repeated. "Are you?"

Her stomach rumbled loudly, and he laughed at her.

"I thought you might be," he said. "After all, it's not every day you come back from the dead."

She blushed and ducked her head. Every time he spoke he unnerved her. Of course, the sight of him was unnerving, too. There was no way she was going to win with this man…

"Yes, I would like something to eat," she said, trying to sound calm. He gestured toward the archway gallantly, waving her to walk ahead of him. She did so, and her breath caught.

Before her was a large table, spread with every kind of food she could imagine, and quite a few she had never seen or heard of before. There were fruits, pastries, delicately sliced meats…More than enough to feed the entire village, she realized, marveling.

"Where did all this come from?" she asked in a whisper. Sabiniano laughed.

"I have a pouch that produces it," he said, smiling. "I won it several hundred years ago in a dice game with Hermes. He still hasn't forgiven me."

"But there's so much!" she said. "Who will eat all of this?"

"I have no idea," Sabiniano said, shrugging lightly. "It simply appears when the bag is opened and disappears when it closes."

Kalliara thought of all the times during her life that she and her fellow villagers had shivered with the cold while their empty bellies rumbled. Last year, three of the youngest children in the village had died of hunger…Unable to control her disgust, she burst out.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You're a terrible ruler, to have food like this and not share it with your people!"

His face darkened, and she raised her had to her mouth in horror. How had she dared say such a thing to him? What would he do to her? Would he kill? With dark humor, she realized that if she spurred him into killing her now, it would save her a much slower death later. But instead of striking her down, he turned and strode back toward the balcony.

"Eat your fill," he said curtly before disappearing behind the curtains. She nodded and turned to the table. No matter what else happened, she would need her strength. She had to learn to keep her mouth shut. Her father had always said she talked too much for a woman, that her sharp tongue would get her in trouble.

He had been a wise man, she thought wryly. And accurate.

Sabiniano paced the balcony, then turned abruptly to look out over his lands.

In the distance he could see smoke from the cooking fires in the village. She was right. He could have easily fed these people, yet it had never occurred to him. He hadn't worried about their lives any more than he worried about the lives of the birds and squirrels in the forest. The strong would live; it was nature's way.

But the look on her face when she saw all the food told a different story. He was cold and uncaring; his people could suffer and not only did he not care—he didn't even notice. How had be become so cold and empty?

He thought back over the course of his long life, wondering when the change had occurred. He hadn't been born uncaring. His mother, a nymph, had been kind and beautiful. He had never spent much time near human children, but she had taught him to be careful of them. She had reminded him constantly that their lives and bodies were fragile; they should no more be crushed without reason than the flowers of the field…

But that had been a long time ago. And he hadn't paid any attention to flowers recently, either, he thought wryly. His studies still brought him pleasure, but little else touched him. Even sex, drinking, the violence that was his heritage were little more than rituals to be performed this past century.

He picked up a small pebble lying on the balcony's stone railing. Without thinking, he tossed it into the distance. It flew with great force, and then he heard a screeching noise. He'd hit a bird, and now it was falling from the sky. He closed his eyes in disgust. No matter his intentions, destruction and death followed him.

Kalliara was making him think far too much, and he didn't like it. Not one little bit.

She had never tasted anything as good as the food on Sabiniano's table. Each grape burst in her mouth, filled with sweetness and juice. The bread was light and crispy, the cheeses rich with flavor. There were several goblets on the table; each filled with a different kind of wine. Of course she had drunk wine before, but it was usually mixed with water. This was strong, heady stuff and she questioned the wisdom of drinking even a little bit. But the first sip was so good, and then she was filled with a thirst that was impossible to ignore.

She tipped the goblet, drinking deeply, and the wine sang into her veins like a drug.

She grew light-headed, and before she even realized what she was doing, she danced around the room. Jumping up on the bed, she laughed out loud. Being alive was wonderful! How little she had appreciated it before. The underworld had been safe, pleasant even. But this room was filled with bright colors and fresh air. The food was wonderful, and she felt as is she could fly.

But before she flew, she wanted another drink.

By the time Sabiniano came back, she was giggling to herself, clutching the goblet and staring at him with wide eyes. He stopped in his tracks.

"This is really good stuff," Kalliara told him gravely, trying not to wobble.

Why had she been so afraid of him before? He seemed perfectly fine now. Except he didn't have any wine…a wave of compassion washed over her.Everyone should have wine, she thought. She would share hers!

"You havegot to try this," she said, standing shakily and offering him her cup. He reached out, catching her before she could fall down. She laughed, and collapsed into his arms. He lifted the cup and sniffed curiously.

"Why you doing that?" she asked, confused. Her word sounded strange, garbled.

It was hard to talk. "You're supposed to drink it, not sniff it."

"I can't believe you drank this," he said, his voice tight. What was wrong with him? It was good stuff, and he should be drinking it. She reached up and tipped the goblet toward his face. It over-balanced, running down the front of his tunic and she cried out in horror.

"You shouldn't pour wine over fabric like that," she said in disgust. She looked up into his face, trying to convince him of the importance of what she was saying. If she was going to get that stain out before it set, she would have to get tunic off him and in some water right away, she thought. She pushed away from him struggling to say upright, and reached toward the edge of his tunic. Grasping the hem, she pulled the fabric up. He gave a startled gasp and tried to grasp her hands. She lost her balance; then she was on her knees before him. It was a most interesting position…

He had a big cock. Right in front of her face. It was swelling up, and she cocked her head, fascinated by it.

"You were going to stick that in me?" she asked, laughing out loud. "There's no way it would fit in me. I think you must have made a mistake."

Then her view was cut off as he pushed his tunic back down. His hands were grasping her upper arms, and he was flinging her over his shoulder. She squawked in protest, wiggling against him to get away, but he ignored her.

He walked across the room, pushing open the massive doors as if they weren't even there, and started through the temple. She braced her head up against his back with her elbows, and watched in interest as they moved along. Nymphs watched them from corners, giggling and gossiping with each other. She saw groups of satyrs as well, some of them looking worse for the wear. They must have been drinking and carousing last night, she thought sagely. Too bad they didn't have some of her wine. They wouldn't look so unhappy if they had the good stuff, she thought in smug satisfaction. Their sickly expressions made her giggle, and she twisted, wanting to share the joke with Sabiniano, but he simply ignored her.

They walked out the front of the temple, and he headed down the broad steps.

Each step bounced her against him, hard, but she didn't care. Everything was so beautiful, and the air smelled wonderful. The grass was such a bright green, and each stalked of it seems to be completely defined to her eyes. What would it feel like to roll in it? She had to find out…

She thumped again his back, wanting him to let her go, but he ignored her.

She kicked at him, and he swatted her butt. Hard. Pain cracked through her, and she got angry. Who was he to keep her from rolling in the grass?

She could feel the muscles of his back moving with every step he took, and she was struck with sudden inspiration. She would bite him!

Bracing herself, she picked the biggest, juiciest muscle she could find within reach and sank her teeth into it.

Hard.

She imagined she was a dragon taking a big bite of meat, tearing at it with her powerful jaws. Hot blood filled her mouth, and he gave a cry of anger. She dug deeper, enjoying the feeling of control. Finally, she was doing something to him.

The she was flying through the air, landing in a soft clump of grass.

Overjoyed, she rolled over, letting each individual stalk touch her.

Unable to control her emotions, she whispered a little prayer of thanks to Athena.

It was good to be alive!