Ganymede: Interlude
Notes/Disclaimer: A Greek Mythology fic. Funny how doesn't have this category.
"...Ganymede, handsomest of mortals, whom the gods
caught up to pour out drink for Zeus and live
amid immortals for his beauty's sake."
Homer, Iliad, Book XX, 232-235
Plucked him right out of the field, just like that. Yes. Didn't tell me about it, didn't tell anyone about it. We only saw him at that first dinner, when Zeus had announced that Hebe would soon no longer be our cupbearer, and pushed this young boy in front of him, hand on his shoulder. He was dressed in a white tunic, clean, no doubt deliberately two inches too short on him. He was trembling, hunched as far as the hand on his shoulder would allow, hands clutched in quivering fists at his sides.
Aphrodite fawned over him, clapping her hands together, marveling over how beautiful he was, O how delicate the cheeks, how golden the hair! I scowled viciously, more than ready to smack the boy, mar that beauty, if he came around to my seat, but Zeus had not let him serve that night. Zeus had sent him off, then winked and explained that he was worn out. I had had enough. I swept up my garments and left the divine table.
end