"NO NO NO!"
A woman's strangled voice could be heard crying as her handmaidens held her back about five times.
"NOT my child! NO!" The woman cried as her long dark hair was frenzied and her crown was lopsided.
"My Queen Clytemnestra. The gods have decreed it." Cleodora the Queen's most trusted handmaiden repeated.
"My Iphigenia, SACRIFICED!" The queen wailed in despair as her women surrounded her, their arms wrapped tightly around their queen in comfort and sympathy. This was a mother losing her eldest daughter to the gods—a sight enough to anguish just about anyone, queen or noble, merchant or peasant. No woman deserved to experience this kind of torture.
"That SCOUNDREL! My husband lied and despoiled her name! He told me she is to be married off!" Clytemnestra thundered. Ianthe's pretty face was filled with tears. Ianthe was Iphigenia's nurse and the oldest handmaiden in the royal household.
"The king's soothsayer, Calchas has declared Iphigenia is to be sacrificed to Lady Artemis—Divine moon lady of the hunt" Ianthe's voice was breaking as quickly as her heart.
Iphigenia, a beautiful slender girl with long brown hair and a sweet countenance that was an aura of purity was accompanied by her train of maidens—all of them despondent, saddened to see their princess being led to her death at the behest of the gods. Iphigenia's closest friend Calliste followed closely at her heels.
"My lady. May Artemis' mercy be with you."
"I still don't know why she wants such a sacrifice. She is guardian of all maidens" Iphigenia's voice trembled.
"The gods work in mysterious ways, my lady. Lady Artemis included."
The funeral pyre was a sight to behold. Iphigenia was dressed in black while her handmaidens trailed behind her, all of them sobbing. The crowd's faces were varied but most of them were in anguish and sympathetic. An innocent young princess was to be sacrificed for WHAT? For the sake of that lewd wench Helen? Another one of Aphrodite's foolish mortal minions falling ploy to the love goddess' tricks.
Agamemnon was in pain. His favorite daughter was to die and he was to hold the axe over her head. He was to blame. He was to blame for ALL of this. He was about to strike when the skies darkened and thunder rumbled overhead. A brilliant ray of moonlight splintered through the clouds.
"My lord! It is a sign of the gods!" Calchas called in disbelief as the brightest light shone and everyone was blinded by the brilliant ray of moonlight.
Iphigenia in daze, passed out.
"Iphigenia" A sweet, musical and yet heavenly voice called to her. Iphigenia stood up and rubbed her eyes. Everyone else was not to be seen except the lady before her—a tall, elegant lady clad in pure white and silver. She was the most breathtaking creature Iphigenia had seen and she shielded her eyes in fear. The woman looked no more than sixteen or seventeen years old. She wore a long white and silvery gown with waist-length pale blonde hair, icy blue eyes and skin that shone like moonlight. A crescent moon on her forehead. She had a quiver of silver arrows on her back and in her hand was a silver bow. A silver glow enveloped the lady. Artemis. Of course. The moon lady herself and divine huntress.
"L…Lady…Artemis" Iphigenia's voice trembled.
Artemis smiled. A warm, gentle maidenly and sisterly smile.
"Yes, dear girl. It is I. Artemis, goddess of moon and guardian of maidens. Take my hand."
"My lady certainly, I am to be spared from my fate?"
"You were never to be killed. These brutish men certainly find your death tempting. Do you see your own father hesitating to take your life? He would have done it. These men who find the life of an innocent young girl would be found against the fruits of the war and be found wanting. Fear not, dear maiden. I will get you away from all this".
"Where are we going?" Iphigenia didn't want to say good bye. Not to leave her girlhood friends forever. Her mother. Her heartbroken, weeping mother who loved her more than life when Iphigenia took her first breath.
"Far away from all this. To a land dearly loved by me. A land called Tauris where you will actually have a voice you will never have here in Sparta or any part of Greece. You'll always be a princess and under the eye of your father. You'd be shut away spinning, weaving, and taking care of the little ones. I will show you the life you never had". Artemis reached a long slender hand and guided Iphigenia to her silver chariot.
Iphigenia trembled and climbed aboard. Goddess and maiden soared through the air pulled by the moon goddess' silver stags and flew across Greece. The chariot flew throughout the night until it came to the clearing-Tauris, sacred city of Artemis.
A splendid marble temple appeared below with groups of maidens singing songs in honor of Artemis and dancing around the statue of their goddess. They stopped when they saw Iphigenia in the clearing.
Join them. Iphigenia. They are now your sisters. With them you shall have a new life here as you serve as my priestess. Iphigenia heard Artemis' voice echoing in her mind. Most of the maidens were clad in pure silver while a few were clad in pure white. The white clad ones were the newly initiated, Iphigenia guessed.
"You must be the new priestess." An older girl approached Iphigenia and smiled. She wore a long silvery robe with a pearl girdle.
"I am. You are?"
"Alethea. Lady Artemis appeared to us in a vision and told us of your coming. She told us to keep an eye on you and take you in as our newest sister."
"I…Well..I-"
"She was about to be killed. Lady Artemis says she's the one about to be sacrificed at the altar" Another girl with a long braid spoke. She looked Iphigenia up and down, expecting her to be somewhat full of cuts and scratches.
"That's enough Argira. Iphigenia has had enough. She just got here." Alethea frowned at her and scolded her gently.
"Let me introduce you to the others. We're to initiate you to the rites if this is to become your new home". Alethea answered gently. The taller girl took Iphigenia's hand and guided her to the circle of maidens eagerly staring at the princess—some distrustful, some curious, some shocked.
"Is that the princess?"
"Why isn't she bleeding?
"Get her to the pond!"
"Why the pond?"
"She's tainted! Lady Artemis wouldn't allow someone tainted in blood into our circle!"
The maidens whispered amongst themselves. Alethea frowned at the idle chatter.
"Girls! Iphigenia here will be joining us as our newest sister. You will welcome her and treat her with respect. Iphigenia has been spared and she is saved by Artemis in the nick of time". Alethea pronounced.
Iphigenia looked around. Most of the maidens seemed to have been rescued in the nick of time as they wore crescent moon pendants around their necks.
" All of your sisters here have been taken away by Artemis when they prayed to her for guidance—to escape unwanted marriages, unwanted advances from men, or claimed very early upon their birth. Some have been with us for many years." Alethea smiled as she explained to Iphigenia.
"I will have a place here?" Iphigenia's voice was barely above a whisper. So this was to be her home.
"I won't ever see my mother or my sisters again, or any of my friends from my girlhood". Iphigenia felt a tear trickle down her cheek.
"Let them wonder. You are safe here with us. You are home." Alethea comforted her and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.
She was home. Home. What a word and how strange that was to Iphigenia. She had no place to call home since her sacrifice. Her mother's distraught face. Her sisters fretting. Well her other sister Electra. Electra was the one sister who actually worried about her. Her brother Orestes telling her that he would never forget her and pray for her every night. Iphigenia's other sister Chrysothemis lived like a princess still and wished her luck. What a sister. Concerned with her own vanities and her own reputation as princess of her people while Iphigenia was to be sacrificed?!
Maybe this was to be a brand new start. This was her home. This was her new family.