As a stream of sunlight hit Ariadne's face, she woke with a great smile. She lay there, thinking about the events of the night before gleefully. She was loving life at the moment. She got out of bed and pulled on her robes. It must be almost time for breakfast, she thought. Pasiphae had been removed from the castle, and had since gone into hiding, so breakfast was the perfect time to be alone with her father, and talk to him.
Jason woke with a similar smile on his face and strode into the main room that morning. Pythagoras was already at work at the table, furiously scribbling away at his parchment. Jason knew that he would eventually come up with the theorem he was famous for in the future, and knew that he could save him some time by just telling him now, but that would get in the way of his destiny. Besides, Pyth was too nice to take credit, and Jason couldn't bear the thought of something named after him boring children half to death for all eternity.
Jason sat down across from Pythagoras.
'A nice evening, then?' Enquired Pythagoras, even though he already knew the answer.
'Wonderful. When I'm with her, I feel different... I feel like I know who I am'
'Father, I need to talk to you' Ariadne said boldly
'What is it? Are you alright?' Minos replied, stricken with a father's worry
'I am fine, in fact I am more than fine. I am in love with Jason' she said, confidently
'Oh, not this again. This young man you speak of is jobless, penniless and isn't worthy of your companionship. You need to find someone who can look after you one day when I'm gone'
'Someone like Heptarian, you mean. Someone who doesn't love me or accept me, and helps have me put to death the minute your back is turned. I think you forget that Jason was the one who killed the Minotaur, Jason was the one who saved King Leus' baby after he abandoned it, Jason was the one who rescued me when Therus tried to take me away from Atlantis, and Jason was the one who prevented me from being put to death in the braizen bull. You know that no man would love me more than Jason would, and does. He would risk his life for me, as I would him.' Her voice had become progressively louder through this, and Ariadne calmed herself with some deep breaths as one of the servants placed a gold platter of fruit down in front of her.
Minos stared at the table, clearly deep in thought, before finally raising his head. 'Very well. I would like you to invite Jason to speak with me, privately.' Said Minos, calmly.
'Father, if you warn him away from me I will never-'
'That is not my intention. I want to speak with him. That is all'
The day seemed to drag on and on. Jason needed a job, partly for the money and something to do, and partly so that Minos did not see him as a worthless fool who couldn't even find work for himself. But finding work in this time was not as easy as it sounded, and he couldn't go back to rat catching again, the last time he did that, well, he kept waking up naked in a chicken pen and growled at Ariadne, not to mention eating that goat. Jason's thoughts were interrupted as a breathless Pythagoras burst through the door and hurried over to the table.
'I have had a revelation today! Oh yes, I have finally figured out what has been staring me in the face for so long! It wasn't the angles of the triangles I should've concentrated on, it was the lengths of the sides!' He exclaimed, before going off into one of his long-winded stories about triangles. Jason was completely zoned out, but he fell to earth with a bump at the mention of 'Ariadne'. He realised Pythagoras was holding out a piece of parchment.
'Have you been listening to a word I just said?' Demanded Pythagoras
'Um... No... Not exactly' replied Jason in a tiny voice.
'I said' remarked Pythagoras, in am aggravated voice 'that I saw Ariadne at the bibliotheca earlier and she told me that King Minos has requested to meet you.'
'What? Me? Oh no, this can't be good'
'She said it was all in this note'
'I cannot believe you just rambled on about triangles for all that time, and left this until last' Jason said, unbelievingly.