Chapter 3
Noon
Better to lose your virtue than your life.
Carmine flames danced lazily over tangerine-tinged coals as a dozen first-born calfs and a dozen first-born lambs burned in the sacrificial pyres of the sun-god in his temple in Athens. The offerings were brought by the despairing king at daybreak, pleading with the priestesses to call upon the god's aid in the form of his foretelling wisdom.
It had barely been a few days since Grayson, king of Athens, himself ascertained his friend, William king of Corinth, that Caroline would be safe in the company of the Athenian royalty while she joined in the summer festivities in honor of the gods. Now the princess of Corinth was nowhere to be found, and King Grayson's promise of seeing to her well-being was as shattered as the king himself was.
Soldiers had searched the entire city, leaving not a single stone unturned in their wake, but the princess could not be found and no amount of gold promised as reward could make any man come forward with knowledge of where she could be. The next morning the king was forced turn to his most powerful albeit final resort – the god of the sun, who too lorded over prophecy.
In front of the sacrificial pyres stood the chief priestess, appearing deeply steadfast in her prayers, but the truth was that she was nursing her own doubts. The rain of fire which caused Caroline's disappearance was a doing of the sun-god, and Gloria felt her lord's unmistakable presence when she reached out to the Corinthian's unconscious. She was almost certain that the god had something to do with the girl's disappearance, but the reason behind it remained unclear.
The flames in the caldrons flanking the hallowed altar suddenly roared, interrupting the priestess' thoughts. She opened her eyes and was greeted by the sight of a handsome young man dressed in a modest but refined robe of Prussian blue.
"You asked for my audience?"
"My lord." Immediately Gloria knelt down in reverent deference.
The god of the sun walked towards the burning pyres, a brow arched in pleasant surprise. The chamber was filled with the splendid smell of broiling meat, the embers hissing almost tunefully as fat dripped from the roasting mutton unto the glowing coals.
"The king of Athens seems generous today." Klaus said, eyeing the abundant offerings in his chamber. "I suppose that the man is in need of my aid?"
"A woman in his protection is missing, my lord. He beseeches your mercy and wisdom that she may be found."
The ghost of a smile twitched the corners of the god's lush lips. The current object of his desires was known to the king of Athens, then. The daughter of a member of the royal court, or a lady in waiting perhaps?
"What is her name?" he asked, realizing for the first time his unacquaintedness with her appellation.
"Caroline, my lord; fair haired and blue eyed, a youth of seventeen. Where may we find her?" The priestess asked.
The god dismissed the idea with an apathetic wave of his hand. "Tell Grayson not to bother looking for her."
"Is she... dead?"
Klaus laughed darkly. "It would be a pity that something so beautiful should be sent to the depths of the underworld, wouldn't it? Wipe that horrified look off your face. The girl who Grayson seeks is alive, but she is no longer to be part of the province of mortals. She is... retained to my service."
Gloria's eyes widened, the revelation stunning her to speechlessness.
Caroline had tempted the sun-god himself.
The priestess did not know of any mortal woman who had been desired by her master in the past, unlike the god of wine who figured in countless narratives of debauchery with both mortals and other beings, but she could understand why the sun-god would desire the Corinthian princess for himself. Her beauty was that of the white gardenias in the Greek spring – pure, innocent, unsoiled - and it only made her all the more tempting to mark. Yet to be wanted by a god, and one as basally cruel as the god of the sun who was swift and unyielding in both his actions and decisions...
"My lord, whatever you desire is yours to take." Gloria said, knowing that those words were true. "But I fear I must let you know that Caroline is spoken for… and the man who lays claim to her is the prince of Rome."
Klaus' head immediately flicked into his servant's direction, an expression of warring annoyance and alarm spreading over his features. "What did you say?"
"Caroline is daughter to the King of Corinth, my lord. She is in Athens awaiting the arrival of Tyler, the prince of Rome, to whom she is betrothed."
"The motherfucking -" the god swore under his breath.
-o-
She awoke to the sound of birds singing their morning songs and the sight of gentle sunlight filtering throughout the room.
Caroline sat up on the bed sluggishly. The silken sheets that had provided her warmth while she slept that night fell smoothly down on the large bed as she sat up, but she noticed neither the lavishness of her accomodations nor its unfamiliarity. All she knew was that a strange feeling of soreness racked her entire body and she flinched slightly as she groggily brought a hand up to touch her aching neck. Why did her neck hurt?
Her eyes immediately widened in panic as she remembered the events of the past night.
"You're awake."
She looked up and saw a beautiful, dark-haired woman standing by the doorway. Caroline did not know her at all, but there was an inexplicable wave of calmness that washed over her when the woman smiled kindly and walked towards her.
"I am Isobel." The woman said gently. "I am the Mother Nymph of the forest of Alcaeus. What is your name, child?"
A nymph, Caroline repeated in her mind. Perhaps that was why she felt calm and safe around her. Nymphs were the guardians of nature in Grecian tradition, kind and beautiful spirits who protected forests and mountains and rivers. They were known to be compassionate to humans as well, so long as the humans lived in harmony with the land.
"…Caroline."
The reassuring smile stayed on the nymph's lips. With a wave of her hand, she gestured at a table in the middle of the room, on which a small feast of breads, fruits and honey was laid. "Caroline, when you feel well enough to do so, have your fill of a morning meal. I have asked my daughters to draw a bath for you which you may enjoy afterwards."
The Corinthian smiled back weakly. "Thank you for your kindness. And thank you… for saving my life."
"What do you mean?"
"Last night… there was a man… he tried to take me… choked me when I refused…"
Isobel shook her head. "I am sorry, Caroline."
"Why are you sorry?"
"I did not 'save' you. The man who you were with last night – he is Niklaus, the god of the sun. He brought you here with explicit instruction that you are to be cared for until he comes back."
"You are in league with him!" Caroline gasped, recoiling from Isobel.
"I am a nymph, my child." The woman explained with regret. "We are spirits of nature, and our existence foremost is to be of service to the gods, who rule over all life. I am sorry that Lord Niklaus has desired you and brought you here for his own intent; but even if I disagree with his actions, I cannot deny his commands."
"If you are truly sorry for me, then help me escape before he comes back!" The Corinthian pleaded. "You said he told you to care for me - he didn't say anything about stopping me from leaving, did he? You would not be breaking your servitude if you let me go."
The nymph shook her head again. "Do you know where the forest of Alcaeus is, Caroline?"
Isobel motioned towards the direction of a large archway that lead to a regal marble balcony at the end of the richly-appointed room. Caroline nervously rose from the bed and walked towards the balcony as Isobel had directed, and as she took in the sight around her, her hand found its way over her mouth as she gasped.
Surrounding the opulent manor of the nymphs was a forest of lush green verdure, which Caroline rightly presumed to be Alcaeus. After the forest, however, there was only a small expanse of land before her eyes reached the view of the sandy white shore, which inevitably met with the boundless blue of the sea. The waters went on, seemingly to infinity.
"Alcaeus is in a small island south of the Aegean Sea." Isobel said sympathetically as she joined her guest. "It will take four days to sail to the nearest island of human habitation, Rhodeas in the east and Crete in the west. That is, if you have a ship. Only nymphs inhabit Alcaeus, and as we have no need to leave the island, we have none."
"No..." Caroline staggered, clutching her chest. The nymph laid a comforting hand on her slumped shoulders.
"Klaus is a god, Caroline. Even if you try to escape, he will find you. It will do you better not to test his anger. Give him what he wants, and soon he will tire of you and let you go."
"I can't… I am marrying in two fortnights…"
"It is better to lose your virtue than your life, my child."
-o-
"I'm really sorry, Tyler, I..."
Elena clasped her hands together nervously, unable to finish what should have been words of comfort for the man to whom her best friend was affianced. Tyler arrived in the royal palace of Athens not more than half an hour ago, but instead of a joyful reunion with Caroline he was met with the dreadful news that she was nowhere to be found.
King Grayson was helpless as the furious Roman prince demanded the details of Caroline's disappearance and the course of action taken to find her. No one knew what happened and the lone hope that they were clinging to was the sun-god's aid. Tyler had insisted to speak to the chief priestess himself and Elena offered to accompany him to the temple out of guilt.
She was initially relieved when Katerina said that she would go with them as well, but now with Elena walking alone alongside the visibly upset Tyler and her twin sister at least twenty paces behind fluttering her lashes at Tyler's Uncle Mason, Elena felt terribly awful.
"Cast the apologies aside, Elena. The most important thing now is to find Caroline." Tyler firmly said.
Elena nodded weakly. "Father has sent offerings to the sun-god. The priestesses have not brought us any news this morning, but perhaps now…"
"Your gods take too long to answer prayers, then."
The Athenian princess glanced cautiously at their foreign visitor. "Do not insult the gods of Greece, Tyler. You may be a Roman, but you are in Athens."
Tyler rubbed his temples, cursing inwardly at himself. Of course. What was he thinking, blaspheming against the gods of the nation in which he was a guest?
Then again, perhaps it was what he was not thinking about. The only thought that occupied his mind was finding Caroline at all costs.
As the pair walked further into the temple, Elena saw their priestess friend and immediately waved at her.
"Bonnie!"
The olive-skinned girl turned around at the sound of her name and smiled sadly when she saw the approaching royals. She shook her head when Elena looked at her hopefully, answering the latter's silent question.
"The chief priestess is yet to emerge from the sacrificial chambers." Bonnie said regretfully, motioning at the two large, intricately carved doors which sealed the entrance to the most sacred place in the temple of the sun-god.
Elena's face fell, and as she looked at Tyler who remained quiet, she felt the massive amount of self-control that the Roman prince was trying to summon. Mason and Katherine caught up to them and Tyler's pained expression alone was enough indication of the disheartening news.
"I'm sorry, Tyler." Bonnie said. "I know that this is a difficult time for you and I –"
The doors of the sacrificial chambers suddenly opened, and as the five turned to the direction of the chamber's entrance they saw the high priestess emerge with an unknown man.
Mason immediately narrowed his eyes. The man was dressed in robes too modest to be worn by anyone of high position in either the royal court or the military, but there was something daunting about him, something which the Roman could not explain but could lucidly perceive. Beneath the handsome features of the man's placid face and the lithe musculature that defined his body, Mason could sense an impression of immense power, unadulterated and barely restrained.
The man, for his part, paid no attention to anyone else save for Tyler. He eyed the Roman prince grimly from foot to head, as if to gauge him; his blue orbs appeared ostensibly neutral but Mason could feel an almost murderous intent hotly blazing under the tranquil surface.
He became more and more uneasy each second that the stranger continued to observe his nephew. He was about to ask if there was any problem when the man finally broke the eyelock, as if deciding that Tyler was nothing of interest after all. He turned to Gloria, expression unchanging.
"Gratitude for you assistance to my cause, priestess." The man said. "I shall be on my way."
He walked out of the hall without as much as casting a second glance at any of them, but Mason's eyes followed his trail until the man disappeared when he turned onto a darkened hallway.
"Who is he?" The Roman king's brother whispered at Katerina.
"I don't know." The latter said honestly. "I have never seen him before."
The priestess faced the Roman heir calmly. "You are Tyler of Rome." She said, a statement rather than a question.
"Yes." Tyler replied, taking a step forward. "I have come to –"
"The gods have spoken to me, Tyler." Gloria cut in, remembering the instructions that her lord gave forth.
"Should anyone ask what the sun-god has told you regarding the girl's disappearance, you are to tell them an elaborate lie that will buy me time. A fortnight at the least."
"…will you return her in a fortnight, my lord?"
"If she has given me what I want. Furthermore, whatever happens, make sure that none of the other gods find out that she is missing."
"Of course, my lord. If any one of them goes to your father and asks for his help in finding Caroline, he will know what happened and will command you to return her."
"The maiden is mine and you are to do everything in your power to ensure that she stays mine, do you understand?"
"Explicitly, my lord."
"Good. Fail me and see all the crops of your city wilt in the heat of the sun."
"Caroline gained the friendship of the moon-goddess during the night of the feast. The goddess has offered to teach her the art of the hunt, and she accepted the gesture of amity. Let your mind rest peacefully. Caroline will be back in a fortnight." Gloria declared.
Elena and Katherine breathed out their relief at the priestess' words. However, Tyler frowned.
"I do not mean to offend your skills of divination, but I know Caroline. She can hardly stand seeing me shoot a bird, and you are telling me that she now wants to learn how to spear a boar?"
"Oh hush it, Tyler." Katerina dismissed. "If a goddess extended an offer, Caroline would have been a fool to refuse her. Just because she agreed does not mean she wants it. For all I know Caroline accepted it out of respect."
Gloria nodded. "Just enjoy your stay in Athens, eat plentiful and drink your fill. Katerina, tell your father that there is no need to disturb the gods with prayers or offerings for her safety. She is with the goddess of the moon, who protects the innocent and the chaste."
Tyler looked at his Uncle Mason, who nodded in agreement. The prince of Rome still felt unease, as if he knew in himself that there was something wrong despite the priestess' reassuring words.
But finally, he gave up. "Fine. I shall wait the fortnight then."
"Do not worry, Tyler. Soon you will be reunited with your bride." Gloria said, straight-faced.
-o-
"How is she?"
Isobel bowed in submission as Klaus suddenly appeared in front of her in the hallway outside Caroline's room, his eyes already trained on the doors that lead to the Corinthian's chambers.
Not a second passed all morning that he did not think of her, and yet his thoughts had nothing to do with affection. What he felt for her, simply, was lust - carnal, primal and raw, a ravenous craving that could only be sated by making her his. The thought of her belonging to someone else made his blood boil, and that morning it had taken every inch of self-control to restrain himself from murdering that bloody Roman git who dared to lay a claim on her.
"She is fine, Klaus, but she has not touched her food all day."
A slight furrow formed on the deity's brow. "Stubborn to the end, I see. I assume she attempted to escape?"
"She asked me to let her go, but after I showed her where we are, she shut herself off." Isobel replied, her pity for Caroline evident. "The poor girl… she says she is to marry in two fortnights."
"Yes, and the fact that her groom is a Roman is the only thing that hindered me from killing him." Klaus snapped chillingly.
Isobel bowed at the sun-god again, made aware of her offence. "Forgive my tactlessness, my lord."
"I will have to, because I need something from you."
"I am at your service."
"Tell me how to turn a mortal into a nymph."
-o-
Caroline stood on the balcony facing the sea, breathing in the crispness of the midmorning air as she grimly thought about the words that Isobel had said. Was it truly the only way to earn her freedom? To give herself to a man she felt nothing except fear and hatred for, to please him senseless until he tired of her, in the hope that he would eventually return her when he no longer wanted her?
She shuddered at the thought. She would rather kill herself than let him take her for his own sick, lustful amusement.
She held her breath as she suddenly felt a firm, warm chest press against her back at the same time a graceful pair of arms wrapped possessively around her waist. The tingling feel of coarse stubble made itself known on the curve between her shoulder and her neck as soft lips brushed sensually against her skin, sending a jolt of electricity trickling down her spine and heat creeping up her cheeks.
Caroline knew what it all meant, so she closed her eyes and willed herself to stand still.
"Someone seems less difficult this morning." Klaus whispered roughly against her ear, his breath delightfully warm on her slender neck.
Caroline breathed out calmly. To the god's surprise, she made no move to free herself from his hold; instead she turned around ever so slowly to face him.
He reveled in the tempting feel of her smooth skin under the filmy blue chiton which ran against his hands as she turned, and he could not help himself from hissing in heated pleasure as the swell of her breasts brushed lightly against his own chest. Hell, she was even more beautiful than the goddess of love, and the way her supple body locked faultlessly into his, as if she was made for his possession - it made him blaze with need so searing that he barely remembered he was the god of the sun. And when finally Caroline looked up and meekly gazed into his eyes, he all but drowned in the blue clarity of her complete surrender.
But the pleasure of her delicate form yielding compliantly to his strength was not enough to make Klaus lose focus. The moment her hand moved, he saw it, and he caught his wrist in mid-air just as she was about to slap his face with an open palm.
The obstinate bitch.
He gripped her wrist hard, but she did not give him the satisfaction of hearing her cry out in agony. Instead she bit her pain in, ending her false-submission and snarling at him openly.
"Bastard!"
Klaus grasped her wrist tighter, barely remembering to control himself so as not to snap her joint. The action caused her to be pulled closer to him, but he did not have time to revel in the luscious friction between their bodies because already he was too amused at her attempt to slap a god in the face.
His lips curled into a smile as she struggled against him. "Stop fighting me, love. I would hate to have to hurt you again."
"I don't care if you're a god! You are a vile, horrible, despicable creature –"
"Yes, sweetheart, I get the general idea." Klaus asserted as impatience claimed the better of him. Without letting her go, he sped them up and in one swift movement slammed her back viciously against a wall.
Caroline groaned in pain. Her head dropped down for a second, and when she raised it again, he was already there to meet her gaze.
"Calm. Down." The god pronounced resonantly, each word clear and distinct as if it were an unquestionable order. His eyes bore into hers, clear blue irises swirling into a hypnotic vortex of molten gold.
Suddenly she couldn't breathe. In panic she tried to look away from him, to pry her hands off his, but he would not let her and she could not move.
"What are you doing to me…" she cried.
"Compelling you to calm down." Was his simple answer.
Her strength left her, tense muscles relaxing just as Klaus had said. Her heartbeat slowed down rather than race faster despite the terror she felt, and soon her breathing evening out. When he finally released her, she tried to take the chance to get away from him, but no matter how much she willed her body to move, the only thing she could seem to do was calm down.
"See, love? Much better when you're not struggling." Klaus said coolly, lifting a hand to tuck the stray strands of her blonde hair behind her ear. "Now go sit on the bed."
She grimaced at his touch. She tried her damnedest to resist him but in the end her unwilling body could do nothing but obey his command. She slowly sat on the edge of the bed, the angered expression never leaving her face.
Klaus walked towards the table in the middle of the room and reached for a bowl of fruit. He then walked back to her and pulled a chair close to her bed so that he could sit in front of her, his eyes always leveled with hers. He took a piece of grape from the bowl, holding it with his thumb and index finger.
"Isobel told me that you haven't eaten all day."
She refused to answer.
He looked into her eyes again, his orbs still a scintillating maelstrom of liquid gold. "You have to keep you strength up, love. Open your mouth."
Caroline's eyes widened. Was he…feeding her?
Her lips parted slowly against her wishes. He smiled in captivation as he watched the luscious pink orifice open up before him, her pained, helpless expression pleasing him even more.
He held the small fruit against her lips before gently bringing the grape into her mouth. He slid into her slowly, deliberately, until he felt the fruit and the fingers he held it with touch the floor of her motionless tongue. She was soft, hot and damp, and for a second he paused, the tapered digits of his hands still inside her mouth. She wasn't sucking him, but her delicate lips enclosed around his fingers tightly enough to make him smile darkly as he decided to amuse himself at her expense.
"Do you have any idea how good your mouth feels around my fingers, Caroline?" he purred, voice low and smooth.
Her face contorted in disgust at his use of her name.
He smirked at her sickened appearance and slowly pulled his hand away, leaving the fruit in her mouth. "Indulge me, love. Eat."
She chewed, glaring at him as she was forced to do as he told, her teeth crushing the sweet flesh of the fruit. He watched every fucking moment of it with fascination, as if she was some kind of entertainment, until finally she swallowed the masticated food. When she was done, he picked up another grape and proceeded to feed her again.
"I was just in Athens this morning. Do you know who I had the pleasure of meeting?" Klaus said mockingly as Caroline ate. "A prince from Rome. I believe his name is Tyler."
The Corinthian felt her eyes well up. Oh Tyler. She would give anything to be with him right now, anything to be with the man she loved, anything to be away from the monster who was the god of the sun.
She forced herself not to cry, not in front of Klaus. She swallowed the grape and as soon as her speaking facilities were free, she grit her teeth at her captor.
"Leave Tyler out of this. If you hurt him, I swear to the gods –"
Klaus' laughter resonated throughout the room, sinister and selfish. "And what would you swear to me, love?"
"I will kill you!"
"I am immortal." He reminded her unflappably. "But don't worry about your precious prince. No harm will fall upon him by my hands – I have better things to do than igniting a war between the Greek and the Roman gods."
He paused, placing another grape in her mouth and basking in the feel of her lips enclosing his fingers. "Like you, love. I intend to have you, and no amount of resistance will sway me from doing so."
She chewed again, this time swallowing the fruit as quickly as she could. "Then why don't you just compel me and get it over with?"
"Ah, I like how creatively you think. But see, I'm very selfish about my pleasures. Do you think I'll be satisfied with taking you while you glare at me like that, or while your mind drifts to thoughts of another man? No, Caroline. When you pleasure me, I want your eyes filled with nothing but lust for me, nothing but the desire to please me. You will suffocate with the need for me, and trust me love, when I finally give it to you, you'll be begging for it."
"I will never want you." she told him with finality.
"Oh but you will, sweetheart. I have an eternity to make you want me."
"Good for you, because I don't have an eternity and I'd die before I let you take me willingly."
The sun-god tilted his head and smiled grimly. That was where she was wrong. It required more trouble than he could usually be bothered with, but in a fortnight he would have what he needed to turn her into a nymph. Then she would have an eternity as well, and it didn't matter whosoever of the other gods demanded him to return her to her father or her future husband.
Once she was turned into a nymph, she would be a part of his retinue. She would belong to him as all nymphs belong to the gods, an existence bound to eternal service.
And then not even Mikael himself would be able to do anything.
-o-
"Wake up, Tyler."
"What – Uncle Mason?"
"Shhh. Gather the rest of your men, but do it quietly. We have to leave before sunrise. We are going back to Rome."
"Rome? I thought we would wait the fortnight –"
"I had to make the priestess believe that we will do as she says, but I don't trust her. And that man that she was with… there is something about him that troubles me. I can feel it in my gut, Ty. They are deceiving us, and your bride could be in danger."
"But what are we to do if we go back to Rome?"
"We have our own gods. We will seek their aid."
-o-
A/N:
1. After an eternity of procrastinating, I am happy to announce that I am finally on tumblr as erica-dreams-in-colour! I am in dire need of blogs to follow so friends, please include your URL's in your review. :)
2. To the dear guest who commented that it would be interesting if Caroline became something more than human, please tell me your name so I can thank you properly for the brilliant idea! SPOILERS: 1. Sorry Klaus, no Nymph!Caroline for you. 2. I looked it up, there are vampires in Greek Mythology. ;)
3. Again thanks everyone for bearing with the late updates. Blame my grandfather's new horse, a gorgeous jumper whom I've been going to the stables to watch every single day since I arrived in Ascot. I've even convinced his groom to call him Kol, haha!
Happy New Year!