The next morning I was quick to put on a light green gown and sandals. I wondered into a room that feed off the bedroom, and summoned Achlys. He came stumbling in from a gray mist, shaking his head and yawning.
"Sorry, I got a little sidetracked last night. Now sit down so I can do your hair." I sat down obediently.
"Make it quick, Achlys. I don't want to spend another second here." The satyr ran soothing hands through my hair.
"Do you wish to talk about your troubles?" I sighed, and for once, surrendered my hair to Achlys to do his liking.
"No. I don't want to recall it." I brought my leg up and started tightening the straps on my sandals while pondering what to bring up. "What did you do last night that left you so sidetracked?" My friend's cheeks became the shade of night as he blushed against his bark colored face.
"It…was nothing." I rolled my eyes and tugged irritably on his hand.
"It had to be something. You're blushing." He finally sighed as he used a gold olive branch to pin my hair back.
"All right. I proclaimed my love to Chrysander." I shot out of my seat and whirled to face the satyr, who was scowling at me as he held an olive leaf in midair. "Sit back down! I'm not finished with you yet!" I ignored him, and flung my arms around his neck enthusiastically.
"Achlys, that's wonderful!" My friend gently tried to push me back into the seat, but his attempts where vain. "What did he say?"
"I won't tell you unless you let me finish." I quickly sat down and tapped my foot with impatience. "He…he said he felt the same way." I smiled up at my companion as he pinned in the last leaf.
"There. Now you can go romp around." I smiled even better and hugged him again, kissing the top of his dark curls.
"Best wishes." I bolted for the door in new spirits. Out in the corridor I started humming and swaying. I stopped abruptly as I felt an ancient power encircling my ankles. It felt strangely familiar, and I recalled it was similar to Apollo's power. But this was different. The power didn't burn me like Apollo's, but scratched and tickled like bark and grass. I herd a crack, and green smoke filled the hall. The girl that had confronted my assumed teasing of Apollo at the Olympics steeped out, glaring at me with harsh green eyes. Her hair was pulled back into a bun that sat in a mess of leaves and dirt on top of her bark colored hair.
"Antalent." She greeted coolly. I didn't have to ask her title. I already knew it.
"Artemis." I bowed slightly at the greater goddess. She eyed my stomach, them glared back at my face.
"Whose is it?" She asked in a trembling whisper.
"Pardon?" Artemis lunged forward and shook my shoulders.
"Who is the father of your child, damn it!" I reeled back in shock at the goddess' words and gasped.
"I'm…I'm pregnant?" Her eyes soften a little at the look of vulnerability on my face.
"Yes, you are with child. A strong girl, if I might add." She cocked her head slightly and smiled. Then she brought her harsh eyes back to me. "All I want to know is if I'm an aunt." I shook my head.
"I don't believe it." Artemis rolled her eyes.
"Well, start believing. Because I'm telling you as the goddess of childbirth, there is a girl inside your womb." I felt hot tears form behind my eyes, threatening to spill over. I inhaled deeply and tried to control the river behind my eyelids.
"I never made love to your brother." I exhaled and opened my eyes. "Ares is the father." Artemis nodded and stared at my stomach again.
"Good." I felt the scrape of bark against my leg, then herd a bomb. Artemis was gone, and only I was in the hall. I shook the thought from my mind, still fighting the tears that pressed against my eyes. It was not possible. How, oh how could I be carrying Ares' child? The thought made me shake and twitch. I continued walking down the corridor, no longer humming. The face of Apollo popped into my face, smiling, beckoning. I broke into a jog, then started running desperately down the hall. I said my prayer, and flung myself up into the rafts of the hall. As I shadow, I reached out, searching desperately for my love. I finally found his chamber, and slipped quietly into the room. Still in te form of mist, I reached out for Apollo's presence.
There he laid, a gold lump on top of his bead. I smiled and floated over to him, trailing my shimmering fingers across his cheek. Suddenly his eyes flew open, and I retreated into the corner. Apollo shot straight up and glared around the room.
"Who goes there?" I sighed and stepped forward, summing my molecules to form together. Apollo stared at me with wide eyes. "Antalent?" I ran to him, flinging myself at him with all my might.
"Apollo!" I nuzzled my nose into his neck. He hugged me just as fiercely, kissing my head. "I'm sorry. Sorry, sorry." Apollo seized my shoulders and brought my eyes level to his.
"Why are you apologizing to me? You didn't do anything!" The river could not be controlled, and roared as it poured onto my cheeks.
"It's not what I did, but what I'm doing!" Confusion consumed his eyes. "Apollo, I'm carrying his child." His eyes became furious; more furious than I had ever seen before. The gold in his eyes disappeared, and was replaced my the dark jade I saw the first time I laid eyes on him. He threw me off of him and onto the bed, rising slowly and walking to the window. I stopped crying, but started to shudder as spasms of grief erupted in me. I waited, waited for Apollo to speak, waited for Apollo to yell, waited for Apollo to do something besides stare out his window with glazed green eyes. I dared not speak.
"Antalent…" He finally turned from the window. "I love you. I love you with an intensity that Ares could never understand." I nodded my head, my voice lost in my love's piercing eyes. "But we can't be together. Not like this." I stared at him like a village idiot, wondering if I was dreaming or if I was hearing demons. Apollo balled his fist as his face became wild. "Say something, Antalent!" I trembled as I rolled out of the ball I created with my body stood.
"I. Thought. You. Loved. Me." My voice trembled as I pronounced each word clearly. Apollo flinched and moved to grab my hand.
"I do. Don't you get it, Antalent? He'll keep on hurting you as long as you love me." I yanked my wrist away from his grasp and took a step back.
What happened next, I will never forget. The sent of flowers curled around my nostrils, then a pale blue mist crept along the floor. A girl, maybe a year older than me, shimmered into existence. Her wild red hair hung loose and contrasted her mint green skin.
"There you are. I was looking for you, my love." My love. The words echoed in my head as the nymph circled her arms around Apollo's waist. "What do you suppose we do now that I have found you?" Apollo didn't say anything, but only stared down at the floor. My grief died as I saw my former love's head bowed, and anger gladly replaced it.
"Look at me, you damn coward!" I spat at the Sun God. He lifted his head slightly, and stared at me with lifeless green eyes. "Why, Apollo? Why did you do this to me?" The nymph laughed a beautiful, evil laugh.
"Maybe you couldn't satisfy his needs the way I can." She slid her hand down his back and to his bottom to make her point. I ignored her words and glared at Apollo as he didn't defend his honor or mine.
"I loathe you." I whispered harshly. Apollo showed a flicker of emotion by flinching.
"Please don't." He said just as quietly. I only smiled at him with out warmth, allowing my anger to take over as I stepped towards him. Quickly, in one swift motion, I slapped my hand across his face. The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed across the room as Apollo kept his head turned.
"I'm gone, Apollo. I'm gone forever." I turned swiftly into a shadow, leaving Apollo and his little prize to share the day.
I felt it then. At first it hurt, as if someone had reached into my chest and yanked my heart out. But the pain resided, and was only placed by a dull numbness. What I was feeling was my heart being taken from me. I brought myself to visit Aphrodite's chambers. She was sitting on a white marble chair, brushing her glorious hair.
"Aphrodite?" She turned and looked me up and down, suspicion and curiosity lingering on her face. "Take care of it."
"Take care of what?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
"My heart. Don't you have it?" Aphrodite looked at me as if I had three heads.
"No. Apollo has it." I gasped open mouthed at her words, and felt anger bubble inside me.
"Well, get it back!" Aphrodite laughed and flipped her head.
"And why would I do that? So I can give it to Ares for you?" She scoffed.
"No! I don't want him to have it either." Aphrodite eyed me suspiciously.
"Then who, Antalent, do you propose I give it to?"
"I don't know. Who had it before I meet Apollo?"
"I was making it."
"Can't you just hold onto it?" Aphrodite shook her head.
"No. If I do, you'll fall in love with me. Who ever holds your heart, that's who you love." I stood and thought, trying to find away out of the mess.
"You know, your husband has been asking for your heart for sometime now." Aphrodite whispered. I gazed up at her with sad eyes.
"I'm sorry. I now know what it feels like to be rejected for another." She nodded stiffly, gazing at me with thoughtful blue eyes.
"I'll see what I can do about your heart, Antalent. I have misjudged you." I knelt and kissed her hands in thanks, then rose to leave. "Oh, one more thing." I stared at the goddess of love, waiting for her words. "It will be difficult, since he loves you."
"He doesn't love me."
"You know he does."
Yes, I knew. I knew that I held his heart, and that he held mine.