.::.Chapter 1.::.True Origins
All my life, I've always thanked the Gods and Goddesses. To be born into a beautiful family was indeed a gift to me from the patron of Athens; the virgin goddess, Athena.
My mother was a sea nymph. Born as a part immortal to the goddess of love; Aphrodite and to the mortal; Arteraes. My beautiful mother, Anphelia, was presented as a gift from Aphrodite to my dear father; Lythus, Prince of Athens who was well-favored in the Kingdom of Olympia. I was blessed with three other siblings to whom I am the second child. My oldest brother, Thytus was the natural heir to the Athenian throne. He is three years my senior and I love him dearly. Whenever father was away, establishing meetings with our Allies, Thytus would somehow fill up that empty spot that Father used to occupy in my heart. I always sought comfort and refuge in his arms and he always knew how to make me feel at peace. Next came my younger brother; Jabez. He was born a year after me and somehow, the closest sibling to me because of distance between our age. We always go riding when spring comes and play in the mud in rainy afternoons. Finally was my sister; Athelia. She was given the name to honor the patron of Athens, Athena. Since her birth, Athena has chosen her to follow in her steps and be a diviner and seer of her. My little sister was blessed with a beautiful face, inheriting my father dark tresses and emerald green eyes.
Unlike me. I felt I was an outcast. Different from everyone else, to be cursed with foreign features like my mother. But every night, when my loving mother came to tuck me into my warm bed, she'd comb my golden blonde hair and tell me that I've been blessed by the Gods to posses such beauty. My mother had a beautiful voice but sometimes, I always wonder whether she misses the sea for the songs she sing are always depicting the beautiful and endless sea. I've always yearned to be graceful like my mother. But now, it is lonely here in Athens. My mother, together with Jabez and Athelia are away in the far and beautiful land of Rome. But never would I expect this beautiful family to not be truly mine, not until when I reached the age of thirteen.
"Run now my Queen, run to Athens where my good friend King Lythus dwells. You shall be safe there!" cried out the failing king. The Byzantines have breached the city walls. The thumping on the throne room doors and blood-curling screams from the soldiers were getting louder. Knossos was bound to be taken over by the Byzantines. The beautiful queen took one final glance at her failing husband, crushed and frail like a lowly insect. "Why did he have to go? To go and defend his country?" She thought silently to herself, tears welling up in her eyes once more. She wanted to stay and die by his side so that they may be together in their after life but her children needed her. She knelt on her knees and kissed her weak husband murmuring into his bloodied ear "I love you always my love, I love you" she trailed off. The courtroom doors blasted open as herds of Byzantine soldiers flooded in.
She quickly got up and grabbed her son by the hand and held her infant daughter close to her chest as they fled through the trap door into a world of ghastly darkness. Her infant child began to cry. She held Calista close to her and kissed the crying babe gently on her forehead. "Hush now my child" she said softly. Above her the trap door was bound to give way to the weight of tens of thousands of soldiers. She could hear the desperate cries of the court ladies who were going to be taken as war spoils. The queen looked at her son, the heir to the throne. Although he was only barely nine, he knew well of their condition and said firmly to his mother, "Mother, I swear to take back the throne and rule Knossos fairly. I shall avenge father." Clio tried hard to hold back her tears as she kissed her brave son on the cheek and they slowly crept along the cram passage way. It seemed like eternity until a bright beam of light revealed the end of the tunnel. Queen Clio thanked the Gods and Goddesses silently as they got out of the tunnel to see a beautiful sight, completely a world apart from the burning kingdom behind them.
They ran quickly and silently across the beautiful fields and to their blessing, they reached a private dock. A magnificent looking boat anchored at the jetty as the ran hurriedly toward it and startled its owner who was half-asleep. "My queen!" he jumped to a start and knelt down to kiss Clio's smooth hand. She looked at him sympathetically and asked "Would you take us to Athens?" The boat man agreed without much thought as the boat sailed off under the crimson sun towards a land of new hope for her children. The days flew by and finally one morning, Queen Clio woke up to the urgent and excited voice of the boat man. "My Queen, we've reached Athens!" Clio opened her large eyes to reveal a pair of turquoise coloured eyes. "Thank you so much, I shall repay one day." Clio said fervently as she aroused her sleeping children and watched as Carlos stretched lazily like a playful child. Clio turned to check Calista who was still fast asleep in her crib and gently picked up the exquisite looking infant and exited the ship to be in the bustling and prosperous city of Athens. The queen tailed slowly behind the boat man who led her towards the mighty and beautiful Athenian palace.
The Athenians were surprised to be visited by the beautiful queen as some bowed while others threw fresh flowers on her path to welcome her to their beautiful city. Clio looked up at the beautiful palace and watched as her late husband's dear friend descended from the steps to welcome her. "Clio! What brings you here?" King Lythus asked chirpily. Beside the tall man stood a strikingly beautiful lady and her charming looking son, Thytus. "Clio, you're here!" the lady squealed and embraced the newly-widowed queen warmly. Clio looked sadly at the loving couple, the memories of her husband washing against the back of her head. She blinked a tear as Queen Anphelia hurriedly wiped her tears away. Clio burst out "Oh Anphelia, Knossos is taken by the Byzantines andand Thames isis......gone" Clio cried a fresh round of tears with Carlos behind her trying hard to hold back his grieve for his father. The King and Queen led a crying Clio into the courtroom with Calista in Anphelia's arms and Carlos trailing behind them. Anphelia coaxed Clio gently and finally the widowed queen calmed down. Queen Clio looked lovingly at Calista and stroked her babe gently. "Anphelia, Lythus, I have a favour to ask of you." Clio said hoarsely. The couple looked at the broken queen as she continued he request. "Take care of Calista, treat her as your own. Do it in favour of my husband and me." Her voice cracked as she watched the couple twitch nervously before her. They agreed in order not to hurt the fragile queen.
A week later after the Queen had healed a little, Clio left with Carlos to somewhere distant. Clio bade her beautiful babe farewell and kissed Calista as the babe burst out crying wildly as though she knew that her mother was leaving her. Anphelia looked lovingly at the babe and said gently to her husband "We shall treat her and raise her as our own." Lythus smiled warmly at his beautiful wife and together they named their new child "Meia".
I never got to know this whole truth until I was much older. Thytus never told me, I guess he couldn't but I never blamed him. I've always thought that I was Meia; princess of Athens, daughter of Anphelia and Lythus but little did I know my true origins began as Calista; princess of Knossos, Crete, daughter of Clio and the late Thames.
A/N : Hi, this is my second story, I'll try to improve on it. Give me your feed back, good or bad, I'll edit it to make it better. Anyway this is On The Wings Of Olympia The settings are factual except the years are not accurate. Set in the Bronze Age in Ancient Greece. Ooo...romantic. The next chappie may take some time.......but do be patient okie? Thanks!
All my life, I've always thanked the Gods and Goddesses. To be born into a beautiful family was indeed a gift to me from the patron of Athens; the virgin goddess, Athena.
My mother was a sea nymph. Born as a part immortal to the goddess of love; Aphrodite and to the mortal; Arteraes. My beautiful mother, Anphelia, was presented as a gift from Aphrodite to my dear father; Lythus, Prince of Athens who was well-favored in the Kingdom of Olympia. I was blessed with three other siblings to whom I am the second child. My oldest brother, Thytus was the natural heir to the Athenian throne. He is three years my senior and I love him dearly. Whenever father was away, establishing meetings with our Allies, Thytus would somehow fill up that empty spot that Father used to occupy in my heart. I always sought comfort and refuge in his arms and he always knew how to make me feel at peace. Next came my younger brother; Jabez. He was born a year after me and somehow, the closest sibling to me because of distance between our age. We always go riding when spring comes and play in the mud in rainy afternoons. Finally was my sister; Athelia. She was given the name to honor the patron of Athens, Athena. Since her birth, Athena has chosen her to follow in her steps and be a diviner and seer of her. My little sister was blessed with a beautiful face, inheriting my father dark tresses and emerald green eyes.
Unlike me. I felt I was an outcast. Different from everyone else, to be cursed with foreign features like my mother. But every night, when my loving mother came to tuck me into my warm bed, she'd comb my golden blonde hair and tell me that I've been blessed by the Gods to posses such beauty. My mother had a beautiful voice but sometimes, I always wonder whether she misses the sea for the songs she sing are always depicting the beautiful and endless sea. I've always yearned to be graceful like my mother. But now, it is lonely here in Athens. My mother, together with Jabez and Athelia are away in the far and beautiful land of Rome. But never would I expect this beautiful family to not be truly mine, not until when I reached the age of thirteen.
"Run now my Queen, run to Athens where my good friend King Lythus dwells. You shall be safe there!" cried out the failing king. The Byzantines have breached the city walls. The thumping on the throne room doors and blood-curling screams from the soldiers were getting louder. Knossos was bound to be taken over by the Byzantines. The beautiful queen took one final glance at her failing husband, crushed and frail like a lowly insect. "Why did he have to go? To go and defend his country?" She thought silently to herself, tears welling up in her eyes once more. She wanted to stay and die by his side so that they may be together in their after life but her children needed her. She knelt on her knees and kissed her weak husband murmuring into his bloodied ear "I love you always my love, I love you" she trailed off. The courtroom doors blasted open as herds of Byzantine soldiers flooded in.
She quickly got up and grabbed her son by the hand and held her infant daughter close to her chest as they fled through the trap door into a world of ghastly darkness. Her infant child began to cry. She held Calista close to her and kissed the crying babe gently on her forehead. "Hush now my child" she said softly. Above her the trap door was bound to give way to the weight of tens of thousands of soldiers. She could hear the desperate cries of the court ladies who were going to be taken as war spoils. The queen looked at her son, the heir to the throne. Although he was only barely nine, he knew well of their condition and said firmly to his mother, "Mother, I swear to take back the throne and rule Knossos fairly. I shall avenge father." Clio tried hard to hold back her tears as she kissed her brave son on the cheek and they slowly crept along the cram passage way. It seemed like eternity until a bright beam of light revealed the end of the tunnel. Queen Clio thanked the Gods and Goddesses silently as they got out of the tunnel to see a beautiful sight, completely a world apart from the burning kingdom behind them.
They ran quickly and silently across the beautiful fields and to their blessing, they reached a private dock. A magnificent looking boat anchored at the jetty as the ran hurriedly toward it and startled its owner who was half-asleep. "My queen!" he jumped to a start and knelt down to kiss Clio's smooth hand. She looked at him sympathetically and asked "Would you take us to Athens?" The boat man agreed without much thought as the boat sailed off under the crimson sun towards a land of new hope for her children. The days flew by and finally one morning, Queen Clio woke up to the urgent and excited voice of the boat man. "My Queen, we've reached Athens!" Clio opened her large eyes to reveal a pair of turquoise coloured eyes. "Thank you so much, I shall repay one day." Clio said fervently as she aroused her sleeping children and watched as Carlos stretched lazily like a playful child. Clio turned to check Calista who was still fast asleep in her crib and gently picked up the exquisite looking infant and exited the ship to be in the bustling and prosperous city of Athens. The queen tailed slowly behind the boat man who led her towards the mighty and beautiful Athenian palace.
The Athenians were surprised to be visited by the beautiful queen as some bowed while others threw fresh flowers on her path to welcome her to their beautiful city. Clio looked up at the beautiful palace and watched as her late husband's dear friend descended from the steps to welcome her. "Clio! What brings you here?" King Lythus asked chirpily. Beside the tall man stood a strikingly beautiful lady and her charming looking son, Thytus. "Clio, you're here!" the lady squealed and embraced the newly-widowed queen warmly. Clio looked sadly at the loving couple, the memories of her husband washing against the back of her head. She blinked a tear as Queen Anphelia hurriedly wiped her tears away. Clio burst out "Oh Anphelia, Knossos is taken by the Byzantines andand Thames isis......gone" Clio cried a fresh round of tears with Carlos behind her trying hard to hold back his grieve for his father. The King and Queen led a crying Clio into the courtroom with Calista in Anphelia's arms and Carlos trailing behind them. Anphelia coaxed Clio gently and finally the widowed queen calmed down. Queen Clio looked lovingly at Calista and stroked her babe gently. "Anphelia, Lythus, I have a favour to ask of you." Clio said hoarsely. The couple looked at the broken queen as she continued he request. "Take care of Calista, treat her as your own. Do it in favour of my husband and me." Her voice cracked as she watched the couple twitch nervously before her. They agreed in order not to hurt the fragile queen.
A week later after the Queen had healed a little, Clio left with Carlos to somewhere distant. Clio bade her beautiful babe farewell and kissed Calista as the babe burst out crying wildly as though she knew that her mother was leaving her. Anphelia looked lovingly at the babe and said gently to her husband "We shall treat her and raise her as our own." Lythus smiled warmly at his beautiful wife and together they named their new child "Meia".
I never got to know this whole truth until I was much older. Thytus never told me, I guess he couldn't but I never blamed him. I've always thought that I was Meia; princess of Athens, daughter of Anphelia and Lythus but little did I know my true origins began as Calista; princess of Knossos, Crete, daughter of Clio and the late Thames.
A/N : Hi, this is my second story, I'll try to improve on it. Give me your feed back, good or bad, I'll edit it to make it better. Anyway this is On The Wings Of Olympia The settings are factual except the years are not accurate. Set in the Bronze Age in Ancient Greece. Ooo...romantic. The next chappie may take some time.......but do be patient okie? Thanks!