Melantriche had been hoping that Karana had been wrong, but with each day that feeling was quickly decimated. Eedi, who Melantriche had never seen enter the kitchen prior to their first proper meeting, began coming nearly every evening. Apparently, his place was at the main hall, where he and other important people on the island partook in lavish meals. The gods alone knew why he would want to share the servant's meager suppers of soup and bread, but he did. Karana made no effort to hide her indignation at this. "You might as well have cooked a whole banquet, Mela. As soon as Eedi's done being a fatass, there's gonna be nothing left for the rest of us." The 2 other girls that usually joined them stifled their giggles into their cups, and Eedi shot a glare at all of them.
"You'd do well to shut your swarthy mouth, Karana, or I'll have you demoted." Karana laughed a dog-like humorless laugh.
"Oh, grand. You're gonna demote the potamide that keeps your water supply clean? I'd like to see you try." But he was already too busy talking to Melantriche to retort. What the conversation was about, Melantriche herself couldn't remember, but Eedi went from boasting about his many responsibilities to how he'd appreciate having a wife one day that could cook as well as Melantriche could. "He's very subtle, don't you think?" Karana hissed as soon as he left. Melantriche laid her head in her lap.
"I don't want to be with Eedi." She moaned. She remembered the horror stories Lyra used to tell her when she was younger, about centaurs and satyrs kidnapping young girls and doing unspeakable things to them. "But I don't want him to be angry with me. How do I get out of this, Karana?" The woman leaned side to side, as if to think.
"Well, whenever I'm being propositioned, I usually tell him straight up I don't want to be with him. But if you're wanting to be careful about it... try acting gross." Melantriche stared at her. "You know, don't bathe, work more at the pig pen than you would in the kitchen. Make him get so grossed out he won't want to spare a second glance at you. And if he still comes chasing after you, I'll threaten to cut off the water supply." Melantriche laughed, even though she had no desire whatsoever to get dirty, either. But what choice did she have? The way Eedi put his hand on her shoulder was quickly becoming more intimate than she would've allowed in the human world.
The next day she loitered around the barn like Karana suggested. She had not bathed, either, and was quickly regretting it, with this humid weather not helping her hair in the least bit. She tried hard to ignore all the stares from the nymphs, who never seemed to miss a day of fine grooming. She wandered around from section to section, asking if there was anything she could do to help. By the end of the day, she'd managed to wash down nearly a dozen horses, fed the pigs, and helped to herd some goats during lunchtime. Now she was heading back, starving and soaked in filth. While the sun was quickly sinking into the lake, she ambled around outside the kitchen for a time. The chimneys were smoking, but she didn't want to risk running into Eedi again. At the same time, there was nothing more she wanted than to eat, take a hot bath, and go straight to sleep. She just about worked up her courage to go inside when she ducked around the corner and bumped into a familiar face. Ivy was looking especially gorgeous in the dusk light, strands of her hair glowing gold and her cheeks rosy. Melantriche gulped, feeling her cheeks grow red. The girl just tossed her pretty hair, scoffing. She had a bundle of fine red cloth under her arm which she shoved at her. "This needs to be made into a tablecloth in 3 days. Go and sew it." Melantriche stared at the cloth, dumbfounded. "What are you waiting for? Go, you lazy brat."
"Why are you so mean to me?" Melantriche whispered. For some reason she could feel herself getting ready to cry. Ivy stared her up and down, sneering at her unkempt appearance.
"I have no idea what Lord Apollo sees in you. Or Eedi. You're just a stinking useless human." Was that it? She was jealous?
"Even if Eedi likes me like that, I don't think he'll come to see me anymore if he knows I'm not a virgin."
"You are a stupid girl, aren't you?" Ivy laughed, flipping her hair again. "He knows. We all know. You think Lord Apollo would help you for no reason at all? But Eedi's a stupid goat, and he's entertaining the idea of having you marry him." Melantriche paled. "It won't be long, though. Knowing him, he'd have to see if you're the real deal first. He'll fuck you and then he'll realize that he needs a real woman. You'll go back to being the island slut." By then Melantriche really was crying. So that's what everyone here thought of her, but deep down she knew it, too. She'd liked what Apollo did to her then. Maybe everyone heard them in the night. If this was Athens, she'd be sent packing back to her home and then she'd never get married. Her parents would die of shame if they knew. She'd be the laughingstock of the town, like she was now.
Then, inexplicably, a thought popped into Melantriche's head that made her grin, something about what Karana said. She opened her mouth before she realized it. "Eedi's back is so brittle he'd never be able to get a thrust in. You'd need to help him." Ivy's mouth gaped and Melantriche dashed inside before she could get slapped.
Karana looked up when she slammed the door.
"What's it?" An slight feeling of dread spiraled into Melantriche's belly, but at the time it hardly mattered because she was too busy being attacked by a fit. Tears streamed out of her while she laughed, and her heart was beating too fast. She felt dizzy. She bent over, overflowing with giggles and Karana frowned. "What? What happened?" There must've been something wrong with her. No matter. With some effort, she crawled off the floor and ambled to the table. As soon as she took her place on the stool she collapsed into wheezes again. "Gods above, just tell me! Stop looking so smug with yourself and just spill the beans!"
"I..." she recounted the incident to her, in good detail about the argument. She felt Karana would be happy for her, but the woman's face stayed totally stoic throughout the conversation. Finally, she said,
"Melantriche, that was dangerous. I didn't mean you could sass them at every turn. It's different for me."
"Oh." A wave of embarrassment fell over her.
"But..." Karana's face split into a grin. "That was hilarious." They laughed about it until their stomachs hurt.
Melantriche should've expected it, but she got demoted. The sun would have not even risen and she would be shaken awake by a servant girl, telling her she was needed. The worst part of it was that it was Ivy who wanted her. She forced her to do all her chores, along with a few other meaningless tasks, such as mopping the main hall just before everyone came in, so she would have to redo it afterwards. In Ivy's own words, she wanted it to be so clean she saw her reflection in it. Then she wanted Melantriche to clean her room, which was 10 times bigger and grander than anything Melantriche ever had. It was also the messiest. Clothes and perfume were spilled over the floor constantly, plates of food piled up and wine glasses shattered all over so that she cut her toes everywhere she stepped. And then the next day, she would come back only to find it in the exact same disarray it was prior. And Melantriche, who already knew she'd popped her bubble, didn't have a nerve to even complain. She rarely had the time to see Karana, or to even bathe. She'd be so exhausted by day's end that she'd collapse straight into her cot. That was another thing, too. Ivy had taken her room away, and now she was sleeping in a shared closet with some other little girls. It was stuffy, with barely enough room to walk around. The floors were dirt bare. All this did not go unnoticed by others. She was surely the most haggard-looking person on the island, and it seemed like no one wanted to be within a 50 mile radius of her. When they did, she'd get shoved or ordered to do some unsavory job no one else wanted to do. It was positively demeaning. No one had ever dared treat her like this in her entire life. She wished Apollo would come now more than ever... not that he'd care.
The only good part of this ordeal was that she didn't have to see Eedi at supper anymore, but even that was quickly diminished, as Ivy had frequent meetings with him. He didn't seem to have any interest in talking with her anymore, but occasionally she caught his eye and he'd have a poisonous leer on his face. Melantriche cringed. Ivy must've told him about what she said. Well, now the beauty had what she wanted. If Melantriche could take back what she said, she would. Being insulted was not worth this much, no matter what anyone said.
One day Ivy and Melantriche were spinning wool—well, it was more like Melantriche was doing it and Ivy was checking her makeup. Then all of a sudden she stood up, looking cheery. "We're going herb-picking. Come, girl." Stifling a heavy sigh, Melantriche put aside the spindle and followed her. They walked out into a grove that Melantriche was sure she'd never been to before. It was a little ways up the mountain, and gnarled with shrubs and trees. While Ivy nimbly hopped up the path, Melantriche staggered behind, her ratty tunic getting caught on many branches. At that point, she dumbly wondered to herself why they were going up this side of the hill, when all the best herbs grew on the opposite. When she looked up again, Ivy was gone.
In a panic, she looked around. "Miss Ivy?" No one answered. If Ivy noticed that she lagged behind, she'd be heaps mad, Melantriche was sure. Then she heard a faint noise, like a horse running. Clop, clop, clop. When she saw a familiar figure emerging from the bushes, she realized what was going on. She started running down the path, ignoring the sting of the branches in her face as she darted through the trees. Thank gods that the way back to the village was downhill, or she would've been in trouble. When she broke through the trees she still ran. She didn't think she'd ever run so fast in her life. Even when she dared to stop and take a breath—only because there were other people around staring at her like she was a loony—she glanced behind her. Eedi was no longer pursuing her. In fact, she didn't see him anywhere. Had she just imagined it? No, no, it must've been real. But where was Ivy? When she decided to just hurry back to room under the context of getting something to hold the herbs, that's exactly where she found her, sipping a goblet of wine as if she'd never left her spot. "You lazy slave girl. Where did you go?" Melantriche stuttered.
"You said we were going to pick herbs."
"There is something wrong with your brain. I've been here the whole time, spinning this wool. My fingers hurt now, so take over." She did, shakily.
The next day the same thing repeated. By this time, the tablecloth was finished and in the best condition, if Melantriche could say so herself. Ivy only scoffed and tossed it aside. Then she stood up gracefully and said, "We need to go herb picking, now." Melantriche stood up and shrugged.
"Ok, but try to stay with me this time. And also, I can run faster than him." Ivy just cocked her head and smiled, as if to say, I have no idea what you're talking about.
This time, Ivy did stay with her, but it sounded alarm bells. Instead she walked right behind her, and when they reached the peak of the hill, where Melantriche braced herself to run, she grabbed her by her wrists. Melantriche tried to pull away, but Ivy's grip was startlingly strong, as strong as the vines she presided over. "Let go," Melantriche pleaded. "Please let go." Just then, Eedi emerged from the bushes again, only this time he walked toward them, calmly and smirking. Ivy smiled.
"Try to run now, slut." She said, and walked away.