Part 1: Chapter 18

Ariadne

I thanked him for making me feel so loved than I had in a long time. His love made me feel whole and complete, fully reborn out of the grief and depression that had been harbored deep within my heart. Finally, I felt those burdens starting to diminish away, leaving behind only the smallest and faintest of traits. Now, all I could feel was Dionysus, the person who was ever true to me.

Now, I knew very well that it had been no mistake to give myself to him. He was full of care, kindness, compassion and true love; for that I was sure, for his actions for the past month had proved that. And I could not deny him, for his yearning – I could see it in his eyes – burned as much as mine.

When we both emerged out of his tent shortly after, walking hand-in-hand, we emerged to the camp as a pair of new mates that had been fully bonded and were now content to spend their time with each other. The others had taken notice, judging by their sudden looks of awe and surprise when they witnessed their master holding onto my hand. Dionysus seemed to like seeing how they were starting to take note that I was now his lover, as he said that it made me be important and he wanted me to know how important I was. While I was glad on the topic of important, I could not care less if I was, for I was already content with just being with him.

On that morning, Dionysus took me to a small lake to bathe in. For a short while, I felt anxious around the lake, because the haunted memory of that horrendous night of encounter with the satyr was still clear in my head. Yes, I was already used to the presence of satyrs in the camp, but I still could not beat down the fear that one of them would attack me when I least expect it. Usually, I would bathe by collecting water from the lake and washing myself in the forest, or by bathing with the Maenads that were friendly enough to be with.

But Dionysus must have seen the fear in my eyes, for he soothed my anxiety and fear by telling me that he was here for me. How many times have I heard the words of him not leaving me said through his voice? Too many times already, but I find that I do not mind, for it gave me the secured comfort that indeed he would not leave me. So, without hesitation, I joined him willingly.

Bathing with him was indeed something that I would really like to do now.

After we had bathed, and participated in much more show of affections, we went on like as though it was any normal day. We walked together, talked together, and laughed together. He told me funny stories while I told him silly memories, which we both got a good giggle and chuckle out of. But this time was quite different, for we were now holding each other's hands more often, taking each other in warm embraces much more, and even started to randomly kiss each other – be it on the lips, or the cheeks, or any other part of the face.

I actually liked that it was that sort of way, for it made me know that we were fully accepting our new relationship together, even enjoying it for every single second we were together. It helped us bond even closer, to the point where we felt we were almost inseparable.

I do not think that it was happening too fast, because we had already become companions for a month before finally starting a romantic relationship. Thus, we already had a head-start to fully know each other before giving in to each other.

"One question," I said to him as we sat on an old tree trunk that had long fallen to the ground, with him sitting close right beside me with an arm around me. "Do gods feel love like a human does? Do they feel the sensation of falling into the emotion, and then the sensation of succumbing to it? Or do they not, and just think of love as just a simple emotion that a human possesses?"

Dionysus took some time to think of his answer to my question, drumming his fingers on my arm lightly. It was a while later when he spoke.

"I would say it is more to the latter, though not quite. You see, some gods see love as only a fleeting emotion that would disappear over time, and thus they do not fully bond to it as they do not see the point if it vanishes after a while. Furthermore, having the natural high attitude of a proud peacock, they think that they are too good to just be tied down to one person, when they could have as much as they want. Whereas, some other gods can in fact feel love, although it does not always necessarily mean intimate love. Sometimes, some gods have a mixture of both traits. Take my brother Apollo as an example. He has had many beautiful lovers who would wish to stay as his consort, but he does not stay bonded to any of them for he sees them as only fleeting flings. But he truly loves his twin sister Artemis with all of his heart, and he is very devoted to and protective of her. I would say that if he were to choose between Artemis and a beautiful woman to keep in his life, he is surely to choose Artemis, for he values her over everyone else, save for his own mother."

"Ah, I see," I replied, taking his word into thought. The bit about Apollo really did intrigue me. I have not assumed that the God of the Sun would be so very close to Artemis, considering how different they seemed to be from each other. But I guess that I was wrong to assume such a thing for I did not know him.

"Why do you ask me this sort of question, Ariadne?" he questioned, curiosity clear in his voice. "Is it because you assume that I do not feel the same sort of love that you feel? That I cannot feel love like a mortal does?"

I could hear a slight bit of anger and disheartenment in his voice, and I knew that this was one of his mood swings. Indeed, he has such shifting moods, and I must think fast to alleviate this situation.

"No, Dionysus," I said calmly, keeping my voice firm and unwavering. "I am merely curious. Because you are a god, and I only wish to know how a god would differ from a human in this sort of situations. I do not think what you had just stated."

That might have calmed him down a bit, and I silently sighed in relief. Just then, Dionysus took hold of my chin and turned my head to face him. There was a bright smile and a twinkle in his eyes – another sudden change of mood; just a few seconds ago he sounded angered, now he was as bright as cheerful as he could be – when he said, "Do not forget, Ariadne, that I had been initially born as half a mortal before forming into a full-blooded god in my father's form. I may have still retained some mortal in me. Thus, I may be able to love you just as much as any mortal male."

I smiled at that, and brought a hand to cup his cheek. His other hand rose to place it above mine, holding it close to him. With a smile, I told him, "No, Dionysus. You are capable of much more than that."

I leaned in to kiss his lips, and he reciprocated quickly. Very soon, we were embracing each other fully, with our lips busily shaping themselves against each other. My head started swimming in an ocean of bliss, and all I could focus on was Dionysus and nothing else.

That was, until a startled gasp sounded from nearby us.

We both pulled away at the sudden shock of the gasp, and turned in the direction of where it had come from. We were both immediately surprised when we saw Artemis standing there, looking right back at us with shocked dark blue eyes.

"Artemis!" I exclaimed her name in surprise, and then I started feeling very embarrassed because a virgin goddess had just witnessed me passionately kissing her half-brother.

Artemis did not give any form of welcome, still too overcome with the sight of us. Instead, she cleared her throat loudly and turned her head to the side, averting her eyes from us. "I'm sorry," she said in a hard voice that indicated her discomfort. "I seem to have interrupted something between the both of you."

I could feel my face turning warm from embarrassment at the thought that I had made Artemis uncomfortable. It was one of the things that I never wanted to do to her.

Feeling the tension in the air between us growing thicker and more suffocating, I cleared my throat awkwardly and said shyly, "Umm… This may come to be a surprise for you, but Dionysus and I…"

I could not finish my words, because Dionysus then cut in by saying, "We've bonded, Artemis."

It was only then did Artemis turn to look at us again. But more specifically, she was looking directly at Dionysus solely. Her midnight blue eyes held on to his hazel brown eyes as she said in a firm voice, "I can clearly see that. And I hope you would not mind if you and I had a private discussion."

And then, her eyes darted over to me, as she said, "Alone."

I could feel dread weighing down upon my heart, worried that Artemis would want to voice her displeasure of our new-found relationship. I did not want to anger the goddess, but I do not think that I could refuse Dionysus if that was what she would wish for me to do. I may even risk punishment if I was to defy her, but I do not care about her opinion on my being with him. If I wanted it, then so be it.

I was not the only one to start tensing. Dionysus did too, evidenced in the sudden tightening of his hold on me. I turned to look at him and saw him staring at Artemis with a hard but blank stare. There was no hint of emotion of his face; no signs of happiness or anger. I found that I did not like to see him so expressionless, as it was such a far cry from the ever mood-changing god that he was.

Suddenly, he released his hold on me and just stood up. Artemis then – without a word – started to walk away into the forest, and he followed suit. He did not look at me as he left, nor did he say a word on telling me what to do.

I just stayed by myself on that fallen tree trunk, hoping that things would go well between the two of them.

Dionysus

When we were at a distance in the forest that was not too near but also not too far from Ariadne, I stopped walking and immediately inquired of Artemis without amusement, "Do you have an issue with me being with Ariadne? Is that why you wish to talk to me alone? Do you wish to voice your disapproval of the fact that she is now my mate?"

Artemis stopped walking a few feet ahead of me and turned to me with her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed as she looked at me. In a snort, she replied haughtily, "Do not get too worked up over your own silly assumptions, Dionysus. That was not what I had intended to talk about at all."

Hearing that, I could feel all tension being released from my bones, and I let out a loud sigh of relief. "Thank Mount Olympus for that," I exclaimed. "But what was it that you had intended to talk about, regarding the topic?"

Artemis moved to a nearby tree branch so that she can lean on it as she said, "I can see pure love clearly in both of your eyes. Such a look could only be caused if the both of you had been shot with the attraction arrows of Eros which are fueled by the love powers of Aphrodite. Which, I assume, had happened."

I nodded my head in understanding. "Alright. And?"

Her eyebrows rose speculatively, and she asked in a questioning tone, "But do you actually intend to stay bonded to her?"

Her question threw me completely off-guard and I found myself being confused and somewhat insulted.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked her, feeling annoyance rise up in my voice. "Do you think I am not willing to stay with Ariadne?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Artemis replied instantly in a nonchalant manner.

Now that had completely angered me, and I found myself shouting at her, "How dare you think that I would be that foolish! How dare you assume that! You have no right to assume such nonsense! You do not know!"

Even though I was now practically boiling with rage and annoyance, Artemis simply kept a calm and cool façade and just looked at me with her raised eyebrow. Her arms remained crossed and her eyes remained speculative. She waited for me to calm down for a while before she spoke once again.

"Dionysus, forgive me for saying this, but I know your type of character when it comes to women. You are just like our brothers Apollo, Hermes and Ares, and especially like our father Zeus. You take them as lovers one at a time, and then put them aside once you've set your sights on another once you had implanted your seed in the previous one. Tell me, do you know how many women have you had in your life? And do you know how many children have you had that were borne from these women? What makes you think that you could suddenly and simply settle on just one right now?"

While still in my calming state, I could not help but feel the effects of Artemis' words. I will not deny the fact that whatever she had said was true. I know of my reputation of being a philanderer like my father and half-brothers. It was true I do not know how many women I had been with, or how many illegitimate children I had that was borne of my seed in their wombs. And I know now that to simply settle on just woman would be almost unheard of in my case.

But I also knew that Ariadne was truly the only one I want, and I so very sure about that. I do not care that our love had finally been acknowledged only after being struck by Eros' arrows, because I knew that my feelings for her had bud from the very first time I had met her. It was those seeds of feelings that had caused me to commit the act of making myself known to her, of helping her, of becoming her friend, of saving her from that satyr, and of initiating her into my rituals. I knew very well that having Ariadne in my life was both a want and a need, and it was not something that I would surely regret.

With a deep breath, I calmly told Artemis, "I know very well that I am indeed capable of that, and I know very well that it is only Ariadne for me."

Artemis relaxed out of her position and walked up to me. Her eyes conveyed to me that I must pay full attention to her, and so I did.

In a sigh, she said, "Ariadne had lost everything that she had owned because she had foolishly thought that she loved Theseus. It had taken her time to recover from that trauma and get over her mistake, all with your help. But now that she is clearly willing to love you, I can only hope that you would not allow her to go through the same thing. I know very well that she does not wish to be forgotten and abandoned once again."

With a thoughtful but serious voice, she then told me, "I have come to love Ariadne as a friend, and I do not wish to see her so unhappy again. If she wishes to be with you, then I will respect her decision, and can only wish for her the best. But I can also only hope that it will not bring her any pain and misery."

Just then, Artemis turned around and walked away, making me realize that she was about to leave. Before I could say anything to inquire her of that, she said to me something that had struck my heart.

"Ariadne is indeed someone worth keeping in a life. Especially yours, Dionysus. I can see that her presence in your life has done you good changes. Cherish her in a way that she deserves it, to repay her for her willingness to accept you as her love."

And just like that, without another word, Artemis disappeared into the thick forest. I did not go after her, instead hurriedly making my way back to Ariadne.

I found her still sitting on the fallen branch, simply braiding her hair messily. When she looked up at me, she asked in a questioning voice, "What had happened? Had something…"

I did not let her finish her words, because I hurried to her and pulled her up from the fallen tree trunk. Before she could ask about what was going on, I planted my lips on her and insinuated another kiss.

This kiss was a show to her that I wanted her to be in my life, and I needed her to be mine.

Ariadne

I did not know what exchange had happened between Dionysus and Artemis, because directly after that, Dionysus had just come back to me and immediately pulled me into a loving, heartfelt and passionate embrace.

That embrace led us to returning to his sleeping tent, where we shed off each other's clothes from our bodies and fell back on his comfy sleeping mats with the mounds of soft silk pillows.

It was on that sleeping mat where we made love numerous times well into the evening, even after the sun had set and the moon had risen. The sounds of the revelry were clearly heard from the inside, but it was dull enough for us to not focus on that but only on the sounds of each other. Like every other night, my mind was completely high and drunk. But on this night, I was not intoxicated by wine, but by Dionysus.

Finally, we finally concluded our act of love when the moon was shining high above in the dark night sky that was now adorned with many glittering stars. Once again, I found myself being cuddled in his arms that were wrapped around me gently in a very protective manner. Our skins were hot and permeated with the scent of sex, and both of us were breathless from our rigorous exertion.

"That… was…. very… intense…" I managed to breathe out through my heaving, before craning my head up so that I may kiss his lips.

Dionysus smiled and kissed me back, his arms starting to tighten even more around me as he held me very closely. He then carefully flipped our bodies over slowly and gently, making me lay down underneath his strong body. I wound my arms around his neck, bringing his face closer to mine, our lips never once parting.

When I trailed my lips from his to his cheek, I asked him in a voice through deep breaths, "Dion... How could I ever repay you?... For giving me your love, and letting me love you in return..."

Dionysus did not answer my question immediately. He was just silent as he hid his face in the pillow beside my head. His deep breathing sounded soft, and I could feel the inhaling and exhaling of air that his body was performing. I relished in that exquisite feel, continuing to hold him to me because I loved the feeling of comfort and warmth I could get from him. His arms remained wounded around my body, holding me tight as well.

As the minutes passed by, his silence continued on, and I began to feel slightly worried. I turned my head to look at him, and I was surprised to see that he had turned his head to the side to face me. I had not noticed that he had done so, but I was not the least bit frightened. The sight of his eyes sent another calming sensation over me.

Just then, he leaned in to kiss me once again, and I welcomed him warmly. But this time, I noticed that this kiss was truly very soft and gentle, with every bit of love in our hearts poured into it. Like all the other kisses we had recently shared, this one sent me into an immediate state of bliss, and I could feel myself sighing in pleasure.

Just in the middle of the kiss, I heard him whisper something in a voice so soft and soothing.

"Marry me."

And that was what made me pull away from him to look at him in a state of shock and disbelief.

"What?!"

Dionysus was not so affected by my outburst. Instead, he simply smiled and moved to ease his weight off me so that he could sit up right beside me. I sat up as well as I maintained my eyes on his, not fully caring that I was stark naked from the waist up, since he had clearly seen everything that was my body.

With a cheeky grin and a pair of dazed eyes, he told me, "You heard me, Ariadne. Marry me."

My shock and disbelief still did not wane over the next few seconds, and I found myself even more confused.

"Are you being serious, Dion?" I questioned in a near-shriek. When he nodded his head immediately, I exclaimed, "But. But. But I had just only kissed you for the first time last night, and bedded as well! Surely you do not wish to tie yourself to me now!"

It was true that I thought that this was getting a bit too fast. Yes, I have acknowledged my love for him and had slept with him the previous night, but for him to ask me for my hand in marriage was something completely unexpected. I did not even think that he would ask me of such a thing!

Dionysus' eyes suddenly became hard and serious as he gazed at me. He suddenly grasped my hand, holding it in his gently yet firmly when he said, "I know that what I ask you may seem a bit too soon, and I know that you cannot believe this. But I know that what I ask you is the only thing I wish for right now."

No matter how lovely his words sounded right now, I still could not believe it. I cannot believe for a single second that he had just asked me to marry him, despite how earnest he was about this. It was too impossible to believe. It was too good to be true.

I looked away from him, letting my hair curtain my face from his view so that he could not see the confusion and anxiety on my face. "I do not think that your decision is wise, Dionysus. Surely there are more beautiful women who are more capable and deserving to be your bride than me. I am just a plain mortal, and I would never be on par with your greatness."

It was silent after that, but I felt his hand slowly easing off mine. I felt a twinge in my heart that he may follow my 'advice'. I knew then that was what I seemed to have wanted, but I could not help but slightly feel the opposite.

But all of a sudden, his arms suddenly wrapped around my frame and I was pulled into another of his embraces. I could immediately feel the warmth of his skin enveloping me, but I was more focused on how this embrace felt. It felt so comforting and affectionate, and also yearning. His arms formed a sort of barrier around me, and it was holding me to him in a sort of desperate way.

While I was still so overwhelmed by the feel of his embrace, I could feel him whispering into my ear, "Despite you not being my first, I know that you are my true. You are the only person I really want in my life, Ariadne. I want and need you, so very much. You bring warmth and brightness in my life, something that no one else has been capable to do. With you, I feel more in bliss than ever. I want to cherish you as the glory in my life. Believe me when I say that I love you. I love you with the entirety of my heart and soul. I love you as the sun loves the moon. I love you as the earth loves water. I love you as I love my life, and I love you more than the entire world. I love you, Ariadne. I swear upon the river Styx that I love you."

By the time Dionysus had finished his words, tears were streaming down my cheeks. Those tears were tears of joy and happiness, at hearing proclaim his love for me. His words were indeed like heavenly music and sacred hymns. More sweeter than wine, and more intoxicating than its ecstasy. And I knew very well that his words rang true, and there nothing false in them. Furthermore, he had uttered the divine sacred oath upon the great mystical river Styx when he proclaimed of his love for me, and to do so meant that he was being earnest in his words.

"Please, Ariadne," I heard him murmur into my ear, his delicious hot breath fanning over my skin. "Marry me."

At his proposal, I could only smile in happiness.

End of Part 1

Author's Note:

Alright! Part 1 of Drunk On Love is completed!

Now, it is time for Part 2 to start!

Alright, I must say that I am satisfied with how Part 1 had gone. Even though it was slightly difficult for me to write out each chapter, considering the fact that I had to see the story from the two different POVs of a god and a mortal. And I had faced writer's block many times throughout. But I am glad that I managed, and was able to meet everyone's satisfaction!

By the way, do not be surprised or disturbed that Dionysus had asked Ariadne to marry him after just one night of consummating their love. This is Greek Mythology, mind you. They could meet for the first time, fall desperately in love, and get married - all in one day. In fact, in the most common version of the myth of Dionysus and Ariadne, Dionysus had just found Ariadne on the beach of Naxos and married her right away, without even knowing very well about who she was. So I think that this part had managed to combat that.

Anyway! It is time for me to end Part 1 now! I will see you on Friday with the prologue to Part 2!

See you then!

Muse of Fanfiction