Part 3: Chapter 5

Theseus

Lounging on my chaise at the balcony of my bedchambers, my eyes stared out at the image of Athens before me, and my mind full of sadness, pain and anger at the thought that I had lost my wife and queen, my beloved Phaedra.

It was then she appeared to me.

She appeared right in front of me in the streak of light from the glowing silver moon. She appeared out of thin air and in a bright aura.

It didn't take me long to realize that this magical woman was a goddess.

I felt like I had been struck by lightning of the most powerful Zeus when I focused my eyes on the goddess. She was extremely beautiful, enchanting and mesmerising. She was even more beautiful than Phaedra or any of the most beautiful women I have ever encountered. She had a very lovely face – with enticing eyes the colour of the midnight blue sky and was framed by thick dark lashes, high cheekbones and full womanly lips – that was framed by her dark hair that cascaded in soft and graceful waves to just below her breasts.

She had the most perfect womanly body; tall, slender, and absolutely sensuous, with perfect breasts and hips. Yet, she did not dress like a woman should. Instead of wearing a chiton that fell to her ankles or covered her feet, she wore a chiton that reached just above her knees, baring her smooth slender legs and sandal-adorned feet. She was dressed head-to-toe in white silver that looked as though it was radiant from the essence of moonlight. On the crown of her head sat a pure silver diadem with a single crescent moon centrepiece.

But what was most enchanting yet strange about her was the silver aura that radiated from and around her. It did not come from the silver jewellery she wore, but from herself. It seemed to make her glow in the light of the moon, and it helped to heighten her beauty and etherealness.

My eyes met those of the goddess, and I stared at her in awe, being completely entranced – and, admittedly, slightly aroused – by her divine beauty. She looked back at me with a contemplative gaze. She did not smile, but she did not seem threatening.

"Hello, Theseus," she greeted me.

Her voice matched that of her looks; beautiful, enchanting and mesmerising. It sounded even more beautiful than the most beautiful of music composed by my best court musicians. It sounded even more beautiful than the enchanting call of a siren beckoning to come closer.

Getting off my chaise and into a standing position without tearing my eyes away from her, I asked, "Who are you?"

She only raised a brow whilst her expression did not falter. Unlike other women who would stand timidly with their heads bowed down in my presence, she stood tall, brave and confident with her chin up, looking as though she was the alpha while I was a mere omega.

Without a change in her voice, she answered, "I am Artemis."

Again, I felt like I had been struck by Zeus' lightning bolt. I could not believe that, right in front of me, was Artemis, the great Olympian goddess.

I could not believe that standing before me was Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt and the Wild. She did not look like what I had imagined her to be as a patroness of hunting and beasts; in my mind, I pictured a goddess who looked more masculine than feminine and who would be rugged and rough-voiced. But standing before me was a goddess who was everything a beautiful woman should be; from the features of her face to the sound of her voice to the figure of her body. She seemed to be as beautiful as beautiful Aphrodite.

Without hesitation, I knelt on one knee, bowed my head and greeted, "Glorious Artemis, Potnia Theron – Mistress of Beasts. She who is Queen of all wildlands and guardian of the moon of ever-shining Selene. To what do I owe the honour of your presence?"

Her reply came quickly.

"You were a fool."

Immediately, I looked up at her in confusion. What? I thought to myself. What exactly did the goddess mean by that? Why exactly had she called me a fool? What have I done to make myself a fool?

I stood up to my full height, which towered over her by a good half a foot. But even though I stood taller than her and she had to tilt her chin up to look at me, her gaze still remained confident, regal, and, in my opinion, intimidating. Her gaze was unfaltering and unwavering. It still held the same contemplative look from when she first arrived. She just continued to look at me, as though waiting for me to say something.

"A fool?" I said.

"Yes. A fool. Probably one of the biggest fools I have ever come across."

Her answer made me upset and angered. Though she was a goddess, I didn't like it that she had the nerve to call me that. I was nothing if I was a fool. I was Theseus, Slayer of the Minotaur, Conqueror of the Labyrinth and King of Athens! I was not a fool.

"Your eyes say otherwise, but you are indeed a fool," she said then, as though a response to my thoughts. Her gaze still stayed the same, with only an eyebrow raised as a change in expression.

"And why exactly am I a fool?" I questioned her, trying hard to keep my temper and not risk anything to incur her wrath. "What exactly have I done?"

All of a sudden, there was finally a change in her expression. Her eyes, which up until now had only been calm and contemplative, suddenly turned angered and menacing. The ferocity was etched clearly onto her beautiful features, and I was taken aback by how she now looked absolutely terrifying. She looked more terrifying than even the most terrifying of beasts that I have encountered. The Minotaur could even pale in comparison to her, the Goddess of the Hunt.

The heat of her anger seemed to shoot into my being, and I backed up a step in fear.

In a hard voice laced that seemed to be laced with steel, she seethed, "You killed Hippolytus."

At the mention of my son, I was suddenly overcome with pain and anger. My mind suddenly flashed all those that were recent of my son, which was actually the memory of Phaedra crying to me.

"He ravished me, Theseus!" she cried to me on the night I returned from my duties in the city. "He forced himself upon me and soiled my honour!"

Staring in confusion in the red-rimmed, tear-filled grey eyes of my wife, I questioned angrily, "Who, Phaedra?! Who dared lay his hand upon you?!"

Her arms wound tight around me and she pressed her face to the crook of my neck, her tears wetting my skin. Through frantic sobs and never-ending tears, Phaedra choked in reply, "Hippolytus! Your son!"

Hearing that, I was filled with so much white-hot rage that, the next thing I knew, I was calling upon my father Poseidon to give me another wish out of the three wishes he had promised me.

I had wished for the death of my own son.

"He deserved it," I snarled in fury to the goddess, now not caring for courtesy and respect. While she just kept quiet and continued to look at me hard in the eye, I continued ranting out the poisonous words I had for my son. "He dared to rape my wife while I was not in presence. And it was because of his cruel and damnable actions that Phaedra had killed herself because she was ashamed that he had stolen her honour. Hippolytus deserved his death."

All of a sudden, I was thrown to my knees on the floor.

I gasped in shock because nothing had been touching me to push me down to the floor. It was as though an invisible weight fell upon my shoulders and I could not hold myself up. I looked up instantly, only to start to feel a mild choking feeling in my throat. Panicking, I started to gasp for air.

I watched with wide eyes as Artemis continued to look down upon me with her hard dark intimidating eyes. She knelt to be my level and her hand grasped my chin tightly. I winced at the feel of her hand on me; indeed, she was far more powerful than she looked. Her fingers, despite looking slim and nimble, felt like hard metal rods clamped on my chin. Fearfully, I began to realize that, with just one little squeeze, it could mean my death.

Still holding the tone of anger, she growled, "You… Are… Wrong."

And then, with a flick of her wrist, she sent me falling down on my side onto the floor. The impact I made with marble was painful; the force of her simple movement was strong.

She rose to her full height, now towering over me. Taking slow steps to where I was trying to sit up and stand, she said, "Hippolytus had done no such thing. He had been my follower, a son of the Hunt. He had taken a sworn oath of chastity and he upheld his oath with honour, never once even touching a woman. He was too devoted to me to do such a thing."

When Artemis finally came to stand in front of where I had managed to sit up, she growled like a wild beast, "Hippolytus was innocent."

Taking in deep breaths to recollect the air I lost from the impacts of her power, I gasped, "What?... Impossible…. He couldn't have been…. Phaedra…"

"Lied to you," Artemis finished for me, now with a mocking tone interlaced in her hard voice. "She lied to you. And she killed herself because of her lie."

"NO!" I shouted angrily. "NO, THAT CAN'T BE! SHE WOULD NEVER LIE TO ME!"

"But she did," Artemis replied nonchalantly, still in her hard-edged voice. "Your precious Phaedra lied to you and tricked you into killing your son; your own flesh and blood."

If it weren't for the fact that she was a goddess, I would have struck her down for her insolence. How dare she twist my thoughts? How dare she proclaim that Phaedra had been the one who was in the wrong? How dare she say that?

At first, I thought that she was only here to mock me of the death of both my son and my wife and to drive me into madness. But no; I knew that she was here for a reason. Indeed, Hippolytus had been a follower of Artemis. Numerous times I have seen him make his way to the temple in the kingdom that was devoted to the Goddess of the Hunt. He would always bring with him an offering to the goddess. He had always done so without fail.

"Why?" I breathed in question. "Why would Phaedra lie to me?"

With a raised eyebrow, Artemis asked, "Would you really like me to tell you why?"

I closed my eyes as I made my final decision. Part of me wanted to say 'no' and tell her to leave me to continue to wallow in the death of my wife. But yet, part of me wanted to say 'yes' and know the supposed real story. Artemis had to be here for a reason regarding the matter, didn't she?

With a deep breath, I answered, "Yes."

Artemis studied me with contemplation at first, but she then took a deep breath and began to speak.

"The Goddess of Love, Aphrodite, took notice of Hippolytus, and wanted to make him her lover. She came to him with the offer of having him share her bed and be cherished by her. Hippolytus refused her, telling her that he had sworn an oath of chastity in my name and would not discard it. Aphrodite did not take the refusal lightly, and swore revenge."

My breath hitched suddenly, and Artemis paused. When I said nothing, she continued on.

"In her plan of revenge, Aphrodite planted a curse onto Phaedra to make her feel desire for Hippolytus. Phaedra suffered greatly from the curse's effects, and was so consumed with lust for Hippolytus that she could not control herself any longer. The night before you returned, she came to his bedchambers and attempted to seduce him into bedding her. But, like with Aphrodite, Hippolytus refused her, stating once again that he would not do so because he had sworn an oath of chastity in my name and will not discard it. Furthermore, the idea of sleeping with his own stepmother disgusted and irked him so much that he did not hesitate to refuse her. Phaedra did not stop in her ministrations and it was she who tried to force herself upon him. Hippolytus had felt violated, but made no move to strike her out of respect because she was your wife. Instead, he ran away and sought refuge in my forests surrounding Athens. Many times that night did he wash himself in a spring, wanting to purify himself and beg for my forgiveness."

Artemis paused to take a deep breath and turned her head to look out at the image of the city. I took this moment to finally stand as I absorbed all that she had said. For some reason, I could not ignore the feeling of truth in her words.

"Phaedra did not take his refusal lightly. Mimicking Aphrodite, she wanted revenge upon him for denying her. When you returned, she told the lie that Hippolytus had raped her, knowing very well that you would believe her and defend her honour."

She turned her head to look at me again and I knew what she saw. She saw the great amount of confusion and disbelief in my eyes. I was unable to comprehend it within me and allowed it to show. As though the sight of my state had softened her, her eyes began to lose its malice and took on a more calmer expression.

"However, when you wished for Poseidon to bring Hippolytus' death upon him, and when Hippolytus met it by being dragged by his chariot led by frightened horses, Phaedra was so consumed with guilt that her lie had brought upon his death. She started to regret the lie; she had only wanted Hippolytus to return her love. Horrified by the fact that it was she who had led Hippolytus to her death and that there was no more chances of seeing him again, she killed herself."

Her tale ended there, and it was at the same time I felt tears streaming down my cheeks. For some reason, I felt obliged to believe whatever she had said, because it seemed to just scream Truth. But I was so overwhelmed by her words that I could not keep myself from crying tears of shame.

Just then, I noticed Artemis holding her hands out to me, and I looked and saw something that really made my heart break.

In her hands was Hippolytus' sword; the one that I had specially made for him on the year he had grown into a man. I let my eyes drink in the sight of its wooden hilt that was padded by wolf-fur and the blade of strong and durable iron that was sharp enough to cut through any sharp surface.

Seeing that sword was what made me realize that Artemis was in fact telling the entire honest truth.

"I myself oversaw that Hippolytus received a proper funeral pyre," she explained. "It was I who placed a golden obol in his mouth so that he would be able to pay the ferryman Charon for his voyage to the Underworld. But I took his weapon from him and now I saw it fit that it be returned to you."

Artemis' eyes beckoned me to take the sword, and so I did. I gently held it in my hands, feeling its weight as I allowed myself to remember the sight of my son with this sword in his hands.

With a deep breath, she said quietly, "Hippolytus died innocent, Theseus, he had been sentenced by my uncle, the Underworld God-King Hades, to live his afterlife as a soul of the Elysian Fields. On the other hand, due to her vile character and her sinful crimes, Phaedra now burns in eternal suffering in horrid Tartarus, forever left to scream in mercy that would not be heard."

Suddenly, she turned away to look at the city again and she sighed, "Perhaps… this was to be your punishment for what you had done to Ariadne."

Hearing that name made me snap up my head and look at her with wide eyes.

How long have I not heard that name? How long have I not heard the name of the woman who had helped me in overcoming the danger of the Labyrinth and the Minotaur? How long have I not heard the name of the woman who I had tricked into helping me by using her feelings for me in my advantage and promising her false things before leaving her to rot on the island of Dia? How long have I not heard the name of the woman I had betrayed for the love of her younger sister Phaedra?

"Ariadne?" I breathed in shock and disbelief. "Ariadne?"

Artemis sighed and looked at me once again. This time, in her eyes, there was a look of disgust, and I knew that it was intended for me.

"Remember her?" she questioned.

Of course, I had remembered Ariadne. I remembered the guardian of the Labyrinth with long pale blonde hair that fell like a smooth waterfall to her waist and her bright intelligent grey eyes that held flecks of mossy green. I remembered the princess of Crete who had gone against her father Minos' words and aided me in bringing down the Cretan tradition of sacrificing fourteen Athenian lives to the Labyrinth and the Minotaur. I remembered the woman I abandoned on the island in favour of Phaedra, her younger sister.

"I do."

"You betrayed her," Artemis said knowingly. "You lied to her. You played with her feelings just so that she would foolishly help you. You used her – both in mind and body – before leaving her on Naxos and claiming her own younger sister as your wife and queen." And then, with a disgusted sneer, she said poisonously, "You should feel completely ashamed of yourself."

Hearing her words made me feel a sting of guilt. It would be a lie to say that I did not feel guilty about what I had done to Ariadne. In fact, when it came to Ariadne, guilt and regret came in oceans.

"How do you know of her?" I inquired, suddenly wanting to know.

With a deep breath, Artemis answered, "She is now one of my sisters."

I felt myself overwhelm with shock, and Artemis continued on.

"When you left her on Naxos, she had crossed paths with my half-brother Dionysus, the God of Wine and Ecstatic Rituals. A chance meeting that eventually led to being struck by the arrows of Eros, Dionysus did what you had falsely promised her; he made her his bride and his Queen, ruling by his side over his Bacchic rituals. Dionysus did everything else for her that you didn't. He cherished her and admired her. He protected her and cared for her. And to him, she birthed twelve sons. Their eldest, Oenopion, is the king of Chios. Their third, Thoas, is the king of Lemnos, his birthplace. And their youngest, Enyeus, is the king of Skyros."

She gave me a glare that was piercing into my eyes like daggers when she said in a hard and mocking voice, "To be honest, I partially think that it was indeed clever of you to abandon her on Naxos, because she would not have been able to be rid of someone as worthless as you and gain someone as good as he if you hadn't. Dionysus loved her, and Ariadne loved him back."

Just then, she gestured to stars above in the dark night sky and I looked up and immediately saw that she was gesturing to a constellation. I have never seen such a constellation before and instantly made me think of a crown.

"That is Corona," she explained, looking up at the constellation as well. "That was the wedding crown of Ariadne which had been gifted to her by Dionysus, and he put it in the stars in memory of her."

"What?" I suddenly said, catching on to the last part. "'In memory of her'? What do you mean?"

Artemis sighed and replied, "Ariadne had passed on, Theseus."

My heart felt as though it had stopped beating.

"At Argos, the demigod Perseus engaged Dionysus in battle. It was in that battle he was about to brandish the decapitated head of the gorgon Medusa upon her husband. Ariadne knew what the head of Medusa would do, and she immediately took Dionysus' place in front of the gorgon's horrible eyes. Perseus had destroyed her stone body by accident before he could realize that it was not Dionysus that had been turned to stone."

With another sigh, Artemis said sorrowfully, "She had valued Dionysus' life above her own, and by sacrificing herself for her immortal husband, she received an honourable death."

My heart suddenly clenched in pain at the thought that she had died because she had sacrificed herself for her god-husband. At first, I wanted to think that it was foolish of her to do so. She had been foolish to give up everything she had for me, and now she was foolish for giving up her life for a god who could have easily replaced her with another woman.

But I stopped myself from thinking like that when I realized that what I had said about her god-husband was actually what I had truly done to her. In the end, I felt shame for thinking like that. At least Dionysus had given her a good life, when I had only destroyed her.

"But she will not be dead for long, Theseus. Ariadne will arise once again," Artemis suddenly told me.

That aroused my curiosity and made me confused. "Why would you say that?" I asked her.

Suddenly, she smirked. It was such a new change from the blank stare, the contemplative gaze and the furious glare she had worn on her face just a while before. This smirk made her seem more easy and relaxed, as though she had so much freedom in the world.

Artemis replied, "Knowing Dionysus, he would never leave her alone, no matter what."

And it was that moment Artemis suddenly disappeared, into the moonlight like how when she had first appeared. Her presence was suddenly gone, leaving me alone on the balcony with the sword of my dead son in my hands and the thoughts of my past lover in my mind.

Author's Note:

So this chapter is dedicated to the demigod that nearly eveyrone on this fanfiction loves to hate! I know there has not actually been any appearance of Theseus until this point, despite the fact that he was mentioned several times. But - like Ariadne, Dionysus and Artemis - I found him too insignificant to make him a major character in this fanfiction.

Anyway...

*DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT LIKE COMPLAINTS! TURN BACK NOW AND YOU WILL SAVE YOURSELF SOME EYE-ROLLING*

*YOU'RE STILL HERE?*

*ALRIGHT THEN*

Of coure, I would pay attention to the amount of views I get on each chapter, and I realized now that it has come to the point where the amount of views are getting less and less with each chapter.

Now, I would be worried about this, because I would think that I am not doing a good enough chapter or you guys are starting to find it boring. But while I still am, I decide that I did not really care.

Now don't get me wrong! I'm not meaning to say that I don't care about this story and you guys anymore. I still do, but it's just that I realize that not all of you would be satisfied with it. But hey, that's your own choice.

I'm not forcing you to read this story, to review this story each chapter or even like this story. I'm not one of those authors who would demand a R&R (Read & Review) after every chapter, or I'm especially not those sorts of writers who demand for reviews with threats like 'REVIEW OR ELSE I WILL NOT PUBLISH THE NEXT CHAPTER'. I don't do that because I don't want to feel like I'm demanding you guys to do something you don't neccesarily have to do. It's your own choice whether you want to or not.

So I am sorry if it seems like I'm complaining like a whiny brat. I have come to realize now that sometimes a writer's work does not always gain the attentions of 100000 people. Some works are good, some are bad. Some are entertaining, some are boring.

I'll accept whatever comes my way in all my fanfictions, and I will just like to remind you that I still do appreciate anyone who still reads this fanfiction and may even still find it nice! :)

So, on this long note, see you on Monday!

Muse of Fanfiction