Hello everybody!
First, I want to thank people who read and reviewed this story. I also want to thank people who included this story in their favourite or followed stories list. When you begin a new story, it is always encouraging.
If you know greek mythology and read the title of this chapter, then, you can easily guess what myth is coming!
Chapter 2: Poseidon and Amphitrite
Many years passed since this event. The one when Delphina created the dolphins by transforming men in order to save them. She still remained a nymph but the mortals quickly began to treat her as a goddess. That was because she was now coming to the rescue of everybody in distress in the sea. In addition, she also assisted fishermen.
She soon became a symbol of benevolence and protection. It made her proud and she was working hard to live up to this reputation.
And someday, she got a visit from a servant from the underwater palace. He told her she was summoned to an audience with Poseidon, the god and ruler of the sea!
Wow! She never met him before. Well, she did assist to some receptions at his palace before as a sea nymph, but she only saw him from afar.
She was nervous. This was going to be her first meeting with him since she got the unofficial title of Goddess of Dolphins. She expected this event to happen someday. It would be strange if Poseidon would not want to meet a new divinity in his own domain.
She wondered what he would tell her. Maybe he wanted to honor her for all the services she gave to the mortals. Or maybe he wanted to ask her to lend some of her dolphins to his service. Some people around said they would make amazing messengers.
Well! There was only one way to discover it.
She quickly swam to the divine residence. His palace was protected by a magical bubble that kept air inside. So when she arrived at the gates, she was able to turn her tail back into legs and the servants gave her a beautiful blue dress. Then, they asked her to follow them.
Delphina had always been impressed by the beauty of the palace. It was all in colorful marble. The walls was decorated with mosaics of shells. Sculptures and potteries representing marine life were exposed in every corner.
It was beautiful. But still, it couldn't distract her from her nervousness. She was about to meet an Olympian god! One the big three! What should she expect?
They reached the throne room. A place really big with huge windows to allow a wonderful view on the sea out there.
Standing up in the middle of the room, there was a really handsome man. He was muscular and tall. He got black curly hair and a very massive beard. He was bare chest with a long green fabric surrounding his pelvis. His torso was beautifully sculpted.
His stature was quite impressive and a little intimidating, despite not having his famous trident with him at this exact moment.
"Leave us." He said to the servants.
And then, she found herself alone with the god. She looked at him. With his dark blue eyes, he was staring at her but in a caring way. She bowed to him.
"My Lord." She said. "You required to see me."
"Yes." He answered with a serious tone. "Dear Delphina, Mother of Dolphins, daughter of Atlas and Pleione. You have grown into a gorgeous maiden. You also became a divinity on your own in the eyes of the mortals and the immortals as well. I must admit that I observed you from a distance for a while."
She was honestly surprised by the latter sentence. He spied on her?
"Your beauty captivated me." He continued. "Your spirit pleased me. The magnificent dolphins that you lead are clearly a representation of the purity of your soul. You are bound to the sea as much as I am. You share with me the same sense of duty."
She didn't move. What did he mean?
"And this is why I made you come here." He added. "To ask you to become my wife and to rule over the sea with me as my queen."
That took her breathe away! She was totally shocked. Here, Poseidon, brother of Zeus, one of the most important and powerful gods, was asking her to marry him!
That was completely unexpected. Of course, she knew that Poseidon was looking for a bride in particular after he renounced the Nereid Thetis because of the prophecy saying she would bear a son greater than his father.
But she still didn't expect he would look after her. And now, she was terrified. What should she answer?
Was she allowed to refuse? She knew the danger to anger a god, in particular one of high rank. Poseidon was also known to have a bad temper. How would he react if she said no?
At the same time, should she refuse? He was obviously a good-looking man. He was also rich and powerful. She would hardly find a better suitor. Many women would kill to be in her shoes right now.
But there was something wrong. She didn't feel any love in his declaration. In fact, she doubted his proposal was the consequence of any true feeling. It seemed that he chose her mainly because she looked as the perfect candidate.
After all, she was one of the most worshipped sea divinities after himself. He was the ruler of the sea, she was the protectress of those who travel above it. He rid horses, she rid dolphins. He was feared, she was loved. They were both respected. Someone could even say that Delphina was the natural choice for the role of Queen of the Sea.
Born as a nymph, she was naturally beautiful and graceful. She had everything to seduce a god. Still, she easily saw that Poseidon didn't love her. It was only lust. He was simply looking for the perfect bride. And anyway, she didn't love him either. She had just talked to him for the first time today!
She took her courage. She made her decision. She looked at Poseidon who was still patiently waiting for her answer.
"I am truly flattered by your proposal, my King." She said. "But I am sorry. My answer is no."
She waited. She was scared. Was he angry? She had just learnt what happened to Hera. She refused Zeus and he answered back by transforming himself into a cuckoo. He tricked her and raped her when he got the opportunity. Ashamed, she agreed to marry him. This was twisted!
She didn't want the same fate!
Luckily, the God of the Sea didn't seem mad. He closed his eyes. She wondered what he could be thinking. Was he hurt? She didn't like this situation. She would dislike to damage his pride. It would be unwise to be in bad terms with such a powerful being.
"You know who I am. May I know your reasons?"
His voice was gentle. Nothing threating. She felt reassured but guilty. Suddenly, she came up with an idea.
"My King" She told him. "I don't want to offend you. I simply refuse because I don't possess any feeling toward you. But I would enjoy to be your friend. Furthermore, I will promise you something." Poseidon opened his eyes. Suddenly, he was curious. Delphina continued. "I promise you that the day you will find a woman that you love more than me, I will help you to conquest her heart. You have my word."
Delphina was known for her good heart. She hated to let people down. If she couldn't accept Poseidon's proposal, well, she could at least do that for him.
The god was surprised by this vow. He was still offended and disappointed but he couldn't be hateful with this woman.
"Alright then. You may leave." He finally said.
…
Some years passed. Delphina might have not become the Queen of the Sea but she was still highly respected in the watery kingdom. She was still doing a great job by saving people who fell in the water or guiding them if they are lost.
She was still going to the parties at Poseidon's palace. He finally accepted her friendship. But she was not blind. She could see he was still courting her. He probably hoped that she would end up changing her mind. But her will remained the same. She was at least glad that he didn't force her like she feared at first. At the same time, she would lie if she said that she wasn't hoping that he will find someone else so he might give up on her.
And thankfully, it did happen.
It was at a banquet. For once, Poseidon didn't come to her. Instead, she saw something wonderful! He was talking to Amphitrite. Delphina knew her. After all, she and her twin had been raised by her father, Nereus, and her mother, Doris, with their fifty daughters. So, Amphitrite was like a big sister to her.
The Mother of Dolphins watched them discussing. The chemistry between them was very obvious. The Nereid was laughing and the serious monarch smiled for the first time in a while. Delphina was definitely happy for them and wished it would lead to a farther thing.
But one day, Delphina felt the sea in a strong agitation. The current was more powerful. The waves bigger. The earth was shaking. She bacame worried. She was obligated to work harder to make sure that everybody sailing on this bad weather was safe. Once it was alright, she decided to go to the sea castle.
If the sea was angry, it was clearly because its ruler was in a very bad mood. She wanted to know why. When she got there, she stayed at a safe distance from the window and the magical bubble. She could see from there what was happening inside the throne room. Poseidon was screaming so loudly that it was easy to understand him.
"Find her!" He ordered to his servants. "I want her back to me right now! I need to explain myself. I must have done a mistake at Naxos! I don't understand why Amphitrite would refuse to be with me! I can't believe she even dared to run away from her home. Her father is worried just as I am. So don't make me repeat. Find her!"
Delphina was shocked by the revelation. What?! Amphitrite was gone? She refused Poseidon? It didn't make sense. She was pretty sure that her feelings were reciprocal. What went wrong? Even Nereus didn't know where his daughter was! That was truly problematic!
The mermaid remembered her promise. It was the moment to honor it. At the same time, she also cared for the Nereid. She had to do it as much for her than for Poseidon.
So she called all her dolphins. Once they were all reunited, she didn't hesitate to take action.
"My children, Amphitrite, my adoptive big sister, disappeared." She told them in the dolphin's language. "I don't know the reason but we must find her. Check all around the whole sea. This is really important and I know that I can count on you. Report to me if you discover any hint."
They all obeyed their mistress. They dispersed in all Greece. They looked in each beach, each bay, behind each rock. Delphina decided to search on land. If Amphitrite was trying to escape Poseidon, it would be highly possible that she went outside his domain.
After many days, they still didn't find anything. The nymph was becoming to be seriously worried. She prayed that her friend didn't get herself in trouble.
Amphitrite, where are you? She thought.
When she was about to give up, she suddenly heard a call from one of the dolphins. Alerted, she went back quickly to the sea. She hoped to receive good news!
"I am here. Did you find something?" She asked as soon she arrived in her mermaid form.
The dolphin happily confirmed that it did to the satisfaction of its mistress. It revealed that the Nereid was really far away from here, to the other end of the sea, near the border with the Atlantic Ocean.
That information disturber her. She knew who lived there. Amphitrite couldn't have dared to…?
No! The blond-haired woman shook her head. She shouldn't let her own issues distract her from her priorities. She had a mission to complete.
"Bring me to her." She ordered to her faithful companion.
And she embarked on a long travel through the Great Sea (also known as the Mediterranean Sea). After swimming countless kilometers, she arrived to a strait that separated two lands that will be known as Spain and Morocco in the future.
The road was very extenuating but Delphina felt rewarded as soon she recognized the beautiful black-haired woman walking on a rocky beach, wearing a fabulous white dress. The mermaid was glad to learn she was safe. She just looked lost in her thoughts for now.
Delphina thanked the dolphin. She didn't lose any more time to return in her human form. Once it was done, she used her magical powers to turn seaweeds into temporary clothes and she ran to the Nereid.
"Amphitrite! There you are!" She called.
The daughter of Nereus turned her heard with confusion, appearing very surprised to see her adoptive little sister in this place no less.
"Delphina, what are you doing here?" She asked.
"I should be the one asking this question. What was up in your mind to run so far away from your home?"
"Sorry if I worried you. I just needed to spend time alone. And my first option was to seek refuge at Atlas's home.
This confirmed exactly what Delphina feared. And then, her heart began to hurt a little bit. Her stomach contracted. Too many bad thoughts came back.
"So, you know my father?" The Mother of Dolphins said mostly as an affirmation than a question.
She didn't know him and couldn't say if she hated him. Her relationship with him was truly kind of complicated.
"I'm sorry, Delphina, but I am older than you so I have known him long before… Well! You know what! And he has always been so gentle with me. Like an uncle. And I sincerely appreciate his company."
"Ok. I understand."
"You know, you can go visit him right now! I am pretty sure he will be more than happy to finally meet you! You have an opportunity!"
"Amphitrite! Please no! I don't want to! I don't even want him to learn that I have been here!"
"But Delphina!"
"Please! You know how much I hate to talk about my family issues just like Calypso! Anyway, I didn't come for that, I am here to talk about Poseidon."
At the mention of his name, the Nereid turned her face to avoid her sight and the conversation as well. Not like this reaction was going to stop the other nymph in any way. There was clearly something that went wrong between her and the King of the Sea.
"He proposed to you, did he?"
"Yes… How did you know?"
"The fact that he is shaking the elements at the exact moment we all learn that you fled gave enough hints for anybody that know you both."
"Really? He reacted like that?"
"You have no idea how concerned he is! Just like me and the rest of your family! But I don't understand! I would have bet that your answer to him would be yes but instead, you ran away. Why?!"
"I was afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
"Afraid of what will come if I become his wife. Can you really imagine me as the Queen of the Sea?! I am only a nymph! One of the fifty Nereids! I am not like my sister Thetis who can claim the title of goddess! I will never be his equal! There is nothing special in me. How will I look beside Hera? I will never meet the expectations!"
"Stop being an idiot! You have a lot of incredible qualities! I know that you will be the greatest queen the sea could ever dream to have!"
"How can you be so sure? I mean, just look at how I reacted to his proposal. I ran away like a coward! Is that the attitude of a future queen? I will never prove myself worthy of him."
Well, at least, she didn't say yes after a rape like Hera. Delphina thought with irony. She didn't dare to take the chance to insult the Goddess of Marriage by saying it out loud.
"Seriously, I'm just not like you." Amphitrite added. "You are a leader, you are responsible, you go easily to the others and you are even worshipped on your own by the mortals. You are the one everybody wished to have as their queen. You should have said yes when he proposed to you."
"Maybe. I do like him. But I don't love him. You do. And he loves you back."
Amphitrite felt warm and her cheeks blushed. To be loved by someone as gorgeous as Poseidon was something she would have never dared to ask. She still wondered why he would choose her. But she couldn't deny her own feelings. His smile made her smile. His calm made her calm. His kindness made her feel better. His confidence inspired her. His strength made her feel safe.
Delphina felt that she needed to insist a little more.
"Amphitrite, listen to me." She told her. "He sent plenty of servants to search for you. He made the sea go through a violent storm. He looked hopeless. For once, I saw him feel fear. The almighty god was completely insecure! He never acted like that with me. Not even after I rejected him. I even doubt he felt for Thetis the same way he does for you."
The Nereid was moved by the revelation. She knew Delphina would not lie about such a serious matter. But she was still hesitant.
"Amphitrite, just go to him. I know you want it. Don't worry about your role as the Queen of the Sea. You will take the time to learn. No one will expect you to be perfect on the first day. Anyway, Poseidon only wanted a wife and a queen with me and Thetis. With you, he mostly wants a lover… And you are going to fit that perfectly!"
The oldest laughed. She was now in peace with her own feelings. The arguments of her friend were pretty convincing. She should not be afraid but just happy to have found love with one of the most eligible bachelors out there. Now, she can tell to herself: she loved Poseidon!
"So you will come back with me?" The Mother of Dolphins asked.
"Yes, I will. And thank you, Delphina."
"It was nothing. I care for both of you."
"Still, you are such a nice girl. I hope that you will find love someday just like I did. You deserve it."
Delphina blinked her eyes when hearing the suggestion. It might be surprising, but she never thought about finding love. She was happy enough with her dolphins. She never felt the need to share her life with someone else.
But who knew. Maybe someday.
…
The wedding was glorious. The sea palace was richly decorated with flowers, gold, colorful ribbons, sculptures and other luxurious pieces of art. The music was very harmonious. The food was among the most delightful they ever ate. Nothing had been neglected for the marriage of one of the most important gods.
Almost every divinity was present. For the first time, Delphina could catch a glimpse of many of the greatest of them like Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Athena, Demeter and Hestia. She didn't talk to them but she was just impressed to see them for real!
On this day, Amphitrite was truly the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She was wearing a small blue gown adorned with plenty of white crystal that shined under the light. Her long black hair was covered with a transparent veil attached with a simple but precious diamond crown.
She was clearly happy. She didn't stop smiling.
But she wasn't the only one to be happy. A servant came to Delphina to tell her that Poseidon required her presence in private.
She complied. An order from the king cannot be disobeyed. But just why Poseidon would want to talk to her?
She was brought to a private chamber. Probably a guestroom. The usual throne room was occupied by the wedding guests. There, she saw the god, wearing a gorgeous blue chiton to match his new wife's dress. He was looking pretty serious when he ordered the servants to leave them alone.
As soon there were only him and her, Delphina began to be nervous. She still didn't know what he wanted.
"Dear Delphina." He said with a gentle tone that reassured her. "I never got the chance to properly thank you for finding Amphitrite and convincing her to become my wife. I couldn't imagine my life without her. I truly feel as the most blessed man tonight."
"It was nothing, my Lord. Remember the promise I made to you. I never break my promises."
"Still, I never asked of you to make a promise to me. That was pretty generous from you. So, I decided to honor you and your dolphins."
She waited. She wondered what kind of honor she was about to be granted.
"I know that one of your dolphin just deceased yesterday. This is why I asked my brother Zeus to place it among the stars. From now, it is going to be known as the constellation of the dolphin."
She was shocked in a good way. To be a part of the stars was one of the greatest honor. In fact, few people got the chance to become a constellation. She would have never expected to see the animal she created become one of them.
"My Lord, I don't know what to say. It is truly a great honor for me and my dolphins. And you can be sure that I will continue to be a devoted servant to you and your new Queen."
And she bowed to him in sign of respect.
The following night, Delphina went at the surface to look at the sky. Soon, she noticed five new stars. Four forming the shape of a diamond with the fifth one situated far below, attached to the rest to shape a tail.
It was small but she didn't care. One of her children was now a part of the sky and she couldn't be prouder.
She kept on swimming. She was alert to any prayer from a mortal in need of help. She would carry on her duty with conviction and honor. She didn't become Queen of the Sea, but she was still Mother of the Dolphins. People out there still counted on her and her companions to bring compassion and goodness in this cruel world.
And many days later, her life will change again when she will come to aid someone near Mount Parnassus.
Thank you for reading!
In the real myth, Poseidon sent himself Delphin (said to be a god dolphin or simply a dolphin in other versions) to look for Amphitrite. I just decided to make some changes. The origin of the constellation of the dolphin also changes with the author but this version is the most famous.
In Ancient Greece, the dolphins were often considered as the messengers of Poseidon (and strongly associated with the god himself). So this is why it was important to me to write about that relationship.
I mentionned Atlas in this chapter (Delphina's father). I will come back to him later in the story.
See you soon!