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Chapter 8: Andromeda and Perseus
The kingdom of Ethiopia was prosperous. The relationships with Egypt were good, the Red Sea provided a lot of food, the economy flourished. Quality of life improved and peace ruled the African land. Its people were truly blessed by the Gods.
Cepheus, its king, a wise black skinned man with a thin white beard was staring at the sea from its palace built on a rock above the whole city, made of sandy marble and decorated with pictures of Ethiopian mythology sculpted on the walls. He loved his kingdom and its people. This was the legacy of his ancestors and he will pass it proudly to his descendants wishing them to bring it to the level of a great empire.
Beside him, his wife, Cassiopeia, a black woman with curly hair attached in a bun under her crown, shared his joy. She was a devoted queen, consort and mother. Together, they had one daughter, whose beauty matched the splendor of the kingdom, whose generosity inspired the respect of all their subjects. She was the perfect princess, produce and symbol of their love.
Cassiopeia, so astonished by the sight from the palace like always, couldn't keep her happiness for herself.
"My King. Look at our domain." She admired all the city composed of houses with flat roofs, the dynamic streets, the monuments made of rich stones, the green trees and the red sea at the horizon. "How big, how magnificent, how rich and how powerful it is! Could we imagine a kingdom greater than this one?"
"I agree, just like I couldn't imagine a more beautiful spouse than you, my Queen."
"You never cease to flatter me, my sweet husband. But you are wrong. There is someone more beautiful than me in this universe."
"Indeed. Sadly, no matter how perfect you are to my eyes, you will never surpass the goddesses and the nymphs."
Cassiopeia laughed at the naivety of his beloved.
"No, my dear. I was thinking of our child, Andromeda." She retorted with pride. "She is now a woman and grows more beautiful each passing day. Her beauty is so devastating! Some people even travel from so far just to catch a glance of her face. When she enters a room, everyone freeze and put their eyes on her. Wherever she goes, she becomes the center of the attention and the object of adoration!"
"You are right. Our beloved daughter is probably the most beautiful mortal in the world."
"Mortal?" She laughed before adding with an arrogant tone. "Ho! My King. Our daughter is far more than that. She is more beautiful than the Nereids at least."
This last statement totally caught Cepheus off guard. Shock was readable in his face. He looked at his wife who seemed to not even question what she just had done.
"My Queen!" The king uttered. "Don't say such foolish things. It is dangerous to anger the gods. Keep it quiet next time."
"Don't be so overdramatic. I'm just telling the truth. And the Nereids are not goddesses anyway."
The wise king became afraid. He loved his wife but her pride was sometimes too much for her own well-being. He prayed that her assumption would not attract anything bad on them.
But then, when it came to the gods…
…
In the palace of the God of the Sea, Poseidon, the pretty Goddess of Dolphins was caring for her dolphins in the special department for them. It was a large place in the shape of a half-circle covered with a half-dome. At the bottom of the dome, there was a swimming pool, directly connected to the sea outside. This way, the sea mammals were able to access to the palace and breathe air.
Since a long while, Poseidon used some of her dolphins as messengers and also to carry his underwater chariot. Along with the Nereids as part of the retinue of the Sea God, Delphina possessed her own room as an honored guest. One of her duty was also to look after the royal dolphins and so, it was totally expected of her to become a frequent resident of the underwater castle.
She sat on a bench put on the wall. With a tablet as a support for her paper, she wrote a letter for her sister, Calypso.
Many years had passed since her sister's departure and they couldn't see each other as often as before. Consequently, it became a habit to send messages. Right now, Delphina was sharing news about her life. She talked about Apollo, Hermes, Poseidon, Artemis, Dionysus… All her new friends that Calypso just knew a little. Of course, she wrote about their foster family and the dolphins as well.
When she finished, she brought a vase and put the message rolled inside. She sealed it strongly and went into the water to attach it with a rope on the back of one of her dolphins.
As soon she considered the node resistant enough, she nodded to her companion.
"You can go now, my friend. Go bring my letter to my sister and come back with an answer from her."
The animal gave a joyful cry to its mistress before plunging in the water. It was gone. Delphina couldn't wait until she got news from her twin. She missed her so much! She had to find time to visit her really soon. Not easy task considering how busy she had become.
Suddenly, she got watered by a huge splash. She was all wet now. The dolphins began to laugh in such a cute way.
Delphina looked at them and smiled. "So, you want to play, my friends? Fine, you got me!"
And she entered the water and swam to pursue them, playing at cat and mouse. She kept on playing and laughing for a few minutes before she noticed the presence of Amphitrite, Queen of the Sea, at the entrance of the room, wearing a luxurious blue dress reflecting her status.
Delphina automatically came out of the water, staring at her sovereign.
"Amphitrite, are you here since a while?" She asked.
"I recognize to have been observing you for a long moment. I saw you sending a letter to one of the dolphins. Your sister is the receiver, I presume."
"Of course."
"It is strange. Why are you not asking Hermes, the new messenger god to deliver the message for you like everyone else?"
"Well, I am used to this method. And Hermes is working so much already."
"Are you sure? He always finds time to help everybody, you know."
"Why are you asking me that?" She asked, sniffing a hidden intention.
"Because I feel like you are still uncomfortable with Hermes."
Delphina blinked her eyes. This theory was true and false at the same time. She guessed easily what she meant: the fact that Hermes's mother, Maia, was her big sister, making the god her nephew.
She never met her. Even after she bonded a friendship with the God of Trade, she hardly ever tried to organize a meeting and she often politely denied this biological link each time he talked about his mother. Just like her parents, it was a taboo subject. Her real siblings (the Pleiades, the Hesperides, Hyas and the Hyades) were simply strangers to her and Calypso.
But they weren't to Hermes. And if Delphina succeeded to deal with it, she didn't want to impose it on her twin. Hermes was reputed as a trickster and who knew how he could dare to bring the delicate subject to Calypso?
The truth was…despite a happy childhood, they still had difficulty to digest the fact that they had been somehow abandoned by their original family.
But that didn't mean that no one persisted in bringing the subject back. Amphitrite quickly became one of them.
"Amphitrite." Delphina said politely, but still a little annoyed. "Don't bring that subject back, please. And you know what I mean."
The queen stayed silent. She tried and failed again. For a goddess reputed for her kindness, Delphina still possessed her own inner demons. Poseidon's wife suspected that she suffered more of fear than resentment, but she will hardly admit it herself.
So, despite she felt bad for Atlas, Delphina's father, she didn't insist more.
"It's alright. I'm not going to push you."
All of a sudden, a huge sound of something hitting the ground resonated. It was Poseidon's trident, calling everyone in the throne's room. Something important was up!
They didn't wait a second more and both hurried up toward the main room of the palace.
Once inside, Delphina spotted the God of the Sea, bare chest, surrounded by a blue fabric around the waist, stood majestically in front of his throne, his powerful trident in his right hand. His wife soon joined him at his side. In the middle of the chamber, the rest of the Nereids were present and didn't look happy at all!
But what was happening?
"Everyone, keep silent!" Poseidon ordered with his loud and authoritative voice.
Everyone obeyed. Zeus's brother addressed the sea nymphs.
"Now, ladies. Explain to me what brought you in such terrible mood."
One of them, Speio, volunteered to talk for the group.
"My King. It's disastrous. The Queen of Ethiopia dared to say that her daughter was more beautiful than us! We, the Nereids, have been compared to an ordinary mortal! How dare she?!"
Delphina was surprised. Not that the Nereids were aware of the words of a mortal. It was common for divinities to know what mortals said about them. But she was surprised because they were highly offended by the assumption! Like very pissed off.
"She is right." Proto, her sister, added. "How could she?! She needs to be taught a lesson! To be reminded of her place!"
Almost everyone except Thetis, the oldest, who stayed neutral, approved by nodding their heads.
Delphina was shocked. Was it a joke? They were not the caring adoptive sisters she grew up with!
Poseidon was thinking about the matter seriously. The Nereids were very important to him, in particular since he married one of them. They were his retinue and the biggest pride and beauty of his kingdom.
In a sense, an offense to the Nereids equaled to an offense to him.
He looked to Amphitrite, his beautiful queen and the love of his life. He got a nod from her, meaning she would approve his next action.
He hit the ground with his trident again.
"Tell Ceto, the Goddess of Sea Monsters, to send Cetus to Ethiopia."
Delphina's body was now overtaken by fear and terror. Her feet got stuck to the floor. She couldn't move. The shock had frozen her skin.
Cetus… Was it truly the right punishment for this kind of offense?
To her horror, all the Nereids applauded the idea with happiness.
She suddenly became degusted and did the most irrational thing in reaction.
She escaped and swam toward Ethiopia.
…
She clearly acted as a fool! But she couldn't care less. She swam toward the Red Sea. She perfectly acknowledged that she was no match for Cetus, the sea monster. However, she was a rescuer. Maybe, she could help and save some people.
It sounded foolish. Even if she managed to rescue some men, it would not stop the creature to devastate the coasts of Ethiopia. She would waste her energy. But her inner conscience commanded her to try at least. She might fail but she would have given her best. It was how her nature worked.
Yeah. She confirmed her craziness and totally assumed it.
But as crazy she was, she wasn't heartless. How could the Nereids request something so cruel? Vanity wasn't stranger to them but jealousy? And vengeance? She received the same education as them and yet, she couldn't figure out how the nymphs could punish many thousands of innocents because of the arrogance of one mortal.
Of course, this attitude was not surprising among the gods, but she naively believed her adoptive sisters were too kind to succumb to such petty behavior.
Delphina faced the truth. She had been wrong.
She kept swimming until she heard the sound of a chariot above the surface. She rose her head to notice the golden colour of the carriage and the two white swans carrying it.
Her eyes opened widely in reaction. Just what was he doing here?
The wheels almost touched the water. She was fast but couldn't outrun him. So, she prepared herself to plunge deep in the sea. But too late, two arms grabbed her waist and pulled her off the water. She screamed, feeling her body brought firmly inside the chariot.
She was furious, she turned to her kidnapper to reprimand him. "Apollo, just what are you doing?! How dare you treat me like that?!"
The god ignored her at first. He ordered the swans to fly and they took off toward the sky. At the same time, he answered. "I'm sorry. I needed to have a conversation but you were about to escape by going to the abyss so you obligated me to act."
Delphina barely listened. They were up in the sky. Like very high. She took her dolphin tail and curled up very far from the edge of the golden carriage. She then felt an overwhelming heat hitting her skin like a fire accompanied by a big wave of light. She understood what she had been dragged in.
"Why am I in the sun chariot?!" She complained.
"It's my turn to drive the sun today. I cannot take a break to talk to you."
"Damn! It's hotter than I thought. I am already dry! It's unbearable."
"It's always like that at the beginning. But after some time, you get used to it."
"I don't want to get used to it. I want to get out of it! So start the conversation already so we can finish it soon."
"Well, it seems to me that someone thought it was a good idea to reach Ethiopia where there is a powerful monster ravaging the kingdom."
Delphina suddenly felt caught red-handed. She stared at Apollo who was concentrated on riding the chariot. She retorted. "How did you know that I was on my way to Ethiopia?"
"I am the God of Prophecies. I just saw a vision of you going there."
"That's creepy! Don't use your powers on me like that. I feel spied."
"Don't worry. I've made sure to only receive visions of you when you are in danger which is the case, presently. Seriously, what were you thinking?"
"Fine. I admit it was king of a stupid idea to go there all by myself, but we cannot let this kingdom get destroyed like that! And just because its queen pretended that her daughter was more beautiful than the Nereids. That's ridiculous! Apollo, can you not slay Cetus just like you slayed Python, please?"
"I can't." The god firmly replied.
"Why?"
"As an Olympian, it would put myself in conflict with Poseidon and I would prefer to avoid a feud with my fellow uncle."
He told it like it was a matter of protocol. Without any emotions of regret. It made her angrier.
"So what? You are telling me that we have to stay out of this? How can you expect me to let these innocents die?"
"Calm down. I'm seeing the king and queen of Ethiopia on their way toward Delphi to consult my oracle. I will advise them on what to do to solve the situation."
The distance between the African kingdom and Delphi was huge. It would take days for the sovereigns to reach it and then, come back. Many more days for Cetus to impose its terror on the citizens. She couldn't accept it.
But she had to. Again, Apollo was right. Only Zeus was authorized to interfere with the affairs of another Olympian god. If Apollo intervened personally, he would provoke the wrath of the God of the Sea and probably cause more problems. Acting as the God of Prophecies was the best option even if it frustrated her.
"Fine." She finally complied. "I'm going to trust you. Now, can you bring me back to the water? The sun is too hot for me."
Apollo turned to her to send her a smile before instructing the swans to fly down.
…
The King and Queen of Ethiopia finally reached Delphi after many days of travel. They didn't bother to count. They were tired and nervous. Cassiopeia remained silent. She didn't want to talk anymore. She felt so guilty. Everything was her fault. Her wise husband tried to warn her but she let herself being controlled by her vanity and pride. And now, the kingdom suffered because of her. She wished the Oracle would be able to give her advice on how to make amends for her mistake.
The King and Queen took the road toward the temple of Apollo, accompanied by guards and servants. There was a long queue with people of every region and of every social class that were waiting for their turn to consult the Pythia. The rulers used their fortune to pay a highest fee so they could skip the line and pass in priority.
They didn't go unnoticed. With their black skin and African attire, they easily attracted the curiosity of the Europeans, but they didn't care about the attention. They remained focussed on their duty.
They penetrated the temple. Pythia was sat on the tripod, a laurel branch on her right hand to move the gas she inhaled. The monarchs followed the instructions and wrote the question before giving it to the head priest.
The religious man told the question to the Pythia who went into trance, mumbling words. The priest turned to the sovereigns and finally translated for them.
"This is the answer for your question: "Attach Andromeda naked to a rock to wait for Cetus to devour her. Only after that, your problems will be gone.""
"No!" The queen reacted, completely horrified. "How can the Gods ask us that? My daughter is innocent! I am the only one responsible for the suffering of my people. I should be the one to be sacrificed. Not her!"
"My Queen." Cepheus spoke, despite being very shook himself by the answer. "We cannot question the will of the Gods. And you know that. We got our answer. We have to leave now. Our kingdom needs us."
Cassiopeia wanted to protest but deep inside her, she had to recognize the wisdom of her husband. It pained him as well but he was a king and a king put the needs of his subjects before his own sentiments.
They raised their daughter with the same values.
It did nothing to take away her guilt, but the queen finally stood up and resigned to the Fates.
…
Delphina, in the middle of the throne room in Apollo's palace, couldn't believe it. That was the solution her friend promised her? What a fraud!
The day ended. Apollo, sat on his chair, wasn't busy anymore by his duty to deliver the prophecies. So, Delphina didn't wait longer to confront him.
"Sacrifice the Ethiopian princess to Cetus? That's your idea? This is cruel! How can you do that? I trusted you!"
"Calm down and think again before talking." He rudely answered. "My job is not only to deliver prophecies but also to communicate to mortals the desires of the gods. And that's what Poseidon requested as compensation for the offense made to the Nereids."
"Fine, I can understand it. But, do you really propose to stay here and let her meet this terrible fate?"
"Kind of."
"What do you mean?"
Apollo rose from his throne and came closer to be face-to-face with her.
"Don't forget that my oracles are subject to diverse interpretations. I said that their problems would be resolved after they offer their daughter to be sacrificed not after she would be sacrificed."
"Not sure that I understand."
He smiled to her. "You are going to see by yourself."
"How?"
"As the God of the Sun, I can see everything, just like Helios. And I can use my powers to share what I see with you."
…
Princess Andromeda was very beautiful.
She appeared naked in all her glorious nature. She was thin but not too much. She possessed curves in many good places, like her waist, her legs, her face and, of course, her chest. Her dark skin shined like bronze under the sun. Her lips were so perfectly luscious that many men would pay their whole fortune just for a chance to kiss them one time. And her long hair was as black as the night and as soft as the most luxurious blanket.
She was a surreal beauty.
But she was also chained at each wrist to a rock near the beach where the waves always came to hit her. She was a beauty, but a sad beauty.
When she learnt the answer from the Oracle of Delphi, she told her parents to do as it was asked even if it pained them. If her sacrifice was necessary for the safety of the kingdom, then she will do it. It would be tragic but still a noble death.
She waited. She tried very hard to not cry. To be strong and brave. She had to do it! For her people. For her parents. She would not be a coward. She would face her destiny with courage and dignity.
"What are doing there, young lady?" A male voice said.
Surprised, she gasped and turned to discover the presence of a man. A handsome youth with brown hair, captivating blue eyes and a great body that seemed to belong to the gods themselves. Well, she could believe it was Hermes by looking at his winged sandals. He also wore an armour that indicated he was a warrior.
He had to be a prince or a god. And seeing his white skin, probably an European. Well, the least she could say was that he was looking at her. She blushed, remembering her nakedness. But despite the cold wind, she still felt warm inside at the idea of this beautiful man giving all his attention to her. What a strange feeling.
She then remembered his question and told him all the story and how she ended up in her current situation. The stranger listened to her and when she was finished, he couldn't keep for himself his empathy.
"It's so cruel for you to receive such a terrible punishment when you have done no wrong yourself."
"Thank you. But trust me, I'm fine. I accept it and I'm proud to die as a heroine for my people."
The unknown guy looked very impressed by her selflessness and sense of honor. He grew to like her even more.
"Still, there is something I can do. What is your name, princess?"
"Andromeda and yours?"
"I am Perseus, son of Zeus and Danae. Here, let me have a discussion with your parents. I will suggest them an alternative solution."
And with his winged sandals, he fled in direction of the Ethiopian palace. She waited for his return. She didn't know him but wanted to trust him.
Yet, the more she waited the more something was coming to her…and it wasn't Perseus.
A huge shadow approached the surface and came closer to the princess, moving the waves on its trail. Andromeda's heart beat faster. She understood what was coming. Her end finally arrived.
And as expected, Cetus emerged.
It was bigger than any boat. Its head was round and looked like a dog without ears. Its muzzle opened just enough to show the long row of teeth. He got two arms with webbed paws. His long body covered with dark blue scales ended with a big fish-like tail. Its roar was loud enough to be heard from many miles away.
It was the first time she saw the monster sent by Poseidon to ravage her kingdom and it would also be the last time. She prayed Athena to give her courage. She closed her eyes. Very soon, she would reach the Underworld. She was ready.
But Cetus never came to claim her. Instead, everything went suddenly silent. The roar had stopped.
Andromeda trembled. She didn't know what happened. Why it was so quiet? Was she dead already?
She opened her eyes and cried.
Cetus was entirely turned into stone.
And she also discovered she wasn't alone. In front of her, Perseus stood, holding with his right hand a cut head with snakes imitating hair. His left hand held a brown leather bag where he put back the head that once belonged to Medusa, the famous gorgon.
The strong demi-god then turned to give her a reassuring smile before informing her that he got an agreement with her parents. He told them that he would kill Cetus himself in exchange…for her hand in marriage.
Andromeda smiled of happiness. She finally understood the real meaning of the oracle.
…
Delphina opened her eyes. Apollo's hands were on each side of her head to facilitate the transfer of magic to her mind.
She looked at her friend who opened his own eyes before pulling his hands off. She couldn't figure out what to say. She had been impressed by how well things turned out, for sure. Apollo didn't lie at all.
She had just one question left.
"How the Nereids are going to react to it?"
"I cannot answer this question. I don't know them as much as you do."
He was right. The goddess will need to take care of it herself. It was kind of a family's matter now.
…
When Delphina came back to the palace of Poseidon, the whole building was already shaking under the loud complaints of the Nereids. Thanks gods, Poseidon was absent for the day. That was one less worry, but still the water nymphs remained something.
But now, she wasn't afraid. She entered the main room where her adoptive sisters were complaining to their queen and sibling, Amphitrite, sat on her throne.
"I cannot believe that she is still alive and that this man, Perseus, dared to kill the child of Ceto!" Actaea, one of the nymphs, lamented. "How isn't he punished for acting against the will of the Gods?"
"We only asked for Andromeda to be offered as a sacrifice, dear sister." Amphitrite wisely responded. "It has been done. What would happen after was in the hands of the Fates. By the way, don't forget that Perseus is a son of Zeus. It would be unwise to direct our wrath to the offspring of the King of the Gods when he just accomplished what he thought was the right thing to do. And in addition, he is favored by Athena."
"That's outrageous!" Her sister Cymothoe yelled. "Does your husband realize how humiliating it is for all of us?!"
And the cacophony kept going on and going on. Delphina finally got enough and snapped.
"All of you are freaking pathetic! I am very disappointed!"
Fifty faces turned to her direction with consternation except for two of them, Thetis and Amphitrite, clearly the most mature of the group. No one tried to talk back to her. They waited for her to explain herself.
"Look at you!" She said with confidence. "You are angry toward someone who has meant no wrong against you. Ho! That's true. It was her mother. And what did she do? She just pretended that her daughter was more beautiful than you. Well, let me say it. She was right."
This caused a big wave of shock among the nymphs. Delphina didn't let them the time to protest.
"I discovered that beauty is not just a physical quality. I saw Andromeda. I expected to find a gorgeous and terrified mortal but I was surprised. I saw someone who was brave, who didn't whine, who was ready to give up her own life to save her people… On the inside, she proved that she was more beautiful than most of you that would let vanity and jealousy take over you and push you to act in the most despicable way."
They were paralysed. Such anger from their little adopted sister was something they had never been prepared for.
"I know this kind of behavior is pretty common among the gods." The sea divinity added. "But I expected better from you. Just look at your father. Nereus is one of the kindest and wisest god I have ever met. He is always benevolent toward everybody. He never lies and he knows how to forgive. He is such a great man. I've always looked up to him, desired to be like him. I even envy you for being allowed to call him "Father", a privilege denied to me and Calypso."
With that, she made an eye-contact with Amphitrite who could clearly understand what she meant.
"And you used to be like him." She continued. "When I was young, I loved to hear the stories of you rescuing sea creatures and, sometimes, mortals as well. Just like your father, you inspired me to become who I am today, even if we differ on many traits. But now, I hardly recognize you anymore."
Delphina was flooded with emotions. With the exception of Calypso, she never knew her true siblings. She didn't know her real parents neither and always felt rejected even if the context had been more complicated than that. But Nereus, Doris and the Nereids became her new family, the only one she and Calypso had ever known. But a good one who taught them a great sense of moral. Their adoption was a blessing.
She had always craved to truly belong with them, to be called a Nereid. But it never happened. She became a goddess instead. But that didn't mean she stopped to see them as sisters.
But now…she felt betrayed. And it hurt so much.
The Nereids were still mute. They didn't know how to react. They fully realized how their adopted sibling was right. They had changed so much. They had begun to be influenced by the arrogance of Poseidon more than by the wisdom and compassion of their parent.
As a goddess, Delphina could have easily changed but she stayed faithful to herself for the most important parts. So why were they unable to do the same?
Nevertheless, they were glad for the Goddess of Dolphins to make them remember what they used to be.
"I am sorry." Pherusa, another, said. "I am sure that I am not the only one to be. We failed as role models. Father must be disappointed as well. Will you ever forgive us?"
Delphina stared at Amphitrite again. The queen pledged with her facial expression to do the right thing. It was all she needed to keep going.
"I will be honest, I am far from the best at forgiveness." Delphina retorted, referencing to her own parents. "But you know that I love you and that I would hate to stay mad at you forever."
No more words were needed. The sea storm finally calmed down and rainbow appeared in the hearth of the family.
Still, this episode will be a great warning about how much power and position of great influence can change someone.
Thank you for reading.
I feel bad because I mentionned Hermes a lot of time but he still has to make his first apparition yet. I will take care of it in the next chapter, I promise!
By the way, don't expect all the myths that feature the Oracle of Delphi to appear in this story or else, it will never finish!
I hope you enjoyed it and this is the keyword for the next chapter: Aetolia.
See you soon!