THE CURSE OF THE GORGONS
Magical Tales of True Love, Book 1
By: Marian Pinera
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Copyright © 2014
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All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.
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A long, long time ago, in the Empire of Greece, the nights were filled with the whispers of parents tucking their children in bed. In low and dire voices, they told the young ones scary tales about the Curse of the Gorgon.
The Gorgon was once a lovely Queen named Medusa. When her husband, the King, passed away he left Queen Medusa and their baby princess his kingdom and wealth. But Medusa’s heart was filled with greed, and among all things, she coveted the Pearls of King Karat.
These pearls were like no other, for they were harvested from the oysters that lived in the deepest and farthest part of the ocean, in the foot of the kingdom of Poseidon, the Lord of the Sea – and the father of King Karat.
Medusa was a charming woman. Her eyes sparkled like the stars of the desert, her laughter was as fine as a harp’s melody, and soon King Karat fell in love with her. The King asked Medusa to marry him, and she said yes. When she became Karat’s Queen, she planned to take away all his pearls back to her Kingdom, never to return.
But their planned wedding was not to be. The Lord Poseidon was a great and wise man. When he learned of Medusa’s intentions from his faithful stewards, he sailed immediately to his son’s kingdom in his golden chariot, which raced above the waters with the help of speedy silver seahorses.
The Lord Poseidon arrived just as King Karat and Queen Medusa were about to exchange vows. The Lord Poseidon wasted no time in stopping the wedding. He raised his mighty trident to the air, and the white waves of the ocean rose in his silent command. It fell onto the grand feast with a loud thud. Tables of food floated above the water together with the gifts offered by the hundreds of guests that had hoped to attend a royal wedding between two kingdoms.
In a voice as loud as thunder, the Lord Poseidon revealed to his son the truth of Medusa's greed and deceit. Hurt and heartbroken, King Karat borrowed his father’s power to lay a curse on the covetous Queen.
“For you have long used your beauty and wiles to deceive good men, this curse shall eternally banish the hold your lovely face has over mortals of this world. Your crowning glory shall now serve as your doom, the golden strands of your hair transformed into hissing and biting snakes. It will bite your fingers if you try to cut them out, and it will strike with poison anyone who tries to kill them.”
It was a horrendous fate for someone like Medusa, who cherished her long and golden hair like no other. Many had compared it to the rays of the sun, but soon it would be no more.
Yet King Karat was not yet finished.
“Your face will forever be yours, but you will be the only one to remember it. No longer will people sing about your beauty as anyone who dares gaze upon your face shall turn into stone. When dawn breaks and the sky turns from black to blue, all things I have said shall come true.”
“Your children shall not escape my wrath as what has made you greedy and dishonest may make your daughters just as cruel. Be careful not to look at your children for they, too, may turn to stone. And as for you, I have cursed you for all eternity. Death will never darken your door and you shall forever remain in this world a despised beast.”
Years passed and the world soon forgot how beautiful Medusa once was. Time buried the truth about the Kingdom of Serpentis, whose throne the Queen once sat upon. Now, all the world knew about the kingdom was that it was home to Gorgons - women of great beauty but cursed with venomous snakes for hair and a gaze that had the power to take men to their graves.
Forgotten by Men was the truth about the Gorgons, who were none other than Medusa and her two daughters, Euryale and Stheno. They were as beautiful and as evil as their mother, and for that they were punished. But spared of their fate was the Gorgons’ youngest child, Elena. For though she was as plain as her mother and sisters were beautiful, her heart was kind as theirs were not.
But the young Elena soon grew up to be a beautiful woman. Looking at her long black hair, shiny and pretty, made Medusa and her two older daughters angry and jealous. They threw the young Elena into the dungeons where no man would be able to see her or compare her to the Gorgons.
Yet no matter what they did to hide the truth of Elena’s beauty, stories still spread across the Empire of Greece. Men traveled far and wide to gaze upon the youngest princess of the Kingdom of Serpentis. But what they did not know was that tragedy awaited them.
Medusa and her cruel daughters hid their faces behind dark veils. Covered in lace and silk, they looked no different from other women. They tricked men, young and old, rich and poor, Medusa, Euryale, and Stheno tricked everyone bearing gifts for Elena to walk with them to the throne room.
And there they would lift their veils to gaze upon the helpless men, who will not be able to run away. As the eyes of the Gorgons would touch their face, the men turned to stone, joining the dozens of statues that now decorated the Great Hall of the Queen’s castle.
From the prison guards in the dungeon, Elena learned of the evil deeds of the Gorgons. She prayed for a courageous man to put an end to the evil plans of her mother Medusa and her two older sisters.
The Heavens, which rested upon the tall and majestic peaks of Mt. Olympus, heard her prayers. In the Heavens of Mt. Olympus lived the Olympians, the most powerful gods and goddesses in the Empire of Greece. One of them was Lord Poseidon, the father of King Karat. Upon hearing Elena’s plea, he sent a message to Stefan to slay the Gorgons for their misdeeds.
Stefan was also the son of Lord Poseidon, a young and dashing man who had powers of his own. He was a Prince of Justice, and with his hands he had the ability to lay curses for those who harmed others and lift curses for those who repented.
Following his father’s command, Stefan immediately flew to the Kingdom of Serpentis. His strong white steed was named Pegasus, and every flap of its great wide wings was like the sound of beating drums in the sky. The journey to Medusa’s kingdom was quick for Pegasus was the fastest of all winged horses in the land. Leaving Pegasus roaming in the gardens, Stefan entered Medusa’s castle without fear.
The Gorgons, hidden beneath their veils, were amazed at the handsome looks of Prince Stefan. “A good day to you, stranger,” said Medusa. “What is the purpose of your visit?”
“A good day to you all, fair ladies,” Prince Stefan answered courteously. For he was a just man, he wanted to give the Gorgons a fair trial. “I have heard that living here is a princess of such wondrous beauty that it will bring tears to any man’s eyes who has the fortune to gaze upon it. Are the rumors true?”
Jealous range once again struck the hearts of Medusa and her older daughters.
“What you heard is true. I am Queen Medusa and you are talking about my youngest daughter Elena. It will be my pleasure to take you to her.” But the Queen was lying. She would bring Stefan to the throne room and there she would lift her veil so that he would also turn into stone and become another one of her statues.
“Yes, yes,” Euryale and Stheno said eagerly. “Go with our mother the Queen. She will take you to our youngest sister.” They, too, wanted Prince Stefan to turn to stone for they hated all men w
ho chose Elena over them.
And so with the Queen’s invitation, Prince Stefan went with her. But what Medusa did not know was that Prince Stefan was also very wise. He knew that the Queen was lying. He had given her a chance to tell the truth but she did not. If she had spoken of the truth and had a change of heart, Prince Stefan had the power to lift the curse. But she did not and for that she would be doomed forever.
To reach the throne room, Medusa and Stefan had to pass through the Great Hall. Lined up on each side were rows and rows of statues of different men. There were peasants, fishermen, musicians, poets, and even princes like him!
Prince Stefan’s heart became heavy and sad because he
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