by Rane, April
Sitting down next to Aradia, she tapped her with her fan, and ceasing her excited manner began to talk in earnest. “The only one I am concerned with is my dear Tomis. He has caught your favor, but it would not be in your best interest to bed the man. Please, heed me as you would your mother, for I am not at liberty to explain.”
Sovonya reached over to Aradia, and lightly grasped her hand while Aradia, in turn, sat very still and did not make eye contact, seemingly lost in her own world. Sovonya hesitated for a moment, and then with her free hand flipped her fan open.
“I do not want you to tell me of your past, save that you are a witch. That I do know and it must be hidden at all cost. It would in fact be best to tell the cook not to mention it. Talk with the maids, and swear them to their word they will not impart what you have shared with them. I will tell you something, my dear,” she whispered. “I myself am a sorceress but do not try to tell anyone, for they will not believe you. Fine ladies and gentlemen on the island do not want to hear of these matters, so it is best left unsaid.”
“I do not want to fool people, nor is there a need to do so,” Aradia said, holding her head very high. I come from a very good family. I have my reasons for not speaking about it!”
“I do not think anyone would question that,” spoke Sovonya lovingly, “Come, come my dear, there will be many handsome men that attend, and it is my guess that if we can keep the fact that you are not a citizen of Greece by birth quiet, you will have your pick. Keep an open mind and let all of the gentlemen seek your favor. Of course they will not present themselves directly. They will go through the proper channels. Tomis is my favorite, and I love him as my own; but I must caution you to be discriminating, as matters might not fall in your favor.”
Aradia felt her breath cease. Her hand went instinctively to her heart. Sovonya was only thinking of her, she told herself, but her heart ached when she sounded as if there would never be a union between Tomis and herself.
Aradia, her breath still shallow, knew this fine woman, her friend, was waiting for her to speak. “You have gone to such immense trouble on my behalf. Please, do not find me lacking gratitude.”
“There now,” spoke Sovonya, “that is much better,” and with a genuine smile, the great lady lightly tapped Aradia under the chin with her fan. “Wait until you see the garment I am having made for you. In fact, it is way past time for your fitting. I have kept you with my ramblings. Run along now. The seamstress is waiting for you in your room.”
Sovonya thoughtfully watched Aradia walk away, and she wondered if her beautiful charge even understood herself the reason she was keeping her past hidden. She is being romantic like all young women. The great lady shook her head lovingly. Like so many of her age, she wants to see if Tomis will move heaven and earth to have her and yet, she takes such a chance , not so much with Tomis since the men in his family tend to fall in love only once… Ahh…who was being the romantic now?
Sovonya a sorceress? Imagine that, marveled Aradia. That was the most interesting thing that had happened since Tomis had gone down on one knee and called her his enchantress! Perhaps now that Lady Sovonya has confided in her she can ask more about Tomis. She’d like to know why he left, and where he had gone. Though, tis true… up to now she had been very busy with fittings, and becoming accustomed to life here at the villa. And true, he does seem to have much business to attend. But still… entering her room all thoughts left her head as she beheld the soft emerald green folds of the dress she was to try on.
Aradia, hearing the music of the lute that the bard played with skill, could not contain herself. It had been so long since she had heard such sweet, lilting sounds that she could not keep still.
Iola, a demure, well -mannered lady’s maid, was waiting for a particular piece of music to begin playing, before she would help Aradia with the finishing touches—an emerald necklace and a tiara set with emeralds, greener than the trees in mid-summer. Iola had been told to wait till the last minute to dress Aradia’s hair, as it had a mind of its own, with tendrils forever escaping and curling around her face. A haunting melody began, and the maid excitedly told her it was time. Carefully she finished dressing Aradia’s hair and gingerly aided her with the necklace. Aradia held the shiny copper plate so she could watch as Iola placed the gleaming tiara on her exquisite titian hair.
“My Lady, you look lovelier than a fairy princess!” exclaimed the maid, putting her hand to her mouth. “Oh, excuse me for being so bold, but I cannot help myself.”
“Thank you, Iola. You have always been kind to me, and you mustn’t think you are being too bold. Your compliments are a joy to me. Go, get some rest. Do not wait up for me. I will wake you when I need help to disrobe.”
She had been dutifully instructed by Sovonya to speak only Greek. Though if people asked, she could say she was educated in Rome. A part of her cried out to put an end to this farce, but she was not yet ready to speak of her family, and how she had come to arrive in Greece.
Approaching the courtyard where people were already gathering, music wafted up and circled around her. Aradia had thoughts and images of her family and her life in Volsinii. Yearning to speak of her handsome father and loving mother, and of her siblings caused a throbbing pain in her heart. She wanted to exclaim that she had had a sister so sweet and wondrous, that she was love itself! But she did not know if she could, or if she would come apart at the seams like a poorly made robe, in her effort to speak of the brutalities and loss.
With difficulty she shook herself from her sad reverie. Sovonya was right. She must leave the past behind for her own good. If she were to share some of the story…all of the ugliness would come to the surface and perhaps she would be made to leave her new life, her friend…and… Tomis and she could not bear the thought of that. There is nothing to go back to; just move forward! she reprimanded herself.
Aradia automatically tilted her head in the manner of nobility, and cast her eyes on the throng of people at the opening to the courtyard. Trying to remember to be demure was difficult as she nearly floated in her garment of emerald green. It shimmered, embracing her every move. The emeralds that lightly draped her neck, accentuated the extraordinary color of her hair.
Aradia’s sultry walk toward the women who were standing at the other side of the courtyard caught Tomis’s eye. Watching him watch her, her heart stood still. Wearing a laurel wreath, his golden hair glistened in the fading sunlight. His robe, the color of the sea, brought forth his eyes, which were more dazzling than she remembered. It was thrown over one shoulder and open to the waist on the other side, showing off a broad expanse of muscle. Her attention was drawn to the indentation beneath his Adam’s apple; she paused in her perusal to moisten her lips. Unbidden thoughts of kissing him in that spot filled her… and she noticed her womanhood clenching with a desire. She acknowledged him, her head bowing ever so lightly, and the bard, a bearded old man who sat with his lute in the center of the courtyard, began to sing of heroic deeds of old.
Aradia, who was now in the center of the group of scented ladies, heard them buzzing about her, and someone ran their hands over her hair.
“Pay them no heed,” Sovonya told her. “Afterward, perhaps, we will satisfy their curiosity a bit. Or perhaps not,” she said while displaying her fan, knowing that it always caused curiosity amongst the ladies. “Listen now. The entertainment has begun.”
“Sing, O Goddess, the anger of Achilles, son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans,” the old man chanted. “Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men and the great Achilles, first fell out with one another.”
The bard’s singing was, Aradia found, hypnotic. Even in her own country, this tale was known, and sometimes told by traveling bards. But as she continued listening she realized she had never heard it sung so beautifully.
“For nine
whole days he shot his arrows among the people,” the rich baritone voice sang, “but upon the tenth day Achilles called them in assembly- moved thereto by Juno, who saw the Acheans in their death throes and had compassion upon them.”
Aradia was aware that Tomis had moved a bit closer, and she knew that Sovonya was aware of it, too. She also knew that, at social occasions like this, if it were to take place in Athens she would have no chance to speak to him, for he would only stay with the men. Though here on the island there was some interaction between the sexes, normally it was only at rare dinner gatherings and times like this when young ladies were out in the open. But still, the attitude was look, but don’t touch.
“The son of Peleus was furious,” the bard sang, but Aradia realized that she was worn out from the foolishness of playing at being demure, her temples throbbed, and she needed to escape from the pretense.
At last, the old man paused and was offered wine. And in that moment, Aradia knew that she must be alone and quickly stepped into the adjoining courtyard which bordered on the kitchen garden where the gentry seldom strayed. She wanted to feel the earth under her feet. Sandals interfered with the calming effect that the earth had upon her. She slipped them off and released a deep sigh. She reached up to remove the tiara, as it was causing quite a headache. Removing it, her hair tumbled down around her face. She gazed up at the moon; it had just come out from behind a cloud.
“Now, that is the way I remember you,” she said speaking up at the moon in a deep sultry voice.
Suddenly, Tomis appeared in front of her.
“Do you remember me?” he asked his voice intense from longing.
Startled, Aradia dropped the tiara, and stood motionless in the moonlight. Her heart pounding in her chest, she could not find breath or words.
“It is not like you to be speechless,” teased Tomis as he admired the color and drape of her gown which hugged every curve and set her eyes sparkling like jewels. Verdant… was the word that came to mind. Green Goddess; temptress of mortal men, he thought. Now he was the one to be speechless.
“You seem to have a spell upon me,” she said to him quietly, “for I have been affected such of late. I stand like a child with no words to say and my mouth agape.”
“It is not I who casts spells,” he replied in a low voice. “They say you are a witch.”
“And who might they be?” she queried with a smile.
Tomis answered, his heart shining in his eyes. “All those who are not you and I. All those who have never seen you in the moonlight. And of course… those who do not know the difference between a witch and an enchantress.”
“And you know the difference?” smiled Aradia.
“A witch spells you to love her, but an enchantress beckons you with her every move. She is a song that you can’t wait to hear, she is the gentle current in a stream, and the rushing waterfall you cannot wait to bathe in. It is the enchantress that I have fallen in love with.”
His words were a balm for her very soul, but needing a moment to get used to the thought, she queried, “and if I were a witch, would you run from me? Would you think I had put a spell upon you to love me?”
“Did you such?”
“I did not,” said Aradia, managing to look offended and sensual at the same time. “But perhaps I would have! For my heart aches for you, my mind thinks of nothing else but you. If you did not return my love, then, yes, perhaps I would have been tempted to put a spell upon you. But I swear to you, if you turn from me, I shall not spell you to love me. You shall always have free will in that.”
“If I turn from you, it is because of matters beyond my control, and it would break my heart. This I swear to you.”
They moved towards each other. Slowly he encircled her in his arms. Holding him tight, and reaching to her full height, she nuzzled his neck.
“You smell of the ocean,” whispered Aradia. “The ocean…when you are enveloped in it and can see, feel, or smell nothing but its mystery. It is most sensual. It mesmerizes me.”
“Ah, and you smell of the Orient, a deep rich aroma that makes my body tremble and creates mind images of silk, just barely draped over your body.” he told her, running his hands softly over her curves. “I want to sculpt you!” And then, his voice rising, he exclaimed, “Oh, yes! I must sculpt you!”
Her entire body tingled with warmth, and her womanhood cried out for him.
“Come, walk with me,” he said, his voice husky from desire. “The moon is full. It will guide our path.”
She put her arm in his as they walked deep into the garden. Pulling her into a gardening shed, he kissed her, softly biting her full lips. Returning his kiss tentatively at first, she reached up and touched his face, gently brushing her fingers across his cheeks and tracing his anxious lips.
“I have wanted to do that since the first day you walked into the courtyard in Athens,” she told him. “You are exquisite. How can it be that you are so beautiful?”
“Men are not beautiful,” he responded.
She closed her eyes as she outlined his high cheekbones with her fingers, and then traced his nose, his neck and on to the side of his shoulders.
Aradia slowly ran her hands down his partially exposed chest to his narrow hips. With a long low sigh she said, “Yes…you are very, very beautiful.”
Quickly, he untied the clasp at the top of his robe and the garment dropped to the floor. His nakedness aroused her more. With the innocence of love and curiosity, she reached down and touched him; he moaned long and deep.
Slowly, Tomis undid the clasp between her breasts. As her gown slipped off, his breath stopped. There were no words; she would have to model for him. Only then could he show her the beauty he saw. With both hands he gently touched the outline of her shoulders and down to her back, over her hips and buttocks. She trembled in response to his sensual touch.
Spreading his robe out on the floor of the hut, he pulled her to him and she came willingly for she was ready. Kissing her neck, Tomis gently turned her around, his tongue tasting her sweetness all the way down to the small of her back. He marveled again at her curves, and teasing her, moved lower, then to the small of her back again. He lay gently on top of her, just barely touching her, and rubbed himself lightly against her buttocks. When he finally knew she could stand it no more, he turned her over.
Aradia begged for him, but instead his tongue traced her nipples and the fullness of her breasts. As he moved down to taste her, she tensed, not knowing what to expect at which he shifted his weight up over her, held her arms down gently and said, “Do you trust me?”
“My head wonders, but my heart and my body do not care,” she told him. “Yes. Yes, I trust you.” In fact, she felt as though she had been preparing for this moment her whole life.
Moving erotically down again to the light spray of hair protecting her femininity, he caressed her with his tongue. Achingly slow movements over her silky skin, teased her to shiver in pleasure. She moaned, as she moved against his tongue. She was so moist and hot, he did not know if he could hold out any longer.
Continuing to please her, Tomis found himself wondering if she had ever been with a man, though he wanted to believe she had not. Being gentle with her came so easy. He molded himself to her needs, hoping she would know how much he loved her.
Climaxing with deep intense moans, she realized that she had never known anything could evoke such pleasurable feelings. Entering her, he shattered her virginity and her sanity in the same moment, and together they climaxed as she wrapped her legs around him, holding him close.
Calling out to her as he climaxed, “Regina Bella! Regina Bella mea,” in the words of her homeland enveloped her in a cocoon of safety and love. “Beautiful Queen, my beautiful Queen!”
Indeed, Aradia felt like his beautiful queen. She loved the sound of his voice and the depth of his words. The excitement drove her to climax again and again. She begged him with her body, with her words and her eyes. “Don’t leave me, don’t ever le
ave me.”
After making love, Tomis held her close, realizing now, for certain, that she had been a virgin. Waves of guilt washed over him. He should have stayed away! It would have been the only way; he could not be near her and not ravish her. Lying there very still, he berated himself silently as a tear formed in the corner of his eye.
Aradia had not taken her gaze off him. She watched as the tear slid over his cheek and thought of her own tears when they were making love, tears of happiness. Reaching up, she kissed them away. “Tell me of your tears. And perhaps I will tell you of mine,” she said softly.
Tomis hesitated, trying to form his words.
“I am not … I do not know what to say,” he said finally. “You were a virgin. I am ashamed. I am ashamed because the thought even crossed my mind that you were not! I am ashamed, because had you told me before hand, I am not sure that I would have done any different. There are things I need to speak to you of, but I am not yet free to do so. Trust me and know tu mea cour. You have my heart. I speak those words in your language so that they will mean more to you. Say them often to yourself, for they will remind you where my heart is, when I am not with you.”
“Will you be leaving?”
“Yes. But I shall not be gone long. When I return, will you allow me to sculpt you? I have wanted to do that since the first moment I saw you. Truth be known, I have already begun. I’ve needed to put my hands on your body even if it was only in my mind.”
Aradia laughed and said, “But for now you have the real thing. Let us not waste time.” She had thought of nothing but him for so long and now he is going away. But she would not allow herself to be sad while he was still here with her.
They made love again. Afterward, Tomis exclaimed, “We must go back to hear the bard. Hopefully no one will have missed us. If Sovonya has, no doubt she will make me pay the price.”
It was only when they were gathering up their belongings that Aradia realized that she could not find her tiara.