Servant of Aphrodite (butterfly0408/Skyro)

They had been promised to one another from birth. Neither one of them young ones thought it would be such a bad thing when the time came to marry. They were very good friends with one another, even if they lived far apart and only saw one another once every few months. It was if they have been made for one another.

He had been expecting to be spend the week with Melantha and her family to celebrate her birthday. Perhaps if he knew, the night when they went to bed... he would have said more than just "Good night." But for a 10 year old, a child does not think of those things.

The next morning when he expected to wake to celebrate with her, he awoke instead to find his family leaving for home, no mention of Melantha at all. No matter how much he questioned about her, all he was told was that she had to be sent away and he'd understand when he was older.

For 10 years, he had not heard anything more about her. Not even if he was still supposed to marry her.

---

"Son?" His mother was knocking at his door gently in the morning hours. Usually it was a servant that came to wake him for breakfast but it seemed like this mother did it today. The first sign that today would be different. "Son do come out. Your father and I have a surprise for you at breakfast."

The young boy, or man as he was now becoming woke up to his mum calling him through his bedroom door. He sat up and ran his hand through his untidy blonde hair. He streched his arms and spoke with a yawn.. "yes mother?" he replied, sitting on the edge of the bed.

He put some under garments on that rested in a drawer near by and arranged his morning stiffness so it could not be seen, again he called, "Yes, mother?" Rolling his eyes, he opened the door to face her. What does she want?

Her hands went right to her hips as she gave him that motherly look of being unsatisfied, "Still in bed? It's time for breakfast. You look a mess! And with guests this morning. IMPORTANT guests," she stressed to him as she pushed her way into the room and went about picking out the clothing he would wear. "Wash your face, brush out your hair, put on some clothing and hurry along."

((I am still looking for names. I am gonna PM you a list of names so you can pick your own. That work for you?))

Iason sighed as his mother came into his room, looking through his clothes for someting accpetable, "fine," he groaned. He had no idea who these people were, he had probably been told the night before but he was very drawn to wine and didn't even remember getting into bed that night.

He walked to the wash basin which had already been filled with lukewarm water for him, he splashed his face and wet his hair so it wouldn't stand on end. Ever the man, he scratched his balls and went back into his bedroom where his mother was carefully arranging some of his more grand clothes. He scratched his head this time and paused, cringing as he asked the question he knew he should know the answer to, "so.. who's coming today?"

His mother smiled as she picked out the clothing she thought would be best. Picking it up and turning to hand it to him, her smile just seemed to turn into more of a smirk and she only answered him, "Old friends. Now hurry along! They are already here and you are keeping us all waiting! Hurry, hurry." Before he could protest anymore his mother turned with a merry little flourish and went out the door.

Iason grumbled, "agh," he moaned pulling the clothes on. He'd much rather be naked, but if he had to, he had to.

Old friends? He wondered, who could that possibly mean? He walked to his door, opened it and stepepd out. This could be a long day, he sighed. He didn't want to think about the last time his mother told him there were old friends. He spent the day dancing and tee total as he was refused alcohol. What a boring day.

As Iason entered the breakfast room, he was meet by five sets of eyes. Like always his father, Thanos, sat at the head of the table. This mother was at her usually place to the right of him. But where Isaon usually sat to the left, three people sat in his place.

Corinader and Maya, though 10 years older, were still easy to recognize. Time had been kind to Malantha's mother and father. It was the third guest that might puzzle him.

A stunning vision as she sat at the table. Beautiful, tranquil, a goddess come to earth it seemed or a nymph among humans. She had long, flowing golden hair and... violet eyes. He may have only ever meet one girl in his life with rare violet eyes and blonde hair, though it had not been so long and vibrant a blonde the last time he saw her. Nor was her body so well formed and lusious.

"Iason," his father said as he gave a welcome smile to his son, "You remember Corinader, Maya, and..." he paused a moment, as it trying to find the best way to word what he was about to say. "well you knew here as Melantha."

Corinader picked up the rest of that Thanos was trying to say, "Yes, she has finally been given her true name since last you saw her...Callista." The perfect name for her for it meant, 'most beautiful.'

Iason carefully displayed what stood before him. Two people he had known for a very long time and regonised instantly. But what were they doing here? He hadn't seem them for ten years and while he could see they had grown older, time had been kind to him. His eyes moved along to where his parents sat and then to a site that he didn't know what to make of.

She was beautiful, great eyes of the deepest purple and hair that looked like it belonged to an angel. Iason was ataken aback. Who was this beautiful woman, and what was she doing here? Then it dawned on him, only one person possessed those eyes. And he hadn't looked into them for ten long years, the last time he had seen them, they had been tearful. And so had his.

His eyes averted to another new addition to her glowing hair. Her breasts stood out, large and round. They were the kind you only really saw in those dreams that you told no body about. Her hips were wide, and she was curvy. This couldn't possibly been the girl he had known so long ago, could it? But it must have been. Iason stood at the entrance to the room for some minutes before his father explained who these people were. It was her.

Melantha! His childhood sweetheart. He had never allowed himself to forget about her. Even when he had flings with other young girls, he wondered if it would be her by his side, or in some cases, underneath him, if she had never gone away. Her new name was even more beautiful than her last, and it was in the name itself. "Melantha?" he said with a struggle, he didn't care for her new name. That's who she was to him.

The beauty smiled brightly, "Callista..." she corrected him softly. "Melantha will always be a part of me, for she is who I was born as. Callista is, however, who I was destined to be. I just needed to find her and bring her to the surface for everyone else to see."

"Sit son," he father directed to the empty seat next to his mother and across from Callista. "There is after all much to talk about and limited time to do it in."

"You must be confused," Callista said just as softly as she had said her name earlier, "which is understandable. But it will all be clear soon."

"Yes," chimed in joyfully as she as well motioned to the empty seat. The whole group clearly waiting to go on until he was seated and enjoying his breakfast with the rest of them. It was like they all had a secret and he was the only one that didn't know. Actually, that was EXACTLY what it was.

He looked at the people in front of his with his mouth open slightly, he was completely confused. What.. the.. fuck? He shook his head and took a seat. He didn't like her new name. While it was fitting, that wasn't what she was to him. She would forever be the little girl he played catch with on the warm summer nights almost a decade ago.

Slowly and hesitatnly he made his way to his seat, not speaking anymore. He simply nodded at each of the things that were said to him. After a few minutes he was happily eating breakfast. He was confused but it didn't mean he wasn't hungry! He knew there was a secret though, one that they weren't telling him. After about fifteen minutes he couldn't keep his mouth shut no more. He turned to the girl oppisite him.

"Where did you go all those years ago?" he said it bitterly, he had missed her so much.

"We were going to get to that son," his father said before he motioned to Maya. "Perhaps it best that you tell the story. After all, you are the one that has been through this whole thing before. A first hand account would be best."

"Of course. I will start, and Callista shall finish." Maya, Callista's mother, put her fork down to focus on her attention on telling the tale, "You see Iason, the betrothal between you two have long been more then just a simple plan of marriage. I am sure you have heard of the Servants of Aphrodite before, yes?" She did not actually wait for and answer for more people at least knew OF the order. Maya motioned to Callista, "Callista is of the order as I was before her."

The Servants of Aphrodite to most was thought of as more of a myth. A secret order of women, all having said to have been descended in one way or another directly from the Goddess Aphrodite herself, left on earth to help carry out the work of Love and... sexuality. It was rare to actually meet someone of the order, but even more rare to be betrothed to one of them. "Callista has spent the last ten years training in the ways of the order and well..." she smiled and looked to her daughter, "You tell him the rest dear."

With a smile on her face, Callista turned her face to him to look right into his eyes, "Before we are permitted to wed, I must face the final trial of Aphrodite. We must preform the ritual of fertility and love to complete my training and to bless our marriage. It is a three day ritual that must be preformed down to the smallest of details. On the first night, I will worship at the temple of your body. On the second night, you will worship at the temple of my body. And on the third and final night of the ritual, our two temples will join together and climb with one another to the heavens where Aphrodite will pass judgment upon my worthiness."

Iason stared at Maya as she spoke, he couldn't believe the words he was hearing. An actual member of the order.. and the legends were TRUE? His mouth opened slightly as he felt around in his mind for words that could describe what he was feeling. Words failed him, then Callista began to speak. She acted as if he had known all along and was just fine with it. She wanted them to preform sexual acts upon each other and that would grant them powers of the heaven?

Iason, even as a small boy, had been a skeptic. While he had never denied the exsistance of God, or Gods, he did have his doubts. He saw evil, he saw suffering. But they were convinced that acting ... and worshipping would bring them closer to a God he knew nothing about. As she spoke, Iason looked into her beautiful eyes, tranced by her words. He could say nothing, the occassional nod was the only sign that he was actually listening. He must have sat for some minutes before his father spoke up, "well?" he said in his clear, crisp voice.

"I.." he stuttered, "I don't know what to say." He laid down his fork and scratched his head. He turned to Callista once more, "so, you come back and assume I wish to marry you?" he said, as if he had a choice in it all. Anyway, he always wanted to marry her and had no intentions of really fighting it. He just didn't like these circumstances.

The room grew serious for a moment. The air tense. There was more secrets that were being left unsaid it seemed. It was his father that spoke first, "You are betrothed to her Iason. Have been since birth. There is no wish in the ma-"

"No," Callista suddenly cut in, sounding just as serious suddenly as his father was. The look of shock on Thanos's face was genuine for no woman ever interrupted him. Especially in his own home. But Callista did not seem afraid. "No, he does have the right to choose. The betrothal has only taken us to this point and now the choice is to be his what path will be taken."

"But if he does not-" her own mother started. Everyone speaking as if Iason was not even there.

Callista cut her mother off as well. The girl was seemingly fearless of her elders, "His choice mother. You know it is. Just as it was father's choice to preform the ritual with you or not."

At last she turned her attention back to Iason and only Iason alone, "I am sorry about this Iason. I truly am. It must seem all so confusing. I know it was for me as well. I didn't know, that night 10 years ago, that it would be the last time we would see one another until this moment. I didn't know where I was going or if I would ever come back. If you are even half as confused as I was then, I know your head must be aching something awful." She smiled a moment before sighing and letting her expression sink again to one that spoke of severity, "And I wish I could tell you everything. One day I can, but... the choices your make over the next few days must be unhindered with the knowledge of what each possible action you may take will bring, both for you and for me. It is part of the test I face. So you do have the right to choose. You could be set free right now this very moment. And if that is what you wish," she shrugged, "Then so it will be."

He looked at each of them as they spoke in turn. She had guts interrupting him like that and he thought she would be beat down on the spot. But she spoke with confidence, unafraid. She gave him a choice. Do the acts, or don't do them?

He could take her body, she could take his and then they might ascend to the heavens together. Might. He looked at her in dismay, his head swimming with the many different possibilites and thoughts. "Agh," he said, letting out a long sigh. He stuttered his words, "I.." his breathing was heavy; "I... I... need time to think." He stood up abruptly, turning around. "I'll be in my chambers."

"Ias-" his father started but once more was cut off by Callista's soft, calm voice.

"Let him go. This is how things need to be."

It was more then Thanos could take now with the interrupting. He turned and lashed out with all he wanted to say, not caring if Iason was near enough still to hear or not. This was, after all, a large secret to keep. "I will not stand for this in my household any longer! If I wish to force myself to perform this ritual, it is my right as his father to do it."

Even though their was anger in the air, raised voices, and such force from all around, Callista remained serenely calm, "You can not force him. If he does not come of his own free will, then the ritual will be null and the same results will come about either way."

Thanos was red in the face. He looked to Maya and Corinader, "Will you not talk some sense into your daughter? Will you not tell her what she should do? It is your right and it's her very life in the balance! I will not have her blood upon my sons hands!"

Callista rose, not paying Thanos any mind as she started to depart the same way Iason had gone. She couldn't tell him the truth, but she could at least be his friend. Especially if he decided not to accept her. She wanted her last few days to be happy ones with a friendly face if nothing else.