Hyacinth

A Chapter by ashalyn

Larissa is the only thing that matters in young Alexandros' life so when Larissa's father says she is to marry Andreas, the son of the wealthiest man in the village. Set in Ancient Greece.

"What's wrong?" Alexandros pulled back from our embrace, he combed his fingers through my sun lightened hair, his hands cut and bruised from work. "Larissa? Please tell me, I know something's wrong," He kissed my forehead and then pressed my head to his broad and well muscled chest. I looked out onto the crashing sea, the bright blue waves splashed against the smooth, grey boulders where we stood, completely invisible from the workers fishing bay.

"Just the usual, Father's complaining that I don't go to any of the village parties and that I'll never get married, he's probably just worried about my birthday coming up and the anniversary of my Mother's..." Death. I couldn't say that last word.

"Shhh, shhh... It's okay... Don't worry, I'm here," Alexandros stroked my hair and rubbed my back as he whispered in my ear soothingly, my tears leaked out onto his chest and loose brown tunic. We just stood there like that for a while.

I looked up at him, my lips grazing his jaw. "You should be getting back, they'll be wondering where you are," I forced myself to smile, but I couldn't force myself to step out of his loving hold of his strong arms around my waist. He looked down at me with his loving brown eyes into my tear-filled green ones. Alexandros smiled and kissed the tip of my nose.

"Go to the party tonight," Alexandros played with the white fabric of my dress and biting his bottom lip.

I ran my hand through his brown hair, "I'd rather come see you." I could see in his eyes and the twitch of his smile that this statement had tempted him, but hadn't changed his mind.

"What if I came? Your Father would be pleased that you attend the party and I'd be pleased to see you in that purple dress I got you," I glowered at him, he knew I couldn't resist making him happy. "And maybe if you wanted... we could come back here when your Father's to drunk to realize your absence,"

"Hmmm, if you give me a quick preview of what our sneaking away would involve," I looked up at him from under my eyelashes.

Alexandros' hold of my tightened before he whispered into my ear, "My pleasure." His lips were sweet and tender upon mine.

"Alexandros!" a fisherman shouted from the near bay.

"Where in the name of the Gods are you boy?" called another.

Alexandros broke away from our kiss, "I'll see you tonight?" He looked into my eyes, his were full of mischief, I could've gazed into them for all eternity

"Yes, now you must go, quickly!" Alexandros clambered up the small cliff, causing small rocks to tumble off and into the ocean. I lifted my skirt and turned to run off onto the beach. The sand was warm against my bare feet.

Apollo's sun was low in Zeus' vast sky above Poseidon's crashing sea. I sat on the beach by the ocean and let the water tickle my feet until the clouds and the before blue sky had been dyed a mixture of pinks, oranges and purples by the sun's lowness, the water reflecting the glow, then made my way up the small grass covered hill that lead to the village.

The house's, some of them small with simple wooden doors and mossy shingled roofs, some towering and grand with great arches, walls that were off-white by day where illuminated with the strange bright colors of the sunset. The street was quiet, the men were probably piling the wood for the bonfire and the women tying newly picked blooms to posts with string and ribbon on the West beach. The cobble stones on the street were cool on my feet as I walked to my house.

My home was neither magnificent, nor a hovel, with strong wooden furniture and beige tiles on the floor, and two good sized bedrooms and bathrooms on the upper floors. My bedroom had a good sized bed that boasted a comfortable, feathered mattress and soft pillows I had covered myself with white cotton that I'd sewn blue swirly patterns on to. At the foot of the bed sat my large, wooden chest that contained my dresses and nightgowns, from it I pulled out the hyacinth purple dress Alexandros had gotten me.

I pulled off my white chiton and slipped on the pretty dress. The whole design of it reminded me of a hyacinth, the skirt of it was light and layered with long petal shaped pieces of thin fabric. The top of it was tight and showed a little more cleavage than I would normally dare of my generous chest, but not as much as some of the other ladies would show, it showed off my waist and hips also.

I wondered why Alexandros had got me this dress, was it because he wanted to get me something and this was just the first thing he saw? Did he think it would look attractive on me? I didn't know and I didn't care to be perfectly honest, I loved it and the fact that he'd given me it made me love it all the more.

I left my feet bare and just combed my hair through with my fingers and let it fall down to my waist before leaving the house and strolling down to the West beach.

The sky was black and the moon was bright, the water reflected the light of the huge bonfire and the waves were audible just below the laughter of children and men and the merry tune being played by the drums and a bouzouki.

My father, his hair greying and stubble covered chin, stood by the wine and ale barrels with the rest of the village men his age, and smiled in approval when he saw I had appeared, then continued with his conversation with Lord Chondroyannos, the landlord.

Alexandros, laughing with the other fishermen by the boulders, saw me in the small crowd of women after a moment and winked at me, I rolled my eyes in return.

I had exchanged a few meaning less 'how are you, doing's with people I knew vaguely and had a small glass of sweet wine when the musicians called for us to dance. I was never one for dancing so I sat on a rock that jutted out of the grass close to the path that lead back up to the village. Alexandros came out of the crowd rejecting a few women's offers of a dance as he went.

"If you are completely decided against dancing, then I won't but if not..." he held out his work-worn hand to me, he knew how easily he could coax me into dancing all night long. I shook my head at how he could sway me into indecision on my prejudiced of dancing. "Is that a no? Or are you tutting myself confidence?"

"I'm tutting myself, for being so easily swayed by you merely requesting a dance, I'm undecided." I smiled at myself, looking at the circles I made in the sand with my toes.

"Think about your choice carefully, if you say no I may com bust from such a blow to my ego. Where as if you accept, I may be very tempted to never release you." He laughed and I bit my lip to mute my own laughter. "I may be laughing but I'm not joking, especially about the last part."

I looked up at him and placed my hand in his. "One dance, one,"I agreed.

Suddenly he took my waist and held me closely to him, "Hmmm, might I make a deal with you?" his lips grazing my ear.

"Maybe."

"Two dances and I'll give you this?" He pulled a small hyacinth bloom from his leather side bag. "I found it on the cliff when was running down to the bay, and it reminded me of you. Delicate, soft, beautiful..." Alexandros tucked the flower at the back of my ear. "The purple brings out how bright the green in your eyes is."

I blushed and mentally kicked myself for being so weak when it came to him. "Deal."