Aeëtes sighed, hugging her softly. “I’ll give you everything, Hecate. I mean that.” Hecate let out a long sigh, her voice sounding shaky.
“I’ll need everything. I cannot imagine having you for anything less than the rest of my life. That is what terrifies me. I… I just need time.” She choked on the last words out and burst into tears, Aeëtes immediately cradling the back of her head and pushing her to his chest.
“Sssh, ssh,” he crooned softly, rocking her back and forth. “That’s okay. Let it out.” He encouraged her, whispering in her ear and pausing every so often to kiss her cheeks. She sniffled, and Aeëtes nodded, as if he was goading her to go on, to release all of the pent-up feelings inside her body. Hecate felt boneless, slumped over Aeëtes’s chest but too comfortable to care. “There we go,” he murmured into her hair. “Relax into me, little witch. It’s alright. This is good.”
“I’m a mess.” Hecate’s voice was muffled, but Aeëtes only laughed; she felt his chest vibrate with it. He slipped a finger under her chin and lifted it up until she was staring at him.
“Sometimes a mess is a good thing, Hecate. You can be the strong, dangerous, terrifying Goddess of the Underworld. Youarethat,” he chuckled warmly, “but I think you’ll come to find that it might be nice if every once in a while, just here, where it’s us…you don’t have to.”
Hecate felt her heart expanding in her chest until she thought it would kill her. She opened her mouth to answer him, and all she saw in her mind’s eye was the face of a mortal man from centuries ago. The last person who had been this tender with her, who inevitably preferred to be dead than speak to her. She let out a long, controlled breath and closed her eyes.
“I just need time, Aeëtes. I need time.” He nodded slowly and cupped her chin, kissing her softly.
“We’re both immortal. I’ve got all the time in the world.”
Part III
27
Two days later, Hecate was up early as they prepared to land in Colchis. After their breakfast together, Aeëtes and Hecate had been inseparable. He shared with her his love for sailing, attempting to teach her a variety of knots and tricks for navigation. Hecate proved comically unskilled at both, but whenever he teased her, she waved her hand and used magic. Aeëtes would cry foul through his laughter but never stopped smiling.
Hecate couldn’t remember the last time she had so muchfun. They had temporarily pushed aside all of their worries about Hera or breaking the curse and spent their last full days at sea enjoying each other’s company. When the sun set, they would trade more stories with Pelias over wine. Last night, Aeëtes had smiled when Hecate fell asleep on his shoulder, growing more comfortable with him. He carried her to her cabin, and hesitated slightly, not sure if he should stay. She woke up long enough to ask him to stay, and they didn’t fall asleep for another few more hours.
Now, as she looked out over the water and watched as they sailed effortlessly into the harbor, she felt like a spell was about to break. Hecate could never imagine that she would be so comfortable on a ship, away from the Underworld, but now she didn’t want to disembark.
She didn’t want this to be over.
Once they sorted out how to break Aeëtes’s curse, they would have to have a conversation. Hecate would be due to go back to the Underworld, and she had heard of the ultimatum from Aeëtes’s adoptive parents. He had a year to take over the throne. It was a conversation that she wasn’t ready for, but as the deck began to fill with the crew and they prepared to dock, she knew that she didn’t have a choice.
She was pulled from her thoughts as the noise from shore became audible. The harbors of Colchis were full of activity like none of the port cities that they had seen on their journey so far. Once they had been in sight of the city, Pelias had flown the royal family’s flag to announce their arrival. The king and queen of Colchis had been made aware that a ship was arriving, and a greeting party had been assembled.
There were no less than fifteen servants and thirty guards in gleaming armor and holding spears and banners with the family crest. There was a litter in the center of it, shining gold in the daylight, with long, purple curtains that reached the ground. A massive crowd had gathered around them, eager to get a glimpse of the royal arrival. Once the ship came to a halt, the crew was launched into action. Ropes were tossed overboard to secure the boat, and the ramp was descended. Pelias had bid them goodbye earlier that morning, wanting to turn around and head back to Greece as soon as he could.
Aeëtes and Hecate stood on deck, waiting to be the first to walk off the ship. There was a gentle thud when they were secure, and the crowd let out a shout at the sight of the crown prince.
Hecate listened to the noise but kept her eyes on Aeëtes. She wasn’t surprised to hear the joyful reaction of the crowd; he was a well-loved prince, even for all the time that he had spent abroad. She watched as his face morphed, turning into something foreign to her. Aeëtes looked like the sun on a cloudy day, impossible to ignore completely, but obscured and camouflaged. Hecate swallowed thickly, gathering her own courage, and slipping her hand into Aeëtes’s.
He turned to look at her in shock. His eyes widened slightly, but he managed to keep most of the surprise off his face.
“That’s a very public gesture,” he whispered the words to her, raising an eyebrow playfully. Hecate felt her mouth go dry, and her stomach was churning, but she smiled.
“I know.”
“These are my parents,” Aeëtes reminded her, wanting her to be sure. If they stepped off this ship holding hands, it would be as good as a formal declaration that they were engaged. Aeëtes was a crown prince, and she was a goddess. That meant that only trysts or engagements were permitted. It wasn’t an option to say that they were doing somethingcasual.
“I know.” Hecate’s smile got wider, her nerves evaporating under the warm look in Aeëtes’s eyes. His entire face lit up with excitement like a child with sweets, and she chuckled at him.
She believed him when he told her that it was real. It wouldn’t be perfect, and they had a lot of things to discuss, but she trusted him.
“Let’s go meet Mom and Dad,” Aeëtes’s said with a devilish expression, squeezing her hand tighter and leading her off the ship. Hecate was used to crowds as a goddess, but they were always acolytes. Worshippers typically kept a fair distance from their gods out of respect, and likely, a healthy dose of fear. This was a mortal crowd that was excited to see their favored prince. Hecate found herself moving closer to Aeëtes as they walked down the ramp, the masses reaching out to them from all directions.
Hecate bristled slightly, not caring for crowds or people, and found herself stepping closer to Aeëtes. His face had changed again to the face of a prince, waving to his citizens and staying delightfully impassive. He could sense Hecate’s agitation, and he quietly placed a hand on her back, guiding her way. She leaned back into the touch as they stepped onto the dock, keeping her face stoic as they approached the litter.
“Father?” Aeëtes scowled, taking a step forward and looking around the crowd of palace staff.
“Aeëtes! My boy.”
The king emerged from behind some of his soldiers, giving Hecate her first look of Aeëtes’s adoptive father. He was a tall man, but his shoulders drooped slightly, the top of his head balding. For a king, he was dressed simply. His long peplos was well-tailored but lacking any additional refinements. It was clear that he had been well into middle age when Helios had granted his immortality. Hecate studied him, noting that he had opted to travel on foot instead of in the litter. She liked that about him.
