Narcissus walked in after her and wrapped his arms around her waist. They took a moment to enjoy their quiet haven before he moved to wash away the evidence of their secret meeting.
She closed her eyes and enjoyed the way his large hands rubbed gently across her body. The way that something so masculine could move so delicately was wondrous.
“I used to come to this pool and lose myself within it. I imagine I lost hours, if not days, to the beauty I found reflected in it.”
Persephone looked up at the trees surrounding the haven. They were mature with stout trunks that grew to support a network of branches holding the most lusciously ripened red fruits. They looked even more beautiful reflected on the surface of the water.
“I can imagine it would be easy to lose oneself here. What are those?” She pointed to the lower hanging fruits.
“You’re telling me that your mother is the Goddess of Harvest and you’ve never seen a tree like this?”
“Never,” she said, in awe.
“I suppose that makes sense. This is the only place these trees grow in Olympia.” Narcissus waded toward the lowest hanging limb and plucked a plump fruit. He shifted to the left where a sharp, red stained rock protruded from the bank. The tip was saturated while the rest was dotted in drips andsplatters. Narcissus raised the fruit and beat it against the point, and when it cracked fully she understood the staining. Handfuls of ruby seeds were nestled in rows within the shell of the fruit. Juices ran down Narcissus’ wrist and Persephone’s mouth watered.
As he walked toward her, he spoke, “This is a pomegranate. All of these red sacks are filled with tiny seeds and juices. They’re truly delightful. Here.” He offered half of the fruit. “Give it a try.”
Persephone took what he offered with greedy hands and plucked a single seed from the top. Slowly, she placed it on her tongue. When she bit down, a beautiful blend of tart and sweet burst on her tongue in the most delightful explosion of flavor. Had she not been lost in the taste, she may have been embarrassed by the delighted moan that slipped from her lips. Persephone gathered more seeds from the shell and ate them by the handful as Narcissus watched.
“Did you know that Aphrodite used to frequent this hidden treasure grove?”
She looked at him but couldn’t stop shoveling the juicy buds into her mouth. Instead, she shook her head.
“She would come every day and look upon her reflection, and every day crystalline perfection of the water would transfer some of its beauty to her.”
Persephone recalled her lessons with Demeter when she was a child. Aphrodite was one of The Twelve gods of Mount Olympous. Her beauty was that of none other and was said to make men and women alike weep at her feet.
“As her beauty grew,” he continued, “so too did her power. Aphrodite radiated chaos and the effects of its potency were immediate. She spread love like a wildfire and it’s rumored that she is the cause of monogamy, the bonds her powers forged too strong to break. But love wasn’t the only thing she spread.”
“Can I have another?” Persephone interrupted and a flicker of agitation crossed his face. Narcissus plucked another fruit, opened it with the rock and placed both pieces in her waiting hands.
“Thank you,” she muttered, feeling a bit like a punished child.
“You’re most welcome, flower. May I continue?”
“Yes please,” she said around a mouthful of fruit.
He nodded and continued his story. “You see, Persephone. There are two sides to the pond. Come with a true heart and gaze upon your reflection, and you’ll be blessed. But if you stare upon the surface with any taint in your heart, you’ll be cursed.”
Unease crept in her gut, for only moments ago she’d looked at herself in its mirrored surface. “How do you know whether it’s cursed or blessed you?”
“You don’t. Not for a while at least. You see, by the time Aphrodite realized what was happening it was already too late. The pond had blessed her with unimaginable beauty, yes, but her curse was not worth the price.”
Fruit soured in her mouth.
“By day she spread love and beauty and held the most sinful orgies in rooms of luxury and grandeur. But at night? The pool cursed her into the most hideous being in Olympia. Boils and pustules riddle her skin as it sloughs from her bones. Tainted chaos spreads just as powerful as it does during the day, but it isn’t lust she radiates.”
“What is it?”
“Famine.” His eyes darkened and the smile that spread across his dimpled cheeks was eery.
“But my mother…” she trailed off. Demeter spent her days whispering to soil, urging it to fertilize and grow the crops the world so desperately needed to thrive. Was Aphrodite the reason for their famine? What her mother worked so hard to fight against?
He only nodded.
But then another thought occurred to her. “Narcissus, you said that you’ve looked within the depths of the water too.”
“Indeed I have, flower.”
