Then abruptly, I stopped.
“What is it?” Penelope asked, hands still warm in mine.
I stared at her for a silent moment as the realization crept in, stealing the laughter from my lungs.
This was a goodbye gift.
I looked to the balcony, to the bright brush of summer sky beyond. I imagined I could see it: the threat of autumn lingering on the horizon like a dark, ugly stain, marking the end of Penelope’s stay here. The end of our time together.
“I…I don’t have anything for you,” I murmured.
Penelope shook her head. “That doesn’t matter.”
But itdid. In that moment, it mattered more than anything, and I felt a desperate, clawing panic at the thought of Penelope having nothing of me to take with her. Nothing to remember me by.
An idea struck, brilliant and sudden. “What’s something you’ve never done? Here in Sparta.”
Penelope raised an amused brow. “Why?”
“Just tell me.”
“Well…” She thought for a moment. “I’ve never swum in the Eurotas river before.”
I squeezed her hands tighter. “That’s what we’ll do.That’smy giftto you.”
Penelope’s smile shrank. “Melantho…I am not permitted to leave the palace grounds. You know this.”
“But Clytemnestra can.”
“Sheis not my father’s daughter.”
“Then we’ll sneak away. Nobody will know.”
I sensed her hesitation, but now that this idea had seized me, I refused to let it go. I wanted to give this gift to Penelope,neededit. For if we did something Penelope had never done before, then it would burn me into her memory forever.
“I’ll keep you safe,” I insisted. “Promise. It’ll be fun.”
“I think this is a bad idea.”
“You think too much.”
She laughed at that. “Have you ever swum in the river before?”
“We go sometimes to wash. I know a spot. It’s real nice and not far, I swear.”
I watched her turn the plan over in her mind. “I’m not sure…”
“Would Precious Penelope go swimming?” I challenged, folding my arms. “Or would she spend her whole summer hiding inside?”
That convinced her.
It was surprisingly easy to slip away from the palace, the heat making the guards sluggish and oblivious. Once we were beyond the palace grounds, we skipped through the fields, past the slaves forced to work beneath the punishing sun, their skin blistering, minds melting. As we passed them, I thought of our masters shut inside, being bathed and fanned and watered. For the first time in my life, I found myself questioning the fairness of it all, a single word planted in my mind like a seed, one that would take root deep in my core—Why?
When we reached the Eurotas, we were both panting, and I felt guilty that I had already stained my beautiful gown with sweat and dust. Carefully, I peeled it off and hung it in a nearby tree. When I turned around, Penelope was frozen, staring at the river. The currents were gentle, rambling through the thick greenery crowding atthe water’s edge.
“Race you!” I cried, rushing ahead.
It took me a moment to realize Penelope was not following. When I turned back, I saw she had not even moved.
