He was genuine, and Hecate felt the blood drain from her face. He was looking at her like she was injured, like she was something to be pitied, and it infuriated her. What she couldn’t understand was that the pain in his eyes was duly out of respect, out of an admiration for her that he had betrayed, even innocently with his easygoing nature. After eons of dealing with men with malignant intentions, she didn’t know how to process the genuine apology written on his face.
“I, oh… I didn’t… I was just surprised.” She swallowed thickly, the kindness in his face making something entirely different well up in her. “That, it…it was fine. I have no problem with,” she waved her hand generally in his direction, “you know.”
The smile returned to Aeëtes’s face nearly immediately, his entire countenance brightening again. He raised a brow, and his grin turned nearly devilish.
“I thought that might be the case.” He hugged her a little bit tighter to him, and she let out a strangled shriek of frustration.
“You insufferable prince!” she seethed, but Aeëtes dropped his arm from her and burst out into laughter, a sound that was getting increasingly on Hecate’s nerves. He waved in the direction of the port, clearly looking at the sea with unbridled happiness.
“Shall we?” He stepped to the side and made a grand show of bowing towards her, his arm still extended in the direction they were headed. Hecate rolled her eyes as she sauntered past him, her head now held high, and an attempt at contempt flashed across her face. Aeëtes didn’t believe it for a second.
He couldn’t help himself as she walked down the sloping road, his eyes falling to the way her waist dipped and her ass moved as she walked. The drapery of the fabric clung to her in such a way that Aeëtes found himself jealous of a piece of cotton. He shook his head once to bring himself to reality and trailed after her, both of them falling into an easy silence as they neared the pier.
“Do you know anyone who might be able to take us to Colchis?” Hecate asked as they approached the first dock.
The docks at Heraklion were some of the busiest in all of Crete. It was the closest harbor to the palace and the seat of the royal family, as well as one of the biggest markets on the island. It was a popular spot for ships as they came from Greece and Anatolia, intersecting here before going on with their journeys. There were a few warships tied up, sleek and furious, painted with emblems and the symbols of Aries. It was the merchant ships that took up the majority of the docks, constantly loading and unloading with all sorts of goods. There were spices coming from Byzantium and even further East, fish from the Mediterranean, and bolts of cloth and gold coming from North Africa.
Hecate found herself slightly overwhelmed by the sights—everything here was a flood for the senses, vastly different from the calm of the Underworld. She found her steps faltering slightly, nearly slipping on the wet wood, until a large, warm set of hands went around her waist. It was just for a brief moment, but Aeëtes steadied her until she stood upright. He dropped away from her a moment later, a gentle smile on his face as if he didn’t want to intrude upon her pride, and motioned in the direction of the far end of the pier.
“Trust me, there’s always a ship ready to take me to Colchis, whether I like it or not.” Hecate thought that there was a note of sadness in his voice for one second, but it faltered, and he gave her a quick wink and lead her through the crowd. She trailed after him, walking in the natural space that his body cut through all the people, trying not to think about the warmth on her skin where he had touched her.
There was a magnificent merchant ship at the farthest end of the dock. It was three levels deep, Hecate could see from the depth of its hull, with two large sails. There was an extended gangplank going from the pier up to the deck of the ship, being loaded and unloaded by a crew of men. Aeëtes was peering through the merchants, seemingly looking for someone in particular. She was about to ask who he was looking for when he yelled out something reminiscent of a battle cry.
“Aeëtes!” she chided, her hand going up to cover her ear as she scoffed and shied away from him. He tossed her a quick, bashful shrug but looked towards the ship, where someone was now hanging over the side.
“Pelias! My dear friend.” Aeëtes smiled, running over towards the edge of the dock. “You wouldn’t happen to be heading east, would you?”
Hecate found herself holding her breath, waiting for the answer, always waiting to see if they would need a new plan. Pelias laughed and shook his head, looking at Aeëtes in confused surprise.
“I’ve been waiting ten years for you toaskme to take you to Colchis. You spend one night at my house, disappear before sunrise, and now…you want to go home. Should I be concerned?”
Aeëtes winked at his friend and turned around, taking in the chaos around the pier. “When are you set to depart?” Hecate noticed that he didn’t answer his friend’s questions, assuming Aeëtes had been with Pelias when Hera had cursed him.
“The sun is setting,” Pelias mused, looking out towards the horizon. “We’d like to clear the harbor by nightfall. We’re a little behind schedule. If you want to come, there’s always room.”
“That’s because it’s my parents’ ship, you fool,” Aeëtes laughed. Pelias was unaffected, and he waved them on.
“Are you going to introduce me to your lovely friend, Aeëtes?” Pelias peered behind Aeëtes and looked at Hecate, a warm expression crossing his face that Hecate noticed was kindly devoid of any lechery. “Better yet, she seems like she can introduce herself.”
I like you.Hecate decided as she evaluated the merchant, immediately approving of his countenance and how he had deferred to her. She opened her mouth to speak, but Aeëtes interrupted her quickly, taking a step in front of her.
“We’ll get on board, and once we’re out of the harbor, we’ll fill you in.”
Pelias looked slightly confused but nodded, moving away from the railing and disappearing out of sight on the ship. Hecate opened her mouth to chastise him, but Aeëtes turned to her, pressing a finger to his lips.
“I trust this crew, but I wouldn’t trust just anyone you meet on the docks. Once we’re aboard with Pelias, then we’ll be safer. I would rather this crowd not know you’re a goddess.” He gave her an appraising look, noting the glamour she wore to dampen her magic.
“Why is that?” Hecate scoffed. “Do you not think I could handle myself?”
“I know that you could.” Aeëtes’s eyebrows shot up. “But once you take out every man on this dock who has a grudge against you because their girlfriend left them, Hera will catch a whiff of that magic.”
Hecate opened her mouth to dispute him but shut it and nodded. “Fair enough.”
“Let’s go,” Aeëtes said gently, steering her towards the gangplank. Hecate took a careful step up on the sharp bridge, and Aeëtes’s hands went to her hips once more, steadying her.
“Watch your step there.” His voice was hardly a whisper in her ear, his body pressed up against hers as he waited for her to catch her footing.
Hecate felt a chill go down her spine as he righted her for the second time since they stepped onto the docks. She hoped that he didn’t hear the catch in her breath as she almost hoped he wouldn’t move away. Hecate fought a sudden urge to lean into his warmth, to drop her head on his shoulder. She had never felt such an overcharge of emotions from the smallest of embraces.
