𝐇𝐘𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐒

Chapter Seven

RANDOM FACT THAT YOU DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW

The number seven is Apollo and Artemis's sacred number. Something about being born on the seventh month on the seventh day.

Hyacinthus absent-mindedly stabbed a olive in his mouth, missing the original target completely and hitting his cheek again. His face was sticky with the sweet sauce the olive was coated in. He had been trying to eat one olive for about thirty minutes.

His mind drifted through the moments where Apollo asked for his  love. Of course, Hyacinthus said yes since he was confused and had the natural mortal instinct that one wrong move and he would be blow into a thousand mini Hyacinthus pieces. He brutally poked his face with the olive again, deciding to end its misery and threw it out the window. 

He had thought of the god when he was sparring with Iasonas. His wispy blond hair, fanned out against the sand. Talius had promptly swiped at his feet, turning his sword to the fuller side instead of the point mid strike. Hyacinthus didn't think to jump to avoid the attack, so he just keeled over sideways. 

"Ow." Hyacinthus groaned from the ground, rolling to face the sun. Ugh, why was this so frustrating? He couldn't get the stupid sun shiny god out of his head! And he was driving the sun chariot, thus he had seen his failure!

"Prince, you're not as focused today." Talius bent over to stare at Hyacinthus's forehead, a frown on his face. The man was prisoner of war from Gaul, captured in the fight six years prior when his father had last invaded the barbaric land. He had a sturdy build, a jawline you could grind aging cheese on, and straw-like blond hair. Hyacinthus had never hated gold related items so much.

"Talius, my friend," Hyacinthus said, giving a small sigh as he accepted Talius's hand and pulled himself up. "what would you do if a man you've known for about a week suddenly asked to be your lover?"

"Hyacinthus, my friend," Tailus said in a mock imitation of his master. "what would you do if you didn't even bother to include the six forms of love?"

"Argh, I know the six forms of love!" Hyacinthus said, pulling at his hair. "It's Eros and, um, Agapi?" 

"Agape."

"Same difference."

Tailus stared critically. "You missed five other forms."

"Back to my problem." Hyacinthus said, smartly avoiding the topic. He had never been one to study the Greek's forms of love, he thought it was just confusing. Some old man decided to think, "hey, I should make six forms of love to confuse this spartan prince!"

Curses. 

"Well, what do you want?" Tailus said.

"I don't know what I want," Hyacinthus snapped. "I already said yes, but now I'm actually getting my olive sized brain to think about rejecting him!"

Tailus was especially bold for a slave. This was also Hyacinthus's fault since he was so lenient with the Gaul. "Okay, so you accepted a confession without thinking through it as usual, and now you're thinking of backing down?"

"Aren't you supposed to advise me?"

"Prince, you understand that I'm trying to say it's your life? You can say no? Do what you want? Ever thought of that?"

Hyacinthus had not thought of that. "Of course," he lied. "but what if the man is some extremely powerful person who has the ability to send you to Hades?"

"You're the son of Amyclas, the king of Sparta! Whom would have the power to kill you?"

This was going nowhere. Unless he told Tailus about him meeting Apollo, which Hyacinthus for some reason wanted to keep secret, he would have to keep lying and frankly he didn't have enough imagination for that. 

"I'm going to the baths," Hyacinthus said. "enjoy your break." He heard the distant sigh of his mentor, slave, friend, as he walked away. 

He did not go to the baths.

Once out of sight, he had raced to the garden, subtly picking roses in bloom, then scurried off to the temple of Aphrodite. The temple was gigantic. With white marble and golden walls, decorated with the beautiful goddess's rise into creation, her long flowing hair following the wind. He had took the stairs two at a time, discovering a plate of lettuce at the statue of the goddess. Someone must've been here. 

Hyacinthus knelt at the feet of statue Aphrodite, arranging the flowers to look prettier. He clasped his hands together. Why didn't he think of this sooner? If he was having love troubles, then ask the goddess of love for a sign.