Calliope - In The Arms Of Morpheus

Epilogue Pt 1

For the belated wedding feast with Calliope's family and the traditional wedding gift giving, they had set up a long table at the banks of the Hippocrene. This way, they could celebrate in a more private environment and enjoy the salty and refreshing sea-breeze. Twelve chairs, five on each side of the table, plus two side by side. The table was decorated with flowers, held water, wine, and all of Calliope's favorite foods: fresh fish and seafood, glazed carrots, olives, honey glazed dates, puffy bread, an arugula and cucumber salad, asparagus, figues, grilled chicken and apples, dates and oranges.
With exception of her far too busy father, Calliope's entire family waited for the couple, clapping, as they stepped through the last trees.
Mnemosyne rushed to Calliope, dark violet dress flowing, and kissed her cheeks. "Calliope! You look ravishing in your wedding dress!"
She beamed at her mother. "Thank you, mother."
Mnemosyne held Calliope by the shoulders, but pushed her away a little, looking her over from head to toe, as if she could see under her daughter's skin. Calliope knew that look too well.
"Aww, already? Congratulations! Would you like me to confirm that it's, indeed, going to be a boy? - Oh..." Mnemosyne clasped a hand at her mouth. "Sorry. I should not have spoken so freely about my visions."
"Really!?" Thalia jumped behind her, until her wreath slid down her head and hung around her neck. "You're with child? Aw, I promise to be the best aunt in the world! You know, I could babysit, and sing and-"
"You know that it's bad luck to announce it too early. It can only be a few days!" Melepomene cut her twin off.
Calliope's face must have shown her sinking heart, since Mele touched her arm and looked into her eyes. "Sorry. I promise to guard him against evil. I'll make him the most powerful talisman, so nothing bad could ever happen to him."
"Thank you." She croaked, trying to ignore the lump forming in her throat.
A cold hand crept into Calliope's and pressed it gently. That was all she needed to be able to smile again.
Euterpe just beamed. "I will write him the most soothing lullaby." Calliope nodded to her. They had never been the closest, but this was a very kind offer.
"Congratulations to the father, too." Acheloos shook Oneiros' other hand while Terpsichore kissed Calliope. "I'll teach him the fine art of playing a lyre. The ladies will love him."
"Thank you, sister." Terpsichore beamed. "He does make you happy?" Calliope nodded towards Terpsichore's date.
Terpsichore nodded. "He is divine!" She looked the happiest, Calliope had seen her in years.
Then Clio and Urania approached. "You know that we will take care of your son's proper education, especially with the new-" Urania stepped on Clio's foot, making her wince. "Uh... education, for the new baby."
"Oh, I would love that, thank you, my sisters." Calliope had such wonderful memories of Urania showing her the stars, and Clio teaching her to read.
"I will teach him how to use his voice!" Polihymnia glided to Calliope and embraced her. "He will enchant everybody when he plays his lyre and sings."
"Thank you Poli. Thank you for being there for me, when nobody was." Calliope whispered. Thank you for being more of a mother than anyone else.
Polihymnia nodded.
"Sister." Erato stepped to Calliope. "You know that I have never been the maudlin kind. I have a wedding and inauguration gift, which I will show you later on. For now, accept my sincere apologies and congratulations to your marriage and motherhood."
That was unusually humble for her now as-perfect-as-usual looking sister.
"I am looking forward to it."
"Daughter?" Mnemosyne stepped to Calliope. "A word?"
They walked a few steps away from the chatting and congratulating crowd, Calliope's hand feeling empty from having to let go of her husband's.
"I must apologize to you, my child." Mnemosyne sighed.
"It's okay, Mom, I have forgiven you for the confusion with the marrige."
She nodded and slowly walked on. "I do not speak of that. I want to apologize for not being there for you, when you needed me."
Calliope stopped, and looked into Menemosyne's large brown eyes with the friendly crow's feet. This was so not her usual ask-your-sister and aach-you'll-mamage kinda mom.
"I was so busy with godly things, I told myself, that your older sisters were perfectly capable of raising you on their own." Mnemosyne sighed. "There are things a woman needs her mother for."
Calliope stood frozen, and surprised. She had needed her mom a long time ago. When she had questions about the life of a muse and had to find out on her own, by spying on Erato.
"I know that our sisters tried their best, but there are things.... There are truths and stories, teachings that need to be handed down from mother to daughter. Your sisters simply did not teach you. This was my job, and I failed you."
Calliope swallowed down the sour taste in her mouth, mingling with the fresh salty air. "What kind of truths?"
"It does not matter if a muse is a versed lover. It does not matter, if a muse had even had a lover at all. It does matter, that a muse knows love, in order to inspire from a place of goodness."
"So I could have been a virgin muse?"
Mnemosyne nodded. "Yes, there can be virgin muses. But you... the fates have foretold it. The thread of any being's life is spun by Clotho, measured by Lachesis and cut by Atropos. You are destined to be the Dreamlord's companion. You are destined to be Orpheus' mother."
Calliope swallowed again, but her throat was dry.
"I promise, from this day on, I will be there for you, my child. I'll move to the temple and guide you though the curses and blessings of motherhood. I promise, you will not be alone, my child."
A tear slipped down Calliope's cheek. Time with her mother! What an extraordinary gift!

****

Morpheus sat at his end of the long table and indulged into observing his wife's family. The muses' chatter was loud and wild. Thalia and her twin sister were slightly drunk, and making up a hymn for this special day, taking turns in proclaiming it. Every time Melepomene added text, the lines took a bad turn, and every time it was Thalia's turn, everybody had to laugh, since she added something funny to turn the sadness for the good.
His wife was busy explaining her sister Urania how much she loved star gazing in his throne room, when Morpheus manifested them a large bench to lie on and spend a precious half hour in between his work, finding new stars and galaxies to name.
From touching his wife the entire day, Morpheus' limbs had become far too real and stiff. He rose from his chair and excused himself, wanting to try the human custom of taking a walk after dinner.
The perk of his corporeality was, that he got to enjoy food in the waking world, but the downside was, that it came with a strange fullness and knotting stomach, he was not accustomed to.
The sand scratchy under his bare feet, Morpheus inhaled the salty breeze and walked the shoreline.
"Greetings, Dream of the Endless. We have come for the traditional gift-giving."
Morpheus stopped and looked up. The Hecate, the Greeks called the Fates, hovered on the beach, hairs flowing in the breeze, all three smiling brightly.
"Greetings, honored Oracle."
"You look worried, Dreamlord." Lachesis stated.
"And pensive." Clotho added.
"We came to think, that our prophecies might be the cause." Atropos said.
"True." This knot in his stomach, maybe it had not just been the food. "Becoming a father is a huge responsibility. And I have other responsibilities too. How can I keep him safe, with what you foretold?"
"Ah yes." Atropos cocked her head, her gray strands of hair hiding her eyes.
"We truly did." Lachesis sighed, a small smile showing off the wrinkles around her loving eyes.
"Should we gift him with more truths then?" Clotho suggested, beaming with eagerness.
All three nodded.
"Here comes our wedding gift, then." Clotho announced.
"All truths." Lachesis added.
"Answers to three questions never asked." Atropos rasped.
Morpheus lowered his chin in respect. This was an offer, unheard of.
Young Clotho looked into his eyes. "Your son Orpheus will have an enchanting voice, which will save his life many times." She lowered her gaze.
"Your son Orpheus's dark fate will only begin, when he is already an adult." Mother Lachesis foretold.
Morpheus swallowed.
Old Atropos looked up, her eyes comforting him. "Even though, your son is immortal, there will be an end to his suffering." A tear slipped down her wrinkled cheek.
"How?"
The Hecate lowered their heads, and kept silent. This was it, three answers and no more.
"Thank you, great Oracle, for the prophecies so freely given." Morpheus said, with a heavy heart.
"Fare ye well, Dreamlord. May you make happy memories with your newly founded family." The Fates answered with one voice, then they were gone.

(Almost over. Are you ready to see Erato atone for her sins? then vote for this chapter, and read on tomorrow, for the rest of the finale.)