The archive of the forgotten

Stars in the eyes

Iason

I lean into the water, the cold water tingles my hand as the boat makes a bit of a curve. "Quit it Iason or we will capsize." "Oh come on Xanthos, I am certain it will not be that bad." I say with a bright laugh. Xanthos grabs me, the prince has been named after a god, another name for apollo. I have been named after a heroe and I want to live up to that expectation. I want to be fearless, my best friend is the prince of Mycenea. We've been friends since we were kids, we live in Skyros for half the year. The summer to be exact. It is beautiful here.

I look at Xanthos as we secure the boat to the dock. He jumps out of it and runs away into the fields of Skyros. I shake my head, as mature as he pretends to be he is still is a child at heart. I put my black hair in a bun and start chasing him, "Hold up Xanthos" "If I would that would defeat the whole purpose of it!" I laugh as I chase the beautiful prince. The beautiful flowers are trampled by the unforgiving footsteps of us two, the dearest of friends.

We sit down in the shade of a fig tree. I climb onto his back so I can reach the fig. I tear it apart, revealing it's beautiful coloured flesh, I give him his half and bite into mine. I see his blue eyes focusing on my lips. I look at him and he blushing, as if have seen something that I shouldn't have.  I look at his beautiful golden hair, reflecting the joyous sun. I smile, "You look beautiful today Xanthos." "As do you Iason."

I remember when I first met Xanthos, he was living in the palace from my parents. Because although I am a prince, I am not the same rank as Xanthos as he has a far larger kingdom. He was lying on the edge of the pond and queitly singing a song. I remember the first thing he said to me. "Hey you!" I looked at him, a bit confused. "Yeah you!" I walked up to him. "What is the most fun thing you could do on this island?" "I suppose hunting would be the most fun." I responded. He smirked. "Shall we?" he said as he stood up.

And that was the start of our friendship, we are always together. We do everything together, we will never leave the other. We promised that. I can't deny that we have been foolish, Xanthos is rather mischevious. But he is worth the trouble we get into. I would give the world for him, I would steal the moon and the stars, I would rob hermes, insult aphrodite, lie to athena and curse Zeus. But still, I do not feel the need to kiss him. I have no romantic feeling towards him.

Xanthos

"You know Xanthos, as much as I love you. I don't.....love you you know?" I smile as my heart aches. "It's so strange when I see you and your beauty everybody. Including myself would assume I would fall for you. But I do not think I have. I think I have fallen in love Xanthos." He says with a smile as wide as the aegean sea. "Tell me about it" I say with a smile. "He has beautiful brown hair and his eyes are sage green, I could count the stars in them." "That is great Iason. It is good to have somebody to love." I say with pain in my heart. I look at his beautifully pale skin and black hair. I couldn't stop loving him, my loves defeats and purpose and reason. I love that about this poetical love, this hopeless love.

There is something wrong with me, I only see the stars in his eyes, the moon doesn't shine without him but the problem is  I wish him to love somebody else. I don't want him to say that he loves me. I need to know I won't be the one breaking his heart. I know that there is no way I can hurt him. I keep telling myself it'll pass. But I wish it won't, I hope it won't.

I look at the orange skies of the sunset and take another bite of the fig. I look at him. It hurts, loving somebody who will never love you back, but if I must believe the poet in my heart there is also this twisted sollemn beauty in it. How tragic, but what an indulgence. I look at him while he frolicks through the flowers. My love, whether he knows it or not, my love. I remember the time I realised I loved him.

We were being taught how to play the lyre and although I love music I have never been skilled with the lyre, the plucking of the strings only produces this faint melancholic song I hate but I heard a symphony next to me, an epic peom of melody, the story of lover and enemies, the tones of creation. He queitly hummed the song that I sung at our first meeting and I joined in with the text. His face lit up and I saw his eyes, filled with wonder and I could no longer see the beauty surrounding him. All the beauty I saw was because of him. It still is, even if he cannot see the one inside my heart. I smile and look at the stars.

"Look how beautiful" I say while I point at the stars. I roll unto my side, he follows suit so we look eachother in the eyes. I put my hand on his cheek, he smiles. "How beautiful" I repeat while a tear escaped my eye as I softly pet his hair.

Iason

"Must you go?" I ask as we stand on the dock. "It is my duty Iason. I cannot outrun it, no one can." I look at his bright bronze armour speckled with bright stars and silver reinforced ankle protection. It is beautiful and it feels as if I have seen it before. I take a deep breath and embrace him. "Please, be safe and be careful" "I always am" He says while he puts his forehead against mine.

I look at the ship as it slowly disappears into the sunset and than I remember the strange feeling I had in my stomach yesterday evening. The further the boat sails away it becomes clear that I do love him. I close my eyes, come back safely. What if he doesn't return?