Cry of Cassandra

7 | Cassandra

EDITED

Going down to the kitchens had certainly been an enlightening experience, I thought to myself.  I should talk to people other than my family more often.

With the kitchen boy's help, I had decided that I should look for my friend.  Unfortunately, I had yet to find her.  I had begged my new friend to let me know if he saw her, and he readily agreed, as long as we both visited more often.

I then searched for my brother Hector, my only reliable brother, begging his help.  He seemed almost too eager to help, though I couldn't remember if he said if he would tell me when he found her.

Eventually we had found her - wrapped in Hector's arms, blushing a deep, pomegranate red.

___________________________________

That was years ago though now. 

I still wasn't any closer to figuring out what was going on between Andromache and Hector, and I often wondered if they even knew, particularly my sweet friend Andromache.

My twin brother had been a priest for the god Apollo  years now, and I was finally allowed to visit him.  I wasn't completely sure why I hadn't been able to before, but I had been content enough to leave it alone at the time. 

I happily made my way out of the castle, taking in everything around me.  Spring had just ended and the air was heavy with the scent of Fall's promise.

As I dreamily walked towards the distant marble temple of Apollo perched on the distant rich green hills, I relished the feel of the cool, slick grass between my toes.  I had started walking around sunrise, when the dew prettily swayed along blades of grass and silky cobwebs alike, glittering in the fresh morning light.

It felt as if Gaia was gently washing my feet clean with the cool morning dew.  Humming a random temple hymn to myself.  I didn't notice that someone was following me until a large shadow fell over me.

I instinctively drew my leg back for the man's dangly bits and connected - hard.  I heard a high pitched whimpering, even as I broke into a frantic run, never stopping to look.

By the time I reached the temple, I was breathing hard, out of breath.  I paused for breath, stopping to admire the grand temple.  The temple's outer facade was made of a rare rose-gold marble, randomly laced with black and white. 

I had heard the marble had had to be imported from the distant Italian mountains, at great expense to my father.  The red quartz columns supporting the temple were all made in the likeness of the god Apollo himself.

I momentarily forgot my fatigue upon seeing the awe-inspiring temple, as I stepped through the golden marble arches into the shadowy mystery that awaited me inside the temple. 

I was embraced by cool shadows for a minute.  They seemed to beckon to me, call out to me.  Pausing, I could have sworn that I even felt a presence behind me.

Shaking my head at my foolish thoughts, I picked up the hem of my skirts, to aid my quickening pace.  I nearly fell to the ground, having scared myself in the darkness of the corridor.

Happy that I was once more surrounded by light, I took a fortifying before I gazed at my surroundings in open admiration.

The entire inside was carpeted with thick, colorful brocades imported from the near east, embroidered with pythons and suns.  I paused briefly at the walls to see they were covered in the finest, sheerest crimson silks, varying from pale, watery pinks, to deep, rust-red...almost blood-red.

There were doors along the other three sides of the temple that were forbidden to all but those who were initiated in Apollo's priesthood.  On either side of the doors stood priests with gold-plated spears and shields, one of which was my brother.  Upon seeing my brother I gave an excited shriek and ran towards him, happily flinging myself into his arms, causing him to chuckle at my childishness.

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