A God's Mercy (Apollo x OC)

Chapter 6

The women resumed a parade-like position as they left the temple. Outside, the custodians who were sweaty and bug-bitten, looked relieved as they saw the women coming towards them. It'd been a full hour and a half since the procession had started. Together, they all said a prayer for thanks and protection for the journey home. Melantriche looked around slowly, hoping to see her father somewhere, but in the darkness of the troupe, lit only by a few torches, she could not tell her which man was her father. In the dark, she felt lost. She'd heard of thieves who waited on the side of roads to catch their prey. Maybe she'd gotten lost so that the people walking around her weren't really her companions, but thieves in disguise. The thought was a little foolish, but it made her very nervous; the crowd was so large they probably wouldn't notice if someone were missing.

After a while, when Athens was an array of small lights plainly seen across the fields, the thick mass of clouds above parted slightly to let a bright pool of silver light slip through. The people around Melantriche looked up in awe. The moon was full tonight, and very beautiful. A hushed whisper went through the crowd, and Melantriche heard a familiar voice a few people away to her right,

"Artemis is pleased with us." Adrianis said, beaming through his auburn beard. "'Tis obviously a sign. Come, we must hurry home as she lights our way."
The people murmured in agreement, and as they resumed their march, the pace was relatively quicker than before. The people no longer walked in silence. An air of good cheer and merriment filled the atmosphere, and as others broke out in chipper conversation, Melantriche's former worries dwindled away.

The gatekeepers watched for the troupe continuously over the hours. When they saw them coming near, the gate was lifted almost immediately. Another hundred dozen of people were there to greet their daughters and wives as they returned. A loud echo of cheer went up as families were reunited. Then Melantriche felt her father's hand on her shoulder, and her mother stood in tow. The handsome blond man stood near them, as for a group of other men, some of them young and some old. Melantriche almost forgot that on the night of the ceremony, they planned to celebrate it by holding a feast in their home. Members of the council, their brothers and their sons were eligible to attend. She fidgeted with her bearskin as she felt the blond man's smoldering look. Her face growing hot, she turned the other way so as to pretend to watch the other people bustling around her in celebration.

Some people had begun dancing in the street. Some threw flowers and seeds everywhere in celebration. Loud singing erupted from random places in the masses. With wise Athena and brave Artemis watching of them, everyone would very festive tonight.

"Come, everyone, to my home." Adrianis called through the loud babble of the people, clapping his large hands. "We will celebrate this most auspicious occasion throughout the night to come!"
With goads of happy consensus, the men followed Adrianis and his guard to the direction of their home.
Reluctant as she walked, she spared a glance toward the gate. The festival was over. Another year till she would finally go outside again. The idea was almost too hard to bear. Her grip subconsciously tightening, she turned her gaze towards her front and walked as stiffly and proudly as she could, not allowing what she was feeling to show in any way.

It wouldn't do any good anyway.