Twisted Mythology: Ariadne by Ashleigh Matthews Page A

her wine and retreated to her
loom.  Her mind stayed so focused on the task in front of her that she did not
realize the messenger had arrived until he let out a polite cough.  The sound
startled her that she nearly dropped the shuttle in her hands.  Ariadne turned
to face her guest, a small grin on her face.  So rarely did she get to be in
the presence of a young man near her age, she took a moment to enjoy the view. 
He barely stood a head taller than her, his shoulders had yet to fill out and
he was only beginning to show the signs of a beard on his chin.  He carried no
weapons.  Her father would not allow him so close to her if he had a sword on
his hip.  This young man probably had been warned that King Minos had employed
an Amazon to tutor Ariadne in weapons.
    He returned her smile and gave her a stiff bow.  “Your
Highness, the King wishes a private word with you.  I am to escort your person
to the great hall.”
    The princess set down her shuttle and muttered, “Thank
you.”  She slowly came to her feet, willing herself to not take a moment to
stretch.  Somehow her mother would hear about it, and Ariadne had little doubt
that her father’s entire court would hear the scolding her mother would give
her for showing too much skin.  It was bad enough that a male not related to
her was being allowed to set eyes on her at all.  Her father, when he heard
about the incident, would assign the messenger elsewhere, or worse.  Every
person in her father’s employ had been threatened at least once with being sent
into the Labyrinth as a tribute for the Minotaur.  Ariadne remembered only one
unfortunate soul being punished in this manner.  Her father had encouraged her
to use the threat of the Labyrinth when encouraging her servants to perform
their tasks.  She found it did nothing to speed their work.  Giving them more
time for their meals, however, led to these two servants being more productive.
    Ariadne straightened her skirts and pivoted towards the
messenger.  He stayed a respectful distance behind her as they headed out of
the shrine and into Knossos, her father’s capital on Crete.  They did not have
to walk through the city very far for Minos’ palace stood the next street
over.  Few people were on the streets at this hour and those who were ignored
her as they debated with their companions.  She should consider herself lucky
that she had seen this much of the city.  Her sisters had never left the palace
grounds and wouldn’t until they wed.  Even her mother rarely left the confines
of the palace; her place was tending to her husband and his household. 
Pasiphaë received high praise for being a good wife.  Anyone who said otherwise
was severely punished.  No one wanted to be reminded who had given birth to the
monster in the Labyrinth.  The princess scolded herself for even thinking it. 
The quicker she arrived at her father’s side, the quicker she could get the
memory off her mind.
    On the palace grounds, members of her father’s court stopped
her long enough to praise her work tending the shrine.  Ariadne smiled and
whispered her thanks.  A few tried to distract her with more pleasantries which
she put to a quick end with the words, “My apologies, my lord, the King has
summoned me to his side.”  Her mother would certainly compliment her on her
behavior, or at least find very little wrong with how she conducted herself in
front of her father’s court.
    The guards outside the great hall gave her short bows before
pulling the large doors open for her to enter.  A herald announced her arrival
but her father and the three men speaking with him paid her no attention.  They
were deep in a conversation of which she would get only a short part.  Could
she hope that they were bringing word of the new god making his way through
Hellas?  Her lips wanted to curl up in a smile, but she forced her mouth to
stay put.  It was unladylike for a future wife to take interest in