The walk home from Pistós Kyamelos's house felt different than the walk there. Lighter, somehow, filled with the lingering warmth of agreement and the quiet joy of shared purpose. My heart was still full of the astonishing emotions of the last hour – Theano Prasinos's tears of happiness, her bold request for our secret meeting, Father's rare laughter, Mother and Euboa's surprised joy. I walked beside Father Karteros, my mind replaying the moments, a constant, warm current of thought that overshadowed the usual hum of the voices. I thought of Theano Prasinos, of her shining eyes, the feel of her hug, the promise of our meeting later.
Father, too, seemed lighter. He walked with a quicker step, his expression proud. As we passed people on the road or in the edges of the village, he didn't just give the usual nod. He stopped, his voice clear and full of a pride I hadn't heard from him before, sharing the news. "Greetings! Good news! My son, Himerios here, he will be betrothed! To Theano Prasinos! A formal agreement has been reached with Pistós Kyamelos! They will be married in a year's time!"
People stopped, their faces turning from casual recognition to surprise, then to smiles and congratulations. Older men nodded approvingly. "Young Galázios is no longer young, eh?" one older man chuckled, slapping Father lightly on the shoulder. "Betrothal! Well done, Himerios! A fine match! Theano Prasinos is a good girl!" others commented. There were murmurs of approval, good wishes, questions about the timing, about the families coming together.
As we continued, we passed a group of boys around my age, lounging near the fountain, their talk and laughter loud. Father stopped them too, eager to share the news. "Boys! Listen to this! My Himerios is to be betrothed! To Theano Prasinos!"
Their casual expressions froze for a moment, replaced by outright surprise, then by questioning glances exchanged amongst themselves. They looked from Father to me, then back at each other, disbelief written on their faces.
"Really?" one of them blurted out, his voice loud, reflecting the shock. "The beauty Theano Prasinos? Getting married?"
"To Himerios?" another added, his tone holding a note of pure astonishment, perhaps even a hint of envy or derision buried beneath the surprise. "Young Himerios? The quiet one?"
A third boy squinted at me, as if seeing me for the first time, trying to reconcile the quiet, often-isolated boy they knew with the news. "Theano Prasinos? Getting married to… to him?"
Their words, their open surprise that I was the one betrothed to someone they clearly saw as remarkably beautiful, hit me with a strange mix of awkwardness and a quiet, internal sting. It was a sharp reminder of how others perceived me, of the gap between the visible, shy boy and the inner world I inhabited, a world that Theano Prasinos somehow saw beyond. Yet, hearing them call her "the beauty Theano" also filled me with a quiet pride, an affirmation of her radiance, of the preciousness of the woman who had chosen me.
God's voice, which had approved of Father's public announcement, now assessed these specific social interactions. "External perception metrics: inconsistent with internal state. Discrepancy noted between perceived social value (low) and actual social outcome (high: alliance with high-value individual). Data point: Beauty variable assigned high weighting in peer assessment. Efficiency implications unclear." Goddess, however, reacted to the underlying tone. "Judgment. Dismissal. They do not see the inner light. But they see her beauty! And she chose you! Focus on the bond, not their limited sight!" Her presence felt protective, validating.
I stood beside Father, feeling a blush rise on my cheeks, the focus of attention unusual and a little overwhelming after years of trying to be invisible. The external validation felt strange, separate from the internal reality of the voices, but not entirely unwelcome.
When we arrived back at our house, Mother Philia and Euboa were waiting. They didn't rush out in surprise this time; Father perhaps sent word ahead, or Mother, with her intuitive way, simply sensed the shift in the air, the lightness in Father's step, the good news he carried. They stood by the doorway, looking expectant, hopeful. Mother's hands were clasped, her expression one of hopeful anticipation. Euboa stood close beside her, her eyes wide, watching us approach.
"Karteros?" Mother said, her voice soft, filled with that anticipation. "And Himerios. Tell me, love. Was the news… was the news good?"
Father's smile broadened even further. He looked at me with pride, then back at Mother, his voice warm. "Yes, Philia. The news is good. Better than good. Our son here… he will be betrothed! Pistós Kyamelos agreed! To Theano Prasinos! They will be married in a year's time!"
Mother's eyes welled up immediately, tears of overwhelming relief and joy spilling onto her cheeks. Her smile was radiant. "Oh, Karteros!" she cried softly, coming forward to embrace Father. "I knew it! I knew it would be good! Our Himerios! Betrothed! It is truly happening!" She hugged him fiercely, then turned to me, her face wet with happy tears, pulling me into her warm embrace. "My boy! My dear boy! To Theano Prasinos! I am so, so happy!"
Euboa, who had been standing back, watching, came closer slowly. She looked at me, her quiet eyes searching my face, as if seeing a different person from the brother she knew, the one who played alone, who seemed lost in himself sometimes. "Himerios?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, filled with her usual shyness and the pure, reflected joy from Mother. "Is… is it really true? You and Theano?"
Her question, her gentle wonder, made me feel a familiar shyness surface, but it was mixed with tenderness for her, for her quiet watchfulness over the years. I smiled softly at her. "Yes, Euboa," I said, my voice gentle. "It's true. Theano Prasinos and I. We are to be betrothed."
She came closer, her small hands reaching out hesitantly. She patted my shoulder with her very small force, a feather-light touch that spoke volumes of her quiet pride and support. Her quiet eyes held a depth of emotion, a pure, simple happiness for me that bypassed the complexities of my internal life. "She sees the light in you," she whispered, her voice full of that quiet, earnest pride that reached something deep inside me, meaning more than any of the public congratulations or the boys' surprised comments. "The cheerful light found the hidden one." Goddess's presence around Euboa felt particularly strong, a pure, resonant harmony of sibling love and quiet affirmation. "Bond! Pure feeling! Acceptance! Value this connection! It is true! She sees the value!"
As the evening settled, the excitement calmed, replaced by a quiet happiness and the routine of home. The scent of Mother's cooking filled the air; Father sat reading by the lamp. But in my mind, anticipation for my meeting with Theano hummed like a taut string. The betrothal was agreed, the families were happy, but this meeting… this was for us. When the time came, I slipped out of the house, the night air cool on my skin, making my way to our usual place by the stream. The path felt familiar, comforting, a place that held shared memories away from the complexities of my life and the structure of family agreement. My steps were quick, my heart full of anticipation and a nervousness that felt different from the anxiety the voices sometimes caused – it was the sweet nervousness of expecting to see the one you love, the one who was now, officially, going to be your wife.
I saw her waiting by the stream bank, her shape clear in the fading twilight, a bright presence in the gathering dark. She turned as I approached, and in that moment, as soon as her eyes met mine, we moved towards each other. There were no hesitant words, no fumbling apologies or explanations needed now. We simply went into each other's arms. She pulled me into a hug, tight and real, and I held her just as tightly, burying my face in her hair, inhaling the clean, sweet scent of her. The physical contact, so simple, so warm and real, after the abstract internal world I lived in, was a powerful anchor, grounding me in the reality of our shared love, a reality that felt stronger, more solid than the unseen currents of the voices within me. It was a physical confirmation of the emotional truth we had shared, of the future now promised. Goddess resonated with overwhelming joy, a chorus of happy sounds. "Contact! Connection! Embrace the feeling! This is real! This is love in form!" God was silent, perhaps observing the physical data of the embrace.
After a long moment, we pulled back slightly, still holding each other close. Her eyes, shining in the twilight, searched mine, filled with wonder and happiness. "Himerios," she said softly, her voice filled with emotion. "How… how did you do it? With your father? Asking like that? You were so… so brave. I was so scared he would say no. Both fathers!"
I smiled, a genuine, easy smile, surprised myself by her question, by her perception of my courage. "I… I don't know, Theano," I admitted, my voice quiet, thinking back to the surge of conviction, the unexpected support from my family. "I just… knew I had to. I love you. And I wanted our future. Being with you feels… right." I paused, then confessed something that felt true in that moment. "It felt impossible at the time," I confessed, thinking of the internal battle just to walk towards my father. "But… you asking me to meet you here tonight? After… after the other night… that felt even scarier to even think about asking you." The memory of the broken promise, the fear of her disappointment, was a faint echo against the strength of our connection now.
Theano's smile softened, her eyes full of understanding. "That's why I had to ask you to meet me," she said, her voice a little shy, but determined. She met my gaze directly, her hand reaching up to gently touch my cheek. "You showed such courage, Himerios, asking your father, making it happen, taking that big step for us. After… after I didn't have the courage to tell my own father myself. I… I wanted to show you. To pay back the favor, in my own way. To show you I could be brave too. For you. For us." Her words filled me with warmth and admiration, with a sense of shared strength. She saw my courage, and she found her own, for me, for us. Goddess resonated deeply with her bravery, a wave of powerful affirmation. "Courage! Taking the step! Voice the desire! Reciprocity! Mutual courage! The bond strengthens! This is balance!"
We sat by the stream for a long time as darkness settled, talking about our future. The year of waiting felt both long and short, a time to prepare, to anticipate. We talked about our hopes, our dreams for our life together, the simple things – a small house, a garden – the grand things – a life built on our love. We talked about our families, how happy they seemed, how unexpected their joy had been. We talked about the betrothal process itself, the formal steps that would be taken, the traditions we would follow. It felt like a new chapter opening, one we were writing together, our voices quiet against the gentle murmur of the stream and the distant hum of the voices in my head, which, for now, seemed content to observe the unfolding happiness, their presence less intrusive, their arguments muted by the reality of Theano's presence beside me.
Time, however, did not stop for our happiness. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. The formal steps of the betrothal were taken, following the customs and traditions. Father Karteros and Pistós Kyamelos met again, terms were agreed upon, gifts exchanged, a formal announcement made to the community, marking us as officially betrothed. I was officially bound to Theano, the woman I loved, the woman who loved me in return, the woman who was my anchor. Our future felt solid, planned, a bright path stretching ahead, a year of waiting before our life together truly began.
And then, the day arrived for the religious ceremony of Apollo in the town square. It was a significant gathering, meant to honor the god, patron of music, poetry, healing, and prophecy, and to seek blessings for the city and its people. Attending such ceremonies was a matter of duty, of respecting tradition and the established order, a visible demonstration of piety. Father expected me to be there, a quiet, serious presence as befitted a young man of our household, now officially betrothed to Theano Prasinos, a future husband and likely soon a contributing member of the city in some form. I went, a sense of obligation guiding my steps, dressed in my finest tunic, the betrothal token feeling heavy and real against my skin. I tried to quiet the usual internal static of the voices and focus on the ritual, on my duty, on my place in the community, on the hope for blessings for my future with Theano. The square was full, a sea of faces, the air thick with the scent of incense and the murmur of prayers, the sounds of pipes and lyres, leading up to the beginning of the formal ritual, the point where my carefully constructed external life would collide, violently, with the chaos within.