74I don't know a damn thing about Ancient Greek dance and college is currently making me crazy so I'm sorry for the wait with this one. I needed time to do research and to decompress in between bouts of studying in order to get this done. As promised, something a little more romantic.
As always, PLEASE REVIEW!
Much love, Cat
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By the time they reached the middle of the room where the dancers had gathered the musicians were halfway through the song. To Hermes' surprise, Artemis easily caught the rhythm and lifted her arms in a winding motion above her head, flicking her wrists sharply and executing a graceful turn. He lifted his own arms and mimicked her movements without the more feminine embellishments, all the while marveling at how well, different, she seemed. Her green eyes sparkled as if they were capturing the light of the torches. She seemed natural and free, even more so than when he accompanied her as she tended to wounded animals in the extensive stables and paddocks that surrounded her home. There she was still serious, fulfilling a responsibility. He felt like he was finally really seeing her and that fact surprised him. He had known her his entire life. She was a friend, a confidante when society dictated that men and women couldn't possibly operate on an equal level. When had she become this lively, feminine creature? Or had she always been so? Had he just never noticed?
Cutting into his internal musings was the sharp, sprightly sound of a string being plucked as the music suddenly picked up in tempo and those not dancing began to clap. Laughing in delight, Artemis drew him by the hand into the circle of dancers. Her feet barely touched the floor as they lightly flitted through the series of quick steps and turns. While she had a natural grace about her, he couldn't remember ever seeing her dance like this. She seemed to spend most of her time hovering at the corners of these events, often with her brother or Athena. He was unnerved by his thoughts, yet he couldn't pull his gaze away from her.
Artemis felt like she was floating …and free. She separated from him and as she whirled around and around, kicking up her heels with the other women, all while feeling the weight of his gaze on her, she felt different. It was the oddest thing but for once her femininity was not a burden or a restraint but a source of strength. She could sense that he was attracted to her. She knew it as surely as she knew the low of a doe in distress and the right time to fire her arrow to hit a target. It was as if her womanhood was awakening and that sense of discovery alerted her to the fact that she had been suppressing it all this time.
She focused back in on her surroundings and smiled up at him. As though he had been waiting for her cue, he caught her by the waist and swept her up into the air, guiding her through a series of turns until they had exited the room and were standing breathlessly at the edge of the gardens. She tilted her head in inquiry but didn't pull away as he led her down the darkened path blanketed by a sky of shimmering stars.
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When they had reached the end of the path, she extracted her hand from his and urged him to stop. They were standing in the middle of the garden beside a fountain in the forest of dark trees and hedges. The water was illuminated by the torches held by the statues guarding the edges of the clearing. The sound of the shimmering water splashing on the marble base seemed a different sort of music for this new, enchanted setting. "Where are we going?" she asked.
"Why? Are you frightened?" he challenged.
"Not of you," she said laughing. "I've taken you on in almost every type of combat there is and I've yet to see you come out the victor."
"Minx."
"Truly, seriously, where are we going?" she asked again.
He gently drew her to him and covered her lips with his.
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I hope you liked it.
As always, PLEASE REVIEW!
Much love, Cat