ATN: THE ELEMENTS OF BEAUTY

THE ONCE AND FOREVER QUEEN

Three women, three almost very different looking persons. "Who are you?" Riya asked.

The women looked at her. They were probably confused that a girl comes to their own garden, and asks them who they are. I knew very well who they were. But I figured that being maidens, these girls won't appreciate a guy talking. 

The young girl came forward and said, "I am Aigle. I symbolize immortality." Aigle looked about thirteen. Despite being about four thousand years old, she looked like thirteen. Perhaps, that's why, she symbolized immortality. She had auburn hair, black eyes, and olive skin. She wore a white Greek dress. The other two women looked to be in their early twenties. One of them came forward, and said, "I am Erytheis. And I don't appreciate your presence. You filthy humans have just brought filth to the garden I decorated." Erytheis also had the same olive skin tone as Aigle. She had long brown eyes, and shoulder length black hair. She, too, wore a white Greek dress. "You were not the only one who decorated this garden, you proud idiot." the third girl said, "I am Hespera. Together, we are called the Hesperides." Hespera here, was nothing like her sisters. She was knockout gorgeous. However, I still felt that she was not the most beautiful woman I had seen. She had fair skin, caramel hair, shiny black eyes, and a very distracting feature on her face. It was something, that can't be described with words, but I constantly felt distracted during the conversation.

It hit me. The golden apples were mentioned in three events. Hippomenes used these apples to distract the love of his life, Atalanta, to win a race that allowed him to save his life, and win her love. Later, he got distracted in love and forgot to pay Aphrodite a sacrifice, who had given him the apples in the first place. The apples, here, symbolized distraction. Hespera was that symbol.

Heracles came to take the golden apples from this garden, as his eleventh labor. It was a pointless quest given by the Mycenaean king (I forgot his name), who was attracted by their powers of immortality. The apples symbolized that never-ending life. Aigle was that symbol.

Finally, a golden apple, also known as the apple of discord, dropped by Eris, goddess of strife, caused an argument between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, which, in turn, caused the Trojan War. Vanity caused that war. The apples symbolized pride and vanity, and Erytheis was the symbol. Finally, I understood the concept of the nymph of the evening, the daughters of the West.

"Okay!" Aigle said, "How did you guys enter the garden? And how did you get past our father?"

"You mean the idiot who stood outside? Oh, he just heard us wrong, and let us pass." Tina replied.

"Idiot!" Hespera cackled, "That's right."

"We are here to take an apple from the tree. We need that to save our home." Riya said, "We need Aphrodite to do that, and she has asked for one golden apple."

"Gods?" Erytheis screamed, "How dare you lowlife ugly people enter the garden to do the bidding of the gods?"

"What's wrong with them?" Tina asked.

"Nothing." Aigle said, "She hates the gods ever since they imprisoned our half-sister Calypso in an island. But we answer to Hera about the apples, for this is her tree."

"Yes, Hera." Erytheis said, "She thinks she's so important and pretty. Let me tell you, vermin, she is not as pretty as this garden. We made it this beautiful. I watered the plants every day. Hera did nothing."

I finally lost it. "Watch your words, woman." I said, "You are talking about the Queen of Olympus. And before calling us vermin, filth, or something like that, know that we are demigods. Half gods. We just kicked your dragon's butt."

The three turned and found Ladon still out cold. Erytheis, however, didn't care. She went on, "The Queen, the Queen. As if everything is hers because of that. She is not import..."

"You better watch your words, Erytheis." A woman's voice could be heard from somewhere behind. The Hesperides turned, and bowed their heads. The woman walked past them and stood, facing us. 

She looked in her late thirties. She had a motherly face with a tint of jealousy. She had pale skin, dark blue eyes, auburn hair tied in a ponytail. She wore a long rose pink coloured Greek dress,  and a golden crown on her head. That crown gave away her identity. We instantly kneeled in front of her. "Lady Hera!" Tina said.

"I hate these moments. I meet children, but I can't meet their demands." Hera said.

"My Lady, why can't you?" I asked.

"Because, my little sorcerer, I can't give away precious stuff for someone's beauty cream. I won't."

"But we need to save our home." I said.

"Home?" Hera asked, "I am pretty sure your homes are in India. You were just kept in Atlantis to be safe."

"I've lived there for six years." Tina said with defiant tone, "That has become my home."

"You, warrior girl, I don't appreciate your tone." Hera said, "Just because you were defending my honor a minute ago, you three are not dead yet. Remember that." I saw how Hera's face had changed in a moment. Just a minute ago, she had a motherly face with caring eyes, but now that her prestige had been hurt, her face was full of hate for us. "I, too, have a home. But I don't give away my precious little things. To no one. That's idiocy." The gods and their selfish stuff. At that moment, had she not been a goddess and a woman, I would have hit the person in front of me.

"Well," Tina said, "We can't go back without one, my Lady."

"So what?" Hera asked, "You wanna fight me, mortals?"

"Oh come on, Mom! That's your granddaughter." Another voice was heard. This time, it was a male, rough, voice.