"Love..." Xanthia said under her breath, her hands getting caught in her lover's hair.
Cyanea is moving down, her lips tracing the skin on Xanthia's neck, down to the base of her stomach, "Yes, love?"
Xanthia tried to catch her breath, "We cannot..." she barely whispered, pushing her lover away and covering herself up with the sheets.
Cyanea sighs heavily, as she sits up, pulling her robes up, "We cannot what, my love?"
"Do... this. Not yet." Xanthia said, wrapping the sheets tighter around her bare body.
"We are married, love. We have been wed by the gods themselves." Cyanea said, desperate to hide the frustration she felt.
Xanthia moved to stand up, finding her robes on the floor, "Yes, we are. I...I am not... I am not ready."
Suddenly, Cyanea's heart softened. She takes in a breath and goes to her lover – her wife – and encloses her in a warm embrace, "I see. I understand. I can wait. There is no rush."
Xanthia turned in Cyanea's arms, facing her, "I... There is something I want to do. On the day after tomorrow, meet me at the meadow where we first met." She said softly before planting a kiss on her wife's forehead.
Cyanea sighed at the tender gesture, "I will. I love you."
Xanthia smiled, leaning closer for a proper kiss. It was soft and slow and very gentle – it was their favorite kind of kiss, "I love you. For all eternity, I am yours."
- - -
Cyanea woke up to find herself alone, no sign of her wife in sight. She sat up, and realized it was barely morning, the stars haven't left the sky. But she can feel that it was almost morning, the sun was soon to rise.
Before she could stand up, she found a note by her side. She lights up the candle nearest her so she can read the note.
"Love,
Wait until the sun is at its highest in the sky.
Wear the white dress I brought for you on the eve of the day we revealed our love for each other.
Do you remember how you wore your hair on the day I found you waiting for me outside the temple of Aphrodite?
I will be waiting at the meadow where we first met.
Yours for all eternity, Xanthia"
Cyanea smiled, thinking about all the details Xanthia had asked for in the note.
When the sun is highest in the sky, noon. They often met in secret at noon. Cyanea claimed it was because the sun illuminated Xanthia's golden hair. Xanthia loved to say that it was at noon when the sky was the blue of Cyanea's name.
The dress was the most beautiful dress Cyanea had ever owned. "My mother made this, for you. I asked her to, and she did." Xanthia had said as she delicately handed the carefully folded dress. She had only worn it once, on the night they dared to face the gods. She had no other reason to wear it again, except today.
The hair she wore the day Xanthia found her waiting outside the temple of Aphrodite – that would take time, but she was more than willing to do it for her love. Back then, she wore her hair that way to tease Xanthia with the sight of her neck. That was the first time Xanthia ever kissed her neck.
Cyanea blows out the candle and waits for the sun to peek through the mountains before she got out of bed.
She decides to go to the river to bathe. She wanted to be properly prepared for whatever it is her beloved wife had waiting for her. She would only clean her body, she could not wash her hair for it would take long to dry, and she needed to fix it the way Xanthia asked for.
She finds her robe and walks to the river, not taking the dress because she did not want to ruin it.
As she bathed in the river, her thoughts drifted to Xanthia.
It was almost impossible to think that they had known each other for five years, and have been secret lovers for three. It was so... easy?
The way they met, the way they fell in love, the way they stayed in love – it all seemed to happen so easily. And yet they both know it was not so easy at all.
When she could smell the sweetness of the river on her skin, she stepped out of the river. She wraps herself in her robe and she walks back home slowly, allowing the sun to kiss her skin, and the wind to blow through her.
By the time she got home, her body was almost completely dry. She sits in front of a mirror and starts to fix her hair. It took almost half an hour, and by the time she was done, her body was completely dry, just as she had hoped.
She closes all windows and doors before she unrobes herself. She takes a bottle of Xanthia's favorite scent and lightly dabs it on her wrists and on the sides of her neck. She takes the oil that smells of spring and rubs some on her legs, carefully spreading the oil up to her hips.
When she was convinced that Xanthia would be completely entranced with her scent, Cyanea proceeded to get the dress her wife had asked for.
She pulls on the dress carefully. She runs a hand over the dress as it covered her, as if to smooth out the fabric. She looks into the mirror and smiles, how could Xanthia have known this would look so perfect?
She smiled then, wondering what her wife was wearing, and how her hair was fixed. Regardless of anything, Cyanea would find her beautiful, as she always did.
She stepped out and could tell that she had at least an hour to walk to the meadow. By then, the sun would be at its highest in the sky, and she would be with her love, her life, her wife.
As she made her way to the meadow, she often stopped to wonder if she should pick some flowers. The only reason she didn't was because she knew the meadow would be overflowing with flowers, and it would be pointless to pick flowers elsewhere.
When she got to the meadow, she smiled at the sheer beauty of the flowers in full bloom. A sigh escapes her lips as she continues to walk forward, making her way to the tree where they first met.
(photo credits to: Jonathan Blake)
Surely enough, Xanthia was waiting there, leaning against the tree, holding a bouquet of the different wildflowers that bloomed in the meadow – their meadow.
Cyanea had to pause then, taking in the sight of her beautiful wife. She smiled because she knew how much Xanthia hated to fix her hair. And she couldn't help but laugh when she saw that Xanthia was also wearing a white dress – one that was much too formal for Xanthia's liking.
She reaches down to pick three flowers, not minding much which flower it was. She then makes her way to Xanthia, who was quietly watching her.
"Love," Xanthia started, handing the bouquet to Cyanea and smiling as Cyanea handed her the three flowers she had just picked. She cleared her throat, "Five years ago, I found you under this tree. You were looking up at the sky, holding a flower delicately in your hand. I always came here to find some serenity, but that was the first time I ever found someone else under this tree."
Cyanea smiled, remembering how Xanthia's mouth was agape when she first saw her.
"I figured this is where I want to do this," Xanthia said, getting down on her knee and taking Cyanea's left hand. "Love, our marriage has been blessed by the gods themselves, so I did not bother to ask for a priest to do it. Still, I wanted to do this."
Cyanea had to stop herself from gasping when Xanthia slipped on a ring – a traditional wedding ring – on her finger.
"With this symbol, you are truly my wife." Xanthia said as she stood up.
Before Cyanea could say anything, Xanthia put a finger to her lips. She then handed a ring to her, "Your turn." She whispered.
Cyanea smiled, seeing the ring that matched her own, her heart felt like bursting with pure bliss. She got down on her knee and took Xanthia's left hand. She looked up, her eyes overflowing with tears.
She took in a breath, "Love, when you found me under this tree, I thought I was being visited by a nymph. I swear you looked so beautiful and unreal. I could never forget how the sight of you made my heart feel at peace yet in total chaos. The feeling was new, it frightened me."
A few more tears fell before she could say more, "Love, if I had not met you that day, I do not know what I would have done then. You saved me, and I am grateful. I am even more grateful when you told me of your love. And now," she slipped the ring on Xanthia's finger, "with this symbol, you are truly my wife."
They were both in tears now, the raw pureness of their love overwhelming them both. Cyanea stood up and immediately kissed her wife, softly, slowly, gently – their favorite kind of kiss.
Xanthia returned the kiss, melting into the tenderness. She picked up Cyanea, and carried her to the other side of the tree, where a sheet was waiting for them.
Cyanea smiled as Xanthia laid her down, "Oh love, people might see."
Xanthia chuckled, "We are married. They cannot stop us." She replied before kissing her wife hard, driven by raw passion.
- - -
"That was quite the wedding." Aphrodite commented, waving her hand to put away the looking glass.
Persephone laughed, putting a pomegranate seed between her lips, "Xanthia is such a mischievous woman."
Hera shrugged, "We blessed their marriage, they can do whatever they want."
Aphrodite smiled, "Yes, of course. But it was quite a nuisance to make sure no one walked into the meadow as they made love under that tree – quite loudly, if you ask me."
Persephone laughed some more, "They have held their passion at bay for years, of course they would be loud."
Aphrodite laughed then, "I suppose you are right. I do not mind having to watch over them."
Hera nodded, "I quite enjoy watching them freely express their love like this. I will help you watch over them, when you don't feel like doing so."
Persephone stood to leave, "Do not worry, my husband and I will look over them when they are finished with this life. By then, you do not have to."
- - -
They were back in their home now, holding each other's bare bodies in the comfort of their own bed.
"Love," Cyanea whispered, running a hand lazily up and down Xanthia's back.
"Hmm?" Xanthia hummed, trying to ignore the tingling sensation spreading all over her body.
"We completely ruined our dresses." Cyanea said softly, "I suppose there is no need for them after what we did today?"
Xanthia laughed, "If you want a new one, I can always ask my mother."
Cyanea beamed, "Oh I would love a new one. Ask her to make me a blue one. It will be the dress I wear when I love you most."
Xanthia smiled, "Then it would be the only dress you will ever wear." She teased.
Cyanea laughed, "I love you, but there are days when I only love you a little."
"Oh?" Xanthia replied, moving to be on top of Cyanea, "Why is that?"
Cyanea shifted, allowing Xanthia to settle on top of her, "Because if I love you most every day, my heart would grow exhausted."
Xanthia took Cyanea's left hand with her own, "Regardless, this symbol will tell everyone that we only love each other, for all eternity."
Cyanea kissed Xanthia's ring, "Yes, of course. We are eternally bound."
"For all eternity, I am yours." Xanthia whispered before kissing Cyanea's ring.
"For all eternity," Cyanea started, interlocking their fingers, "I am yours."