Melpomeni The Eyeful

6

The golden afternoon blazed onto the trees that perched under the sun, which Hermes kept aflame.

Fourteen days it took to reach the city of Sparta, and tired the trio was from the long and restless nights they had to endure, and little sleep and food they got. 
And spoke the Witty Hortensias:
"Let us find a willing family to be generous enough to guide us now to the general and perhaps share their own food and drink."

They bared themselves on the porch of a wealthy house, and knocked on the lovely painted door and opened it an old man.

"Who might you be, stranger? Have you come from far?" Asked the old man, his voice and hands shaky with age.
"Sir, I will tell you all. But I must ask if you have food and drink for us, for we have not had food in days and have been fasting. "
Asked tired and hungry Hortensias, Bold Melpomeni was no longer bold and was not gleaming with beauty as usual, for she was just as tired and hungry.

And came running an old woman who barged the old man out of the way and gasped at the sight before her:
"By the gods, look at you! Come in at once and have a bath and eat, come, come. " She took Melpomeni and Arius by the arms, Hortensias following behind as she showed them to the bath tub, the maids worked busily as they prepared the water.
One by one, the maids bathed and anointed with oil the trio and dressed them in tunic and robe.

And after they mixed wine and ate to their desire and spoke Sharp Hortensias: "You asked if I come from far, and yes, I do. Melpomeni and I have decided to join the Spartan army." Thus saying, he motioned to the woman across from him, a woman who gleamed with beauty for she was now clean and full.
Arius played with her silverware .
And spoke the old man:
"I am honored to have strangers in my home who support us Spartans! I too would be fighting along side you if I where a boy. "
And asked the old man's wife: "Did you say that she would be fighting along side you? Women should not fight in the war. "

And Bold Melpomeni straightened her back and spat: "You, who is also a woman, do not believe I can?" Her words where rough and Hortensias had yet to see her be angry and it made him feel unsettled.

And thus the old wife replied: "No, I do not believe women should fight in the war. Not because we are unable, but because men think we are under them and we do not matter. So you would be fighting without recognition. And if you die, you are still unrecognized. "

And the room fell silent from the woman's words. Though her words where true.

And Melpomeni loosened her posture and smiled slightly with closed eyes: "I am not fighting for recognition. I am only here for Hortensias. " And Hortensias placed his palm over his face and shook his head, Strange Arius laughing at this.

"An honorable wife you are. " Said the old man, and Hortensias said nothing, hoping to not anger the lovely woman or make the situation any stranger for himself.

And after all had been said that they wanted, they left for their beds.
The goddess Hera smiled over them all and granted them with soundly sleep, but of course Bold Melpomeni stayed awake and waited for the house to settle, then she snuck like a mouse to Sharp Hortensias's room.
Whence she opened his doors, he let out a surprised gasped.

"I have been thinking, and I thought that hydrangea would look lovely at our wedding, and we will drink sweet wine and dance to the sacred bard Demodocus!" Giggled the lovely woman quietly. She sat on the bed at Hortensias's feet as he looked upon the woman with an unamused expression.

"You should leave." Said Hortensias to the woman, for he had enough of her nonsense with marrying him, he did not want it and that was absolute.
"I should... But I will not. I understand I am pressuring you, and I do not want you unwilling to me, so I will give you time. "
And Hortensias did not know how to reply to that, so he watched her as she watched him.
"I don't want to die lonely either." He laughed slightly, now he didn't want her to feel sorry for her actions, he now understood a little bit more of her.
The lovely woman joined his laughter.
"After the war maybe, but I am unsure, for there is no telling of who will live and who won't. Let us pray that Athene is on our side and will keep us protected. "

And the goddesses heard him and decided she would protect the army and put courage in their hearts, for she knew the two where dear to her friend Hera. And Hera, in her own grand home, smiled at the two, and she herself would also watch over and give them protection.

And thence, Melpomeni bid herself away and left to her room for sleep.