Harmonia: Goddess of Harmony, Balance and Concord (ophios_harmonia) wrote in history_dot_com, @ 2013-02-02 21:36:00 |
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Entry tags: | ~harmonia, ~philotes |
Expecting So Much [tag: Philotes]
OOC: Takes place a little over a year since Harmonia married Cadmus. So way before the Trojan War
Carefully, Harmonia stepped out of the bath. Exceptionally careful so she didn't slip and fall. That could be tragic. The second her feet touched the tiled floor she was surrounded by attendants and a large piece of fabric meant to dry her. She continued walking toward a chair that once she sat upon, two attendants took to trying to dry her hair. It had been just over a year since the wedding that sealed her fate and she was growing accustomed to having people insist on doing things for her.
Looking down, she frowned. Things were changing so much and she felt to utterly alone. She was a Queen, she could not be friends with the mortal women around here. She didn't love her husband and Balance thankfully only saw Cadmus during formal meals, when guests were greeted and in bed. Which was assuming that both of them consistently slept in the same room. Or... really, even ate together. To those who lived in the Theban palace it was quite obvious that neither the King or Queen wanted the arrangement they were forced into.
Harmonia's hands went to her naked belly a moment, then waved the girls with the fabric that were drying her hair away. Wrapping the sheet around herself rather haphazardly, since short of her husband and her attendants, no one would really enter unannounced while she was in the room. Well, at least not men.
She was so alone. In the very beginning there had been Hebe and Philotes. Then, after a couple months, Hebe stopped coming by. Shortly thereafter, so did Philotes. Though, Harmonia couldn't fault her dearest friend for it. Time passed differently for gods than it did for mortals, and now that Balance lived among mortals and wasn't even remotely happy, time was dragging on.
Moving to stand before a large flat piece of smoothly hammered bronze, Harmonia looked at her reflection. While she normally thought she was pretty enough, she still frowned. Months ago the reflection she saw was lean, curved where a woman should have curve, and mildly athletic. Now... she looked swollen. Not quite plump, but like a piece of bread left to soak in a bit of wine too long. The problem was not the extra swell of her breasts, but rather... lower. The large swell at her abdomen was a problem. It was a big problem.
She'd always imagined a different life. She would have a man that loved her and she loved him in return. They'd make love until the wee hours of morning and she would give him a child, or more, and it would be wonderful and glowy and she'd be surrounded by friends and family. Her mother would hold her hand and guide her through it all, maybe Hera or her aunt Ilythia would bless the whole thing and it would just be perfect. But life was far from perfect.
Instead she was in a marriage she didn't want, laying there almost lifelessly when she coupled with her husband and just waiting for it to be over. Which now left her standing before a bit of bronze a month, maybe two, away from being someone's mother and there was no hand to hold. No shoulder to lean on no one to calm her fears and a husband she'd rather not be in the same room with. And when she had to be in the same room as him, had trouble looking him in the eye. And she was giving him a child she didn't want because to refuse would shame her kind husband and her jerk grandfather.
Harmonia was terrified.
Oh, Lottie, She said, calling for her friend for the first time since her exile as she draped the sheet over her shoulders and let her hands go to her belly. I really need a hug.