Athen, Greece 890 BC

The bustling streetway was filled with vendors selling wares to the interested beings who wandered into the stalls or walked purposefully towards the many shops. I turned my head towards the sound of a child and smiled as I took notice of the young girl running gleefully through the street to her mother, a woman only a few years older than myself. Realizing this I frowned, I was of age to marry now, but... 

"Hey, Meela!"

Suddenly I was pulled from those thoughts as I turned back to the market and was met with dark brown curls and blue eyes.

" Ismene, I thought you were supposed to be home helping your mother all day?" Ismene looked at me with joy and spoke with a hushed voice.

" That's the thing Meela, my mother let me go out to get some more apples, but I'm meeting Adrian." Oh, Adrian. He was the man Ismene had been seeing behind her parent's backs. 

"Ismene, you do realize that you and Adrian cannot keep sneaking around, you're engaged, remember?" Letting out a puff of air Ismene spoke again," I don't care for that stuck up aristocrat son, besides Adrain has sent me a letter and you won't believe it!" 

Sighing once more I stared at her before she continued, "Can I trust you?" I paused for a moment at her question she had never asked such a thing before. "Of course you can trust me, we've been friends since before we were born." 

It was true, our mothers had been good friends before my mother passed after having me, but that didn't prevent the two of us from bonding together. "Adrian wants us to run away together, away from here where we could marry without my parents stopping us." 

I almost stopped breathing at her words. Her, run away, leaving me behind, alone... 

Suddenly the bright happy day I had first woke to changed to a dreary hot day with no end. She seemed to have noticed my silence and said "Meela, don't worry about me, I will be fine with Adrian. Besides, I wouldn't forget you, silly. You're very hard to forget." Ismene smiled at me and turned her head to the market before addressing me again. "I've got to get going so I can spend time with Adrian before heading back to my mother." And with this, she left without saying goodbye.

How she could be so happy, I could never understand. Now my only friend was leaving, all for some silly crush. I push my thoughts back as I continue through the market stopping at a few shops for trivial things like a small jar full of olives and some goats cheese. Noticing now the midday sky, I left the market to head to the Temple of Athena for my daily prayers.

Upon reaching the sacred temple, I kneeled to prayed and silently murmured my prayer. Adding in hope for wisdom to my dear friend Ismene. 

"May she see where her path may lead her..." Looking up to the gleaming statue of the golden goddess I smiled. Athena had helped me through many tough times and I hoped she may bring clarity to Ismene. Maybe I was selfish, but why shouldn't I be? Ismene is the closest thing to a sister I've ever had, and now she's planning to leave me by myself. She means so much to me and I may never see her again, but I want her to be happy. It was this confused and hopeless feeling that led me to the meadow that night.

Just outside Athens was a meadow that was filled with narcissus'. Their vibrant yellows and whites calmed my senses and helped to clear my mind. It was easy to forget yourself in such a large busy city like Athens. Walking out to the meadow, I took a deep breath of the clear sweet air. Following the path that was worn down from me walking down here for years to get some space. The meadow had only a single tree by a small river that flowed gently through the valley to the ocean. The tree was a tall and luscious pomegranate tree under which I had made a small bench to sit on in times like these. Quickening my pace through the flowers I reached the bench and sat down. Letting out a breathy laugh I laid my head against the smooth bark of the tree before reaching out my slender hand to grasp a ripe fleshy-red pomegranate. Slicing it open with the small dagger I had hidden in my toga, I picked out a few arils and put them in my mouth, savouring their sweet nectar taste and eating the small white seeds inside. Looking out into the meadow and the bright stars that showered the sky I let my thoughts wander. Ismene was always there for me, I should be there for her too, even if it meant I would be losing her forever. Perhaps I was just being dramatic, Ismene wouldn't leave me forever, right? I began to shiver as the winds had picked up and the air became eerily colder. It was on this night that my whole life changed, it was this night that I met him.