A Love Confession

Lucius made a few steps towards the hill.

He wanted to say something.

I missed you. I want to keep you.

But all he managed to say was:

“You’re real…”

Melissa came skipping down the hill and nudged Lucius with her horns, nearly knocking him over.

“Sorry I’m late, my little wizard, but I had a few other parties to crash…”

“I… I thought I’d never see you again,” Lucius said, still bewildered. And for a brief moment, her façade slipped, as something in her eyes shimmered.

But then she gave him a firm bump with her hip and flashed that wide grin again.

“Hey, did you really think I wouldn’t stick to our deal? A deal’s a deal! Now come on, Dionysus wants to meet you…”

Confused, Lucius stumbled after her.

“But… didn’t you say he was dangerous? Isn’t he going to mind that I’m here?”

“Relax. As long as you don’t talk nonsense and you politely drink your wine, he probably won’t turn you into an animal…”

“Probably?” Lucius echoed uneasily as she led him over rolling grassy hills and through archways of grapevines, deeper and deeper into her realm.

The air was sweet, almost intoxicating, and the farther they went, the more everything captivated him.

Finally, the valley opened before them, and they stopped.

The sight stole his breath.

An endless revelry stretched out below, spilling across the landscape.

Satyrs and nymphs danced around towering bonfires, drinking from horns, singing in languages he had never heard before.

Their bodies gleamed with sweat, with wine, with sunlight. Drums pounded, flutes trilled, harps rang out, and voices rose.

Lucius’ heart was racing.

“This is my home,” Melissa whispered beside him. Her voice was soft now, almost reverent. She looked at him. “And tonight… you’re part of it.”

Tonight.

The word echoed in his mind.

Tonight I’m part of it. And tomorrow?

He eyed her for a moment.

Before she could lead him into the festival, Lucius gathered himself and took a deep breath.

“Melissa, wait…” he called, just as she was about to head down.

She shot him a mischievous grin.

“Can’t wait, can you? Be patient. A few weeks felt long for you, but for me...”

“I love you.”

Melissa’s eyes went wide.

“I love you. And I want to be with you.”

For a heartbeat, she seemed utterly thrown.

"Uh... Uhm..."

Silence fell between them and she trembled slightly, eyes shining with a strange light.

Then she burst into exaggerated laughter.

“Oh, you sweet, foolish human!” she gasped between giggles. “Love? Together?”

She wiped away an imaginary tear.

“I’m a maenad, darling! We don’t belong to anyone except our god. We possess nothing. We love nothing but the moment. We rage, we drink, we come together under the moon, but we don’t make promises like you mortals do.”

Lucius clenched his teeth.

What did you expect, idiot? That she’d simply stay with you?

Melissa saw the disappointment on his face, and her laughter softened. She took his hand, and her usually playful fingers pressed gently into his.

“Hey.” Her voice dropped low. “You know what really lasts forever?” She guided his hand to her chest and he felt her heartbeat. “No promises. No vows. Just this. Hold on to this feeling, this moment. Because for us… for me… that’s all there can ever be.”

Then she tossed her head back and grinned again, but this time, something was different. Lucius caught a fleeting glimpse of sadness in her eyes.

“Now come on! Before Dionysus starts thinking you’re afraid!”

“Hey, wait a second…” he called after her, because he wasn’t done saying what he needed to say.

She shot him an impatient look, and he hesitated.

“What now?” she demanded.

Maybe I should keep quiet for now...

“Uh… I… I can’t just meet a god dressed like this…” 

He gestured to his loose trousers and his coffee-stained, rumpled shirt.

Melissa giggled, stamping her hooves into the grass.

“As if anyone here cares about clothes!”

She spun around, her tail flicking in amusement, then she scratched theatrically at her horn, snapping her fingers.

Suddenly, Lucius felt something tickling his skin.

He looked down and saw leaves and grapevines winding around his hips, weaving into a garment that covered his entire body.

“Perfect!” Melissa cried, surveying him critically.

He could only manage a brief “um” as he looked down at his new attire.

Then a booming voice thundered from afar.

“MELISSA! Bring me that mortal. I want to see him!”

She rolled her eyes, then shoved Lucius forward, straight into a roaring circle of satyrs and nymphs.

The god perched atop a massive barrel in the middle of it, already lifting his goblet in greeting, his violet eyes sparkling with delight. 

He looked Lucius up and down, then he smiled.

“Ah! There he is!” Dionysus bellowed.

“My Melissa has told me so much about you… Tell me, mortal,” Dionysus said, as if asking a casual question, “how do you like my realm?”

He knew he should answer carefully, but he spoke without hesitation.

“It’s like a dream. Like a song you can never forget. Full of beauty… and a yearning that hurts.”

Dionysus raised an eyebrow.

“Pah. Pretty deep for someone who just wanted to summon a housemaid!” 

A ripple of laughter swept through the crowd.

“But!” Dionysus continued, raising his voice. “Because you treated my servant well in the mortal world, rather than causing her harm, I shall grant you a gift. One wish, as free as the wine flowing tonight.”

A collective murmur surged through the thiasus. 

Lucius met Dionysus’ gaze. 

"A... wish?" Lucius repeated, his mind racing.

But it took him only seconds to realize that there was only one thing he truly wished for right now.

His heart pounded, and at first the words wouldn't come out.

"I... wish..." But then he shouted. “I wish… to take Melissa as my wife!”

A gasp swept through the crowd like a sudden wind. 

Goblets tipped over, satyrs froze mid-dance, maenads stared and a flute trailed off mid-note.

And everyone just stared at him in shock.