The Goddess Ch 03 1

Sofia was allowed to take the morning off to speak with Alexarius. She and the priestesses would reconvene in the evening to discuss the performances of the rest of the candidates. She decided to dress simply and comfortably for their discussion, donning a peplos that the high priestess made her. She would meet with him in a secluded spot outside the temple, giving them privacy. She had instructed all priestesses to stay away. As she readied herself to go to the spot, she grabbed the bow that she was constructing. She needed something to keep her hands idle, so they would not shake.

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Alexarius was elated. He'd been given water to wash himself in order to look presentable. A lesser priestess approached him after breakfast to lead him to the place where he would speak with her. He was at a loss for what they would talk about, but he would cherish this opportunity. He could feel in every fiber of his being that this meeting would strengthen his case to become consort, and that she wanted to see him because she was interested in him.

Walking outside, he noticed that he was being taken a bit of a ways away from the temple. As they came upon a small hill, he could see Sofia on the ground underneath a tree. The lesser priestess nodded her head in the direction of the girl. "The two of you will not be disturbed," she said. She left, leaving Alexarius to approach Sofia alone. The closer he got to her, he could see that she was hard at work making a bow. Warmth flooded his belly. He could at least talk to her about that.

"Good morning," he said brightly, stepping to her.

She looked up and smiled widely at him, causing him to buzz with joy. "Good morning to you as well," she said.

He sat down across from her, wanting to be close, but not so close as to make her feel uncomfortable. "You make your own bows," he stated.

She looked down, as if she were startled by the tools in her hands. "Yes. I have an obsession with finding a bow that is lightweight and efficient. The only way to achieve perfection is to do it yourself I suppose," she told him.

"I have never made a bow, only arrows, but I have seen and held some of the lightest bows in all the world," he said.

"I can imagine that with a career as a merchant, you have the opportunity to sample the best of anything," she replied.

A thrill went through Alexarius as he realized he was conversing with a goddess as if she were someone off the street. The fact that she had hobbies, interests, likes and dislikes fascinated him. She hid herself behind the mask she put on for the men. It was a wonder that he was allowed to see it. "May I ask why you have asked to talk to me?" he questioned.

She hesitated slightly and kept shaping her bow. The time would come where she would have to attach the string. "I wanted to speak to you alone. You are the only man who has expressed a desire to know me. Yet with the tests, our time to converse is limited. Furthermore, I need someone to talk to about literature who has not known me my entire life," she said.

So, she is interested in me, Alexarius thought. He beamed and stood up. Giving a sweeping, overexaggerated low bow he said, "Then I am at your service my goddess."

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Sofia did not want to tell Alexarius explicitly that she was interested in him. He wasn't cocky, but he was definitely bold. She felt she would lose her footing if he knew he was the favorite. They talked for extended lengths about literature and political theory. His views were largely shaped by his upbringing and his job. He tended to think more practically. Sofia, being raised as a scholar, thought more philosophically. Her entire body hummed with adrenaline. At one point her teeth chattered with excitement. He was so incredible and mentally stimulating, that she told him so.

"Aye but it is you, fair Sofia, who is mentally stimulating," he said. She had finally attached the string to her bow, and the two of them were forming arrows. He was much better at it than she was. "You have done nothing your whole life but read," he continued.

"That is wholly untrue! I went to a marketplace once when I was a child," she said. It was her way of deflecting, avoiding his compliment. She didn't know what to say to a man who indulged in flattery.

He tossed an arrow on the pile and began to make another. "I was trying to say that it is nice for me to receive such an intelligent perspective. Many people I meet in the marketplaces are passing through. I like to know that I could have more than one conversation with you," he said. He looked into her eyes and she looked away. He stirred such emotion in her, she couldn't bear it. His gaze was too hot, too sensual. She could feel herself getting aroused. He looked the part of Adonis, leaning against the tree, relaxed.

She wiped the sweat off her brow and smiled shakily. "Any time you wish to discuss matters of the mind, call for me," she said. He laughed and told her he would take her up on the offer. Sofia began to breathe deeply and recognized that in this moment, she wanted to throw herself on Alexarius. If she could feel his lips against hers just once, perhaps her desire could be quenched.

She saw that they were much closer to each other than when he had arrived. No one was around. If she wanted, she could kiss him, and no one would be the wiser. All the priestesses were told to stay away. The two of them would not go back to the temple until they were ready. Sofia cleared her throat. "You go about the tests so differently from the other men," she stated.

He trained his sapphire eyes on her. "It is because I am trying to be lightweight and efficient," he said seriously. Sophia snorted loudly and threw her head back as he joined her in laughter. She looked at the sun and noticed they had been together for quite some time. She ought to let him eat and refresh himself. She also knew the deliberations had to be done.

"We must go. We have spent so much time together. You must eat and rest and my duty to the high priestess calls," she told him. He nodded and began to gather her arrows together. Sofia decided to do what she wanted. She gently placed her hand over his, causing him to stop. She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek. Pulling back, she eyed him nervously. Everything was so new. "Thank you for humoring me," she said.

Alexarius blushed ever so slightly at her words. Firming up his grip on her hand, he scooted so close to her that he was practically in her lap. He took her face in his free hand. "Might I risk defiling a goddess?" he whispered into her ear.

Sofia quietly said no, giving her consent. He gently kissed her cheek. She shuddered with arousal, fear, relief, everything in between. Her cunt was soaked, and despite the heat her nipples had hardened. They were close to scraping his chest.

"I shall humor you for all eternity if you would have me," he murmured. His thumb stroked her cheek as he dragged his other hand up and down her forearm.

Sofia could not see his face, as it was pressed to hers and slipping dangerously close to her neck. It must have been forbidden for them to touch in this manner. Certainly, she was compromising the process. But he felt so good next to her. She was unwilling to waste this moment. She tentatively placed her arm around him, pulling him into a hug. His hands immediately encircled her waist, and he buried his face into the crook of her neck. Sofia let a small moan escape her as her breasts pressed into his chest. She could hear Alexarius's breathing grow a tad less even, informing her that he was affected by this. Her eyes sprang open and she pushed him away. The flustered, aroused look on his face almost pulled her back in. She hurriedly eked out an apology and fled.

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Alexarius was throbbing. He was throbbing in such a way that he had to relieve himself. Spying a wooded area next to their tree he retreated and exposed his cock to the air. His hand moved in a flurry. He recounted her lips on his cheek, so lush and plump. He thought of his hand on her face and neck. Finally, her moan and the feel of her full breasts on his chest, only separated by their thin clothing. Her nipples were so hard, he could feel them ever so slightly. These were the nipples he saw shadows of as she touched herself the other night. She wanted him. He could smell her arousal due to their proximity. He imagined if she would have allowed him to lay her down and taste her, thrusting his tongue into the wetness that he inspired. Grunting heavily, he spent his seed on the grass below.

He knew Sofia had run away because she was afraid of her own budding sexuality. What they had done had been non-threatening, and she had not been touched in an inappropriate way. However, their gestures had been laden with desire for more. Alexarius wanted her more than any of his previous lovers. Touching her waist or neck aroused more in him than the cunt of another woman. He wondered if she would touch herself tonight to the memory of their time together.

She was excellent conversation. She was so much more well-read and intelligent than he was. He did not feel overmatched, but grateful that he could learn from her. She was unpretentious, perhaps because she hadn't learned to be otherwise. She loved to laugh and was fiercely opinionated. Alexarius had discovered so much from the hours passed. He began to gather their arrows, electing to give them to a priestess in order to give Sofia space. He hoped that he would see her again, or that she would want to speak to him alone. He would give anything to be alone with her. Even if that meant not touching her and only conversing.

As his arousal faded, it was slowly replaced with grief. She was a virgin, and he had touched her intimately for the first time. Her skittish reaction was most likely due to embarrassment. Alexarius blew out a sigh and realized that he needed to apologize to her for crossing the line. What they had done was tame, but for her it was not. In the context of the selection process it was not either. He had put her in a situation where she was vulnerable in a way that was only allowed with her future consort. As much as he wanted to be in that position, he was not officially her match.

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Sofia fled to her room and feigned sleep for an hour or two. She couldn't bear to face anyone. If the high priestess got ahold of her, she would inquire about the conversation Sofia had with Alexarius. She needed to calm down and regroup. Otherwise she would be unable to hide her arousal or embarrassment at having been nearly compromised. She lay in bed and contemplated what moves to make once she came out.

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After ruminating, Sofia decided that she would treat Alexarius normally. She had initiated the encounter, and he had only responded in kind. She desperately wanted him to touch her again but knew that could not happen. She could barely believe that she had gotten so close to losing control and endangering the process. He ignited something in her that had, until now, lay dormant. Treating him normally would show nothing had changed, and that she wasn't ashamed of what happened.

She stalked to the high priestess's room to announce that she was ready for more deliberations. The older woman gathered her things and began to walk to the scroll room. "How was the conversation with Alexarius?" she asked.

"Fine," Sofia said with more neutrality in her voice than she thought she was capable of. "We spoke about literature and politics and made arrows."

"I am glad!" the older woman exclaimed. She then changed the subject to asking about where all the lesser priestesses were and general temple upkeep. Sofia gently exhaled, grateful that Alexarius was dropped.

Once the lesser priestesses gathered in the scroll room, Sofia let herself focus on the deliberations at hand. She once again gave her input when needed and took note of the considerations of the other women. She was allowed to hear, but not approve the list of men that would move ahead. Out of the 13, five were chosen to move ahead. She did not show it, but Sofia was surprised that they had narrowed it down to so few. The men had only been in the temple for 3 weeks. It was not nearly enough time to know.

"Sofia, have you given any thought to what the next test will be?" asked a lesser priestess.

"Yes. I have decided that the men will perform music for me. For all of us," Sofia said. It made sense, after all. Everyone could get a night of entertainment, for one. The men would also have time to prepare, which meant prolonging the process.

"I feel that a man who knows music must be a man of high intelligence," she reasoned. The other priestesses began to chime their approval, and the conversation moved to the logistics of implementing the challenge.

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After dinner that night, Alexarius shamelessly went looking for Sofia to apologize to her. He had no idea where she went in the evening, and just decided to roam around until he came across her. He imagined that he was not allowed to ask a priestess to convene with her.

He looked to the spot where they had been in the morning, but she was not there. After walking for a while, he found her near a small grove of olive trees with the high priestess and a lesser priestess. As he got closer, he could hear them conversing about the state of the trees. He cleared his throat and they all turned around to face him.

"I am sorry to interrupt your conversation, but I would like to offer my sincerest apologies for my behavior today," Alexarius said formally. The priestesses looked between him and Sofia with questioning looks. Sofia looked to him queasily.

"I accept your apology and I apologize as well," she said back. Looking into her eyes, Alexarius realized his blunder: he had mentioned something that Sofia had not told the priestesses.

"Why are these apologies in order?" the high priestess asked.

Alexarius thought quickly. "I accidentally broke one of her arrows," he explained.

"And I did not respond very nicely," Sofia said, glancing at him.

The high priestess shook her head but did not comment further on the situation. Alexarius wondered if she would say something to Sofia or if he would be punished for something that never actually happened.

Alexarius bowed slightly and quickly took his leave.

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Sofia awoke the next morning ready to meet with the men. She decided that today would be a new day. She had endured a gentle lecture from the high priestess about being nicer to Alexarius and all the men in general the night before. Even though they lied about the "argument" they had, Sofia felt that the lecture was a cosmic punishment for having overstepped her boundaries with him and took it all in stride.

She wanted to be present for the eliminations and the announcement of the next challenge. Standing with the priestesses, Sofia watched as the men who were instructed to leave did so. She thought about thanking them for coming but elected not to at the last minute.

"The next challenge will be to perform a musical piece for the goddess, the priestesses, and your fellow men. As this is a surprise, time will be given to prepare and practice your pieces. A week has been allotted for you to do so," the high priestess said.

"Is there anyone who did not bring an instrument?" Sofia interjected, much to the surprise of the men and the high priestess. Two men raised their hands. "What do you need?"

"I need a lute," said one

.

"As do I" the other said.

"We have four lutes here," she said. She glanced over at Alexarius and wondered what he had in store. She would not ask, however. She wanted to be surprised.

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Any educated man played an instrument. Alexarius knew this to be a fact. Music was included in all educations. He brought his aulos with him but had not played it since arriving. It had been something to pass the time on the journey up the mountain. Having learned to play it as a child, Alexarius often took it with him on trips to other cities, picking up how to play different pieces along the way. He knew that he wanted to improvise for her, as a prepared piece often required a singer to be present. The week would be spent trying out different melodic combinations until he knew what direction he wanted to eventually take his improvisation.

After taking his instrument out, the man named Demosthenes approached him.

"I see that you play the aulos," he remarked as he sat down.

"Aye," Alexarius said.

"I would like to sing, but I need an aulos to accompany me. The piece is a religious one about Apollo," Demosthenes explained.

Alexarius agreed that he would help. Playing for Demosthenes would do nothing but put on a good show for the goddess and help him showcase his talent twofold. He still wanted to improvise after all.

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After a week of practicing, the men were finally ready to give the concert. Sofia had dressed a little more elegantly for the occasion, as the concert was technically for her. She and the priestesses had prepared the great hall earlier, lighting dozens of lamps as to give the room a nice glow. Her body tingled with excitement as she thought of being able to openly ogle Alexarius once again.

He had been so busy practicing during the week, they had barely spoken. She had gotten over the embarrassment she felt after their encounter and began to wish that she had not reacted the way she had initially. What if now he felt that she was uninterested?

The men filed in with their instruments and took their seats on the pillows and mats the priestesses had laid out for them. Sofia and the women were seated across from them. The performer would stand in the middle. Sofia counted three lutes. Only Alexarius and another man did not have a lute. Alexarius was holding an aulos. He flashed her a hot glance when he entered, causing a rush of warmth in her abdomen.

The man who had first asked for a lute was the first to perform. Alexarius would go second, then the other two lute players, and finally the man who had no instrument at all.

The first lute player was good. Sofia felt ashamed that she could not remember his name. He played beautifully, if not with little passion. Sofia clapped for him when he finished. As he sat and Alexarius stood, Sofia squirmed in her seat. Alexarius looked so handsome. She felt that it had been an eternity since she last saw him. So much had transpired since he first entered her temple, and out of thirty men he was one of the last few still here.

When he began, Sofia could not recognize the piece. After a few seconds she realized that he was improvising. She held on to the melody he played with one part of the aulos, and the harmony that he was weaving into it with the other. It was so beautiful, so melancholy. With the lights dimmed, it fit the scenery perfectly, and she found herself drunk on his performance. Never before had she heard notes sound like words, and his notes spoke to her of love, loss, searching and wanting.

He looked up over his instrument into her eyes, and in that moment, she knew that he was the one that would be chosen.

It was as if he were staring right into her soul. His melody wrapped its fingers around her heart and squeezed. She became overcome with emotion and a few tears fell as she gently placed her hand over her chest.

Alexarius continued looking at her as he finished. Sofia wiped her tears and stared at him in awe as he went to sit down. Of course, he had aroused her again. She stayed as still as possible, hoping that none of the priestesses would notice. The realization of him being her consort had shaken her to the core. He was the one that she would spend eternity with.

She knew that she could not tell the priestesses to throw out the other men and begin the marriage ceremony, but she was sure that at the end of the process, Alexarius would be the one they would choose. He had already gained favor with multiple women due to his eagerness to speak to her, and his excellence in the challenges. Sofia wished she could crawl over to him and finish what they started a week earlier. She needed to feel his arms around her again.