Sacrifice Ch. 06

"Don't you see? That's why I can't. I need music, rhythm...I'd look childish and silly if I tried that without weeks of practice. I just don't move like that. That's you...that's how you move." Calliope sighed. Perhaps she wasn't wrong, it had taken a long time to be finally able to perform it to her own instructor's satisfaction.

"Well, perhaps you're right...but I still can't. It's bad enough I played for you...but to dance?" She shook her head, half in denial half in wonder. "Besides, I don't think I would help you...unless you seek to make a comparison to show off your own skills."

Penelope's eyes went wide. "You're mad. That was brilliant!"

"It's really very simple" She countered, uncomfortable with Penelope's enthusiasm.

"That's why it's so perfect. It's the polar opposite of what I would do and everything else they're going to see. What is it they say, less is better?"

"More. Less is more." She murmured distractedly. She was almost considering it...no, no she couldn't. "No, Penelope, I can't, I'm no dancer-"

"Nonsense that was exac—"

"And more than that," she insisted, "my master has told me not to engage in these activities."

"You already have though." She pressed.

"That doesn't make it right if I do it again."

Penelope shocked her by suddenly launching from her chair and falling on her knees before her, grasping her hands in her before she could pull away. "Calliope, I'm begging you. You have to do this. I can't make it work without you. It'll be a triumph, and I'll be free of those witches once and for all"

"Please, don't—"

"Don't do it for me then...do it for him. Your Master."

She rolled her eyes. "That doesn't make any sense. I'd be disobeying him."

"Such a small thing to forgive compared to the pleasure he'll have watching you. Dance for him, and he'll know it's you and who you dance for, even veiled."

"I've...I've never danced for him. He..."

"Then what a pleasure it will be to see how well you do it. And you do. It's wonderful to watch."

"You're just saying that to get me to give in."

"Yes, but it's also true." She grinned up at her, still holding her hands against her breast. "He won't be able to keep his hands off you....and to know its you he's watching and not one of them...do you have any idea what that feels like? The excitement of it...the power..."

Calliope faltered, and Penelope must have seen it because she kept pushing. "And the way he'd want you...that's why they do this. It fills them with pride to possess what everyone else wants. You'll be magnificent, and you'll be his."

The words resonated in her...almost the same words he had said... "alright." she whispered, almost too softly to hear. She wasn't even sure she'd said it aloud until she saw Penelope's face. "Oh, no." She moaned to herself and closed her eyes.

"Thank you! This is perfect. Thank you!" Penelope squealed as she gripped her tightly.

Calliope patted her back awkwardly as she threw her arms around her. "Think nothing of it." Her eyes glanced up to see Hades' dark, stern face, and Persephone's equally frightened one looking back at her.

She used to think of herself as being a rather reasonable, logical person. So how did she get to be such an idiot?

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They had decided on the following evening to go ahead with it. Despite regretting the decision, she couldn't bring herself to say no when Penelope seemed so eager and excited. And, she could admit, she'd been thinking about what the dancer had said about dancing for Thelios. It was an appealing thought, especially after seeing the way he'd looked at that other dancer. The notion that he might look at her like that...

She shook the thought from her head. It was silly to be so jealous.

Oddly enough it was apparently assumed that they were now going to be attending the dinners regularly. Indeed, after speaking further with Persephone she came back to find Demitri waiting to walk her to the hall.

Thelios had gone on ahead meaning to meet them there.

So at least convincing him to take her there wasn't going to be a problem.

She was happy to see Demitri and glad for the company. She hadn't been pestered again since the first day, but she felt far safer on his arm than she would have walking in there alone. That evening had passed uneventfully, though Thelios seemed to brood somewhat more than usual and was less apt to jest with her.

She was content enough, however, to make herself comfortable on the pillows scattered over the floor, and he seemed equally content to have her there quietly leaning against his leg. At least his occasional touch— stray fingers caressing her shoulder or neck— made her suspect this was so.

It was hard to tell just how content he was with the way he was glowering and scaring all the poor servants and slaves. Even Lady Nagi seemed disinclined to prod him too much.

But, as far as she was concerned, he could glower all he wanted so long as it wasn't directed at her. It was terrible of her, she knew...but a small, somewhat sadistic corner of her was even secretly amused by the way people seemed to cower and scatter before him.

Aside from that, and thankfully not being obliged to excuse herself, the evening proceeded in much the same fashion as the last.

There was one more added bonus of getting to see Kara dance. It was, like the rest of her, strange in a perfectly wonderful way. She had an unusual style. Sometimes she would mover her whole body in impossible, serpentine, and achingly slow ways. At other times she would seem to make a game of holding perfectly still while just her hips and stomach were manipulated sharply and precisely, showing off her immaculate control.

It was similar in many ways to the others that had danced before and after her, but there was some unnameable quality which seemed to elevate Kara. Indeed, despite her being nearly naked from the waist up with only a thin strip of material covering her breasts her dance seemed almost completely devoid of the overt sexuality which seemed to typify the vast majority of the performances. It was fascinating to watch.

The night passed, and most of the next day as well, until she found herself staring uncertainly down at shocking expanse of naked flesh, her flesh, which was now quite visible for any and all to see.

The black, ankle length dress she'd been given by Penelope to wear wasn't, technically, that much more revealing than her gold dress, but not only had she never worn that publicly, she'd been expressly told not to.

"I really don't know about this." She murmured softly as she examined the sides of the dress, which were held together —barely— by silver clasps just above and below her waist. It was enough to keep it from billowing out but it also allowed for almost the full length of her sides and all of her legs to be exposed.

"Don't worry, you look great. You have a fantastic back for this dress." Penelope reassured brightly, once again pinning a veil to her braided knot of black hair. The veil was black this time, and much longer.

Looking 'great' wasn't exactly her primary concern just then and the reference to her back made her wince since there essentially was no back to the dress at all since it dropped down almost to the dip in her tail bone.

Calliope thought back to Thelios who was still sitting in the feast hall and felt a nauseating flutter in her stomach. She had excused herself just a moment ago, pleading mild illness. It wasn't totally a lie. Her nerves were certainly making a mess of her insides.

He had offered to leave with her, but she and Lady Nagi had bid him stay, which ultimately he did, if reluctantly. The concern she'd seen in his face had come very close to making her back out of this insanity completely...but he'd nodded and hadn't pressed it. So here she was.

With her veil in place they made their way toward the hall, only this time they took a rather circuitous route through a number of back rooms and halls, coming into the main hall itself from a door the servants were using to come and go.

Just before they entered, however, Penelope gestured she wait, then returned a half-moment later with a rather imposing looking fellow with darkly tanned skin and a shaved head. He wore loose pants but his broad, well-muscled chest was left bare.

He wasn't nearly as prodigious in size as Thelios, but he was rather daunting, and she was obliged to tip her head back in order to meet his eye as he loomed over her. Calliope gave them both a questioning look, forgetting that neither of them could see her expression through the veil. He seemed placid, but Penelope grinned.

"This is Lot. He's agreed to help us."

"With what exactly?" Calliope's voice came out more sharply than she had intended. This hadn't been part of the plan.

"To be Hades of course. It's perfect. He'll just stand there looking terrifying in this," she held up a mass of black cloth, "and he's so huge we can just hide inside it with him and then switch off."

Calliope must not have seemed convinced. "Don't worry," she added quickly, "I told him not to get grabby with you." she chuckled. "But I don't think it'll be a problem anyway, he's apparently already heard of you. Knew more than I did actually." She winked.

That threw her off even more. She glanced up at him warily. "And what is it you've heard?"

"That men who get handsy with you loose said hands. Literally." Penelope answered giggling. The man grunted in acknowledgment, and Calliope wondered if he could speak at all.

Calliope looked between them hesitantly. "Well....I suppose..."

"Excellent. You should hide now, that way it'll be a surprise."

"Wait, he knows who I am? You know who I am?" they both nodded. "Penelope, it has to be a secret..."

"I know, don't worry it's taken care of." She grinned wickedly but didn't elaborate. He wasn't any more forth coming, though there was a hint of a smirk at the corner of his mouth that she was pretty sure she recognized. It was a smirk she'd seen countless times on Thelios's face...usually when she was naked.

The man was already throwing the floor length cloak over his shoulders and pulling the hood up over his head. He held it open, as if to invite her in, and in truth he did look frightening. A proper Hades to be sure.

She stepped forward and was caught very much off guard when he swept her up into his arms. Before she could sputter out a protest, a deep, brusque baritone, one she felt down to the soles of her feet, explained it was easier to carry her and instructed her to lay her head against his shoulder.

For some inexplicable reason her complaint died on her tongue and she felt compelled to do as she was asked. It wasn't so terrible really, and as soon as they'd maneuvered into position he lowered her carefully to her feet. She barley came up to his chest, so it was a simple thing for him to cross his arms high at the shoulder and give her room to stand inside the cloak without being crushed against him.

Of course it wasn't that much room, and she was painfully aware of his nearness and the fact that she couldn't help but brush against him with even the slightest movement. It was somewhat unnerving.

She couldn't see what was going on, but she could hear the relative silence. The music hadn't started so she knew that all they were seeing was this massive figure draped in black. She tried to picture it in her mind, and after a moment decided that it was probably a stroke of brilliance on Penelope's part. The continued silence confirmed the thought.

Finally the music began and the silence melted back into a light hum of conversation and laughter. She tried to pay attention to the music but the large, warm body behind her kept distracting her.

It reminded her that she'd never really been in this sort of extended, intimate proximity to anyone but Thelios.

Of course this train of thought brought back the waves of nervousness and excitement which had been plaguing her all day. And, instead of warring with each other, the excitement and nerves conspired against her, leaving her breathless and near shaking with tension. She could feel her face heat and her skin prickle, and was more than grateful for the veil which obscured her features. She could only hope the flush wasn't visible on the skin which wasn't covered as well...gods knew there was enough of it.

She tensed again as she finally heard her cue and felt suddenly light headed. This was madness, what was she thinking?

But it was too late.

She pressed back against Lot's hard body as the the cloak abruptly opened and swallowed Penelope up inside of it. There was a sudden crush of bodies as Penelope seized her by the hips and twisted them so that she was the one pressed up against their 'Hades' instead. Of course that meant that Calliope was poised with her back to the audience, and would be visible once their little make-shift tent opened up again.

The applause petered out and even in the dimness she could make out Penelope urging her on.

One more deep breath.

She tapped her heel to sound the bells and slipped one bare leg backward out of the cloak, pausing to sound the bells once more before she felt the cloak part just enough for her to duck out slowly. Her heart thrummed loud and high in her chest as she turned and straightened in one slow movement, settling into a not quite stiff, statuesque pose. It wasn't unlike the one she'd taken in her last performance. Only this time there was no instrument to hide behind.

Knowing they couldn't see her, she closed her eyes and pulled herself together. It didn't matter where she was, or who they were. It wasn't any more difficult than dancing for her sisters, she reminded herself. Besides, they didn't know who she was. For all they knew she really was the queen of the underworld.

She smiled at that, a small secretive smile. That's what she would be then.

She settled more comfortably into her stance and scanned the room with a tip of her head. There were few who weren't watching. She extended an arm before her, as if being led by an invisible escort and made her way to the center of the floor, careful not to let the bells do more than tinkle with the faintest of whispers.

The dance itself was made up primarily of highly stylized movements, gestures, and poses. The stillness of it suited her usual reserve, and the gestures, her long limbs. And yet, as she began to move through the long practiced routine, they felt somehow wrong.

It was stately enough, and elegant as always...her eyes glanced toward the still looming figure cloaked in black, then slid further left as she dipped backward. Till now, she had avoided looking in her master's direction for fear she'd lose her nerve.

That wasn't the sensation which accompanied the glance however. It was more like a warm, familiar twinge in her belly. She glanced again and felt another twinge. He seemed to be watching her. Intently.

Calliope was strangely inspired by the sensation and decided to modify the dance. She turned to face the cloaked figure and focused on the twinge. Instead of continuing with the usual movements, she brought her hands to her thighs and drew them up her legs and over the bared skin of her stomach, shifting her hips and luxuriating tin the feeling until the twinge became a vibration.

She wasn't totally sure about what to do with what was now obviously arousal, so she just gave in and went along with it. She didn't go so far as to sink into lewdness, but when she stretched out her arms to the figure and moved away, she could feel the beseeching quality of the gesture in a way she hadn't before, and when she walked, it was with a new languid heaviness, her hips rocking slightly.

This felt right to her. This made sense. The aspect of Persephone who ruled along side Hades, was also a wife, a fully fledged woman, a fertility goddess. It wasn't hard to imagine what waking up so changed could feel like. It hadn't been so long ago that she had woken up like that... no longer a virgin...having become aware of her body in ways she could never have imagined.

She was still becoming aware of it. He still managed to do...things...to her that surprised her...that she had trouble finding words for. And that wasn't even beginning to consider the implications of her pregnancy.

It was as if every rote gesture of the dance was given new meaning by this knowledge, was given new depth, and she found herself profoundly moved by it.

She continued, this time letting her arousal build and fill her belly and limbs, and even stoked it with stolen glances in her master's direction.

By the time she came to the height of the dance she was breathing hard from nothing but her excitement. She found herself suddenly on her knees and almost doubled over, as if overcome...well, perhaps truly overcome.

Her hands clenched in the material about her loins and her eyes clamped shut.

She had to get a hold of herself. She'd let it go on too long and too far.

Hoping to salvage what she could of the performance she flattened her hands and smoothed them down over the material and straightened, then rose to her feet with as much pretended dignity as she could muster. It was difficult with the buzzing of her arousal still making a mess of her head and body.

Goddess, she reminded herself as she resumed in a more stately manner. After all, a goddess wouldn't let something like a minor break down inhibit or embarrass her. Still, it was easier said than done.

The dance was almost over...but after that strange little moment she'd had, she felt she needed something else to make it work. She spotted a bowl of fruit nearby and across the room from where Thelios sat. She smiled triumphantly under the veil. If she timed it right...

She made her way over to the table, noticing too late that it was sitting before the 'flock' which had attached itself to their red haired host and his equally red-haired sister. It didn't matter.

She could see Thelios's brother smile and chuckle as she delicately plucked a pomegranate off the top and presented it to him on the tips of her fingers, then gave him her profile and lifted her arm higher to reveal it to the room in general.

She then made her way around the edge of the floor....more quickly and lightly this time, letting the bells jingle as they may and adding one or two quicker turns. Nothing requiring any particular skill, but playfully enough to hint at the other version of herself, Penelope that is, who was waiting hidden for her return.

Before she did return however, she paused directly before Thelios. It was across from the host, so she was certain the symmetry would keep her motives hidden from everyone else. From him...well, she wasn't sure she wanted to keep it hidden from him. In fact she hoped very much he would see through the disguise and understand her meaning.

He was sitting partially reclined, resting his chin on his fist in such a way that his expression was obscured. She had no idea if he knew or not, and he gave nothing away.

She swayed and turned her back to him, rising to her toes and stretching her arms over her head with the dark red fruit still held in her fingers. It was the move she should have performed instead of falling to her knees as she had. Waste not want not, as they say. She tilted backward and caught herself from falling, or at least gave a good impression of it, but before moving away again, she paused once more and looked back over her shoulder at him.

She held the fruit out for him as she had the host, only this time instead of slipping away with it still in hand, she lightly tossed it toward him.

He caught it easily, as she knew he would. Another second's pause, and then she moved, fearing that lingering much longer would give her away to more than just her intended audience.