Bliss

Chapter 4

Some years later, when Bliss was still a child but only just, she sat fidgeting as Hermes gave her a geography lesson. He had projected a map on the interior wall of the Eros and Psyche's Palace, and he was regaling Bliss with various stories from his travels on Earth. More than any of the Gods, Hermes had been to every corner of the Earth and met every kind of human.

Just as Bliss's patience was at an end, Hermes produced, as if by conjuring, a small pastry. He held it out in his hand.

"This, my dear girl, is a honey cake. It's made by the Norseman who worship Odin and it contains fruit as well. Try it."

Bliss took the pastry eagerly and took a bite. She delighted in the sensation of fruit mixed with honey that had been baked together in a gluten-y package. She chewed slowly, taken in each sensation.

"See," said Hermes, "Geography is fun. Next time I'll introduce you to something called sugar cane. I promise you won't be disappointed."

Bliss smiled. "Thank you, Uncle," she replied. Truthfully, Hermes was her favorite God-Uncle. Her only human uncle was King Nikoloas, whom she loved dearly, but she had so many God Uncles and half uncles, she sometimes lost track. Most of them there were married to her God-Aunts and it was all very mixed up compared to the human world.

Still, Bliss was happy to spend time in both worlds. Atlantis was always full of sights and sounds and smells that were chaotic and wonderful. She loved playing games with Jason, swimming with him in the creeks and listening to him sing. She also loved her father's palace and all the un-earthly delights it held. She could hear the singing of muses, sample ambrosia and look at the galaxies and stars in all their colorful glory.

She truly felt blessed and lucky to be who she was, and part of her wished it would always be this way. She liked being a child and learning things, the occasional tedious lesson notwithstanding. She had heard tell of gods and goddesses, like her Aunt Athena, who had been born grown-up. That sounded terrible to her, to have never been a child.

She was grateful that her parents had made certain she would experience childhood, even though she looked forward to becoming an adult. There were adult things, secrets, that she wanted to know and experience. The things the adults whispered about and said they would explain when she was older.

Hermes's voice broke through her thoughts. "Kitten," he said, "I wish I could stay and finish the lesson, but I've been summoned by your Grandfather Zeus. No doubt it's some tedious mission to somewhere not nearly as pleasurable as here. Can you find your way down to your mother in the library by yourself?"

Bliss rolled her eyes. She had been born in this palace, and she knew her way around.

"Of course, Uncle. I'll see you next week."

Hermes winked at her and flew away in an instant. So, Bliss began to skip her way down the hallway and past a large wooden doorway that led to the Western Tower of the palace. She'd passed this doorway countless times, and she never thought much of it. The palace was so large, with so many rooms and corridors, that she doubted even her father had explored everything. But to her surprise, Bliss found that the large wooden door was ajar. She couldn't recall it ever having been open.

Bliss looked around to see if any of the servants or anyone else was present, but all was quiet. She thought for a moment that perhaps she should ignore the open door, but then she smiled softly. This was an opportunity, she thought, and she pushed the door open. She then found herself inside a stairwell that was no different than the stairwell of the Eastern Tower where her bedroom was. She climbed the stairs, noticing the smell of dust and mold that was highly unusual in the palace. It was like the servants did not come here to sweep or clean the way they did elsewhere.

Bliss's small, energetic feet carried her swiftly up the stairs, past several locked doors. She climbed higher and higher and higher. She didn't know what she would find at the top, or even if the door would be unlocked. When she finally reached the top, she found a wood door to be open. If it was like the Eastern Tower, it would lead to a chamber with windows and a balcony. She pushed her way inside, and she found what looked like a small library, with books on shelves and strewn across tables. Wall space not taken up by the books was decorated by hanging swords and shields. This surprised Bliss as her father was not a warrior, and he only used his bow and arrow for the purposes of matchmaking. Bliss was only familiar with weaponry at all from her time on Atlantis. War and fighting simply weren't concerns here in this place.

As she looked around, Bliss felt a chill. This, again, was not familiar. The temperature at the palace was always temperate.

She paused and looked around. "Strange," she whispered. Her heart began to beat in her chest, which was an unfamiliar sensation. Her natural state, after all, was calm.

Bliss was not yet at a point where she could be fearful in her parent's palace. This was her home. She had been born here. Nothing could harm her here. This is what her head was telling her, but her heart, the one that was beating in her chest, was saying something different.

Bliss walked toward the door to the balcony and pushed it open. She strode through the door, her eyes squinting at the sudden brightness. Her skin was soothed by the warmth out there, and as her eyes adjusted, she realized she was not alone.

Standing on the edge of the balcony, with his wings spread behind him, was her father. He smiled at her.

"How is it you've found yourself up here?" he asked. The question was playful, but Bliss also sensed something else in his voice. She wondered if it was worry, and her father never worried about anything.

"The door was open," she replied. "It's never open."

Whatever he was feeling, she was delighted to see him and delighted to see his wings manifesting. She ran up to him and he leaned down and scooped her into his arms. He held her aloft so she could see the whole of the palace, the gardens below, the fields and hills, and the clouds beyond. In the sky, very distant, she could see the blue, shining orb that was the Earth. That was where Uncle Nikolas lived and cousin Jason. That's where her mother had been born.

"What do you say we fly down to the gardens? I think your mama is down there somewhere. Perhaps we can surprise her?"

Bliss nodded enthusiastically, and she closed her eyes and manifested her wings. Her mother had a habit of staying in her most human form, and Father often did the same around her mother.

"Race you?" said Eros.

Bliss grinned and darted out of her father's arms and flew toward the ground, laughing as she did so. As she went, she turned around to see if her father had caught up with her. She thought for a moment she saw the figure of a young boy, dressed in black, standing on the balcony. Before her eyes could even focus, her father raced past her.

"Catch me if you can," he shouted.

She flapped her wings and caught up with him, giggling. She quickly turned around again and saw that the dark figure was gone, if it had ever been there.