• This was it, I’ve been training for twelve years and now it is finally paying off.

    I come from a family with very powerful and influential women: my grandmother was a queen, my aunt Aspasia is now, and my mother, who is the youngest daughter, became a priestess.

    I’ve been around priestesses my entire life and have trained for this position since before I could sit up; this is all I have ever wanted . . . . or so I believed at the time.

    ۞ ۞ ۞

    My name is Korrina and I was twelve when I was forced into being became the Goddess Artemis’s head priestess and I was welcomed with open arms by the other women who served her, but being a priestess is far less glamorous then I was told by Myrrine.

    I am the only child of a Spartan named Xenephone and the Priestess Myrrine, I never met my father but then again I barely know my mother with all things considered. Myrrine is the head priestess of Aphrodite and that’s who she wanted me to serve, I never felt comfortable with how Aphrodite was so open to other men while she was married and she is worshipped for it, while in the mortal’s land women were outcasted for that; but I fell in love with Artemis when I was very little and I was taken to her temple for the first time.

    I was about three years old; Myrrine took me on a trip to Ephesus because she was starting to feel restrained in her temple. It was a spur of the moment trip, fueled by anxiousness… and the fact that the oracle at Aphrodite’s temple had requested Myrrine to go to there and fetch her sister, Tryphaina, and bring her back to Lebedus. Myrrine, always looking for some sort of adventure to prove herself, eagerly accepted this trip to foreign land.

    My mother had only come to this town once before and that was when she had met Xenephone. They were there for their careers, he is the head soldier to the king of Phocaea, King Chariton. Xenephone was sent there to scout new soldiers and communicate with the soldiers of Ephesus; Myrrine was there because she was on a spontaneous trip (as mentioned above) with her sister, my aunt, Queen Aspasia of Bakchos. Myrrine and Xenephone met in the marketplace and both of them being lonely, and loose, they hooked up and I came to be. My father has no idea of my existence but my mother says he wouldn’t care anyway; he has apparently sired many children before.

    Anyway, when I went for the first time I was overwhelmed with the sights, sounds and smells of this new polis I’d never seen before- everything was so different then from my home town of Lebedus. I was so distracted from all of the colors and people around me that I didn’t even notice the giant temple looming over the polis, but when I saw it it took my breath away.

    “Mommy, whose temple is this?” I had asked.

    “Korrina, you should know this.” Exasperated, Myrrine answered me, “This is the temple of the goddess Artemis.”

    “It’s so beautiful mommy, they must really love her. Did you know that she is my favorite goddess? When I become a priestess I want to be a priestess to her.”

    “Is that really what you want?”

    “Oh yes!”

    “Well getting a job as a priestess is very hard; I was hoping you would stay with me and become Aphrodite’s priestess. But if this is really what you want I can talk to them. However we need to find Tryphaina first.”

    Well as you can tell Myrrine was able to pull some strings and make me the head priestess to Artemis when I became of age- which was when I had turned twelve.

    Up until I turned six, Myrrine and I had made many trips from Lebedus to Ephesus, once I turned six Myrrine arranged for me to stay in Ephesus and live at Artemis’s temple, that’s where I’ve been ever since.

    ۞ ۞ ۞

    My life had been very basic: sleep, eat, and study. I needed to eat breath and live Artemis. Lucky for me I grew up with a priestess so I knew what to expect, I past my test with a breeze. For three more years my life didn’t change much except that I now lead ceremonies and help people with their problems- I’m the most respected woman in the town. And that brings us to right now, and the problem I just faced that could change my life forever.

    I was walking down Main Street in ankle-length light blue garb that is traditional in my temple during ceremonies, and I carried a pitcher of water that would be used in that night’s ceremony to help aid me in communicating with my Goddess.

    As I walked through the marketplace vendors called out their sale prices over others’ calls; children ran in the street and played with each other, filling the rolls of various Gods while being careful not to offend any; and women and their companions were buying food and items from various merchants.

    It was at that moment that my life had changed forever. There on the side of Main Street, telling stories of the Gods to six young children, was the most handsome man I had ever seen. He has dark brown hair and light green eyes, he’s fairly tall- but coming from a short brunette anyone is tall- and has the most gorgeous face of any mortal.

    As I walked by I couldn’t help but staring, he looked up from the children and gave me a smile that melted my heart. He walked over to me, the children followed.

    “Who’s she?” one of the girls asked the man. I was about to answer her when the man started talking.

    “She is the renowned Priestess Korrina, Chara”

    “Oh wow, you’re amazing!” the youngest girl whispered from behind the man’s legs.

    “Thank you, that’s very nice of you.”

    “Well it’s very true” the man said, “I’m Theron and these are my nieces and nephews: Nikon, Photios, Chara, Astraia, Mathaios, and Zosime.” Each child in turn smiled and said hi when their name was called.

    “You guys are so adorable.”

    “Thank you Priestess Korrina” the children said together.

    “So it looks like you have a ceremony tonight.” Theron observed.

    I chuckled. “Yes I do, tonight is when we recognize our hunting prosperity this year as Artemis’s generosity.”

    “That sounds fun. I was actually wondering if-“ he was cut off by a woman that looks slightly younger then Theron.

    “There you are kids, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

    “Oh hi Celandine. This is one of my younger sisters Celandine,” he introduced, “and Celandine this is-“

    “Oh my, you’re Priestess Korrina! It’s so nice to meet you. Artemis is my favorite goddess and you have no idea how amazing it is to meet the person that directly serves her.”

    “Thanks Celandine. And it’s nice to meet you to.” I said slightly taken a back that there are so many people so excited to meet me, and actually know who I am.

    “It was really nice to meet you but the children and I need to go know. Come on kids, and thank her for her time.”

    “Thank you Priestess Korrina.” they said in unison again.

    “You’re welcome children, and feel free to visit me anytime.” All of the kids left with Celandine, but Theron stayed.

    “They are so adorable, I love children. I hope to have some of my own one day” I said.

    “I know what you mean; children are one of the most precious things in life.” Oh my Goddess, this man is absolutely perfect- I think I’m in love.

    “You’re very lucky to have such adorable nieces and nephews. I only have a cousin and I never see her.”