Chapter 11

Eurydice crossed the garden, storming back into the house. Her sandals slapped against the polished marble floors, the sound mocking Eurydice with every step she took. Everything in the house repelled her, from its overly ornate trappings to the disgusting size of it all.

Orpheus was in the great room, waiting for her, with his chiton lazily undone at the shoulder. He was leaning against a divan of purple silk, and his relaxed posture was the only thing keeping him clothed. If he stood, his chiton would inevitably fall off. There was a barely corporeal shade standing behind the sofa, fanning Orpheus with a large leaf.

The massive atrium was covered in tapestries that told the story of Orpheus’s adventures in Greece and every one infuriated Eurydice further. It was a reminder of the life she hadn’t gotten in the mortal world—and while she had no complaints about her time in the Underworld, what loving husband decorated their marital home with accolades from their period of separation? A separation that Orpheus claimed was full of torment.

“Orpheus!” Eurydice hissed, startling the shade. The specter dropped the frond and disappeared. The sight of Orpheus lounging like royalty caused all of Eurydice’s frustrations to come boiling over to the surface. She had spent a week making excuses for Orpheus and trying to give him credit for adjusting to the Underworld, but his dismissal of her interests and refusal to meet Telodice was now setting her on edge.

“What is this?” Orpheus scowled, cracking one eye open. “I told you I wasn’t feeling well, Eurydice. I’m worried about writing a new song for another party this evening…” Orpheus’s hand dropped to his thigh, and he trailed it slowly back towards his navel, revealing most of his leg to her. “I thought you were going to come inspire me?”

“Can you genuinely think that I want to drop to my knees in front of you right now?” Eurydice hissed, thorns bursting through her skin as her anger manifested. Orpheus’s eyes widened, and he sat up straighter, his hands scrambling to tie his chiton closed.

“What the hell, Eurydice? Where is this coming from?”

“Where is this coming from?” Eurydice growled. Vines burst through the marble tiles around her feet, winding their way up her legs. “You have been acting like an ass since you arrived, and I won’t sign up for a life of this, Orpheus. I fucking won’t. Do you hear me?”

Orpheus’s expression darkened as his hands clenched into fists at his side. He jumped to his feet and took a few paces towards Eurydice before stopping himself short.

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about. You’re the one who doesn’t want anything to do with me! You won’t even touch me, and now you’re complaining we’re not getting along? Who does that?”

“Excuse me for not wanting to spread my legs for you!” Eurydice stabbed a finger in Orpheus’s chest. The thorns breaking her skin snagged on Orpheus’s tunic and ripped it. “You’ve been boorish and rude to me since you arrived. I don’t even remember who you are! This is hard for me.” Eurydice forced the words out. It was a dangerous game to admit any vulnerabilities to Orpheus, but after only a week, she had reached a breaking point.

“How dare you say you don’t know me!” Orpheus thundered, stomping his foot. He turned around and grabbed the nearest vase he could find, throwing it against the wall. Eurydice shrieked and covered her face with her arms as it exploded, sending shards of pottery all over the room. “Everyone knows me! Everyone knows of my grief for you. Even the rocks and the ghosts cried for you when you died!”

“But I did not!” Eurydice snapped. “This story—our precious, infamous story—is known by everyone, but I’ve already lost my memory of it. Do you understand how off-putting that is?” Orpheus”s brow furrowed as he stared at Eurydice, the expression on his face turning into something that Eurydice couldn”t place. He shook his head slowly, standing up to his full height and looking around the opulent room they were in.

Orpheus took a few steps towards the far wall, his gaze turning to one of the many tapestries that hung there. Eurydice followed his gaze, feeling queasy as she settled on the same one he was looking at. It was clearly a depiction of both Orpheus and Eurydice, but she couldn”t remember it at all. They were huddled together in a clearing in the woods, with trees and rocks crying around the couple, as Orpheus wept over Eurydice”s pale body. It made Eurydice”s stomach turn.

“Do you see?” Orpheus didn”t look at her, his eyes fixed on the tapestry. “Our love story is one for the ages. There is hardly a story in all of Greece that is more popular than ours.” Eurydice”s anger bubbled anew in her veins, and she found herself rubbing her temples, tempted to start tearing her hair out.

“This is what I”m talking about, Orpheus,” she growled. “This is fucking confusing and off-putting to see. Who wants a larger-than-life depiction of their death hanging in their home? There”re depictions of my dead body in every hallway and room in this damn house! Because it glorifies you and your fucking struggle. Well, I”m struggling now, Orpheus. And you”re only making it worse.” Eurydice”s voice cracked at the end as she turned away from the grotesque imagery, wrapping her arms around herself and hugging tightly.

I wish Pan was here right now. Eurydice found herself wishing for one of his hugs, to feel the sensation of how safe she felt in his arms. He had always been one of her most steadfast companions and... Now, here she was, fighting with her husband and dreaming of her best friend.

No wonder your relationship isn”t working. You”re certainly not helping dreaming about your best friend during an argument.

“Eurydice…” Orpheus was right behind her now, and she felt his hand on her shoulder. She said nothing and allowed him to gently turn her around to face him. “I had no idea.”

He did look rather miserable, as though this was a sudden realization to him. Eurydice sighed, feeling the weight of a thousand lifetimes instead of only one. How could you explain this to someone else?

“I’ll have the art all changed throughout the house. I swear it. Will that make it better?”

“Oh, fuck the gods,” Eurydice cursed, “it”s not only about the artwork, Orpheus! Are you kidding me?”

Orpheus”s face morphed again, immediately turning back to anger. His brow furrowed as his expression darkened, and a pang of fear trickled through Eurydice as she realized how quickly he switched moods on her.

“What the fuck do you want me to do then? How do you expect me to know what to do?” Orpheus growled, his grip on her arm tightened as he started to shake her. “You told me that the artwork bothered you. I can see that now. I”ll take it all down. Now, that”s what you want?”

“Let go of me,” Eurydice hissed. The thorns stretched across her skin grew taller, pricking Orpheus”s palm. He cursed and released her quickly, shying away from her.

“What do you want then?” Orpheus snapped, still staring at Eurydice like someone might look at an intruder they discovered halfway through robbing their home.

“The artwork is only a symptom of a bigger problem.” Eurydice sighed, some of her anger turning into exhaustion. “I don”t know how to explain that to you. You didn”t even understand why it might be bizarre for someone to be surrounded by artwork, tapestries, and statues of their own death! It”s all you write about, for god”s sake. On top of that, you”ve been practically awful to me ever since you arrived. You didn”t want to see Telodice; you haven”t had a conversation with me about anything other than your own inspiration and fucking songwriting, and you want me to jump back into bed with you as if nothing happened.”

Orpheus stopped for a moment, the air thick and oppressive between them. Eurydice was breathing hard, wondering if this was the right time to walk out of Orpheus”s house once and for all, their legendary marriage be damned.

“I can see how none of this has been fair to you,” Orpheus admitted quietly. Eurydice nearly fell to the ground in shock. The thorns and vines on her skin disappeared, and her mouth dropped open in surprise. The last thing she expected was Orpheus admitting that their relationship had had a power imbalance since the day he arrived in the Underworld.

Orpheus cleared his throat awkwardly and continued. “I put a lot of expectations on you after being obsessed with you for forty years. I remember all of our time together and you don”t. I didn”t stop to think about how differently seeing me again would affect you.”

That”s the problem, isn”t it? Eurydice”s thoughts were quick and biting, and they sounded remarkably like Pan. You didn”t think at all about your wife”s fucking feelings.

Eurydice said nothing and only nodded slowly, encouraging Orpheus to keep talking.

“I don”t want to lose you, Eurydice. You”re everything that makes me who I am. I”m nothing without you, and I know that. I think that”s why I”ve been so keen for our relationship to...go right back to the way it was. I don”t know who Orpheus is without Eurydice.”

Eurydice offered him a tight smile. “That”s very kind of you to say, Orpheus, of course.., but it”s not going to go back to the way it was. I don”t remember hardly anything from our time together. You spent the last forty years thinking of us, constantly being reminded of us. I know that. You need to understand that isn”t how I”ve been spending my time. This whole thing is like jumping into freezing water. I”m out of breath, trying to stay afloat.”

“If you would just indulge me, I know that you would…”

“You don”t know anything about me,” Eurydice cut Orpheus off, holding up a hand. “I know that you think you do, but I”ve become another person over the past four decades. If this is going to work between us, you need to commit to getting to know me as I am now. This version of Eurydice,” she pointed to herself, “not that version.” Eurydice indicated to the tapestry on the wall. “Do you think you can do that?”

Orpheus said nothing for a few long minutes. He slowly looked around the room, taking in all the finery that had been woven together from his lifetime in the mortal world. Eurydice”s heart was pounding in her chest, unsure of what she even wanted Orpheus”s reaction to be.

Do I want him to say yes? Do I want to simply walk out of here as a single maiden again? Eurydice”s thoughts frightened her when she realized part of her was hoping that Orpheus would agree it was better if they went in their own directions.

Finally, Orpheus broke the silence. He smiled warmly at Eurydice, even giving her a short bow.

“I understand, Eurydice, and I”ll do everything in my power to woo you again. To help you remember. To be a husband that you”re proud of. Would you do me the honor of attending a party with me tonight?”

“As your wife?” Eurydice raised a brow, skeptical of Orpheus”s rapid mood swings.

“As my date,” Orpheus beamed, clearly proud of himself, even though Eurydice needed to rake him over the coals to get him to understand.

You owe it to him and yourself to see this through, Eurydice reminded herself, forcing a small smile on her face.

“I’d be honored to attend tonight as your date, Orpheus.”

“Wonderful!” Orpheus clapped his hands together before nearly jogging out of the room. “Wear something pretty tonight, my darling!” he called back over his shoulder, and Eurydice felt nauseous.