Sappho in Violet and Gray by K.A. Masters

Author:K.A. Masters [Masters, K.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: JMS Books LLC
Published: 2022-09-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5: The Wife

As she left Kerkylas’ house, Sappho’s footsteps took her not back home, but to the Temple of Hera. She wanted to send a prayer to the goddess to protect the soul of her lost student, and to feel the comfort of the fabric woven by another woman close to her heart.

As she walked up the temple’s steps, she recognized one of the beggars resting against one of the temple’s outdoor columns. Sappho’s heart fluttered, then dropped.

“Anactoria?” she breathed.

A tear-stained face stared up at her. “Sapph,” she replied sheepishly.

Sappho knelt beside her, placing a hand upon her cloaked shoulder. “Tori, my love, what happened?”

Anactoria fell into her arms and wept. As Sappho held her, her lover’s cloak fell open, revealing the damage. The last time she visited the temple, her Tori had knelt with poise and grace as she dedicated her decadent robe to the statue of the goddess; her honey-brown locks were pinned up in an intricate series of braids, with springtime flowers twinkling in the sea of her hair. She had flowed down the temple steps like water, and her smile shone so brightly that it put the sun to shame.

The woman in her arms now was burned, broken, with an infant tied to her bosom. Her hair and gown were still covered in ash and soot. Her body was still swollen and uncomfortable from recent birth. Both of her hands were bandaged and bound, and her bare calves and swollen ankles were covered in angry red blisters.

“Tori, please. Come with me. Let’s get you some food and a bath. You don’t have to tell me anything. Just—let’s get you comfortable.”

“I can’t impose,” she said, adjusting her grip on the baby with her bandaged hands. “The temple can—the temple will take me in. I don’t want to inconvenience you.”

“I insist, love. Come home. Please?”

She nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”

Sappho helped her rise to her feet. As she saw her lover waddling down the temple steps, she asked, “Do you need a litter? We can get you one…”

She shook her head. “No. I think I’ll be fine. It’s just been a hard trip.”

Sappho cooed in sympathy, placing her hand upon Tori’s waist for support. “When was the last time you’ve eaten?” she asked. Her hand instinctively went to the green kerchief in her pocket, but cursed as she found it empty.

“Oh, the temple fed me.”

“Do you think you’ll want a snack before dinner? You will stay for dinner, won’t you?”

“I just don’t want to impose,” she replied apologetically.

Sappho waved her hand dismissively. “Nonsense! I am always happy when you visit.”

As soon as they entered the threshold of Sappho’s family home, she asked the kitchen workers to fetch her a hot bath. She helped Tori climb the stairs to her bedroom, then settled her on a cushioned chair while the bath was being prepared.

While they were waiting for the water to be heated, Sappho knelt by her side and asked, “Will you need a doctor for your hands?’

“Oh! I’m fine, really,” Tori replied nervously, seeming embarrassed for needing help.

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