In the panic of retreat, the only thing that Oeagrus could see was fire, and the fact that he was intoxicated didn't help very much either. Flames danced across his vision as drunken men ran past him, screaming at the realization that they were going to die. Oeagrus wanted to call after them, to beg for help, but he supposed that was what he got for his stupidity. Why did he think drinking before a battle was a good idea?

He half ran, half stumbled around in a frenzy as he pleaded to whatever divine being existed for a miracle. Oeagrus couldn't call anyone for help since he'd thrown his phone at a bird that morning so he screamed desperately for one of his comrades to help him in his drunken stupor, "Dionysus!"

Then again, Dionysus wouldn't be much help since he was most likely under the influence as well.

So when he spotted a river, he did the only thing any intoxicated man would've thought was sensible and jumped into the river. It seemed like a good idea until he remembered that he couldn't swim. Oeagrus could already imagine what people would say back in Thrace. Oh, yeah, you know King Oeagrus? Ha, the idiot drowned!

Oeagrus could feel death welcoming him when something grabbed him around the waist and hoisted him back on land. He hacked, coughed, and vomited water and wine into the river and collapsed on to his back.

The flames had died down and a droplet of rain splattered on to his face, then came several more. His savior's face loomed over him, blocking the his face from the rain. Her dark hair tickled his face and her white gown blew majestically in the breeze as warm blue eyes gazed down at him in concern. Damn, she's hot, Oeagrus thought.

~*~

Contrary to her eight sisters' belief, Calliope was not a creepy stalker. One would've thought that they would understand Calliope's fondness for the young Thracian King Oeagrus since their family was one that lived by music and the fine arts, after all. Dionysus's army drove by their home with tanks and cars, preparing for their invasion. They were singing happily, oblivious to the stares of pedestrians, with one baritone voice standing out above all.

Calliope knew it was a stupid decision. After all, she could've run into kidnappers or crazed drunkards but her curiosity won in the end. She'd never heard such rich singing from anyone outside her family before, hopped on her bike and went to investigate, telling her family that she was going to go for a quick ride.

She followed the merry group to a meadow, where they made camp, and she hid in the forest. The people gathered around a bonfire to sing songs about victory and wine. The young man whose voice Calliope had been so infatuated with joined in, his beautiful voice echoing across the clearing, and Calliope found herself falling in love. What's his name? she found herself wondering. He looks really familiar.

The man's powerful voice resonated throughout the meadow and forest. Some girls sat by him, giggling and stealing glances at him (Calliope preferred to think of them as nurses. That's what they were there for, right? Not girlfriends...).

The song ended and the man held the longest note. Calliope starred in awe and admiration, wanting to join in herself, but she was able to stop herself before she gave herself away. One of the (possibly) nurses squealed in delight and clapped her hands in delight. She latched herself on to the singer's arm and snuggled way too close for Calliope to not fantasize about her death. There you go, Calliope thought as she fumed with anger. Get real close, you sick bi—

"Oh, that was wonderful!" the girl exclaimed in a sickly sweet voice that sounded so fake that Calliope wanted to die from the cringe that ensued. "You're voice is just so perfect, King Oeagrus!"

So that's his name! Oeagrus! King Oeagrus!

She rode home that night and told her sisters about the king of Thrace's magnificent voice but they weren't as excited as she was. In fact, they seemed uninterested and didn't take kindly to Oeagrus.

"King Oeagrus?" Euterpe had said when Calliope interrupted her sister's flute practice to tell her, "The king of Thrace? All he does is gamble and drink. What's he doing in an army?"

Thalia had scrunched up her nose in disgust, looking up from her poetry assignment, and replied, "Ew, Oeagrus? That big, hairy drunk guy?"

And when she'd exclaimed that she was in love with him, Melpomene insisted that she stay away from Oeagrus since he was trouble. He came from a cruel wasteland of a country.

"He's going to ruin your life," Melpomene stated with a bossy know-it-all voice, "Stay away from him. And besides, you probably won't even see him again. You should just get over him."

Then when Calliope told them that he had the most beautiful singing voice and that she followed him, they all came to the conclusion that Calliope was a stalker.

She woke early the next day, throwing on a long white gown in case she had the courage to confront him today. Calliope left a note on the kitchen counter, ate a banana, and quickly fled the house. She ran as fast as she could in her gown (which, now that she thought about it, probably wasn't the best choice) to the meadow, hoping that the army hadn't left yet.

Her heart sunk in despair when she couldn't find the army or Oeagrus in the meadow. Calliope's hopes and dreams about marrying Oeagrus and raising a family together vanished into thin air. She began to trudge home in defeat and misery, texting Melpomene.

"U were right. He's not here. Fml"

A few seconds later, Calliope felt a buzz and checked her phone, seeing that Melpomene responded.

"C, I told u."

Just then, a familiar voice boomed across the meadow, "NINETY-NINE BOTTLES OF WINE ON THE WALL! NINETY-NINE BOTTLES OF WINE!"

Under normal circumstances, Calliope would've torn her hair out in frustration because she hated that song with a burning passion. However, Calliope recognized Oeagus's voice and, instead, was overcome by joy. She hurriedly texted her sister, "Wait, nvm. Found him," hiked up her skirts, and took off into the forest surrounding the meadow.

His strong baritone voice seemed to be calling to Calliope, beckoning her. With each step she took towards Oeagrus's voice, her determination grew stronger and her resolve never wavered. All she could focus on was Oeagrus, taking no notice of the end of her dress that was being dragged along in the mud as she ran.

She finally managed to catch up with the army and, once again, hid behind the safety of the trees. They traveled in vehicles but, thankfully, they moved slowly because of the tanks. As she followed them discreetly, Calliope could see why her sisters suspected that she was a stalker. Well, it's true love!

The army forged on all day (and she still didn't know where exactly they were going) and Calliope trailed after them. However, a girl couldn't stay entertained all day long by simply staring at people.

"R u srsly still following him?" Melpomene texted her around noon.

"Ya," she replied, slightly irked that the text had disrupted her game and made her lose.

Melpomene replied with what Calliope knew was exasperation, "Ur hopeless."

"Hopelessly in love, more like."

Melpomene decided to bug her even more around two o' clock, saying, "Ok, I'm done with u. Srsly, u need to come back now. That's an army! And armies fight stuff! Ur gonna get urself killed!"

After that, Calliope decided to just ignore her since every text Melpomene sent from that point on was nagging her to return home. Dionysus's party finally decided to make camp for the day, much to her relief. Calliope's feet were aching from walking all day and she was absolutely exhausted. She pat the ground beneath her to make sure it wasn't muddy as she didn't want to ruin her dress (sure, the hem was frayed from her journey but the rest was fine). She leaned against a tree, dreaming of her love Oeagrus, and fell asleep.

~

Calliope awoke to the sight of the forest burning around her and the sound of screaming. She shot to her feet in a frenzy and frantically scrambled around the burning forest, looking for something— anything— that could help her. A clearing, a river, a soldier, anything.

She whirled around to find a river. Yes, that was perfect! She just had to cross it, run across the clearing to the edge of the forest, and then she'd be safe! Suddenly, a warrior ran into the clearing, heading straight for the river. As the warrior ran, he quickly glanced back and Calliope caught a glimpse of his face before he jumped into the river.

"Oeagrus!" she shouted in her panic.

By the way he was flailing his arms and gasped for breath, she knew that he couldn't swim. Calliope thought that what she did next was quite reasonable for a girl who was in love with a drowning man. She dived in after him.

Her gown tugged downward at her and she felt herself being pulled underneath the current. Once again, she regretted wearing it. She yanked at her skirts and kicked her feet to propel her upwards to reach Oeagrus. I'm almost there, she thought as her hand strained to grab him. Her hand finally managed to latched on to his foot and she pulled herself up so that her face was level with his. She wrapped her arm around his waist and swam up as best as she could while carrying a large man.

Her face surfaced and she gulped for oxygen. Calliope paddled to the surface and dragged Oeagrus out of the river. The fire had died down and it began to rain.

"Are you okay?" Calliope mentally face-palmed after saying this. Of course he wasn't okay!

"Huh— I, um— Kinda," Oeagrus stuttered with wide eyes.

Calliopes heart rate increased dramatically. She was finally talking to Oeagrus! However, she had envisioned her first encounter with him a lot smoother. Oeagrus would be singing around the fire with his army. Halfway through the song, a soprano voice would joined his baritone. Calliope would emerge from the trees, looking very beautiful in her white dress, and Oeagrus would sweep her off her feet, kiss her, and tell her that she had a lovely voice. Instead, she was sitting over him, soaked with a tattered dress, and staring at him like an idiot.

"Thanks," he muttered awkwardly after a minute of complete silence.

"Yo— You're welcome," Calliope replied.

"You saved my life."

"I know."

"Thanks."

Calliope tried to stifle a giggle. She realized that Oeagrus was nervous around her as she was around him, which relieved her somewhat. "You already said that."

Oeagrus laughed, but it came out as a sort of choking sound, "Sorry, I just don't know what to say. Pretty girls don't save my life very often."

Calliope restrained herself from jumping with joy. He thinks I'm pretty!

As time passed, talking became easier. Calliope and Oeagrus sat by the river for what like an eternity and talked about music, family, everything. They sang and laughed, and it stayed that way until night fell once more and they finally kissed.

~*~

"No, no, no! You're doing it all wrong!" Oeagrus shouted in exasperation as Orpheus was bested yet again in another combat lesson. "Just go, maybe we could try again tomorrow."

"How was combat practice?" Calliope, Orpheus's mother, asked him kindly even though she was fully aware of how it had gone.

Orpheus grumbled and plopped down in his seat as a servant set a dish before him, "Horrible, as usual. Father started screaming at me again. Why can't he just accept that I'm no good at combat?"

"That's just how Oeagrus is, Orpheus," his mother said gently, as if she was talking to a five year old, "He's always wanted a son he could teach combat to, someone to bond with over sparring."

Orpheus huffed and angrily stabbed his steak. He scrunched up his face, looking rather ugly when he did so, and imitated in a deep voice, "Orpheus, you need to stop playing with your little toys and train! Orpheus, you can play all sorts of instruments but you can't even hold a sword properly!"

His mother looked up from her food to give him a stern look, "Orpheus, he's your father—"

"Mother, he's not even proud of me!" Orpheus exclaimed dramatically, "I'm eleven and I play six instruments professionally!"

He began to count them off on his fingers, "Violin, piano, harp, cello—"

"He's your father," Calliope insisted as if that resolved everything.

"How did you even fall in love with him? He's cruel, unfair, doesn't appreciate music, drinks..." Orpheus droned on and on about his father.

Calliope shook her head and sighed, allowing her son to continue his rant.

~

Orpheus had two types of "friends." There was no other kind or in between. They either fit into one group or the other. And he couldn't stand either one.

The first group of people was nice to him. After all, he was a prince and people didn't want to get on the King of Thrace's bad side. They'd would flash him blinding smiles whenever he passed by and practically plead to have him sit next to them at lunch. They were the biggest suck ups anyone could ever meet. One time, Orpheus simply commented that he had forgotten to bring a napkin and, barely a second later, he was in the midst of a whirlwind of napkins. Another time, he had simply grumbled about a teacher who had given him a zero on his homework. The next day, he saw her chased out of her classroom by a horde of angry students.

The second group was the total opposite. They would taunt him and laugh at him, especially he couldn't keep up in gym. To them, like his dad, the fact that Orpheus was a musical prodigy didn't matter. While Orpheus could rock a guitar, he couldn't even score a goal in soccer. While he could bring people to tears with the violin, he constantly fumbled with the basketball whenever they played. Apparently, in their world, that happened to be very hilarious. When he was younger, Orpheus tripped in over a worksheet in the hallway of the school and he dropped his violin case. He picked himself up off the floor and realized, to his horror, that a bully had grabbed his violin. "Come on, little prince," he taunted cruelly, "Why don't you play a song for us?"

Orpheus fumed but his voice shook as if he was about to cry (because he was), "Give it back!"

"What, are you going to tell on me?" The bully laughed, "I'm not surprised. The little pampered prince can't even fight his own battles!"

So Orpheus never told his parents.

~

"Orpheus!" his mother called up to him, "Euterpre is here for your flute lesson!"

"Coming!"

Orpheus loved when his aunts came over. They, much like him, didn't care for Oeagrus much and loved music. All of them were very skilled in the fine arts like his mother. They sang, danced, acted, played instruments, and wrote flawlessly and beautifully.

Orpheus entered the music hall with his flute. His aunt Euterpre sat patiently in front of a music stand and flipped through the sheet music. He took a seat next to her and the lesson began.

Whenever he played, Euterpre would praise him endlessly and applaud happily. Some pieces drew tears to her eyes and she would dab at them with the sleeve of her blouse. It wasn't the first time it happened, and Orpheus took much pride in his ability to portray such raw emotion in his music.

Over the years, Orpheus became famous, not because he was a prince, but because of his talent. He began to travel the world and played music for people of all races and nationalities. Girls threw themselves at his feet, begging for autographs and kisses. Once he reached eighteen, the legal marriage age, the fans became even wilder. It wasn't unusual for him to hear a random, "Marry me, Orpheus!" on the streets.

His mother began to grow wary of his fans. "They'll rip you apart!" she'd always say. She pestered him to get a wife so the fans would back off. Orpheus kept trying to tell her that he wasn't ready yet, and he had yet to find the right girl.

Calliope respected his wishes but still wanted him to get married. She understood that he wanted to find the one he truly loved, not just anyone. She didn't force him into any marriages, but she decided to just speed things along. The fans were becoming more vicious as the days passed by. She'd find a girl who seemed suitable, introduce her to Orpheus, and then let them do the rest to see how it worked out. If it didn't work, she would pass on another to him.

Orpheus appreciated his mother's concern but after fifteen girls, he was becoming somewhat irritated. However, when he was twenty one, his mother introduced him to the one he'd been looking for.

~

Orpheus heard a soft piano melody echoing up the stairs and into his room, as if beckoning him. He stopped in the middle of his cello practice to listen, trying to detect what piece it was. Chopin's Étude Op. 25 No. 11, a very advanced piece. Who was playing it? The only person who ever used the piano was Orpheus or one of his aunts whenever they visited. But Orpheus knew none of them came today. He also knew that it wasn't his mother, since she preferred the harp and played it the most. He decided to go downstairs to investigate.

He stopped hesitantly outside the music room but then slowly pushed open the door. To his surprise, an unfamiliar girl sat at the piano. She was so absorbed in her music that she didn't notice Orpheus standing at the door. He stood there and watched her play, completely absorbed by the music. Is this what I do to other people? he wondered curiously.

Her hands flew across the keys breezily and her gaze was intense. When she finished the song, she finally looked up and spotted Orpheus who was rooted to his spot at the door. She smiled sheepishly and minutes of awkward silence passed between the two until Calliope came. She smiled delightedly and said, "Oh, I was waiting for dinner to introduce you two but this will do just fine. Eurydice, this is Orpheus. Orpheus, this is Eurydice, a very talented pianist."

Eurydice shuffled her feet uncomfortably and mumbled, "Hi."

Orpheus blinked. He replied with a simple, "Hi."

"I'll leave you two to it," Calliope said, apparently oblivious of their discomfort. She closed the doors of the music hall behind her and they were left alone.

"So," Orpheus began in an attempt to make conversation, "how long have you played?"

"Fifteen years," she answered lamely.

"Do you play any other instruments?"

"Viola and harp. I'm best at piano, though."

"And how long have you played those?"

"Ten years harp, seven years cello." Another moment of silence.

"You should play again," Orpheus said after a while. "You're very good."

Smooth, Orpheus. Yeah, sure, she's good. What are you saying? She's not good! Her talent is a gift from the heavens!

She smiled and looked very pleased with herself. "Thank you. I've never heard you play, but perhaps you could show me today."

Orpheus felt himself turning red and stammered nervously, "Wait— P— Play for you?"

She flashed him another coy smile and teased, "Does the great Orpheus have stage fright?"

"No— I, uh—"

"Then come show me how it's done," she laughed. Orpheus didn't know if she was kidding or not. This nice, sweet girl intimidated him. It didn't help that she was pretty either. The sun coming in from the window glinted off her blond hair and her brown eyes sparkled with mischief. Worst of all, she didn't fit into either of the two groups. She wasn't a beggar or a bully.

He swallowed his anxiety and laughed with her, "Move over."

That one blissful day in the music hall changed everything because, that day, Orpheus fell in love with the girl who was different.

~

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Orpheus embraced Eurydice, who was now his wife, swept her off her feet, and kissed her through his tears of joy. He could feel her lips curve upward in a smile against his lips. Five years after their first encounter, they were actually married. Five years ago, if anyone had told Orpheus that he would fall in love with a strange yet kind girl who intimidated him and didn't fit into either of his two categories, he would've laughed in disbelief. He never regretted following the sound of the piano down the stairs and into the room that had started it all.

One year later, his perfect life was shattered.

~

"Orpheus, you're so slow!" Eurydice teased as she merrily skipped up a hill with the picnic basket.

Orpheus, too tired to reply, stumbled after her panting. She was already up the hill, bouncing elatedly as she spread the picnic blanket across the ground while Orpheus struggled. Everything was already set up by the time he got up there and Eurydice was innocently munching on a bag of chips.

They snacked on sandwiches, muffins, and apple juice that Orpheus packed. Afterwards, Eurydice went for a walk, telling Orpheus, "I'll be back soon."

He was sitting on the hilltop, playing a harmonica, when he heard Eurydice scream. Orpheus shot to his feet and frantically ran towards the screaming. Suddenly, it stopped. She's not—

He burst through the trees and the first thing he noticed the nest of snakes and a viper slithering back into it. His eyes fell upon the body of Eurydice. Her hair was fanned out around her head as if she'd been electrocuted and her body was positioned strangely, which made it seem like she fell into the snake nest. Several bites circled her ankles.

Orpheus dropped to his knees in stunned horror. He fumbled for her hand and desperately wished for a pulse to be there but there wasn't one. Orpheus wasn't aware of dropping his harmonica but he was aware of falling unconscious.

~

Orpheus didn't attend Eurydice's funeral. He wasn't in denial or anything and was fully aware that the only girl he ever loved was dead. He just didn't think he could take the pitying looks he'd been getting ever since her death anymore.

However, the following day, Orpheus approached her grave, flute in hand. She was dead, gone forever.

"Come back," he pleaded quietly with every ounce of desperation he could muster, "Come back."

Orpheus never wished for the scent of her lavender shampoo as much as he did then. He wished to see her lively eyes once more. He wished to hear her play one more song on the piano. His heart ached with longing and wishes that would never come true.

Orpheus closed his eyes, held the flute up to his lips and began to play. He poured all his emotions into the song, hoping the song would somehow reach her. He thought that if he poured out his heart to her, he could overcome the grief that now shrouded his life. The music enveloped him and he melted into the past.

"How many kids?" Eurydice asked.

"As many as you want."

She laughed and smacked him lightly on the head, "You're such a suck up."

"I just want you to be happy," Orpheus said seriously.

Eurydice kissed him on the head, "As long as you're here, I always will be."

A brief silence but it wasn't awkward like when they first met. This silence was comforting.

Orpheus music almost seemed like magic. It was as if the past had walked into the graveyard and opened its arms toward him. Orpheus obliged.

"I love you," Eurydice whispered as her fingers danced though his hair. "I love you so much."

Orpheus thought he could hear the faint sound of a piano.

"May I be the accompaniment?" Eurydice asked. Orpheus stopped playing his violin and nodded. She began the song with a soft waltz and Orpheus joined in, carrying the melody. The sound of their music resonated throughout the room and, in that moment, everything was perfect.

Orpheus finished his song and opened his eyes, feeling different. He felt at peace. True, Eurydice was gone but she'd always be in his heart. Perhaps the dead should stay dead.

Orpheus began to walk towards the exit of the graveyard but as he walked, his footsteps began to grow heavier. Look back, look at her one last time.

No, I can't. I don't think I can.

He pushed himself forward, towards the exit. She's with me, he told himself. However, he felt something pulling him backwards. He didn't know if it was real or not. And so when he was a step away from the exit, he looked back at her grave.

It all came crashing down. His hopelessness, despair, and weakness. The realization that she would be gone forever. The scent of lavender shampoo was gone, the light of her eyes were extinguished, and he knew he would never hear her play the piano ever again.

Orpheus didn't know how long he stayed there. Minutes, hours, or days? He woke in a hospital with the face of a doctor looming over him.

"Can you hear me?" the doctor asked.

All Orpheus could hear was the sound of the piano that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

~

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