~ Simon & Garfunkle | Waters of March

Asterius stood in the small herb garden that grew in front of Dianthus’ home. A mess of different spices, some he recognized from the various dishes she cooked for Theseus and himself: parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme… the red bulbs of Cretan saffron painted a vivid portrait in what was otherwise a sea of green.

Through the window of her house he could see Dianthus in her kitchen, washing freshly picked vegetables. She always sang when attending to a chore, and always grew shy when she had an audience. But to hear her voice, sweet and smooth like honey, was always a treat. And so he listened, and waited for her to notice him.

When she did finally spy him waiting outside, her song paused with a gasp. She peeked her head out, silently, then Asterius watched as she disappeared from view. It was only a few seconds later that he saw her bounding out the front door, and then into his arms.

“Asterius! What are you doing here? Did you just want to come see me?”

“I did,” Asterius admitted. “I wanted to visit you.”

“How sweet of you..” with a mischievous grin she pressed her face to his chest, half burying herself in his fur. The way she smiled at him always warmed his heart, and today was no different. They stood together in peaceful silence, for a time. Asterius watched as her gaze pried away from him, over towards the misty blue skies of Elysium. She tilted her head, poked at the golden frame of her glasses, and hummed.

“You know, Asterius, it was smart of you to wait out here. Doesn’t the weather feel especially nice today? It’s as if something is in the air… even the Lethe seems to shimmer so much more vibrantly than usual.”

Asterius gave a gentle snort. “It doesn’t seem different to me,” he admitted. He didn’t have the same sense of poetry Theseus or Dianthus did. As such, he often didn’t know what either of them were talking about.
There were times where he wished he was more elegant in that way, but such a skill would be wasted on him when he wasn’t much of a conversationalist to begin with.

“Asterius…!” Dianthus’ voice rang out, cutting through the cloud of his thoughts. She reached up to pat his cheek; a difficult task due to their height difference, but she managed. “You simply have yet to experience this day to its fullest! It’s not enough to simply be idle, you have to have fun with it, too! And I know just the thing!”

Without explanation, Dianthus gripped the bull’s hand, with the clear intention of dragging him off to who-knows-where. When Asterius did not wish to do something, he was easy to make himself akin to a brick wall. But the Lady Dianthus always had pleasurable plans, and this would surely be no different— and so he was content to be pulled around for now.

---

“My Lady Dianthus! Surely you are aware that I appreciate a good mystery every now and again… but won’t you please tell me what your plans are?!” Theseus pouted; he had been working on completing some documents for Lord Hades, but was promptly forced out of his noble bedroom and into the great outdoors. Asterius did not intervene, even while watching Dia half-coax, half-shove Theseus out of the house. “You have been dragging dear Asterius and I along for all this distance, and we’ve not understood for a moment what your intentions are!”

“You worry far too much!” Dianthus huffed in response. “Besides, we’re almost there.”

The layout of Elysium was strange and confusing; for those living within its vast fields, its gates would always lead to somewhere they wanted (or, if they’re unaware of their own desires, to somewhere they needed). But for those who did not belong to the realm, it was a veritable labyrinth. Dianthus, being the daughter of Elysium’s gardener, seemed privy to locations that others may find difficult to access.

The glade she’d brought them to seemed nearly untouched. Wild flowers grew abundant within it: Rock-roses blossomed low to the ground, dotting the plains with a soft pink. A smaller branch of the Lethe flowed throughout, shallow enough that pebbles could be clearly seen beneath its blue waters.

“Now that we’re here…” Dianthus reached beneath the pink fabric of her peplos, and pulled out a basket that she’d somehow hidden away. “It’s time we start setting up for our picnic!”

Theseus beamed, his eyes glittering at the reveal. “Oh~ho!! What a lovely idea, my lady!”

“I know!” Dianthus replied. “Theseus, I want you to help me set up. And Asterius, since you’re tall, you can pick some fruit for us!”

Asterius did not complain when Dianthus shoved a small basket into his arms (though he did grow slightly concerned when watching Theseus fumble with a quilt Dianthus had handed him; the king was elegant during battle and nowhere else).

Deciding it would be best to leave the king to his own devices for now, Asterius turned his gaze towards the fruit trees. Most carried figs, he noted. Some had grown overripe and fallen to the ground; the strange butterflies that fluttered through Elysium had settled upon them, idly drinking their sweet nectar. Careful as to not disturb them, Asterius reached for figs of his own. Theseus and himself liked them more than Dianthus, but she would not complain when presented with one, especially if it was cooked. He’d have to remember to suggest a fig cake to her when they returned home.

Once he’d picked enough fruit for three people, Asterius walked to the water that flowed through the glade. He first placed his basket into the stream, then sat beside it, allowing his feet to soak within the Lethe.
It was a small pleasure, to be certain, but there were few things he loved more than lounging in quiet tranquility… his sensitive ears picked up on the sound of Dia and Theseus fussing with one another as they prepared;they were certainly not yet ready for him to return. He chose, instead, to close his eyes.

Elysium’s breeze was gentle, and warmer than it had been recently. It was not always stagnant within the Blessed Fields. While the march of time was different here from how it was on the surface, the seasons did change. The summer nymphs who made their home within the fields would grow tired and rest, resulting in their autumnal cousins emerging from their slumber— the leaves of Elysium’s trees would turn red, and fall.

Dianthus had once told him that, were she full nymph and not half human, she would likely feel the same need to slow down and rest until the first coming of spring.
Asterius found himself glad that Dianthus was merely half nymph, and not whole. Even if her rest had only been a short one, he would have missed her dearly.

“Asterius, the lady and I are ready for you! Come quickly!” Asterius turned, and saw Theseus jumping up and down in an attempt to grab his attention (despite the fact that he already had it). Taking his basket of fruit with him, he stood.

When he returned to his lovers, Dianthus quickly took the figs from him. She gave each a quick inspection; he must have done a good job, for Dianthus gave a well satisfied nod once she had finished.

“Asterius, thank you so much!”, she said. “You’re the sweetest bullman in the world, did you know that?”

“I did,” Asterius replied, deciding to leave the fact that he was the only bullman in the world unmentioned for now.

Dianthus placed the basket of fruit next to her, then rummaged through the items she’d brought: a few bottles of nectar, some different fancy jams, bread (freshly baked), cookies made with pressed flowers, small sandwiches, expensive cheeses, a jar filled with unrefined sugar, silverware…

Distracted by the sheer number of items Dianthus had somehow managed to pack away, Asterius jolted when a small plate was shoved into his hands. A cut fig sat beside a piece of toasted bread, which had already been slathered with his favourite jam (in this case, raspberry). He looked up to see both his lovers looking at him expectedly; when he was still newly within the Blessed Fields, they’d always wait for Asterius to eat first during their meals together, always curious about what he liked, and what he didn’t. Now, it’d simply become a habit. Asterius took the piece of bread from his plate, and took as small a bite as he could… (which in the end, wasn’t a small bite at all).

“It’s good,” he said, and both smiled at him. No longer having any reason to wait, they started on their own plates (and fought, only slightly playfully, over who had the more intense sweet tooth.)

Watching them, Asterius couldn’t help but to smile as well.

---

Some time had passed since they decided to set up their picnic. No longer focused on food, Dianthus and Theseus had taken to chatting. Asterius would give his input only when he felt it necessary. They knew his quietness was not disinterest: he simply preferred listening to talking.

“ I almost forgot…I brought this!” Dianthus reached again into her basket, and pulled from it a bottle of ambrosia. The liquid within glittered as if it were truly made of gold. It was little more than honey and a bit of nymph magic, Dianthus had once explained, and yet it was a drink meant only for champions. “Theseus, I took it from your stash… sorry.”

“It is perfectly fine, my lady! …Though I am curious when you found the time to sneak it away with everything else you’ve brought!”

“Oh! Don’t worry about it.” Ignoring Theseus’ pout, Dianthus handed him a glass. She tilted the bottle of ambrosia into his cup, and the honeyed liquid shimmered within it. She did the same for Asterius, though he was always served a larger portion in turn.
Ambrosia tasted slightly different for all who drank it: Theseus claimed that, for him, the flavour brought to mind the same sensation he felt when he was victorious after a rousing battle. For Dianthus, it tasted like the joy of springtime. The first time Asterius tasted it, he found it flavourless. These days… it always made him think of the people he cared for most. Something like the dandelion wine Theseus loved so much, or perhaps the grapes that Dianthus would crush to make juice with…

Lost in thought, he did not notice when Dia had reached over to place her hand over his own. So small, and yet any fear that he may accidentally harm her had long since dissipated. Ambrosia clung to her lips. Though she’d only just taken a sip, her cheeks were already becoming rosy.

“It’s nice to spend time together like this, isn’t it?”, she asked him.

“Yes, it is.”

Asterius gazed down at his cup, which was dwarfed in his large hands. He might have felt bothered by it some years ago— another reminder of how the world was not made for monsters such as him. But he thought of how it was those same hands which aided Theseus in battle now, and later could just as gently twirl his finger into one of Dianthus’ long dreads (a rare privilege; the lady typically did not enjoy having her hair touched). Asterius could not love these features of his in the same way they did… and yet… the fact that he was loved at all made him feel content with them all the same. It made his chest swell with the same warmth he felt when he entered Elysium for the first time, the freedom to exist in a world that was bright and new to him.

Before taking his first sip, he turned his snout upwards to gaze at the endless blue of Elysium’s sky. The clouds borne from the mist of the Lethe passed idly overhead, occasionally blotting out the light of Ixion. A strong breeze caused the grass beneath him to sway, and the petals of the realm’s wildflowers danced alongside it. And when Asterius brought his glass to his mouth, and drank,he found that the flavour was richer than it had ever been before.