Filled with a quiet determination, my heart still full of the astonishing joy of being loved in return, I made my way towards my father's house. The marketplace sounds faded behind me as I walked, the weight in my chest now different – not guilt or fear, but anticipation, nervousness, and the quiet, astonishing joy of being loved in return. I was going to tell my father, Karteros Pelidnos. It felt daunting, navigating his practical mind with the overwhelming emotional reality of what had just happened, but it was the necessary step on the path towards a life with Theano.
I found Father Karteros finishing his work for the day, sitting quietly in the yard, the tools neatly put away. The evening air was calm, smelling of cooling dust and the last warmth of the sun. My heart was not pounding with fear or guilt this time, but with a quiet determination mixed with nervousness.
"Father?" I began, standing before him.
He looked up, his face showing a patient question, the familiar lines around his mouth still. "Yes, Himerios?"
"I… I need to tell you something," I said, taking a breath. This felt different from trying to tell him about the voices. That had been a terrifying mystery he dismissed. This was a truth born from my heart, a truth about connection and love, something real and external. "It is about Theano Prasinos."
His expression remained steady, assessing. "Theano. A good girl. Daughter of Pistós."
"Yes," I confirmed, my voice a little stronger, finding courage in the memory of Theano's tearful smile. "Father, I… I love Theano." I held his gaze, trying to convey the seriousness, the depth of my feeling, the weight of the confession that had just passed between us. "And she… she loves me."
Father looked at me for a long moment, his grey eyes steady. Then he spoke, his voice measured, practical, moving towards the implications of such a statement. "You love Theano, and she loves you. This is… significant, Himerios." He didn't react with grand emotion, but with assessment. "How much do you love Theano?" he asked, his question direct, surprising me slightly with its personal nature. "And are you," he continued, his gaze searching my face, "are you really ready for all the responsibilities that come with a family? With taking a wife and building a household?"
My mind, which often swam with conflicting voices, felt momentarily clear. The answers came from a place deep inside me, a certainty born from the feeling Theano inspired, from the knowledge of my parents' own enduring bond. "Father," I said, my voice firm, filled with a conviction that surprised even myself. "We love each other… just like you and Mother love each other." I saw a flicker in his eyes at the comparison, something I couldn't quite read. "And yes," I continued, meeting his gaze directly, "I am ready. Ready for whatever responsibilities are coming. For her. For us."
A slow change came over Father's face. The careful neutrality, the practical assessment, melted away, replaced by a look of genuine surprise. Then, his face broke into a wide, sudden laugh, a happy sound I hadn't heard from him often, a sound that seemed to push away the usual quiet weight he carried. "Ha! Just like your mother and I, eh?" He stood up, his laughter still rumbling in his chest, and turned towards the house. "Philia! Euboa!" he called out, his voice louder than usual, full of unexpected joy. "Come quickly! I have news!"
God's voice, which had been observing the conversation with a focus on Himerios's responses as 'data points', now expressed surprise. "Unexpected emotional response from Father Karteros. High probability of practical assessment was anticipated. Laughter not predicted." Goddess hummed with a confused warmth. "Laughter? What is the feeling? It feels… good?"
Mother and Euboa came out of the house together, their faces showing concern at Father's unusual call, quickly turning to surprise as they saw his smiling face and my own nervous excitement. Mother's hands were dusted with flour; Euboa held a piece of cloth she had been working on.
"What is it, Karteros?" Mother asked, her voice a little anxious. "Is something wrong?"
"Wrong? No!" Father laughed again, walking towards them, his arm around Mother's shoulder. He looked at me with pride, then back at them. "Our Himerios here… he's decided it's time." He smiled broadly. "He has told me he wishes to seek betrothal with Theano Prasinos! He loves her, and she loves him!"
Mother's eyes went wide, her hand going to her chest. Euboa, standing slightly behind her, gasped softly, her eyes widening like a startled bird's. Both of them looked utterly shocked, their earlier concern replaced by disbelief.
"Karteros! Is this… is this really happening?" Mother asked, her voice hushed, looking from Father to me and back again. "Our Himerios? Betrothal?"
"Yes, Philia," Father confirmed, his smile still in place. "Our son has found his heart's path."
Mother's eyes filled with sudden tears, tears of joy and overwhelming emotion. She stepped away from Father and came towards me. She reached out, her hands covering my cheeks, her touch soft and warm. Then, she pulled me into a fierce hug, wrapping her arms tightly around me. She patted my back gently, a familiar comfort. "My boy is all grown up, now," she murmured into my shoulder, her voice thick with emotion. She pulled back, holding me at arm's length, her eyes wet but shining. "But you still look like a baby to me, Himerios. I… I can't believe this is happening."
Emotion choked my own throat, a mix of surprise, relief, and overwhelming love for my mother's unexpected reaction. Goddess resonated with her feeling. "Love! Deep feeling! Maternal bond! This is powerful!" God seemed quieter than usual, simply observing the display of emotion.
Mother turned back to Father, her face still wet with tears, and went to him. They hugged, holding each other close. Mother was crying more freely now, her body shaking slightly with the force of her emotion. Father held her, patting her back just like she had patted mine. He laughed again, a soft, loving sound this time. "Look at you, Philia," he murmured, his voice full of tenderness. "You're more a baby than our son."
Mother pulled back, giving him a gentle push. "Don't," she said, her voice high-pitched and choked with emotion, but low, not wanting to make a show of it. "Don't make fun of me." Father just laughed again, pulling her close.
He looked at me, his expression serious again, but the warmth from the laughter lingered in his eyes. "You know, Himerios," he said, his voice thoughtful. "I remember the day I told my own father I wished to seek betrothal with your mother. He asked me the same questions. And I… I said the same thing you did. Though perhaps," he added with a small smile, "not as young as you are now."
Mother, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, smiled. "Like father like son," she murmured, looking at both of us with love.
Father's expression grew serious as he turned his attention back to the matter at hand. "Theano is a good girl," he said, his voice returning to its practical tone. "From a good family. Respectable. And you say the love is mutual." He nodded, confirming his decision. "I agree to it, Himerios. We will proceed."
Euboa, who had been standing wide-eyed, silent and seemingly in shock through the entire scene, slowly came forward. She looked at me, her quiet eyes searching my face, as if seeing me for the first time. "Himerios?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, filled with her usual shyness and the lingering surprise. "Is… is it really you?"
Her question, her gentle shock, made me feel suddenly shy again, the overwhelming emotions of the last few minutes momentarily receding. I smiled hesitantly at her. "Yes, Euboa," I said, my voice soft. "It's me."
She came closer, her small hands reaching out. She patted my shoulder with her very small force, a feather-light touch. Her quiet eyes held a depth of emotion I hadn't seen before. "You… you've done a great job, Himerios," she whispered, her voice full of a quiet, earnest pride that reached something deep inside me.
Father, watching the interaction, smiled. "I will need to let Tolmaios know somehow," he mused, looking up at the sky, thinking of my older brother serving in the military. "He will be pleased."
The conversation turned back to the practicalities. Father began to outline the steps he would take, the necessary customs, the formal approach to Pistós Kyamelos. The laughter, the tears, the raw emotion of the family scene began to settle, replaced by the familiar rhythm of planning and structure. My life, which had just been filled with the overwhelming reality of love and emotion, was now moving onto a clear, practical path laid out by my family and tradition. We were going to seek betrothal. The steps were set. The future was, in that moment, bright with the promise of a life with Theano, a path agreed upon by my heart and sanctioned by my family.