Pandora Gets Heart by Carolyn Hennesy Page A

chuckled graciously to the crowd, then cleared his throat, wringing his hands behind his back.
    The children Pandy had seen on the main walkway with baskets of bread appeared again, this time with jars of white orchid petals. As the crowd parted, they created a white runner leading past Zeus and Hera, on toward the dais.
    Euterpe stepped through the curtain, walking slowly and elegantly. Calliope followed several meters behind her. Then Demeter appeared with Iole holding her long hair of summer wheat. Within only seconds, Demeter’s hair changed to autumn leaves, which fell amongst the orchid petals, leaving Iole with nothing to hold. Then Demeter’s hair became winter icicles and Iole found herself sloshing through petal-filled puddles. Instantly, these dried as Demeter’s hair grew into green spring tendrils, and Iole rushed to catch her hair once again.
    As all three goddesses took their place around the dais, the four nymphs who had been dressing and styling the bride stepped through the curtain and into the hall.
    Then Thetis, her lips pursed but her head held high and her eyes staring straight ahead, walked into the room. She was resplendent in her gold gown and robes, her hair piled high on her head and studded with rubies and pearls, matching the gems on her long, slender neck. But no sooner had she appeared in the entryway than, before anyone could get a look at her face, the four nymphs dissolved into a gold mist, swirled about Thetis for an instant, then settled over her hair and face, creating an exquisite golden veil and giving Thetis a golden glow. Even Zeus gasped as spontaneous applause broke out among the guests.
    Walking forward, Thetis acknowledged her reception through the veil, nodding to as many of the immortals as she could. Then she spied Zeus on his throne, and her step faltered. Zeus bit his lip and furrowed his brow, subtly jerking his head toward the dais. Within moments, a soft sobbing could be heard underneath the golden shimmer.
    “That’s right, sweetheart. Cry those pretty tears, but keep walking,” Hera muttered.
    With another flick of his finger, Zeus moved Thetis forward quickly until she reached her father and her waiting groom. As she stepped up onto the dais, the musicians ended their melody and the crowd was hushed once again. Iole, so close to the proceedings, was fascinated by the unfolding, symbolic drama. But Thetis’s sobbing was slightly more than symbolic, and an uncomfortable tension began to build until Zeus, unseen by anyone, silenced the bride once and for all. Peleus just stood in front of Thetis, awestruck at her beauty, even hidden by a veil, until Nereus prodded him with his elbow.
    “Oh!” Peleus said. “Right . . . right.”
    He grabbed Thetis’s wrist to show to all assembled that she was now his “property,” while Nereus said the traditional words:
    “In front of witnesses, I give this girl to you.”
    Hera coughed loudly.
    “And it’s about time,” she said under her breath.
    Pandy and Alcie reached for each other’s hands. This was the moment, the one every other aspect of the ceremony had been leading up to . . . the formal unveiling; Peleus would look upon Thetis for the first time as his wife.
    Pandy squeezed Alcie’s hand tightly. A hush fell over the crowd as everyone held their breath and guests strained over one another to get a first glimpse of the bride. Peleus reached for the hem of the shimmering veil and as he did, a single nymph broke from the bottom of the mist and soared overhead, regaining her own form.
    The crowd gasped in delight and Peleus reached forward again.
    Without warning, the hall was rocked by a huge crash as something enormous hit the wooden doors behind Pandy and Alcie. It was so loud that several immortals screamed as everyone turned to look. Another crash followed quickly; the bolt held firm but the left door was beginning to crack and splinter.
    “Centaurs!” Alcie cried.
    But Pandy knew in a flash that it