She dreaded the moment she woke up. Helios's spirit reigned supreme as the sun blessed everyone with his presence. The golden light that tickled the horizon was a supreme panorama—a far cry from the unceasing storm of the cursed homeland. But glorious the morn was, a fat nimbus cloud hovered about the beautiful foundling whose silver eyes drooped down in sadness.
Ever since that nightmare, enduring those burning touches the entity imprinted on her, Glaucia has been forlorn and shied away from the crowd. The old couple noticed this change in bearing. They remembered her violent reaction to her nightmare, but never seemed to connect the dots about whether such was the probability of her downheartedness.
Glaucia smiled at them when they uttered sweet salutations, but it only lasted seconds. There was no warmth, just a respectful response to them. Then there was also the sorrowful lady's appetite and health. The morning was her enemy, vomiting, and she could not even take her meal, even for just one bite. Paeona, the three-legged puppy, and Hoplitus the half-blind kitten were the champions of that dire time as they feasted on Glaucia's meal. Their fat bellies were one of those things that made her giggle.
Poor Glaucia remained in the family's space, for she did not understand what her body was going through. Mama Elpida was concerned, thinking it might be the usual fishermen's dilemma—seasickness. However, one time, she and her foundling stepped onto the deck—the waves did not curse her with the sickness. Oh, how the old lady worried so much that she knew not how to aid Glaucia. At that same moment, the sun was oddly brighter, and when Glaucia looked at her with the rays beaming on her eyes, showcasing her beauty and her distinct silver orbs that were like an owl, Mama Elpida noticed this glow on her. It was a glow she was very familiar with. It was the type of luminance that was the very core of womanhood. With only a speculation, the old mother shoved the notion off, thought of it as just mere seasickness, and they headed back to their room.
For now, it was noon, and the air was not harsh. Glaucia slept, still not having a small sip of her soup. Papa Aegeus was there, tending to their animals, and Mama Elpida was busy with her little loom.
"The child has been gloomy these days." Mama Elpida said as she dallied with the wool.
"I noticed as well." Replied Papa Aegeus, gazing at her, then back to tending the two goats. "I am worried, my dear."
"I am worried too, dearie." She paused, looking at the sleeping Glaucia, and sighed deeply. "She has been too downcast. She does not even interact with our fellow migrants. I do not want her to become an outcast." Sadness lingered in her voice that Papa Aegeus understood. "But you know what, darling—I noticed something." Papa Aegeus went closer to her, sitting beside her loom as he leaned his head against the wall. "I noticed that she may not eat, but when she asked for food, it was like a feast!"
Papa Aegeus laughed and remembered how, last night, when Glaucia felt a strong hunger, there was a lot of food laid out for her. Fortunately, the ship's cook was very understanding and believed Glaucia was sick, having just recovered. "Last night was indeed a feast! But did she throw up this morning?"
Mama Elpida nodded. "She threw up this morning. I am more convinced now that she—" She then momentarily stopped in her weaving as she stared at the wall, then back to Glaucia. "Oh, I do not know!" She exclaimed. "I have this feeling of certainty but also second-guessing."
"What is it?" Papa Aegeus raised a brow. "Don't let your unsaid thoughts eat you! Do tell and let me ease what worries you."
His wife took a deep breath as she fully stopped in her weaving. She stared directly at him, hoping his reaction wouldn't cause her more distress or wake Glaucia up. "Alright—this is just a hunch, my dear. A woman's intuition—a mother's intuition!" Papa Aegeus listened intently. "I noticed this glow on her. The child is beautiful. Those men who saw her were willing slaves, and some women envied her. She is a literal princess in the flesh. Somehow, this glow I observed is different."
"Glow?" The old man's mind was lost in a puddle.
"Yes, dear Aegeus, glow." Mama Elpida emphasised. "A woman's beauty is clearer when she is pregnant." She slowed on her last word.
Pregnant. The idea of Glaucia with a child was never a thought that sparked inside Aegeus. His eyes grew wide when her voice resonated.
Pregnant.
Pregnant.
Pregnant.
Their sweet, and now cheerless, Glaucia—pregnant?
Papa Aegeus's eyes navigated back to the sleeping foundling and considered what his wife shared, recalling Glaucia's behaviour these past days. They have been sailing for many sunrises and sunsets now. He knew they were now far from their motherland and knew more of his lovely foundling. Papa Aegeus noted that before this sadness, Glaucia was bright-eyed, curious, and smiled despite not fully understanding everything around her. Recently, she became very secluded and sickly. He then remembered Elpida when she was young and pregnant with their daughter, Vivinna. The same sickness, the same pattern of behaviour, though Elpida was more resilient compared to Glaucia. Aegeus then understood and agreed to his wife's suggestion.
"Oh, if I am right, my dear, I pity our foundling. She knew nothing of her past. Now, she is about to embark on a new chapter in her life." Mama Elpida sadly said as she also stared at Glaucia.
"Now that I think of it, it is a possibility, my dear, that our Glaucia is with child. I remember those memories when you were pregnant with Vivinna. You acted the same. If our thoughts were right, perhaps she was married before the chaos happened?"
"In Zeus's name!" His wife exclaimed when she turned to face her loom again. "Poor Glaucia had been through a lot of tragedies! However, we shall not fret yet. We could be wrong, but my instincts said otherwise."
"I trust your notion, my dear. A woman's intuition—especially when it comes to pregnancy—is something god-like." Papa Aegeus comforted her as he held her hand. "We promised to be there for her no matter what. If such a hunch you have is confirmed, then we double our vow. There is always room for a newcomer." He then smiled at her, to which she responded in the same way.
Night came with the same million stars twinkling in heaven. As the family had dinner, Glaucia took small sips of her soup, bringing smiles to the old couple. She improved, as the old couple thought. Glaucia finished the whole soup and even asked for more.
Once Glaucia had her second bowl of thick soup, Mama Elpida took her hand and felt her pulse. There was no available barley to determine if their suspicion was correct, at least, feeling her foundling's pulse was a good option for now. Mama Elpida put her two thumbs together, readied Glaucia's wrist, and then placed her fingers to check her pulse. There was no exact reading of her beating at first, giving the old woman a notion that what she suspected was nothing more than a cumulation of growing worry and false imaginings. Yet, on her second try, the exact beat of Glaucia's pulse doubled, likened to a woman with child. Mama Elpida gasped and tried again. Nonetheless, it was confirmed, and her foundling's pulse never lied.
"May the spirit of Hera and Eileithyia be upon you, my child." She smiled at her curious foundling, trying not to shed a tear. "Oh, my dear! You are really with child!"
Papa Aegeus paused on his meal when she announced the news.
Glaucia's eyes grew bright, though there was little understanding of her old mother's glee. She looked at her Mama Elpida and cupped her face, wanting more answers to her silent inquiry.
"Yes, my dear. There is a baby inside you. I knew it! Oh, I know what you were experiencing is not a melodramatic act of a woman. Instead, it is the beginning of motherhood. Fear not, my child, for your mama and papa are here to help you." Mama Elpida joyfully exclaimed.
"Oh, my dear—such wonderful news!" Papa Aegeus added as he placed down his food to give his foundling an embrace. His old eyes were not spared from the joyful tears that were about to stream down.
The silver-eyed beauty was in awe when her mama placed a hand on her belly. She had not yet fully comprehended the scope of the event. The old couple then slowly explained about a baby inside her womb. Owing to the patience in her heart, the old woman even gestured with her arms the gentle cradle motion of lulling a baby to sleep. Then, by some ray of miracle, Glaucia finally understood what her parents were rejoicing about.
"Baby…" Glaucia muttered in a hushed tone, enough for Mama Elpida to hear her.
"Yes! A baby, my dear. You are soon going to have a baby!" Mama Elpida confirmed as she took her hand and kissed her soft palm.
"Motherhood is a blessing, my child." Papa Aegeus added as he wiped the tears from his aged eyes.
"Baby…" Glaucia repeated, seemingly in a daze, when the information finally sank inside her head.
Suddenly, a running montage of images came before her—a crying baby in her arms, tears in her face, and the monstrous night that blanketed her and her baby was trailed with roaring thunderclaps and intense rain. The scene was frightening, but then it morphed into a burst of bright sunshine with the same baby now quietly sleeping as she hummed a song.
Glaucia hummed the same song in her vision, lightly gesturing the same cradling motion with her arms as she stared blankly ahead.
Enfolding her foundling's hand between her warm palms, Mama Elpida smiled at her, elated to know that Glaucia was not ill nor declining into senselessness. "Good to know you are not plagued with disease, my dear. Oh, it would pain us to know if you are. Yet, it turned out to be a different result. A baby. Our sweet Glaucia is having a baby."
"You will now have a good excuse from your daily chores, my dear." Papa Aegeus jested while taking the dishes out. "You need to rest early, Glaucia. We need to watch your health since a new life is growing inside you."
"Baby…" Glaucia mumbled once more as she listened to her Papa Aegeus's guidance.
"A baby indeed, my dear." He said, and with his wrinkly finger, Papa Aegeus poked Glaucia's nose, to which she awoke from her musing and laughed.
As the night deepened and Glaucia slept peacefully, the old couple were conversing—sharing their worries now that it was confirmed that their foundling was increasing.
"I fear what the other people might say. You know how some would despise a pregnant woman with no husband." Mama Elpida told Papa Aegeus as they sat and lit some oil lamps.
"I know, darling. I know the dishonour these people will place on us. But we knew nothing of our foundling's past. She is a mystery herself. We must be the wise folk here, and let us settle on a false history. Let us go with your judgment that perhaps the child is indeed married before all of the chaos happened. We must tell that tale to those curious people once they ask about her. We must protect her and the baby."
"Yes, yes. We should do that. Our sweet girl was once married to a soldier, and that soldier died when the battle of heaven and earth erupted. It may be a false account, but it is believable."
"Believable enough to save our foundling away from prying eyes and sharp tongues. We should also add that Glaucia is a distant kin. A cousin's daughter, perhaps?"
Mama Elpida nodded, approving of his proposition. "We shall say that once questions are raised. Once we arrive at this promised land, we shall tell Vivinna. Before I forget, darling—tomorrow we shall also share this with Glaucia. We may not be certain if the child completely understood every word we said, but at least she knew of this history of hers."
"It shall be done." Papa Aegeus then kissed her forehead. "We shall sleep now, my dear. Who knows, tomorrow might be another surprise." Slicing through the earnestness of the eventide, the old man yawned, causing a little laugh from his wife. "Old age seemed unkind that sleep is upon me so greatly. Now that I have paused in fishing, my body has become lazy."
"Then we shall sleep now." Mama Elpida obliged before letting out one more giggle.
***
Another day came, and what Papa Aegeus and Mama Elpida had planned the night before was done. They sat down with their foundling and told her a false tale about her unknown past.
"If someone asked us or you, my dear, we will explain that you were once married to a soldier who died during the fall of the gods. Do you at least understand a little?" Mama Elpida told her as she cupped her cheeks and playfully pinched them.
Glaucia just blinked, only flaunting those bright eyes of hers that glimmered in innocence. However, she did understand a bit, telling herself quietly to do what must be done for her.
Papa Aegeus also told her something. This time, it was not just some request but a warning. His voice was low and serious, which made Glaucia lend her full attention to him. Papa Aegeus told her of ancient rules that were still in effect until the very present. Such a rule caused a stigma to women, especially to women who were pregnant without a husband. As Glaucia's ears perked up to absorb every detail she could grasp, Papa Aegeus then narrated the tale of the ostracised pregnant woman. He said that this woman was shamed and was even persecuted. Some believed her story that she once had a husband who Zeus cursed to die once he consummated their marriage. However, many did not believe her, as numerous as the fingers and toes. She was banished and was never to be seen again. Such a tale made the hairs on Glaucia's body stand, and her spine shivered from the chill that ran over it. Her eyes drooped down as she was about to cry. But Papa Aegeus then told her that she should always remember Mama Elpida's story—the one about her false past, whenever someone inquired. The foundling nodded, though still distressed from his scary tale.
During the hour of her chores, Glaucia repeated the words 'married' and 'soldier' so that she would not forget her answer when a curious folk asked her how she got pregnant. While feeding the animals, she mumbled 'married' and 'soldier' again and again until her head was filled with wishful thinking of a man embracing her, taking her in his strong arms while they both caressed her growing belly.
A grown man—Glaucia grew red and giggled. "Baby…" She whispered as she looked down and felt her stomach. But after she fed the animals, stood up, and raised her head upward, she saw a man's face all blurred, but Glaucia knew it was him. There he was before her, all too real but all too dreamy, at the same time. He was no strange entity with claws for a hand, but he was nothing but a man. He had the same red glowing stare, like those in her nightmare, despite most features being faded. She grew stiff when she stared at him. His eyes never left her as well, and when a surge of odd pleasure ran inside him, he raised a hand to her face and gently nestled her cheek, which became more and more flushed.
Then, for some seconds, he disappeared—as if he was never even there. Was he there after all? Glaucia panicked and rushed outside to where her mama and papa were talking to their neighbours.
The phantom of him still haunted her, eyeing her every move like the docile little lamb she always felt like.