Theseus + Ariadne

 Ariadne began her days as a bystander. Born to King Minos and Queen Pasiphae of Crete, Ariadne and her siblings were nothing short of celebrities. By far the most famous of them all was her half brother, Asterion. Though his name may have been unfamiliar to most, his moniker was not, for Asterion was known across the land simply as the Minotaur. 

Ariadne bore witness to the horrors her family hosted each year, feeding the sacrifices of fourteen Athenians, always seven men and seven women, never a day over twenty-one, straight into the slobbering maw of the Minotaur. Each sacrifice descended the steps of the labyrinth one by one, unarmed and terrified, and as their form faded into the darkness of the maze below, Ariadne shuddered to know they would never see the light of day again. 

She watched this pass without a word for nearly two decades, obediently preparing a meal and a bed for each sacrifice the night before their descent. She chatted with each one, hoping to provide some comfort in their final moments. Some came with gusto, a plan to defeat the Minotaur and emerge from the Labyrinth victorious, but Ariadne knew there was no way out. Others graciously accepted their fates, standing tall and walking solemnly to their deaths. Ariadne had nothing but the utmost respect for all of them. 

In the twentieth year, Ariadne stood at the docks awaiting the arrival of the sacrifices, just as she always had. As the fourteen noble youths came down the gangway, one stood out – Theseus, long lost son of Aegeus, King of Athens. He stood taller than his comrades, stoic and broad shouldered. Ariadne felt a connection with him the first moment they locked eyes. 

That night, as she prepared the fourteen meals and beds, she began to form a plan. She couldn’t watch another year, another twenty, another hundred. She knew that the only way to end this torment was to slay the Minotaur, and the only way to reach him was through one of the sacrifices. And so, as she passed the dinners out, she lingered at the door of Theseus’s quarters. 

Theseus and Ariadne spoke long into the night. They laughed, they cried, and as they bonded, Ariadne’s confidence in her scheme strengthened. She knew that when she told Theseus her plan, he would be willing to help. More than that, she knew he would have the strength to carry it out. 

As the dawn drew near, Ariadne divulged her idea. She reached into her bag and drew out a dagger, small enough for Theseus to conceal in the folds of his clothing, and a ball of red twine. His challenge would be two-fold – slaying the Minotaur, and then escaping from his prison. Ariadne told Theseus everything she knew about Asterion, his weakest points, his blind spots, and she hoped that would be enough to win the fight. Then, she instructed Theseus to tie off one end of the yarn to the door as soon as it closed behind him. As he walked, he would unravel the ball, and have a path to follow back as he walked. Theseus nodded solemnly, and the two simply held each other in silence for the rest of the night. 

The next morning, Theseus stood at the top of the stairs. He drew in a deep breath, and began his descent into the maze. Ariadne stood where she always had, but this time, she said a silent prayer. She had done everything she could, and now all she had left was to wait. 

Minutes passed. To Ariande, it felt like hours, days. She held her breath as she listened to the echo Theseus’s footsteps fade away, further and further into the twisting halls of the labyrinth. The silence she knew too well fell across the crowd as they waited for Theseus to reach the center. Though they all knew it was coming, the sound of the battle below them still startled the group, and just as quickly as it began, the scuffle ended. The silence enveloped them once again, broken only by King Minos announcing the name of the next sacrifice. 

“Wait!” Ariadne shouted, the first time she had ever spoken up. “Please. Just wait five more minutes. Don’t send the next one down yet.” 

Shocked by his daughter’s passionate outburst, Minos agreed to hold the next participant for just another moment. Ariadne stared at the doors, praying, begging, to any god who would hear her. Just as Minos began to shift, ready to send down his next victim, the door handle turned slowly from within. Then, in a cloud of sweat and blood, emerged Theseus, holding the head of the Minotaur. 

Ariadne ran to him as he collapsed on the pavement, exhausted but victorious. The two of them had won, putting an end to the horror the Ariadne had known all her life. She kissed him deeply, and the two were bonded by their victory for the remainder of their days.