My Medusa.

Great Perseus then: With me you shall prevail,
Worth the relation, to relate a tale.
Medusa once had charms; to gain her love
A rival crowd of envious lovers strove.
They, who have seen her, own, they ne'er did trace
More moving features in a sweeter face.
Yet above all, her length of hair, they own,
In golden ringlets wav'd, and graceful shone.
Her Neptune saw, and with such beauties fir'd,
Resolv'd to compass, what his soul desir'd.
In chaste Minerva's fane, he, lustful, stay'd,
And seiz'd, and rifled the young, blushing maid.
The bashful Goddess turn'd her eyes away,
Nor durst such bold impurity survey;
But on the ravish'd virgin vengeance takes,
Her shining hair is chang'd to hissing snakes.
These in her Aegis Pallas joys to bear,
The hissing snakes her foes more sure ensnare,
Than they did lovers once, when shining hair.

– Ovid, Metamorphosis

Athena's high priestess devotes everything to her. The woman abandons family or any hope of building a family, she would never know the love of a man and denies any, and every day and night are consumed by the effort of dedicating her life to her goddess – prayer, festivals, rituals, sacrifice, mental fortitude. Her duty is to share, celebrate, and give to Athena. She loves Athena, and Athena loves her.

Something in the corner of Poseidon's eye flashes tantalizingly. He slows as the mortal being steps out onto the entrance of the temple. What beauty! What a picture of grace. He peers more sharply at the lady and the temple. Ah, he thought. A priestess of my cunning niece. How wondrous her devotees, that Cecrops chose her and her little olive tree over me and the power of the sea. His rage from the past calms as quick as it had come. Relaxing his fists, he grins wickedly and begins striding determinedly toward the temple.

The priestess turns around and views the approaching figure with astonishment. What need have he, that the god of the sea would come knowing Athena is not present? She watches warily from the entrance but dread increases in her heart as Poseidon drew closer. He means ill. She steps back and then flees into the temple. He would not dare to step inside these walls, into a house of the goddess.

Poseidon pauses at the entrance, making certain Athena was absent from the vicinity and she would not be alerted should the cries of her devotee carry. Terror rising in her throat, the priestess looks on in understanding – his powerful presence overwhelms the protection of Athena's blessing. Smilingly, Poseidon steps inside.

As Athena arrives into the temple's hall, she realizes something is wrong. There is none of the peace that the temple had possessed. Her eyes catch the sight of her tearful, ravaged priestess, weakly beginning to sit up. Comprehension breaks waves of emotions in Athena – such pain, such fury! Barbarism and atrocity, all that Athena stands against, occur in her own house. How could this happen! This insult to everything she represents and the soiling of her temple's sanctity, her own purity! Why was I not called, why did I not hear. Why was I not here to shield her. Oh, my precious child... Athena turns away, tightening her lips and closing her eyes against her own tears. The priestess watches her quietly with adoration and fear, waiting. The goddess looks into her eyes, and her rage over this violation of all she held dear burst.

How dare she betray me.

Forever know my wrath. And never will men gaze upon you and see beauty – the very sight of your face causes such terror as to petrify men into stone, and your gaze will freeze them into death. I will change you into your true form, venomous serpent.

Her goddess's sudden animosity shocks the priestess. And as she transforms – her legs attach and lengthen, her hair thickens and begins to move on its own, and her skin chills and collects into scales – she grieves. Her heart mourns for the love of Athena and felt pierced by her goddess's anger and abandonment of her.

I loved you, she rages.

Watching how hatred, pain, and grief fed the vipers slithering as Medusa's hair, fueled the madness in the creature's heart, and nurtured the monster's powers ever more, Athena's hurt starts to fade. Remorsefully she recalls the days and nights of adoration by her beloved priestess. She can not undo what has been done. One day, Athena hears of a young man named Perseus given the task of defeating the Gorgon abomination Medusa. Could she use him? In Perseus's journey, Athena helps him gather the necessary weaponry for confronting Medusa. He must succeed, she grimly thinks.

Athena turns to look as Perseus returns, presenting the head of Medusa as a gift. Ah, she thought, she is still beautiful, my precious child. How I have done you wrong. With eyes that glistened, Athena empowers her aegis with Medusa, immortalizing her beloved priestess for all to remember.