The Prince pondered for a moment. “You know, I’m not quite sure,” he replied. “It seemed to me there was no enmity between the monster and your daughter, and she certainly was not devoured by it.”
“Do you think it hypnotized her, made her come to it of her own accord?”
“I can’t answer that, I know nothing about hypnotism.”
They turned to go into the palace. When Cassiopea heard their story, she raged and fumed, not at all seeming glad that her daughter was not devoured by the sea snake. But there was nothing to be done that evening, and after a nice meal they all went to bed, not exactly in the right mood for celebration.
It was the middle of the night when a deafening noise was heard all over the palace. People burst out of their rooms and out of the palace’s gates half-dressed or not dressed at all. Perseus, who had had the presence of mind to put on his trousers, was rather amused to see Cepheus with his night cap and gown, running barefoot on the gravelly ground, jumping and skipping to avoid the sharp edges of the little stones. Cassiopea at least had put her sandals on, but her shapely breasts were bare, to the young man’s delight. Still, no one had time to enjoy the sight of each other, they were all overwhelmed by the sight that appeared before their eyes.
Coming out of the sea, lifting their monstrous heads and roaring as they approached the palace, were not one but two sea snakes. They slithered and meandered over the gravel, glimmering in the light of the bright stars and the half-moon rising in the east. The people of the palace stood, shocked, at the entrance, as if hypnotized, as the monsters paused in front of it. The two creatures started twisting their bodies in a terrible dance, intertwining their bodies together until there was no way of distinguishing between them, growling and roaring at the same time as if giving music to their dance. Everyone was watching with their mouths open, until at last Cassiopea recovered, clapped her hands and shouted, “Enough!”
Slowly, the monsters ceased their movement, separated and turned glaring eyes at the Queen. Then one of them shuddered throughout its whole body, its skin crumpled and fell apart, and a beautifully shaped girl stepped out of it, naked as at the day she was born. Her skin glowed milky white under the moon and the stars gleamed in her dark eyes; her black hair flowed, half-covering her body.
“Andy!” the King cried out, running toward her with his arms stretched, “You’re alive!”
“Hi, Father,” she bent her head to kiss the top of the head on his shorter form, then produced a smile that glowed in the darkness. “And why shouldn’t I be alive?”
For the Queen, however, her daughter’s being alive was not enough. “Andromeda! What is the meaning of all that? What is this monster doing here – and it seems you’re no less a monster as well... Answer me, Please!”
“Well, Mother, you should know where you got me, shouldn’t you? Was it not Poseidon himself... You should not be surprised, then, that I am sister to this son of the sea, whom, by the way, I decided to take for my mate rather than that miserable human...” and she send a contemptuous gaze at Perseus, who was standing there, half amused half furious for his vain effort on her behalf.
“Get her, Perseus!” the Queen shrieked in answer. “Petrify them both! Perseus, what are you waiting for?”
“Children of the Sea god! Not likely, Your Majesty,” he answered. He did not feel as calm as he looked, because he knew very well there was an issue here between divinities, not just human beings at fault. But the Queen would not let him alone, screaming and shouting, especially as she was watching her child turning back into a sea snake and following her mate into the sea.
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