Though the story was long, Danyla listened, enthralled. She had fruit and wine brought to the reception room beside the temple and savored the wine as she listened to Lisandro continue his tale.
"After Adonis died, Aphrodite chose to take her own life rather than live on alone. To ensure they could remain together even in death, Aphrodite tied their feet together with a rope."
"Moved by their love, the Gods transformed them into two fish and raised them into the sky with their tails joined, never to be parted. There, they became stars."
"From then on, Aphrodite became the goddess of love and beauty. Of course, besides love and beauty, she also symbolized the union of spirit and flesh. That is why the people of Lys worship the goddess of desire."
"In the heavens, Aphrodite is 'Aphrodite Ourania,' representing noble, spiritual love. In the mortal world, she is 'Aphrodite Sēkous,' representing the commonplace love of flesh and desire available to everyone."
Lisandro not only knew the stories of the goddess of desire in great detail, but could also tell a tale or two about many of the obscure lesser deities in the Sanctuary of the Blessed.
Danyla therefore bent her knees in a slight curtsy and solemnly extended an invitation to him.
"Lisandro Rogare, I, Danyla Targaryen, formally invite you to paint these beautiful stories of forgotten deities, making them into murals and ceiling paintings for the Sanctuary of the Blessed."
"Nothing beautiful in this world should be forgotten. Whether or not these stories are true, they at least convey truth, goodness, and beauty. Life is already full of suffering. We truly need more sources of spiritual solace to give us strength."
"And henceforth, the purpose of the Sanctuary of the Blessed shall be to relieve suffering, shelter the