CHAPTER EIGHT
Several people turned in my direction and I immediately bent down to pick up the broken clay plate.
My gentle sister, who just two days ago had wept over a dirty seagull that had crashed into the outer wall of the palace and died, was to be married to that monster?
I had to stop this from happening. But how?
It was nearly impossible to undo royal marriage contracts once all parties had agreed to them. The only reason my parents had been able to break the original one with Prince Alexandros and Kallisto was because they could offer me as a substitute.
And I had seen the marriage contract from Lykaon s family in my father s study. It had been written to be favorable to his family, not ours. There had been some legal blustering over the fact that we had previously broken another contract and they wanted to make certain that they wouldn t be put aside so easily.
At the time I had wondered why my parents had agreed to such a heavily slanted document, but now I understood that things in Locris must have been more desperate than I realized.
The terms of that contract could ruin us. Lykaon s family could instill serious financial fines if my parents reneged. And I knew they would end it once I told them what Lykaon had done to me. They would do it to protect Kallisto.
There had to be another way. If Locris could be restored, we would have the resources to fight back or to pay off Lykaon s family.
Either that or I would have to find my dead brother and figure out a way to resurrect him. As the eldest the throne would have belonged to him. If he had lived, Kallisto would have been safe. I wondered how far a life mage s powers could extend with a full eye.
What s wrong? Jason asked as he stooped down next to me, trying to help.
I hit his hands away. I m just clumsy.
Then I made the mistake of glancing over at him. His gaze latched on to mine, not allowing me to look away. You are not clumsy. You are very practiced, sure, and confident in your movements. Even with ones you ve never done before.
He didn t have to clarify his meaning-I could feel my own cheeks burning under his words and implication.
I gathered all my mess just as Hippolyta walked by with a tray. I called her over and put everything on the tray for her to discard.
Jason stayed close, even though I had clearly indicated that I was done with him. He nodded at the dais. I feel sorry for her.
For the princess? I asked. When he nodded, I added, Why?
Lykaon and his father are well known in Troas for their cruelty. I would be willing to bet that as soon as the princess gives birth, Lykaon will have her killed so that he can take her throne.
My mouth dropped, my hand going over my roiling stomach. This was so much worse than I d initially thought. My mind frantically tried to think of a quick solution.
Perhaps there is another man from Ilion she could marry. A wealthier man. One who could protect her from the financial penalties Lykaon s family would impose.
His father, Pelias, would never allow it. There is no one wealthier than him in all of Ilion and they have influence everywhere. No one would dare cross him.
Not even the prince? I asked. Maybe I would have to reevaluate my plans if Prince Alexandros would be a viable path to help save Kallisto.
Especially not him, Jason said with a laugh. The prince is a powerless, pathetic man.
My hopes were dashed. Do you know him?
I ve never had the pleasure. In my experience royalty doesn t spend much time with people like me.
That wasn t currently true, but I wasn t going to share that information with him. Instead I found myself asking, Have you seen the prince in a royal processional? Or . . . What else did they do in Ilion where the royals might make an appearance? A religious parade?
I don t spend much time gawking on parade routes. I have a job to do.
My blasted curiosity forced me to keep asking him questions. I d never spoken to an Ilionian before and Prince Alexandros was supposed to have been my husband. I wanted to know more. I heard he s malformed.
In what way? he queried.
Some traders say he s half-man, half-beast.
Jason shrugged. Since I haven t seen him, I can t confirm if this is true or not. I lean toward believing it to be a fabrication.
That wasn t a no. The prince might very well be some kind of mythical monster from one of my grandmother s stories. If Alexandros had looked at all like Jason, I might have considered changing my mind about my scheme.
And I hated that I thought it. I should not feel that way about an Ilionian.
I ve also heard that the king has a terrible temper and beats his children. I said this in a low voice, not wanting to risk being overheard. A merchant had told me this one night after being deep in his cups, as if it were a giant secret. In Locris we valued our children. I couldn t imagine how a parent would ever harm a child, especially their own.
I ve heard that rumor as well.
It didn t surprise me. If we d heard it all the way here in Locris, it made sense that he would have heard it in Ilion.
Where s the other one? he asked.
I wasn t sure what he meant. The other what?
The other princess. The captain mentioned something earlier about her being betrothed to Prince Alexandros and that we would be bringing him here in a couple of months. Then you and I can both get a good look at him and see if he s part bull.
I was not going to be here and I didn t like Jason making it sound as if we d be seeing each other again. There obviously wouldn t be any future where someone like him and someone like me could be together. Not only because of our differences in station, but because I would not marry an Ilionian even if my life depended upon it. I glanced around the room, as if searching for someone.
I don t see her.
He smiled. I can t imagine that she would be as beautiful as the woman the prince would like to marry.
Why did part of me feel indignant that Prince Alexandros wanted to marry someone other than me? I didn t want him either, but that seemed beside the point. What is she like?
Chryseis? She is said to be the very image of the goddess-sweet, kind, and demure. They say that all the men of Ilion wish to make her theirs.
Do you wish it?
I m a man of Ilion, aren t I? he asked with a wolfish grin that made my stomach flutter. I angrily told it to stop being attracted to a philandering man who stole kisses without consideration and was talking about how he wanted another woman.
She s Lykaon s sister, he added, and it made me dislike the prince even more. If this Chryseis was even a tiny bit like her awful brother, she didn t deserve anyone s undying devotion.
Although once the prince discovered that I had escaped our betrothal, maybe he wouldn t take his anger out on my family-he would be free to wed his goddess-like harpy. It might be a good thing that there was someone else to distract him from my actions.
Not wanting to continue this conversation any further, I turned my back on Jason and returned to the food tables, intending to pile my plate high.
Realizing that he d been dismissed, he decided to take one last swipe at me. When you re done with your chores this evening, let me know if you ve changed your mind about sneaking off somewhere together. I ll be at my ship.
He walked away and I couldn t help but stare after him. Chores? He assumed that I was a maid. To be fair, there was nothing in my dress or appearance that might make him think otherwise. And most princesses probably didn t pull out weapons and threaten to kill people.
I wasn t mad about that part, but I was infuriated by the notion that he thought I was so desperate for his kisses that I would go looking for him. How could he think I would ever voluntarily spend time with him again? I was more likely to burn his ship to the ground than I was to sneak onto it, trying to locate him.
Although I could picture myself doing just that.
With a groan, I forced myself to pay attention to the food. Demaratus would want me to eat as much meat as I could before I left. He believed that it strengthened a warrior going into battle.
And I was about to leap into the fray.
While I ate, I kept an eye on Lykaon and Kallisto. He was all easy smiles punctuated with laughter. I saw my sister s shyness lift bit by bit as his charm worked on her. What special power did these Ilionian men possess? How did they know exactly what to say and do to make Locrian women let their defenses down?
I was as guilty of falling for it as anyone else.
My sister was too kind, too soft, for this sort of political game. Despite his outward veneer, her betrothed had a sly and calculating face.
Kallisto would never survive with him as her husband.
Quynh s queries from last night had been haunting me the entire day. What would I do if my plan failed? Shouldn t I tell my parents what I was going to do? Try to find another solution to save Locris and my family?
But as I watched that monster woo my precious sister, the answer was very clear. There was one option. It might not have been a great plan, but it was the only one I had and I was going to find a way to make it work.
I tried to focus on eating and it didn t take long to fill me up. My stomach had turned after everything I had experienced today, my fears and worries ruining the taste of what I d chosen. Perhaps it would be better for me to return to my bedroom and give myself time to calm down. Maybe practice stabbing the wooden target Demaratus had given me. After I d worked out some of the aggression I was feeling, I could sneak into the kitchens to finish up whatever desserts were left over.
When I left the throne room, I came across Telamon in the hallway, trailing after Hippolyta.
Thank you for watching over her, I said.
You re welcome. He paused and then cleared his throat. I immediately felt the shift in the air between us. Something was about to change. But I m not doing it for her. I m doing it for you.
Oh, Telamon . . . I felt incredibly bad that this was happening now. I had hoped last night would be the end of it.
I know how things are. I understand my place and what you re going to do. He seemed so nervous and uncertain and it made my heart twinge. He was my friend. I didn t want to hurt him. Maybe I could send you away with a goodbye kiss.
Before I d met Jason, I might have done it. Just to find out what it was like. But now I knew that it wouldn t have been fair to me or to Telamon.
It wouldn t be right to let him believe that I had feelings for him that went beyond friendship. I leaned over and kissed his cheek quickly. Thank you for everything. I hope you find a woman worthy of your affection.
Then I turned away, not wanting to see his expression. I wanted my memories of him to be when we had laughed and fought together, not when I had disappointed him. I walked quickly back to my room and wasn t at all surprised to find Quynh there.
She always seemed to know when I needed her.
I filled her in on what had happened with Lykaon and how afraid I was of what he would do to our sister and to Locris. Her eyes grew wide and I briefly wondered what she would think if I told her about the kiss I d shared with Jason.
It was too humiliating to tell anyone about, though. I would keep that to myself.
If I don t see Demaratus before I go, I need for you to tell him about Lykaon so that he can keep an eye on Kallisto.
She nodded. I will. And I will be certain to stay by her side whenever that Ilionian monster is near.
While I appreciated the sentiment, I didn t know that Quynh s presence would be enough to deter him, and the thought that he might hurt both of my sisters made me murderous all over again.
We sat in silence, both of us staring at the far wall.
Are you sure this is the only way? she asked.
I supposed she had to make at least one final attempt. I patted her hand. Now more than ever.