Musings of an Argive Orphan

Have you ever been mad?

What am I saying, of course you have.

Have you ever been mad at your parents?

Right. Every one has. Even perfect little statue-daughters do sometimes.

Right?

Have you ever been so mad at your parents that you actually considered getting rid of them?

No parents, no rules, no nagging, no watching that woman who calls herself your mother throwing herself at that backstabbing bastard who killed your father and laughed, laughed…

Okay, so the last one isn't so normal. But still, have you ever thought about it?

I'm not the only one, right?

Of course not.

Only, it never works out that way.

One brother back from exile, from the dead for those few, heart-stopping minutes should be enough to make anyone happy. All she ever did was berate me, deny me my place, bully me, treat me like a slave in my own house. I shouldn't miss her. It's wrong. I don't like pain that much, do I?

How can I miss her?

It must be because she was my focus. Now she's gone, I just…need to make the adjustment back to normal life. That's it. I miss the focus.

Only, now he's left too, and all I have left of Daddy are the empty halls. It was easier to remember Daddy when I could remember all the ways she betrayed him, betrayed us. It feels like I lost both parents in one death; it feels like he left me once vengeance was satisfied. It feels cold.

No rules?

Ha. My life has been governed by rules since I was born. Don't run. Obey your father. Leave vengeance to the men. A kin slaying earns death.

Is this my death then?

I didn't say that. It's not true. I'm more alive now than I've ever been.

The point is, I have more rules now than ever. With Brother running and most everyone else dead, I'm the only one left to take care of things. It's not woman's work, but then again, I've been plotting vengeance for years. This is just one more manly task that falls to me because men are cowards.

No.

No.

No – I didn't just say that.

That's something she would say.

No.

Let's not talk about this anymore. It's giving me the creeps.

So what if the only one left is my pushover of a sister? I can manage fine. I always have.

Don't laugh!

How dare you!

I am the daughter of a king, the sister of a king, the instrument of divine vengeance! Just because you caught me in an off moment doesn't give you that right!

Shut up!

Thanks for the reminder of why I don't lean on others.

Shut up! I don't need anyone.

Not even parents.

Shut up.

(e)(l)(e)(c)(t)(r)(a)

fin

(e)(l)(e)(c)(t)(r)(a)

AN:

It's Electra in the aftermath, in case you couldn't tell. Y'know, kill my mother to avenge my father? She gets mostly pushed to the background if you read the Oresteia; I like Sophocles's Electra better.

Yeah, anyway, musing of a deranged mind brought about by too many papers. Blaugh. See how education corrupts our minds.

Oh, by the way, people who live in Argos are called Argive. It's a fun word; I had to use it.