A/N Well I wasn't expecting to manage to publish a second chapter this month given how slowly I've been writing lately. Since it's written ahead of schedule though, I thought I'd post it now :-)
Now, I'm going to admit to messing about a bit with the geography of Ancient Greece here. There are places that I've mentioned as being near to Atlantis that are (or were) actually islands, but then again the series does that too (most notably with Aegina, which they were travelling to overland in A Marriage of True Minds but which was an island in reality). Plus, Plato's Atlantis was described as an island that sank into the sea but our Atlantis doesn't seem to be an island in its own right (although I think that it might be on a peninsula at the end of the mainland). So what I'm saying, I guess, is that I tend to look at it that the geography of that area will be changed if Atlantis is destroyed - at least that's my theory and I'm sticking to it ;-)
Oh, and one more thing, I am admitting right now that I stole the wording of the "watch him like a bat" bit straight from the episode The Day of the Dead but I love that conversation - it's classic Hercules and Pythagoras and was far too funny not to use somewhere :-)
Anyway, on with the chapter. Please let me know if you enjoy it - I think there are still people reading ;-)
Minos stood in front of the top table on the hastily constructed raised dais at the end of the largest room that the house had to offer; converted to a dining room large enough to accommodate the King and thirty or so guests. His allies and their advisors sat at the tables in front of him, interspersed with local nobles and dignitaries and those army officers, like Dion, who were fit for polite society. It was unfortunate that Agrias had had to be seated at the top table at Minos' left hand, with his son alongside him, but in view of the betrothal between Ariadne and Chalcon it was necessary.
Minos surveyed the guests before him and raised the goblet in his hands in front of him.
"Great Poseidon, protector of Atlantis, I make you this offering in thanks for your continued protection and for your blessings and help for our venture to come," he intoned formally. "Ku-tuu Poseidion. Hey arechay."
He poured out the contents of the cup on the floor in front of him, before handing the vessel off to a waiting serving girl.
"And now, my friends, enjoy," he added, spreading his arms expansively, before turning back to take his place at the centre of the top table, Pasiphae on his right hand, as the assorted guests began to help themselves from the array of dishes before them, able assisted by silent servants.
At the far end of the table, Jason picked idly at the cold chicken on his plate and listened to the conversation going on around him. Down at the other end of the table, Prince Chalcon, seated near to his father, raised his cup in friendly salute. Jason nodded back and returned to listening to the conversations. Nearby (at what Jason supposed could be dubbed the 'Atlantian' end of the table), Pasiphae turned away from the light and seemingly friendly conversation she was having with her stepdaughter (a conversation that surprisingly seemed to lack all the old animosity that lingered between the two) to deliver a barbed compliment to King Agrias; her wit biting but delivered in such a way that it could not be seen as an insult. After a moment, Ariadne joined in with her own snarky comments, interjected at appropriate moments in the conversation.
Jason hid a grin. Whilst he generally still didn't enjoy this sort of formal occasion, listening to both his mother's and Ariadne's sharp wit employed against the ghastly Agrias was endlessly amusing. In all honesty, this was his favourite bit of the evening; the food was excellent and the conversation could ebb and flow around him as he sat back and watched without being expected to actively engage in it.
Gradually though, he began to feel as though there were someone watching him. He shifted as unobtrusively as possible and glanced about the room apparently casually, taking a sip of wine as he did.
At the very end of a table, tucked over in the corner of the room that was furthest away from Jason, a regal looking old woman was sitting and watching him openly, her food all but ignored on her plate in front of her. As Jason looked at her, she looked away hurriedly, taking a bite of food and turning to engage her nearest neighbour in hurried conversation.
Jason started. It was the lady he had met on the first night in Pagenia when he had stumbled into her private room by mistake. This was the first time he had seen her since then (was certainly the first time she had joined them for a meal) and with everything that had happened he had all but forgotten the encounter; the fact that someone else lived on this estate had completely slipped his mind.
Who was she? What she had said when he had first entered her chamber (when she had believed herself to be speaking to Alexarchos) indicated that she was living here at Minos' instruction and was probably nobly born, but beyond that Jason knew nothing about her… and yet somehow he felt like he should know her; there was something familiar in her face – her expression; something he felt he should recognise.
He studied her a little more thoughtfully, although he would still seem to be simply glancing around the room to the casual observer.
The lady was elegantly dressed in Atlantian blue – her dress not quite as elaborate perhaps as those usually worn by Pasiphae or Ariadne, but still beautifully made and embroidered. Definitely the dress of a highly ranking noblewoman. Once again, her hair was piled up in an elaborate hairstyle, silver curls pinned carefully and bound about with ribbons and strings of delicate pearls. Her throat was framed by a delicate necklace, although she wore no other jewellery.
Jason hid a frown. Everything was telling him that this was a woman of importance, yet if that was the case surely she would have attended one of these formal dinners before?
The old lady kept casting surreptitious glances in his direction every time she thought he wasn't looking. It was almost funny, Jason thought, how they were both doing the same thing: trying to get a good look at one another without letting anyone else know that's what they were doing.
Every so often their eyes would inadvertently meet. Whenever that happened, the old lady would flinch slightly and hurriedly look away. Jason's eyes narrowed slightly. Just why was she so interested in him?
He cast his eyes casually around the room once more. As he turned in her direction he couldn't fail to notice Pasiphae watching him with one eyebrow pointedly raised. She allowed her eyes to roam across the room in the direction he had been looking without changing expression. As she spotted the old lady, the Queen's look became what might best be described as unreadable. She turned back to her dinner and deliberately drew Jason into the conversation.
Jason allowed himself to be distracted by his mother but inside his mind was racing. Who was the old lady and why had she been looking at him so intently? There was no way he could find out while they were at the supper table short of asking Pasiphae – and from her deliberate attempt to steer his gaze away from the other woman, he somehow felt his mother would be less than forthcoming. Distractedly, he took another mouthful of food and swallowed slowly. Perhaps he couldn't find out who the woman was while they were sitting here but she was almost bound to be at the reception afterwards, wasn't she? And even if she wasn't, there was bound to be someone there who knew who she was. He hid a smile. Once the meal was over he would start asking around and try to work out why the woman seemed so familiar to him.
"He what?"
Pythagoras sighed as he looked at his old friend. Hercules looked aghast and about to explode although the young genius didn't quite know why. Or perhaps he should say that he didn't know why this time, he thought cynically. Hercules' volatile temper was something that he had grown to know too well over the years.
"Jason told me that Prince Chalcon wishes to go hunting with him… or perhaps to spar," he repeated patiently.
He tore another lump of bread off the chunk on the table and used it to mop the juices out of his bowl. While the supper provided for him and Hercules might not be quite as lavish as the spread that had been laid out for the feast tonight, the food was still excellent – of far higher quality than Pythagoras had ever expected to eat prior to going to the Palace with Jason. Hercules seemed to particularly enjoy every mealtime (although he always had, Pythagoras thought uncharitably) and the young mathematician worried a little about how the big man would feel when they inevitably had to return to their ordinary lives.
"Why in the name of the Gods would he want to do that?" Hercules demanded, almost aggressively pouring himself another cup of wine and draining it quickly, bringing the cup back down onto the table with a sharp bang.
"Jason said that he seemed to want to be friends," Pythagoras replied. "He got the feeling Prince Chalcon was a bit lonely; that he didn't have any friends with him here and wanted to get away from his father for a while."
Hercules swore loudly and swept his cup off the table with one blow. The pottery shattered as it hit the floor; a startlingly loud sound in the quiet room. The burly wrestler pushed himself up from the table, stalking over to the doorway that opened onto the small balcony adjoining the room. He grasped the edges of the doorway with an iron hard grip dropping his head down, breathing hard and glowering out into the still night.
Pythagoras stared at him in surprise.
"Was that really necessary?" he asked mildly, looking at the broken shards of the cup on the floor.
"Yes!" Hercules growled.
"What's wrong with you?" Pythagoras asked.
"How can he be so stupid?" Hercules demanded.
"Who?"
"Jason," Hercules ground out.
Pythagoras looked at his old friend's back with mild exasperation. He slipped from his chair and began clearing up the broken remains of the pottery.
"Hercules, you are not making a great deal of sense," he murmured.
Hercules pushed himself off from the doorframe with an annoyed grunt and began pacing angrily around the room.
"I just don't understand how a grown man can be so damned naïve," he exclaimed.
"What are you talking about?" Pythagoras asked exasperatedly.
Hercules stopped and turned to look at the mathematician.
"You don't see it either, do you?" he said incredulously. "You're just as naïve as he is." He shook his head in frustration. "Two of you," he muttered. "One is bad enough but how do I deal with two of you?"
"Hercules!" Pythagoras exclaimed, his exasperation becoming ever more evident. "What are you talking about?"
"Prince Chalcon," Hercules growled.
He returned Pythagoras' confused frown with a glower of his own.
"Jason is the son of Pasiphae, yes?" he went on.
"Yes Hercules, we all know that," Pythagoras replied.
"So, he is a possible heir to the throne," Hercules growled, "and the current heir to the throne, Ariadne, already has feelings for him. Don't you see what that means? Whether he means to be or not, Jason is a threat to King Agrias' plans… and Prince Chalcon is his son; betrothed to Ariadne and lined up to take the throne of Atlantis in the future."
"But Prince Chalcon cannot know any of that," Pythagoras objected. "Minos has been very carefully to hide who Jason is from everyone and I don't think anyone would have told Prince Chalcon or Ariadne and Jason's feelings for one another."
"Ah, but we don't know that, do we?" Hercules replied. "What if he's found out? What if he knows Jason is a threat? What if he's got all this planned: make friends with Jason, get him on his own out in the woods on a 'hunting' trip and then bang… a knife in the back."
"Jason said that Prince Chalcon seemed nice," Pythagoras protested, moving back to the table and sitting down again.
Hercules snorted. At Pythagoras' pointed look he walked over and dropped onto the bench opposite the young man with an audible thud.
"Jason thinks everyone is as honourable as he is," he pointed out seriously, his voice lowered now; no longer shouting. "He has faith in people. He sees the best in everyone. It's his faith that makes him who he is… but it makes him vulnerable too."
Pythagoras watched the worry flickering across his old friends face and sighed. He was suddenly incredibly glad that he hadn't mentioned Jason's decision to stay at the Palace for a time once they had got back to Atlantis (if everything went the way they hoped and Anaxandros was driven from the city of course) if this was the way Hercules was reacting to a proposed hunting trip. That was an explosion for another day.
"You are right," the young genius murmured. "Jason does try to see the best in people… apart from Heptarian of course… but in this case we have no reason to believe he is not correct. Prince Chalcon has done nothing suspicious. We haven't even met him ourselves… although we soon will: Jason asked me if we'd go with him when they go hunting or go to the training grounds to spar. Even if the Prince does have less than honourable intentions, we will be there to prevent anything from happening."
Hercules grunted.
"Maybe you're right," he conceded, "but I'm still not happy about this."
"Then what do you suggest?" Pythagoras asked sharply. "Do you think that Jason should offend the son of the man who the King is relying on for support by refusing his request? Prince Chalcon is rich and powerful and under the circumstances I don't think we should risk insulting him. He is betrothed to Ariadne and as far as anyone outside those of us who escaped Atlantis together know Jason is no more than a distant kinsman to the royal family. I do not think that the King could dare support Jason if Prince Chalcon did take offence without betraying who he really is… and that would put him in real danger."
"How?" Hercules demanded.
"Think about it, Hercules," Pythagoras said. "Agrias of Tanagra believes that by marrying his youngest son to Minos' daughter – the current heir to Atlantis – he will gain control of the kingdom once Minos is dead; that he will be able to rule through his son. That has been his ambition ever since he arrived in Pagenia. How do you think he would react if he were to learn that there is another possible contender for the throne? A male heir with at least as much claim to Atlantis as Ariadne – perhaps an even greater claim given the history and his gender. And what do you think Jason's life expectancy would be at that point?"
"Pasiphae would never allow that," Hercules argued.
"No," Pythagoras agreed, "and it could start an even greater war than the one we are already in." He sighed. "It would be better for everyone at this moment in time, if King Agrias does not learn who Jason is."
"Yeah," Hercules said.
"So Jason must agree to the Prince's wishes," Pythagoras went on. "Surely you can see that?"
"I suppose so," Hercules muttered grudgingly. "But I still don't like it. We'll have to watch him like a bat!"
Pythagoras' lips twitched in amusement.
"Bats are blind," he pointed out.
"We'll have to watch him like something with really good eyesight," Hercules retorted.
Pythagoras thought about it for a second.
"A hawk," he said. "We will watch him like a hawk."
There were enough people in the reception area after supper – enough visiting royalty – that Jason had been able to slip gratefully into the background. He had positioned himself in one of the more shadowed corners of the room and was watching the scene before him with quiet amusement. The more sycophantic members of the Pagenian nobility were clustered around the various kings like bees around a honeypot; all vying with one another for attention. Watching their games of one-upmanship was definitely funny.
He took a drink handed to him by a passing servant and sipped at it slowly. People watching could be an entertaining pastime – especially where the natural born toadies that seemed to inhabit the upper echelons of Atlantian society were concerned. As his eyes roamed the room, he caught sight of the old lady he had seen at dinner and he paused, watching her curiously with his head tilted slightly to the side.
The old lady was standing on the far side of the chamber in one of the quieter areas of the room. There were still a small group of the local nobility around her though, apparently fawning over her. As Jason watched, the lady inclined her head gracefully and replied to one of the people around her with gentle smile – although he couldn't help noticing the little eye roll she gave when she thought no-one was looking. He had been right then. She was a woman of some importance from the way those around her were acting.
She glanced around the room and her eyes briefly met Jason's before looking away quickly. Jason once again felt a little frisson of recognition; the feeling that he ought to know who this woman was but didn't. He frowned. Who was she? And why did she seem so familiar?
"You look worried."
Ariadne's soft voice startled him. He hadn't seen or heard her approach.
"No," Jason replied distractedly. "No, I'm not worried. Just a bit curious about something."
"About what?" Ariadne asked, moving to stand next to him.
"Do you know who the lady in the blue dress is over there?" Jason asked, nodding in the direction of the old woman.
Ariadne glanced in the direction he was looking. Years of practice had taught her not to let her eyes linger for too long or to make it too obvious when she was looking at someone; that to be seen to be staring would be thought of as rude and that as a Princess she could not afford that.
"No," she answered. "She is not someone who has been invited to one of these gatherings before. Why?"
"Do you remember the first night we arrived here I got lost looking for the dining room?"
"Of course," Ariadne replied. "I thought Father was going to be cross – he cannot stand lateness – but when you explained, it was fine."
"Yeah," Jason agreed. "Anyhow, do you also remember me telling you that I'd met an older lady in one of the rooms here? She said it was her private gyna… something-or-other."
"Gynaikonitis," Ariadne confirmed. "Yes, you did. I had forgotten about that until now – although I am surprised none of us have seen her since then or stumbled across the chambers."
"It was further down and around the corner from where my room is," Jason replied. "On a back corridor, away from any of the rooms we have been using. I've avoided it since that first time and I don't think anyone else would have had any reason to have gone that way." He paused. "Anyway, the woman over there in the blue dress is the old lady I met that first night."
Ariadne turned her head to glance at the lady again.
"She is clearly someone of consequence," she observed. "I must confess I am a little surprised that Father or Pasiphae has not introduced her… especially since she must live in this house."
"Hmm," Jason murmured. "I can't help feeling like I should recognise her. I mean, I know I met her briefly but it's more than that… It feels like I should know who she is."
He shook himself.
"Sorry," he apologised. "I'm probably letting my imagination run away with me. It's just that when we were eating I kept catching her watching me… only she'd look away as soon as I looked."
"That is odd," Ariadne agreed. She put her hand on Jason's arm lightly. "We will try to find out who she is. If we both make enquiries then someone is bound to tell one of us."
"It's probably not important," Jason protested quietly.
"Nonsense," Ariadne replied. "It will make the evening more entertaining."
"What are you two conspiring about?"
It was almost comical the way both Jason and Ariadne jumped at Chalcon's faintly amused question.
"We are not conspiring about anything," Ariadne replied.
She quickly explained their conversation to Chalcon. The young man's blue eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he also glanced at the old lady. Then he smiled brightly at his two companions.
"A lady of good birth who lives in this house and yet has not been made known to those who are staying here? That is a puzzle indeed," he murmured. "But I am certain that between the three of us we are bound to get to the bottom of the matter and discover her identity."
"I'm sure it isn't really important," Jason objected. "I doubt it's worth you wasting your time on… either of you."
"Nonsense," Chalcon replied, clapping him on the shoulder in a friendly manner. "Ariadne is correct… Anything that makes one of these occasions less dull is to be relished and at least if I appear to be mingling properly and deep in conversation with others my father and his tedious advisors will leave me alone. You did promise to save me from the boredom of having to deal with them after all my friend."
"Yes, I did," Jason agreed with a grin of his own.
"And I, in turn, promised to save you from the attentions of some of the matrons here tonight," Chalcon added, looking pointedly across the room.
Jason followed his look to see the wife of one of the Pagenian noblemen heading their way with a determined expression. It was the same ghastly, overdressed and over-made-up woman who had almost aggressively attempted to flirt with him the first time the King had held one of these dinners. She still hadn't managed to find a big enough dress Jason noticed almost absently, even as he tried to think of a way that he could avoid her attentions without causing offence.
"I think I would like to see the vase you were telling me about," Chalcon said loudly (loud enough for the woman to hear anyway). "Perhaps you would be so good as to show me, my friend?"
Jason looked confused for a moment before realising what the Tanagran Prince was up to as he winked and grinned. Understanding dawned on Jason's face followed quickly by a grin of his own.
"Of course," he replied.
"Shall we go then?" Chalcon asked. He turned to Ariadne. "You will excuse us?"
"Naturally," Ariadne answered, her dark eyes twinkling. She leant in towards her companions slightly, keeping her voice quiet enough that it would not travel beyond the three of them. "I will go and ask to be introduced to our mysterious lady while you two mingle and try to find out who she is from the other guests."
The two young men left the Princess and made their way to the opposite side of the room, past the now glowering noblewoman; her disappointment plainly showing on her face.
"Is it just me or is her dress a little…" Chalcon murmured once they were past.
"Tight?" Jason finished for him.
Chalcon grinned.
"Yes," he replied. "I imagine her maid must have a hell of a job getting her into it. Do you think she needs special equipment to help her?"
Jason snorted a startled laugh.
"Maybe," he said. "Thank you, by the way. I wasn't entirely sure how I was going to get out of talking to her when she started to head our way and once was more than enough."
"Merely keeping my end of the bargain." Chalcon shrugged Jason's thanks off. "You have met her before then?"
"Oh yes," Jason replied. "That was the town official's wife that Ariadne was talking about earlier."
"Ah," Chalcon murmured. "Then I fully understand your dismay earlier at the thought that she might be present this evening. I cannot think that her company would be enticing from what I observed of her conversation before I joined you and Ariadne." He looked around, noting that Ariadne had already begun to make her way over to the group surrounding the old lady. "Come on," he said. "Let us do as Ariadne suggested and mingle."
Pasiphae had stepped out of the reception chamber into the corridor outside to get some air. The evening was going well so far. She would have to admit that she had been surprised to see her son deep in what appeared to be friendly conversation with Prince Chalcon on the opposite side of the room. It was something that she would not have anticipated seeing given the circumstances. Perhaps, though, she had underestimated Jason's ability to put his own feelings to one side in favour of doing his duty? The boy did seem devoted to doing what was best for Atlantis after all.
"Pasiphae."
The Queen turned at the softly spoken call, to face her former mother-in-law.
"Tyro," she acknowledged smoothly but with no real pleasure.
"I just wanted to say thank you for this evening." The former Queen's voice was gentle and melodious – very different from the bitter, expressionless tone she had used when she had first spoken to Pasiphae in the garden.
"I trust it has met with your approval," Pasiphae replied.
"It has been… more than I could have dreamed of," Tyro answered. "To be in the same room as the boy after so many years of believing him to be lost forever… it is an incredible feeling."
"It is indeed," Pasiphae agreed softly. Then her eyes and her tone hardened. "I also trust you have kept to our agreement," she said imperiously.
"I have," the older lady confirmed. "I have made sure that Jason has not learned my name. In fact, I have not spoken with him at all."
Pasiphae looked at her for a long moment.
"Thank you," she said.
"You impressed upon me that it would be in Jason's best interests," Tyro answered. "I would not wish to do anything to harm the boy… especially before I have had the chance to get to know him properly."
"It will not be forever," Pasiphae told her. "I give you my word. As soon as this is all over and we have regained the city, I promise that I will tell Jason who you are and ensure that you have the time and space to meet one another properly. For now, it is simply that I do not wish Jason to become distracted. I have learned enough about my son's character to know that he will be at the forefront of any action, whether I wish it or no… but I will do everything in my power to keep him as safe as I can and this is part of that."
"I understand," Tyro murmured, moving over to a window along the one side of the corridor that over looked the courtyard below and breathed in the fresh night air. "It has been an interesting evening all round," she went on. "I have secluded myself in this house for so long that I had almost forgotten what this sort of occasion was like. I suppose that it is fortunate, under the circumstances, that I have had little to do with the town or my neighbours, so there will be few who know my name or who I once was. That has made it easier to keep my identity from my grandson." She gave a wry smile, still looking out across the courtyard. "I have to admit that Minos daughter seems most persistent in discovering who I am," she added. "She has done everything barring asking me outright."
Pasiphae frowned as she came to join her former mother-in-law at the window.
"Ariadne?" she asked sharply.
"Yes," Tyro answered. "She seems like a nice enough young woman but very inquisitive."
"I will ensure that she is distracted," Pasiphae responded.
She hesitated for a moment, considering the wisdom of her next words to Tyro; especially because, on this subject at least, Minos was still in the dark.
"It may be more difficult to keep Jason in the dark than you anticipate," she said at length. "But before I say any more I will have your word that you will never tell another living soul what I am about to tell you."
Tyro raised a sceptical eyebrow and turned to look at Pasiphae.
"Intrigue may be a part of your life but it is hardly a part of mine," she retorted coldly. "I will not be party to any of your plots and machinations."
"There is no plot or intrigue here," Pasiphae snapped back. "I am simply asking that our private conversation remain just that. I would not wish to hear it repeated as servant's tittle-tattle."
"I am not in the habit of discussing my private business with the servants," Tyro protested stiffly.
"Really! Then who do you discuss it with?" Pasiphae countered. "You said yourself that you had secluded yourself almost from the time you arrived here. Tell me, who is left for you to talk to? Who, aside from the King and I, even remember that you still exist?" She pulled herself together with some effort. "Arguing over this matter will do neither of us any good," she said bluntly. "What I am about to tell you affects Jason but is known to no more than a handful of people. Even Minos has no knowledge of this… and for the moment I would have it remain that way. Now, do I have your word that you will keep this secret or not?"
"Very well," the older lady replied. "If it is so very important, you have my word of honour that I will not speak of what you are about to tell me again."
Pasiphae sighed and looked out at the moonlit courtyard for a long moment; allowing the tranquillity of the scene to soothe her.
"There is a reason I say you may have difficulty preventing Jason from learning your identity, especially if you should speak with him, is that he has the gift of foresight," she said softly. "He sees both the present… and the past." She gave Tyro a significant look. "I am sure you can appreciate how this might cause problems at this present moment… especially since Jason has not yet learned to control his visions in any way. In fact, he has only just admitted that he has them – even to himself."
"Surely, if Jason is likely to learn who I am despite our best efforts, then there is no point in keeping it a secret from him?"
"If I believed it to be an absolute certainty that his gift would cause him to learn the truth of your relationship with him, I would not have hesitated to prevent you from seeing him," Pasiphae answered. "With the fate of all Atlantis at stake, I cannot afford Jason to become distracted by a domestic matter. I will not risk his heart and mind being divided at a time when he needs to focus. He is already unsettled by all that has gone on in the past few weeks; by all that is continuing to happen around him. I have had to accept that Jason will be at the forefront of any battle that is to come and I truly believe that it will be safer for him if he does not know who you are yet. Were he to learn it, I fear that he would be torn between the desire to do his duty and fight to regain Atlantis and the need to keep you safe through all the turmoil. He has already shown himself to be deeply devoted to the wellbeing of those he loves or has promised to protect. Unfortunately, he has also shown a worrying propensity to act without thinking things through when those he wishes to protect are threatened. If he were to discover your identity and to believe you to be at risk I believe his first desire would be to rescue you… no matter what the risk to himself or the situation he was in at the time. If it were to happen that he was in a battle at such a time as he discovered any perceived risk to you, I fear his attention might be fatally divided." She paused and drew in a shuddering breath. "I have lost my son once and locked my grief in my heart. I cannot lose him again."
Tyro reached out and covered Pasiphae's hand where it rested on the windowsill with her own. The Queen looked down at it in bemusement for a moment before looking up sharply at the older woman.
"It is a sorrow we have been united in," the former Queen murmured quietly. "To lose a child is a terrible thing and I rejoice that your son has been returned to you after all this time." She chuckled at Pasiphae's suspicious look. "Oh, do not look so sceptical. I would not wish the grief of losing a child on anyone – even you… and Jason's reappearance in your life also lessens the sorrow in mine. He is, after all, my grandchild – the only grandchild I will have… The sorrow of a lost child is never-ending and the fear of losing one after previous loss eats away at you."
"You speak as one who knows that fear," Pasiphae said curiously.
"Aeson was not my only child," Tyro replied. "Surely you must have known that? He was merely the only one who lived to become an adult. I have loved and lost all my children. If I can help you to protect my grandson I will."
"Then we understand one another," Pasiphae responded softly.
She looked up at the night sky for a moment and smiled to herself. The moon was very bright tonight; Selene shining her pleasure down on the world below.
"I would ask you not to speak with Jason yet," she went on. "I believe the chance of him experiencing any sort of vision and learning your identity that way will be greatly decreased if he does not speak with you directly." She glanced at her companion. "Thanks to my sister I have some understanding of how this sort of vision works; of what a rare gift it is. I know that Jason may still learn of his relationship to you in spite of any precautions I might make, and am prepared to deal with the consequences of him finding out prematurely… but I would prefer to lessen the risk as much as I can. When my sister first showed signs of becoming a powerful seer and was taken from our home to train to be a priestess, I tried to learn everything I could about her gift – although I was no more than a child at the time. What I learned was that until a seer learns to control their prescience, visions can come to them at any time. With visions of the future there seems to be nothing specific that triggers them – they are sent by the Gods to give foreknowledge of what is to come. With visions of the past, however, things are a little different. Unless they come in dreams, they require some sort of physical trigger; a touch; a sound; a smell; a sight. It could be the sound of a voice; the scent of a perfume; touching an object that has strong memories associated with it… any number of things… and the memories do not need to be the seer's own – just as long as there are strong emotions attached to whatever triggers the vision."
At her side, Tyro frowned deeply.
"The evening when the boy stumbled into the gynaikonitis, he brushed against a hydria that Cretheus brought me back as a gift from a trip to Corinth in the early years of our marriage. It is one of my most precious possessions; one of the few things from my former life that I brought with me. I have so many fond memories attached to it. When Jason brushed against it, he put his hand on it to stop it falling and… well the only way I can describe it is that he froze. It was only for a moment, but for that moment he no longer seemed to be mentally present in the room with me; he seemed far away; lost… and he did not return to reality until I physically touched his arm. He was so pale; so… disconcerted. He quickly rallied and left to find the dining room… which had been his intent when he entered the room by mistake. I had put the incident out of my mind until now. Could this have been one of the visions you claim he has?"
"I do not merely claim that Jason has the gift of foresight," Pasiphae flared. "It is a fact which has been confirmed by the Oracle."
"It was a poor choice of words on my part," Tyro murmured apologetically. "I did not intend to suggest that you were not being honest in this matter."
"Very well," Pasiphae acknowledged, mollified. She sighed. "I suspect that you are right," she added. "Jason may well have been seeing a moment from the past when he touched the hydria… although, whatever it was that he saw, it clearly did not tell him of your identity – something which I am grateful for." She paused and glanced at her former mother-in-law once more. "I do not believe that we should be seen in one another's company… or at least should not be seen to be alone together. I fear it would lead to too many potentially awkward questions being asked about who you are. It is not common after all for someone to have a private audience with the Queen of Atlantis – even if we are in exile at the moment – unless they are a high ranking member of the Court or a member of a royal family… be it my own or one of our allies." She half smiled. "But I do not need to tell you this… After all it was you who taught me how to be queen."
"That was a very long time ago," Tyro replied softly. "We were both very different people back then… but you are right; it is better to be prudent. I will return to the main gathering and try to avoid direct contact with Jason."
"Thank you," Pasiphae murmured.
As Tyro turned to leave, the Queen caught hold of her arm.
"It is unlikely that Jason will speak to you if you do not seek him out," Pasiphae said. "He is by nature not entirely comfortable in this sort of gathering… is perhaps a little shy of strangers at times… but if it should happen accidentally…"
"I will tell him nothing," Tyro confirmed. "I will be polite but will end the conversation as soon as I can. I will give you no reason to regret allowing me to see him."
"Good," Pasiphae replied letting the older woman's arm go and allowing her to step away. "I truly hope I do have no reason to regret this… for your sake."
Anaxandros stared out of the window at the dark city with a feral smirk. With every day that passed his grip on Atlantis grew stronger. The flow of escapees from the city had slowed to a trickle as more and more of the traitors helping them to escape had been apprehended and now languished in the overcrowded dungeons awaiting their fate. Surely there must only be a few malcontents out there now who were trying to subvert the natural order and committing treason to do so. Every day the guards caught more of these traitors; every day the noose around the city drew tighter.
Outside, all was in darkness. The curfew was in full force and the only lights blazing were those from the Palace itself and the torches along the city wall. Here and there a few lights bobbed along a distant street as the torch wielding patrols went about their duties, searching for anyone that was breaking the curfew. In the far distance there was a roar; evidence that the guards had spotted someone and released the hunting lions to catch them.
Anaxandros' smirk widened. He liked to see the city like this: completely cowed; completely under his control.
The news from the outlying districts was equally good. Athanos had fallen several days ago and the news from Thera was that the town was about to fall at any time. The entire kingdom was rapidly falling into his grasp.
He stood with his hands on the windowsill and drew in a great lungful of the night air.
The only dark spot on the horizon was the complete failure of his men to discover what had happened to the former king and his family. Anaxandros' face fell into its more usual scowl. He didn't like loose ends and not knowing what had happened to Minos niggled at him. As long as Minos remained alive and at liberty there was always the chance that somehow he might manage to come back to challenge the Amphigeneian King.
Still, that hardly seemed likely. With the kingdom rapidly coming to heel there were few places that could harbour Minos and even fewer places that he could turn to for support. No. Minos was a spent force and it was surely only a matter of time before the hiding place he had slunk off to was discovered and he was dragged back to Atlantis in chains to be executed in front of the people.
Anaxandros allowed himself a vicious grin again. The Gods were smiling on him; Hermes was clearly pleased with the homage that the Amphigeneian people paid to him and was favouring his people. Anaxandros' grin grew. It was equally apparent that Poseidon was not favouring the people of Atlantis. Perhaps they had been lax in their prayers and duties to him. Whatever the truth of the matter was, it acted in the favour of the Amphigeneian King.
Every day his position became more secure. Now it was time to start bleeding Atlantis dry.
The evening was winding down to a close but neither Chalcon, Ariadne or Jason had had any luck discovering who the mystery woman was. None of the local nobility seemed to know her at all – which in itself was pretty suspicious. Ariadne had even resorted to trying to wheedle the information out of her father (they had reasoned that since the lady was living on a royal estate, the King, at least, should know who she was) but Minos had evaded the question skilfully and afterwards spent the rest of the evening deep in conversation with King Mithridates of Pontus – much to Ariadne's annoyance since she could not interrupt them without seeming rude.
Jason sighed to himself as he slipped out of the sitting room in search of a few moments to himself. Chalcon escorted Ariadne to take some air in the garden nearest to the house a short time earlier (and it had been far harder than Jason had wanted to admit to watch them walking away together). The Tanagran Prince had proved good company for most of the evening. He was very observant and had a wicked sense of humour. Some of his comments about the guests at tonight's meal (delivered in a soft undertone that travelled no further than Jason's ears) had left Jason desperately trying to smother a spluttered laugh or avoid choking on his drink; they were so sharply funny. Finally, Ariadne had re-joined them to report on her lack of progress. Spotting his father beginning to glower at the lack of attention he had apparently been paying to his betrothed, Chalcon had finally taken Ariadne away, leaving Jason alone once more.
After they had left Jason had returned to his quiet spot in the corner to people watch at leisure. Unfortunately, the noblewoman who had attempted to get his attention earlier in the evening had spotted that he was alone and had swept over to join him. Jason had hurriedly looked around for the woman's husband but he was deep in conversation with King Laius – who the young man hadn't been able to help noticing, looked less than thrilled at the conversation.
Still, that had left him stuck with the man's dreadful wife. After just a few moments of her grating voice and constant inappropriate insinuations (bordering on the edge of being full blown suggestions or blatant invitations to spend some private time with her), Jason was giving serious thought to hurling himself headfirst out of the nearest window and running for the hills just to escape her.
Fortunately perhaps, Pasiphae had noticed his expression from across the other side of the room and had swooped in to help her son. Although she had remained terribly polite, she had also been icily sharp. While she had given no hint of her relationship with Jason, she had made pointed comments older women making fools of themselves chasing after young men whose social status was possibly higher than their own and implied that it would be a shame if their husbands came to hear of it. The noblewoman had been no match for Pasiphae at her regal (and terrifying) best and had backed away rapidly, thoroughly cowed.
After a few moments, several others had joined them, and Jason had slipped out shortly afterwards. It was a relief to be away from prying eyes for a little while; the constant need to watch everything he said and did so that he didn't break some obscure custom or convention and inadvertently cause offence was tiring. He knew, of course, that he was under nowhere near as much scrutiny as the known members of the royal family but right now it was still more than enough for him.
He wandered a short way down the corridor to the door of the small sitting room he had withdrawn to on the first night he had attended one of these formal dinners, when Laius had first arrived in Pagenia (and had slipped away to on several occasions since). He was expecting to be alone; the room was usually deserted most nights (it was too small for entertaining after all).
It was a surprise, therefore, to see someone standing in the window with their back to him as he entered the room. Jason drew back slightly, startled, as the figure turned. It was the lady who had been watching him during supper; the lady whose identity he had been trying to find out all evening. She looked just as surprised to see him here as he was to see her.
"Hello," Jason said awkwardly.
"Good evening," the lady replied.
"I'm sorry, I hadn't expected anyone to be in here," Jason apologised. "I didn't mean to disturb you."
"It is of no consequence," the lady said. "You have not disturbed me unduly. If you will excuse me."
She went to walk past Jason towards the door. Up close her skin was very pale, with just the hint of dimples in her cheeks, and her eyes were very bright. As she passed, she cast a sideways glance at him that could almost be described as hungry; as though she was memorising every feature. Jason felt a little shock of recognition again – although he could not have said why.
"Wait," he said, reaching out a hand as though to grab her arm, only to let it fall helplessly; knowing that it would be a breach of manners to touch her. "Forgive me but… who are you?"
The woman paused.
"I am no-one that matters, child," she replied. Her voice was soft and sad.
"You live here, don't you?" Jason asked. "My name's Jason." He paused. "I'm sorry," he added. "I don't mean to pry… it's just… I feel like I know you from somewhere. Have we met before?"
"Of course we have met," the older woman murmured. "We met on the night that you arrived here in Pagenia with King Minos. Surely you remember?"
"No," Jason said urgently. "I don't mean then. I know we met when I ended up in your chambers. I am sorry about that by the way. I didn't know what a gynaikonitis was. My friend explained it to me. I would never have intruded if I'd known."
"You were lost and had no way of knowing what the chamber was," the lady assured him. "I took no offence."
Jason flashed one of his slightly shy smiles.
"Thank you," he murmured. "When I asked if we'd met… I meant somewhere other than here; not in Pagenia."
Something flashed across the older woman's eyes but was gone before Jason could identify what it was.
"I think it is unlikely," she said gently. "I would think that you would have been just a baby in arms when I moved here to Pagenia and I have not travelled far since."
"Then how can it be that you seem so familiar to me?"
"I do not know, child," the woman answered. "There are many things in this life that cannot be explained. You will learn that as you grow older."
Jason nodded and swallowed hard.
"You do live here though, don't you?" he asked. "On this estate, I mean."
"I do," his companion replied. "The King has been good enough to allow me to retire here." She paused. "My husband… my late husband… held a position of some importance and responsibility in Atlantis. After he died… Well, within a few short years I lost both my husband and my only remaining child… I lost all the family I had left. I had no desire to remain at Court at that point and King Minos was kind enough to offer me a home here."
Jason frowned. What she said seemed reasonable enough and yet something about it didn't quite ring true. There was something he was missing, he was sure of it; something that lingered on the very edge of his consciousness.
"The first time we met, you thought I was Alexarchos, the overseer, when I entered the room," he began slowly. "You sounded… scathing when you were talking about the King; like you didn't like him very much."
The older lady sighed.
"That is because I do not," she admitted softly. "There was too much that happened at around the time he took the throne. I had friends who supported the true King. I lost too much when Minos usurped the throne – lost too many people who I cared about – to ever truly forgive him." She sighed again. "The truth is that he has been very good to me – perhaps better than I deserved. He has allowed me to live in comfort in the obscurity I desired without demanding any form of recompense. I should be grateful… and yet I cannot forget and I cannot forgive."
"I'm sorry," Jason said quietly. "I did not mean to bring up bad memories."
"Oh bless you, child. My memories are not so bad," the lady replied quickly. "I had a good life in Atlantis before the civil war and my life here has been both comfortable and peaceful. I have little to complain of." She smiled softly to herself.
"You were a member of the Court before the civil war?" Jason asked. "Back when Aeson was King?"
The old lady's expression immediately became guarded.
"I was," she admitted carefully. "But it is ancient history now and it will do no good to dwell on it." She looked at the door. "I must go," she added. "There is someone I must speak with before this evening is over."
"I'm sorry," Jason said. "I won't keep you if you really have to go. It was just that I was wondering whether you knew the Queen back then – if you were a member of the Court – and I just wondered what she was like…"
"She was very young," the old lady answered. "She was very elegant and very charming. She was quite innocent when I first met her… a very different person from who she is now." Her expression hardened.
"And did you know King Aeson too?"
"I knew him all his life," the old lady said reflectively. "He always appeared to be honourable… to have the best intentions." She shook herself. "I really must go," she added, moving rapidly towards the door.
She was gone before Jason could respond.
It was only after she left that he realised that he still didn't know her name.
"I simply cannot see how we can get our combined forces to Atlantis without being spotted long before we ever get there," Attalos growled loudly, pushing himself away from the table and pacing the room like a caged lion.
Mithridates leant over the map on the table and frowned, deep in thought.
"I grant you it is a problem we have yet to solve," he acknowledged, "but between us and our advisors we have a wealth of experience. There must be a solution we are missing."
"If there isn't, our enterprise is doomed before it begins," the Pergamonian King grumbled pessimistically. "Because our army is so fragmented – out of necessity given that we are all camped in such differing locations – it would be easy for the Amphigeneians to attack one section at a time and overwhelm us with sheer force of numbers. We may have more men in total but they are widespread and if Anaxandros' forces were to fall on, say for example, my army there simply would not be time for the rest of you to come to my aid before my forces were annihilated."
"That would hardly be any great loss," Agrias sneered. "You have the smallest army of anyone here. The loss of your troops would hardly affect the outcome of the battle in the end… and I for one would rather not be listening to a man who is effectively a cautious old woman. If you are not prepared to take any risks with your men then there is no place for you here."
The room went silent.
"What did you call me?" Attalos hissed.
"I did not realise your hearing was going as well as your courage," Agrias sniffed.
Attalos barked an incredulous laugh.
"He is calling me a coward!" he said to the room in general. "Be very careful," he advised, turning back to Agrias. "Wars have been started with less provocation."
"I am trembling in my shoes," Agrias said sarcastically.
"Gentlemen!" Mithridates said sharply. "I had believed that we were supposed to be fighting a common enemy not one another."
"I beg your forgiveness Minos," Attalos said, turning towards the Atlantian King, "but I will not stand idly by and let the likes of this fool insult me." He gestured towards Agrias. "Listen, you oaf," he added, staring at the Tanagran King. "I merely used my army for illustrative purposes. The same principle would hold true of any one of us here. None of us have enough forces with us to stand against the bulk of the Amphigeneians. If our full armies were with us then that might be a different story but I doubt any one of us has brought all their troops and left our own borders undefended. Even the great Agrias of Tanagra would see his army wiped out if the might of the Amphigeneians fell on them… and until we can find a way of approaching Atlantis undetected that will remain an unacceptable risk."
Agrias rolled his eyes.
"If this is such a problem then find a way of solving it," he growled.
"What in the name of the Gods do you think we have been trying to do for the past seven days?" Attalos roared.
Minos left the table and moved across the room to try to pacify his fellow kings. After so many days of discussion, tempers were fraying all too easily and frequently. Until they could find a solution to the problem of how to maintain the element of surprise, however, they would be unable to move on to the next stage of planning.
Still at the table, Dion fought the urge to glower. There were far too many large egos in this room for his liking and any meaningful decisions were taking far too long. The meeting this afternoon had been particularly bad tempered as everyone tried to grapple with what was amounting to their biggest problem.
"Where is everyone camped?"
Jason's softly spoken question took the burly general by surprise. It was too quiet to intrude on the argument now going on on the other side of the room, but there was an urgency to it nonetheless.
"The armies of King Agrias are camped near those of King Laius, here at Phanussae in Aegina," Dion rumbled quietly, gesturing towards a coastal town on the map. "King Attalos' forces are camped in nearby Lebilene." He gestured towards another point on the map some short distance away from Phanussae. "Those of Mithridates are in Chalceos in Naxos on the borders of Helios," he pointed towards a town on the opposite side of the map, "and those of King Pittacus of Milos are camped at Posope in Andros." The large soldier pointed to a town some distance from Chalceos and then to the diminutive king who had arrived while Jason and his friends were travelling back from Athanos.
Jason hummed in response as he studied the map intently, eyes skipping between the various towns and the city of Atlantis itself.
"Pagenia is a port," he murmured.
"A small one, yes," Dion replied with a frown. The young man's thoughts seemed to be skipping all over the place.
"I wonder how many boats are in the harbour at the moment?" Jason muttered, almost inaudibly.
"Quite a few, I would imagine," Dion answered, bemused. "Atlantis is apparently cut off to all sea trade while Anaxandros secures his position, so the ships which usually ply their trade in the city have had to seek shelter in other ports up and down the coast."
Jason glanced up with a slightly startled expression.
"Sorry," he apologised. "I wasn't really asking a question… It was more that I was thinking out loud."
"You have seen something that the rest of us have missed?" Minos asked, coming to join his stepson back at the map table.
Jason looked embarrassed that the attention of everyone in the room suddenly seemed to be focussed on him.
"No, My Lord," he replied quietly, flushing. "It was just an idea… Just some random thoughts, that is all."
"Jason, it is thanks to you that we are here at all. It was your idea to bring the garrisons to Pagenia and to send for our allies in the first place. If you have an idea now then I wish to hear it," Minos said firmly. "It is, after all, why you are attending these meetings – why we all are; to come up with ideas and talk them through."
Jason nodded and fought the urge to bite his lip.
"Yes, Your Majesty," he said.
"Well then," Minos encouraged.
"How did everyone get here?" Jason asked.
He ignored Agrias' incredulous snort and focussed instead on the trust Minos was placing in him; trust that he still wasn't altogether sure he deserved.
"We took horses and rode," Laius replied. "Although I am not sure how that is relevant."
"No," Jason replied. "I did not mean how you got to Pagenia; I meant, how did your armies get to where they are camped now?"
"They marched," Laius answered, frowning.
"This is hardly getting us anywhere!" Agrias objected.
"Father!"
Until now Chalcon had been quiet throughout the meeting (as had Jason before now), preferring to listen and let the kings do the talking. Now though, he attempted to rein in his father's tongue before he offended everyone more than he already had.
"Be still boy!" Agrias growled. "And remember that I am your father and that you will show me respect. I am only saying what everyone is thinking anyway."
"But they didn't march all the way from Thebes, did they?" Jason spoke directly to Laius, ignoring both the Tanagran King and his son.
"No, of course not," Laius replied. "There is a sea in between."
"So you came by boat," Jason stated. "And where are those boats now?"
"They are moored where we made landfall at Hellyras awaiting our return," Laius replied.
"And the same will apply to most of you?" Jason asked.
"Naturally," Laius said. "But I still fail to see how this is relevant."
"I believe that I do," Mithridates said calmly.
He turned to Minos.
"You are right," he murmured. "You said that your young kinsman was clever; that he looked at problems from a different perspective to the rest of us. Yet this solution is so simple that I wonder that none of us saw it."
Minos gave a wry smile.
"I suspect it is because we are all too well trained in the intricacies of warfare to see the obvious solution," he said.
He turned to Jason.
"If I am reading your ideas clearly, you are suggesting that we should approach Atlantis by sea," he said.
"That was what I was thinking," Jason answered. "I don't know how feasible it would be though."
"Very feasible," Dion rumbled, leaning across the map and measuring things off. "With the port in Atlantis closed, it is unlikely the Amphigeneians will be watching the sea too closely. We could be almost in sight of the walls before they ever knew we were there." He looked at his King. "The plan has merit, My Lord… although it is basic at present and will need some developing."
"So," Minos said, "we have the beginnings of a plan. What we will need, however, is to refine it. We must decide how to proceed from here. If we can arrange for the ships carrying our armies to join up before making landfall then we will present a united force which must give even Anaxandros reason to doubt. The difficulty will be in arranging a time and place to meet… but that will be a question for another day," he added, looking out of the window and gauging the position of the sun. "The evening draws near and with it time for rest and relaxation… and a good supper, it is to be hoped. Let us end our discussions for now my friends and meet again in the morning."
"Your Majesty," Dion said respectfully as everyone began to file out and the conversation turned to more pleasant subjects, "if I might have a moment more of your time?"
Minos frowned deeply.
"Of course," he replied, motioning Lord Herodion to remain in the room.
On a whim Jason stayed too, reasoning that they would ask him to leave if they didn't want him there.
"My Lord, I have been receiving disturbing reports from the patrols we sent out to explore the countryside to the west of here," Dion began.
"What sort of reports?" Herodion asked. "Has the enemy been seen?"
It was a valid concern. If the Amphigeneians were anywhere near, it would throw all their plans into disarray.
"No," Dion answered. "It is nothing like that… it would seem that there is a monster living along the coast to the west of here."
"A monster?" Minos asked. "Why should this concern us?"
"The reports are that it is a gorgon, Your Majesty," Dion rumbled. "It would appear that one of my men was separated from the rest of the patrol. He stumbled upon it in the woodland and was turned to stone. The other men from the unit discovered the statue that he had become."
Minos' frown deepened even further.
"Gorgons are incredibly rare," he remarked. "You are certain of this report? Could it not be that the man simply deserted and his friends chose to cover it up by creating this incredible story?"
"I know every man in that patrol," Dion asserted. "I saw the horror on their faces. This is no story, My Lord. The gorgon is there… and if she is… well, I hardly need tell you what a threat it could be. If the Amphigeneians were to manage to capture her somehow, she would make an almost unbeatable weapon against us."
"Indeed," Minos agreed.
He exchanged a long glance with Herodion.
"Very well," he added. "Do whatever you must to flush out and kill this monster. Despatch a detachment tonight to deal with the situation."
Jason's heart sank as a cold feeling gripped him. He was very much afraid that after all these months they had found her; they had found Medusa.
