Medea: Priestess, Princess, Witch by JJ Taylor

Author:JJ Taylor [Taylor, JJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Butterworth Books
Published: 2024-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 24

CHAON

We’d left the land of the Ilyrians and were moving into the land of the Chaonian people. One of our crew, a Chaonian himself, told us of their customs and of the fractious relationship with the Ilyrians. He cared little for politics and had gladly left to take the voyage when he heard Jason’s call for men. He directed us to Chimaira, named after Hades’ three-headed guardian of the underworld. It was ruled by King Chaon, a benevolent king who spent much time among his people.

This was the biggest body of water I’d ever seen. Though we had the shore within sight on one side, on the other, there was no end of water. It looked as though the sky and water met and bounced off one another, neither merging nor giving way. It made me breathless, and I held on a little tighter to the rail. The world was so much bigger than I had imagined. What other lands were out there? What people, living their lives, equally unaware of us? It was unfathomable and made me tremble to think of it.

The men rowed hard as there was little wind for the sails and were ready to step ashore by the time we made it to Chimaira. The port was busy, and no one seemed to take notice of another ship arriving, and I was both grateful for the reprieve and somewhat irritated that we were so easily ignored. Kip tsked at me as she waved me off the ship, knowing as she always did what I was thinking.

Jason and Neleus fell in beside us as usual, and the language spoken around us seemed harsh and strange, but they both seemed to understand it easily and soon we had rooms at a large, clean inn. It wasn’t long after we’d eaten that we were summoned to the palace, and our host nearly fell over himself in his offer to escort us. Having noble lodgers wouldn’t do his reputation any harm.

I was weary and wished we could wait until morning to attend to the king but when summoned, you attend. My father would have killed anyone who didn’t respond right away. The palace was on a tall hill overlooking the sea, and it was an interesting mix of the white stone of Scodra and the heavy stone I was used to seeing in palaces. Somehow it seemed fitting that here, on this huge sea that would take us where we needed to go, it would be a mix of what we’d had and what was to come.

We entered the throne room, warmed with large fires in hearths that would have fit a man standing tall. Long wood beams were high above our heads and the throne itself was simple. Beside it was a smaller throne meant for the queen, but it was empty.

The king’s throne, however, was not. He was far younger than I had expected and not much older than Jason. His thick dark hair was held back at the nape of his neck and his bright eyes were inquisitive and kind.

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