The Warrior by Laura Gill

Author:Laura Gill [Gill, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Cylarabes, that arrogant busybody, dared to personally chastise me over my handling of the Nemean affair. First, however, I had to endure his meaningless courtesies, and his queries about every single member, no matter how young or far-removed from court, they were. “We trust your sons are in good health? Prince Tisamenus and...” Pausing, he licked his lips. “Forgive us, but the other one’s name escapes us right now.”

“Teukros,” I muttered. Chione had borne a healthy boy with her fair coloring, and I had named him after Telamonian Ajax’s bastard half-brother, who had been a famous archer and a much-loved and faithful sibling.

“What a splendid name, Teukros!” As though Cylarabes did not already have spies planted in my household, and had not known about my natural son’s birth or his naming. “We trust that mother and child are doing well?”

I ground my teeth. “And how is your house guest faring, Lord Cylarabes?” When he coolly feigned ignorance, I came right out with it. “You know perfectly well who we mean. Akelos, the bastard son of Diomedes. So tell us, how is the young herdsman finding life in the court of Tiryns?”

Cylarabes did not answer, except for the infuriatingly enigmatic smile he cast over his cup. “King Cyanippus asked us to express his concerns over these troubling recent events.” He paused to drink, forcing me to wait on his pleasure, that fat, meddlesome agitator. “Hmm, we would say he has a right to be concerned, wouldn’t you?”

I leaned back against the leopard skin draped over my throne; the pelt had just come from the storeroom, and smelled like sawdust. “We would ask why Cyanippus should feel such concern, as those recent events do not concern him.”

“Ah, but it is our royal kinsman’s opinion that antagonizing poor old Lord Chromios of Nemea, killing his young, unarmed sons, and taking his women captive speaks ill of you, when you were his most honored hearth-guest not eighteen months ago.”

A servant entered the megaron bearing sweetmeats and nuts. “You have had a tiring ride from Tiryns. Would you care to eat something?” I sampled an almond, exaggerating my enjoyment with absurdly loud noises. “Try one?” Had the laws of hospitality allowed such honesty, I would have shoved his corpulent face into the dish instead.

Cylarabes squinted at the dish, which aggravated his frown, and made his selection. “We are getting away from the point,” he said. “King Cyanippus has expressed grave concerns over the disquieting rumors surrounding this matter of the Nemeans.”

That ancient corpse could choke on his disapproval. “We are well within our rights to chastise a disobedient and defiant vassal,” I said, chewing on another almond, “which we have done. It was an unfortunate necessity that dictated the death of Chromios’s sons, but, since he and his women have submitted, they enjoy the utmost courtesy and consideration.

Cylarabes stared at the almond between his pudgy fingers without biting into it. “Surely you recall pledging mutual friendship and—”

“Yes,” I stated firmly, “and we hold to our word.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.