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Elias of Stravos knew his place within Athenia, but was not yet in it. There was the bitter reality that circumstance and his poor decisions had placed him into and it was time to cease the apportioning of blame. He'd been laid low, angered and humiliated by the machinations of the Xanthos dynasty and it was time at last for him to reveal the extent of his own privately waged war.
There were those he considered his associates. There was Elysia of Aetaea and the gladiator, Lesley. There was Azrael, the wretched peasant who acted as his worm within the soil. Then, there was his greatest resource. Once, the Hydra's Men had been but a simple militia that patrolled the borders of his province of Lyncestia. But no longer. He'd sought after new blood from foreign soils cultivated into honed weapons by the grindstone of time and it was time for the Stravos lineage to be made aware of the machinations of their only heir.
Chara had been sent away with two of his Hydra's Men to broker contract, to extend the life of his hired hands indefinitely. This left only three to act as his counsel. But, in reality, it was but two. Circenia and Keikelius of Stravos were assets that the heir to their bloodline had only truly begun to confide again in very recently. He'd sought their faith and as of yet, he'd yet to truly show them the weight that faith held to him. Elias of Stravos would yet make them proud and wash away the sins of his childlike tantrums and the disgrace of his negligence.
No longer will the Son of Athenia act as a spectator. No longer will the head of Stravos act as a child, he ruminated as he awaited the arrival of his family. No longer was there wine or food for them to contemplate upon. In recent memory, Archontiko Stravos had been stripped bare to keep some of the opulence known to the family outside of it. Disgrace bore its ugly poison and separated the Stravos from one another and the fact of it seethed Elias.
Invitations to the province of Lyncestia were not given to each member of the Stravos clan. No, instead one of the Hydra's Men had been personally appointed to give the word to join Elias. Tracked down wherever they might be, Elias offered his family transport and protection as they traversed the provinces to reach the shipyards that had initially brought Elias the accolade he deserved. An accolade that was fleeting as treachery at the hands of a poorly considered plot had been undone. The pirate Lukos was once a compensated associate to the heir to Stravos. But, no longer. Those who did not owe him his loyalty were threats to his power, and every loose end needed to be tied in order to secure his victory. Idly, Elias reflected on Elysia, and thought much of the same. Her presence was as much beneficial as it was detriment, and soon after this meeting he intended to see her again to truly push her.
Within the Stravos' office there were three chairs spread out evenly at a table in front of his own. All held an equal sense of comfort to them, though the chair that sat behind Elias' place held its own private affair. Four heads were pierced on pikes and placed in a square and mounted on the wall. Beaten into submission by the gladiator and decapitated after, they were a source of ire for the heir that needed to be quelled. Voices had wrought within Lyncestia, vocalizing their concerns in dark corners to any who would listen. Now, they were but memories and their bodies the nourishment for the carnivorous fish of the deep. The mount was temporary fixture and one he intended to burn in offering to Hades, the God of the Underworld. This particular deity was one he hadn't always paid his homage to, but as more and more blood stained his soul, he saw more and more reason to give over his faith. Now more than ever Elias sought to serve Hades, for in the pits of Tartarus he believed to be special places for his enemies to burn. Twelve obolus lay upon the table in front of him, the sacrifice meant to send these wretched cur to Tartarus and pay their voyage across the river. The Stravos ruminated silently within the room, his feet soundly on the ground as one hand coaxed the pristine flesh of his chin.
They might fear what I have become, but safety and comfort will no longer protect us. The witch yet lives, and without Stravos united in fear and faith both, she might yet see the throne again.
Elias' worst nightmares had come to realization, and in the inevitable return of Persephone of Xanthos he saw his undoing. If she sought to ever touch the throne, she would have to wrench him from it cold and un-moving. There are darker nightmares to suffer, he realized. But, they stood in the position of power. Elias of Stravos just had to show them the way. Once, the impatience of waiting for his family might have driven him mad. But the naivete of Elias of Stravos was a sacrifice he'd been too willing to pay. He ruminated on the Princess of Sorrow and the jackal that hounded her footsteps. Aimias was a liability as well, a loose end that he'd secured into a weapon against the man himself. He wondered what rumours swirled around him, what lies he'd been forced to bleed out. He'd been too busy to pay attention and now the fruits of his labors were to be admitted to those whose staunch loyalty he needed most.
I am the Shadow-King, he thought once more.
And soon, I'll rise into the sun.
@hades
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Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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I am the Shadow-King.
Elias of Stravos knew his place within Athenia, but was not yet in it. There was the bitter reality that circumstance and his poor decisions had placed him into and it was time to cease the apportioning of blame. He'd been laid low, angered and humiliated by the machinations of the Xanthos dynasty and it was time at last for him to reveal the extent of his own privately waged war.
There were those he considered his associates. There was Elysia of Aetaea and the gladiator, Lesley. There was Azrael, the wretched peasant who acted as his worm within the soil. Then, there was his greatest resource. Once, the Hydra's Men had been but a simple militia that patrolled the borders of his province of Lyncestia. But no longer. He'd sought after new blood from foreign soils cultivated into honed weapons by the grindstone of time and it was time for the Stravos lineage to be made aware of the machinations of their only heir.
Chara had been sent away with two of his Hydra's Men to broker contract, to extend the life of his hired hands indefinitely. This left only three to act as his counsel. But, in reality, it was but two. Circenia and Keikelius of Stravos were assets that the heir to their bloodline had only truly begun to confide again in very recently. He'd sought their faith and as of yet, he'd yet to truly show them the weight that faith held to him. Elias of Stravos would yet make them proud and wash away the sins of his childlike tantrums and the disgrace of his negligence.
No longer will the Son of Athenia act as a spectator. No longer will the head of Stravos act as a child, he ruminated as he awaited the arrival of his family. No longer was there wine or food for them to contemplate upon. In recent memory, Archontiko Stravos had been stripped bare to keep some of the opulence known to the family outside of it. Disgrace bore its ugly poison and separated the Stravos from one another and the fact of it seethed Elias.
Invitations to the province of Lyncestia were not given to each member of the Stravos clan. No, instead one of the Hydra's Men had been personally appointed to give the word to join Elias. Tracked down wherever they might be, Elias offered his family transport and protection as they traversed the provinces to reach the shipyards that had initially brought Elias the accolade he deserved. An accolade that was fleeting as treachery at the hands of a poorly considered plot had been undone. The pirate Lukos was once a compensated associate to the heir to Stravos. But, no longer. Those who did not owe him his loyalty were threats to his power, and every loose end needed to be tied in order to secure his victory. Idly, Elias reflected on Elysia, and thought much of the same. Her presence was as much beneficial as it was detriment, and soon after this meeting he intended to see her again to truly push her.
Within the Stravos' office there were three chairs spread out evenly at a table in front of his own. All held an equal sense of comfort to them, though the chair that sat behind Elias' place held its own private affair. Four heads were pierced on pikes and placed in a square and mounted on the wall. Beaten into submission by the gladiator and decapitated after, they were a source of ire for the heir that needed to be quelled. Voices had wrought within Lyncestia, vocalizing their concerns in dark corners to any who would listen. Now, they were but memories and their bodies the nourishment for the carnivorous fish of the deep. The mount was temporary fixture and one he intended to burn in offering to Hades, the God of the Underworld. This particular deity was one he hadn't always paid his homage to, but as more and more blood stained his soul, he saw more and more reason to give over his faith. Now more than ever Elias sought to serve Hades, for in the pits of Tartarus he believed to be special places for his enemies to burn. Twelve obolus lay upon the table in front of him, the sacrifice meant to send these wretched cur to Tartarus and pay their voyage across the river. The Stravos ruminated silently within the room, his feet soundly on the ground as one hand coaxed the pristine flesh of his chin.
They might fear what I have become, but safety and comfort will no longer protect us. The witch yet lives, and without Stravos united in fear and faith both, she might yet see the throne again.
Elias' worst nightmares had come to realization, and in the inevitable return of Persephone of Xanthos he saw his undoing. If she sought to ever touch the throne, she would have to wrench him from it cold and un-moving. There are darker nightmares to suffer, he realized. But, they stood in the position of power. Elias of Stravos just had to show them the way. Once, the impatience of waiting for his family might have driven him mad. But the naivete of Elias of Stravos was a sacrifice he'd been too willing to pay. He ruminated on the Princess of Sorrow and the jackal that hounded her footsteps. Aimias was a liability as well, a loose end that he'd secured into a weapon against the man himself. He wondered what rumours swirled around him, what lies he'd been forced to bleed out. He'd been too busy to pay attention and now the fruits of his labors were to be admitted to those whose staunch loyalty he needed most.
I am the Shadow-King, he thought once more.
And soon, I'll rise into the sun.
@hades
I am the Shadow-King.
Elias of Stravos knew his place within Athenia, but was not yet in it. There was the bitter reality that circumstance and his poor decisions had placed him into and it was time to cease the apportioning of blame. He'd been laid low, angered and humiliated by the machinations of the Xanthos dynasty and it was time at last for him to reveal the extent of his own privately waged war.
There were those he considered his associates. There was Elysia of Aetaea and the gladiator, Lesley. There was Azrael, the wretched peasant who acted as his worm within the soil. Then, there was his greatest resource. Once, the Hydra's Men had been but a simple militia that patrolled the borders of his province of Lyncestia. But no longer. He'd sought after new blood from foreign soils cultivated into honed weapons by the grindstone of time and it was time for the Stravos lineage to be made aware of the machinations of their only heir.
Chara had been sent away with two of his Hydra's Men to broker contract, to extend the life of his hired hands indefinitely. This left only three to act as his counsel. But, in reality, it was but two. Circenia and Keikelius of Stravos were assets that the heir to their bloodline had only truly begun to confide again in very recently. He'd sought their faith and as of yet, he'd yet to truly show them the weight that faith held to him. Elias of Stravos would yet make them proud and wash away the sins of his childlike tantrums and the disgrace of his negligence.
No longer will the Son of Athenia act as a spectator. No longer will the head of Stravos act as a child, he ruminated as he awaited the arrival of his family. No longer was there wine or food for them to contemplate upon. In recent memory, Archontiko Stravos had been stripped bare to keep some of the opulence known to the family outside of it. Disgrace bore its ugly poison and separated the Stravos from one another and the fact of it seethed Elias.
Invitations to the province of Lyncestia were not given to each member of the Stravos clan. No, instead one of the Hydra's Men had been personally appointed to give the word to join Elias. Tracked down wherever they might be, Elias offered his family transport and protection as they traversed the provinces to reach the shipyards that had initially brought Elias the accolade he deserved. An accolade that was fleeting as treachery at the hands of a poorly considered plot had been undone. The pirate Lukos was once a compensated associate to the heir to Stravos. But, no longer. Those who did not owe him his loyalty were threats to his power, and every loose end needed to be tied in order to secure his victory. Idly, Elias reflected on Elysia, and thought much of the same. Her presence was as much beneficial as it was detriment, and soon after this meeting he intended to see her again to truly push her.
Within the Stravos' office there were three chairs spread out evenly at a table in front of his own. All held an equal sense of comfort to them, though the chair that sat behind Elias' place held its own private affair. Four heads were pierced on pikes and placed in a square and mounted on the wall. Beaten into submission by the gladiator and decapitated after, they were a source of ire for the heir that needed to be quelled. Voices had wrought within Lyncestia, vocalizing their concerns in dark corners to any who would listen. Now, they were but memories and their bodies the nourishment for the carnivorous fish of the deep. The mount was temporary fixture and one he intended to burn in offering to Hades, the God of the Underworld. This particular deity was one he hadn't always paid his homage to, but as more and more blood stained his soul, he saw more and more reason to give over his faith. Now more than ever Elias sought to serve Hades, for in the pits of Tartarus he believed to be special places for his enemies to burn. Twelve obolus lay upon the table in front of him, the sacrifice meant to send these wretched cur to Tartarus and pay their voyage across the river. The Stravos ruminated silently within the room, his feet soundly on the ground as one hand coaxed the pristine flesh of his chin.
They might fear what I have become, but safety and comfort will no longer protect us. The witch yet lives, and without Stravos united in fear and faith both, she might yet see the throne again.
Elias' worst nightmares had come to realization, and in the inevitable return of Persephone of Xanthos he saw his undoing. If she sought to ever touch the throne, she would have to wrench him from it cold and un-moving. There are darker nightmares to suffer, he realized. But, they stood in the position of power. Elias of Stravos just had to show them the way. Once, the impatience of waiting for his family might have driven him mad. But the naivete of Elias of Stravos was a sacrifice he'd been too willing to pay. He ruminated on the Princess of Sorrow and the jackal that hounded her footsteps. Aimias was a liability as well, a loose end that he'd secured into a weapon against the man himself. He wondered what rumours swirled around him, what lies he'd been forced to bleed out. He'd been too busy to pay attention and now the fruits of his labors were to be admitted to those whose staunch loyalty he needed most.
I am the Shadow-King, he thought once more.
And soon, I'll rise into the sun.
@hades
The arrival of one of the Hydra’s Men at the Archontiko Stravos had sent the house into a flurry of activity. Elias had been quiet, too quiet, on so many of his plans, and it seemed he was finally ready to break that silence. Circenia thought it wise of her son to hold such a meeting away from the capitol; there was far less chance of prying ears in Lyncestia than there was in the city of Athenia. One could never be too careful when they played a game such as this, and so the princess made sure she, her husband, and her youngest child would be ready to leave within the hour.
Dynasteia Stravos had recently formed a rift, friction between its members ever increasing since the first catastrophe in the Senate. Her son’s seeming inaction had only served to infuriate them further, leading to the matriarch lashing out at the Stravos heir with all the fury of Hera come to earth. But somehow that fury had turned to redemption, her normally proud child breaking down and admitting this couldn’t be done alone. She and her husband both were only too happy to put their minds to work for him, to help their child achieve what should have been his birthright to start with.
Once they were all bundled into the carriage, the journey to Lyncestia was brief and uneventful, the vehicle stopping in front of what was Keikelius’s and was now Elias’s dockside office. It was a fairly unassuming location as far as the Stravos properties went, and again, Circenia silently commended her son’s choice. Known for their love of ostentatious grandeur, who would think to listen in on a secret family meeting here?
She knew she’d been wrong to assume every step Elias made was folly; he was a smart man, just as she had raised him to be. But Princess Circenia of Stravos, once of Xanthos, was not a woman that endured hardship well. The loss of their nobility, even once regained, was not a loss she had taken lightly, particularly with the loss of riches it accompanied. When faced with such trials, she had not risen to the occasion with the grace she should have, instead lashing out with anger and resentment that she had fallen so low.
But Elias would fix it. He was fixing it. Failure was no longer an option.
Taking her husband’s arm, she ushered Danae to join them as she walked side-by-side with Keikelius to enter the demure office. Circenia had never been a submissive wife or the kind of woman to maintain her pace behind her mate; instead, they stood as equals, especially when it came to matters of the family. Their union was one of mutual love and respect, and even with the tragedies of late, their foundation remained firm. Whatever lay on the horizon, they would face it together, strong and resolute in a way only thirty years of partnership could produce.
“My darling,” Circenia greeted Elias, parting from Keikelius to walk over and drop a kiss on her both her son’s cheeks. “Your summons was most welcome. I know I, for one, eagerly await what you’ve brought us here to say.” Squeezing his shoulder, she stepped back to take her seat, folding her hands in her lap with an expectant look that encouraged everyone present that it was time to dive right in.
However, before another word could be spoken, the princess happened to notice Elias's rather... macabre choice of decoration on the wall behind him. A thin eyebrow arched into her forehead as crystalline eyes came to rest on it, four lifeless gazes returning her inspection. "Interesting decor, Elias," was all she said, voice mild. "I assume they deserved it?"
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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The arrival of one of the Hydra’s Men at the Archontiko Stravos had sent the house into a flurry of activity. Elias had been quiet, too quiet, on so many of his plans, and it seemed he was finally ready to break that silence. Circenia thought it wise of her son to hold such a meeting away from the capitol; there was far less chance of prying ears in Lyncestia than there was in the city of Athenia. One could never be too careful when they played a game such as this, and so the princess made sure she, her husband, and her youngest child would be ready to leave within the hour.
Dynasteia Stravos had recently formed a rift, friction between its members ever increasing since the first catastrophe in the Senate. Her son’s seeming inaction had only served to infuriate them further, leading to the matriarch lashing out at the Stravos heir with all the fury of Hera come to earth. But somehow that fury had turned to redemption, her normally proud child breaking down and admitting this couldn’t be done alone. She and her husband both were only too happy to put their minds to work for him, to help their child achieve what should have been his birthright to start with.
Once they were all bundled into the carriage, the journey to Lyncestia was brief and uneventful, the vehicle stopping in front of what was Keikelius’s and was now Elias’s dockside office. It was a fairly unassuming location as far as the Stravos properties went, and again, Circenia silently commended her son’s choice. Known for their love of ostentatious grandeur, who would think to listen in on a secret family meeting here?
She knew she’d been wrong to assume every step Elias made was folly; he was a smart man, just as she had raised him to be. But Princess Circenia of Stravos, once of Xanthos, was not a woman that endured hardship well. The loss of their nobility, even once regained, was not a loss she had taken lightly, particularly with the loss of riches it accompanied. When faced with such trials, she had not risen to the occasion with the grace she should have, instead lashing out with anger and resentment that she had fallen so low.
But Elias would fix it. He was fixing it. Failure was no longer an option.
Taking her husband’s arm, she ushered Danae to join them as she walked side-by-side with Keikelius to enter the demure office. Circenia had never been a submissive wife or the kind of woman to maintain her pace behind her mate; instead, they stood as equals, especially when it came to matters of the family. Their union was one of mutual love and respect, and even with the tragedies of late, their foundation remained firm. Whatever lay on the horizon, they would face it together, strong and resolute in a way only thirty years of partnership could produce.
“My darling,” Circenia greeted Elias, parting from Keikelius to walk over and drop a kiss on her both her son’s cheeks. “Your summons was most welcome. I know I, for one, eagerly await what you’ve brought us here to say.” Squeezing his shoulder, she stepped back to take her seat, folding her hands in her lap with an expectant look that encouraged everyone present that it was time to dive right in.
However, before another word could be spoken, the princess happened to notice Elias's rather... macabre choice of decoration on the wall behind him. A thin eyebrow arched into her forehead as crystalline eyes came to rest on it, four lifeless gazes returning her inspection. "Interesting decor, Elias," was all she said, voice mild. "I assume they deserved it?"
The arrival of one of the Hydra’s Men at the Archontiko Stravos had sent the house into a flurry of activity. Elias had been quiet, too quiet, on so many of his plans, and it seemed he was finally ready to break that silence. Circenia thought it wise of her son to hold such a meeting away from the capitol; there was far less chance of prying ears in Lyncestia than there was in the city of Athenia. One could never be too careful when they played a game such as this, and so the princess made sure she, her husband, and her youngest child would be ready to leave within the hour.
Dynasteia Stravos had recently formed a rift, friction between its members ever increasing since the first catastrophe in the Senate. Her son’s seeming inaction had only served to infuriate them further, leading to the matriarch lashing out at the Stravos heir with all the fury of Hera come to earth. But somehow that fury had turned to redemption, her normally proud child breaking down and admitting this couldn’t be done alone. She and her husband both were only too happy to put their minds to work for him, to help their child achieve what should have been his birthright to start with.
Once they were all bundled into the carriage, the journey to Lyncestia was brief and uneventful, the vehicle stopping in front of what was Keikelius’s and was now Elias’s dockside office. It was a fairly unassuming location as far as the Stravos properties went, and again, Circenia silently commended her son’s choice. Known for their love of ostentatious grandeur, who would think to listen in on a secret family meeting here?
She knew she’d been wrong to assume every step Elias made was folly; he was a smart man, just as she had raised him to be. But Princess Circenia of Stravos, once of Xanthos, was not a woman that endured hardship well. The loss of their nobility, even once regained, was not a loss she had taken lightly, particularly with the loss of riches it accompanied. When faced with such trials, she had not risen to the occasion with the grace she should have, instead lashing out with anger and resentment that she had fallen so low.
But Elias would fix it. He was fixing it. Failure was no longer an option.
Taking her husband’s arm, she ushered Danae to join them as she walked side-by-side with Keikelius to enter the demure office. Circenia had never been a submissive wife or the kind of woman to maintain her pace behind her mate; instead, they stood as equals, especially when it came to matters of the family. Their union was one of mutual love and respect, and even with the tragedies of late, their foundation remained firm. Whatever lay on the horizon, they would face it together, strong and resolute in a way only thirty years of partnership could produce.
“My darling,” Circenia greeted Elias, parting from Keikelius to walk over and drop a kiss on her both her son’s cheeks. “Your summons was most welcome. I know I, for one, eagerly await what you’ve brought us here to say.” Squeezing his shoulder, she stepped back to take her seat, folding her hands in her lap with an expectant look that encouraged everyone present that it was time to dive right in.
However, before another word could be spoken, the princess happened to notice Elias's rather... macabre choice of decoration on the wall behind him. A thin eyebrow arched into her forehead as crystalline eyes came to rest on it, four lifeless gazes returning her inspection. "Interesting decor, Elias," was all she said, voice mild. "I assume they deserved it?"
Unlike the countless other times that she had fought tooth and nail to stay in her room whenever her parents tried to drag her somewhere; Danae didn’t put up much of a fuss when her mother told her that they were going to Lyncestia. Did this mean that she wanted to go? Absolutely not. The young girl could think of a half dozen other things that would be a better way of spending her time than being cooped up in a carriage as they traveled to hear Elias’s grand plan for how to get rid of the Xanthos vermin once and for all. A plan that she was sure would just as brilliantly as the last one that had only succeeded in bringing the family down to their lowest point.
Why in the name of Zeus and all of Olympus should she have the faith to trust that this plan should turn out any different?
Needless to say that she didn’t have high hopes for whatever idea her brother had cooked up, but she didn’t so much as utter a single word about her doubts. Especially not after what had happened the last time she kicked up a fuss about this sort of thing. Instead, Danae just quietly nodded and disappeared back into her room to go through the motions of preparing for such a trip. As Danae was never one to be flashy or gaudy in front of her family, the girl’s choice of a navy blue peplos with a white shawl to keep away the mid-fall chill was not that unexpected. Maybe her parents would raise an eyebrow at the fact that she wasn’t dripping in the Stravos colors for an event that would center around family unity, but Danae just wasn’t interested in looking like some glittering gem that day.
However, Danae had a suspicious feeling that her family would be more surprised by the fact that when their youngest daughter appeared in the foyer, ready to head out for Lyncestia; she was missing a certain piece of clothing that had become a staple of her wardrobe in recent months. Her headpiece. Instead of having it wrapped up in one of the many bolts of fabric that had littered her room for months, Danae came down the stairs of the Archontiko with her hair pulled back and tied loosely at the nape of her neck. It was safe to say that this was quite a change in pace from how Danae usually presented herself as she had been loathed to be seen even within the confines of the Archontiko without her hair safely hidden away from view. Now she was fully intent on going out in public with the not-quite-yet-shoulder length mane on full display for all to see.
Danae tried to not think about it too much as she was ushered into the carriage. In truth, the change was just as sudden for her as it would’ve been to her parents as the girl did not expect that she would forgo the hair scarves that day. It had been a spur of the moment decision that she did not expect she would make, but made complete sense given recent events. After all, the girl had been the one to find the floating corpse in the bathhouse and even though she would never admit it out loud, the discovery had affected her deeply. That had much had been plain to see when it happened as Danae had been a weeping, terrified mess when her brother and mother had ushered her out. In the days since Danae had been quiet and more reserved. She was still talking, thank the gods, but the girl just wasn’t being her feisty, defiant self. Instead the sixteen-year-old had been agreeable and dare it be said almost pleasant in attitude. It was like a peaceful calm had settled over the girl and this was now the culmination of that.
However, things truly weren’t that simple. The reason why Danae was seemingly retreating back into herself again wasn’t because of some new revelation or change of heart. No, it was rather the girl simply had a lot on her mind that she didn’t wish to divulge to the rest of her family. While it was simple enough for them to explain away Danae’s emotional reaction to seeing the body in the water, it hadn’t been for the girl as Emila’s doppelganger had represented so much more than just a political message from some unknown entity. Instead, it had been the physical manifestation of Danae’s worst fears. Her nights were plagued with nightmares of what happened on Lukos’s boat and how things could of very easily ended. Her dreams took her on a thousand different alternate paths every night, but they always ended the same way; Danae drowning in the open sea as harsh waves lapped over her which was a fate that was not too unlike what happened to that girl in the bathhouse. She hadn't been crying for Emilia or the girl in the water… Danae had been crying for herself.
And she had had enough.
Before the senate meet Danae had been strong and unbendable. She had a will of iron and the teenage gusto to go after anything she wanted. Now? She was a wreck. A wreck that let her fear of a pirate and being seen without a braid in her hair control her life. Something had to change. Even though it may be a while before Danae could get over her fear of Lukos; she could take baby steps to change the other deeply-rooted shame in her life. A secret family meeting in Lyncestia seemed to be a great place to start.
Luckily, her family knew better than to push Danae away with questions about the things she did, so the carriage ride to Lyncestia was uneventful. For the most part, she just allowed herself to tune out the chatter of her parents as they made their way through the Athenian countryside, knowing full well that if her opinion was needed or wanted the two adults would let her know. She was only just starting to nod off when the family unit finally arrived in their ancestral lands, but was quickly snapped awake by her mother ushering out to join her and her father as the group made their way into the meeting spot chosen by Elias.
Stepping quietly in line behind her parents, Danae didn’t notice her brother’s choice of decor until she had made her way over to her seat. All the color drained from her face as she caught sight of the four heads proudly displayed on the wall as if they were some sort of sick, war trophies. She could feel the bile rising in her throat as she couldn’t tear her eyes away from their empty gazes and slackjawed expressions. Danae was grateful that they were kept in a box as if the stench that surely accompanied them had assaulted her nostrils, she definitely would have lost her lunch.
She was about to say something and ask her brother to get the rotting thing out of there, but before she even had the chance her mother spoke up about it. Instead of decrying it like Danae would have expected her mother almost seemed to approve it? She shot her mother a quizzical look, not understanding why she wasn’t as disgusted and frightened by it as Danae was. She didn’t understand the need for it, but now the girl knew at least that she couldn’t speak out against it unless it attracted the ire of both her brother and mother. Danae would just have to try and avoid looking at it if she could.
Which is what she tried to do as she finally spoke up and asked their host in a skeptical tone, making clear the lack of faith she had in his abilities to lead them after everything that had already happened; “ Well, brother, what are these plans you wish to discuss?”
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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Unlike the countless other times that she had fought tooth and nail to stay in her room whenever her parents tried to drag her somewhere; Danae didn’t put up much of a fuss when her mother told her that they were going to Lyncestia. Did this mean that she wanted to go? Absolutely not. The young girl could think of a half dozen other things that would be a better way of spending her time than being cooped up in a carriage as they traveled to hear Elias’s grand plan for how to get rid of the Xanthos vermin once and for all. A plan that she was sure would just as brilliantly as the last one that had only succeeded in bringing the family down to their lowest point.
Why in the name of Zeus and all of Olympus should she have the faith to trust that this plan should turn out any different?
Needless to say that she didn’t have high hopes for whatever idea her brother had cooked up, but she didn’t so much as utter a single word about her doubts. Especially not after what had happened the last time she kicked up a fuss about this sort of thing. Instead, Danae just quietly nodded and disappeared back into her room to go through the motions of preparing for such a trip. As Danae was never one to be flashy or gaudy in front of her family, the girl’s choice of a navy blue peplos with a white shawl to keep away the mid-fall chill was not that unexpected. Maybe her parents would raise an eyebrow at the fact that she wasn’t dripping in the Stravos colors for an event that would center around family unity, but Danae just wasn’t interested in looking like some glittering gem that day.
However, Danae had a suspicious feeling that her family would be more surprised by the fact that when their youngest daughter appeared in the foyer, ready to head out for Lyncestia; she was missing a certain piece of clothing that had become a staple of her wardrobe in recent months. Her headpiece. Instead of having it wrapped up in one of the many bolts of fabric that had littered her room for months, Danae came down the stairs of the Archontiko with her hair pulled back and tied loosely at the nape of her neck. It was safe to say that this was quite a change in pace from how Danae usually presented herself as she had been loathed to be seen even within the confines of the Archontiko without her hair safely hidden away from view. Now she was fully intent on going out in public with the not-quite-yet-shoulder length mane on full display for all to see.
Danae tried to not think about it too much as she was ushered into the carriage. In truth, the change was just as sudden for her as it would’ve been to her parents as the girl did not expect that she would forgo the hair scarves that day. It had been a spur of the moment decision that she did not expect she would make, but made complete sense given recent events. After all, the girl had been the one to find the floating corpse in the bathhouse and even though she would never admit it out loud, the discovery had affected her deeply. That had much had been plain to see when it happened as Danae had been a weeping, terrified mess when her brother and mother had ushered her out. In the days since Danae had been quiet and more reserved. She was still talking, thank the gods, but the girl just wasn’t being her feisty, defiant self. Instead the sixteen-year-old had been agreeable and dare it be said almost pleasant in attitude. It was like a peaceful calm had settled over the girl and this was now the culmination of that.
However, things truly weren’t that simple. The reason why Danae was seemingly retreating back into herself again wasn’t because of some new revelation or change of heart. No, it was rather the girl simply had a lot on her mind that she didn’t wish to divulge to the rest of her family. While it was simple enough for them to explain away Danae’s emotional reaction to seeing the body in the water, it hadn’t been for the girl as Emila’s doppelganger had represented so much more than just a political message from some unknown entity. Instead, it had been the physical manifestation of Danae’s worst fears. Her nights were plagued with nightmares of what happened on Lukos’s boat and how things could of very easily ended. Her dreams took her on a thousand different alternate paths every night, but they always ended the same way; Danae drowning in the open sea as harsh waves lapped over her which was a fate that was not too unlike what happened to that girl in the bathhouse. She hadn't been crying for Emilia or the girl in the water… Danae had been crying for herself.
And she had had enough.
Before the senate meet Danae had been strong and unbendable. She had a will of iron and the teenage gusto to go after anything she wanted. Now? She was a wreck. A wreck that let her fear of a pirate and being seen without a braid in her hair control her life. Something had to change. Even though it may be a while before Danae could get over her fear of Lukos; she could take baby steps to change the other deeply-rooted shame in her life. A secret family meeting in Lyncestia seemed to be a great place to start.
Luckily, her family knew better than to push Danae away with questions about the things she did, so the carriage ride to Lyncestia was uneventful. For the most part, she just allowed herself to tune out the chatter of her parents as they made their way through the Athenian countryside, knowing full well that if her opinion was needed or wanted the two adults would let her know. She was only just starting to nod off when the family unit finally arrived in their ancestral lands, but was quickly snapped awake by her mother ushering out to join her and her father as the group made their way into the meeting spot chosen by Elias.
Stepping quietly in line behind her parents, Danae didn’t notice her brother’s choice of decor until she had made her way over to her seat. All the color drained from her face as she caught sight of the four heads proudly displayed on the wall as if they were some sort of sick, war trophies. She could feel the bile rising in her throat as she couldn’t tear her eyes away from their empty gazes and slackjawed expressions. Danae was grateful that they were kept in a box as if the stench that surely accompanied them had assaulted her nostrils, she definitely would have lost her lunch.
She was about to say something and ask her brother to get the rotting thing out of there, but before she even had the chance her mother spoke up about it. Instead of decrying it like Danae would have expected her mother almost seemed to approve it? She shot her mother a quizzical look, not understanding why she wasn’t as disgusted and frightened by it as Danae was. She didn’t understand the need for it, but now the girl knew at least that she couldn’t speak out against it unless it attracted the ire of both her brother and mother. Danae would just have to try and avoid looking at it if she could.
Which is what she tried to do as she finally spoke up and asked their host in a skeptical tone, making clear the lack of faith she had in his abilities to lead them after everything that had already happened; “ Well, brother, what are these plans you wish to discuss?”
Unlike the countless other times that she had fought tooth and nail to stay in her room whenever her parents tried to drag her somewhere; Danae didn’t put up much of a fuss when her mother told her that they were going to Lyncestia. Did this mean that she wanted to go? Absolutely not. The young girl could think of a half dozen other things that would be a better way of spending her time than being cooped up in a carriage as they traveled to hear Elias’s grand plan for how to get rid of the Xanthos vermin once and for all. A plan that she was sure would just as brilliantly as the last one that had only succeeded in bringing the family down to their lowest point.
Why in the name of Zeus and all of Olympus should she have the faith to trust that this plan should turn out any different?
Needless to say that she didn’t have high hopes for whatever idea her brother had cooked up, but she didn’t so much as utter a single word about her doubts. Especially not after what had happened the last time she kicked up a fuss about this sort of thing. Instead, Danae just quietly nodded and disappeared back into her room to go through the motions of preparing for such a trip. As Danae was never one to be flashy or gaudy in front of her family, the girl’s choice of a navy blue peplos with a white shawl to keep away the mid-fall chill was not that unexpected. Maybe her parents would raise an eyebrow at the fact that she wasn’t dripping in the Stravos colors for an event that would center around family unity, but Danae just wasn’t interested in looking like some glittering gem that day.
However, Danae had a suspicious feeling that her family would be more surprised by the fact that when their youngest daughter appeared in the foyer, ready to head out for Lyncestia; she was missing a certain piece of clothing that had become a staple of her wardrobe in recent months. Her headpiece. Instead of having it wrapped up in one of the many bolts of fabric that had littered her room for months, Danae came down the stairs of the Archontiko with her hair pulled back and tied loosely at the nape of her neck. It was safe to say that this was quite a change in pace from how Danae usually presented herself as she had been loathed to be seen even within the confines of the Archontiko without her hair safely hidden away from view. Now she was fully intent on going out in public with the not-quite-yet-shoulder length mane on full display for all to see.
Danae tried to not think about it too much as she was ushered into the carriage. In truth, the change was just as sudden for her as it would’ve been to her parents as the girl did not expect that she would forgo the hair scarves that day. It had been a spur of the moment decision that she did not expect she would make, but made complete sense given recent events. After all, the girl had been the one to find the floating corpse in the bathhouse and even though she would never admit it out loud, the discovery had affected her deeply. That had much had been plain to see when it happened as Danae had been a weeping, terrified mess when her brother and mother had ushered her out. In the days since Danae had been quiet and more reserved. She was still talking, thank the gods, but the girl just wasn’t being her feisty, defiant self. Instead the sixteen-year-old had been agreeable and dare it be said almost pleasant in attitude. It was like a peaceful calm had settled over the girl and this was now the culmination of that.
However, things truly weren’t that simple. The reason why Danae was seemingly retreating back into herself again wasn’t because of some new revelation or change of heart. No, it was rather the girl simply had a lot on her mind that she didn’t wish to divulge to the rest of her family. While it was simple enough for them to explain away Danae’s emotional reaction to seeing the body in the water, it hadn’t been for the girl as Emila’s doppelganger had represented so much more than just a political message from some unknown entity. Instead, it had been the physical manifestation of Danae’s worst fears. Her nights were plagued with nightmares of what happened on Lukos’s boat and how things could of very easily ended. Her dreams took her on a thousand different alternate paths every night, but they always ended the same way; Danae drowning in the open sea as harsh waves lapped over her which was a fate that was not too unlike what happened to that girl in the bathhouse. She hadn't been crying for Emilia or the girl in the water… Danae had been crying for herself.
And she had had enough.
Before the senate meet Danae had been strong and unbendable. She had a will of iron and the teenage gusto to go after anything she wanted. Now? She was a wreck. A wreck that let her fear of a pirate and being seen without a braid in her hair control her life. Something had to change. Even though it may be a while before Danae could get over her fear of Lukos; she could take baby steps to change the other deeply-rooted shame in her life. A secret family meeting in Lyncestia seemed to be a great place to start.
Luckily, her family knew better than to push Danae away with questions about the things she did, so the carriage ride to Lyncestia was uneventful. For the most part, she just allowed herself to tune out the chatter of her parents as they made their way through the Athenian countryside, knowing full well that if her opinion was needed or wanted the two adults would let her know. She was only just starting to nod off when the family unit finally arrived in their ancestral lands, but was quickly snapped awake by her mother ushering out to join her and her father as the group made their way into the meeting spot chosen by Elias.
Stepping quietly in line behind her parents, Danae didn’t notice her brother’s choice of decor until she had made her way over to her seat. All the color drained from her face as she caught sight of the four heads proudly displayed on the wall as if they were some sort of sick, war trophies. She could feel the bile rising in her throat as she couldn’t tear her eyes away from their empty gazes and slackjawed expressions. Danae was grateful that they were kept in a box as if the stench that surely accompanied them had assaulted her nostrils, she definitely would have lost her lunch.
She was about to say something and ask her brother to get the rotting thing out of there, but before she even had the chance her mother spoke up about it. Instead of decrying it like Danae would have expected her mother almost seemed to approve it? She shot her mother a quizzical look, not understanding why she wasn’t as disgusted and frightened by it as Danae was. She didn’t understand the need for it, but now the girl knew at least that she couldn’t speak out against it unless it attracted the ire of both her brother and mother. Danae would just have to try and avoid looking at it if she could.
Which is what she tried to do as she finally spoke up and asked their host in a skeptical tone, making clear the lack of faith she had in his abilities to lead them after everything that had already happened; “ Well, brother, what are these plans you wish to discuss?”
The expectation had been set. What was done was done and there was little that could be done to right the wrongs of the past except to look to the future. As a family. The way that they should have been doing things from the very beginning. It was true, Keikelius had been furious with his only heir for the steps he had taken to keep his family out of the loop. He was furious with his son for the political, social, and monetary strife that they had experienced in the last few months. But there was very little that could be done to change that happened in the past except to move forward, and that was what Keikelius was attempting to do.
This was his son's redemption, and he was going to take it as seriously as possible. There was no reason at all to doubt Elias any further because there had been a promise made between them. A promise that they would all strive to follow with a sense of unity that they had not had in a very long time. Keikelius and Circenia had spent years grooming their son, and neither of them took too kindly to not being included in their child's quiet plans. Had they been, there would have been ways of ensuring that they had planned for each and every outcome that could have befallen them. A slap on the wrist. The loss of their nobility. Those things could be planned for, manipulated, and exploited. If they had all lost their heads?
It would have been a comedy.
Keikelius was sure that he would have gone to Tartarus cursing his son to the ends of the Earth for their hardships. For their ending that should have never been an ending.
That wasn't to say that the happenings of the last few months were not useful in any way. In truth, many of the events could still be manipulated to the Stravos family's advantage. Most of all, Keikelius could use his own siding with Persephone in the last Senate meeting to his advantage. In the face of losing their nobility, the man had sided very blatantly against his son in favor of his niece. Whether that had been intentional at the time or a way to simply save face and curry favor instead of causing continued political turmoil had yet to be seen up to this point. That was until amends had been made between Elias and his parents.
Then the wheels had started to turn in Keikelius' head. Ideas, plans, fallbacks. The workings of a businessman and tactician that had spent years in the business and knew every trick in the book. He had thought about it long and hard since that night, contemplating it over and over in his mind, but he had yet to speak to either his son or his wife about any of his ideas. Those were better left for the moment that the family could all be together. Together as one, discussing as one, moving as one. As it should have been from the very beginning.
Part of Keikelius would never forgive himself for driving such a sharp rift between all of them. Then again, every single member of the family was to blame. When everyone turned against one, there was bound to be blood drawn and tempers heated. That was simply the way of things. That was how the human mind worked when it had been wronged. People tended to bite the hand that was quietly trying to help them or guide them in a specific direction. Keikelius' own rage had befallen the Stravos house like the darkest of clouds and it was Keikelius that had held the deepest grudge. For all of his wife's posturing and tendencies for anger and disgust, her head was more easily turned to her son's wants and wishes than Keikelius'. At first, he hadn't been keen to forgive nor forget, but having to humble himself, exhausted and frustrated with their situation, had been that light at the end of the tunnel that they had all needed.
And everything had fallen into place.
The arrival of one of the Hydra's soldiers came as neither shock nor surprise to Keikelius. He had been suspecting and expecting that Elias would send someone rather than come himself, and that was perfectly acceptable. Why draw more attention to them than what had already been shifted in their direction? It was better to let the world continue to think that Keikelius was still at odds with his own son than be seen on amicable terms with the young man. Keikelius' own plans would fit nicely into whatever Elias himself had planned, so Keikelius did not reject the invitation. The order was simply given for his wife and daughter to be readied to depart. There was no option and no amount of argument from Danae would have been tolerated... if the girl had argued at all.
The Stravos lord had dressed in muted colors, much like his own daughter. But instead of not wanting to look flashy, Keikelius was quietly keeping to his previous thoughts of not supporting his own kin. Had the senate ever opened since the last meeting, he would have continued and continued the ruse. He would have upheld the image because his intention had always been to help his son, whether Elias was aware of it or not. Circenia would have worked with him easily enough, Keikelius was sure. Convoluted plans were her specialty, after all. Cunning and strong-willed, the man was more than sure that if Circenia had wanted the throne for herself, they would have it already. The focus had instead landed on their son and heir.
Dressed in a dark grey chiton with silver embroidered along the edges, Keikelius adorned himself with a deep emerald himation and soft sandals. Then he had found pause at the sight of his daughter, her head scarfs gone and replaced by her beautiful hair that was slowly growing back. He briefly remembered the nights where he would toy with it when she was younger, working braids into her hair that were very similar to the braiding of rope that was used on a ship. Then he would undo them and braid her long locks into something far more simple and stern, as she seemed to prefer them. For a moment, he considered that his ability to show that sort of quiet affection toward his daughter once more was not too far off. Part of him missed that comfort and closeness to Danae, which meant that he had been long displeased with her distance from all of them.
To see such a difference in her demeanor was... it was almost exciting and Keikelius reached his arm out to his daughter and then his other out to his wife in order to guide the three of them toward the carriage that was waiting for them. They had only packed the essentials, as they would not be able to return the same day as their meeting with Elias. The trip to Lyncestia would take most of the day and by the time they were to return, daylight would have faltered. Their son would have to give them shelter for the night.
The trip was quiet, for the most part. Keikelius did not speak much, instead letting himself watch the world go by wishing he were riding a horse rather than sitting in a carriage. Part of him also missed the years he had spent training horses in the military. Though born of noble blood, Keikelius hadn't taken the easy way out with his military service. He had put himself on those killing fields like every other man his age. Not exactly his proudest achievement, Keikelius had long been glad for such training. It had shown him more independence and given him less of a reason to depend on his own parents.
Perhaps that was why he could not fault Elias too much anymore. Any man Elias' age would want to be out from under the thumb of their patriarch. Keikelius wanted Elias to have such responsibility, but not at the cost of being shut out.
The long ride made Keikelius' side ache and he found himself shifting uncomfortably from time to time. Yes. Riding the horses would have been much easier on his hip. He was getting older and his joints ached. Old war injuries had become more pronounced in recent years and Keikelius could do little to escape the havoc they wracked on his body. But he didn't complain about it, too stoic to really admit that he wasn't comfortable in the carriage other than by changing his sitting position whenever it was needed and he could no longer ignore the strange aches and pains. For this reason, it was a relief to finally make it to Lyncestia, and Keikelius found himself rather delighted by it. He hopped out first, happy to be able to stretch his legs and then helped his wife and daughter down as well.
Together they entered the small office housing of his son's. At one time, this had been his dockside office, but marrying Circenia had meant that he spent more time in Athenia than the home he had once made for himself. Attictris had not been where he had wanted to remain once he had married Circenia and earned the Stravos family a higher status. Once a simple family of nobles, the Stravos now oversaw vassal provinces. When it had come time for Elias to take over a province, he'd allowed Elias to chose his barony. This office had simply been one of Keikelius' outposts for business, which he had given up when Elias had taken responsibility for the province.
Stepping into the office, Keikelius' gaze did not immediately go to the heads behind his son, though they did catch sight from his side vision. He knew that they were there, he simply decided not to acknowledge them yet. They weren't really of any consequence, and usually, the stench of rotting flesh did not bother him. He was a sailor and a weak stomach was not one of his weaknesses. Often times, on longer voyages, many of the crew could smell like a dead body. It was not glamorous by any means. Bilge water smelled like rotting corpses.
Instead, Keikelius fixed his gaze on his son, giving a slow nod of greeting just to show that he was aware of the man. "I pray that you are prepared with a plan today," Keikelius said calmly, taking up the middle seat in the row of three seats. He waited for Circenia and Danae to sit before he said anything else, finally looking past his son to the heads of whoever had betrayed Elias. Lifting an eyebrow, Keikelius did not make a facial expression to show he was judging, instead, he looked curious. "I also pray that you will not be attracting attention to yourself and that you are leaving no proof that these men's lives were taken by you. Of all the unrest, you will catch more flies than honey if these men's deaths fall back on you."
Keikelius said it in a way that told Elias that he was sure he already knew that and that he trusted the man to have been discrete about it. Then his gaze tore from the dead men and landed back on his son. Everything that Keikelius exuded stated that he trusted the man to be taking the proper steps to keep himself safe and guarded against prying eyes. The unrest against Emilia of Xanthos could quickly turn back against the Stravos if all of them were not incredibly careful. The last thing that Keikelius wanted was to see his son fail when he was now so close and had the support of his family to back him. They would do all that they could, but their actions would mean little if Elias got too out of hand with his rage.
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The expectation had been set. What was done was done and there was little that could be done to right the wrongs of the past except to look to the future. As a family. The way that they should have been doing things from the very beginning. It was true, Keikelius had been furious with his only heir for the steps he had taken to keep his family out of the loop. He was furious with his son for the political, social, and monetary strife that they had experienced in the last few months. But there was very little that could be done to change that happened in the past except to move forward, and that was what Keikelius was attempting to do.
This was his son's redemption, and he was going to take it as seriously as possible. There was no reason at all to doubt Elias any further because there had been a promise made between them. A promise that they would all strive to follow with a sense of unity that they had not had in a very long time. Keikelius and Circenia had spent years grooming their son, and neither of them took too kindly to not being included in their child's quiet plans. Had they been, there would have been ways of ensuring that they had planned for each and every outcome that could have befallen them. A slap on the wrist. The loss of their nobility. Those things could be planned for, manipulated, and exploited. If they had all lost their heads?
It would have been a comedy.
Keikelius was sure that he would have gone to Tartarus cursing his son to the ends of the Earth for their hardships. For their ending that should have never been an ending.
That wasn't to say that the happenings of the last few months were not useful in any way. In truth, many of the events could still be manipulated to the Stravos family's advantage. Most of all, Keikelius could use his own siding with Persephone in the last Senate meeting to his advantage. In the face of losing their nobility, the man had sided very blatantly against his son in favor of his niece. Whether that had been intentional at the time or a way to simply save face and curry favor instead of causing continued political turmoil had yet to be seen up to this point. That was until amends had been made between Elias and his parents.
Then the wheels had started to turn in Keikelius' head. Ideas, plans, fallbacks. The workings of a businessman and tactician that had spent years in the business and knew every trick in the book. He had thought about it long and hard since that night, contemplating it over and over in his mind, but he had yet to speak to either his son or his wife about any of his ideas. Those were better left for the moment that the family could all be together. Together as one, discussing as one, moving as one. As it should have been from the very beginning.
Part of Keikelius would never forgive himself for driving such a sharp rift between all of them. Then again, every single member of the family was to blame. When everyone turned against one, there was bound to be blood drawn and tempers heated. That was simply the way of things. That was how the human mind worked when it had been wronged. People tended to bite the hand that was quietly trying to help them or guide them in a specific direction. Keikelius' own rage had befallen the Stravos house like the darkest of clouds and it was Keikelius that had held the deepest grudge. For all of his wife's posturing and tendencies for anger and disgust, her head was more easily turned to her son's wants and wishes than Keikelius'. At first, he hadn't been keen to forgive nor forget, but having to humble himself, exhausted and frustrated with their situation, had been that light at the end of the tunnel that they had all needed.
And everything had fallen into place.
The arrival of one of the Hydra's soldiers came as neither shock nor surprise to Keikelius. He had been suspecting and expecting that Elias would send someone rather than come himself, and that was perfectly acceptable. Why draw more attention to them than what had already been shifted in their direction? It was better to let the world continue to think that Keikelius was still at odds with his own son than be seen on amicable terms with the young man. Keikelius' own plans would fit nicely into whatever Elias himself had planned, so Keikelius did not reject the invitation. The order was simply given for his wife and daughter to be readied to depart. There was no option and no amount of argument from Danae would have been tolerated... if the girl had argued at all.
The Stravos lord had dressed in muted colors, much like his own daughter. But instead of not wanting to look flashy, Keikelius was quietly keeping to his previous thoughts of not supporting his own kin. Had the senate ever opened since the last meeting, he would have continued and continued the ruse. He would have upheld the image because his intention had always been to help his son, whether Elias was aware of it or not. Circenia would have worked with him easily enough, Keikelius was sure. Convoluted plans were her specialty, after all. Cunning and strong-willed, the man was more than sure that if Circenia had wanted the throne for herself, they would have it already. The focus had instead landed on their son and heir.
Dressed in a dark grey chiton with silver embroidered along the edges, Keikelius adorned himself with a deep emerald himation and soft sandals. Then he had found pause at the sight of his daughter, her head scarfs gone and replaced by her beautiful hair that was slowly growing back. He briefly remembered the nights where he would toy with it when she was younger, working braids into her hair that were very similar to the braiding of rope that was used on a ship. Then he would undo them and braid her long locks into something far more simple and stern, as she seemed to prefer them. For a moment, he considered that his ability to show that sort of quiet affection toward his daughter once more was not too far off. Part of him missed that comfort and closeness to Danae, which meant that he had been long displeased with her distance from all of them.
To see such a difference in her demeanor was... it was almost exciting and Keikelius reached his arm out to his daughter and then his other out to his wife in order to guide the three of them toward the carriage that was waiting for them. They had only packed the essentials, as they would not be able to return the same day as their meeting with Elias. The trip to Lyncestia would take most of the day and by the time they were to return, daylight would have faltered. Their son would have to give them shelter for the night.
The trip was quiet, for the most part. Keikelius did not speak much, instead letting himself watch the world go by wishing he were riding a horse rather than sitting in a carriage. Part of him also missed the years he had spent training horses in the military. Though born of noble blood, Keikelius hadn't taken the easy way out with his military service. He had put himself on those killing fields like every other man his age. Not exactly his proudest achievement, Keikelius had long been glad for such training. It had shown him more independence and given him less of a reason to depend on his own parents.
Perhaps that was why he could not fault Elias too much anymore. Any man Elias' age would want to be out from under the thumb of their patriarch. Keikelius wanted Elias to have such responsibility, but not at the cost of being shut out.
The long ride made Keikelius' side ache and he found himself shifting uncomfortably from time to time. Yes. Riding the horses would have been much easier on his hip. He was getting older and his joints ached. Old war injuries had become more pronounced in recent years and Keikelius could do little to escape the havoc they wracked on his body. But he didn't complain about it, too stoic to really admit that he wasn't comfortable in the carriage other than by changing his sitting position whenever it was needed and he could no longer ignore the strange aches and pains. For this reason, it was a relief to finally make it to Lyncestia, and Keikelius found himself rather delighted by it. He hopped out first, happy to be able to stretch his legs and then helped his wife and daughter down as well.
Together they entered the small office housing of his son's. At one time, this had been his dockside office, but marrying Circenia had meant that he spent more time in Athenia than the home he had once made for himself. Attictris had not been where he had wanted to remain once he had married Circenia and earned the Stravos family a higher status. Once a simple family of nobles, the Stravos now oversaw vassal provinces. When it had come time for Elias to take over a province, he'd allowed Elias to chose his barony. This office had simply been one of Keikelius' outposts for business, which he had given up when Elias had taken responsibility for the province.
Stepping into the office, Keikelius' gaze did not immediately go to the heads behind his son, though they did catch sight from his side vision. He knew that they were there, he simply decided not to acknowledge them yet. They weren't really of any consequence, and usually, the stench of rotting flesh did not bother him. He was a sailor and a weak stomach was not one of his weaknesses. Often times, on longer voyages, many of the crew could smell like a dead body. It was not glamorous by any means. Bilge water smelled like rotting corpses.
Instead, Keikelius fixed his gaze on his son, giving a slow nod of greeting just to show that he was aware of the man. "I pray that you are prepared with a plan today," Keikelius said calmly, taking up the middle seat in the row of three seats. He waited for Circenia and Danae to sit before he said anything else, finally looking past his son to the heads of whoever had betrayed Elias. Lifting an eyebrow, Keikelius did not make a facial expression to show he was judging, instead, he looked curious. "I also pray that you will not be attracting attention to yourself and that you are leaving no proof that these men's lives were taken by you. Of all the unrest, you will catch more flies than honey if these men's deaths fall back on you."
Keikelius said it in a way that told Elias that he was sure he already knew that and that he trusted the man to have been discrete about it. Then his gaze tore from the dead men and landed back on his son. Everything that Keikelius exuded stated that he trusted the man to be taking the proper steps to keep himself safe and guarded against prying eyes. The unrest against Emilia of Xanthos could quickly turn back against the Stravos if all of them were not incredibly careful. The last thing that Keikelius wanted was to see his son fail when he was now so close and had the support of his family to back him. They would do all that they could, but their actions would mean little if Elias got too out of hand with his rage.
The expectation had been set. What was done was done and there was little that could be done to right the wrongs of the past except to look to the future. As a family. The way that they should have been doing things from the very beginning. It was true, Keikelius had been furious with his only heir for the steps he had taken to keep his family out of the loop. He was furious with his son for the political, social, and monetary strife that they had experienced in the last few months. But there was very little that could be done to change that happened in the past except to move forward, and that was what Keikelius was attempting to do.
This was his son's redemption, and he was going to take it as seriously as possible. There was no reason at all to doubt Elias any further because there had been a promise made between them. A promise that they would all strive to follow with a sense of unity that they had not had in a very long time. Keikelius and Circenia had spent years grooming their son, and neither of them took too kindly to not being included in their child's quiet plans. Had they been, there would have been ways of ensuring that they had planned for each and every outcome that could have befallen them. A slap on the wrist. The loss of their nobility. Those things could be planned for, manipulated, and exploited. If they had all lost their heads?
It would have been a comedy.
Keikelius was sure that he would have gone to Tartarus cursing his son to the ends of the Earth for their hardships. For their ending that should have never been an ending.
That wasn't to say that the happenings of the last few months were not useful in any way. In truth, many of the events could still be manipulated to the Stravos family's advantage. Most of all, Keikelius could use his own siding with Persephone in the last Senate meeting to his advantage. In the face of losing their nobility, the man had sided very blatantly against his son in favor of his niece. Whether that had been intentional at the time or a way to simply save face and curry favor instead of causing continued political turmoil had yet to be seen up to this point. That was until amends had been made between Elias and his parents.
Then the wheels had started to turn in Keikelius' head. Ideas, plans, fallbacks. The workings of a businessman and tactician that had spent years in the business and knew every trick in the book. He had thought about it long and hard since that night, contemplating it over and over in his mind, but he had yet to speak to either his son or his wife about any of his ideas. Those were better left for the moment that the family could all be together. Together as one, discussing as one, moving as one. As it should have been from the very beginning.
Part of Keikelius would never forgive himself for driving such a sharp rift between all of them. Then again, every single member of the family was to blame. When everyone turned against one, there was bound to be blood drawn and tempers heated. That was simply the way of things. That was how the human mind worked when it had been wronged. People tended to bite the hand that was quietly trying to help them or guide them in a specific direction. Keikelius' own rage had befallen the Stravos house like the darkest of clouds and it was Keikelius that had held the deepest grudge. For all of his wife's posturing and tendencies for anger and disgust, her head was more easily turned to her son's wants and wishes than Keikelius'. At first, he hadn't been keen to forgive nor forget, but having to humble himself, exhausted and frustrated with their situation, had been that light at the end of the tunnel that they had all needed.
And everything had fallen into place.
The arrival of one of the Hydra's soldiers came as neither shock nor surprise to Keikelius. He had been suspecting and expecting that Elias would send someone rather than come himself, and that was perfectly acceptable. Why draw more attention to them than what had already been shifted in their direction? It was better to let the world continue to think that Keikelius was still at odds with his own son than be seen on amicable terms with the young man. Keikelius' own plans would fit nicely into whatever Elias himself had planned, so Keikelius did not reject the invitation. The order was simply given for his wife and daughter to be readied to depart. There was no option and no amount of argument from Danae would have been tolerated... if the girl had argued at all.
The Stravos lord had dressed in muted colors, much like his own daughter. But instead of not wanting to look flashy, Keikelius was quietly keeping to his previous thoughts of not supporting his own kin. Had the senate ever opened since the last meeting, he would have continued and continued the ruse. He would have upheld the image because his intention had always been to help his son, whether Elias was aware of it or not. Circenia would have worked with him easily enough, Keikelius was sure. Convoluted plans were her specialty, after all. Cunning and strong-willed, the man was more than sure that if Circenia had wanted the throne for herself, they would have it already. The focus had instead landed on their son and heir.
Dressed in a dark grey chiton with silver embroidered along the edges, Keikelius adorned himself with a deep emerald himation and soft sandals. Then he had found pause at the sight of his daughter, her head scarfs gone and replaced by her beautiful hair that was slowly growing back. He briefly remembered the nights where he would toy with it when she was younger, working braids into her hair that were very similar to the braiding of rope that was used on a ship. Then he would undo them and braid her long locks into something far more simple and stern, as she seemed to prefer them. For a moment, he considered that his ability to show that sort of quiet affection toward his daughter once more was not too far off. Part of him missed that comfort and closeness to Danae, which meant that he had been long displeased with her distance from all of them.
To see such a difference in her demeanor was... it was almost exciting and Keikelius reached his arm out to his daughter and then his other out to his wife in order to guide the three of them toward the carriage that was waiting for them. They had only packed the essentials, as they would not be able to return the same day as their meeting with Elias. The trip to Lyncestia would take most of the day and by the time they were to return, daylight would have faltered. Their son would have to give them shelter for the night.
The trip was quiet, for the most part. Keikelius did not speak much, instead letting himself watch the world go by wishing he were riding a horse rather than sitting in a carriage. Part of him also missed the years he had spent training horses in the military. Though born of noble blood, Keikelius hadn't taken the easy way out with his military service. He had put himself on those killing fields like every other man his age. Not exactly his proudest achievement, Keikelius had long been glad for such training. It had shown him more independence and given him less of a reason to depend on his own parents.
Perhaps that was why he could not fault Elias too much anymore. Any man Elias' age would want to be out from under the thumb of their patriarch. Keikelius wanted Elias to have such responsibility, but not at the cost of being shut out.
The long ride made Keikelius' side ache and he found himself shifting uncomfortably from time to time. Yes. Riding the horses would have been much easier on his hip. He was getting older and his joints ached. Old war injuries had become more pronounced in recent years and Keikelius could do little to escape the havoc they wracked on his body. But he didn't complain about it, too stoic to really admit that he wasn't comfortable in the carriage other than by changing his sitting position whenever it was needed and he could no longer ignore the strange aches and pains. For this reason, it was a relief to finally make it to Lyncestia, and Keikelius found himself rather delighted by it. He hopped out first, happy to be able to stretch his legs and then helped his wife and daughter down as well.
Together they entered the small office housing of his son's. At one time, this had been his dockside office, but marrying Circenia had meant that he spent more time in Athenia than the home he had once made for himself. Attictris had not been where he had wanted to remain once he had married Circenia and earned the Stravos family a higher status. Once a simple family of nobles, the Stravos now oversaw vassal provinces. When it had come time for Elias to take over a province, he'd allowed Elias to chose his barony. This office had simply been one of Keikelius' outposts for business, which he had given up when Elias had taken responsibility for the province.
Stepping into the office, Keikelius' gaze did not immediately go to the heads behind his son, though they did catch sight from his side vision. He knew that they were there, he simply decided not to acknowledge them yet. They weren't really of any consequence, and usually, the stench of rotting flesh did not bother him. He was a sailor and a weak stomach was not one of his weaknesses. Often times, on longer voyages, many of the crew could smell like a dead body. It was not glamorous by any means. Bilge water smelled like rotting corpses.
Instead, Keikelius fixed his gaze on his son, giving a slow nod of greeting just to show that he was aware of the man. "I pray that you are prepared with a plan today," Keikelius said calmly, taking up the middle seat in the row of three seats. He waited for Circenia and Danae to sit before he said anything else, finally looking past his son to the heads of whoever had betrayed Elias. Lifting an eyebrow, Keikelius did not make a facial expression to show he was judging, instead, he looked curious. "I also pray that you will not be attracting attention to yourself and that you are leaving no proof that these men's lives were taken by you. Of all the unrest, you will catch more flies than honey if these men's deaths fall back on you."
Keikelius said it in a way that told Elias that he was sure he already knew that and that he trusted the man to have been discrete about it. Then his gaze tore from the dead men and landed back on his son. Everything that Keikelius exuded stated that he trusted the man to be taking the proper steps to keep himself safe and guarded against prying eyes. The unrest against Emilia of Xanthos could quickly turn back against the Stravos if all of them were not incredibly careful. The last thing that Keikelius wanted was to see his son fail when he was now so close and had the support of his family to back him. They would do all that they could, but their actions would mean little if Elias got too out of hand with his rage.
Lyncestia was the seat of power that Athenia could not yet be for the heir to the lineage of Stravos. Where the other baronies were allowed to be ruled with relative laxity from both of the Stravos Headlords that existed within times of their royal status, Lyncestia was the opposite. Elias had chosen his barony carefully, advised by Keikelius to choose a place in which all of his talents could be brought to light.
I chose Lyncestia because of all of the hidden alcoves in which my secrets can be safely stowed. I chose Lyncestia because it was nothing, and now it is the unassuming heart of all of my dealings.
The Headlord of Stravos ruminated on the dealings he'd had within the boundaries of Lyncestia, the years he'd built the place up, not with his own hands as his father had his own empire, but in the delegation of effort to those who craved Stravos compensation. Elias felt a mere boy growing into the role of a baron, outclassed in experience by elder but less shrewd individuals. Elias reveled in proving himself, bringing himself closer and closer to the throne through the accolades brought to him.
Only for all of it to be undone by my foolishness, he seethed. Once he'd blamed everyone else for the misfortunes of Stravos, but the realization that no one, least of all himself, was infallible... it was the fire in which all of the world might be consumed in. To be laid low taught Elias of Stravos not the lesson of humility, but reminded him of the immense value of utter secrecy.
Elias' thoughts whipped back into the present as he considered the barony he was in, the dark corners that had sought discontent within the very heart of his seat of power and he almost laughed aloud. It was a blessing that the door to his office opened, for the very idea of laughter culled from his thoughts as he looked to each of his kin. First, there was his father, Keikelius. In the older man's eyes he saw the same weariness he'd seen in the weeks prior, when all of the world had melted into one room, where Elias allowed himself to crumple and at last admit to the two people he held most dear that his efforts alone were not enough to bring to them the glory they deserved. But, beside that weariness he saw a new sense of resolution. There was some measure of disgust there, but Elias expected that more than the rest of his kin, that Keikelius knew the grit of bloodshed and the ire of enemies earned in the pursuit of power.
Keikelius, among all of the Stravos present and beyond, knew the merits of ruthlessness firsthand. He'd been but a vassal noble and clawed himself and his lineage to the seat of royalty. Impressing a woman such as Circenia of Xanthos was no small feat, and Elias was quite pleased to be the heir to such a man.
However, the one who spoke first was also the one who drew the nearest to him. Elias pushed into contact with his mother, letting a hand sift gently into the raven tresses of his mother's hair in an affectionate gesture that might draw her to memories of the past. He kissed her forehead in turn, then lay back in his chair as the question set through his mind. He did not speak immediately, instead allowing his sister to speak next. Both of them were expectant to hear what it was that Elias of Stravos had brought them to his province to hear. And he didn't blame them. Elias had led them to the pits of Tartarus and he would again, but this time it'd be the blood of his enemies to be offered in sacrifice, not the souls of his kin. Elias thought of his mother and the incredible resolve that lingered within her. What sort of woman could be so ruthless as to murder a man for assaulting her child, but also so gentle to her kin that she'd forgive the greatest of transgressions? Elias felt that he did not deserve her mercy, and had never asked for it. It was willingly given and he'd prove to them today that he deserved it.
Once questioned about the heads mounted on the wall behind them, Elias turned to see them. They were beaten, their faces contorted in terror for the last sight they'd seen was the brutal enforcer, Lesley. The gladiator was not an experienced torturer, but enough sadism made up for the lack of knowledge and they'd done the job well enough. Two damned souls had turned into four and he envisioned their disembodied souls wailing in Tartarus, unable to traverse the River Styx, headless and with tolls as of yet unpaid. Keikelius warned him of prying eyes, but the ones mounted on the wall were the last seeds of treachery within his province. At least, those he'd rooted out. He had no reservations about his Hydra's Men, and he considered each statement his father made before he'd undo them with one simple action.
"Before I answer, please allow one moment and turn your attentions to thoughts of Tartarus. I hope that Hades smiles upon our family, but keeps us well away from his home as we forge the world anew in flame."
The isolated office space was perfect for a ritual to Hades to commence, and Elias brought the heads to a corner fire pit before he answered any of their questions. Individually, he placed a silver obol upon each of the eyes of the four heads, turning their heads so that the coins did not fall, then lastly placing one upon each tongue. Then, the Headlord of Stravos arranged their hair into a center mass, igniting the strands before stepping back. The flames spread rapidly, encompassing the entirety, hay striking flame until the makeshift pyre burned and black smoke rose into the sky.
Elias cleared the docks before their arrival, and only the iron fist of the Hydra's Men remained to ensure it remained that way. No one would bother the Stravos family as they discussed the future, but first proper homage needed to be paid. Satisfied with the quick ritual, at last Elias of Stravos shifted to face his family. He wiped the grime on his fingertips on a himation he'd since removed, the crimson easily absorbing what blood had pooled against his flesh. Elias then sat down and at last deemed it appropriate to respond to their inquiries.
"Deserve is a difficult judgment to make. Whether they walk through the dungeon of Tartarus or the fields of Elysium is for Hades to decide. What I can determine, mother, is that they were traitors, denizens of Lyncestia who festered as insects breeding a brood of conspiracy in the dark corners of the province. It seemed their words hardly carried, for Lyncestia continues to reject the notion that it's baron could be anything but the man that turned everything around for them."
There was very little pride in Elias' voice, for there was nothing to be proud of in the admission of fact. Elias of Stravos kept to the solemn and the pensive, his mind thoroughly engrossed in everything he had to share with them. He took his time, however, carefully choosing his words and planning the next. He sought not to misspeak, or to give his kin a reason to doubt the extremism of his current practices. Everything that Elias of Stravos sought out was for the sake of their futures, to perpetuate their regained nobility and bring to them what they deserved.
What I deserve, he mused, just as he continued along.
Elias offered a smile to his sister. The pity he felt for her, for the fear was written in her eyes as she'd laid eyes on those heads and there was lingering fear in every moment he'd seen her in ever since the body in the Loutra was discovered. He'd not the chance to console his sister, to offer her the assurances that everything would be okay. He didn't know the troubles that lived within her heart, or why she'd come home one day with shorter hair and a hollowness to her that he couldn't place. Elias didn't regret the spectre of smoke that rose behind him, but he also wished that in it he could take his sister's fears and let them take the plunge into the oblivion he wished for his enemies. There'd been a rift between them in recent years, a rift that only grew wider and more treacherous in the wake of his mistakes. Elias wanted to offer an olive branch to his sister, but he couldn't do it if she continued to hold the blade against her chest. There was only so far he dared venture and only time would tell how their bond might be repaired. The fear he saw in her wasn't encouraging, but he felt it, too. There was danger in every corner, the shadows of death that grew longer the greater his aspirations stretched... But he'd stave off death and offer countless others in his place instead, if need be.
"We'll come to that soon, Danae. But, first... There's plenty for us to delve into. There is so much I've wanted to tell all of you. Machinations woven since the very beginning of this disgrace and recent developments have transpired to make this kingdom ripe for our taking. However, the witch-queen Persephone of Xanthos lives yet, and so long as her fate remains under question, her presence is ubiquitous. That's why we are here, in Lyncestia, in an office in one of many coves. The Stravos could be anywhere, and yet... nowhere at all. It's quite a change, isn't it?" he mused before quickly moving on.
"First, I threw myself into the palace and offered my services to a very distraught and now Crown Princess Emilia. Bit by bit, all of us have been apportioning the blame to her and her vanished sister. This is what we decided on together, and I've been very keen to allow you, mother, to do that good graces. I've turned my attention elsewhere. I'm sure you all recognize the name, Aimias of Argyris?" Elias allowed a moment for them to search their memories, and Elias himself landed first on the day he'd been ousted as a traitor, given testimony by the wretch-pirate, Lukos, and this scholar filth who deigned himself worthy of a nobility through a woman that Elias of Stravos could say he had once truly loved. Elias grit his teeth at the thought of the wretch in his past before his thoughts turned to the present. Now, Aimias of Argyris was a pawn to his machinations, sowing seeds of doubt not to Emilia of Xanthos, but in the vanished queen herself.
"Aimias is loyal to Persephone, but even the most loyal of men have their weaknesses. I've laid him low and threatened his family. There is no one that can be safe from the grasp of Stravos as we draw closer to our destinies. He's been commanded to rescind every treachery recounted to the Senate and to insinuate that Persephone of Xanthos is a witch, ensnaring the Senate with vile sorcery to turn the vote in her favour. Father, I'd ask you to fight against such allegations. Let yourself remain 'ensnared' by the witch. But I don't think I needed to make that request of you," he mused aloud. Keikelius of Stravos had turned against his son, but after they'd spoken in Archontiko Stravos and he'd seen his father laid so low... Elias had no doubt in his mind that every word the elder Stravos spoke for anyone but him was a deception.
"Loyalty is difficult to secure with any sort of certainty. There is always the possibility of betrayal, but contingencies can be made in the event that plans fall to the wayside. I come to the three of you not with plans for the future, Danae, but with the machinations of the past. I don't want to make the plans alone. I don't see a point in it when all of us have so much to gain from my rightful claim on the throne. You brought us to this point, father, but you will never be a King," he admitted, a measure of sadness in his tone. Elias of Stravos carried within him the royal blood of Xanthos and the blessed acumen of the Stravos. Together, they might make the ruler that one couldn't alone; The male ruler who held all of the power of Athenia at his back.
"Next, there's another pawn to add to the table. Elysia of Aetaea, the wife of the Master Informer. It's my opinion that the so-called great Cicero is inclined to support the witch-Queen should she return. And she will. But Elysia is not so staunch in her convictions. I've opened the door to the Master Informer through her and she is a resource that only time will determine the utility of. She is a string I've as of yet been reluctant to pull on again, but the time draws nearer that her knowledge and resources will be of use to me."
Elias chuckled softly, letting his weight fall onto his chair without restraint. He placed his fingertips upon his jawline, brushing his thoughts into being as he ruminated further.
"There's also one more thing of note that I noticed. On the day at the Loutra... it became apparent. What we've done to lay ruin to mother's former family is working. People believe in the fault of Xanthos and their negligence towards the people of Athenia. More and more, my confidence waxes that given more time without the Queen that we could restore the succession and I can take my rightful place without further incident. But, that seems unlikely. There are more and more rumours swirling about the return of the Queen, and she is alive. Whether or not those rumours are true, they will summon her.
Instead, I believe we need to take the opportunity and further fortify our restored graces and cleanse the Stravos of the filth I besmirched our names with. The Princess of Sorrow is our puppet, and through fires and ash, we will rise as the phoenix of Athenia. We should begin first with the baronies of Stravos, in my opinion. Lyncestia is the least of my concerns. My Hydra's Men have made sure that all whispers have been quelled. This is the seat of power from which we will infest the whole."
Elias wanted to move on, and rather than continue to drone on, he decided to put forth the burden of the speaker to those that shared his blood.
"Anyway, where should we start? Do any of you have concerns? Questions? A different course of action?" Elias hated to add the last part, but he was here to admit his inability to consider every outcome. Elias was never a humble man and he never would be, but in the faces of his family he could find consideration for the plans and rationale of others.
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Lyncestia was the seat of power that Athenia could not yet be for the heir to the lineage of Stravos. Where the other baronies were allowed to be ruled with relative laxity from both of the Stravos Headlords that existed within times of their royal status, Lyncestia was the opposite. Elias had chosen his barony carefully, advised by Keikelius to choose a place in which all of his talents could be brought to light.
I chose Lyncestia because of all of the hidden alcoves in which my secrets can be safely stowed. I chose Lyncestia because it was nothing, and now it is the unassuming heart of all of my dealings.
The Headlord of Stravos ruminated on the dealings he'd had within the boundaries of Lyncestia, the years he'd built the place up, not with his own hands as his father had his own empire, but in the delegation of effort to those who craved Stravos compensation. Elias felt a mere boy growing into the role of a baron, outclassed in experience by elder but less shrewd individuals. Elias reveled in proving himself, bringing himself closer and closer to the throne through the accolades brought to him.
Only for all of it to be undone by my foolishness, he seethed. Once he'd blamed everyone else for the misfortunes of Stravos, but the realization that no one, least of all himself, was infallible... it was the fire in which all of the world might be consumed in. To be laid low taught Elias of Stravos not the lesson of humility, but reminded him of the immense value of utter secrecy.
Elias' thoughts whipped back into the present as he considered the barony he was in, the dark corners that had sought discontent within the very heart of his seat of power and he almost laughed aloud. It was a blessing that the door to his office opened, for the very idea of laughter culled from his thoughts as he looked to each of his kin. First, there was his father, Keikelius. In the older man's eyes he saw the same weariness he'd seen in the weeks prior, when all of the world had melted into one room, where Elias allowed himself to crumple and at last admit to the two people he held most dear that his efforts alone were not enough to bring to them the glory they deserved. But, beside that weariness he saw a new sense of resolution. There was some measure of disgust there, but Elias expected that more than the rest of his kin, that Keikelius knew the grit of bloodshed and the ire of enemies earned in the pursuit of power.
Keikelius, among all of the Stravos present and beyond, knew the merits of ruthlessness firsthand. He'd been but a vassal noble and clawed himself and his lineage to the seat of royalty. Impressing a woman such as Circenia of Xanthos was no small feat, and Elias was quite pleased to be the heir to such a man.
However, the one who spoke first was also the one who drew the nearest to him. Elias pushed into contact with his mother, letting a hand sift gently into the raven tresses of his mother's hair in an affectionate gesture that might draw her to memories of the past. He kissed her forehead in turn, then lay back in his chair as the question set through his mind. He did not speak immediately, instead allowing his sister to speak next. Both of them were expectant to hear what it was that Elias of Stravos had brought them to his province to hear. And he didn't blame them. Elias had led them to the pits of Tartarus and he would again, but this time it'd be the blood of his enemies to be offered in sacrifice, not the souls of his kin. Elias thought of his mother and the incredible resolve that lingered within her. What sort of woman could be so ruthless as to murder a man for assaulting her child, but also so gentle to her kin that she'd forgive the greatest of transgressions? Elias felt that he did not deserve her mercy, and had never asked for it. It was willingly given and he'd prove to them today that he deserved it.
Once questioned about the heads mounted on the wall behind them, Elias turned to see them. They were beaten, their faces contorted in terror for the last sight they'd seen was the brutal enforcer, Lesley. The gladiator was not an experienced torturer, but enough sadism made up for the lack of knowledge and they'd done the job well enough. Two damned souls had turned into four and he envisioned their disembodied souls wailing in Tartarus, unable to traverse the River Styx, headless and with tolls as of yet unpaid. Keikelius warned him of prying eyes, but the ones mounted on the wall were the last seeds of treachery within his province. At least, those he'd rooted out. He had no reservations about his Hydra's Men, and he considered each statement his father made before he'd undo them with one simple action.
"Before I answer, please allow one moment and turn your attentions to thoughts of Tartarus. I hope that Hades smiles upon our family, but keeps us well away from his home as we forge the world anew in flame."
The isolated office space was perfect for a ritual to Hades to commence, and Elias brought the heads to a corner fire pit before he answered any of their questions. Individually, he placed a silver obol upon each of the eyes of the four heads, turning their heads so that the coins did not fall, then lastly placing one upon each tongue. Then, the Headlord of Stravos arranged their hair into a center mass, igniting the strands before stepping back. The flames spread rapidly, encompassing the entirety, hay striking flame until the makeshift pyre burned and black smoke rose into the sky.
Elias cleared the docks before their arrival, and only the iron fist of the Hydra's Men remained to ensure it remained that way. No one would bother the Stravos family as they discussed the future, but first proper homage needed to be paid. Satisfied with the quick ritual, at last Elias of Stravos shifted to face his family. He wiped the grime on his fingertips on a himation he'd since removed, the crimson easily absorbing what blood had pooled against his flesh. Elias then sat down and at last deemed it appropriate to respond to their inquiries.
"Deserve is a difficult judgment to make. Whether they walk through the dungeon of Tartarus or the fields of Elysium is for Hades to decide. What I can determine, mother, is that they were traitors, denizens of Lyncestia who festered as insects breeding a brood of conspiracy in the dark corners of the province. It seemed their words hardly carried, for Lyncestia continues to reject the notion that it's baron could be anything but the man that turned everything around for them."
There was very little pride in Elias' voice, for there was nothing to be proud of in the admission of fact. Elias of Stravos kept to the solemn and the pensive, his mind thoroughly engrossed in everything he had to share with them. He took his time, however, carefully choosing his words and planning the next. He sought not to misspeak, or to give his kin a reason to doubt the extremism of his current practices. Everything that Elias of Stravos sought out was for the sake of their futures, to perpetuate their regained nobility and bring to them what they deserved.
What I deserve, he mused, just as he continued along.
Elias offered a smile to his sister. The pity he felt for her, for the fear was written in her eyes as she'd laid eyes on those heads and there was lingering fear in every moment he'd seen her in ever since the body in the Loutra was discovered. He'd not the chance to console his sister, to offer her the assurances that everything would be okay. He didn't know the troubles that lived within her heart, or why she'd come home one day with shorter hair and a hollowness to her that he couldn't place. Elias didn't regret the spectre of smoke that rose behind him, but he also wished that in it he could take his sister's fears and let them take the plunge into the oblivion he wished for his enemies. There'd been a rift between them in recent years, a rift that only grew wider and more treacherous in the wake of his mistakes. Elias wanted to offer an olive branch to his sister, but he couldn't do it if she continued to hold the blade against her chest. There was only so far he dared venture and only time would tell how their bond might be repaired. The fear he saw in her wasn't encouraging, but he felt it, too. There was danger in every corner, the shadows of death that grew longer the greater his aspirations stretched... But he'd stave off death and offer countless others in his place instead, if need be.
"We'll come to that soon, Danae. But, first... There's plenty for us to delve into. There is so much I've wanted to tell all of you. Machinations woven since the very beginning of this disgrace and recent developments have transpired to make this kingdom ripe for our taking. However, the witch-queen Persephone of Xanthos lives yet, and so long as her fate remains under question, her presence is ubiquitous. That's why we are here, in Lyncestia, in an office in one of many coves. The Stravos could be anywhere, and yet... nowhere at all. It's quite a change, isn't it?" he mused before quickly moving on.
"First, I threw myself into the palace and offered my services to a very distraught and now Crown Princess Emilia. Bit by bit, all of us have been apportioning the blame to her and her vanished sister. This is what we decided on together, and I've been very keen to allow you, mother, to do that good graces. I've turned my attention elsewhere. I'm sure you all recognize the name, Aimias of Argyris?" Elias allowed a moment for them to search their memories, and Elias himself landed first on the day he'd been ousted as a traitor, given testimony by the wretch-pirate, Lukos, and this scholar filth who deigned himself worthy of a nobility through a woman that Elias of Stravos could say he had once truly loved. Elias grit his teeth at the thought of the wretch in his past before his thoughts turned to the present. Now, Aimias of Argyris was a pawn to his machinations, sowing seeds of doubt not to Emilia of Xanthos, but in the vanished queen herself.
"Aimias is loyal to Persephone, but even the most loyal of men have their weaknesses. I've laid him low and threatened his family. There is no one that can be safe from the grasp of Stravos as we draw closer to our destinies. He's been commanded to rescind every treachery recounted to the Senate and to insinuate that Persephone of Xanthos is a witch, ensnaring the Senate with vile sorcery to turn the vote in her favour. Father, I'd ask you to fight against such allegations. Let yourself remain 'ensnared' by the witch. But I don't think I needed to make that request of you," he mused aloud. Keikelius of Stravos had turned against his son, but after they'd spoken in Archontiko Stravos and he'd seen his father laid so low... Elias had no doubt in his mind that every word the elder Stravos spoke for anyone but him was a deception.
"Loyalty is difficult to secure with any sort of certainty. There is always the possibility of betrayal, but contingencies can be made in the event that plans fall to the wayside. I come to the three of you not with plans for the future, Danae, but with the machinations of the past. I don't want to make the plans alone. I don't see a point in it when all of us have so much to gain from my rightful claim on the throne. You brought us to this point, father, but you will never be a King," he admitted, a measure of sadness in his tone. Elias of Stravos carried within him the royal blood of Xanthos and the blessed acumen of the Stravos. Together, they might make the ruler that one couldn't alone; The male ruler who held all of the power of Athenia at his back.
"Next, there's another pawn to add to the table. Elysia of Aetaea, the wife of the Master Informer. It's my opinion that the so-called great Cicero is inclined to support the witch-Queen should she return. And she will. But Elysia is not so staunch in her convictions. I've opened the door to the Master Informer through her and she is a resource that only time will determine the utility of. She is a string I've as of yet been reluctant to pull on again, but the time draws nearer that her knowledge and resources will be of use to me."
Elias chuckled softly, letting his weight fall onto his chair without restraint. He placed his fingertips upon his jawline, brushing his thoughts into being as he ruminated further.
"There's also one more thing of note that I noticed. On the day at the Loutra... it became apparent. What we've done to lay ruin to mother's former family is working. People believe in the fault of Xanthos and their negligence towards the people of Athenia. More and more, my confidence waxes that given more time without the Queen that we could restore the succession and I can take my rightful place without further incident. But, that seems unlikely. There are more and more rumours swirling about the return of the Queen, and she is alive. Whether or not those rumours are true, they will summon her.
Instead, I believe we need to take the opportunity and further fortify our restored graces and cleanse the Stravos of the filth I besmirched our names with. The Princess of Sorrow is our puppet, and through fires and ash, we will rise as the phoenix of Athenia. We should begin first with the baronies of Stravos, in my opinion. Lyncestia is the least of my concerns. My Hydra's Men have made sure that all whispers have been quelled. This is the seat of power from which we will infest the whole."
Elias wanted to move on, and rather than continue to drone on, he decided to put forth the burden of the speaker to those that shared his blood.
"Anyway, where should we start? Do any of you have concerns? Questions? A different course of action?" Elias hated to add the last part, but he was here to admit his inability to consider every outcome. Elias was never a humble man and he never would be, but in the faces of his family he could find consideration for the plans and rationale of others.
Lyncestia was the seat of power that Athenia could not yet be for the heir to the lineage of Stravos. Where the other baronies were allowed to be ruled with relative laxity from both of the Stravos Headlords that existed within times of their royal status, Lyncestia was the opposite. Elias had chosen his barony carefully, advised by Keikelius to choose a place in which all of his talents could be brought to light.
I chose Lyncestia because of all of the hidden alcoves in which my secrets can be safely stowed. I chose Lyncestia because it was nothing, and now it is the unassuming heart of all of my dealings.
The Headlord of Stravos ruminated on the dealings he'd had within the boundaries of Lyncestia, the years he'd built the place up, not with his own hands as his father had his own empire, but in the delegation of effort to those who craved Stravos compensation. Elias felt a mere boy growing into the role of a baron, outclassed in experience by elder but less shrewd individuals. Elias reveled in proving himself, bringing himself closer and closer to the throne through the accolades brought to him.
Only for all of it to be undone by my foolishness, he seethed. Once he'd blamed everyone else for the misfortunes of Stravos, but the realization that no one, least of all himself, was infallible... it was the fire in which all of the world might be consumed in. To be laid low taught Elias of Stravos not the lesson of humility, but reminded him of the immense value of utter secrecy.
Elias' thoughts whipped back into the present as he considered the barony he was in, the dark corners that had sought discontent within the very heart of his seat of power and he almost laughed aloud. It was a blessing that the door to his office opened, for the very idea of laughter culled from his thoughts as he looked to each of his kin. First, there was his father, Keikelius. In the older man's eyes he saw the same weariness he'd seen in the weeks prior, when all of the world had melted into one room, where Elias allowed himself to crumple and at last admit to the two people he held most dear that his efforts alone were not enough to bring to them the glory they deserved. But, beside that weariness he saw a new sense of resolution. There was some measure of disgust there, but Elias expected that more than the rest of his kin, that Keikelius knew the grit of bloodshed and the ire of enemies earned in the pursuit of power.
Keikelius, among all of the Stravos present and beyond, knew the merits of ruthlessness firsthand. He'd been but a vassal noble and clawed himself and his lineage to the seat of royalty. Impressing a woman such as Circenia of Xanthos was no small feat, and Elias was quite pleased to be the heir to such a man.
However, the one who spoke first was also the one who drew the nearest to him. Elias pushed into contact with his mother, letting a hand sift gently into the raven tresses of his mother's hair in an affectionate gesture that might draw her to memories of the past. He kissed her forehead in turn, then lay back in his chair as the question set through his mind. He did not speak immediately, instead allowing his sister to speak next. Both of them were expectant to hear what it was that Elias of Stravos had brought them to his province to hear. And he didn't blame them. Elias had led them to the pits of Tartarus and he would again, but this time it'd be the blood of his enemies to be offered in sacrifice, not the souls of his kin. Elias thought of his mother and the incredible resolve that lingered within her. What sort of woman could be so ruthless as to murder a man for assaulting her child, but also so gentle to her kin that she'd forgive the greatest of transgressions? Elias felt that he did not deserve her mercy, and had never asked for it. It was willingly given and he'd prove to them today that he deserved it.
Once questioned about the heads mounted on the wall behind them, Elias turned to see them. They were beaten, their faces contorted in terror for the last sight they'd seen was the brutal enforcer, Lesley. The gladiator was not an experienced torturer, but enough sadism made up for the lack of knowledge and they'd done the job well enough. Two damned souls had turned into four and he envisioned their disembodied souls wailing in Tartarus, unable to traverse the River Styx, headless and with tolls as of yet unpaid. Keikelius warned him of prying eyes, but the ones mounted on the wall were the last seeds of treachery within his province. At least, those he'd rooted out. He had no reservations about his Hydra's Men, and he considered each statement his father made before he'd undo them with one simple action.
"Before I answer, please allow one moment and turn your attentions to thoughts of Tartarus. I hope that Hades smiles upon our family, but keeps us well away from his home as we forge the world anew in flame."
The isolated office space was perfect for a ritual to Hades to commence, and Elias brought the heads to a corner fire pit before he answered any of their questions. Individually, he placed a silver obol upon each of the eyes of the four heads, turning their heads so that the coins did not fall, then lastly placing one upon each tongue. Then, the Headlord of Stravos arranged their hair into a center mass, igniting the strands before stepping back. The flames spread rapidly, encompassing the entirety, hay striking flame until the makeshift pyre burned and black smoke rose into the sky.
Elias cleared the docks before their arrival, and only the iron fist of the Hydra's Men remained to ensure it remained that way. No one would bother the Stravos family as they discussed the future, but first proper homage needed to be paid. Satisfied with the quick ritual, at last Elias of Stravos shifted to face his family. He wiped the grime on his fingertips on a himation he'd since removed, the crimson easily absorbing what blood had pooled against his flesh. Elias then sat down and at last deemed it appropriate to respond to their inquiries.
"Deserve is a difficult judgment to make. Whether they walk through the dungeon of Tartarus or the fields of Elysium is for Hades to decide. What I can determine, mother, is that they were traitors, denizens of Lyncestia who festered as insects breeding a brood of conspiracy in the dark corners of the province. It seemed their words hardly carried, for Lyncestia continues to reject the notion that it's baron could be anything but the man that turned everything around for them."
There was very little pride in Elias' voice, for there was nothing to be proud of in the admission of fact. Elias of Stravos kept to the solemn and the pensive, his mind thoroughly engrossed in everything he had to share with them. He took his time, however, carefully choosing his words and planning the next. He sought not to misspeak, or to give his kin a reason to doubt the extremism of his current practices. Everything that Elias of Stravos sought out was for the sake of their futures, to perpetuate their regained nobility and bring to them what they deserved.
What I deserve, he mused, just as he continued along.
Elias offered a smile to his sister. The pity he felt for her, for the fear was written in her eyes as she'd laid eyes on those heads and there was lingering fear in every moment he'd seen her in ever since the body in the Loutra was discovered. He'd not the chance to console his sister, to offer her the assurances that everything would be okay. He didn't know the troubles that lived within her heart, or why she'd come home one day with shorter hair and a hollowness to her that he couldn't place. Elias didn't regret the spectre of smoke that rose behind him, but he also wished that in it he could take his sister's fears and let them take the plunge into the oblivion he wished for his enemies. There'd been a rift between them in recent years, a rift that only grew wider and more treacherous in the wake of his mistakes. Elias wanted to offer an olive branch to his sister, but he couldn't do it if she continued to hold the blade against her chest. There was only so far he dared venture and only time would tell how their bond might be repaired. The fear he saw in her wasn't encouraging, but he felt it, too. There was danger in every corner, the shadows of death that grew longer the greater his aspirations stretched... But he'd stave off death and offer countless others in his place instead, if need be.
"We'll come to that soon, Danae. But, first... There's plenty for us to delve into. There is so much I've wanted to tell all of you. Machinations woven since the very beginning of this disgrace and recent developments have transpired to make this kingdom ripe for our taking. However, the witch-queen Persephone of Xanthos lives yet, and so long as her fate remains under question, her presence is ubiquitous. That's why we are here, in Lyncestia, in an office in one of many coves. The Stravos could be anywhere, and yet... nowhere at all. It's quite a change, isn't it?" he mused before quickly moving on.
"First, I threw myself into the palace and offered my services to a very distraught and now Crown Princess Emilia. Bit by bit, all of us have been apportioning the blame to her and her vanished sister. This is what we decided on together, and I've been very keen to allow you, mother, to do that good graces. I've turned my attention elsewhere. I'm sure you all recognize the name, Aimias of Argyris?" Elias allowed a moment for them to search their memories, and Elias himself landed first on the day he'd been ousted as a traitor, given testimony by the wretch-pirate, Lukos, and this scholar filth who deigned himself worthy of a nobility through a woman that Elias of Stravos could say he had once truly loved. Elias grit his teeth at the thought of the wretch in his past before his thoughts turned to the present. Now, Aimias of Argyris was a pawn to his machinations, sowing seeds of doubt not to Emilia of Xanthos, but in the vanished queen herself.
"Aimias is loyal to Persephone, but even the most loyal of men have their weaknesses. I've laid him low and threatened his family. There is no one that can be safe from the grasp of Stravos as we draw closer to our destinies. He's been commanded to rescind every treachery recounted to the Senate and to insinuate that Persephone of Xanthos is a witch, ensnaring the Senate with vile sorcery to turn the vote in her favour. Father, I'd ask you to fight against such allegations. Let yourself remain 'ensnared' by the witch. But I don't think I needed to make that request of you," he mused aloud. Keikelius of Stravos had turned against his son, but after they'd spoken in Archontiko Stravos and he'd seen his father laid so low... Elias had no doubt in his mind that every word the elder Stravos spoke for anyone but him was a deception.
"Loyalty is difficult to secure with any sort of certainty. There is always the possibility of betrayal, but contingencies can be made in the event that plans fall to the wayside. I come to the three of you not with plans for the future, Danae, but with the machinations of the past. I don't want to make the plans alone. I don't see a point in it when all of us have so much to gain from my rightful claim on the throne. You brought us to this point, father, but you will never be a King," he admitted, a measure of sadness in his tone. Elias of Stravos carried within him the royal blood of Xanthos and the blessed acumen of the Stravos. Together, they might make the ruler that one couldn't alone; The male ruler who held all of the power of Athenia at his back.
"Next, there's another pawn to add to the table. Elysia of Aetaea, the wife of the Master Informer. It's my opinion that the so-called great Cicero is inclined to support the witch-Queen should she return. And she will. But Elysia is not so staunch in her convictions. I've opened the door to the Master Informer through her and she is a resource that only time will determine the utility of. She is a string I've as of yet been reluctant to pull on again, but the time draws nearer that her knowledge and resources will be of use to me."
Elias chuckled softly, letting his weight fall onto his chair without restraint. He placed his fingertips upon his jawline, brushing his thoughts into being as he ruminated further.
"There's also one more thing of note that I noticed. On the day at the Loutra... it became apparent. What we've done to lay ruin to mother's former family is working. People believe in the fault of Xanthos and their negligence towards the people of Athenia. More and more, my confidence waxes that given more time without the Queen that we could restore the succession and I can take my rightful place without further incident. But, that seems unlikely. There are more and more rumours swirling about the return of the Queen, and she is alive. Whether or not those rumours are true, they will summon her.
Instead, I believe we need to take the opportunity and further fortify our restored graces and cleanse the Stravos of the filth I besmirched our names with. The Princess of Sorrow is our puppet, and through fires and ash, we will rise as the phoenix of Athenia. We should begin first with the baronies of Stravos, in my opinion. Lyncestia is the least of my concerns. My Hydra's Men have made sure that all whispers have been quelled. This is the seat of power from which we will infest the whole."
Elias wanted to move on, and rather than continue to drone on, he decided to put forth the burden of the speaker to those that shared his blood.
"Anyway, where should we start? Do any of you have concerns? Questions? A different course of action?" Elias hated to add the last part, but he was here to admit his inability to consider every outcome. Elias was never a humble man and he never would be, but in the faces of his family he could find consideration for the plans and rationale of others.
The fire reflected in Circenia’s eyes as the heads burned, her face impassive while she watched the flames lick at their flesh. Her nose wrinkled delicately at the smell; otherwise, she showed no reaction to the macabre spectacle. The princess was perhaps a bit more comfortable with gore than someone of her status ought to be, but that was neither here nor there. If those men were enemies of her son’s, they were enemies of hers. And their enemies deserved the cruelest fate human hands could wrought upon them.
There was a moment of contemplative silence while the fire burned, Circenia sending her own silent prayer to the god of the underworld. She was not here to judge these men, but she trusted that Hades would perform his due diligence. The Stravos had sent enough men to his realm that she was sure he looked on them kindly. Surely, he would rule in their favor.
“Traitors and conspirators ought to suffer for eternity,” was her quiet response to her son’s explanation, her tone neutral and matter-of-fact. “If they sought to bring you down, they got what was coming to them. I’ve no doubt they will pay for their mistakes in the afterlife, as well.”
Once Elias sat back down and began to address them in earnest, the princess turned her thoughts from the burning fools back to her son and why he’d gathered them here. He had plans? Good, it was past time he laid them out. Inaction had served its purpose for long enough. There were further steps that needed to be taken and taken soon. With rumors swirling of the Queen’s return, they needed to act. Persephone could not be allowed to take back her throne, not when they’d come this far to take it from her in the first place.
As the lord of Stravos commented on her machinations with Emilia, Circenia simply smiled and inclined her head. She’d been all too happy to play the part of doting aunt whilst subtly weaving doubt into her niece’s mind. Truly, it hadn’t even been difficult, the past few weeks having taken their toll on the young princess’s psyche. All Circenia needed were a few gentle nudges, some carefully placed words dropped here and there, and she had Emilia right where she wanted her. Scared. Doubtful. Alone.
When his speech turned to Aimias, the princess lifted her lip in a silent snarl. Of course, she remembered who that bastard was. A Xanthos sympathizer who’d been quick to fall in with the allegations against her son, she’d fantasized long and hard about how the fool would be punished. But using him to their favor was even better; any supporter of Persephone that they could convince to speak against her was another mark in their favor. Apparently, her son had been even busier than she’d thought.
The mention of Elysia had Circenia stiffening, raising a brow in her son’s direction. Up until that point, she’d remained silent, confident in Elias’s machinations thus far. But this one… this one she did not trust, even more so than she distrusted so many others. “The Master Informer’s wife is a snake,” she said bluntly, a bold statement coming from the queen of vipers herself. “Tread lightly with that one, Elias, and be careful how much you reveal. Her web is nearly as extensive as my own, and she certainly knows more than she lets on. I’m not so confident of where her loyalties will fall.”
Falling silent again when he continued to speak, she nodded in agreement with his thoughts on the ‘princess of sorrow.’ While she’d initially suspected Elias of direct involvement in the incident, she knew after their talk in the crypt that wasn’t the case. What she did know because of it was that their manipulations were working. The people were getting angry, angry enough to perpetuate violence against an innocent to prove a point. The Xanthos had their detractors, and they were only getting stronger by the day. The Stravos needed to utilize that as much as they could without making it obvious that’s what they were doing. Perhaps a few more seeds planted in further ripening soil…
“I’ve placed a few spies of my own,” Circenia informed her family when Elias turned the discussion over to them, glancing first at her son, then her husband, then at last at her daughter. “The gladiator Lesley who trails Emilia like a dog has been in my employ for some time now. He reports to me weekly on the things she does and who she does them with, and it seems she’s still as confused and doubtful as ever. Between me, Chara, Danae, and the gladiator, there is hardly a moment we don’t have eyes on the little princess. We must continue to do what we can to ensure she questions her loyalty to her sister. We have to keep her isolated so that when Persephone returns, she won’t have it easy.”
Folding her hands in her lap, she leaned back in her chair with another nod. “Keep the rumors going. Keep all information that leaves the Palati muddled and skewed. We’ve got a strong foothold, and we need to make sure we keep it.”
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The fire reflected in Circenia’s eyes as the heads burned, her face impassive while she watched the flames lick at their flesh. Her nose wrinkled delicately at the smell; otherwise, she showed no reaction to the macabre spectacle. The princess was perhaps a bit more comfortable with gore than someone of her status ought to be, but that was neither here nor there. If those men were enemies of her son’s, they were enemies of hers. And their enemies deserved the cruelest fate human hands could wrought upon them.
There was a moment of contemplative silence while the fire burned, Circenia sending her own silent prayer to the god of the underworld. She was not here to judge these men, but she trusted that Hades would perform his due diligence. The Stravos had sent enough men to his realm that she was sure he looked on them kindly. Surely, he would rule in their favor.
“Traitors and conspirators ought to suffer for eternity,” was her quiet response to her son’s explanation, her tone neutral and matter-of-fact. “If they sought to bring you down, they got what was coming to them. I’ve no doubt they will pay for their mistakes in the afterlife, as well.”
Once Elias sat back down and began to address them in earnest, the princess turned her thoughts from the burning fools back to her son and why he’d gathered them here. He had plans? Good, it was past time he laid them out. Inaction had served its purpose for long enough. There were further steps that needed to be taken and taken soon. With rumors swirling of the Queen’s return, they needed to act. Persephone could not be allowed to take back her throne, not when they’d come this far to take it from her in the first place.
As the lord of Stravos commented on her machinations with Emilia, Circenia simply smiled and inclined her head. She’d been all too happy to play the part of doting aunt whilst subtly weaving doubt into her niece’s mind. Truly, it hadn’t even been difficult, the past few weeks having taken their toll on the young princess’s psyche. All Circenia needed were a few gentle nudges, some carefully placed words dropped here and there, and she had Emilia right where she wanted her. Scared. Doubtful. Alone.
When his speech turned to Aimias, the princess lifted her lip in a silent snarl. Of course, she remembered who that bastard was. A Xanthos sympathizer who’d been quick to fall in with the allegations against her son, she’d fantasized long and hard about how the fool would be punished. But using him to their favor was even better; any supporter of Persephone that they could convince to speak against her was another mark in their favor. Apparently, her son had been even busier than she’d thought.
The mention of Elysia had Circenia stiffening, raising a brow in her son’s direction. Up until that point, she’d remained silent, confident in Elias’s machinations thus far. But this one… this one she did not trust, even more so than she distrusted so many others. “The Master Informer’s wife is a snake,” she said bluntly, a bold statement coming from the queen of vipers herself. “Tread lightly with that one, Elias, and be careful how much you reveal. Her web is nearly as extensive as my own, and she certainly knows more than she lets on. I’m not so confident of where her loyalties will fall.”
Falling silent again when he continued to speak, she nodded in agreement with his thoughts on the ‘princess of sorrow.’ While she’d initially suspected Elias of direct involvement in the incident, she knew after their talk in the crypt that wasn’t the case. What she did know because of it was that their manipulations were working. The people were getting angry, angry enough to perpetuate violence against an innocent to prove a point. The Xanthos had their detractors, and they were only getting stronger by the day. The Stravos needed to utilize that as much as they could without making it obvious that’s what they were doing. Perhaps a few more seeds planted in further ripening soil…
“I’ve placed a few spies of my own,” Circenia informed her family when Elias turned the discussion over to them, glancing first at her son, then her husband, then at last at her daughter. “The gladiator Lesley who trails Emilia like a dog has been in my employ for some time now. He reports to me weekly on the things she does and who she does them with, and it seems she’s still as confused and doubtful as ever. Between me, Chara, Danae, and the gladiator, there is hardly a moment we don’t have eyes on the little princess. We must continue to do what we can to ensure she questions her loyalty to her sister. We have to keep her isolated so that when Persephone returns, she won’t have it easy.”
Folding her hands in her lap, she leaned back in her chair with another nod. “Keep the rumors going. Keep all information that leaves the Palati muddled and skewed. We’ve got a strong foothold, and we need to make sure we keep it.”
The fire reflected in Circenia’s eyes as the heads burned, her face impassive while she watched the flames lick at their flesh. Her nose wrinkled delicately at the smell; otherwise, she showed no reaction to the macabre spectacle. The princess was perhaps a bit more comfortable with gore than someone of her status ought to be, but that was neither here nor there. If those men were enemies of her son’s, they were enemies of hers. And their enemies deserved the cruelest fate human hands could wrought upon them.
There was a moment of contemplative silence while the fire burned, Circenia sending her own silent prayer to the god of the underworld. She was not here to judge these men, but she trusted that Hades would perform his due diligence. The Stravos had sent enough men to his realm that she was sure he looked on them kindly. Surely, he would rule in their favor.
“Traitors and conspirators ought to suffer for eternity,” was her quiet response to her son’s explanation, her tone neutral and matter-of-fact. “If they sought to bring you down, they got what was coming to them. I’ve no doubt they will pay for their mistakes in the afterlife, as well.”
Once Elias sat back down and began to address them in earnest, the princess turned her thoughts from the burning fools back to her son and why he’d gathered them here. He had plans? Good, it was past time he laid them out. Inaction had served its purpose for long enough. There were further steps that needed to be taken and taken soon. With rumors swirling of the Queen’s return, they needed to act. Persephone could not be allowed to take back her throne, not when they’d come this far to take it from her in the first place.
As the lord of Stravos commented on her machinations with Emilia, Circenia simply smiled and inclined her head. She’d been all too happy to play the part of doting aunt whilst subtly weaving doubt into her niece’s mind. Truly, it hadn’t even been difficult, the past few weeks having taken their toll on the young princess’s psyche. All Circenia needed were a few gentle nudges, some carefully placed words dropped here and there, and she had Emilia right where she wanted her. Scared. Doubtful. Alone.
When his speech turned to Aimias, the princess lifted her lip in a silent snarl. Of course, she remembered who that bastard was. A Xanthos sympathizer who’d been quick to fall in with the allegations against her son, she’d fantasized long and hard about how the fool would be punished. But using him to their favor was even better; any supporter of Persephone that they could convince to speak against her was another mark in their favor. Apparently, her son had been even busier than she’d thought.
The mention of Elysia had Circenia stiffening, raising a brow in her son’s direction. Up until that point, she’d remained silent, confident in Elias’s machinations thus far. But this one… this one she did not trust, even more so than she distrusted so many others. “The Master Informer’s wife is a snake,” she said bluntly, a bold statement coming from the queen of vipers herself. “Tread lightly with that one, Elias, and be careful how much you reveal. Her web is nearly as extensive as my own, and she certainly knows more than she lets on. I’m not so confident of where her loyalties will fall.”
Falling silent again when he continued to speak, she nodded in agreement with his thoughts on the ‘princess of sorrow.’ While she’d initially suspected Elias of direct involvement in the incident, she knew after their talk in the crypt that wasn’t the case. What she did know because of it was that their manipulations were working. The people were getting angry, angry enough to perpetuate violence against an innocent to prove a point. The Xanthos had their detractors, and they were only getting stronger by the day. The Stravos needed to utilize that as much as they could without making it obvious that’s what they were doing. Perhaps a few more seeds planted in further ripening soil…
“I’ve placed a few spies of my own,” Circenia informed her family when Elias turned the discussion over to them, glancing first at her son, then her husband, then at last at her daughter. “The gladiator Lesley who trails Emilia like a dog has been in my employ for some time now. He reports to me weekly on the things she does and who she does them with, and it seems she’s still as confused and doubtful as ever. Between me, Chara, Danae, and the gladiator, there is hardly a moment we don’t have eyes on the little princess. We must continue to do what we can to ensure she questions her loyalty to her sister. We have to keep her isolated so that when Persephone returns, she won’t have it easy.”
Folding her hands in her lap, she leaned back in her chair with another nod. “Keep the rumors going. Keep all information that leaves the Palati muddled and skewed. We’ve got a strong foothold, and we need to make sure we keep it.”
Keikelius was content to listen for the longest time, nursing the chalice of wine that he had grabbed when he had first settled down. Holding the cup carefully against his lips while his son spoke, explaining the last few month's work of planning and machinizations, the Stravos lord let himself soak in all of the information. It was easier to listen and determined his next course of thought in the meantime, his gaze drifting to each of his family members in turn in order to see their own reactions to the words that both Elias and Circenia spoke.
The most worrying part of Elias' plans had been Elysia of Aetaea. That had been a risky move on Elias' part, but if he thought that he could control the woman, then it would bring them closer to their enemies. The fact that Elias was targeting two members related to Argyris family, however, wasn enough to leave Keikelius' mind lingering over the possibility that the rest of the noble house of Argyris was in on whatever rumors were spreading about the queen.
For now, he would keep that question to himself, his brows knitted together just slightly as he considered it. Lady Iris of Argyris had been seen a few times in close proximity to Queen Persephone before she disappeared, and Aimias' near-familial ties to the Xanthos family was something else to consider deeply. Add in Elysia of Aetaea's status as an Argyris bastard and it all seemed far too incriminating toward the family for Keikelius to ignore.
But all in due time.
When both Elias and Circenia had finished speaking, Keikelius put his cup down, deciding to speak before Danae got the chance. What he was going to say, he wanted the input of everyone in the room. Out of everyone here, Keikelius had thus far done the least amount of work. He had put very little effort into aiding his son in his plans, stuck between resentment and simple confusion about where to step next. Having been most busy with keeping the family afloat, it was not time for Keikelius to step into the fray.
"I think it shall be best if I appear to remain under Persephone's spell as well," Keikelius noted, "Albeit in a more... visible and outstanding capacity than I have shown thus far. I wish to sink my own claws into Emilia," he started, glancing toward both Elias and Circenia in turn. "If only because while you sew seeds of doubt in her, sewing seeds of confusion and hope will give that much more power over her," he said slowly, running his finger in circles around the rim of his cup.
"That said... I think it best if I appear visibly distanced from the family. My position as a senator requires an unbiased stance toward my own family, and my support of Persephone needs to remain seen by everyone. Me keeping a stark distance, shunning your company and spurning your advances in public settings will be a good start, though I have also debated the posibility of taking a much more distanced stance," the Stravos lord continued, finally resting his hand flat on the table. It was almost difficult to put his thoughts into words, knowing how his wife and son might take them at first.
"I feel I would be best used to weed out the Queen and puppet her from the side of the opposition," Keikelius finally declared. "Once we have found her location, I will join her and support her," though support was a strong word. Keikelius was hoping to trip her up, spin her in a direction that would not allow her to take such a hard stance against his own family. He was intent on seeing Elias on the throne, and he would. Through whatever means were both necessary and available to him.
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Keikelius was content to listen for the longest time, nursing the chalice of wine that he had grabbed when he had first settled down. Holding the cup carefully against his lips while his son spoke, explaining the last few month's work of planning and machinizations, the Stravos lord let himself soak in all of the information. It was easier to listen and determined his next course of thought in the meantime, his gaze drifting to each of his family members in turn in order to see their own reactions to the words that both Elias and Circenia spoke.
The most worrying part of Elias' plans had been Elysia of Aetaea. That had been a risky move on Elias' part, but if he thought that he could control the woman, then it would bring them closer to their enemies. The fact that Elias was targeting two members related to Argyris family, however, wasn enough to leave Keikelius' mind lingering over the possibility that the rest of the noble house of Argyris was in on whatever rumors were spreading about the queen.
For now, he would keep that question to himself, his brows knitted together just slightly as he considered it. Lady Iris of Argyris had been seen a few times in close proximity to Queen Persephone before she disappeared, and Aimias' near-familial ties to the Xanthos family was something else to consider deeply. Add in Elysia of Aetaea's status as an Argyris bastard and it all seemed far too incriminating toward the family for Keikelius to ignore.
But all in due time.
When both Elias and Circenia had finished speaking, Keikelius put his cup down, deciding to speak before Danae got the chance. What he was going to say, he wanted the input of everyone in the room. Out of everyone here, Keikelius had thus far done the least amount of work. He had put very little effort into aiding his son in his plans, stuck between resentment and simple confusion about where to step next. Having been most busy with keeping the family afloat, it was not time for Keikelius to step into the fray.
"I think it shall be best if I appear to remain under Persephone's spell as well," Keikelius noted, "Albeit in a more... visible and outstanding capacity than I have shown thus far. I wish to sink my own claws into Emilia," he started, glancing toward both Elias and Circenia in turn. "If only because while you sew seeds of doubt in her, sewing seeds of confusion and hope will give that much more power over her," he said slowly, running his finger in circles around the rim of his cup.
"That said... I think it best if I appear visibly distanced from the family. My position as a senator requires an unbiased stance toward my own family, and my support of Persephone needs to remain seen by everyone. Me keeping a stark distance, shunning your company and spurning your advances in public settings will be a good start, though I have also debated the posibility of taking a much more distanced stance," the Stravos lord continued, finally resting his hand flat on the table. It was almost difficult to put his thoughts into words, knowing how his wife and son might take them at first.
"I feel I would be best used to weed out the Queen and puppet her from the side of the opposition," Keikelius finally declared. "Once we have found her location, I will join her and support her," though support was a strong word. Keikelius was hoping to trip her up, spin her in a direction that would not allow her to take such a hard stance against his own family. He was intent on seeing Elias on the throne, and he would. Through whatever means were both necessary and available to him.
Keikelius was content to listen for the longest time, nursing the chalice of wine that he had grabbed when he had first settled down. Holding the cup carefully against his lips while his son spoke, explaining the last few month's work of planning and machinizations, the Stravos lord let himself soak in all of the information. It was easier to listen and determined his next course of thought in the meantime, his gaze drifting to each of his family members in turn in order to see their own reactions to the words that both Elias and Circenia spoke.
The most worrying part of Elias' plans had been Elysia of Aetaea. That had been a risky move on Elias' part, but if he thought that he could control the woman, then it would bring them closer to their enemies. The fact that Elias was targeting two members related to Argyris family, however, wasn enough to leave Keikelius' mind lingering over the possibility that the rest of the noble house of Argyris was in on whatever rumors were spreading about the queen.
For now, he would keep that question to himself, his brows knitted together just slightly as he considered it. Lady Iris of Argyris had been seen a few times in close proximity to Queen Persephone before she disappeared, and Aimias' near-familial ties to the Xanthos family was something else to consider deeply. Add in Elysia of Aetaea's status as an Argyris bastard and it all seemed far too incriminating toward the family for Keikelius to ignore.
But all in due time.
When both Elias and Circenia had finished speaking, Keikelius put his cup down, deciding to speak before Danae got the chance. What he was going to say, he wanted the input of everyone in the room. Out of everyone here, Keikelius had thus far done the least amount of work. He had put very little effort into aiding his son in his plans, stuck between resentment and simple confusion about where to step next. Having been most busy with keeping the family afloat, it was not time for Keikelius to step into the fray.
"I think it shall be best if I appear to remain under Persephone's spell as well," Keikelius noted, "Albeit in a more... visible and outstanding capacity than I have shown thus far. I wish to sink my own claws into Emilia," he started, glancing toward both Elias and Circenia in turn. "If only because while you sew seeds of doubt in her, sewing seeds of confusion and hope will give that much more power over her," he said slowly, running his finger in circles around the rim of his cup.
"That said... I think it best if I appear visibly distanced from the family. My position as a senator requires an unbiased stance toward my own family, and my support of Persephone needs to remain seen by everyone. Me keeping a stark distance, shunning your company and spurning your advances in public settings will be a good start, though I have also debated the posibility of taking a much more distanced stance," the Stravos lord continued, finally resting his hand flat on the table. It was almost difficult to put his thoughts into words, knowing how his wife and son might take them at first.
"I feel I would be best used to weed out the Queen and puppet her from the side of the opposition," Keikelius finally declared. "Once we have found her location, I will join her and support her," though support was a strong word. Keikelius was hoping to trip her up, spin her in a direction that would not allow her to take such a hard stance against his own family. He was intent on seeing Elias on the throne, and he would. Through whatever means were both necessary and available to him.
It was a pleasure to see, even as he spoke the words, that Circenia was doing nothing to restrain her emotions as she might have in the court or, truthfully, anywhere else. Lyncestia was a place for all of them to let their doubts, their questions, and their misunderstandings to be put to air. It was the mark of a kind leader to take into consideration the emotions of those in his charge in order to assuage their concerns. Elias, however, was not a kind leader. Where some might show sympathy or soothe his mother's concerns about Aimias of Argyris or later still, with Elysia of Aetaea, the Headlord of Stravos was content to allow them to fester.
Resentment, as he was taught, was a weapon far more potent than compassion, than understanding, or even love. Some placed a sort of necessity on loyalty, on the well-placed trust to have in other beings, particularly those beholden to their influence. Elias, however, never saw a reason for loyalty to cast across every bit of the organism that was one's regency. Loyalty had never served Elias well, for if one intended to betray him, their perceived loyalties weren't going to be earned regardless. There were those fools who deemed crossing Elias of Stravos. Those that fell to the fires of the Underworld, or the iron bite of a blade. Then, there were those clever souls who escaped the justice at his hand, the cost for betrayal never paid.
Elias had plans in the future for those who dared test the bounds of his generosity. But, in the moment, those people and their crimes against him were far away. Where Circenia cautioned Elias about the loyalties of Elysia, he nodded in agreement. In his not-so-humble opinion, being laid low had been the Headlord's greatest teacher. Where tutors and the experience given at the hands of Keikelius himself as well as the duties that fitted Elias' station as Headlord were plenty useful in their own right... only failure educated someone as to the true significance of their sacrifices.
"The Master Informer's wife is an asset. Nothing more and nothing less. She is a peon to be used and moved across the field of play. Just as each piece holds their significance, it is my intention for Elysia to be the one who, at last, helps me snare Persephone before she can occupy her throne legally," he told his mother.
It was a smile that caught his lips as Circenia went on to list her contributions. Of course she'd placed spies. All of them had their own separate resources and as many assets placed as possible in differing ways was ideal. For, even if one flow of information was compromised, the other means could provide enough insight as to never lose one's position of knowledge of the game as it persisted. Never before had Elias considered such flirtation with power and death to be so alluring, but certainly... this brought a smile to his lips. Soon, Elias would ask Emilia to be his bride. He had a lovely idea to bring it to her attention, but didn't quite want to share that with the group before him.
After all, the Harvest Festival, if he had his way, would be his ultimate victory, the cherry on the top of his ultimate rise to power. But, of course, he did not rely simply on Emilia's hand, nor his rightful claim, nor anything else. He continued with his other plans, using multiple approaches in tandem to draw him, ultimately, to the reigns of power that everyone demanded he take on. Once Circenia finished speaking, they moved on next to Keikelius. It looked to Elias that he was the only one drinking, and the Stravos took it upon himself to rise and allow himself, his mother, and Danae to take on the same amenities that his father helped himself to.
Just as the Headlord imagined, Keikelius wished to use his assets to proper leverage. He'd spoken out against Elias at the previous summit of Senators and intended to use what good graces were left in his name to his advantage. If Elias were in his position, he'd likely do the same. The ire that persisted within Elias at the treatment at his father's hand had all but dissipated, but nonetheless, he'd draw on what was left in order to distance himself from the man just as well.
First, Elias addressed his mother,
"I have my plans for Emilia. You can loosen your clutches on her and allow father to do as he must in the coming days. I think, father, the next time Emilia will be truly visible for interaction will be during the Harvest. All of you intend to participate, I hope?" he asked, a smile caught upon his lips. Here, he'd keep his silence, for though he wanted to admit his aspirations to his family, it was not yet the time. After all, he'd made every decision to hide his machinations from them, his subtler cues and his own particular means of delivering his goals to himself... They required the solitude in which to act anonymously.
"Keep your tabs on Lesley, if you'd like to, but I intend to keep a more personal pulse on Emilia's actions from here on out in order to secure the future," he let slip before he turned his head towards Keikelius,
"That seems the correct course. Utilize the relationships that you've salvaged by turning your eye away from the family. Distance yourself as you need to, Father. We'll know where your loyalties lie in the end," he added, his lips curved into a smile. He was pleased that the two closest to him seemed to know their roles well enough for him to need tell them very little about how to proceed. It only made sense. Circenia and Keikelius cleaned up after his mistakes, and he wanted to ensure they didn't have to, again.
"There's one bit I needed to tell you, as well. Chara is currently out on my behalf. She is offshore, in one of the other alcoves having a chat with my associates. She's been given purchase to do what is necessary to secure the services of the mercenaries that have slipped into the Hydra's Men. People who, have in turn, slipped into the royal palati to ensure that my power remains mine even when the loyalty of the crown is challenged."
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It was a pleasure to see, even as he spoke the words, that Circenia was doing nothing to restrain her emotions as she might have in the court or, truthfully, anywhere else. Lyncestia was a place for all of them to let their doubts, their questions, and their misunderstandings to be put to air. It was the mark of a kind leader to take into consideration the emotions of those in his charge in order to assuage their concerns. Elias, however, was not a kind leader. Where some might show sympathy or soothe his mother's concerns about Aimias of Argyris or later still, with Elysia of Aetaea, the Headlord of Stravos was content to allow them to fester.
Resentment, as he was taught, was a weapon far more potent than compassion, than understanding, or even love. Some placed a sort of necessity on loyalty, on the well-placed trust to have in other beings, particularly those beholden to their influence. Elias, however, never saw a reason for loyalty to cast across every bit of the organism that was one's regency. Loyalty had never served Elias well, for if one intended to betray him, their perceived loyalties weren't going to be earned regardless. There were those fools who deemed crossing Elias of Stravos. Those that fell to the fires of the Underworld, or the iron bite of a blade. Then, there were those clever souls who escaped the justice at his hand, the cost for betrayal never paid.
Elias had plans in the future for those who dared test the bounds of his generosity. But, in the moment, those people and their crimes against him were far away. Where Circenia cautioned Elias about the loyalties of Elysia, he nodded in agreement. In his not-so-humble opinion, being laid low had been the Headlord's greatest teacher. Where tutors and the experience given at the hands of Keikelius himself as well as the duties that fitted Elias' station as Headlord were plenty useful in their own right... only failure educated someone as to the true significance of their sacrifices.
"The Master Informer's wife is an asset. Nothing more and nothing less. She is a peon to be used and moved across the field of play. Just as each piece holds their significance, it is my intention for Elysia to be the one who, at last, helps me snare Persephone before she can occupy her throne legally," he told his mother.
It was a smile that caught his lips as Circenia went on to list her contributions. Of course she'd placed spies. All of them had their own separate resources and as many assets placed as possible in differing ways was ideal. For, even if one flow of information was compromised, the other means could provide enough insight as to never lose one's position of knowledge of the game as it persisted. Never before had Elias considered such flirtation with power and death to be so alluring, but certainly... this brought a smile to his lips. Soon, Elias would ask Emilia to be his bride. He had a lovely idea to bring it to her attention, but didn't quite want to share that with the group before him.
After all, the Harvest Festival, if he had his way, would be his ultimate victory, the cherry on the top of his ultimate rise to power. But, of course, he did not rely simply on Emilia's hand, nor his rightful claim, nor anything else. He continued with his other plans, using multiple approaches in tandem to draw him, ultimately, to the reigns of power that everyone demanded he take on. Once Circenia finished speaking, they moved on next to Keikelius. It looked to Elias that he was the only one drinking, and the Stravos took it upon himself to rise and allow himself, his mother, and Danae to take on the same amenities that his father helped himself to.
Just as the Headlord imagined, Keikelius wished to use his assets to proper leverage. He'd spoken out against Elias at the previous summit of Senators and intended to use what good graces were left in his name to his advantage. If Elias were in his position, he'd likely do the same. The ire that persisted within Elias at the treatment at his father's hand had all but dissipated, but nonetheless, he'd draw on what was left in order to distance himself from the man just as well.
First, Elias addressed his mother,
"I have my plans for Emilia. You can loosen your clutches on her and allow father to do as he must in the coming days. I think, father, the next time Emilia will be truly visible for interaction will be during the Harvest. All of you intend to participate, I hope?" he asked, a smile caught upon his lips. Here, he'd keep his silence, for though he wanted to admit his aspirations to his family, it was not yet the time. After all, he'd made every decision to hide his machinations from them, his subtler cues and his own particular means of delivering his goals to himself... They required the solitude in which to act anonymously.
"Keep your tabs on Lesley, if you'd like to, but I intend to keep a more personal pulse on Emilia's actions from here on out in order to secure the future," he let slip before he turned his head towards Keikelius,
"That seems the correct course. Utilize the relationships that you've salvaged by turning your eye away from the family. Distance yourself as you need to, Father. We'll know where your loyalties lie in the end," he added, his lips curved into a smile. He was pleased that the two closest to him seemed to know their roles well enough for him to need tell them very little about how to proceed. It only made sense. Circenia and Keikelius cleaned up after his mistakes, and he wanted to ensure they didn't have to, again.
"There's one bit I needed to tell you, as well. Chara is currently out on my behalf. She is offshore, in one of the other alcoves having a chat with my associates. She's been given purchase to do what is necessary to secure the services of the mercenaries that have slipped into the Hydra's Men. People who, have in turn, slipped into the royal palati to ensure that my power remains mine even when the loyalty of the crown is challenged."
It was a pleasure to see, even as he spoke the words, that Circenia was doing nothing to restrain her emotions as she might have in the court or, truthfully, anywhere else. Lyncestia was a place for all of them to let their doubts, their questions, and their misunderstandings to be put to air. It was the mark of a kind leader to take into consideration the emotions of those in his charge in order to assuage their concerns. Elias, however, was not a kind leader. Where some might show sympathy or soothe his mother's concerns about Aimias of Argyris or later still, with Elysia of Aetaea, the Headlord of Stravos was content to allow them to fester.
Resentment, as he was taught, was a weapon far more potent than compassion, than understanding, or even love. Some placed a sort of necessity on loyalty, on the well-placed trust to have in other beings, particularly those beholden to their influence. Elias, however, never saw a reason for loyalty to cast across every bit of the organism that was one's regency. Loyalty had never served Elias well, for if one intended to betray him, their perceived loyalties weren't going to be earned regardless. There were those fools who deemed crossing Elias of Stravos. Those that fell to the fires of the Underworld, or the iron bite of a blade. Then, there were those clever souls who escaped the justice at his hand, the cost for betrayal never paid.
Elias had plans in the future for those who dared test the bounds of his generosity. But, in the moment, those people and their crimes against him were far away. Where Circenia cautioned Elias about the loyalties of Elysia, he nodded in agreement. In his not-so-humble opinion, being laid low had been the Headlord's greatest teacher. Where tutors and the experience given at the hands of Keikelius himself as well as the duties that fitted Elias' station as Headlord were plenty useful in their own right... only failure educated someone as to the true significance of their sacrifices.
"The Master Informer's wife is an asset. Nothing more and nothing less. She is a peon to be used and moved across the field of play. Just as each piece holds their significance, it is my intention for Elysia to be the one who, at last, helps me snare Persephone before she can occupy her throne legally," he told his mother.
It was a smile that caught his lips as Circenia went on to list her contributions. Of course she'd placed spies. All of them had their own separate resources and as many assets placed as possible in differing ways was ideal. For, even if one flow of information was compromised, the other means could provide enough insight as to never lose one's position of knowledge of the game as it persisted. Never before had Elias considered such flirtation with power and death to be so alluring, but certainly... this brought a smile to his lips. Soon, Elias would ask Emilia to be his bride. He had a lovely idea to bring it to her attention, but didn't quite want to share that with the group before him.
After all, the Harvest Festival, if he had his way, would be his ultimate victory, the cherry on the top of his ultimate rise to power. But, of course, he did not rely simply on Emilia's hand, nor his rightful claim, nor anything else. He continued with his other plans, using multiple approaches in tandem to draw him, ultimately, to the reigns of power that everyone demanded he take on. Once Circenia finished speaking, they moved on next to Keikelius. It looked to Elias that he was the only one drinking, and the Stravos took it upon himself to rise and allow himself, his mother, and Danae to take on the same amenities that his father helped himself to.
Just as the Headlord imagined, Keikelius wished to use his assets to proper leverage. He'd spoken out against Elias at the previous summit of Senators and intended to use what good graces were left in his name to his advantage. If Elias were in his position, he'd likely do the same. The ire that persisted within Elias at the treatment at his father's hand had all but dissipated, but nonetheless, he'd draw on what was left in order to distance himself from the man just as well.
First, Elias addressed his mother,
"I have my plans for Emilia. You can loosen your clutches on her and allow father to do as he must in the coming days. I think, father, the next time Emilia will be truly visible for interaction will be during the Harvest. All of you intend to participate, I hope?" he asked, a smile caught upon his lips. Here, he'd keep his silence, for though he wanted to admit his aspirations to his family, it was not yet the time. After all, he'd made every decision to hide his machinations from them, his subtler cues and his own particular means of delivering his goals to himself... They required the solitude in which to act anonymously.
"Keep your tabs on Lesley, if you'd like to, but I intend to keep a more personal pulse on Emilia's actions from here on out in order to secure the future," he let slip before he turned his head towards Keikelius,
"That seems the correct course. Utilize the relationships that you've salvaged by turning your eye away from the family. Distance yourself as you need to, Father. We'll know where your loyalties lie in the end," he added, his lips curved into a smile. He was pleased that the two closest to him seemed to know their roles well enough for him to need tell them very little about how to proceed. It only made sense. Circenia and Keikelius cleaned up after his mistakes, and he wanted to ensure they didn't have to, again.
"There's one bit I needed to tell you, as well. Chara is currently out on my behalf. She is offshore, in one of the other alcoves having a chat with my associates. She's been given purchase to do what is necessary to secure the services of the mercenaries that have slipped into the Hydra's Men. People who, have in turn, slipped into the royal palati to ensure that my power remains mine even when the loyalty of the crown is challenged."
Although she couldn’t truly explain why her stomach began to twist as the conversation progressed; Danae was fairly certain that her uneasiness with all of this was stemming from the sight of the severed heads burning in the fire in the back of the room. Of course, she was not unfamiliar with the sight of flesh charring and falling off in chunks into the embers below. After all, the girl had been to more than her fair share of funerals during her short sixteen years… but this felt different. It felt wrong. Her stomach was churning from the whole situation and she was certain that it wasn’t entirely from the acrid smell of burnt hair filling the room. There was no way that Danae was going to say anything aloud as she knew that she was only here at the table after that fiasco of a court session and she did not want to push her family into thinking that such a decision had been a mistake. However, she couldn’t shake the nervousness that came from how callously the rest of her family spoke about this plot to put Elias on the throne. That mixed with the gruesome sacrifice to Hades behind them just made the whole circumstance feel inherently wrong.
As much as she hated it, it was forcing Danae to question whether or not her family was becoming the villains that so many in Athenia seemed to think that they were.
Up until this point, Danae had paid such statements no mind as she had chalked them up to angry men with no understanding of how politics worked. After all, she had known that her family stood on the right side of things as it was the Xanthos who had made themselves the scourges upon Athenia when they had stripped the Stravos of everything in order to force the Kingdom to accept Persephone as queen. They were the ones who were wrong for trying to force a continuation of their rule when clearly the gods did not want to see the Xanthos in control anymore. After all, wouldn’t have Lucille produced a son if they so wished it? Danae was certain that the Stravos was just restoring the proper order of things -- even if she was more than a little uncertain about the figurehead they had chosen. However, this? It felt like everyone was embracing that label that she thought belonged solely to the Xanthos family. The mere thought of everyone being fine with this made Danae want to run from the room and find the nearest amphora to empty her stomach into. It just wasn’t right.
But she managed to hold her tongue for once. It really wasn’t all that difficult to do with this queasy feeling that had settled over her, draining all the color from her face as her eyes drifted from family member to family member as they revealed what they had done in recent weeks to aid Elias in his quest for the throne. Danae didn’t have anything to add, of course. It wasn’t a secret that things between the two siblings were tense given recent events. After all, Danae had not been very keen on aiding her brother after the unintended consequences she had to suffer for his actions and the whole fiasco of a court session where he had publicly embarrassed her in front of the entire court. Add that to the fact that he had never been the most loving of older brothers made Danae very reluctant to purposely do anything on his behalf. All she had really done was given her father access to a few of the urchins so they could spread some rumors about the Xanthos family, but that had been more closely tied to keeping the swans down than rising up her brother and all she had done was given her father a method of contact. Wasn’t exactly groundbreaking actions like recruiting spies… or apparently turning one’s coat to the black sigil.
When her father revealed his plan to distance himself from the family, Danae’s head whipped around to face the man with an expression that was equal parts shocked and angry. “You can’t be--” Danae instinctively sputtered out, completely taken aback that her father would even consider pretending to support the Xanthos. After everything that had happened, everything they had done to get rid of this family, he was going to pretend to join their cause? If Danae wasn’t acutely aware of the fact that she was outnumbered at this table by everyone she might have even had the nerve to ask if her father had lost his mind. Everything they had been doing up until this point was done in the ultimate goal of undermining the Xanthos. Why on earth would Keikelius want to undermine that?! Plus not to mention that Danae was convinced that no one would buy the ruse that Keikelius was turning his back on his family. This seemed like it would a failure, an unmitigated disaster and if anyone cared to ask she would have made this known.
But no one did and she did not get a chance to as her brother jumped in to reaffirm this course of action. Once that happened, she knew her own thoughts would be a lost cause. After all, there was no way that her mother wouldn’t side with Elias and even though she was certain that this would go horribly wrong, no one was going to listen to her if the rest of them were so steadfast in this plan. It just wasn’t worth the trouble it would land her in if she dared to speak out.
Instead of taking a stand like she felt like she should, the girl settled back into her chair with all the apprehension she was feeling written on her face. This didn’t feel as if it was the best course of action, but then again, Danae could also sense that she didn’t have all the pieces that the rest of her family did. It just seemed like a matter of fact given how certain everyone else seemed to be in their own courses of action as if this was something that had been discussed a thousand times before while this was the first time that Danae was being included at the table-- if solely because she had proven herself to be a liability when not included in her brother’s ‘grand plans’. As bright as she was, she couldn’t see the big picture or more importantly how she fits into it.
Although the latter bit was probably a bit more straightforward. She knew that at some point at this meeting, someone was going to suggest that the family use her urchins to further this cause. As eager as Danae was to see the downfall of the Xanthos, the girl was not as thrilled with the prospect of this possibly being her contribution. After all, those urchins weren’t just errand boys, they were the lynchpin in her hobbies and interests. If things went wrong and they got hurt? Danae would be hindered until she could replace them in the network and that was just something that the girl wasn’t certain if she was willing to risk for Elias. Not while she still had a difficult time trusting him to keep any of her interests at heart after shutting her out of his plans at the court session and then embarrassing her in front of everyone. Maybe if Circenia suggested such a thing she would be more open to it given how close the two of them had become recently…
Either way, she just couldn’t get one major question with her father’s plan out of her mind; spurring her to blurt it out when the confusion between the disconnect of why this was even being offered and what else was being said was just too much for the girl to bear. “Why are you seeking to join her? Wouldn’t it be easier to just dispatch her and use Emilia?” Danae finally said bluntly, showing clearly that she did not understand why the plan had changed or what the purpose of such an adjustment was. Especially as Emilia was certainly the better choice for practically every course of action. She was weaker, she was more pliable, and she was so sweet that it was likely the entirety of Athenia would choose her over the sister who had abandoned her people. “Forgive my impertinence, but I just don’t understand why supporting her is even a course of action we’re considering after everything that has happened. Has something changed that I am just not aware of?” Even though her choice of words was borderline accusatory (the unfortunate side effects of having relied on her anger for so many years), her tone genuinely curious as she just couldn’t wrap her head around this plan… though then again between this and the court session, this feeling was starting to become annoyingly familiar.
Needless to say, Danae was eager to put a stop to it and understand just why her family was taking this course of action.
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Although she couldn’t truly explain why her stomach began to twist as the conversation progressed; Danae was fairly certain that her uneasiness with all of this was stemming from the sight of the severed heads burning in the fire in the back of the room. Of course, she was not unfamiliar with the sight of flesh charring and falling off in chunks into the embers below. After all, the girl had been to more than her fair share of funerals during her short sixteen years… but this felt different. It felt wrong. Her stomach was churning from the whole situation and she was certain that it wasn’t entirely from the acrid smell of burnt hair filling the room. There was no way that Danae was going to say anything aloud as she knew that she was only here at the table after that fiasco of a court session and she did not want to push her family into thinking that such a decision had been a mistake. However, she couldn’t shake the nervousness that came from how callously the rest of her family spoke about this plot to put Elias on the throne. That mixed with the gruesome sacrifice to Hades behind them just made the whole circumstance feel inherently wrong.
As much as she hated it, it was forcing Danae to question whether or not her family was becoming the villains that so many in Athenia seemed to think that they were.
Up until this point, Danae had paid such statements no mind as she had chalked them up to angry men with no understanding of how politics worked. After all, she had known that her family stood on the right side of things as it was the Xanthos who had made themselves the scourges upon Athenia when they had stripped the Stravos of everything in order to force the Kingdom to accept Persephone as queen. They were the ones who were wrong for trying to force a continuation of their rule when clearly the gods did not want to see the Xanthos in control anymore. After all, wouldn’t have Lucille produced a son if they so wished it? Danae was certain that the Stravos was just restoring the proper order of things -- even if she was more than a little uncertain about the figurehead they had chosen. However, this? It felt like everyone was embracing that label that she thought belonged solely to the Xanthos family. The mere thought of everyone being fine with this made Danae want to run from the room and find the nearest amphora to empty her stomach into. It just wasn’t right.
But she managed to hold her tongue for once. It really wasn’t all that difficult to do with this queasy feeling that had settled over her, draining all the color from her face as her eyes drifted from family member to family member as they revealed what they had done in recent weeks to aid Elias in his quest for the throne. Danae didn’t have anything to add, of course. It wasn’t a secret that things between the two siblings were tense given recent events. After all, Danae had not been very keen on aiding her brother after the unintended consequences she had to suffer for his actions and the whole fiasco of a court session where he had publicly embarrassed her in front of the entire court. Add that to the fact that he had never been the most loving of older brothers made Danae very reluctant to purposely do anything on his behalf. All she had really done was given her father access to a few of the urchins so they could spread some rumors about the Xanthos family, but that had been more closely tied to keeping the swans down than rising up her brother and all she had done was given her father a method of contact. Wasn’t exactly groundbreaking actions like recruiting spies… or apparently turning one’s coat to the black sigil.
When her father revealed his plan to distance himself from the family, Danae’s head whipped around to face the man with an expression that was equal parts shocked and angry. “You can’t be--” Danae instinctively sputtered out, completely taken aback that her father would even consider pretending to support the Xanthos. After everything that had happened, everything they had done to get rid of this family, he was going to pretend to join their cause? If Danae wasn’t acutely aware of the fact that she was outnumbered at this table by everyone she might have even had the nerve to ask if her father had lost his mind. Everything they had been doing up until this point was done in the ultimate goal of undermining the Xanthos. Why on earth would Keikelius want to undermine that?! Plus not to mention that Danae was convinced that no one would buy the ruse that Keikelius was turning his back on his family. This seemed like it would a failure, an unmitigated disaster and if anyone cared to ask she would have made this known.
But no one did and she did not get a chance to as her brother jumped in to reaffirm this course of action. Once that happened, she knew her own thoughts would be a lost cause. After all, there was no way that her mother wouldn’t side with Elias and even though she was certain that this would go horribly wrong, no one was going to listen to her if the rest of them were so steadfast in this plan. It just wasn’t worth the trouble it would land her in if she dared to speak out.
Instead of taking a stand like she felt like she should, the girl settled back into her chair with all the apprehension she was feeling written on her face. This didn’t feel as if it was the best course of action, but then again, Danae could also sense that she didn’t have all the pieces that the rest of her family did. It just seemed like a matter of fact given how certain everyone else seemed to be in their own courses of action as if this was something that had been discussed a thousand times before while this was the first time that Danae was being included at the table-- if solely because she had proven herself to be a liability when not included in her brother’s ‘grand plans’. As bright as she was, she couldn’t see the big picture or more importantly how she fits into it.
Although the latter bit was probably a bit more straightforward. She knew that at some point at this meeting, someone was going to suggest that the family use her urchins to further this cause. As eager as Danae was to see the downfall of the Xanthos, the girl was not as thrilled with the prospect of this possibly being her contribution. After all, those urchins weren’t just errand boys, they were the lynchpin in her hobbies and interests. If things went wrong and they got hurt? Danae would be hindered until she could replace them in the network and that was just something that the girl wasn’t certain if she was willing to risk for Elias. Not while she still had a difficult time trusting him to keep any of her interests at heart after shutting her out of his plans at the court session and then embarrassing her in front of everyone. Maybe if Circenia suggested such a thing she would be more open to it given how close the two of them had become recently…
Either way, she just couldn’t get one major question with her father’s plan out of her mind; spurring her to blurt it out when the confusion between the disconnect of why this was even being offered and what else was being said was just too much for the girl to bear. “Why are you seeking to join her? Wouldn’t it be easier to just dispatch her and use Emilia?” Danae finally said bluntly, showing clearly that she did not understand why the plan had changed or what the purpose of such an adjustment was. Especially as Emilia was certainly the better choice for practically every course of action. She was weaker, she was more pliable, and she was so sweet that it was likely the entirety of Athenia would choose her over the sister who had abandoned her people. “Forgive my impertinence, but I just don’t understand why supporting her is even a course of action we’re considering after everything that has happened. Has something changed that I am just not aware of?” Even though her choice of words was borderline accusatory (the unfortunate side effects of having relied on her anger for so many years), her tone genuinely curious as she just couldn’t wrap her head around this plan… though then again between this and the court session, this feeling was starting to become annoyingly familiar.
Needless to say, Danae was eager to put a stop to it and understand just why her family was taking this course of action.
Although she couldn’t truly explain why her stomach began to twist as the conversation progressed; Danae was fairly certain that her uneasiness with all of this was stemming from the sight of the severed heads burning in the fire in the back of the room. Of course, she was not unfamiliar with the sight of flesh charring and falling off in chunks into the embers below. After all, the girl had been to more than her fair share of funerals during her short sixteen years… but this felt different. It felt wrong. Her stomach was churning from the whole situation and she was certain that it wasn’t entirely from the acrid smell of burnt hair filling the room. There was no way that Danae was going to say anything aloud as she knew that she was only here at the table after that fiasco of a court session and she did not want to push her family into thinking that such a decision had been a mistake. However, she couldn’t shake the nervousness that came from how callously the rest of her family spoke about this plot to put Elias on the throne. That mixed with the gruesome sacrifice to Hades behind them just made the whole circumstance feel inherently wrong.
As much as she hated it, it was forcing Danae to question whether or not her family was becoming the villains that so many in Athenia seemed to think that they were.
Up until this point, Danae had paid such statements no mind as she had chalked them up to angry men with no understanding of how politics worked. After all, she had known that her family stood on the right side of things as it was the Xanthos who had made themselves the scourges upon Athenia when they had stripped the Stravos of everything in order to force the Kingdom to accept Persephone as queen. They were the ones who were wrong for trying to force a continuation of their rule when clearly the gods did not want to see the Xanthos in control anymore. After all, wouldn’t have Lucille produced a son if they so wished it? Danae was certain that the Stravos was just restoring the proper order of things -- even if she was more than a little uncertain about the figurehead they had chosen. However, this? It felt like everyone was embracing that label that she thought belonged solely to the Xanthos family. The mere thought of everyone being fine with this made Danae want to run from the room and find the nearest amphora to empty her stomach into. It just wasn’t right.
But she managed to hold her tongue for once. It really wasn’t all that difficult to do with this queasy feeling that had settled over her, draining all the color from her face as her eyes drifted from family member to family member as they revealed what they had done in recent weeks to aid Elias in his quest for the throne. Danae didn’t have anything to add, of course. It wasn’t a secret that things between the two siblings were tense given recent events. After all, Danae had not been very keen on aiding her brother after the unintended consequences she had to suffer for his actions and the whole fiasco of a court session where he had publicly embarrassed her in front of the entire court. Add that to the fact that he had never been the most loving of older brothers made Danae very reluctant to purposely do anything on his behalf. All she had really done was given her father access to a few of the urchins so they could spread some rumors about the Xanthos family, but that had been more closely tied to keeping the swans down than rising up her brother and all she had done was given her father a method of contact. Wasn’t exactly groundbreaking actions like recruiting spies… or apparently turning one’s coat to the black sigil.
When her father revealed his plan to distance himself from the family, Danae’s head whipped around to face the man with an expression that was equal parts shocked and angry. “You can’t be--” Danae instinctively sputtered out, completely taken aback that her father would even consider pretending to support the Xanthos. After everything that had happened, everything they had done to get rid of this family, he was going to pretend to join their cause? If Danae wasn’t acutely aware of the fact that she was outnumbered at this table by everyone she might have even had the nerve to ask if her father had lost his mind. Everything they had been doing up until this point was done in the ultimate goal of undermining the Xanthos. Why on earth would Keikelius want to undermine that?! Plus not to mention that Danae was convinced that no one would buy the ruse that Keikelius was turning his back on his family. This seemed like it would a failure, an unmitigated disaster and if anyone cared to ask she would have made this known.
But no one did and she did not get a chance to as her brother jumped in to reaffirm this course of action. Once that happened, she knew her own thoughts would be a lost cause. After all, there was no way that her mother wouldn’t side with Elias and even though she was certain that this would go horribly wrong, no one was going to listen to her if the rest of them were so steadfast in this plan. It just wasn’t worth the trouble it would land her in if she dared to speak out.
Instead of taking a stand like she felt like she should, the girl settled back into her chair with all the apprehension she was feeling written on her face. This didn’t feel as if it was the best course of action, but then again, Danae could also sense that she didn’t have all the pieces that the rest of her family did. It just seemed like a matter of fact given how certain everyone else seemed to be in their own courses of action as if this was something that had been discussed a thousand times before while this was the first time that Danae was being included at the table-- if solely because she had proven herself to be a liability when not included in her brother’s ‘grand plans’. As bright as she was, she couldn’t see the big picture or more importantly how she fits into it.
Although the latter bit was probably a bit more straightforward. She knew that at some point at this meeting, someone was going to suggest that the family use her urchins to further this cause. As eager as Danae was to see the downfall of the Xanthos, the girl was not as thrilled with the prospect of this possibly being her contribution. After all, those urchins weren’t just errand boys, they were the lynchpin in her hobbies and interests. If things went wrong and they got hurt? Danae would be hindered until she could replace them in the network and that was just something that the girl wasn’t certain if she was willing to risk for Elias. Not while she still had a difficult time trusting him to keep any of her interests at heart after shutting her out of his plans at the court session and then embarrassing her in front of everyone. Maybe if Circenia suggested such a thing she would be more open to it given how close the two of them had become recently…
Either way, she just couldn’t get one major question with her father’s plan out of her mind; spurring her to blurt it out when the confusion between the disconnect of why this was even being offered and what else was being said was just too much for the girl to bear. “Why are you seeking to join her? Wouldn’t it be easier to just dispatch her and use Emilia?” Danae finally said bluntly, showing clearly that she did not understand why the plan had changed or what the purpose of such an adjustment was. Especially as Emilia was certainly the better choice for practically every course of action. She was weaker, she was more pliable, and she was so sweet that it was likely the entirety of Athenia would choose her over the sister who had abandoned her people. “Forgive my impertinence, but I just don’t understand why supporting her is even a course of action we’re considering after everything that has happened. Has something changed that I am just not aware of?” Even though her choice of words was borderline accusatory (the unfortunate side effects of having relied on her anger for so many years), her tone genuinely curious as she just couldn’t wrap her head around this plan… though then again between this and the court session, this feeling was starting to become annoyingly familiar.
Needless to say, Danae was eager to put a stop to it and understand just why her family was taking this course of action.
When Keikelius announced his intention to keep up his show of support for Persephone, it felt like a punch in the gut. Closing her eyes against the pain it caused, Circenia bit her lip to keep from crying out in protest. While she understood his reasoning for doing it, that didn’t mean she was happy about it. In fact, she was about the furthest she could be from happy.
In thirty years of marriage, never once had the princess’s eyes or heart strayed. A political match, yes, but there was no denying the genuine love and affection she and Keikelius shared. They were a near perfect match in every way, each one’s personality complementing the gaps in the other. The thought of being separated from him, especially to see him pretending to support that little bitch…
Gods, just the thought of it made her quiver with rage.
While Elias seemed to support her husband’s plan without any real question, it soon became obvious Danae did not feel the same. Unsurprising, especially considering her closeness to her father. She could practically feel the waves of the girl’s anger and confusion against her skin, a subtle shudder running down the Stravos matriarch’s spine. A gentle hand on her daughter’s shoulder warned her against any extreme outburst; as much as she wanted to shout herself, Circenia knew this wasn’t the time. Far too many of their family meetings had ended in anger and frustration, and they were meant to be turning over a new leaf. Coming together in harmony, rather than pulling further apart. Though, she would admit, the senator’s course of action seemed counterintuitive to that plan.
“Keikelius,” she addressed her husband, her tone admirable in its forced steadiness. “You know I will support you in whatever path you take, but I feel I would be remiss if I did not add my voice to Danae’s. At least in question, if not outright protest.” No doubt, the entire room would reel in shock that she did not automatically take the side of her husband and son, but on this, Circenia could not keep silent. Not when faced with such potential loss.
“I can understand the wisdom in showing your support for the Xanthos whore.” Here, her lip did curl, fury flashing in the depths of her crystalline gaze. “Especially if she decides to put herself back in the public eye. But would it not be easier to simply dispose of her?” Shaking her head, Circenia’s jaw set in a grimace. “Root out her location, and perhaps cause an… accident?”
Glancing first at her daughter, then to Elias, she soon settled back on Keikelius. “Should Persephone die, Emilia inherits the throne. She is young, pliable, and frankly stupid, yet the public loves her.” The princess was nothing if not blunt. “Marry Elias to Emilia, keep her under our control, and Athenia is ours. We’ll no longer have to fight for what should have been ours to begin with.”
Pulling a face, she continued, “Persephone, on the other hand, is not so simple as her sister. You can possibly gain her ear, yes, but Minas trained her well. As much as I hate to admit it, she’s a smart woman. Against her… there’s a good chance everything will slip through our fingers again.” Gaze settling on her husband’s, her eyes plead for his understanding. “Of course, there are always… inherent risks… with the, er, disposal, of royalty, but is the prize not worth the chance we take?”
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When Keikelius announced his intention to keep up his show of support for Persephone, it felt like a punch in the gut. Closing her eyes against the pain it caused, Circenia bit her lip to keep from crying out in protest. While she understood his reasoning for doing it, that didn’t mean she was happy about it. In fact, she was about the furthest she could be from happy.
In thirty years of marriage, never once had the princess’s eyes or heart strayed. A political match, yes, but there was no denying the genuine love and affection she and Keikelius shared. They were a near perfect match in every way, each one’s personality complementing the gaps in the other. The thought of being separated from him, especially to see him pretending to support that little bitch…
Gods, just the thought of it made her quiver with rage.
While Elias seemed to support her husband’s plan without any real question, it soon became obvious Danae did not feel the same. Unsurprising, especially considering her closeness to her father. She could practically feel the waves of the girl’s anger and confusion against her skin, a subtle shudder running down the Stravos matriarch’s spine. A gentle hand on her daughter’s shoulder warned her against any extreme outburst; as much as she wanted to shout herself, Circenia knew this wasn’t the time. Far too many of their family meetings had ended in anger and frustration, and they were meant to be turning over a new leaf. Coming together in harmony, rather than pulling further apart. Though, she would admit, the senator’s course of action seemed counterintuitive to that plan.
“Keikelius,” she addressed her husband, her tone admirable in its forced steadiness. “You know I will support you in whatever path you take, but I feel I would be remiss if I did not add my voice to Danae’s. At least in question, if not outright protest.” No doubt, the entire room would reel in shock that she did not automatically take the side of her husband and son, but on this, Circenia could not keep silent. Not when faced with such potential loss.
“I can understand the wisdom in showing your support for the Xanthos whore.” Here, her lip did curl, fury flashing in the depths of her crystalline gaze. “Especially if she decides to put herself back in the public eye. But would it not be easier to simply dispose of her?” Shaking her head, Circenia’s jaw set in a grimace. “Root out her location, and perhaps cause an… accident?”
Glancing first at her daughter, then to Elias, she soon settled back on Keikelius. “Should Persephone die, Emilia inherits the throne. She is young, pliable, and frankly stupid, yet the public loves her.” The princess was nothing if not blunt. “Marry Elias to Emilia, keep her under our control, and Athenia is ours. We’ll no longer have to fight for what should have been ours to begin with.”
Pulling a face, she continued, “Persephone, on the other hand, is not so simple as her sister. You can possibly gain her ear, yes, but Minas trained her well. As much as I hate to admit it, she’s a smart woman. Against her… there’s a good chance everything will slip through our fingers again.” Gaze settling on her husband’s, her eyes plead for his understanding. “Of course, there are always… inherent risks… with the, er, disposal, of royalty, but is the prize not worth the chance we take?”
When Keikelius announced his intention to keep up his show of support for Persephone, it felt like a punch in the gut. Closing her eyes against the pain it caused, Circenia bit her lip to keep from crying out in protest. While she understood his reasoning for doing it, that didn’t mean she was happy about it. In fact, she was about the furthest she could be from happy.
In thirty years of marriage, never once had the princess’s eyes or heart strayed. A political match, yes, but there was no denying the genuine love and affection she and Keikelius shared. They were a near perfect match in every way, each one’s personality complementing the gaps in the other. The thought of being separated from him, especially to see him pretending to support that little bitch…
Gods, just the thought of it made her quiver with rage.
While Elias seemed to support her husband’s plan without any real question, it soon became obvious Danae did not feel the same. Unsurprising, especially considering her closeness to her father. She could practically feel the waves of the girl’s anger and confusion against her skin, a subtle shudder running down the Stravos matriarch’s spine. A gentle hand on her daughter’s shoulder warned her against any extreme outburst; as much as she wanted to shout herself, Circenia knew this wasn’t the time. Far too many of their family meetings had ended in anger and frustration, and they were meant to be turning over a new leaf. Coming together in harmony, rather than pulling further apart. Though, she would admit, the senator’s course of action seemed counterintuitive to that plan.
“Keikelius,” she addressed her husband, her tone admirable in its forced steadiness. “You know I will support you in whatever path you take, but I feel I would be remiss if I did not add my voice to Danae’s. At least in question, if not outright protest.” No doubt, the entire room would reel in shock that she did not automatically take the side of her husband and son, but on this, Circenia could not keep silent. Not when faced with such potential loss.
“I can understand the wisdom in showing your support for the Xanthos whore.” Here, her lip did curl, fury flashing in the depths of her crystalline gaze. “Especially if she decides to put herself back in the public eye. But would it not be easier to simply dispose of her?” Shaking her head, Circenia’s jaw set in a grimace. “Root out her location, and perhaps cause an… accident?”
Glancing first at her daughter, then to Elias, she soon settled back on Keikelius. “Should Persephone die, Emilia inherits the throne. She is young, pliable, and frankly stupid, yet the public loves her.” The princess was nothing if not blunt. “Marry Elias to Emilia, keep her under our control, and Athenia is ours. We’ll no longer have to fight for what should have been ours to begin with.”
Pulling a face, she continued, “Persephone, on the other hand, is not so simple as her sister. You can possibly gain her ear, yes, but Minas trained her well. As much as I hate to admit it, she’s a smart woman. Against her… there’s a good chance everything will slip through our fingers again.” Gaze settling on her husband’s, her eyes plead for his understanding. “Of course, there are always… inherent risks… with the, er, disposal, of royalty, but is the prize not worth the chance we take?”
Elias was pliable, that much was true. Even despite Keikelius' previous rage over the assertion of treason upon their family, Elias was still easy to maneuver if Keikelius truly wanted to. It was the ladies that Keikelius needed to be wary of. He knew it to be true and he considered it all very carefully as both his daughter and his wife spoke in turn. He knew for a fact that his family would not like something of this magnitude, and why would they? They had always stuck together. Schemed together. They had always, always agreed with one another, no matter what it was.
The rifts had only started when Elias had started his journey toward the throne. If anything would be a test of their strength as a family, it was this moment. This moment when one heinous idea was presented and one heinous idea was gone with despite the protests of those around him. Keikelius did not often make choices lightly, but his mind worked in mysterious ways. His mind worked in circles, contingencies, logic. He was silently disdained with the course of action his own son had taken to get this far, and he would silently ensure that Elias would get the throne without the danger of him potentially razing the whole of the Kingdom to ash.
He listened, deafeningly silent as both Danae and then Circenia spoke in turn, both protesting outright to such a plan. Where they saw trouble in Persephone, Keikelius saw an opportunity. He would go to any lengths to see his son on the throne, but he had hard limits. Needlessly violent ones when it came to those of their own status. He was not entirely fond of his niece, but he could not see fault in the potential for both of them to rule together.
"You speak of disposing of the true and voted on monarch as if you are slaughtering a chicken or a cow," Keikelius said very slowly, leveling a look at both his wife and daughter in turn. "The public tolerance for a young and pliable, dim-witted princess or queen fades quickly," Keikelius continued, trailing his finger around the rim of his cup of wine and breathing deeply through his nose as he thought through his next words. "And young women often get ideas of grandeur and rebellion. We want posterity and power for our family, but if we fly too close to the sun, we shall burn, no matter how much we plan. The senate was clear, and the people loved Persephone just as much. The moment any single one of them learns that she is alive, then they will cry for her to return. It is only a matter of time and it is not smart to simply off her where she hides. Doing so further incriminates Elias, and our goal is ascension, not execution."
He paused his fingers on his cup, watching his son closely now, "Which is why I propose this. Root her out, but to kill her will be to ask for more than we bargained for. There are supporters at every turn. If we were, say, to work both sides of the field to the point where we make either a union or the queen abdicates, then marrying Elias to Emilia would be no issue whatsoever. As it stands, it is not intelligent to rush into such action. Allow me the time to work the other side, to assess where Persephone hides and who she associates with, then we strike. On both fronts. In a discreet manner that will not bring questions of treason upon our family for a second time."
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Elias was pliable, that much was true. Even despite Keikelius' previous rage over the assertion of treason upon their family, Elias was still easy to maneuver if Keikelius truly wanted to. It was the ladies that Keikelius needed to be wary of. He knew it to be true and he considered it all very carefully as both his daughter and his wife spoke in turn. He knew for a fact that his family would not like something of this magnitude, and why would they? They had always stuck together. Schemed together. They had always, always agreed with one another, no matter what it was.
The rifts had only started when Elias had started his journey toward the throne. If anything would be a test of their strength as a family, it was this moment. This moment when one heinous idea was presented and one heinous idea was gone with despite the protests of those around him. Keikelius did not often make choices lightly, but his mind worked in mysterious ways. His mind worked in circles, contingencies, logic. He was silently disdained with the course of action his own son had taken to get this far, and he would silently ensure that Elias would get the throne without the danger of him potentially razing the whole of the Kingdom to ash.
He listened, deafeningly silent as both Danae and then Circenia spoke in turn, both protesting outright to such a plan. Where they saw trouble in Persephone, Keikelius saw an opportunity. He would go to any lengths to see his son on the throne, but he had hard limits. Needlessly violent ones when it came to those of their own status. He was not entirely fond of his niece, but he could not see fault in the potential for both of them to rule together.
"You speak of disposing of the true and voted on monarch as if you are slaughtering a chicken or a cow," Keikelius said very slowly, leveling a look at both his wife and daughter in turn. "The public tolerance for a young and pliable, dim-witted princess or queen fades quickly," Keikelius continued, trailing his finger around the rim of his cup of wine and breathing deeply through his nose as he thought through his next words. "And young women often get ideas of grandeur and rebellion. We want posterity and power for our family, but if we fly too close to the sun, we shall burn, no matter how much we plan. The senate was clear, and the people loved Persephone just as much. The moment any single one of them learns that she is alive, then they will cry for her to return. It is only a matter of time and it is not smart to simply off her where she hides. Doing so further incriminates Elias, and our goal is ascension, not execution."
He paused his fingers on his cup, watching his son closely now, "Which is why I propose this. Root her out, but to kill her will be to ask for more than we bargained for. There are supporters at every turn. If we were, say, to work both sides of the field to the point where we make either a union or the queen abdicates, then marrying Elias to Emilia would be no issue whatsoever. As it stands, it is not intelligent to rush into such action. Allow me the time to work the other side, to assess where Persephone hides and who she associates with, then we strike. On both fronts. In a discreet manner that will not bring questions of treason upon our family for a second time."
Elias was pliable, that much was true. Even despite Keikelius' previous rage over the assertion of treason upon their family, Elias was still easy to maneuver if Keikelius truly wanted to. It was the ladies that Keikelius needed to be wary of. He knew it to be true and he considered it all very carefully as both his daughter and his wife spoke in turn. He knew for a fact that his family would not like something of this magnitude, and why would they? They had always stuck together. Schemed together. They had always, always agreed with one another, no matter what it was.
The rifts had only started when Elias had started his journey toward the throne. If anything would be a test of their strength as a family, it was this moment. This moment when one heinous idea was presented and one heinous idea was gone with despite the protests of those around him. Keikelius did not often make choices lightly, but his mind worked in mysterious ways. His mind worked in circles, contingencies, logic. He was silently disdained with the course of action his own son had taken to get this far, and he would silently ensure that Elias would get the throne without the danger of him potentially razing the whole of the Kingdom to ash.
He listened, deafeningly silent as both Danae and then Circenia spoke in turn, both protesting outright to such a plan. Where they saw trouble in Persephone, Keikelius saw an opportunity. He would go to any lengths to see his son on the throne, but he had hard limits. Needlessly violent ones when it came to those of their own status. He was not entirely fond of his niece, but he could not see fault in the potential for both of them to rule together.
"You speak of disposing of the true and voted on monarch as if you are slaughtering a chicken or a cow," Keikelius said very slowly, leveling a look at both his wife and daughter in turn. "The public tolerance for a young and pliable, dim-witted princess or queen fades quickly," Keikelius continued, trailing his finger around the rim of his cup of wine and breathing deeply through his nose as he thought through his next words. "And young women often get ideas of grandeur and rebellion. We want posterity and power for our family, but if we fly too close to the sun, we shall burn, no matter how much we plan. The senate was clear, and the people loved Persephone just as much. The moment any single one of them learns that she is alive, then they will cry for her to return. It is only a matter of time and it is not smart to simply off her where she hides. Doing so further incriminates Elias, and our goal is ascension, not execution."
He paused his fingers on his cup, watching his son closely now, "Which is why I propose this. Root her out, but to kill her will be to ask for more than we bargained for. There are supporters at every turn. If we were, say, to work both sides of the field to the point where we make either a union or the queen abdicates, then marrying Elias to Emilia would be no issue whatsoever. As it stands, it is not intelligent to rush into such action. Allow me the time to work the other side, to assess where Persephone hides and who she associates with, then we strike. On both fronts. In a discreet manner that will not bring questions of treason upon our family for a second time."
There was logic in the words her husband spoke. She knew that. Assassinating a Queen was a risky venture, and one that could potentially ruin them further. But if Circenia was the one behind it, if she was the puppeteer pulling the strings of such a plan… it could work. She loved her son, that could never be denied, but the moves Elias made were often rash. Full of grandeur and the desire for glory, but falling short in their execution. After all, it was his plans, the plans he left his parents out of, that nearly cost them everything. It was his misplaced trust that named him a traitor. His hand that penned the letter that nearly assured their demise.
But Circenia was smart, well-versed in the ways of politics and intrigue. She was a woman who knew how to cover her tracks, how to root out the disloyal and dispose of the dead weight. If she were the one to carry out such a task, there was no doubt in her mind that it could be performed without being traced back to them. In her hands, she could make it look like a dreadful accident, something that could never fall back on them in any way that would stick. Cold, calculative, and conniving, the Stravos matriarch was absolutely sure she could pull off such a monumental task and leave the entire kingdom none the wiser.
Of course, if Persephone were to turn up dead, her family would be the first held under suspicion, she was aware of that. After all, who had the most to gain? However, she knew, she just knew that if it were left to her, she would find a way to make it so that no evidence of their complicity would ever be found. Emilia would be the Queen, her son would be the King, and the Stravos would finally have what they always wanted. Athenia itself.
However, her husband’s tone and the words he spoke brooked no argument, and Circenia knew better than to keep fighting. Were it just the two of them, perhaps she would have kept up her battle, passionately arguing and twisting her words until Keikelius was forced to agree with her. But, the princess knew when to fight and when to back down. While she didn’t often play the role of submissive wife, there were times when it was necessary. And, unfortunately, this was one of those times.
Besides, her husband didn’t need to know everything, did he?
Shooting another warning glance at Danae, one that practically screamed ‘We’ll talk later,’ she turned back to Keikelius with a tightened jaw. Did he really think Persephone or her allies would fall for his ploy so easily? She knew the silvered words her husband could weave, but would it really be enough to convince the rightful Queen of his duplicity? Courtiers were a suspicious and deceitful lot. How confident was he in his ability to convince them of a separation from the family he had always protected and promoted with such ferocity? She loved her husband with all her heart, but she wished there was something she could do to make him see reason.
Biting down hard on the inside of her cheek before any vitriol she would later come to regret could spew from her lips, Circenia gave a jerky nod of assent. “Of course, my lord. As you say.” The formal title alone would be enough to show her displeasure; outside of Court, it was very rare for the princess to address her husband in such a way. “Do what you think is best, and we will follow.”
Would Circenia truly follow as she so blithely claimed? Perhaps, but the princess had no problem in driving her ambition to dangerous lengths…
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There was logic in the words her husband spoke. She knew that. Assassinating a Queen was a risky venture, and one that could potentially ruin them further. But if Circenia was the one behind it, if she was the puppeteer pulling the strings of such a plan… it could work. She loved her son, that could never be denied, but the moves Elias made were often rash. Full of grandeur and the desire for glory, but falling short in their execution. After all, it was his plans, the plans he left his parents out of, that nearly cost them everything. It was his misplaced trust that named him a traitor. His hand that penned the letter that nearly assured their demise.
But Circenia was smart, well-versed in the ways of politics and intrigue. She was a woman who knew how to cover her tracks, how to root out the disloyal and dispose of the dead weight. If she were the one to carry out such a task, there was no doubt in her mind that it could be performed without being traced back to them. In her hands, she could make it look like a dreadful accident, something that could never fall back on them in any way that would stick. Cold, calculative, and conniving, the Stravos matriarch was absolutely sure she could pull off such a monumental task and leave the entire kingdom none the wiser.
Of course, if Persephone were to turn up dead, her family would be the first held under suspicion, she was aware of that. After all, who had the most to gain? However, she knew, she just knew that if it were left to her, she would find a way to make it so that no evidence of their complicity would ever be found. Emilia would be the Queen, her son would be the King, and the Stravos would finally have what they always wanted. Athenia itself.
However, her husband’s tone and the words he spoke brooked no argument, and Circenia knew better than to keep fighting. Were it just the two of them, perhaps she would have kept up her battle, passionately arguing and twisting her words until Keikelius was forced to agree with her. But, the princess knew when to fight and when to back down. While she didn’t often play the role of submissive wife, there were times when it was necessary. And, unfortunately, this was one of those times.
Besides, her husband didn’t need to know everything, did he?
Shooting another warning glance at Danae, one that practically screamed ‘We’ll talk later,’ she turned back to Keikelius with a tightened jaw. Did he really think Persephone or her allies would fall for his ploy so easily? She knew the silvered words her husband could weave, but would it really be enough to convince the rightful Queen of his duplicity? Courtiers were a suspicious and deceitful lot. How confident was he in his ability to convince them of a separation from the family he had always protected and promoted with such ferocity? She loved her husband with all her heart, but she wished there was something she could do to make him see reason.
Biting down hard on the inside of her cheek before any vitriol she would later come to regret could spew from her lips, Circenia gave a jerky nod of assent. “Of course, my lord. As you say.” The formal title alone would be enough to show her displeasure; outside of Court, it was very rare for the princess to address her husband in such a way. “Do what you think is best, and we will follow.”
Would Circenia truly follow as she so blithely claimed? Perhaps, but the princess had no problem in driving her ambition to dangerous lengths…
There was logic in the words her husband spoke. She knew that. Assassinating a Queen was a risky venture, and one that could potentially ruin them further. But if Circenia was the one behind it, if she was the puppeteer pulling the strings of such a plan… it could work. She loved her son, that could never be denied, but the moves Elias made were often rash. Full of grandeur and the desire for glory, but falling short in their execution. After all, it was his plans, the plans he left his parents out of, that nearly cost them everything. It was his misplaced trust that named him a traitor. His hand that penned the letter that nearly assured their demise.
But Circenia was smart, well-versed in the ways of politics and intrigue. She was a woman who knew how to cover her tracks, how to root out the disloyal and dispose of the dead weight. If she were the one to carry out such a task, there was no doubt in her mind that it could be performed without being traced back to them. In her hands, she could make it look like a dreadful accident, something that could never fall back on them in any way that would stick. Cold, calculative, and conniving, the Stravos matriarch was absolutely sure she could pull off such a monumental task and leave the entire kingdom none the wiser.
Of course, if Persephone were to turn up dead, her family would be the first held under suspicion, she was aware of that. After all, who had the most to gain? However, she knew, she just knew that if it were left to her, she would find a way to make it so that no evidence of their complicity would ever be found. Emilia would be the Queen, her son would be the King, and the Stravos would finally have what they always wanted. Athenia itself.
However, her husband’s tone and the words he spoke brooked no argument, and Circenia knew better than to keep fighting. Were it just the two of them, perhaps she would have kept up her battle, passionately arguing and twisting her words until Keikelius was forced to agree with her. But, the princess knew when to fight and when to back down. While she didn’t often play the role of submissive wife, there were times when it was necessary. And, unfortunately, this was one of those times.
Besides, her husband didn’t need to know everything, did he?
Shooting another warning glance at Danae, one that practically screamed ‘We’ll talk later,’ she turned back to Keikelius with a tightened jaw. Did he really think Persephone or her allies would fall for his ploy so easily? She knew the silvered words her husband could weave, but would it really be enough to convince the rightful Queen of his duplicity? Courtiers were a suspicious and deceitful lot. How confident was he in his ability to convince them of a separation from the family he had always protected and promoted with such ferocity? She loved her husband with all her heart, but she wished there was something she could do to make him see reason.
Biting down hard on the inside of her cheek before any vitriol she would later come to regret could spew from her lips, Circenia gave a jerky nod of assent. “Of course, my lord. As you say.” The formal title alone would be enough to show her displeasure; outside of Court, it was very rare for the princess to address her husband in such a way. “Do what you think is best, and we will follow.”
Would Circenia truly follow as she so blithely claimed? Perhaps, but the princess had no problem in driving her ambition to dangerous lengths…
As far as she had understood, Persephone dying had been an integral piece to any plan of theirs from the start. After all, how else was Elias supposed to truly take the throne if she still breathed? His claim would always be called into question, no matter if the Stravoses could see the Senate law overturned and order restored to the line of succession. There would always be a group of people who would say that she should have the throne. That could lead to a serious amount of instability and perhaps in twenty years, they would all be back where they started with a monarchy in question. As morbid as it was, Persephone had to die in order to have Elias take the throne. It was so simple that even the girl who was politically inept could see it for the truth that it was.
So, why was her father arguing against it?
Danae couldn’t wrap his head around why Keikelius was suddenly keen on having what appeared to be a change of heart and deciding that the Stravos family couldn’t kill Persphone. It just didn’t make any sense to her why her father was suddenly doing an about-face on a plan that seemed so straightforward from the start. Had this been his true feelings all along and Danae had simply not known? She knew that the three of them had been always been plotting for this sort of thing, often leaving her out of the conversation because of her age. In fact, this was one of the first few times that Danae had a place at the table, so it wasn’t that outlandish to think that maybe she had been led astray by being kept out of the loop until this point. However, that argument fell flat when the girl considered that Circenia had also spoken out in favor of dispatching the princess. Danae didn’t know what to think and the sheer confusion of it all kept her in silence for the moment as she was almost afraid to say anything. After all, she doubted that her words would be kind as she watched everything she thought she knew about how the family was going to proceed was uprooted without so much of a second thought from Keikelius.
It was a good thing that Danae kept her mouth shut as she was rather sensitive about having the rug pulled out from under her like this. After all, the terror of being tossed into the sea by Lukos was still fresh in her mind and this uncertainty of what and wasn’t true in regards to what her family was planning was just a bit too reminiscent of that trauma for her. Granted, it was nowhere close to being on the same scale of what had happened in the harbor, but that didn’t stop the her emotions from echoing what she felt on that day. If she spoke, there would likely be some sort of bite to her words or some sort of angry accusation. However, that clearly would not go well given how certain Keikelius seemed to be of this plan that he elaborated on. He clearly was not presenting this plan for the family to give their opinions on. This was something that he was presenting as certainty.
That alone was also stirring up a certain set of negative emotions in Danae as her father continued to speak. Even though everyone else in the room was listening to the logic in this plan and begrudgingly agreeing, the young girl couldn’t shake those initial upset feelings that had sprouted up within her just a moment ago. This whole plan seemed to go against everything she had known and understood what her family planned to do. In truth, she couldn’t help, but feel a little more than hurt in regards to it all. Danae suspected that it had to do with the other feelings that had been stirred up, but that didn’t make the weight of this be any lighter on her. Not when her father was still speaking about how much of a grand idea it was to support the Xanthos after everything that had happened. Even though the entire thing was a farce, it still was such an about-face that Danae couldn’t really stop the feelings of betrayal that were stemming up within her.
She had plenty of thoughts about this plan but couldn’t vocalize any of them. Not after she happened to catch her mother’s eye and was given a certain glare that Danae knew all too well. Circenia was telling her daughter without uttering a single word to keep her trap shut. It didn’t matter that Danae had the same doubts about anyone truly believing Keikellius when he would claim to be on Persephone’s side. She needed to keep her mouth shut in this moment or face a severe set of consequences from her mother if she didn’t. It was likely that Circe knew how angry and confused Danae was right now at hearing the news that her father had plans to go support their family’s enemy. After all, this would be one of the first times that the father-daughter duo would be separated for a long period of time. Clearly, that would take a toll on her. Not to mention the mere fact that Danae had a tendency to explode first and think things through later when it came to sensitive topics for her like Elias and the Xanthos. If any of them thought that she was calmly basking in the peace of silence, they were sorely mistaken. Though she doubted any of them would make that mistake, to begin with.
But either way, the chances of her saying anything was completely shot to pieces when her mother stood down and agreed with Keikelius. That meant that if Danae continued her protest, she would be alone. There was no point in her doing that as she knew that she would not win. Not when the rest of her family could write off any outburst as teenage angst and upset over such news. She wouldn’t be taken seriously and would be told to pipe down before being disinvited from any other family meeting like this. Clearly this was something that Danae did not want. Not when her family was just starting to see that she wasn’t some little girl anymore. So, she sat in an angry silence, unable to meet the gazes of anyone else in the room in a clear sign of reluctant acceptance of this plan. She didn’t trust herself to say anything as she didn’t know if she could keep all of these feelings properly bottled up, but if her family knew the girl, they would understand that what her lack of protesting meant.
Though she was able to give the smallest forced nod after her mother spoke. No matter how much she didn’t believe it, she knew that this was probably the safest course of action right now as she tried to sort out her feelings over this and what earth her mother was trying to say to her with that earlier suggestion that the two women would need to speak after all was said and done…
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As far as she had understood, Persephone dying had been an integral piece to any plan of theirs from the start. After all, how else was Elias supposed to truly take the throne if she still breathed? His claim would always be called into question, no matter if the Stravoses could see the Senate law overturned and order restored to the line of succession. There would always be a group of people who would say that she should have the throne. That could lead to a serious amount of instability and perhaps in twenty years, they would all be back where they started with a monarchy in question. As morbid as it was, Persephone had to die in order to have Elias take the throne. It was so simple that even the girl who was politically inept could see it for the truth that it was.
So, why was her father arguing against it?
Danae couldn’t wrap his head around why Keikelius was suddenly keen on having what appeared to be a change of heart and deciding that the Stravos family couldn’t kill Persphone. It just didn’t make any sense to her why her father was suddenly doing an about-face on a plan that seemed so straightforward from the start. Had this been his true feelings all along and Danae had simply not known? She knew that the three of them had been always been plotting for this sort of thing, often leaving her out of the conversation because of her age. In fact, this was one of the first few times that Danae had a place at the table, so it wasn’t that outlandish to think that maybe she had been led astray by being kept out of the loop until this point. However, that argument fell flat when the girl considered that Circenia had also spoken out in favor of dispatching the princess. Danae didn’t know what to think and the sheer confusion of it all kept her in silence for the moment as she was almost afraid to say anything. After all, she doubted that her words would be kind as she watched everything she thought she knew about how the family was going to proceed was uprooted without so much of a second thought from Keikelius.
It was a good thing that Danae kept her mouth shut as she was rather sensitive about having the rug pulled out from under her like this. After all, the terror of being tossed into the sea by Lukos was still fresh in her mind and this uncertainty of what and wasn’t true in regards to what her family was planning was just a bit too reminiscent of that trauma for her. Granted, it was nowhere close to being on the same scale of what had happened in the harbor, but that didn’t stop the her emotions from echoing what she felt on that day. If she spoke, there would likely be some sort of bite to her words or some sort of angry accusation. However, that clearly would not go well given how certain Keikelius seemed to be of this plan that he elaborated on. He clearly was not presenting this plan for the family to give their opinions on. This was something that he was presenting as certainty.
That alone was also stirring up a certain set of negative emotions in Danae as her father continued to speak. Even though everyone else in the room was listening to the logic in this plan and begrudgingly agreeing, the young girl couldn’t shake those initial upset feelings that had sprouted up within her just a moment ago. This whole plan seemed to go against everything she had known and understood what her family planned to do. In truth, she couldn’t help, but feel a little more than hurt in regards to it all. Danae suspected that it had to do with the other feelings that had been stirred up, but that didn’t make the weight of this be any lighter on her. Not when her father was still speaking about how much of a grand idea it was to support the Xanthos after everything that had happened. Even though the entire thing was a farce, it still was such an about-face that Danae couldn’t really stop the feelings of betrayal that were stemming up within her.
She had plenty of thoughts about this plan but couldn’t vocalize any of them. Not after she happened to catch her mother’s eye and was given a certain glare that Danae knew all too well. Circenia was telling her daughter without uttering a single word to keep her trap shut. It didn’t matter that Danae had the same doubts about anyone truly believing Keikellius when he would claim to be on Persephone’s side. She needed to keep her mouth shut in this moment or face a severe set of consequences from her mother if she didn’t. It was likely that Circe knew how angry and confused Danae was right now at hearing the news that her father had plans to go support their family’s enemy. After all, this would be one of the first times that the father-daughter duo would be separated for a long period of time. Clearly, that would take a toll on her. Not to mention the mere fact that Danae had a tendency to explode first and think things through later when it came to sensitive topics for her like Elias and the Xanthos. If any of them thought that she was calmly basking in the peace of silence, they were sorely mistaken. Though she doubted any of them would make that mistake, to begin with.
But either way, the chances of her saying anything was completely shot to pieces when her mother stood down and agreed with Keikelius. That meant that if Danae continued her protest, she would be alone. There was no point in her doing that as she knew that she would not win. Not when the rest of her family could write off any outburst as teenage angst and upset over such news. She wouldn’t be taken seriously and would be told to pipe down before being disinvited from any other family meeting like this. Clearly this was something that Danae did not want. Not when her family was just starting to see that she wasn’t some little girl anymore. So, she sat in an angry silence, unable to meet the gazes of anyone else in the room in a clear sign of reluctant acceptance of this plan. She didn’t trust herself to say anything as she didn’t know if she could keep all of these feelings properly bottled up, but if her family knew the girl, they would understand that what her lack of protesting meant.
Though she was able to give the smallest forced nod after her mother spoke. No matter how much she didn’t believe it, she knew that this was probably the safest course of action right now as she tried to sort out her feelings over this and what earth her mother was trying to say to her with that earlier suggestion that the two women would need to speak after all was said and done…
As far as she had understood, Persephone dying had been an integral piece to any plan of theirs from the start. After all, how else was Elias supposed to truly take the throne if she still breathed? His claim would always be called into question, no matter if the Stravoses could see the Senate law overturned and order restored to the line of succession. There would always be a group of people who would say that she should have the throne. That could lead to a serious amount of instability and perhaps in twenty years, they would all be back where they started with a monarchy in question. As morbid as it was, Persephone had to die in order to have Elias take the throne. It was so simple that even the girl who was politically inept could see it for the truth that it was.
So, why was her father arguing against it?
Danae couldn’t wrap his head around why Keikelius was suddenly keen on having what appeared to be a change of heart and deciding that the Stravos family couldn’t kill Persphone. It just didn’t make any sense to her why her father was suddenly doing an about-face on a plan that seemed so straightforward from the start. Had this been his true feelings all along and Danae had simply not known? She knew that the three of them had been always been plotting for this sort of thing, often leaving her out of the conversation because of her age. In fact, this was one of the first few times that Danae had a place at the table, so it wasn’t that outlandish to think that maybe she had been led astray by being kept out of the loop until this point. However, that argument fell flat when the girl considered that Circenia had also spoken out in favor of dispatching the princess. Danae didn’t know what to think and the sheer confusion of it all kept her in silence for the moment as she was almost afraid to say anything. After all, she doubted that her words would be kind as she watched everything she thought she knew about how the family was going to proceed was uprooted without so much of a second thought from Keikelius.
It was a good thing that Danae kept her mouth shut as she was rather sensitive about having the rug pulled out from under her like this. After all, the terror of being tossed into the sea by Lukos was still fresh in her mind and this uncertainty of what and wasn’t true in regards to what her family was planning was just a bit too reminiscent of that trauma for her. Granted, it was nowhere close to being on the same scale of what had happened in the harbor, but that didn’t stop the her emotions from echoing what she felt on that day. If she spoke, there would likely be some sort of bite to her words or some sort of angry accusation. However, that clearly would not go well given how certain Keikelius seemed to be of this plan that he elaborated on. He clearly was not presenting this plan for the family to give their opinions on. This was something that he was presenting as certainty.
That alone was also stirring up a certain set of negative emotions in Danae as her father continued to speak. Even though everyone else in the room was listening to the logic in this plan and begrudgingly agreeing, the young girl couldn’t shake those initial upset feelings that had sprouted up within her just a moment ago. This whole plan seemed to go against everything she had known and understood what her family planned to do. In truth, she couldn’t help, but feel a little more than hurt in regards to it all. Danae suspected that it had to do with the other feelings that had been stirred up, but that didn’t make the weight of this be any lighter on her. Not when her father was still speaking about how much of a grand idea it was to support the Xanthos after everything that had happened. Even though the entire thing was a farce, it still was such an about-face that Danae couldn’t really stop the feelings of betrayal that were stemming up within her.
She had plenty of thoughts about this plan but couldn’t vocalize any of them. Not after she happened to catch her mother’s eye and was given a certain glare that Danae knew all too well. Circenia was telling her daughter without uttering a single word to keep her trap shut. It didn’t matter that Danae had the same doubts about anyone truly believing Keikellius when he would claim to be on Persephone’s side. She needed to keep her mouth shut in this moment or face a severe set of consequences from her mother if she didn’t. It was likely that Circe knew how angry and confused Danae was right now at hearing the news that her father had plans to go support their family’s enemy. After all, this would be one of the first times that the father-daughter duo would be separated for a long period of time. Clearly, that would take a toll on her. Not to mention the mere fact that Danae had a tendency to explode first and think things through later when it came to sensitive topics for her like Elias and the Xanthos. If any of them thought that she was calmly basking in the peace of silence, they were sorely mistaken. Though she doubted any of them would make that mistake, to begin with.
But either way, the chances of her saying anything was completely shot to pieces when her mother stood down and agreed with Keikelius. That meant that if Danae continued her protest, she would be alone. There was no point in her doing that as she knew that she would not win. Not when the rest of her family could write off any outburst as teenage angst and upset over such news. She wouldn’t be taken seriously and would be told to pipe down before being disinvited from any other family meeting like this. Clearly this was something that Danae did not want. Not when her family was just starting to see that she wasn’t some little girl anymore. So, she sat in an angry silence, unable to meet the gazes of anyone else in the room in a clear sign of reluctant acceptance of this plan. She didn’t trust herself to say anything as she didn’t know if she could keep all of these feelings properly bottled up, but if her family knew the girl, they would understand that what her lack of protesting meant.
Though she was able to give the smallest forced nod after her mother spoke. No matter how much she didn’t believe it, she knew that this was probably the safest course of action right now as she tried to sort out her feelings over this and what earth her mother was trying to say to her with that earlier suggestion that the two women would need to speak after all was said and done…
The Stravos were not a foolish brood. They could all see that this plan of Keikelius’s did not come without any risks. As his wife and daughter had already pointed out, there was a chance that this endeavor of his could end in complete and utter disaster. Did his family think him to be so foolish to not consider the possibility that this may end in his own death? He was more than well aware that if anything went awry or that if Persephone had any reason to doubt him, Keikelius would likely be hanged as a traitor. The Stravos patriarch had spent many sleepless nights considering what would become of his wife and children if he did not emerge victorious from whatever foxhole the Queen had hidden herself in. They would be destitute, at the very least, if not worse. Elias would most certainly be killed. Everything his father -- no, everything he had worked for would be for naught. It was not a pleasant outcome to consider and he could understand why the two women before him had such a distaste for it.
However, as brilliant as the two of them were, Keikelius had to note that they were not seeing the bigger picture in this situation. He was touched that they saw him as the most valuable piece in this game that was now the politics of their kingdom, but in truth, he mattered very little. Everything the Stravos had done thus far had been with the end goal of lifting their name to greatness. Their one goal was to see the anchors fulfill their destiny as the rightful rulers of Athenia. Was this not what the gods themselves had ordained when they had failed to give the Xanthos King a male heir? When they had decided to bless Alehandros with a heart so humble that he only had the ambitions of a goat farmer? His son had been the only true candidate for the throne until foolish mortals decided to meddle with the will of the gods. His plan might appear to be dangerous on the surface, but Keikelius was certain that they had nothing to truly fear as they were only restoring the proper order. The gods would be on their side. They did not want a Xanthos to rule them or they would have given the late King as many sons as his Colchian counterpart far across the sea.
Kekeilius had nothing to fear. The gods had made their will known twenty-four years ago and he had faith that they would aid them in seeing that through. The proper way.
Not only was the Stravos man certain that the gods would see them through on this difficult and morally difficult journey, but Keikelius had faith in another being: the honor of his fellow Athenians. His family might think so little of the Queen on account of the obstacle she posed and they were most certainly correct in their assumption that Persephone was no fool, but they were so quick to discredit her in other ways as well. It was no secret that his late brother-in-law had raised Persephone with the expectation that she would one day rule in his stead. That meant he had surely instilled in her the traits of any good monarch. One of those would surely be honor and a decent amount of logic. The women at this table might think the worst, but he had faith that she would not be as ruthless as his son had proven himself to be. If anything, he was unlikely to be killed if things went awry. The very same Queen who had spent months running and hiding would probably be more inclined to use him as a pawn and even if this were to occur, Keikelius could see that there was a certain power in that.
That was why he could not be swayed from this plan. The others would surely come to the same conclusion that he had already. Keikelius could already see the gears turning in Circenia’s mind. Surely a few honeyed words from him later once of the two of them were behind closed doors would sway her away from her murderous intent. Danae on the other hand… he knew his daughter too well. He could see how she was seething in complete silence. She had her mother’s temper -- quick to spark, long to cool. It would take time for her to accept this course of action, but she would eventually accept it too. Even if she didn’t, it did not phase Keikelius that much. She was only sixteen. There was little that she could do, but accept the wills of those who were older. Hopefully, she would learn a thing or two from this political game that they were all playing.
Regardless, with the opposition to this plan silenced by Keikelius’s humbling words, he did not see why they would need to continue this secretive meeting any longer now that the family’s course of action had been thusly settled. “Now unless anyone has anything else to add, we should not linger. We do not want to give our enemies anything to discuss, do we?” His words were just as brisk and blunt as before, leaving no room for argument as the women began to rise from their seats. Circenia glanced expectantly at her husband, anticipating that he would be taking his leave as well, but Keikelius stayed firmly in his seat as he gave her a brief instruction, “You and Danae should head to the manor. Send a horse back for me. I believe Elias and I have much to discuss first.” As he spoke his final words, his eyes flickered to Elias. His son had been careless thus far in his judgment of how to lead the Stravos and it would behoove his father to give him some guidance on how to comport himself while Keikelius was distancing himself from the family he would die for.
He noticed that a flash of hurt cross the women’s faces, but there was little to be done about that. The separation was not going to be an easy thing for any of them -- Keikelius especially as he was a family man through and through-- but it would be best for everyone if they learned to get used to the new normal. It would make things seem more believable when those vultures that made up the court looked into his absence. That was why he kept his face void and expressionless as Circenia guided Danae through the door, leaving the two men alone in the port house as the door slammed behind them.
Only the gods would know if he made the right decision.
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The Stravos were not a foolish brood. They could all see that this plan of Keikelius’s did not come without any risks. As his wife and daughter had already pointed out, there was a chance that this endeavor of his could end in complete and utter disaster. Did his family think him to be so foolish to not consider the possibility that this may end in his own death? He was more than well aware that if anything went awry or that if Persephone had any reason to doubt him, Keikelius would likely be hanged as a traitor. The Stravos patriarch had spent many sleepless nights considering what would become of his wife and children if he did not emerge victorious from whatever foxhole the Queen had hidden herself in. They would be destitute, at the very least, if not worse. Elias would most certainly be killed. Everything his father -- no, everything he had worked for would be for naught. It was not a pleasant outcome to consider and he could understand why the two women before him had such a distaste for it.
However, as brilliant as the two of them were, Keikelius had to note that they were not seeing the bigger picture in this situation. He was touched that they saw him as the most valuable piece in this game that was now the politics of their kingdom, but in truth, he mattered very little. Everything the Stravos had done thus far had been with the end goal of lifting their name to greatness. Their one goal was to see the anchors fulfill their destiny as the rightful rulers of Athenia. Was this not what the gods themselves had ordained when they had failed to give the Xanthos King a male heir? When they had decided to bless Alehandros with a heart so humble that he only had the ambitions of a goat farmer? His son had been the only true candidate for the throne until foolish mortals decided to meddle with the will of the gods. His plan might appear to be dangerous on the surface, but Keikelius was certain that they had nothing to truly fear as they were only restoring the proper order. The gods would be on their side. They did not want a Xanthos to rule them or they would have given the late King as many sons as his Colchian counterpart far across the sea.
Kekeilius had nothing to fear. The gods had made their will known twenty-four years ago and he had faith that they would aid them in seeing that through. The proper way.
Not only was the Stravos man certain that the gods would see them through on this difficult and morally difficult journey, but Keikelius had faith in another being: the honor of his fellow Athenians. His family might think so little of the Queen on account of the obstacle she posed and they were most certainly correct in their assumption that Persephone was no fool, but they were so quick to discredit her in other ways as well. It was no secret that his late brother-in-law had raised Persephone with the expectation that she would one day rule in his stead. That meant he had surely instilled in her the traits of any good monarch. One of those would surely be honor and a decent amount of logic. The women at this table might think the worst, but he had faith that she would not be as ruthless as his son had proven himself to be. If anything, he was unlikely to be killed if things went awry. The very same Queen who had spent months running and hiding would probably be more inclined to use him as a pawn and even if this were to occur, Keikelius could see that there was a certain power in that.
That was why he could not be swayed from this plan. The others would surely come to the same conclusion that he had already. Keikelius could already see the gears turning in Circenia’s mind. Surely a few honeyed words from him later once of the two of them were behind closed doors would sway her away from her murderous intent. Danae on the other hand… he knew his daughter too well. He could see how she was seething in complete silence. She had her mother’s temper -- quick to spark, long to cool. It would take time for her to accept this course of action, but she would eventually accept it too. Even if she didn’t, it did not phase Keikelius that much. She was only sixteen. There was little that she could do, but accept the wills of those who were older. Hopefully, she would learn a thing or two from this political game that they were all playing.
Regardless, with the opposition to this plan silenced by Keikelius’s humbling words, he did not see why they would need to continue this secretive meeting any longer now that the family’s course of action had been thusly settled. “Now unless anyone has anything else to add, we should not linger. We do not want to give our enemies anything to discuss, do we?” His words were just as brisk and blunt as before, leaving no room for argument as the women began to rise from their seats. Circenia glanced expectantly at her husband, anticipating that he would be taking his leave as well, but Keikelius stayed firmly in his seat as he gave her a brief instruction, “You and Danae should head to the manor. Send a horse back for me. I believe Elias and I have much to discuss first.” As he spoke his final words, his eyes flickered to Elias. His son had been careless thus far in his judgment of how to lead the Stravos and it would behoove his father to give him some guidance on how to comport himself while Keikelius was distancing himself from the family he would die for.
He noticed that a flash of hurt cross the women’s faces, but there was little to be done about that. The separation was not going to be an easy thing for any of them -- Keikelius especially as he was a family man through and through-- but it would be best for everyone if they learned to get used to the new normal. It would make things seem more believable when those vultures that made up the court looked into his absence. That was why he kept his face void and expressionless as Circenia guided Danae through the door, leaving the two men alone in the port house as the door slammed behind them.
Only the gods would know if he made the right decision.
The Stravos were not a foolish brood. They could all see that this plan of Keikelius’s did not come without any risks. As his wife and daughter had already pointed out, there was a chance that this endeavor of his could end in complete and utter disaster. Did his family think him to be so foolish to not consider the possibility that this may end in his own death? He was more than well aware that if anything went awry or that if Persephone had any reason to doubt him, Keikelius would likely be hanged as a traitor. The Stravos patriarch had spent many sleepless nights considering what would become of his wife and children if he did not emerge victorious from whatever foxhole the Queen had hidden herself in. They would be destitute, at the very least, if not worse. Elias would most certainly be killed. Everything his father -- no, everything he had worked for would be for naught. It was not a pleasant outcome to consider and he could understand why the two women before him had such a distaste for it.
However, as brilliant as the two of them were, Keikelius had to note that they were not seeing the bigger picture in this situation. He was touched that they saw him as the most valuable piece in this game that was now the politics of their kingdom, but in truth, he mattered very little. Everything the Stravos had done thus far had been with the end goal of lifting their name to greatness. Their one goal was to see the anchors fulfill their destiny as the rightful rulers of Athenia. Was this not what the gods themselves had ordained when they had failed to give the Xanthos King a male heir? When they had decided to bless Alehandros with a heart so humble that he only had the ambitions of a goat farmer? His son had been the only true candidate for the throne until foolish mortals decided to meddle with the will of the gods. His plan might appear to be dangerous on the surface, but Keikelius was certain that they had nothing to truly fear as they were only restoring the proper order. The gods would be on their side. They did not want a Xanthos to rule them or they would have given the late King as many sons as his Colchian counterpart far across the sea.
Kekeilius had nothing to fear. The gods had made their will known twenty-four years ago and he had faith that they would aid them in seeing that through. The proper way.
Not only was the Stravos man certain that the gods would see them through on this difficult and morally difficult journey, but Keikelius had faith in another being: the honor of his fellow Athenians. His family might think so little of the Queen on account of the obstacle she posed and they were most certainly correct in their assumption that Persephone was no fool, but they were so quick to discredit her in other ways as well. It was no secret that his late brother-in-law had raised Persephone with the expectation that she would one day rule in his stead. That meant he had surely instilled in her the traits of any good monarch. One of those would surely be honor and a decent amount of logic. The women at this table might think the worst, but he had faith that she would not be as ruthless as his son had proven himself to be. If anything, he was unlikely to be killed if things went awry. The very same Queen who had spent months running and hiding would probably be more inclined to use him as a pawn and even if this were to occur, Keikelius could see that there was a certain power in that.
That was why he could not be swayed from this plan. The others would surely come to the same conclusion that he had already. Keikelius could already see the gears turning in Circenia’s mind. Surely a few honeyed words from him later once of the two of them were behind closed doors would sway her away from her murderous intent. Danae on the other hand… he knew his daughter too well. He could see how she was seething in complete silence. She had her mother’s temper -- quick to spark, long to cool. It would take time for her to accept this course of action, but she would eventually accept it too. Even if she didn’t, it did not phase Keikelius that much. She was only sixteen. There was little that she could do, but accept the wills of those who were older. Hopefully, she would learn a thing or two from this political game that they were all playing.
Regardless, with the opposition to this plan silenced by Keikelius’s humbling words, he did not see why they would need to continue this secretive meeting any longer now that the family’s course of action had been thusly settled. “Now unless anyone has anything else to add, we should not linger. We do not want to give our enemies anything to discuss, do we?” His words were just as brisk and blunt as before, leaving no room for argument as the women began to rise from their seats. Circenia glanced expectantly at her husband, anticipating that he would be taking his leave as well, but Keikelius stayed firmly in his seat as he gave her a brief instruction, “You and Danae should head to the manor. Send a horse back for me. I believe Elias and I have much to discuss first.” As he spoke his final words, his eyes flickered to Elias. His son had been careless thus far in his judgment of how to lead the Stravos and it would behoove his father to give him some guidance on how to comport himself while Keikelius was distancing himself from the family he would die for.
He noticed that a flash of hurt cross the women’s faces, but there was little to be done about that. The separation was not going to be an easy thing for any of them -- Keikelius especially as he was a family man through and through-- but it would be best for everyone if they learned to get used to the new normal. It would make things seem more believable when those vultures that made up the court looked into his absence. That was why he kept his face void and expressionless as Circenia guided Danae through the door, leaving the two men alone in the port house as the door slammed behind them.
Only the gods would know if he made the right decision.