Styxx (Dark-Hunter 22)

Chapter Twenty-Six

January 31, 9528 BC

"Get up!"

Styxx flinched as someone slapped at his head. His fever was so high that at first he couldn't focus on what was happening. Finally, his vision cleared enough that he saw his father standing over him.

"I said, get up, you worthless dog!"

When Styxx didn't move fast enough to suit him, his father jerked him to his feet.

"You ever pull another stunt like this and I will have you killed while you sleep. You understand?"

No. He didn't. Scowling, he looked from his father to Galen. "What are you talking about?"

"He doesn't know, Majesty. He's been burning with a fever for two days and hasn't left the bed except to piss."

Styxx was stunned that Galen would speak to his father like that. "What's going on?"

His father curled his lip. "Get him cleaned up and returned to the palace."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

His father stormed off.

The instant he was gone, Galen helped Styxx back to bed. "Rest, boy. Don't worry about anything."

"But my father said-"

"He's only angry because he learned a frightening lesson over the last two days."

"Galen, I'm too ill to follow. Please don't riddle me."

Laughing, Galen took a cloth from the basin by the bed and ran it over Styxx's forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Very confused ... has it really been two days?"

"It has. About three hours after you fell asleep here, the armorer took your equipment back to your father and refused to melt it."

"What? Why?"

Galen poured wine for Styxx. "His youngest nephew is Darian and his son was Sandros." Sandros was one of the men who'd died on their return. As with Gaius's family, his widow and children had been denied his pension and Styxx had paid it. "He was the same man we bought the armor from originally, and he remembered how thrilled you were when he laced you into it the first time. And how you didn't have the money yet for the helm or greaves, but humbly asked him if he would save them and allow you to make payments." When the armorer had refused, Galen had stepped forward to loan him the money until Styxx had paid them off. "He told your father that he would never dishonor you by destroying something you'd worked so hard for and paid for with your own coin. That it wouldn't be right to melt down a hero's armor or sell it to another. And when your father had it taken to another armorer, he also refused once he learned it belonged to you."

"Why?"

"He was at Halicarnassus with us ... and said that having seen your bravery and skill firsthand, he would never dishonor you by dismantling your armor."

"I still have it?"

Galen nodded. "The third armorer brought it to me and said that he'd pay the king the value of it out of his own pocket to make sure it was returned to you intact. And then, while you slept, word from the armorers went round to the soldiers and veterans that you'd been stripped of everything because of what you'd done for us and for the families of our fallen. That your father had taken your rank, your armor, your horse and titles, and left you unclothed to wander the streets. One by one, every single member of the Stygian Omada came and threw down his weapons and stripped naked in front of the palace in protest of what had been done to you. More to the point, they vowed that they would see Didymos fall before they picked up another weapon to follow any man save Prince Styxx into battle."

Styxx was stunned that they would dare his father's wrath for him. "And I slept through all of that?"

"You did, indeed."

Honestly, Styxx didn't fully believe him until an hour later when he got up and dressed not in Galen's clothes, but his own that had been left for him and headed outside. There in the arena, his army had gathered, and as they saw him, they struck their shields with their swords and chanted his name.

Amazed and awed by their actions, he turned around, looking at them in disbelief. Every shield there had been repainted with his personal emblem on it. A black phoenix rising. It was an act of complete solidarity. The ultimate show of their support and respect.

For the first time in his life, Styxx felt worth something. Not much ...

But worth something more than the dirt under his father's feet.

* * *

"We have a serious problem."

Apollo arched a brow at Zeus's dire tone. "And that would be?"

"Have you been to Didymos lately?"

"Of course."

"Did you see the uprising?"

Apollo snorted. "You mean the army stripping naked? Yes. It was rather amusing."

"Yes, well, what isn't amusing is that little bugger of yours who doesn't respect us, leading an army of men who are willing to overthrow their king for him. Can you imagine what they'd do if he wanted our temples burned?"

Apollo rolled his eyes at Zeus's unwarranted fear. "I've got him in hand."

"I don't think you do. Nor do I think you appreciate how dangerous he could prove to be. Didymos is one of our richest city-states and she was hard won from Atlantis. The last thing we need is to lose her to them again."

"You're not going to lose Didymos." But hopefully soon, Zeus and the rest would lose all of Greece.

Provided Apollo's pact with the Atlanteans held.

Apollo knew just what to do to make sure that everyone was kept in their rightful place.

And that Styxx learned a lesson of respect that he'd never forget.