Apollo sighed. "I'm still not hearing the appropriate tone from you. Indeed, there's more insolence than apology."
"My lord," the king said, stepping forward. "May I ask what offense he committed against you?"
"Hubris."
The king glared at Styxx as if he wanted to personally slaughter him.
Without a shred of compassion or care in her eyes, Ryssa sneered at her brother. "Surely such a high offense deserves a public beating, Father. Not even a prince is above a god. Let Styxx stand as an example to others to show what happens when they offend true divinity."
Styxx's breathing turned ragged, but he said nothing in defense of himself. He couldn't. One word, and this treaty would be breached and Apollo would continue to own him.
The king nodded to the guards. They moved forward to take Styxx into custody while Apollo smiled in smug satisfaction.
His father curled his lip. "One hundred lashes. If he passes out, revive him."
Her vision turned dark at the severity of that heartless and undeserved punishment. You want a war, pig, you've got one....
Bethany took on the guise of Athena and moved forward to stop the guards from taking possession of Styxx. As soon as she was seen, there was a collective gasp among the crowd.
She glared at Apollo. "Hubris you say, brother? Please, tell us the nature of the prince's actions against you. Let everyone know exactly how Prince Styxx offended you."
That definitely got the smirk off his face. "He has held himself up as a god. His arrogance and pride are an affront to us all."
She arched her brow at him. "Held himself up as a god? Pray tell, when was this?"
Apollo's look turned deadly.
"Ah, yes, I remember..." Bethany continued for him. "It was when he dared to slay your Atlantean grandson during battle. Is that not right, brother? I'm sure, like me, you remember that day well. The Atlanteans, led to our shores by your own blood kin, were slaughtering hundreds of Greeks until the beach sands turned red from good Greek blood. The onslaught was so fierce that entire veteran regiments fled from the Atlanteans and cowered. Even the brave, noble Dorians pulled back in fear. But not Prince Styxx. He rode in like a lion and jumped from his horse to save the life of a young shield-bearer who was about to be killed by one of the Atlantean giants."
Bethany swept her gaze around the people there, who were completely silent now. "And with reckless disregard for his own life and limb, this prince picked the boy up and put him on the back of his royal steed and told him to ride to safety. He spent the rest of the day fighting on foot. Not as a prince or a god, but as a mere, heroic Greek soldier."
She turned back to Apollo. "His actions so enraged the Atlantean gods that they turned all of their animosity toward him. And still Prince Styxx fought on for his people, wounded, bloody, and tired. He never backed off or backed down. Not even when your own grandson almost buried his axe through the prince's skull. He hit Styxx's hoplon so hard, it splintered a portion of it off. And as Xan held the prince down, the prince, who was barely more than a child, managed to stab him through the ribs. But now that I think about it, you don't remember that day, do you, Apollo? You weren't even there when it was fought, but later that very night-"
"Enough!" Apollo roared. His face turned bright red from his fury. Bellowing, he kicked Styxx back. "Get him out of my sight."
Bethany went to Styxx. She pulled her cloak off and wrapped it around his shoulders then she faced Apollo. "You never did answer the question, brother. Is Prince Styxx forgiven for saving the lives of thousands of Greeks and driving the Atlanteans from our shores, or do you intend to keep punishing him for such awful hubris against you? Do you, finally, release him from your slavery?"
"He's released. Now get him out of my sight!"
She helped Styxx to his feet.
"Thank you, my lady," Styxx breathed as unshed tears glittered in his eyes.
Nodding, she let Galen take him from her hands and walk him out of the temple.
And as they moved through the crowd, the people of Didymos went down on their knees to bow before their prince.
Bethany's smile died as she looked back at Apollo and the wrath on his face. He was not going to forgive this. The only problem was he didn't know it was Bet'anya who'd embarrassed him.
Crap ...
Athena's going to kill me for this ruse.
She'd deal with that later. Narrowing her eyes at the bastard, she turned to leave. When she reached the temple door, an old man caught her eye. She started to ignore him until recognition kicked her.
Athena.
Quadruple crap ...
The Olympian goddess followed her outside.
Bracing herself for the fight, Bethany turned to face her.
Athena held her hand up and smiled. "You have no idea how many times in my life I've wanted to publicly bitch-slap my brother. Thank you for the amusement."
Bethany laughed and took her hand. "I thought you were going to choke me for it."
"Not for this. But don't think for even one heartbeat that we're friends."
"I know. But I am a goddess of justice, and while I have no problem tearing open someone who deserves it, I cannot stand to see anyone, even a Greek, wrongfully tortured."
Athena nodded. "Now can I have my body back? No offense, but I don't wear old man well."
Bethany resumed her true form. "I know now why you chose Styxx as your champion, Athena. You did well."
"You did better, I think."
"How so?"
Athena transformed into her goddess body. "He might fight under my badge, Bet'anya, but you're the only one he would die for."
* * *
"Leave us."
Galen hesitated at the king's furious order.
"It's all right," Styxx assured him, but he held the same doubt about that as Galen.
Inclining his head respectfully, Galen left him alone with his father.
His entire being throbbing and aching in protest, Styxx pulled himself up in the bed as his father approached him.
The king yanked the blanket from him, exposing his full naked body. "This isn't from a whore. What happened to you?"
Before he could think up a lie, his father hissed as his gaze fell to the cruelest mark he bore. His father rudely grabbed him so that he could examine it. Fury blazed in his father's eyes and for a moment Styxx was stupid enough to think it was indignation on his behalf.
"You think this is funny or cute?" his father roared in his face. "You're a prince, for the gods' sakes!" He backhanded him. "I don't know what kind of perverse games you play, boy, but if you ever publicly embarrass me as you did today, I don't care what army backs you, I will see you sold as the tsoulus whose mark you proudly wear. Do you understand me?"
Styxx couldn't answer as memories ripped through him. He heard the roar of voices that called out for his humiliation and punishment.
Fucking Greek whore! He's even branded one!
Prince, my ass. You're a worthless dog. Not even worth the brand you carry.
Are all Greek heroes pathetic quims like you?
And the whole time he'd been so cruelly held and tortured by the Atlanteans, he'd only wanted to come home.
For this ...
His father backhanded him again then painfully grabbed his hair to force him to meet his angry stare. "Do you understand me?" he repeated.
Styxx nodded.
Curling his lip, his father wrenched his hair so hard, he was amazed he didn't yank a handful out. "I don't know what you did to upset Apollo, but you better make it right even if it means licking his ass and sucking him off for the rest of your putrid life. Whatever he asks of you, I expect you to bend over or go down on your knees and do it with a smile while thanking him for the honor." His father spat in his face then stormed out of the room.
Cold and shaking, Styxx wiped away the spittle then curled into a ball as the horrors of the last year replayed through his mind. But what hurt most was the knowledge that his father was fine with whoring him to Apollo.
So long as the Olympian god was pleased and happy what did it matter how his own son felt about it?
"Styxx?"
He couldn't respond to Galen. He just wanted to go someplace safe and warm. Someplace where no one hated him.
Most of all, he wanted his Bethany back. Only she had ever been able to make him forget the hatred he lived with.
"Highness? Are you all right?"
No. He'd never been right. That's why no one wanted him. Why Bethany had left him to this nightmare. Alone.
He felt Galen wipe away the blood on his face then cover him with the blanket.
Styxx ignored everything and crawled into the dark place inside himself that he'd discovered in Atlantis where the voices in his head screamed and he found a sick kind of comfort in the pain of it all.
Galen brushed his hair back from his forehead. How weird that the only tenderness he received came from a scarred warrior renowned for his ferocity in battle.