Beauty/Tragedy | Percy Jackson

Alliances are Temporary

Ulysses

It little profits that an idle king,
By this still hearth, among these barren crags,
Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole
Unequal laws unto a savage race,
That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.
I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy'd
Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those
That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when
Thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
Vext the dim sea: I am become a name;
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Much have I seen and known; cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
Myself not least, but honour'd of them all;
And drunk delight of battle with my peers,
Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.
I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'
Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!
As tho' to breathe were life! Life piled on life
Were all too little, and of one to me
Little remains: but every hour is saved
From that eternal silence, something more,
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
For some three suns to store and hoard myself,
And this gray spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.

This is my son, mine own Telemachus,
To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle,—
Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil
This labour, by slow prudence to make mild
A rugged people, and thro' soft degrees
Subdue them to the useful and the good.
Most blameless is he, centred in the sphere
Of common duties, decent not to fail
In offices of tenderness, and pay
Meet adoration to my household gods,
When I am gone. He works his work, I mine.

The courtroom of Agatha's palace soon filled in when news reached that the messenger had reached their borders with a reply from Lipsana.

It had been almost two weeks since they had sent a diplomatic letter to request conditions of a truce while assuring that Ariston was not behind the attack on their prince.

The atmosphere of the hall was tense with silence and everyone's anticipation.

Ariston sat at his previous place, close to the king. Perseus and Kallias sat side by side next to Alexo and Berenice next to them.

They tried to show their solidarity through their positions in the hall, because if the king trusted them to let them sit by his side, that surely said something.

(Looks can be deceiving.)

Somehow the silence got even more overbearing after a guard came to announce the name of the messenger and stepped back to allow the man to enter the court.

He was dressed in bright colors, but his face was dull.

"Lipsana has answered." He said, "They wish for peace."

An uproar of joy could be heard, but the sound died with the next words. "But they do have conditions."

King Alexo nodded his head. He was frowning, he looked worried and stressed. "What are the conditions?"

"Lord Ariston has to surrender... or, the king of Lipsana says, 'a son for a son'." Unconsciously, the messenger took a step back after delivering the king's exact words.

"Lord Ariston has nothing to do with the death of Lipsana's heir!"

"Lord Alexo, they found a man carrying the flag of Aristo in the palace the day of poisoning. The king demand trials for the man sitting next to you or else, Lipsana is ready to declare war."

This caused Alexo to be silent and ponder. If Ariston was truly innocent, then who is that man who poisoned the prince. "It could be a trap, for Lord Ariston's demise after he had already lost his kingdom. We cannot agree to your conditions."

"My Lord, Lipsana wants only peace-"

"- and we want the proof."

"Silence!" Alexo breathed. "Lord Ariston is a friend. He is family. He has our trust, my trust." He paused, "...but I am a king, I will think of my people first and foremost. Do you have proof that the man who poisoned the prince was Lord Ariston's man?"

"Yes."

Ariston took a sharp breath.

Kallias had gone rigid, his face a perfect mask. It was unnerving.

The man took out a piece of folded cloth from his belt. "We found this. The man we suspect had this hidden in a hole on the palace wall. The physician tested it, the cloth- your flag- still stinks of poppy."

The poppy flowers- crude or dried, small dose or large, gave one result for sure: death.

This could be no accident. Due to the danger, the flowers were not easy to find. People would get rid of them the moment they find them, too scared if someone they love eats the seeds or use the flowers unknowing of the outcome.

Even if the accusations were false. (How can it be?)

Even if Ariston was telling the truth before. (Why were you so insistent, my friend?)

Even if it all was a ruse. (How can it be?)

Alexo was starting to doubt Ariston's intentions.

He used the best trick known to out the truth. He turned to look at the man in question. Ariston was sitting straight, his shoulders tense and squared, his eyes were darting between the flag and the eyes of the messenger like he was thinking- Ariston's hand clutched the armrest till his knuckles were white.

Intentionally, keeping his gaze steady, Alexo said, "You could be making this up."

Ariston visibly relaxed.

"But... what reason does Lipsana has to lie to us. We have been nothing but respecting towards each other so far. It seems unlikely that a kingdom who is ready to keep this bond between us by proposing some conditions would want to go on war based of blatant lies."

He stood up and the men present followed suite.

"So, tell me my friend, who's the murderer?"

Ariston looked up with anger in his eyes, "That man they found. That vile person trying to trap my family!"

"Your family, Ariston?" Alexo scoffed. "You are a danger to them."

"You would dare to accuse me-"

"I will." The king declared.

"Guards!" He beckoned before turning back and addressing the messenger. "Agatha agrees to your conditions. My people are the witness to this fair judgement! Tell my words to your king, say we want nothing but peace and friendship. Agatha was never an enemy and will never be. No matter how much others try."

The man listened carefully, memorizing each syllabus. Then, his eyes widened in alarm.

That was the only warning Alexo got before he found a sword leveled at his throat. He took a careful step away.

The guards reached near him; their weapons raised but none made a move. Too cautious of what might happen with a single step ahead.

"Father!" "No!"

Alexo cast a worried look at the princess and the princes.

Kallias' face did a dance of emotions.  From confused to shocked to disbelieving to finally settling on anger. Perseus was right behind him. They both kept his daughter caged in the middle, like challenging anyone and everyone to even dare.

Alexo looked back at Ariston. "You coward." He slowly unsheathed his sword, "Try to be brave for once. Fight me!" Because only then you can go unpunished for your crimes.