"May the gods be with you."
If she only knew. Acheron carefully ducked out of the door and made his way back toward the hill where the palace was set. Strange, he'd set out to escape into the world of fantasy through the plot of a play and instead had his spirits lifted even higher by an unexpected encounter with real people. Eleni and Merus had given him more than an escape.
They'd given him normality. If only for a short while. And it meant everything to him. He felt better than he had in a long time.
At least until he returned home.
He hesitated in the foyer as he saw the large gathering of nobles and senate members who were accompanied by their families. Not that it should be that much of a surprise, but no one had told him there was to be a party.
Had he known, he'd have stayed locked in his room. His experience with such events had never gone well. Of course, in the past, he'd been the main attraction/fascination for all the guests. A chill swept over him as he remembered the times he'd been paraded around and pawed at before someone in the group threw him to the ground . . .
Pulling his cowl lower, he kept to the shadows as he made his way to the stairs. With any luck no one would approach him.
Yet as he drew even to the ballroom, his father's voice stopped him dead.
"Thank you all for coming to celebrate with me. It's not every day that a king is so blessed."
Acheron crept closer to the doors to see his father on a dais. Ryssa stood to his left with Apollo by her side. The god's arm was wrapped possessively around her shoulders. Styxx was to his father's right. He held hands with a tall, beautiful dark-haired woman.
"Let us all raise our cups in honor of my only daughter, the human consort for the god Apollo who is now expecting his child and to my only son who will be marrying the Egyptian princess Nefertari. May the gods bless them both and may our lands forever flourish."
A bitter jealousy tore through him as he listened. It stung so deep in his heart that it was all he could do not to lower his cowl and call out to his father that he did indeed have another son. But to what purpose?
His father would only deny him and then have him beaten for the affront and embarrassment.
Anger overrode the jealousy as his father proudly kissed Ryssa and then Styxx.
"To my beloved children," he said to the crowd once more. "Long may they live."
A deafening shout rose up from everyone except Acheron who couldn't breathe from the weight of agony and rejection.
I am the eldest . . .
"You are a deformed whore and a slave." Estes's voice echoed from his past. "You don't speak unless you're addressed. You are never to look anyone in the face. You should be grateful I even tolerate you in my house. Now get on your knees and please me."
Acheron wanted to die as shame filled him. His father was right. There was nothing about him worth loving and definitely nothing that warranted any kind of pride. Hanging his head, he made his way up the stairs and to his bedroom.
His heart heavy, he lowered the cowl, grateful there was no mirror here to remind him of why he deserved nothing save the scorn of decent people.
"Acheron?"
He froze at the whisper behind him. "What do you want, Artemis?"
"I want my friend back."
Acheron closed his eyes against the tears that he hid inside himself. He wanted so desperately to have value to someone. Anyone. Not for what he earned for them, but because they cared for him.
Artemis moved to stand just behind him. So close he could feel her presence as if they were touching. "I've missed you."
He wanted to rail at her. To scream out how much he hated what she'd done to him.
To beg her not to ever hurt him again.
But what was the use? All humans were the playthings of the gods. He was only a little closer to one than the others.
"Am I forgiven then?" he asked, hating himself for the subservient question.
"Yes." She pressed herself to his back and wrapped her arms around him.
Grinding his teeth, he forced himself not to stiffen or shove her away. "Thank you."
Artemis wanted to weep at the joy she felt. She had her Acheron back . . . She couldn't believe how much she'd missed him. How afraid she'd been of his rejection.
Most of all, she wanted him to know how glad she was to have his friendship returned. "I promise, I will never hurt you again."
Acheron didn't believe that for one instant. She'd shattered his trust the moment she'd taken him by the hair, knowing how much he despised it. Knowing how demeaning that action was for him.
He'd have rather she just tossed coins in his face and walked out.
She pulled him against her and kissed him like a lover. He returned the kiss with all the passion of someone who'd been paid for it. How sad that she couldn't tell the difference between a kiss he felt and one that was born of obligation. Then again, he was the best whore money could buy.
When she moved back, he saw the joy in her gaze. How he wished he felt it too.