As promised, that night, Lord Aetes lavished a fine feast on us to welcome back his grandson Argus. Jason, of course, behaved as if it were all to glorify him. Though Colchis was a foreign land, they followed some of our customs. The closer you were seated to the king, the more respect he meant to show you. Argus and Jason were placed to either side of Lord Aetes, which left Jason sour-faced over having to share the highest honor. His expression grew even more resentful when he glanced at his cousin, Acastus, seated next to Argus.
I noticed other customs that were purely Colchian. As each dish was brought to the table, a group of handsomely dressed men stepped in to taste the food. They also tasted the wine, and examined the knives and spoons used to serve the meal. I wondered what it must feel like, knowing that your life could end with the next mouthful you swallowed. And what sort of mind could be both so clever and so cowardly as to kill by tainting the good gifts of Demeter and Dionysos? If the stories were true, Colchis did harbor monsters.
Medea and I were seated together, among the other palace women. She hardly ate a bite all evening, her eyes fixed on Jason. I tried to talk with her, but she refused to be distracted from him.
When the banqueting was finished, Lord Aetes called for silence. “My friends, it’s thanks to you that I’ve been reunited with my beloved grandson Argus. It’s not my way to ask the true purpose of guests who come to me in peace until they’ve had ample time to rest and refresh themselves. I believe that moment has come. I invite you to share the reason that’s brought you to Aea. If I have the power to help you, I’ll do it freely.”
Jason was on his feet at once. He launched into a long-winded, self-exalting history. He took credit for every successful adventure we’d experienced on the voyage to Colchis. He did toss a few crumbs of praise to some of the men, granting them minor parts in his own fabricated triumphs. Zetes and Kalais were credited with driving off the Harpies, but only after Jason commanded them to do it! When he saw that Lord Aetes and the Colchian nobles were thoroughly fascinated by his wild tale, he finally revealed the object of his quest.
“A golden fleece?” Lord Aetes was all smiles. “Only one? That’s hardly a fitting reward for your accomplishments. You and your men shall have one apiece, I insist!”
Jason lowered his eyes. “You are gracious, Lord Aetes, and you give me more than I ever dreamed of asking.” He sat down in silence, and the king called for more wine.
I felt a sharp pain in my left hand. Medea had dug her fingernails into the skin. Her jaw was clenched, her face ashen, and her eyes blazing with unholy rage. “Not a word about me?” she whispered. “Not one to ask my father for permission to marry me?”
“Lady Medea, maybe Jason didn’t want to talk about that now, in front of everyone,” I murmured, trying to calm her. “He’d look too greedy if he asked Lord Aetes for his only daughter after the king just gave him not one golden fleece but fifty.”
Medea sucked in her breath with an eerie hissing sound. “You know nothing about love,” she said coldly. “Don’t speak to me again until you do.” She rose from her place, her scowl instantly becoming a look of utter meekness when she addressed Lord Aetes. “Father, may I go?” she asked, eyes downcast but voice raised to bridge the distance between the women’s table and the king’s. “So much wine…it’s given me a headache.”
Lord Aetes dismissed her without a second glance. I finished the banquet blissfully free of her presence, though I wasn’t looking forward to returning to my bed in her rooms. Fortunately, when the time to retire came, Lord Aetes’ chief servant appeared at my elbow and let me know that I’d be sleeping elsewhere that night. “The lady Medea is too ill for company,” he intoned. “You are welcome to use the queen’s apartments.”
A maidservant bearing an oil lamp guided me to my new rooms. The queen’s apartments encircled a private garden, where flowers drowsed in the moonlight. Lord Aetes had outlived all of his wives, old and young, so the royal rooms were vast and empty, but clean. Even if they teemed with ghosts, I preferred them to Medea’s company.
The maid used her lamp to light another that sat on the floor beside my bed. Since she didn’t speak my language, I had to use signs to request a jug of water and a basin for washing. Luckily, she was quick-witted and brought me everything I needed, then left.
I awoke with my fist clenching a wad of soft, supple cloth. It was the hem of a fine crimson gown adorned with an intricate pattern of leopards and grapevines. I could see every stitch of the gold thread outlining the fruit and leaves. The leopards’ eyes were tiny amber beads. I saw every detail clearly by the light of the dozen lamps surrounding my bed.