Hedas was right on time. It'd been weeks since their last meeting and things were beginning to change. Hedas came with another pot of dirt, larger than the first, and a wrapped package. The orange plant Hedas had given Briseis at their last meeting had been a blessing. Arachne was more busy than ever between her weaving and trying to find out who was responsible for the poisoning. As a result she wasn't able to bring food to them as frequently.

Hedas' powers were truly great. She was able to change the fruit from oranges, to strawberries, then grapes, and so on without even being in the room, without seeing the plant. Though the health of Briseis and Kegarta had continued its decline, the morsels of fruit from Hedas' plant was able to sustain them enough to stave off the worst. Hedas waved her hand over the pot of dirt and a melon appeared. From the wrapped package she produced a knife and cut into it. Briseis wasn't familiar with the melon type but it tasted wonderful. Hedas had also seen fit to bring bread loafs. The seventh wife of Mynes waited patiently while Briseis gorged herself.

"Can I take the rest of the bread to Kegarta?" Hedas brought enough to feed six and as hungry as Briseis was, she couldn't finish it all.

"Of course, that's why I brought it to you. The activity for the children has been all set up. My handmaiden, Issi, will escort them all to the hall where the demonstration will take place. It will be the unveiling of my powers. I'll make plants weave together to form animals and other amusements for them."

"That's far better than anything I could have planned for them."

"How goes the search for your poisoner?"

Briseis took another bite of the melon before speaking. "Our first instincts were correct, Umna is definitely behind it. The servant I took on, her name is Arachne, was able to see one of Umna's handmaidens giving a kitchen servant a vile. That servant then went on to sprinkle some of its contents on the food going to Kegarta and I, and only ours."

"What will you do with the handmaiden and servant after you come into power?"

"The handmaiden I was planning to expel from the palace, in fact I'm going to completely dismiss Umna's entire staff and replace them. Same with the kitchen girl."

Hedas raised an eyebrow. "The handmaidens likely all have homes to go back too. A kitchen servant may not be so lucky."

"Be that as it may, the girl may not have known what the vial contained at first, but seeing Kegarta's condition and my own every time she dropped the food off, it wouldn't take a genius to figure out what was in that vile, yet she said nothing and didn't stop. That's not someone I want working down there ever again."

Hedas sighed. "I understand but if I may speak freely?"

"Go ahead."

"You would be well within your rights to dismiss the girl for what she's done. I will understand if you do. But in her case, perhaps you could show her mercy. I agree dismissing the handmaidens and replacing them is for the best, and it sends a clear message that you will not be trifled with. Question the kitchen servant, and if you feel her motivations were purely from fear of Umna, perhaps consider showing her more mercy than the handmaidens."

"Are you friends with the kitchen staff?"

"Not the kitchen staff here, but my best friend was a kitchen worker back home. Closer to me than even my own handmaidens."

"I will think on your words but offer no promise to comply."

Heads nodded. "Do as you feel the situation calls for."

"I have a question for you, Hedas. On my walks I've seen these blocked off structures on the left side of the city. They are oddly close to the palace. Do you know what they are?"

Heads had to think for a moment. "I believe you speak of the old mines."

"Mines? What enriches the earth that there are so many of them?"

"Nothing now, but three generations ago they were expanding that section of the city. The workers found gold in the earth there, large amounts of it. They began mining the area and it was a profitable enterprise. But in the time of Mynes' father the gold ran dry, so they boarded up the mines."   

"Did they fill them in?"

"I...I don't know. Why do you ask?"

Briseis' mind was running a mile a minute, trying to think if the plan forming in her head was feasible. There would be no way to know without a proper inspection, and in order to do that she'd need to convince Mynes'. "I may have need of them," Briseis said.

"But they're useless," Hedas protested.

"Only of they continue to be mines."

"What do you mean?"

Briseis waved her hand. "It won't matter if my plan fails." Briseis closed her eyes reached out with her mind. She felt at least one hundred minds drawing nearer to the city, they would be here by morning. The owls she'd summoned were those who'd been bonded to her the longest. The connection between Briseis' mind and theirs were the strongest, they'd obey her orders faster and speed would be of the essence. Briseis' stomach turned slightly at the thought of what she was planning to do, but then she remembered Kegarta's face permanently disfigured by Umma's oder. She also remembered the poor princess she'd met on the road. The girl had told her she was escaping a nightmare but Briseis was walking into one. Her resolve strengthened, if Umna only spoke the language of cruelty then it would be cruelty Briseis used to unseat her, and if the thought of what Briseis was about to do kept her up at night, well that was a price she would have to pay.     

Hedas stood. "It's getting late and with the festival due to begin in a matter of hours, we need sleep. I wish you success in your endeavors, Princess Briseis."

🦉

The event too violent for the children to witness turned out to be gladator matches. Men fighting in an arena before a crowd was nothing new, but the matches were normally wrestling, not weapon focused. For how important this event was for the city, as the one week festival was dedicated to the patron god Ares, Mynes wasn't in attendance. Briseis had no idea where the man was. Mynes opened the festival with a single sacrifice, also odd to Briseis as the festival of Apollo called for seven sacrifices at one hour intervals, then disappeared back into the palace surrounded by his usual four guards. That had been three days ago.

Stale blood soaked into the ground as men were injured, and some killed, the scent of it was in the air and made Briseis sick. Even the ground attendants throwing more dirt into the arena between matches couldn't completely hide the ghastly smell. Briseis held a handkerchief with rose petals to her nose but it helped only slightly. The crowd cheered as a man stabbed his opponent in the thigh. Most of the matches ended with both men relatively intact but two had been killed so far. The man with a dagger in his body sunk to the ground and surrendered.

Cheering from the crowd erupted as the winner raised his arms in victory. The loser was carted away on a stretcher by attendants. Briseis was waiting for midday. At that time a break to the festivities would occur. The wives of Mynes would attend a private lunch back in the palace, while the crowd enjoyed a meal paid for by the palace at various booths around the city. With so many people out and about and drinking, even the royal guards had been pressed into crowd control. There were four massive brawls at traverns over the last two days which resulted in stampedes from frightened people.

From what Briseis could gather from the whispered conversations around her, the festival this year was vastly different than past ones. With the war going on Mynes was trying to distract his people. While Briseis didn't believe this would really help, it did give her an unexpected bonus, when the wives broke for lunch they would be guarded by no more than five men. Her plan would be easier this way.

Briseis sat under an awning, her mind tingling in a way it hadn't for two months. She felt her owls around in the trees. Many of them were trying to show her images, she caught flashes of battles, saw Hector engaging with enemy soldiers, and a tall blond man with a black shield, whom she surmised to be Achilles, leading his men on a march. Now that the memories were accompanied by sound, it made a confusing jumble. Briseis would have to make sense of it later.

When the gong finally sounded the men in the arena stopped fighting, much to the displeasure of the crowd. A soldier took their place in the center and announced the break for the midday meal. Slightly happier with the promise of free food and mead they began to dispurse.

Umna only got up once all the common people were gone. The rest of them lined up according to rank, all thirty-five women and their five guards. Briseis took note that none of the guards were armed with bows, only swords and daggers. Once again Briseis' stomach turned at the thought of what she was about to do. Their meal would be served in the palace gardens, where her owls were already perching in the trees. The dinning hall in the palace was being used for the childrens' activity, they were in for more a much better time than the adults. Kegarta stood behind the chair of her mistress, as did all the other head handmaidens of the wives, the audience for this would be large and word would spread fast.

Hedas sat beside Briseis. She was glad her friend was near, it gave Briseis strength. About halfway through the meal Briseis stood up. "Umna, I Briseis of Pedasus and daughter of Athena, will give you one chance to turn the harem over to me, peacefully."

All conversation around the table ceased. Umna laughed. "I don't care if you're the daughter of Zeus. I will never give you my position, and for this insolence your maid will be cut with five slashes. Grab the girl."

One soldier was already moving forward with a dagger in his hand. Briseis heard Kegarta take a sharp breath as the man moved toward them. Three of Briseis owls swooped down from the trees and swarmed the guard. He cursed and waved his knife but it didn't do him any good. The wives screamed and gasped as more owls swooped down from the tree branches and attacked Umna. The woman screamed in pain as the claws of the birds sunk into her flesh. The remaining four soldiers rushed forward but vines erupted from the ground and trapped them in place. Already most of the wives had risen from their seats and tried to flee, but they too were wrapped in vines to keep them in place.

Umna continued to scream as Briseis moved toward her, Briseis called the attack off but her owls surrounded them. Umna lay on the ground groaning in pain and cowering in fear, a mess of bloodied hair and torn skin. "I will take your place now, Umna. From this day forward you will support me in the position of High Princess, if you are not my biggest defender, if you fail to do everything in your power to support me, if you touch anyone who belongs to me again, for every loss I suffer I will take double from your house regardless if you had any involvement. Your children are now mine, you no longer are their mother and you will kept under heavy guard in the hall of lesser wives."

"No! Please don't take my boys," Umna's tears mixed with blood on her ruined face.

"They are no longer yours," Briseis repeated. By now the screams had brought more guards but they hovered around the edges of the courtyard, unsure what to do in this odd situation.

"What is going on here?" Mynes' voice held more curiosity than alarm at the scene he walked into.

"I have taken control of the harem," Briseis turned to him. "Umna no longer holds the position of head wive and her children are now mine." Briseis spoke in a loud voice so all those gathered could hear. "Not only have I taken her place, but I have proof this woman has been poisoning myself and my handmaiden in hopes of killing us slowly."

"Umna?" Mynes called but his eyes never left Briseis and his hand never moved from his dagger. "Do you relinquish your place? Is it true you've been poisoning my most recent wife?" 

"Yes, yes, my lord. Please don't let her take my children. I apologize. I will never do it again! She can have my position but I beg you, don't let her take my children."

Mynes' eyes shifted to the huge gathering of owls around them. He examined the soldiers and wives being held down by vines. Hedas came to stand beside Briseis, the granddaughter of Demeter let her eyes shine with the mark of heaven, seeing it in Hedas made Mynes jump a little but few noticed. "High Princess Briseis, do as you see fit with the harem as they are now in your charge. Guards, move Umna's essential belongings to the hall of lesser wives."

"My lord husband," Briseis stepped forward. "Upon our arrival Umna seized all our gowns and jewelry. I would like to give a chance to all the women to go through those items and take back what's rightfully theirs."

"Very well, my dear wife, the guards will assist you. Be prepared for your coronation in two weeks." With that being said Mynes left the courtyard. Umna lay on the ground, still screaming from him to intercede and not allow Briseis to take her children.

"Guards, confine Umna in the hall of lesser wives." The men moved fluidly to obey her order. "Ladies," the vines around the wives all vanished, "if you would follow me to my quarters, we shall make right what has been wrong."

Briseis went first and reclaimed all her stolen items, then she let Hedas go next. As Hedas' handmaidens finished collecting her things, the woman came to sit beside Briseis. "Your display of power was frightening."

"I've seen Helen do worse," Briseis said, remembering the lightening Helen could summon with the twitch of her finger.

"Even so, if I may speak freely?"

"You may," they were far enough away from the others not to be overheard as the wives went through Umna's former quarters. The baby in the bed next to them began to fuss and Briseis picked the small child up. It was the youngest boy, Kertis, who was now her son. The boy looked at her in confusion but seemed fascinated with her eyes.

"The gods all have a cruel streak in their blood. As we are their blood we often inherit those traits," Hedas said with a tone of caution

"You think I went too far?"

"No, Umna had it coming but I would remind you where that power inside you comes from. When I was a girl, I accidentally strangled a goat with vines. It kicked me and in my fear as a mere girl of eight, I struck out with the only power I could. When I was a teenager I nearly strangled a boy with vines for pulling my hair. I almost didn't realize in time how to make it stop. Don't let what you can do get away from you, Briseis. You must control your abilities, don't let them control you."

"There's no danger of that."

Kegarta walked into the room followed by two girls with their heads down. "Unma's handmaiden and the kitchen servant, my Princess."

"If you would hold my son," Briseis passed the child to Hedas and went to stand before the girls. "What are your names?"

"Verstia," said the kitchen worker.

"Lora," offered the handmaiden more timidly.

"Lora," Briseis addressed the handmaiden in a stern tone, "did you procure poison for Umna?"

The girl dropped to her knees. "Yes, please forgive me, High Princess. Umna made me do it."

"I forgive you, but I cannot have you serving in the palace any longer." The girl squeaked in fright. Briseis waved her hand toward Kegarta. Kegarta nodded and went to retrieve a little box she'd carried in earlier. "I dismiss you and your follow handmaidens from your positions. However, I have prepared each of you a letter of introduction to any noble family of your choice. If no one will accept you as a servant after this, I suggest you return to your family." Kegarta set the box in front of Lora. "Pass these out to all the former handmaidens of Umna." Lora took the box with shaky hands. "Before you go, I want the name and location of the person who supplied you with poison."

Lora had tears in her eyes but she looked slightly relieved. No doubt she expected a death sentence. "It was an apothecary. She lived on the merchant street, her place of business is called the Red Storm. I never asked her name."

"You may leave now, Lora." The girl bowed and exited the room quickly. "Come forward, Verstia." Verstia looked as if she was about to be sick. "Tell me, did you knowingly put poison in the food which was served to me and my servant?"

"Yes," Verstia cried. "I'm sorry. I was afraid of Umna. I've only been working here for six months and she threatened my younger sister if I didn't do as she wished. Please don't kill me."

"Where is this sister of yours?"

"She's apprenticed to a glass blower. After our parents died, one of the cooks took us in and gave us positions here. He is a distant relative to our father."

"Where will you go if I dismiss you from the palace?"

"I don't know," she hiccuped.

Briseis studied the red eyed girl before her. She was young, even younger than Kegarta, Verstia couldn't have been older than thirteen if she was even that. "Stand up straight," Briseis ordered her. "I will give you a second chance, Verstia. I am in need of handmaidens as I have only two."

Verstia's face morphed from morse to shocked. "But...I...thank you, High Princess."

"You will be given an owl and a pendant to mark you as mine. Kegarta." One of the first things Briseis was able to find upon searching her new quarters was the box of amulets to mark her servants. Kegart placed one around the younger girl's neck. "Take her to Arachne and get her wardrobe fitted to a handmaiden of my status, please Kegarta. And take an amulet to Arachne as well." Three owls followed her two handmaidens, one for Kegarta, Arachne, and Verstia.

"Where's my mom," a boy burst into the quarters. It was Asteroin, the eldest child of Mynes and Umna. "What are you doing to our room?"