I WALK HAND in hand with my husband to the landing that looks down over the villa’s foyer. What I see sends my heart plummeting. Truly, I swear I can feel it dislodge from my chest and fall like a stone to my feet. It cannot be. How could he have made it back so soon? How could he have survived? Despite my initial shock, I know I have to act with quick cunning if I’m going to ensure this child in me becomes heir. Theseus needs to die. If Minos couldn’t manage it, then I can.
As I once did to play tricks on people in the agora, I cast a masking charm over Theseus. Aegeus, who had been full of smiles and good cheer now squints his eyes. The smile fades and I bite my cheek to keep from grinning. Thoughts of my father’s letter erase any hint of amusement from my lips.
"Maybe these are messengers bringing news that Theseus is on his way," I say to him almost believing my own lie.
"No," he says, shaking his head irritably. "They said it was him. Why would they put me through this if it wasn’t my boy?"
I have no idea who they are. Messengers? Servants? My own guards who I have insisted are more vigilant than my husband’s trio of friends and are now placed at the entry of the villa? In truth, I want my guards around to lessen the influence the bothersome trio have on Aegeus; he should consult with me, not them. But this doesn’t matter. All that matters is that Aegeus does not recognize his own son. My mind starts working on how I can ensure Theseus dies before I’m too weary to keep up the masking charm.
For now, after my morning of rest, Aegeus cannot recognize the boastful bastard who, although perturbed to be detained by my guard, looks even cockier than the man beside him. I wonder if I have caught some of my own spell as it takes me several heartbeats to register that it's Odysseus flanking my husband’s son. He’s like a gnat that keeps fluttering in front of my face. Just when I think it’s gone, it hovers again in my line of sight. I hurriedly don my own masking charm. Maintaining two spells on top of the baby growing inside me will exhaust me, but it’s a price I am willing to pay. If I play my cards right, I could be rid of both these pests with one thwack of the swatter.
Despite his reluctance, I encourage Aegeus to go down to meet them. Theseus rushes to Aegeus, but my husband backs away. I almost laugh at the shocked look of disappointment on Theseus's face. If Wonder Boy is back in Athenos he either backed out—unlikely because if he had he certainly wouldn’t show his face around here—or he has succeeded in killing Minos’s monster. He must have been expecting all of Osteria to cheer him. Now here he is being shunned by his own father.
"Father, aren't you glad to see me? I’ve succeeded. The minotaur is dead."
"I don’t know who you think you are, but my son is in Minoa. He may already be dead, having given his life for Osteria. Don’t insult his memory by calling me father. Guards, arrest this imposter."
At the same time my guards loom in to take my stepson by his arms, Athenian vigiles step forward, appearing from the shadows of the villa’s massive twin staircases. It’s a genuine surprise to realize that Aegeus still has these guards in place despite my request to remove them and replace them with my own men. When a few meet Odysseus’s eyes, they hesitate. I should have put a masking charm on him as well, but I’m already feeling the strain of maintaining two charms and every now and then I feel the spell that maintains my own mask slipping. Still, right now it’s more important to keep Theseus masked and that’s where I direct my concentration.
"Aegeus," Odysseus scolds, "are you mad? Surely you can see who is right in front of you."
"Perhaps you’re unwell," Theseus offers, passing a look to me. "Has he been ill?"
"He’s been sick with worry over his son and the people who went with him to Minoa." The baby kicks and I lose my concentration.
"Theseus?" Aegeus mutters. I snap back to attention and veil Theseus once more. When I look to Odysseus his eyes widen. I would swear he’s recognized me, but I throw the mask on once more even though it weakens me and I have to grip the rail for support. A shadow of self-doubt crosses over his face. "I'm confused," my husband says, sounding as feeble as a man twice his age. "I think this could be my son, but why do you look different? You always looked like your mother, but now—"
"Your son has defeated the minotaur. He has undergone a great trial," Odysseus says slowly. "Perhaps you're seeing the man he has become, not the boy you knew." Odysseus glares at me. I feel like a rabbit under the watch of a mountain cat and every instinct in me says to run. I’m exhausted from maintaining the masking charms. The cloaking spell over my face could vanish any moment and then he would know it’s me. What would he do to the woman who killed his cousin’s children? My heart pumps with a frightening force. I need to get away, but if I can only stand my ground and get rid of Theseus—
My flurry of thoughts halt at the sight of Theseus’s vigile necklace. Hanging from my stepson’s neck alongside the owl charm of Athenos and the fire symbol of Helena has been added the bull’s head charm of Minoa. The bull. My father’s wedding gift. He may have been taunting me with that gift and its accompanying message, but that bull could prove to be the most useful of all the trinkets lavished on me for marrying Aegeus. After all, even the great Theseus can’t survive being burned alive.
"The true son of Aegeus was a great fighter," I say, taking my husband’s hand in a show of wifely support. "He never lost a match and we once saw him defeat a bull in the arena. I think we might believe you better if you could show us you have these same fighting skills."
Theseus shakes off the grip of his guard. His stance is firm like he’s ready for anything.
"Bring me someone to fight and I'll prove who I am here and now."
"This man," I give a dismissive glance to Odysseus, "says you have defeated the minotaur. No news of that has reached Athenos, but if it’s true why not prove yourself by giving us a show of what you did? A fight against a bull. If you win, we will take your word for who you are."
"Maybe we should be asking who you are—" Odysseus says, but Theseus raises a hand to silence him.
"Fine," Theseus says. "If that’s what it takes to show you who I am, I’ll do it. But light the fires under the roasting spits now so we can feast my return on the beast’s flesh. I defeated the minotaur in blinding darkness. I can kill a bull in broad daylight."
Before Aegeus can say anything, before I think he has even registered what is going on, my guards move to usher Theseus and Odysseus out. When they try to take my stepson’s arm he flicks their fingers away and walks as tall as if he has already won.
If he was aware of what kind of bull he'll be fighting, he might show a little humility. I tell my husband, who is now holding a muttering debate with himself, to sound the bells that call people to the arena.