Theta (45 page)

I’m so sorry to disappoint
you, Father.
I said. I truly regretted
upsetting him – and my weakness turned the direction of my anger
inward.

“
I admire your spirit,
Phoibe,” he added. “For now, your defiance amuses me. But be warned
this will not always be the case. You cannot defy the will of your
gods forever. You are too young yet to understand the importance of
the gift bestowed upon your family.”

I clenched my fists and kept my head down,
so he couldn’t see the anger in my eyes.

“
Rise, Queen Phoibe. Your
family bears the mark of the chosen,” he said, referring to the
birthmark shaped like an omega on my inner wrist. “You do not kneel
like a mortal.”

I stood slowly, set my shoulders and lifted
my chin.

The High Priest of Zeus stepped back from
me.

“
Let it be known and
recorded I have given my personal blessing to this ceremony, and to
your new Queen.” Zeus’ voice rang out loud, rich and deep. “The
relationship between the Bloodline and the pantheon has never been
stronger than it is today. No mortal, or god, will stand between my
chosen children and me, and those who dare to dishonor this sacred
bond will earn my wrath.” He faced me again. “Your reign, Queen
Phoibe, my Silent Queen, will be unlike the reign of any other
member of the Bloodline. For this reason, you will be the first
ruler blessed with the appointment of two holy guardians from among
the members of the pantheon, whom you may call upon as you would a
mother or father. You know the first, Artemis, who has so
diligently cared for you since your birth.”

Theodocia, now also possessed by the spirit
of the goddess she served, stepped forward.

“
My daughter. You need only
ask, and I will provide,” she said.

My anger melted. Artemis had been with me
since I was a child. Where I experienced confusion and anger
whenever I thought of Zeus, I knew only love and admiration when it
came to Artemis.

She dipped her finger into the anointing oil
and drew a bow on my forehead before stepping aside with a
deferential bow to Zeus.

Surprised by the honor of two patrons after
his warning, I waited for Zeus to reveal who my second guardian
was.

Another priest moved in the third row,
indicating he was likely a minor god, and I strained discreetly to
see his mark to identify which one. His name would hopefully help
me interpret what it meant when Zeus said my reign would be unlike
any other’s.

An inverted torch was tattooed on the
forehead of the High Priest moving towards us.

No,
I thought forcefully enough I was afraid I spoke the word
aloud.

If the chamber were quiet before, it became
a graveyard when everyone present realized whom Zeus had
chosen.

The High Priest bearing the torch stopped
before me, and I gazed up at him. For the sake of my station, I
didn’t let my horror bleed through to my expression. But I felt
coldness to my core.

“
Thanatos,” Zeus
announced.

Thanatos, who knew neither mercy nor
failure.

Thanatos, whom every mortal and immortal
faced eventually.

Thanatos, the God of Death.

I glanced at Theodocia, wishing she weren’t
possessed by a goddess, so she could give me one of her warm
smiles. I never felt as alone as I did that moment, surrounded by
dignitaries and deities, facing Thanatos. Death would come for
everyone at some point, but there was nothing like standing before
him and feeling my own human frailty.

Why him? Was this an omen of what was to
come?

My breathing was harsh in my ears. Hearing
it, I squared my shoulders and forced myself to focus on my
carriage and position rather than what was before me. I looked
Thanatos in the face and forbade myself from quaking in his
presence.

“
You need not fear, my
child,” came Artemis’ soft voice. “I will be with you every day of
your reign.”

“
As will I,” Thanatos
seconded.

The silence grew too much as I stared into
the eyes of Death.

What does this mean?
I asked finally, unable to control my emotions
long enough to rationalize what was before me.

“
That is up to you,” Zeus
replied for our ears only. “This comes at the petition of someone
we all hold dear to us, the Oracle of Delphi. She has revealed to
me a portion of the future. Upon hearing what she has foreseen, I
approved her request. You will need Thanatos, my queen.”

I had never met the Oracle. She lived in
Washington DC, at the compound housing my secondary palace, which I
would travel to after my coronation ceremony. Only upon becoming
the Queen of Greece could I take my place as the official third
member of the Sacred Triumvirate, alongside the Supreme Magistrate
and Supreme Priest, both of whom were in attendance today.

Zeus continued. “The Queen of Death does not
have the same ring to it as Silent Queen does for certain. Perhaps
you should remember this, if you ever decide to call upon your
patron.”

Never,
I thought before I could stop myself. In the distant past,
before the world was conquered and divided up, my forbearers led
great armies across the Middle and Far East and into Europe, Asia
and Africa. They tamed the world before Greece fell from power and
the Bloodline was reduced to a symbol of the unity of gods and
mortals rather than a military powerhouse. In another time, perhaps
I would have welcomed Thanatos at my side.

But I was unable to imagine how I was
supposed to benefit from such a patron in this day and age and
could only view his presence before me as a reminder I, too, would
one day lose my mortal body and be forced to surrender to the curse
of the Bloodline that would render me immortal and frozen in stone
for all time.

What had the Oracle of Delphi foreseen? What
could the future possibly hold that required Thanatos at my
side?

It took every last piece of my willpower not
to back away when Thanatos claimed the anointment oil from
Theodocia and reached out to me. But I did close my eyes. The
fingertip that drew the sign of the God of Death on my forehead was
cold and sent a streak of fear through me.

“
Let his presence in your
life be a reminder to you, my young queen,” Zeus cautioned quietly.
“The Fates, while temperamental, have a preferred path for each of
us. There will come a time when you must face yours.”

Yes, Father.
It was all I could think of to say. I was too
overwhelmed by the idea Thanatos himself was supposed to become a
fixture in my life, in the same way Artemis had been. Not only
this, but the most powerful people in the world had witnessed his
appointment. How was I to maintain the influence of the Bloodline
when everyone knew I’d been touched by Death?

This time, I wanted to cry for a very
different reason.

“
It does not escape my
notice I am being appointed a guardian to the Bloodline, the only
creatures with souls who defy me when I beckon.” Thanatos’ tone was
terse. “Through the grace of Zeus, your predecessors never truly
die, Queen Phoibe. If you are at a loss as to how I have been
assigned to you, I am even less satisfied. I believe it to be a
personal insult.”

His reluctance and bitterness convinced me
he spoke the truth about not knowing why we were put together. I
sensed his last comment was meant for Zeus, who was never under any
obligation to offer an explanation to anyone for any action he
chose to undertake. But Thanatos was right. The members of my
Bloodline technically didn’t die. We faced a destiny worse than
anything the God of Death could do to us. Of any god or goddess in
creation, Thanatos was the last deity who ever should have been
appointed as my guardian.

Which made this experience more unsettling.
If the god chosen as my patron didn’t know why he was selected, and
resented the sacred Bloodline for rebuffing his power for ten
thousand years, what exactly was in my future that would require
the two of us to co-exist, if not cooperate? Artemis’ influence was
inextricably entwined in my life, personified by Theodocia, who had
become like a mother to me. The goddess guided Theodocia’s
decisions and actions, and the goddess spoke to me regularly
through Theodocia as well.

No part of me believed I would ever have
such a warm relationship with the God of Death, even if my
circumstances hadn’t already excluded me from his influence. He
would never become a father figure, and he held only one purpose
and role in the pantheon: to guarantee Hades a steady supply of
souls for the underworld.

His baffling appointment was a bad omen, any
way I considered it, and I found myself yearning for the ceremony
to be over so I could consult with Theodocia.

Without another word of objection, Thanatos
stepped away. I centered myself the best I could before opening my
eyes.

The ceremony continued in the same subdued,
tense manner. Zeus removed the jewel-laden crown of Greece from its
place atop a plush, velvet pillow. He placed it on my head and held
it as two of my servants raced forward to adjust it. When the heavy
crown was secured, Zeus then handed me the scepter of Greece, a
gold rod inlaid with filigree and writing and topped by brilliant
purple gems. It was heavy and cold to the touch.

He moved away, and I concentrated on holding
the scepter without affecting my balance. At fourteen, I was
considered frail in stature despite my ravenous eating habits and
physical activity.

The two priests and Theodocia took
simultaneous deep breaths. Their glazed expressions faded, and they
began to move naturally once more. Likewise, the gods and goddesses
released the holds on their respective clergy members in the three
rows behind them.

No one spoke for a long moment, as if
everyone in the chamber were trying to figure out why Thanatos had
been appointed my patron. Finally, the High Priest of Zeus stepped
forward.

“
May I present to you, the
Queen of Greece, Sole Protector of the Bloodline, mortal daughter
to the gods, ward of Artemis and Thanatos, and member of the Sacred
Triumvirate, who has been extraordinarily blessed by our Holy
Father,” he announced.

The men and women present in the room all
bowed and curtseyed. All I cared about was trying to read the
features of Theodocia. She had her public face on, but the skin
around her eyes was tight. She was worried. If not for the
reception following my official succession to the throne of Greece,
I’d take her aside and talk. However, my first act as the queen
couldn’t be a selfish one. I’d been schooled since I was four about
how to behave in accordance with my royal birthright. Duty always
came first. Later, we would talk.

A harp began playing. It was my cue to exit
the ceremony.

Turning, I waited for my servants to
straighten the long train of my gown before I paced gracefully down
the purple carpet towards the chamber’s exit. The crown of Greece
was heavy on my head, the scepter threatening my balance with each
step. I moved slowly. My audience had enough to talk about already
without me tripping and providing more gossip for them to
spread.

Reeling from the unexpected twist to my
coronation ceremony, I followed two priests of Apollo blindly
through the temple and into the basement, a space large enough to
host everyone present, for a low key, celebratory soiree. My
assigned position was on a simple bench on a dais at the center of
the room. I walked as elegantly as possible given the uncomfortable
weight of crown, clothing and scepter and took my seat while my
servants fixed the bunched up dress and train. Only when I appeared
flawless did they allow the others to enter, in order of perceived
importance.

One by one, men and women approached the
dais, bowed or curtseyed, offered a few words of congratulations,
and then stepped away to form small cliques and enjoy the three
thousand year old wine imported from Greece for this event.

Managing to nod my head in acknowledgement
after each person spoke, I barely heard any of their words. The
marking of Thanatos on my forehead burned with coldness to the
point it hurt, and I began to wonder if his appearance had a more
ominous meaning than I originally thought. Was the Oracle of Delphi
trying to tell me I’d be the first of my Bloodline to die a real
death? I had never thought about a true, natural death. Such a
heavy thought left me as distressed as I became whenever I thought
about spending eternity in stone.

Suddenly, I could think of nothing I wanted
more than to meet the Oracle and ask her why she petitioned Zeus to
insert Thanatos into my life, and why Zeus had agreed.

Pensive, I reacted mechanically to my
subjects. Once each person paid homage to the Crown, they all moved
away and began talking and eating amongst themselves, no doubt
discussing how, of all the gods and goddesses out there, Thanatos
had been chosen as my secondary guardian. How would world leaders
react?

And the people? I held no true power over
the people of the world, even if I were raised to consider every
man, woman and child to be a subject under my guardianship. What
would they think of their Silent Queen and her deathly
benefactor?

So concerned and confused was I, I didn’t
notice the latest subject to approach me until he spoke – into my
mind.

You are too young for such worry.

I blinked and focused on the man standing in
front of me. Whoever he was, he was young and striking, with
brilliant green eyes, olive features, dark hair and a dazzling
smile. I spent a lot of time watching movies with Tommy, and I’d
never seen any actor more handsome than this man.