Acheron felt terrible for the pain that eye must have caused him. Styxx cringed every time he blinked but said nothing about how awful it must be.
“What did Father say?”
Styxx sighed. “That I embarrassed him. He told Selinius to take no mercy. It is imperative that I learn to fight as a man and not rely on others to protect me.”
Yet Styxx was only a five-year-old child and Selinius a war hero.
Styxx nudged the box in Ash’s hands. “Open it already!”
More worried about Styxx and his fate at the hands of another tutor who hated him, Ash had obeyed. As soon as he saw the small wooden soldier, his breath caught. It was exquisite.
“Do you like it?”
Ash smiled. “I love it! Thank you!” Without thinking, he grabbed Styxx into a hug and discovered that his face wasn’t the only part of him his war tutor had bruised. “I’m sorry.”
His breathing ragged, Styxx shrugged it off. “It’s fine.” He fingered the soldier in Ash’s hand. “I hope I bought the right one. The vendor said that you’d admired it when Ryssa purchased you the horse.”
“I did, but Ryssa didn’t have the coin for both.” Ash scooted off the bed to place the soldier on the horse in his window. “What did Ryssa get you?”
“Did you know the soldier’s arms move?” Styxx joined him at the window to show him.
Ash frowned again as he noted the sadness that tainted his brother’s smile. “Did Ryssa not get you a horse, too?”
As before, Styxx didn’t respond to his question. “I’m so glad I got the right one. I was worried that the vendor might have forgotten or wasn’t being truthful with me.”
“Styxx,” Ash said sternly, “what did you get for your birthday?”
His hand falling away from the soldier, he sighed heavily and stepped back. “Ahoplomachos.”
A drill instructor who had beaten him … “Is that it?”
All the happiness faded from his vivid blue eyes. “Father also gave me the honor of observing court sessions when he holds them.”
“What does that mean?”
“Every morning, I have to sit with him while he settles disputes for the people so that I can see what will be required of me as king. And so that I can witness Father’s wisdom and learn from it.”
Ash gaped at the boring horror he described. “But mornings are your free time.” The only free time Styxx had at all—the rest was taken up with tutors, work, and temple obligations. Those mornings were when Styxx would sneak off to play with him until Styxx’s lessons began after lunch.
“Father says I’m too old now for play. He’s not raising a boy, but a king, and kings don’t play with toys. I have to assume my royal duties and stop being selfish and thoughtless all the time.”
Ash looked at his soldier that he knew Styxx would have bought with his own coin that, unlike Ryssa, he’d had to work for. “You’re not selfish or thoughtless.”
Styxx didn’t comment. “I better go. The last time I was late for Master Karpos, he told Father. Father’s already angry enough that I asked for a toy today when I’m too old for such. I’ve no wish to aggravate him further.” Without another word, Styxx left.
Closing his eyes to blot out the past, Ash winced as he mentally pushed those memories back into the darkest recesses of his mind.
He and Styxx had been so close when they were young.
Brothers, forever and always. It sickened him that Estes and the others had put such a wedge between them.
Thattheyhad put a wedge between them. Harsh words and even harsher actions.
Onboththeir parts.
For centuries, he’d kept all those happy memories of Styxx bottled up. Kept anyone from knowing he had a brother, at all. And while he’d gone on with his life, he’d abandoned Styxx to absolute solitude.
To Artemis’s “tender” care.
