Odysseus turned to see a tall man with tanned skin, wearing a rich purple robe and cloak embroidered with gold threads in intricate patterns like storm clouds all around the hem. His beard was white, but his skin was unwrinkled and his dark eyes seemed to flash with occasional light, like lightning flashes behind clouds. On his head, he wore a crown of golden leaves.
Odysseus reached for his sword, but, revised the action and knelt, knowing this was not a king or prince of Troy, but someone much greater.
"Do not kneel to me, king of Ithaca," the man said. His voice was deep and rumbled, everything about it reminiscent of thunder. "You are the protege of my favorite daughter, and you will do this task for me as you have done her work for many years."
Odysseus stood slowly, careful not to look the man in the eye. Gods could be fickle if you didn't show the right amount of respect. "I am your humble servant, Lord Zeus," he muttered.
The god pointed at the bassinet. "Before you sleeps Astyanax, son of Hector. His fate is in your hands."
"What do you want me to do?" Odysseus stepped close to the infant, but not so close that he would wake him.
"Kill him."
"But—" Odysseus couldn't stop the protest. "He's innocent! Not even old enough to know his own name!"
"If Astyanax is allowed to reach adulthood, he will become an avenger for Troy, their greatest hero. He will enact this revenge on everyone. Most especially you."
"What if I raised him as my own son? I could—"
"He will discover who he is, and what you've done."
"Send him far away, Egypt maybe—"
"The gods will make it known," Zeus said. It was a promise and a threat. "No one will be left to save you. This is the will of the gods."
"Don't make me do this," Odysseus whispered.
"Who dies is up to you. Personally, I don't think you're up to it."
Odysseus looked at the child, sleeping peacefully, not even a year old yet, and when he looked up again, Zeus, King of the gods, was gone.
YOU ARE READING
Defying Fate
FanfictionI read a Tumblr post while back about Odysseus meeting and adopting the prophet Cassandra, who had been cursed so that "Nobody would believe her." Of course, if he's going to adopt Cassandra, whom he never met in the original story... why not adopt...
