The Owl Princess

Book 5: Chapter 2- The Strangers from Athens

The banquet came to an end after the announcement that Princess Annabeth was missing. No one felt like celebrating. Even the slaves seemed dismayed by the news. They went about with shocked and gloomy faces.
Princess Annabeth had grown up in the Macedonian Court and many of them must have known her since she was a child.
Prince Jason made several awkward attempts to comfort an inconsolable Lady Piper before settling on offering her a broad shoulder to cry on. Queen Hera lead a weeping Queen Athena away to her chambers. King Frederick, Queen Athena's husband, spoke with a dark-haired young man dressed in blue robes.
"She's alive," the young man said. "I can feel it."
King Frederick put on hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Percy," he said. "You're a fine young man and I would have been proud to call you my son but please don't torment me with false hopes."
Reyna knew that Princess Annabeth had been promised in marriage to Prince Perseus. His face looked like how Orpheus's must have when Eurydice was snatched away from him: grief and despair driving him on to a hopeless and a foolhardy action.
"If there's a chance she survived, I won't forgive myself if don't try to find her."
"We can send ships to go and look for her, but you must brace yourself for the worst, my boy."
"I'll search the entire damned Aegean if i need to. She's out there."
Prince Perseus stormed out of the megaron.
"The boy is right," King Frederick said to one of his hetairoi. "Send out this message to all of Greece: King Frederick of Athens offers a hundred silver drachmas to anyone who can bring news of his daughter's whereabouts." 
Prince Jason helped Lady Piper off of her couch.
"Let me walk you to your room," he said.
"Thank you," she replied, taking his arm and leaving the megaron with him.

Reyna returned to the koraiceum to find her maids drawing a bath. Some of them carried bronze hydrai filled with warm water from the kitchens and poured their contents into a cistern which emptied into a bronze bathing pool. Others sprinkled in flower petals and fragrant herbs.
The rough, drab-colored tunics worn by Reyna's own Latin maids stood out among the finer blue, purple, and green chitons of the bondswomen belonging to the Macedonian court.

Macedonia was indeed a rich country if even slaves dressed like princesses.
"Did you see him leave with Lady Piper?" Reyna said to Hylla as she settled into the bathing pool.
"I wouldn't worry about Lady Piper," Hylla replied. She lounged on a couch by side of the pool, munching almonds, which she'd had a craving for throughout her pregnancy.
"And why shouldn't I?
A maid came over and combed rose oil through Reyna's long, dark hair.
"She's the daughter of Queen Aphrodite of Cyprus and by queen, they mean its greatest harlot. Her father is not her mother's husband, King Ares of Sparta, but rather some petty Cypriot noble of no consequence. Queen Aphrodite sent her bastard daughter here to court, hoping to tempt some cunt-struck lord into marrying her. Lady Piper struck up a flirtation with Prince Jason..."
"I thought you said I shouldn't worry about her."
Reyna splashed her sister.
"She's nothing but a court hetaira."
"But Prince Jason seems to be in love with her."
Hylla poured herself a goblet of wine.
"Reyna, he's a prince and a future king. Taking lovers on the side is what they do and once you've given him some heirs, you can take a few of your own. I thought you were worldly enough to know this."
"I am, I just hoped we'd start things off better and if he takes a concubine, that'll mean trouble for me in the future. What if I don't give him any children or only give him girls and she whelps out a boy? That boy'll take the throne and where will I be? Flat on my ass, that's where. Or she gives him a son before I do and that son tries to challenge mine for the throne? I have to find a way to beat her at her own game."
"You're no Lady Piper. You'll never win him over by trying to be like her. Show him the qualities you have that she doesn't. Show him what you can do that she can't. You're strong, fierce, and loyal- he could do with someone like you. If you can't be his hetaira, you can be his hetairos."