Labyrinth

Appearances

When Sinbad had begun visiting Attica, it hadn't taken him long to realize this place was all about appearances. They even had a saying: "What's beautiful is good, and what is good shall soon be beautiful."

Princess Thalia was good. At the feast the next day, she dripped with silks and jewels, her pretty face lit up with filial adoration as her father made a toast. In the daylight, it was obvious they were related. She had her father's features—sharp cheekbones, thick eyelashes, almond eyes. He couldn't believe he'd missed the similarities last night, that he hadn't put the pieces together sooner. Seeing her now, it was just so obvious.

Well, maybe not entirely. Her face had a softness to it, a gentleness her father's lacked. That and the arch of her nose, which was distinctly un-Attican, were the only things that truly set them apart. The princess had gotten at least some things from her Parthevian mother, then. Perhaps, with her features obscured by the darkness, those details would have been enough to throw anyone off.

"Don't play dumb," David chided him. "You knew something was off, and you chose to ignore it. This is your own fault."

Sinbad scowled and sank further into his chair. Must you always have something to say?

"I told you, if you listen to me I can make you more than a king. You'll be a god."

I'm already a god. Though, without his metal vessels, Sinbad didn't feel like it. Their absence, along with the familiar face of a princess he'd never met, was the only reason he hadn't dismissed last night as an obnoxious dream.

He took a deep drink of wine, thinking if he imbibed it quickly enough the buzz would kick in no matter how watered down it was. Over his cup, he stared at her, looking for cracks in her flawless persona, things he could use to regain the upper hand.

Her handmaiden leaned over her shoulder to pour a dark liquid into her goblet. A flush crept across Thalia's cheeks when they locked eyes. Sinbad cracked a grin. So the princess had a crush on her handmaiden? How scandalous. If word got out, she would be ruined.

"It's a bit disappointing." Adonis, who was seated to Sinbad's right, frowned and rested his elbow on the purple tablecloth. "After all the rumors about her, I expected her to be a bit more..." He made a motion with his hands to indicate an hourglass shape. Sinbad noted that the layers she'd donned for the feast strategically hid the curves that had enticed him so easily last night. But, like this, she was still dangerously beautiful. Only a fool would think otherwise.

Theseus scoffed. "I don't see the problem. As king, you can keep as many whores as you like. Give her a good fuck every once in a while until she gives you a son, then you never have to see her again."

Sinbad nearly choked on a grape. No wonder she didn't want to marry either of these boars. He almost felt sorry for her. Then it struck him—this had to be another of her schemes. Of course! She'd convinced them to speak crudely about her in order to prime him to defend her. First, it would be little things—protecting her honor and her virtue—but as time passed, she would ask more of him in small increments, and before he realized it, he would be ready to lay down his life for her. He used a similar technique in negotiations all the time.

Well played, Princess.

He glanced back in her direction and noticed the king whisper something in her ear. She stiffened, subtly trying to distance herself from him. When he slammed his fist on the table, she flinched and lowered her eyes.

"It looks like the princess and her father are not on the best of terms," David observed. We can use this against them later."