by Hannah Lynn
They seemed to flinch.
“What are you saying?”
“I am asking whether you would consider a slight realignment of your vocation?”
“Realignment? What does that mean?”
Orestes found himself moving nearer the women. The crowds were already dispersing, some notably relieved by the outcome, others disappointed. But he ignored them as he inched towards the Goddess and the Erinyes, the weight already lifting from his shoulders.
“When I listened to you here today,” Athena continued. “Your argument seemed considered, well-reasoned. You may have come here to seek vengeance, but I believe that what you truly wanted was justice for his mother. Justice, not vengeance.
“I believe they are too close to be distinguishable.”
“They are not. There are often two sides to these problems. Take one, the world gets better and becomes a brighter place. Take the other, there is only darkness and torment. Work with me. Make the change. You have been too long in the Underworld. What do you say?”
They turned to one another, although no words were spoken that he could detect.
“What would you want from us?”
“I would give you a place in my court. A place of light, where your actions can bring relief to those who have been wronged, but without the torment.”
A hand appeared on Orestes’ shoulder and he turned to see Pylades’ smiling face.
“Come, my love. We should go. Surely you have seen enough of those vile creatures to last you a lifetime?”
“I …” He turned back, but both the Goddess and the Erinyes had gone.
“I should be leaving too.” Apollo appeared at their side, ringlets gleaming.
“Thank you,” Orestes said, falling to his knees. “Thank you for what you said and did today.”
“There is nothing to thank me for. However, if you would like to hold a feast or two in my name, when you return to Mycenae, you know I would not object.”
“I will. I will hold a thousand feasts.”
“One or two would be plenty.” And with a final smile, he turned and wandered off into the crowd, which swarmed around him as people sought his blessing.
And then, only the three of them remained. He assumed Electra would have something to say. Some cutting comment to mark the occasion the way she always tended to, but instead what she said was, “Come, let us go home now. We have been away far too long.”
Epilogue
Orestes sat quietly in the centre of the grave circle. Sometimes, he would weave between the monuments, reading the various epitaphs, but it was always the same three that he came back to. To those of a mother, her son and her lover.
For five years, he had ruled as King of Mycenae, always trying to show kindness and fairness, in preference to power and might, and so far he was succeeding. His subjects no longer saw him as weak, but compassionate. They had come to realise that he would not just spout fine words but put them into action, and they admired him for it.
Other things had changed at the palace. Laodamia had passed on the previous year, and Pylades had left him too, not taken by death but by a marriage he could no longer put off. At some point, he would have to consider doing the same. He knew that a king must have an heir, and an heir meant a wife, but for now he would mourn the loss of the man he loved, and would live each day as simply as he could.
The hours ahead would be filled with meetings and then a state dinner, and he knew this quiet moment on his own would not last long. He stood up, thinking about the list of duties that awaited him. He should head straight back to his quarters, he thought. Maybe tomorrow he could find a little more time to himself. Yes, tomorrow he would build a new altar to Apollo, for the old one was looking tired.
As he started back, a flash of red in the grass caught his eye. A bird perhaps? He had not seen anything of that shade around here before. And yet, when it moved again, he noticed that it kept low to the ground. It was a shame he didn’t have his notebook with him, to sketch the creature, he thought, as he crept forwards as silently as he could. Maybe if he got a good look at it, he could later recall it well enough to draw it from memory. Better still, he could grab the little animal and carry it back up to the palace.
Another step forward and he saw it, in all its beauty. A viper, with a blood-red crown and vivid, yellow scales on its belly, was now coiled up on a rock, in the sun. Aegisthus had taught him to read the movements of snakes from a young age, and this one did not look as though it were readying itself to strike. He could catch it, he thought, taking another half step forward. Yes, he would pick it up and take it back with him.
The End
Appendix
The House of Pelops, like many of the lineages in Greek mythology, is complex to say the least, but few are quite so besmirched with betrayal and bloodshed as that of King Pelops of Pisa.
Grandson to Zeus, Pelops was murdered and fed to the gods by his own father, King Tantalus, in an attempt to trick the immortal beings. However, they were outraged at the act, and sentenced his father to a lifetime of eternal hunger and thirst. Pelops himself was returned to life.
Eager to make his mark on the world, he headed to Pisa, where King Oenomaüs had sent out a challenge: if any could beat him in a chariot race, then they would win the hand of his daughter, Hippodamia. But attempting this did not come without risk: if the challenger did not beat Oenomaüs, they would be sentenced to death. Deciding he needed an advantage, Pelops bribed the King’s charioteer, Myrtilus, to sabotage his master’s chariot. True to his word, the charioteer did as he had promised and, during the race, the axle on the King’s chariot broke. In front of cheering crowds, he was dragged by his horses through the dust and dirt, screaming and wailing, until his neck snapped. Needless to say, Pelops won the race and married Hippodamia. He also promptly threw Myrtilus off a cliff. As the betrayed Myrtilus sank beneath the waves he cursed Pelops and his heirs.
In his new position as husband and King, Pelops fathered two legitimate sons with Hippodamia, Atreus and Thyestes, along with an illegitimate child, Chrysippus. This boy was conceived during an illicit union with a naiad—a water nymph—and Pelops showered great affection on him; affection that did not go unnoticed. Jealous of this favouritism and fearful that Chrysippus might make a play for the throne, Atreus and Thyestes murdered their half-brother, casting him into a well.
Whilst having eliminated their competition for the throne, the two brothers had failed to consider that their father might seek vengeance on them, and the pair subsequently fled to Mycenae, where King Eurystheus offered them sanctuary. Eurystheus was still bitter about the humiliation he’d suffered, when Hercules had successfully completed the famous Twelve Labours that he had challenged him to undertake. When he heard of Hercules' death, Eurystheus decided to set about eliminating his many children. As he headed to Athens, he left Mycenae in the care of Atreus and Thyestes. Unfortunately, he and his sons were all killed in the battle with the Heracleidae and Atreus took the crown for himself and became the King of Mycenae.
Thyestes, now jealous of his brother’s crown, began sleeping with Atreus’ wife, Aerope, although infidelity was only the start of his plan. With her help, he stole Atreus’ golden fleece—a symbol of authority and kingship—and tricked him into relinquishing the throne. Thyestes reign as king however was short lived as, with the help of Zeus, Atreus wrested back control of Mycenae through trickery of his own.
However, the restoration of his kingship was not enough for Atreus. During what was supposed to be a reconciliatory feast, he took the ultimate and most despicable revenge on his brother. Unbeknown to Thyestes, Atreus had earlier that day murdered his sons. But their death was just the beginning. With the feast in full swing, he brought out their heads and revealed to Thyestes that he was dining on his own children’s flesh.
The crime, so horrific that it is said that even Helios the Sun God turned away, set upon the family a curse that saw bloodshed and betrayal continue until the conclusio
n of Orestes trial.
Also by Hannah Lynn
Athena’s Child
Gifted and burdened with beauty far beyond that of mere mortals, Medusa seeks sanctuary with the Goddess Athena. But when the lustful gaze of mighty Poseidon falls upon her, even the Temple of Athena cannot protect her.
Young Perseus embarks on a seemingly impossible quest. Equipped with only bravado and determination, his only chance of success lays in the hands of his immortal siblings.
Medusa and Perseus soon become pawns of spiteful and selfish gods. Faced with the repercussions of Athena's wrath Medusa has no choice but to flee and hide. But can she do so without becoming the monster they say she is?
History tells of conquering heroes. Tales distorted by time. Medusa’s truth has long been lost. Until now. Now it is time to hear her truth.
Revel in this powerful retelling of one of mythologies greatest tales today.
Buy your copy today
Praise for Athena’s Child
“This is a simply stunning read from Hannah Lynn.”
“I’m not sure I can fully put into words how much I enjoyed this book. I've always been a bit fascinated and confused by Greek mythology. I wasn't sure what to expect from this but wow!”
“I loved this! This was such an original take on a classic story, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
“A captivating retelling of the story of Medusa.”
“I really enjoyed this book. I’ve always loved reading Greek mythology but the twist here is incredible and the story is written so well. I couldn’t put it down!”
Also by Hannah Lynn
Amendments
“Speculative fiction at its most thought-provoking. Perfect for fans of Margaret Atwood and Kazuo Ishiguro.”
In the not too distant future, the elite, authoritarian Cabinet controls the citizens within the city of Unity by allowing them the Right to Amend. A false freedom that allows a person to send messages back through time to their younger selves so they can make the ‘correct’ decisions. A life seemingly without regrets.
21-year-old Emelia Aaron has come of age and is able to register her Right to Amend. She is full of hope that she will be able to change her life for the better. The last thing she expects is to have to use her amendment on the very first day.
Unfortunately, she has no way of conceiving just how far the ripples of her decisions will spread. Forced to choose between her narcissistic, self-destructive sister, or the man she believes to be her soulmate, she faces an impossible choice … or can she find a way to save them both?
Set in a dystopian world that is just a little too close to home.
Buy Amendments and revel in this powerful and chilling love story.
Praise for Amendments
“Beautifully written, moving, powerful and thoroughly chilling, this is one of the finest works of speculative fiction I’ve read in years.”
Joel Hames, Author of Dead North
“A delightful read with an intricate and intriguing plot, lovable characters and quite simply un-put-down-able!”
“A very impressive and accomplished debut novel.”
“Amendments is beautifully and eloquently written, with interesting and convincing characters. The concept at the heart of it brings up questions of fate, free will and how much control we have – or want – over our lives; really makes you stop and think.”
“Very much in the spirit of Aimee Bender and Kazuo Ishiguro, with a little of Margaret Atwood thrown in for good measure.”
“Think a grown up's Hunger Games or Divergent without quite so much running around.”
About the Author
Hannah Lynn is an award-winning novelist. Publishing her first book, Amendments – a dark, dystopian speculative fiction novel, in 2015, she has since gone on to write The Afterlife of Walter Augustus – a contemporary fiction novel with a supernatural twist – which won the 2018 Kindle Storyteller Award and Gold Medal for Best Adult Fiction Ebook at the IPPY Awards, as well as the delightfully funny and poignant Peas and Carrots series.
While she freely moves between genres, her novels are recognisable for their character driven stories and wonderfully vivid description. She is currently working on an Urban Fantasy series and a reimaging of another classic Greek story.
Born in 1984, Hannah grew up in the Cotswolds, UK. After graduating from university, she spent ten years as a teacher of physics, first in the UK, then around Asia and on to the Austrian Alps. Inspired by the imaginations of the young people she taught, she began writing short stories for children, and later adult fiction. As a teacher, writer, wife and mother, she is currently living in Amman, Jordan.
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