Priest's Execution

The news of the execution ran from hut to hut. Soon the entire village was back in the palace square, waiting for the Hegemon to arrive. Arxiphos the Archiereios, knelt in the center once again. Alazoneia sat in her seat next to the throne, sinking ever deeper into it. Pale, blood-shot eyes, shaking hands. Arxiphos considered her as he knelt. Was she shaking with sorrow or rage? Was she sobbing or seething? He wasn't sure. It didn't matter much to him either way.

Arxiphos scanned the crowd. There were few familiar faces. No friends. His father was the last family he had. Anyone who had ever loved Arxiphos remained home. They didn't dare show themselves after seeing what had happened to Arktouros.

The Hegemon emerged from the palace. He went straight to his throne and sat. No words. No display of anger. Alazoneia shook her head at Arxiphos. Arxiphos caught himself trembling. He wanted to be strong for Enypnia. Either it was all a farce, or she really loved him. It was either farce or love. He had fallen for it either way. Either way, he would rather die than spend another night in bed with Alazoneia. He'd rather die than live a lie. Enypnia was worth the risk. He was decided. It was definitive. His end of the bargain... payed.

The Hegemon signaled to Anax with a careless wave. Two guards pushed Arxiphos against the block. He intentionally faced away from the Hegemon and Alazoneia. He wasn't doing this for them. He set them out of his mind. This moment of devotion was for his beloved alone.

Emerald. Viridian. Jade. Green. She shone in his mind. The only part she had revealed to him was her eyes. It had almost been too much for him. He remembered having to force himself to breathe. He understood what she meant. If she had revealed more of herself, he would have fallen back, cowered to the ground, overwhelmed in ecstasy. Ecstatic. Beautiful. The thought of her made him twitch, his face chafing against the rough wood.

"Enypnia," he whispered. He closed his eyes.

Anax scraped the blade against the side of the log as he drew the ax upwards. He wanted to make sure Arxiphos heard it. The tiny droplets of rain tinkled against the cold metal. Arxiphos felt each drop on his bare head. He felt the soft wind move his clothes along the seal on his back. He felt moist dirt under his knees. He thought of his father's ring on his middle finger, wrapped in bandages. It was probably marinating in blood from the other severed fingers. Would they burn his body, or was his life unworthy of such ceremony? Would they harvest the Archiereios ring from his corpse, or would they leave it to rot with him, desecrated by his treachery?

"On with it."

The blade came down. It thudded into the wood. A sound that sickened.

Arxiphos opened his eyes and felt cold metal against the top of his shaved head. He frowned.

"You missed?" the Hegemon yelled.

"I didn't, sir," Anax stuttered, "It's impossible. Someone pushed me."

"No one pushed you, fool! Do it again!"

His knees shook as he raised the ax a second time. Arxiphos thought he felt a soft warm hand under his cheek. He smiled and closed his eyes again. The guards were barely holding him. He didn't struggle.

He heard murmurs from the bystanders. He opened his eyes and saw them all staring to one side.

"Get her out of there," he heard the muffled voice of the Hegemon.

One of the guards pushed Arxiphos's head against the block, keeping him down, covering his ear. Everything was muted. He only saw the bewildered expressions of the townspeople. A dampened command from Anax and then the Hegemon. Then a female voice, sweet and clear, although undecipherable.

Arxiphos began to struggle when he heard the last voice. Who was it? He had to see her. The thick, rough hand pressed harder, scratching his cheek across the block. He heard the tones again, a musical voice between him and the Hegemon. The soldiers started to jostle against him. The heavy hand was suddenly removed from his face and he felt a small, soft, warm hand replace it. He stopped moving. A chill went through his entire body. He was dizzy and gasped for air.

He tried to get up, but she kept him pinned to the wood. He felt a second hand on his shoulder. The guards released him and stepped away.

"I'm warning you, stranger, step back," the Hegemon fired.

"Not a stranger," she said, with a touch of resentment. A touch of sorrow. "Or at least I shouldn't be."

Arxiphos went still as he heard her voice. He was certain. A piece of cloth came into his view. Dark, some shade of dark. Her voice was as smooth and clear as the river itself. Her touch was vitalizing, making everything in his vision glimmer with life.

"Anax, get her out of the way."

She ignored them and walked around the block. She crouched down in front of Arxiphos, the top of her hood brushing his cheek, blocking out the rain. He saw her eyes like ethereal embers in the dark cave that her hood made around their faces. Her gaze was solemn. Intimate. She closed her eyes, resting a second, breathing softly. He watched her, taking in every movement, every slight change of expression. A twitch of the eyebrow. A contraction of the lip.

She released him and stood. He followed her with his eyes as Anax swung the axe. She caught the blade in her palm. Effortless. Anax let go of the shaft and stumbled back. His eyes bulged, and his square muscular jaw clamped shut as he breathed through his teeth. She fingered the ax's shaft. With a light tug, she snapped it in two. She blunted the head against her knee and dropped it into the mud at the base of the block. The headless shaft she tossed into Anax's arms as he cowered before her. All the guards stepped away. The Hegemon sat glued to his seat, unsure of where to go or what to say. His daughter trembled at his side, but Arxiphos still sensed more anger in her eyes than fear. Enypnia removed her hood and all stood silent to listen.

Arxiphos watcher her from where he knelt in the mud. He too waited for her to speak. She scanned the crowd, turning slowly as she did so. Then she came to where he knelt. She chewed her lip, repressing a smile. Stepping toward him, she raised him and beamed up at him. She rammed her head against his chest and laughed. The rain began to pour in reply. She wiped her hand across his scraped cheek and the skin was made smooth again. The swollen bruises disappeared. She pulled up his bandaged hand and unwound the strips of stained cloth. The rain poured over the open wounds. The blood washed away and he saw fibers of muscle and skin weave together around what was left of the bone.

As she examined his fingers, his hand began to tremble. She glanced up and caught him staring at her, scrambling for words.

"I'm so sorry," was all he could say. "Oh, Goddess, I'm so—"

She covered his mouth.

"I didn't want to," he sobbed through her fingers.

"I know," she whispered. Her words poured over his soul like the healing rain over his physical wounds. He was soothed and silenced. She rubbed the place where his fingers were missing. "I won't replace them," she said.

He nodded.

She turned to the Hegemon and stepped into the center of the square.

"Rise," she commanded.

He stood and bowed his head.

"You've done so well until now." She spoke to him like a scolded child. "Stand up straight. I'm not going to hurt you. Although it would be excusable."

He raised his head, his lips pursed. "Forgive me, Goddess. I didn't know—"

"You never even considered the truth," she snapped. "You wanted things to go your way, and wouldn't risk any changes."

He cringed at her words. "Goddess, may I sit?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes."

He collapsed into his throne and rubbed his eyes with his palms.

"Alazoneia," she said. The princess didn't respond, but sat pouting in her cushioned seat. "Alazoneia, you won't stand for your goddess?"

She crossed her arms and looked away.

"Anax," she called. He had been inching away from her, trying for an escape. She walked to him and grabbed him by the elbow. Some indistinguishable whimpers escaped his lips. "You've been a coward."

"I'm sorry," he said pathetically, shielding his face from her piercing eyes.

She shook him. "Relax. I said you're a coward, not a traitor. You served the Hegemon only because you want authority. You didn't want to lose your position. You obeyed him out of fear. Not a man of much character, after... Why are you trembling like that?" She chuckled to herself, looking to Arxiphos. He shrugged.

"Will you serve me, now, Anax?"

"Anything," he said. "Just let me go."

"I mean will you serve me out of duty, not out of fear?"

"Anything," he repeated, still quaking.

"Bring Alazoneia here. I want to speak to her."

He watched her, breathing shakily. His eyes darted back and forth from the Hegemon to Enypnia to Alazoneia.

"I am the highest authority here. Go." She gave him a light push, and he stumbled toward Alazoneia.

The princess rose and stomped into the palace. Anax looked back at Enypnia, with wide eyes. She motioned for him to continue. He ran into the palace after her. The Hegemon let him pass.

The rain began to die down and Enypnia approached Arxiphos again.

"You might not like what I'm about to do," she said.

"To Alazoneia?"

"No. To you."

He smiled. "Why?"

"Do you trust me?"

He hesitated. All of the past day's events flashed through his mind at once. He played with the ring on his three-fingered hand. The smile gradually fell from his face. It was a real question. A legitimate question after all that had happened.

"Not as much as I would like to. But I'd love to say yes. Yes."

She took his maimed hand into her own again. "Do you love me?"

He swallowed. "I hope so."

"Say yes. I think you've proved it well enough for me." She pulled his head down and kissed him. "Say it."

"Yes," he said.

"Was that real, or are you under too much pressure to refuse?"

"Real. You're my life. Without knowing it at first, I think I've always loved you."

"And I will always love you, Arxiphos." She kissed him again. "My priest. My spouse."

The rain slowed, drizzling across the palace square. The last of the blood had washed away in the steams of mud. As Arxiphos and Enypnia embraced, the wooden block fell in half, suddenly rotted through.

A scuffling sound came from the palace. Strong Anax held Alazoneia easily by the arm. She kicked and punched against him to no avail. Four red marks on his cheek marked where she either slapped or scratched him. He walked past the Hegemon with his prey. The Hegemon followed Anax, pleading with the Nymph.

"Please, don't do anything to her," he said.

"I just want to talk," Enypnia said. "But it's good you left your seat. You won't be needing it anymore."

The Hegemon covered his face, forgetting his daughter momentarily. He sunk to his knees.

"Alazoneia." Enypnia spoke calmly as she touched the princess's shoulder. Alazoneia jerked away, squealing.

"Don't touch me," she spluttered.

"I don't want to be the enemy."

"You claimed him for yourself against the rules that you yourself put in place, blinding him with your perfect goddess face." The last words came out painfully exaggerated. "You took him from me and then try to punish me for claiming him."

"It's not like that at all," Enypnia said.

"It's exactly like that! He calls me greedy because I claim him. You're the one who brainwashed him. Hypnotist! You witch!" she spat and struggled violently against Anax.

"I assure you, Alazoneia," Arxiphos said, "I've never loved you. You've hung on me for years, but I've never returned any of your love. Enypnia didn't take me from you. I was never yours. I was made for her."

They both watched Alazoneia droop and hang limp in Anax's grasp. "I was your destiny," she whimpered.

"You weren't," Arxiphos said.

Enypnia stood next to Arxiphos, leaning against him. "You three," she commanded, "will live as ordinary citizens. I don't want to harm you, but none of you are fit to hold the positions you had formerly. You will find homes like the rest. Build them with your own hands if you have to. You will obey me and my administrator." She turned to Arxiphos and whispered in his ear, "This is the part you won't like. You said you trusted me."

She turned and took Arxiphos up the stairs and stood him in front of the throne missing an armrest. His eyes widened as he realized what she was about to say. It was too late for him to interfere. She looked out over the village and the three deposed rulers in the square.

"Arxiphos is my priest, the Archiereios. By that same act, he takes me as his wife. He is my administrator. He is the Hegemon, answering only to me." Her eyes gleamed as the sun broke through the clouds. "He's proved his fidelity. Now prove yours."

They bowed. Some fell to their knees in the mud. Alazoneia looked away, held in place by Anax as he trembled in fear. The Hegemon's head still rested in his hands. His shoulders heaved and jerked with heavy sobs.