Page 5 of Crown of Serpents

Satisfied with his grovelling, Polydectes clucked his tongue, “It's good to see that youremember your place … Son of Danae.”

Perseus inhaled deeply, schooling his face into a mask before facing Polydectes again. So far, their encounter was going terribly. He had hoped Polydectes wouldn’t recognise him, but that hope shattered when the guards singled him out. It would have been easier to bargain with the anax had he not remembered him. But why would he not? After all, Perseus was the only man to ever stop him from getting what he wanted — his mother.

Perseus was ten when he first met King Polydectes. At the annual sports festival, he'd bested every boy his age in wrestling and sword fighting, even sending a few older lads sprawling.As a reward, the king had invited him and Danae to a celebratory feast. But when Polydectes, fueled by wine, had begun groping Danae's thigh, Perseus's practice sword, though wooden, had risen in defence. His small hands trembling with fury, he had warned the king to back off, swearing an oath to Zeus to end Polydectes's life should he ever touch his mother again. Laughter had erupted around him; after all, he’d been a mere child brandishing a toy sword. But moments later, a lightning bolt had split the sky, striking an olive tree to Polydectes’s right. Had Dictys not rushed to his side, pleading for the boy’s life, Perseus’s defiance would have been his last act.

Now, the king mustered Perseus. “You know, Perseus, you’ve grown into quite the handsome young man. The resemblance toyour lovely mother is uncanny. Tell me, how is Danae these days?”

Perseus battled the urge to scoff at Polydectes’s feigned interest.What game was he playing?Did he somehow learn Perseus couldn’t pay the tithe?

He bit his tongue and lowered his head. “She is well, anax.”

“I should hope so!” Polydectes boomed with a rumbling chuckle. “It would be a shame for such a prize to wither. She has always been so satisfying to look at. A pity I don’t see her that often. Any idea why that might be?”

Perseus clenched his fists, anger simmering beneath the surface. But he needed to stay calm. He was no longer a boy with a wooden sword. “We might not have much, but my mother cherishes our humble home. She simply wishes to live a quiet life.”

A cruel smile twisted Polydectes’s lips. “Speaking of ‘not having much’, you seem to have arrived empty-handed. What is the meaning of this Perseus? Where is my tithe?”

A cold dread washed over Perseus.How did he know Perseus’s leather pouch was empty?He glanced up to see the king's face alight with sadistic glee. Polydectes crossed one leg over the other, his bearded chin resting on a fist. He was savouring this moment, the predator toying with his prey. Sadistic bastard.

“My King! I beg your understanding…”

“And yet you stand before me with no silver when your household owes me tribute.”

A muscle ticked in Perseus’s jaw, but he did not dare contradict him. It was not like he would listen to his sob story about the bandits ambushing his mother, nor would he accept the thirty-five drachmae that he had brought.

Polydectes took a slow sip from his gilded wine goblet. “Honestly, Perseus, couldn’t you at least have brought the lovely Danae? I would have preferred to see her supple form bowed before me, begging for forgiveness. Not some insolent boy who reeks of fish.”

Perseus gritted his teeth. Yet, there was no concealing the storm brewing in his eyes, his mind racing with violent retribution.

“Come now, Perseus, there is no need for that scowl. You only have yourself to blame. How could you be so foolish as to come to my palace empty-handed?” Polydectes's laughter echoed through the megaron, a cruel symphony to Perseus’s torment.

“I did not come empty-handed.”

Perseus regretted his words before they had come out. Polydectes arched a bushy eyebrow expectantly. Now was his moment to offer compensation for the twenty-five missing drachmae.

“Have you finally come to offer me your dear mother as my concubine, then?” Polydectes asked into the silence.

Perseus shuddered. It was no secret that the women at the king’s palace were treated as mere playthings used for the king and his inner circle’s pleasure. He would pay any price to prevent that fate for his mother.

Perseus drew a deep breath, forcing the words out, “Actually, I was going to offer youmyservices.”

Polydectes scoffed, “And what use would I have for a lowly fisherman like yourself? You can't be very skilled if you couldn't even scrape together sixty drachmae in a year.”

The guards lining the megaron’s walls erupted in laughter, joined by a few of the advisers. Kleos’ father just assessed Perseus with a probing glance.

Perseus pleaded his case through gritted teeth, “I am strong. I can fight. You’ve seen me at the tournaments.”

Polydectes cocked his head in amusement.

“Unfortunately for you, I have no use for your brute strength. As you can see, my palace guard is well-staffed, as is my city watch and my army. I suppose you could work in the kitchens as a servant, but you would not earn enough there to cover next year’s tithe, would you?”

Perseus's thoughts raced. A silvery voice whispered in his ear, a daring proposition taking shape. A surge of adrenaline coursed through him, and words poured from his mouth as if his body no longer belonged to him, “What if I offered you the head of the Gorgon Medusa in payment for my debt?”

His voice sounded foreign — colder and smoother than his own — as it echoed through the room. Polydectes stared at himin astonishment. Perseus bit his tongue, realising what he had just said. Kleos’s idiocy must have rubbed off on him — or he had lost his mind. What possessed him to propose such a bargain?

For a few moments, all Perseus could hear was his thundering heartbeat. Then, Polydectes bellowed, his laughter bouncing off the marble walls. His guards joined in on his amusement. Perseus might have laughed, too, at the sheer absurdity of it all if it weren’t his own life he had just bartered away.

Finally, Polydectes regained his composure, chuckling. “Who knew you had a sense of humour, Perseus?” He leaned forward. “But seriously, boy, do you wish to make a fool of me? Some of the best men, the strongest heroes across the Greek islands, have tried to slay the beast. They all failed. What makes you think that you will succeed?”

---