Page 204 of A Tribute of Fire

I was so glad I had them. My sisters made me feel like nothing bad could ever happen to me so long as they were willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with me.

The fifth day of the siege destroyed that notion entirely.

Theano woke up, back to her old terrible self. Being prayed to at every meal, staring at all of us from behind her veil, watching our every move during training. She had Maia fetch me. We went into Theano’s office and I was struck by my last vivid and horrible memories of being in this room.

“Sit.”

I did as the high priestess requested. Maia stayed in the doorway. Not sitting with me but not leaving me alone, either. I wondered if there was a reason for that.

When Antiope arrived a few seconds later, I got my answer. This wasn’t just an interrogation. They were going to make a decision about me and my place in the temple.

I’d been so worried that they’d remove me when they found out my background, and now the time was up on that, as well.

“I should have guessed that you were royal when you said you were Aianteioi. But Ajax had many illegitimate children, didn’t he?” Theano shifted slightly and then said, “So, Princess Thalia, why should we keep you at the temple? We have a rule against allowing daughters of noble or royal households to join us.”

I didn’t have an answer for her.

Thankfully, Maia stepped in. “That policy only applies to Ilionian daughters.”

Theano’s head snapped up. “What?”

“I can recite it from memory,” Maia said. “And it clearly states ‘Ilionian.’ Lia is not Ilionian. Therefore, she cannot be subject to that rule as she is Locrian.”

Maia was the best mentor in the whole world. I wished that I could hug her.

It took a few moments for Theano to collect herself. “Be that as it may, the princess has a marriage offer on the table from the Ilionian prince. We cannot afford to make him our enemy.”

“He hasn’t declared war on us,” Antiope offered. “Only that we cannot leave the temple grounds. Which we generally try not to do anyways.”

The level of logic being directed at the high priestess seemed to infuriate her, if her balled-up hands were any indication. But her voice was even when she answered. “My messenger is not being permitted to approach. We are not receiving gifts and sacrificial offerings from the citizens of Troas, which means that we will not be able to send supplies to the women’s shelters under our jurisdiction.”

Theano said this like it was my fault. I was not the one who had directed an army to encamp outside.

“What do you want me to do about it?” I asked.

“Make them leave.”

It was very difficult not to scoff. “Every day the captain says they won’t unless I agree to go with him.”

She leaned back in her chair. “This stalemate will have to end. It cannot be tolerated. Today you will have to speak with this captain and convince him to vacate the street.”

“I don’t know how to do that!”

Another few beats passed by. “Maia claims that you are a capable girl. I’m sure you’ll come up with something.”

She waved her hand toward the door, indicating that I could go. How was I supposed to make Thrax and his soldiers leave?

Maybe Zalira had the right idea and the best thing to do was to find a way out of the temple so that they would have to decamp.

“Are we still voting on whether Lia will be allowed to stay?” Maia asked.

“As you so clearly pointed out, Princess Thalia is not subject to that particular law. I see no reason to vote. You may all go,” Theano said.

Antiope clasped my shoulder briefly before leaving. As I walked back to my dormitory with Maia, I said, “What am I supposed to do? I don’t know how to make them leave.”

Especially since every plan I’d come up with so far all centered around slitting Thrax’s throat. I didn’t think that would be very good from a negotiating standpoint.

“I will talk to some of the priestesses and see if we can come up with something,” she said apologetically. “I have heard such terrible stories about the prince. I don’t want you to end up in that palace. You won’t be safe.”

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