Titania of Troy

Chapter 34

Titania had mulled it over for days.

She'd discovered her mother's identity. She'd uncovered all that Apollo wanted her to uncover, and still the answer did not come to her. Her husband-to-be lay awake with her for nights as they tried to puzzle out the mystery, and to no avail.

Titania's shock had subsided quickly. She'd informed everybody about the events that had transpired, and one look from Priam gave her all the comfort she needed. Her mother was slain prematurely, but her father had saved her and given her a new family. He'd given her Troy, his most sacred city. In some strange way, that made dealing with her mother's loss so much easier. She didn't know Hippolyta, but her mother was brave, and her father loved her in his own strange way.

She was ready to fight. She was ready to get the Greeks off her beach and start building her life with her family. She wanted to build something now, and not tear it down. So when the end of the 12 days came she immediately sent out spies to analyse the Greek encampment.

They found something they did not expect.

Titania looked at the wooden horse with contempt. For so long she'd wanted her revenge. For so long she'd wanted to slay these Greeks as they had her people, and they had robbed her of the opportunity. Her beach was empty. All that was left of them was this wooden monstrosity in the exact place where Achilles' tent used to be.

"It's a gift to Poseidon," Deiphobos explained, "I'm sure Agamemnon didn't want to risk angering the sea god more – especially after the Poseidon fought on our side and what happened with his daughter on the way here."

Titania gritted her teeth at the mention of Iphigeneia, "Well what do you suppose we do with it?"

"Burn it," Andromache spat, "Anything Greek is poisonous. Why should they have the sea god's blessing after all they've caused?"

"It would be unwise," Penthesileia announced, the Queen right by Titania's side as she had been ever since their relation was discovered, "We cannot risk angering Poseidon ourselves."

"Perhaps this was the work of the gods," Titania mused, "Perhaps my father, Poseidon and Aphrodite mustered enough power to pollute their minds and get them to leave."

"Then burning an offering to Poseidon would not be the best way to say thank you," Penthesileia chided, "We should take it to your temple, and have it stand for the rest of time as a testament to what happens when you attack Troy."

"We shouldn't be so hasty," Aeneas reminded them, "We should check the beaches and the hills. This could be a trick."

Titania could scarcely believe it herself. There was absolutely no way that the Greeks had just left like that. Achilles himself and pronounced her an enemy. Agamemnon despised them all. They would not leave after so much fighting and nothing to show for it.

"We did already," Deiphobos interjected, "I sent riders out, and they combed the nearby lands. They've found nothing of suspicion."

They all turned to her and gauged her reaction. Titania wondered at the meaning of all of this. Her father had given her a clue to exact her revenge, but now her revenge had disappeared? Titania immediately chided herself for thinking so literally. Apollo didn't say her revenge would be soon. Perhaps she would meet Achilles a few years from now on another field of battle, and then Hippolyta would guide her in a way only Apollo knew how.

Titania pursed her lips, "Penthesileia is right. We cannot anger Poseidon. Muster the men! Let's get this thing back to the city."

Titania angrily clenched her fists and stormed away from the horse, not eager to look at it for a moment longer. It didn't take long for footsteps to come rushing after her and for Aeneas to halt her pacing by grabbing onto her arm, "Titania, why are you so disappointed? They've left! We've won.'