The Hyperionite Palace

Later in the Hyperionite Palace, debate raged. While Leo sat upon his throne with Priam by his side, Taurus and Acinonyx argued. Standing to the side with Scholastica and Xe-tian, Rowena watched argument, hoping for something to happen. Laomedon and Silvius, the unwanted husbands of Scholastica and Xe-tian, were present as well. The former nine and fifty and the latter six and fifty, they were both much older than the two women that had been forced to marry them. They were both older than their fathers would have been had they still lived, albeit not by much.

Laomedon and Silvius had both taken sides in the argument, the former with Taurus and the latter with Acinonyx. What was the topic? Acinonyx's killing of Shahbaz.

"By killing him you will have the entire host of the Cambyses Empire thirsting for vengeance!" exclaimed Taurus, towering over Acinonyx menacingly and holding his axe as if he was prepared to kill the Crown Prince of Hyperion then and there.

"The entire host?" asked Laomedon. "No, we will have the entire Cambyses Empire itself thirsting for our blood!"

At five feet and eleven inches, Laomedon was not as tall as Taurus. Though, Rowena had to admit at six feet, ten inches and three quarters, there were few people as tall as Taurus. Even his companion Elephas was only six feet and half an inch in height. His grey hair and scraggly beard gave him the look of something other than human, but Rowena could not quite put her finger on what.

"Shahbaz is dead and so the host will flee as a scattered rabble!" argued Acinonyx. "Now all we have to focus on is the host of the Ulgen Khanate!"

"And we will make quick work of them!" laughed Silvius, his balding head and greying red hair shining in the sunlight.

Unimpressed, Taurus commented: "So let it be written."

"When your attempt to eradicate them fails we can just leave your cadavers out upon the plain." Stated Laomedon, stroking his beard as he spoke.

There was laughter from the other members of the court and while Rowena did wish that Acinonyx was dead, the fact was denying someone a funeral was unthinkable! How could Laomedon even say such a thing?

Looking over to Leo and Pardus, Rowena saw a lack of interest on both their fronts. They may have been listening to the argument, but it was clear that they were bored. Even Priam and Hector did not seem to be paying attention, as the maneless white lion was grooming himself and the panther was sleeping. The cheetah Paris may have been standing next to his master, staring up at Taurus and Laomedon, but the fact was as far as the other two felines were concerned, this argument was nothing to concerned about.

Yawning as he stood, Leo said: "That's enough. Taurus, walk with me. Everyone else, get out of my sight."

When the King of Hyperion gave his order, Rowena grew uneasy as Acinonyx limped towards her. As charming as he may have sounded, to Rowena and her ladies the Crown Prince of Hyperion was slimier than anything that slunk through the seas.

"Walk with me, Rowena." He ordered.

Having none of it, Rowena turned away from her unwanted spouse, her abductor and exited the throne room with her ladies. She would walk with her true husband, not with him!