The Apollo Gambit
A few days before the hunting contest hosted by King Tyndareus, the Spartan palace was surprisingly bustling. The suitors were forming alliances, merging and splitting groups left and right. With so many of them, it was probably only natural to band together first and eliminate the other factions.
While everyone else scurried about, I savored a rare moment of leisure. If only time could always flow this smoothly.
"How can you be so relaxed, sire?"
Agamemnon, standing nearby, asked with a tone of reproach. His face made it clear he couldn't comprehend me at all.
"The other suitors are frantically making deals, yet here you are, lounging around and cracking open pomegranates. Peleus!"
"Hahaha, don't give me such a hard time. With you by my side, Agamemnon, who else do I need? One real hero beats a bunch of braggarts any day."
Agamemnon sighed at my teasing.
"I'm grateful for the high praise despite my shortcomings, but this isn't the time to slack off. My brother went off to meet some heroes too."
"Let him be. It'd be a lie if Menelaus had no ambitions. Why don't you go make some alliances, Agamemnon? You don't owe this suitor's farce any loyalty."
It was a subtle probe. Surprisingly, unlike Menelaus, Agamemnon had stayed put. He'd said he was here to help me marry Helen. He admitted coveting the throne and the beauty himself, but his life-debt to me came first. I hadn't expected this level of loyalty from him, and it genuinely surprised me.
"It's not about loyalty. Helping a benefactor is just the right thing to do. And since Princess Helen chose you, Peleus, what could I accomplish by stepping in? I'd just look foolish."
With Agamemnon acting like this, introducing him to Helen's twin sister, Clytemnestra, would seal the deal. Our alliance would be rock-solid thereafter. Truth be told, he wasn't crucial for this fight. The real ally I needed was Odysseus.
"It's about time. I'll head out."
Several days later, after the chaos had died down, I finally got up. Time to meet Odysseus.
"You're quite late, aren't you?"
Odysseus eyed me with mock surprise. He'd probably expected me to come running desperately. He sat with an air of arrogance, convinced he held the knife to my throat. Now that I was public enemy number one among the suitors, he must have figured even a dubious helper like me was better than nothing.
"Am I late?"
"Of course you are. Helen chose you, making you the enemy of every suitor. Do you think you can win without Odysseus's help? You should have come sooner."
What confidence. How could a human be so brazen? I hope I'm not turning into that kind of guy. Odysseus always made me reflect on myself.
"Word is, your room's been a revolving door of suitors—never a dusty day. So I took it easy and waited."
"Ho, impressive confidence. The suitors who've already visited showered me with promises to win me over. You must have something extraordinary to show up this late."
"What could be so extraordinary? Just lend me your hand if it tickles your fancy."
"Hohoho! What a sly fox."
I grinned back at him.
"Says the pot calling the kettle black. Think this room has only one fox?"
"Hahaha. Fine, state your terms."
Promising gold and jewels would be foolish—plenty of kings had flaunted their wealth. To grasp his true motives, I needed to know who he truly served. As Helen had told me, I made a proposal tailored to Athena's tastes.
He looked genuinely shocked when I revealed Helen's ambition to become queen.
"Is that true? That lovely princess burns with lust for power?"
"Indeed. Think about it—it's not a bad outcome for Athena either. Helen promised to expand the Athena temple in Sparta if this all goes smoothly."
"Hmm... Now it makes sense why she picked a scrub like you over the great Odysseus. Naturally, in masculine charm, I reign supreme."
Hmm, this guy's not quite right in the head either.
"Peleus, you possess not just might but wisdom too. The other kings offered gold, land, or power. None pierced Athena's intentions. I have no choice but to score you highly."
"So you'll help me?"
Odysseus hedged.
"Can one decide such matters overnight? We must deliberate carefully."
Ah, there it is. I hadn't expected him to agree easily. This schemer only satisfies himself by dominating the situation and squeezing every drop from his mark. Stubborn as a mule too. Fine, you think you're the cleverest? Let me show you a taste, Peleus-style.
"Take your time pondering. Good idea, pondering."
I smirked and trailed off. Odysseus straightened, sensing something ominous.
"Hey now, why the dramatics? Bullying Odysseus won't get you far..."
Thud. I slammed something onto the table with a loud bang. It was a sun-shaped sacred relic symbolizing Apollo—one his devotees carried everywhere.
"Lately, I've been thinking... how about worshiping Apollo?"
Pure nonsense, of course, but Odysseus, devotee of Athena, looked grave.
"What...?"
"Isn't it great? God of the sun and justice. Medicine and poetry. Apollo is Olympus's light itself. How blind I've been not to adore him sooner."
"Now, Peleus..."
Odysseus visibly panicked. He'd planned to toy with me for more gains, but one mention of Apollo faith shook his pupils. Ah, so that's pupil earthquake.
"Peleus who? Hahaha, we're such pals."
I swatted his reaching hand and struck a haughty pose—his own from when I first entered. He froze at attention in his seat.
"Come on, don't be so cold. Are we strangers?"
"Yes, strangers. Family? Anyway, back to it. I'll marry Helen no matter what. She wants power, so she'll yield the kingdom's faith to me. What else is marriage for?"
Sparta lacked a dominant deity; faiths mingled freely. If the king willed it, he could elevate a protector god.
"Then I'll build a grand Apollo temple. Oh, that hill left of the central square? Perfect spot."
Odysseus paled in horror.
"You fool—that's Athena's temple!"
The hill overlooked the bustling heart of the city—a prime golden plot long held by Athena's sanctuary. I chuckled dismissively.
"Faith's like that, right? Bulldoze if needed."
"You blasphemous wretch!"
Odysseus's eyes bulged. Even the hero of wisdom reeled at the threat to raze a thriving temple. Sweat poured from his brow.
"Blasphemy? It's for Sparta's people. If the city gains Apollo's blessings, it's for the citizens—not me. What greed? Hahaha."
What? They can communicate in real-time? Sure enough, Odysseus jolted from his chair as if shocked. His boss was chewing him out internally, but he had to feign calm—his neck stiffened rigid.
"Stroke? Your neck looks awfully stiff."
I trimmed my nails with a knife from my belt, not even glancing his way.
"Didn't you just threaten to demolish Athena's temple?"
"The gracious goddess will forgive that much."
"You don't know how terrifying an angry goddess is."
"Think Apollo would sit idle? Rain? Just pop an umbrella. Hahaha."
Apollo approved, but Odysseus kept getting reamed by his superior.
"Hang on—you just promised to expand Athena's temple."
"Oh, right. But some fancy-mustached empty vessel ruined my appetite. Forget it. Use the stones for Apollo's temple restroom. Sigh, what's the point of expansion if she hates it? Fine, I'll raze hers and give you the leftovers."
"Urk!"
Odysseus clutched his neck. First time meeting a bastard like me, his face screamed. He hadn't dreamed I'd threaten him this way. But my pettiness knows no bounds. Not done yet.
"On second thought, it's not just the temple. Sparta's alliance with Athens might crumble too."
Athens, Sparta's rival ally, revered Athena. If Sparta became Apollo's holy ground overnight, their ties would snap like dry twigs. Apollo and Athena smiled publicly but dueled fiercely beneath.
"That's an exaggeration. Hahaha, it won't go that far."
"Who knows? World turns weirdly. Anyway, you slipped in hoping to add a pillar or two—now you're about to get burned to the roots. Hahaha. Nice skills."
His priority was curbing Apollo's influence. But he'd strutted before me, only for Sparta to flip Apollo-side. Even gutsy Odysseus finally snapped.
"Think you can marry Helen acting like this? Odysseus yields to no one in schemes. If I obstruct, you can't be sure of success."
Normally, that threat might rattle someone. But we'd anticipated it—Helen and I had countermeasures. I burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha!"
"Why laugh? Don't underestimate Odysseus, or you'll regret it."
"An old saying: War is fighting after you've already won."
"What?"
I pulled an item from my bosom and showed Odysseus. Helen's personal ornament.
"Princess gave me this as a token last night. The deed's done on soft sheets; her heart is set. What use are schemes now? Think you can win her still?"
"Heh..."
Odysseus's pupils quivered mercilessly.