Casey calls me four times during the day. I end up giving the satellite phone to Nico; I can not bear knowing she is desperate to reach me and being unable to face her. If I face her now, I will cave.

I can not cave.

I feed my Stoicheio for most of the morning and into the afternoon. Aktor fusses with various high protein meals, but although I eat them, I do not taste them. By late afternoon Rhea has arrived from Gi. She walks across the room in the base we have commandeered, a bow slung over her shoulder, a quiver of arrows at her back; tall, regal, imposing.

Hip walks beside her, having just offered the lightning she used in order for her and two others from Gi to get here. He keeps looking up at the Amazonian, a strange light in his eyes as he takes in her austere features.

It would not surprise me if Rhea has royal blood. But not all those born to royalty wish to rule.

I wonder if Rhea is one such Athanatos or whether Casey will have a battle on her hands with this woman.

Rhea stops a few feet from me and bows low.

“Your Highness,” she says. “It is an honour to be in Pyrkagia and to stand at the back of my Queen’s Thisavros.”

Well, I guess that settles that, then.

“I had not realised Cassandra had accepted the role,” I say.

Rhea smiles; it is at once knowing and calculating and mischievous.

“She will,” she simply says.

I have never known Casey to do anything she didn't truly wish to do. Even the sacrifice she made to save our world and balance the Elements was an active decision on her part. Her strength of character was what enabled her to survive Genesis and the End of Days. Her loyalty and morality and humanity is what saved us all.

I will not let her efforts be in vain.

“Good luck,” I say to the Gi. She smiles.

“What would you ask of me and mine, Prince of Pyrkagia?” Rhea queries.

“Aside from your presence as witnesses?” I offer.

She inclines her head.

“I ask just one favour,” I say.

Her eyes widen slightly. A favour would allow her a boon in return.

“Go on,” she urges softly.

I stand up and walk toward her, ensuring she sees the golden hue of my eyes. I stop when I am beside her; she facing one way, I the other. I turn my head and say, “I ask for your silence. No matter what happens on Mount Eden, no matter what you are asked by the Council, you will remain silent.”

Her eyes scan my face, searching for an answer.

“If I am asked a direct question by the Council I must reply,” she points out.

“Then reply, but do not offer them an answer.”

“An answer? Or the answer they seek?”

Rhea is an astute politician. I am pleased Casey will have such an ally in Gi. Especially, if I do not make it.

I steel my resolve. I will make it. I have to make it.

“I would not ask you to lie, Gi,” I say.

“Just remain silent.”

She and I both know I am asking more than that.

“Very well, Prince of Pyrkagia. I already know what my boon will be.”

I arch a brow at her.

“When you succeed in your Right of Rule challenge,” she says, “I will request it.”

I stare into her eyes. She looks back steadily. She gives nothing away, but I am sure I have read her correctly. I incline my head in acceptance of her terms. I believe working with Rhea of Gi will be very interesting.

She wanders off to speak with her two companions, while I take a moment to ready myself for what is to come. By the end of this day, I will either be dead or be Rigas. Neither is actually a welcoming thought.

I was raised the son of a king. Certain things were expected of me. As heir to the Pyrkagia throne, I spent thousands of hours in the pursuit of academic excellence and many times more hours in the pursuit of martial perfection. I carried a sword and knew how to use it at the age of three. By three hundred, I was considered unbeatable.

But my father took time to ensure I knew he would always be able to beat me.

It is with a strange sense of shock that I realise I am about to become a father, too.

I have not had the best of role models. I am unsure if I even know how to be a parent. And then there is the fact that my father has never lost to me.

Will I even get to see my son being born?

I find myself approaching Aktor. I had not intended to seek my butler out. But as much as the realisation of my impending parenthood is a shock, the realisation that Aktor has been more of a father to me than my own father is not.

“Aktor,” I say.

He pauses in his meal preparations; perhaps the twentieth meal he has prepared today. Nico has done well sourcing foodstuffs for us, but by the end of this day, we will have nothing left. Aktor would have already cooked it.

He turns to look up at me and must see something disquieting on my face. He takes the pot of stew he was stirring off the fire and places it safely to the side, so it does not burn. And then he moves to a seat and waits.

I sit down beside him, unsure what it is I wish to say.

Eventually, it comes to me.

“Thank you,” I murmur. I don’t look at him. This is as much an acknowledgement of all he has done for me as it is a farewell. “My life would not have been nearly as full of love and joy if it were not for you, my friend. I wish to thank you and ask one last favour.”

He does me the honour of not arguing.

“Anything,” he says.

“Protect her,” I manage to rasp. “Protect our child.”

“You know I will, Theodoros.”

“Teach him the old ways,” I say.

“Of course.” His voice is cracking. Mine is too.

“Let them both know they were everything to me. That they will always be everything to me. For eternity.”

Aktor’s hand comes over to grip mine. His hold is strong, not weak. He grips my fingers for a long moment, and then he climbs from his seat.

The sun is low in the sky, and we both look out of the open wall at one end of our shelter. Mount Eden stands in the distance. Waiting. It is time.

I look around the room and see all of my allies, my friends, are waiting, too.

I should offer words of encouragement. I should bolster them as if we are heading into battle. I am not unaccustomed to doing such things.

But I can not.

I can barely bolster myself as it is.

A satellite phone starts to ring. All eyes turn to Nico. He looks guilty and then pulls the device from his pocket. He stares at it for a moment and then sighs.

Lifting it to his ear, he says, “Great timing.”

I can not hear the voice of who has called him. But, really, there can be only one person so in tune with me. Nico raises his eyes and looks directly at me and nods his head. Then realises Casey can not see the movement from Gi.

“I’ll tell him,” he says and ends the call.

We stare at each other. My heart is thundering. I want to know what the last words I am ever going to hear from my Thisavros are.

I’m not sure I am strong enough to bear them.

“Well?” I say.

He smiles.

“Casey says,” he announces loudly, “that the kid kicked today. That it’s been doing somersaults all evening. She woke up just now with him practising for the summer Olympics. Knocking out a tattoo against her ribs that sounded like the beat to a Russian gymnastic’s gold medal winning routine. She’s tried everything to get him to settle; drinking warm milk, eating gooseberries and cheese, stretching out some yoga.”

I close my eyes and try not to laugh. I'm aware of a few sniggers around the room.

“She says you should know something,” Nico advises, capturing my attention again.

I look up at him.

“What is that?” I ask, the words barely a whisper

“She says, she’s doing her bit incubating the baby, so you’ll be in charge when he hits his teens.”

I stare at my cousin, then ask, “Who looks after him in-between?”

“I guess you can flip for it,” he offers.

I blink.

“Or, you know,” he adds, “you can beat the shit out of your father and go over there, and share the job with Casey.”

I let out a deep breath and stare at the ground. Cassandra knows the chances of me winning this Right of Rule are not great. She knows this, but she doesn't question that I will succeed.

That I’ll be there to raise our son with her. To handle the difficult years when he hits his teens. To share the good ones when he just wants a cuddle and kiss, and to know he is loved and safe and happy.

I realise, I already know how to be a father. I already know I will be a good one.

Because I will be nothing like my own father and everything like Aktor.

And because I have Casey.

She wouldn’t dare let me be anything less than the best I can be.

And I wouldn’t dare disappoint her.