November 3,9532bc

it had been nine years since I last saw my brother, Acheron. nine years and not a day had gone by without my wondering what he was doing. How he work was being treated. Whenever Estas visited. I always took him aside and asked about Acheron. He’s fine and healthy Ryssa, I cherish him as an additional to my household. He has everything he requires. I shall be glad to tell him that you asked after his well. Still something inside me was never content that those words. I’d petitioned Father repeatedly to send for Acheron. To least bring him home for a holiday. As a prince he should never have been sent away.. Yep , those he stayed in a country that lies constantly and on the brink of war with our ours. Even thought Estes was an ambassador. It didn’t change the fact that if we went to war, Acheron. ,as a Greek prince,he would be killed. And father refused every request I made. I’d been writing to Acheron for years and normally he wrote back religiously. His letters were always brief with a handful of details, but even so I cherished every one. So when I left, I had to come to me a few weeks ago, I’d that nothing unusual about it not until I read it. Greetings most esteemed and exalted princess Risa forgive me for my forwardness forgive me for my impertinence. I found that all of your letters written to Acheron and have, at great peril to myself, decided to write to you, I cannot tell you what harms befall him, but if you truly love you brother as you say you do, then I would ask you to came and see him.I’d told no one about the latter.It hadn’t even been signed for all I know it was hoax. Yeat I shouldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t , that Acheron needed me.

For days I debated about going until In could stand it no more.

Talking my personal guard Boraxsis with me for protection, I snuck out of the palace and told my maids to tell my father I was visiting my aunt in Athens, boraxis thought I was a great fool for traveling all the way to Atlantis for a letter that the author hadn’t even signed, but I don’t care.

If Acheron needed me, but didn’t care.

However, that courage faltered days latter as I found myself outside my uncle’s home in the capital of Atlantis.The lage gleaming red building was even more intimidating that our place at Didymos. It Chas if it had been designed for no other purpose than to inspire fear and awe. Of course , as our ambassador, it would benefit Estes to impress our enemies so, kingdom of Atlantis glistened and glowed ,there I’d ever seen before,

It was truly a busting metropolis.

Swallowing the fear I felt, I looked at Boraxix, taller than most man, with coarse black hair he were braided down his back, he was large and burly. Lethal, and he is loyal to me to a foult even though he was servant. He been protecting me since I was a child and I knew I could rely on him.

he would never allowed me to be harmed.

Reminding myself of that.I walked up the marble stairs, toward the golden entrance.A servant opened the door even before I reached it.

(My lady,) he said diplomatically,(may I help you?)

( I’ve come to see Acheron.)

He inclined his head and told me to follow him inside.I found it odd that the servant didn’t ask me for my name or business with my brother.At home ,no one was allowed near any of the Royal family without a thorough screening. To admit someone unknown into our private residence was a crime punishable by death.Yeat this man thought nothing of leading us through Uncle’s home.

Once we reached another hall, the older man in front of me turned back to look at Boraxis,(Will your guard be joining you for your time with Acheron?

I frowned at the odd question.( I suppose

Boraxis sucked his breath in sharply.There was a worry in his deep brown eyes. ( Princess).

I put my hand on his arm.I should be fine. Wait here and I’ll return quickly.He didn’t look pleased by my decision and honestly neither was I , but surely no harm would come to me in my uncle’s home.So I left him there and continued down the hallway.

And as we walk , what struck me most about my uncle’s home was how eerie silent it was. Not even a whisper could be heard.No one laughed, no one spoke.

Only our footsteps echoed down the longest , dark path corridor.

white marble stretched as far as I could see ,reflected our images back at us as we made our way through the opulence of carved naked statuary and exotic plants and flowers.

The servant led me to a small room on the far side of the building and opened the door.

I stepped inside and hesitated as I realized it was Acheron’s bedroom. How very strange for him to admit me here without knowing I was Acheron sister. Then again perhaps he did.

That would explain much.

Aye, that must be it. He must have realized I looked great deal like my brother. except for Acheron’s divine silver eyes, we had identical coloring.

Relaxing, I glanced about. It was an exceptionally large room with an oversized hearth. There were two setters before the stone hearth with an odd, pole structure between them.It reminded me of the punishment block, but that made no sense. Perhaps it was something unique to Atlantis.I’d heard all my life that the people here had bizarre customs.

The bed itself was rather small for a room this size,with four tall posts intricately carved into the design of a bird. On each post, the bird’s head was turned upside down so that the beaks curled outward like hooks to hold bed curtains back yet there were no bed curtains there. Like the foyer leading to the room, the walls were a shiny black marble that reflected my image back to me perfectly.And as I looked about,I realized there were no windows in this room at all. Nor was there a balcony. The only light came from wall sconces scattered about. It made the room very dark and sinister.

How very strange…

Three servants were making Acheron’s bed and a four woman oversaw them. The overseer was a frail woman, slight of stature who appeared araund the age of forty or so. It’s not time , she said to the man who had led me throughout the house.

He’s still preparing himself.

The man curled his lip at her.Would you have me tell Gerikos that I keep a client waiting while Acheron dawdles?

But he hasn’t had time to eat yet, the woman insisted.

He’s been working all morning without a single rest.

”Fetch him”

I frowned at their whispered words and behavior. Some things was very wrong here, why would my brother,a prince,be working?.