"What is it you wish to know?" "I've seen something I can't make sense of." "Why would Pasiphae spare Jason's life?" "Jason?" "No!" "No!" "Who is she to him?" "She is his mother." "Ehmo klu thi." "Po-sey dah-on." "Guy eh okhe - seh mati too taw thu omeh." "Noo tow-roo kup ton t-os a mu neh-o hai r-mawn." "Loyal and noble citizens of Atlantis, today I present to you" "Poseidon's Daughter, Goddess on Earth" " Queen Ariadne!" "She has not yet been found?" "You assured me." "We have many men looking for her, it can only be a matter of time." "As long as Pasiphae lives, every enemy of Atlantis has hope." "Is there no good news?" "I will not lie to you." "We seek alliances where we can..." "But... no-one wishes to ally with the weak." "Majesty, the Coronation Games are just a few days away." "Is this really the time for such diversions?" "I'm afraid it is." "You need to choose a champion to represent Atlantis, as is our custom." "Not to do so would make the people think even their Queen despairs." "Very well - see who you can find from the Royal Guard." "There is one natural choice." "Jason." "~ No. ~ He is the finest swordsman in Atlantis " "~ there can be no doubt of that." "~ It would be inappropriate." "Majesty, your people have suffered much." "They need a victory - and Jason can give them that." "You can't accept." "How can I refuse?" "The request came from the Queen herself." "It doesn't make any difference, Jason." "You can never be together." "I thought you understood that?" "You've already risked your life for her and..." "Yes, well, I'm not doing it for Ariadne." "I'm doing it for the city." "These are not ordinary games, Jason." "They'll attract the finest warriors in all of Greece." "They'll do anything to win." "Well, then, it will be an honour to compete in such company." "People die in these games!" "They actually die!" "How can he be so stupid?" "~ Was that really necessary?" "~ Yes." "What's wrong with you?" "!" "Nothing." "What is it?" "What aren't you telling me?" "I can't say cos I promised to tell no-one." "Since when have you kept a promise?" "Is it about Jason?" "Well, then, I think I should know, don't you?" "I went to see The Oracle." "She told me - she told me Pasiphae is Jason's mother." "Hercules, if you're..." "I'm not." "Well, then we must tell him." "No, no, no." "This changes everything!" "He has royal blood." "If Ariadne knew..." "Should Jason learn the truth, his heart will blacken and he will be lost to us for ever." "The Oracle said that?" "The Gods have chosen us to protect him," "Pythagoras, that's what she said." "Us?" "Left, right, feign and strike!" "Good." "Left, right, feign, strike!" "Faster!" "Left, right, feign, strike." "Good." "Stop, stop - stop!" "We can't be out there with him - our only hope is to keep training." "Come on, let's practice with the machaira." "Did you just hear something?" "The secret to using..." "Sh!" "There!" "How can I thank you?" "Your survival is thanks enough." "Though a small token wouldn't go amiss." "I'm Jason." "That's Hercules, and Pythagoras." "~ Telemon. ~ Where are you headed?" "~ I was on my way to Atlantis to compete in the Coronation Games." "Ah, then you'll come up against our very finest." "~ No doubt." "~ No, I meant our VERY finest." "Is this true?" "We were just out here practising." "We should get back." "Who knows if they were alone?" "You were unlucky, my friend." "In broad daylight, too." "Perhaps I was foolish to travel alone." "Those woods have been free from robbers for years." "But since the king died..." "This is very kind." "Simple but adequate." "This is luxury after the last few nights " "I've been sleeping in the forest." "How can I thank you?" "Really, no need." "All the same, this is Lemnian wine." "I was saving it for a special occasion." "All yours." "I don't trust him." "Make sure the bevel is deep." "~ There's too much that doesn't make sense. ~ That's good." "I've been thinking about his clothes." "Since when have you been interested in clothes?" "Did it look like he'd slept in them?" "For several days?" "And where's his bedding, his supplies?" "A soldier doesn't need supplies - he makes his bed where he can." "Telemon's fine, Pythagoras, trust me." "It's Jason we need to worry about." "It's our duty to keep him safe, remember?" "Poseidon's Daughter, I present Choreon of Ithaca." "Poseidon's Daughter, I present Leonidas of Corinth." "Poseidon's Daughter, I present Areto of Scythia." "Poseidon's Daughter, I present Jason of Atlantis." "Jason!" "Jason!" "Jason!" "Will you sit down!" "Come on, Jason!" "Poseidon's Daughter, I present Prince Telemon of Aegina." "Prince?" "!" "Why didn't he say?" "If I'd known he was royalty I would have charged for the night." "Not a word, not a thing." "I'm sure he had his reasons." "If he really is a prince, why was he travelling alone?" "He could easily have been murdered by those robbers." "But he wasn't, was he?" "Only thanks to us." "I expect he'll want to repay us in a suitably royal manner - perhaps a small island, with its own tavern." "He'll know people." "A prince on his own, without an entourage - it makes no sense." "Majesty?" "May I present his Royal Highness, Prince Telemon of Aegina?" "I'm honoured." "Thank you, Dion." "I am sorry I could not welcome you to the city myself." "I'm sorry I did not make myself known to you earlier." "You will of course stay in the palace?" "I would be honoured." "Your retinue is welcome, too." "I have no retinue." "So I understand." "And you'd like to know why a prince of Aegina travels alone?" "Only if he felt he wished to share it with me." "My father would never approve of me entering this contest." "And what a father does not know he cannot censure?" "You are very wise for one so young." "Have you never found the burdens of royalty weigh heavy upon you?" "Perhaps." "I wanted to cast them off for a while." "By winning a contest in a far-off land?" "Perhaps that was not all I was hoping to win." "I see." "My father thinks our two cities would make perfect allies, and what better way to secure their future than through marriage?" "And you?" "Cities don't make alliances, people do." "Which is why I came alone." "Am I too ambitious?" "I'm not sure a prince can ever be too ambitious." "Come on, Jason." "Yes!" "Yes, go on!" "Yes, he's there!" "Don't I know you?" "I don't think so." "The salt mines at Hydra." "I'm sorry?" "We were in prison there." "You must be mistaken." "Can I help you?" "I just wanted to congratulate you." "Here, hold this." "~ May I ask you a question?" "~ Tighter." "Do you know Prince Telemon?" "Apparently not." "You can let go now." "What do you mean, apparently?" "See this?" "I spent two years in the salt mines at Hydra." "You don't forget who you share that place with." "If he was there, why hide it?" "He says I was mistaken." "But I know that face." "Prince or no prince... he was there." "However well we fight, it is the Gods who decide our fate." "I owe you an apology." "I should have told you who I was." "I had my reasons." "Of course." "I'm not here just to take part in the contest." "I'm here to win the heart of Ariadne." "I know - it's not our custom." "If my father had his way, I'd be here with 100 attendants." "But I wanted Ariadne to see me, not them." "And does the Queen know of your intentions?" "She does." "And?" "And I think there may be hope." "I see." "If I succeed, I won't forget who to thank." "Without you, I'd be dead in a ditch." "He hasn't eaten a thing." "We can't let him go out and fight like this." "Maybe I should speak to him?" "And say what?" "I can't just sit back." "Let him feel it, Hercules." "Remember how you were with Medusa?" "I spoke to Areto at the amphitheatre." "She knows Telemon." "They've fought before?" "She recognised him from the prison on Hydra." "That's ridiculous." "What would a prince be doing in a place like that?" "Exactly." "She could be lying." "How can we be sure she's even been there herself?" "She showed me her brand - here, on her wrist." "On her right wrist?" "Yes, I think so." "What difference does it make?" "I was just wondering about this." "Have you noticed Telemon wears a brace?" "~ A brace?" "~ An archer's brace." "He's not an archer." "And he wears it on the wrong wrist." "I just can't imagine I am the first to seek your hand." "Your beauty alone must have attracted many suitors." "Not so many." "Am I the only one?" "I'm sorry, that was..." "Yes - it was." "I could tell you what a wise match it would be - how Aegina will guarantee your borders, vanquish your enemies, fill your treasury." "What Queen could refuse?" "One with a heart." "All this I can and will do." "But there is something far more important to me - your happiness." "I wish to do everything in my power to make you happy." "If you will give me the chance." "You wished to see me, Majesty?" "Yes, I have need of your counsel." "I am always at your service." "Prince Telemon." "He has asked for my hand in marriage." "This is not something unexpected." "The King of Aegina is a wise man." "Naturally he would seek to make an alliance with Atlantis through his son." "Indeed." "But perhaps you have other concerns?" "Would a Queen in love need my counsel?" "You're a wise man, Dion." "And you are, of course, right - Atlantis needs allies, and who better than Aegina?" "Indeed." "And yet..." "I understand." "But you are Queen of Atlantis." "The future of the city rests in your hands." "You must accept." "What is it?" "Areto?" "She's with the Gods now." "What happened?" "The contest can be a hard master." "She wasn't seriously hurt." "I saw." "Sometimes the strain on the heart can be too much." "The amphitheatre is no place for a woman." "Have her taken to the temple." "It was him." "Telemon killed her." "That's ridiculous." "Why would he do that?" "Because she recognised him." "How could he have killed her?" "There wasn't a mark on her." "He might have used a blade." "Then there would be blood!" "Not if it was thin enough." "I've heard it can be done." "You go around accusing a prince of murder, we'll all end up in jail." "He may not even be a prince." "But he is a murderer, I know that much." "Is she not the most beautiful woman you have ever seen?" "We dined together last night." "Yes?" "I do believe she has feelings for me." "And has she accepted your proposal?" "Not in so many words, but I think it is only a matter of time." "I see." "Did you think she might not?" "I, um..." "I don't know." "Ariadne understands her position." "She knows how valuable an alliance between our two great cities would be." "May Poseidon keep him safe." "Come on, Jason!" "Yes!" "Oh, yes!" "Did you see that?" "If he isn't who he says he is, then who is he?" "And what does he want?" "You fought well." "The Gods were kind." "Would you like some help with that?" "I'm fine - thank you." "I thought perhaps you might like to remove your brace." "I wear it for fortune's sake." "And not to cover up a brand from the salt mines?" "No?" "Yes." "I have indeed spent time in Hydra prison." "Why?" "What was your crime?" "Being young - and foolish." "At 18, I ran away from Aegina." "I thought I could make my own way in the world." "Prove to my father I didn't need his help." "I fell in with some people I thought were adventurers, turned out they were more pirates." "They wouldn't brand a prince." "That was my father." "He insisted on no special treatment." "And much as I hated him for it at the time, I've had reason to be grateful since." "This was the making of me." "We only have your word for any of this." "Not so." "I fought in the amphitheatre at Aegina a year ago " "Prince Telemon was at his father's side." "No hard feelings." "I know you act only out of love for your city and your Queen." "Absolutely." "Easy mistake." "(Bow, smile, walk away... walk away)" "It could make sense." "But why hide it?" "A prison brand is not the kind of thing you want everyone to see." "It doesn't add up." "It's not a triangle, Pythagoras - it doesn't have to add up." "Do you trust him?" "No." "No, I don't." "Finally." "But I also know that everyone else does." "As far they're concerned, he's a prince and we - we're just us." "This is my favourite view." "I can see why." "Atlantis truly is a beautiful city." "The last time we spoke, I asked if I was your only suitor." "Yes." "And you did not answer." "I must know if my hopes are futile." "Must?" "I'm not very good at this." "But if I cannot hope... ~ That is not what I said." "~ It's what your silence said." "There is someone." "May I know the name of my rival?" "He is a man I can never marry." "Sometimes the burden of royal blood can be unbearable." "But, given time, these feelings may wane." "And perhaps you could bring yourself to feel the same for another?" "Perhaps." "Come on, Jason." "Aargh!" "Oh, he caught him." "It'll need binding." "The Gods smiled on you." "Ariadne." "You did Atlantis proud." "And my Queen?" "I understand." "No, you don't." "These are difficult times, Jason." "My feelings for you have not changed, but..." "You are Queen." "Yes." "Yes, I am." "If you'll excuse me, the games are not yet over." "I pray with all my heart that you will triumph." "He's a fortunate man." "She must think highly of him to come down here in person." "I don't presume to know the Queen's mind." "Of course." "That's Leonidas there." "Aargh!" "Aargh!" "He's good." "Aargh!" "Aaargh!" "I thought you said he never loses?" "He doesn't." "The Gods were not smiling on you today, Leonidas." "Indeed they weren't." "Leonidas, he never loses." "But today - it was almost as if you had never fought before." "You allowed Telemon to turn you to face the sun - a beginner's mistake." "Left your right side exposed." "You made it easy for him." "He's a good fighter." "But not as good as you." "Not nearly." "~ What happened?" "~ I lost." "You were winning." "Winning one of the most important fights of your life." "I have to go now." "I knew your father." "We competed together many times." "He was an honourable man." "What happened, Leonidas?" "Tell me the truth." "He made it worth my while." "Who?" "Telemon." "Telemon paid you?" "Yes." "How much?" "Enough never to have to compete again." "Why would Telemon need to cheat?" "He's a fine fighter, he might have won anyway." "He couldn't be sure, though, could he?" "Can it really mean that much to him?" "To win a contest so far from home?" "He's not here to win the contest." "He means to gain Ariadne's hand." "All the same..." "And he knows only one man stands in his way." "Jason." "Telemon had to be sure to face him in the final." "So he can kill him." "I gave my word I would compete and that's what I'm going to do." "The city is depending on me." "And that's the only reason?" "This has nothing to do with Ariadne." "You will be walking into a trap." "You don't know that." "You have no proof." "Look what happened to Areto!" "~ She could have got that wound months ago. ~ And Leonidas?" "Just because Telemon paid him off - if, IF that is true, that doesn't mean that he wants to murder me!" "It's the perfect place!" "If you die in the arena, people will say it's the will of the Gods." "No-one would suspect Telemon." "He's a warrior, not a killer." "He just wants to win, like we all do." "No - he wants Ariadne." "And you are the only person who stands in his way." "~ That's completely... ~ He knows how she feels about you, Jason." "With you gone, his path will be clear." "Look, I swore that I would fight for Atlantis!" "And I can't let the people down now." "I won't." "Dion says you wish to see me?" "I thought perhaps we might walk a while?" "I'm afraid I have many affairs of state to attend to tonight." "Of course." "We have spoken of the great benefits an alliance between" "~ our two cities would bring. ~ Indeed." "~ I thought perhaps you might..." "~ That I might give you an answer?" "It is not an insignificant decision." "It is the most important of our lives." "And I will give it all the consideration it deserves." "I know of your feelings towards Jason." "But you both know that union can never be." "This is the fate the Gods have decided for us." "We cannot avoid it, however much we may wish to." "No-one can know their own fate." "You can decide mine." "I will give you my answer tomorrow." "~ So that means...?" "~ It means..." "I shall give you my answer tomorrow." "It's not too late, you can still..." "May Poseidon be with you." "~ Come on, Jason!" "~ Come on, Jason!" "Oh, yes!" "That was unworthy of you." "The idea is to win, is it not?" "You were lucky." "It won't always be that way." "How could I have been so stupid?" "!" "Keep still." "We were all taken in." "You weren't." "You didn't believe him from the start." "I had my suspicions." "You tried to warn me." "Why didn't I listen?" "Because you always think the best of people." "Dion said you would be here." "It can't have been easy to lose like that." "Jason's a fine fighter - there is no shame in losing to such a man." "I hope not." "You promised me I would have your answer today." "Yes, and you shall have it." "You shall." "Prince Telemon..." ".. I would be honoured to accept your proposal." "Are you sure you can trust this man?" "Jason!"