Leo of Hyperion was three and fifty twelvemonths old and five feet and nine inches in height. He was a large, swarthy man with a handsome face, brown eyes, greying-brown hair and a voice as pleasant as Acinonyx's. His attire consisted of a white tunic, a purple kilt with orange tassels that went down to his ankles, a purple cloak with orange tassels that went down to his elbows, a bronze dome-shaped crown, a pair of gold earrings and a pair of yellow, pointed shoes.
Sitting upon his throne in the red-columned throne room with his white maneless lion Priam by his side, Leo stared at Falco's party. He may have invited them back to Hyperion, but now he had to decide what to do with them. A few times he looked over at his sons, Pardus and Acinonyx, and then looked at the women they had brought back: exotic women. Immediately, a lustful look came over his eyes. They could have been all his, but the fact was that Pardus had been rendered impotent while Acinonyx had not, to Leo's knowledge, produced any children yet.
He had heard everything and now he was mulling over what to do. Aether was no more a rival trade center was gone and yet here were some Aethereans and a man from the Ulgen Khanate. What was he to do with them? One of them was the rightful husband of the woman Acinonyx had abducted and this man was also the son of his late rival Tigris, while one of the captive women was Tigris' daughter. Kill his late rival's son, so his own son could marry the widow, and marry off his late rival's daughter to someone amongst the nobility here in Hyperion, what a wonderful idea.
But what about the others? Falco would be put to death, Eithne married off to whoever and Rowena married to Acinonyx, but what about the rest? Looking to Taurus Minor, High Priest of the Earth Bull, Leo then thought of his own High Priest of the Earth Bull here in Hyperion, a man who was weak, conniving, incompetent and a schemer, while here was someone that must have been strong and loyal!
Leo then turned his attention to Pasiphae, one of the captive women who was Taurus' sister. She could be his new queen and no doubt her brother would want an advantageous marriage for her.
Smiling to himself, Leo looked once more to Taurus and said, his voice a rich baritone: "Taurus, I wish to make your sister my queen and I have an offer for you. The High Priest of the Earth Bull here in Hyperion needs replacing, will you take his place?"
Everyone who knew Taurus knew he would never take such an offer. He hated foreigners and immigrants to the point that one of his plans for when he took the throne of Aether was to kill all the men and boys descended from immigrants, while the women and girls were kept alive to be married to men of the native populace. He would never serve a foreign ruler.
It was for that reason, that no one ever would have expected Taurus to say: "I accept the offer." It was completely unexpected and yet, it made sense. With no more Aether, Taurus had to think about his place in the world and an offer such as Leo's would immediately get him back to the position he had been in on Aether. Nothing changed for him, he would still be the High Priest of the Earth Bull, only in a city state on the mainland. Likewise, his clergymen who had followed him, Minos and Sarpedon, would still be priests of the Earth Bull.
"Excellent!" exclaimed Leo, clasping his hands together. "Is there anything you would like to lay claim to?"
"To Rowena in the event of Acinonyx's death." Stated Taurus, quite matter-of-factly. "I slew her bridegroom and her paterfamilias a twelvemonth ago and, to my thinking, the readiest approach to make the wench amends is to become her bridegroom and her paterfamilias."
Falco watched as his sister Eithne grew jealous. What did she have to be envious about?
Nodding his head, Leo said: "Your claim is acknowledged and in the event of Acinonyx's death, Rowena will be married to you. I could always have him executed if you'd like, once Rowena has produced enough grandsons for me, of course, say... Two?"
Upon hearing this, Acinonyx glared at his paterfamilias. He was the Crown Prince of Hyperion and this was how he was treated?
"Oh, my king, I would aim for a higher number than that!" exclaimed Taurus. "But, not too high. I don't want to be waiting forever. I want her while she is still young."
"Three then!" laughed Leo, clapping his hands together. "Three grandsons and then Rowena shall be yours!"
Falco watched with astonished eyes as Taurus bowed and said: "Thank you, Divine Leo." Was this truly Taurus Minor? He was acting so differently than he had on Aether. "Now, my king, I must make an inquiry."
"Make it then, Taurus. You have full leave to speak, even though we are not yet related."
"What will happen to Falco here?" The High Priest of the Earth Bull gestured to the Last Divine Deucalion of Aether, who glared at his treacherous former countrymen. Even the caracal Kenneth glared as he stood by his master, staring up at the golden bull mask that hid Taurus' face. "I know Rowena must be made a widow, but how shall Falco die?"
"No inquiries about the others?" asked Leo, his eyebrow raised.
"Falco is the highest priority." Replied Taurus. "Are sacrifices to the Earth Bull still performed here?"
Smiling most sinisterly, Leo stated: "They are."
Falco could imagine a smile forming upon Taurus' countenance. Imagine? No. He could see it, his face may have been obscured by the mask, but he could see the smile just the same.
"I am most please, my king." Said Taurus. "I will enjoy seeing Falco and the rest of his companions gored to death."
Had his sword not been taken from him, Falco could have slain Taurus right there. Holding his tongue, he waited for his turn to speak.
"Most of his companions will be." Stated Leo, now scratching his chin. "The ambassador from the Ulgen Khanate will have to be spared. Sacrificing such an individual could result in Hyperion no longer being a member of the Cambyses Empire and at the mercy of the Commodian Republic." Looking at Kenneth, he then uttered: "I can't imagine what anyone would want with a thing such as that. A caracal! A lesser cat! I'm surprised Tigris didn't die of shame upon learning his son had been born under the sign of the caracal. A stronger man would have had such a child exposed."
"My father was a better man, a better monarch and a better paterfamilias than you could ever hope to be." Commented Falco, crossing his arms as he stared into the brown eyes of the Hyperionite Monarch. "He was a stronger man than you by far, only the weak kill children."
"I am was born under the sign of the lion!" roared Leo, bringing his fists down onto the arms of his throne. "I have ruled Hyperion for one and thirty twelvemonths, succeeding my paterfamilias, who succeeded his paterfamilias, my grandfather, whom founded this city! I am not weak! True monarchs, people who were born to rule, are not weak! Monarchs whose families were not originally royal families are not true monarchs! It is you who are weak! You, Falco, son of Tigris! You! You! You!" By the end of his rant, the Hyperionite King was standing upon his throne pounding his right foot.
With a rather blank expression, Falco asked: "Leo, have you been drinking?"
There was very little chuckling. What little there was soon ceased when Priam sat up and growled. Black-eared Kenneth's response was to hiss at the larger feline, to which the maneless white lion responded by glaring at the caracal. Those who did not laugh, could not help but grin, even Acinonyx grinned as well. Falco could only wonder what the relationship between Leo and Acinonyx was like, but he was starting to form an idea.
Sitting back down, Leo removed his crown and ran a hand through his hair. Averting his eyes so he did not have to look at Falco, the Hyperionite Monarch breathed in and out for a few moments, before asking: "Pardus?"
"Father?", asked Pardus, his voice raspy and deep-throated.
"Come here."
"Yeth, father." Falco watched as Pardus walked across the throne room to his paterfamilias. He had a fair complexion with curly brown hair and eyes of the same colour. His bearded face was noble in appearance and he was overall a handsome man, six and twenty twelvemonths old and six feet and three inches in height. His attire consisted of a red band with a yellow border of cloth about his forehead, a red cloak, a red and yellow striped kilt with tassels at the ends, a pair of gold earrings and bracelets and a pair of sandals. He was swift in his moments, much like his panther Hector. The moment Leo began whispering something to his elder son, his favourite, Falco grew tense. What was the Hyperionite Monarch whispering to his son? Looking over to Rowena, her stared deeply into her reddish-brown eyes and she equally so into his mismatched eyes. Was this to be the last time they would see each other? They hoped not. This could not have been how it ended, but yet the Crone of Fate could be fell. The moment Pardus exclaimed "It will be done, father!" the gaze between the Last Divine Deucalion of Aether and the Last Queen of Aether was broken. "Acinonyx, take your bride to your quarterth. Tauruth, Athcaniuth, will take you and your priethtth to the Fane of the Earth Bull. As for you guardth, take the women to their rethpective quarterth. Ath for you, Falco, you and your companionth will be accompanying me to where you will be awaiting your execution."
The Lisping Prince stared down at Falco, a mean expression in his eye. Falco did not look Pardus in the eye, but instead knelt down and said to Kenneth: "Go with, Rowena. You will be safer with her than with me awaiting to be sacrificed to the Earth Bull."
Obediently, Kenneth walked over to Rowena. When Paris, Acinonyx's cheetah, growled at him, the caracal merely growled back before accompanying Rowena.
As he stood back up, the Last Divine Deucalion of Aether stared Pardus in the eye and said: "Alright, Pardus, escort me and my companions."
When everyone was taken to their respective locations, Buri alone was left in the throne room with Leo. The man from a land even farther east could do nothing but glare at Leo as he inquired: "And what of me, Great Lion of Hyperion?"
"You, my foreign friend, are now the guest of a real monarch." Replied Leo as he placed his crown back upon his head.
"I know real monarchs, sir." Stated Buri, his blue eyes daggers. "My khan is a real monarch, Falco is a real monarch, Tigris was a real monarch. You, sir, are a vile mockery of a monarch!"
Returning the foreigner's glare, Leo stood up and gestured for Priam to follow him. Taking a moment to look over Buri with his reddish-blond hair, blue eyes and white skin, Leo could not help but think how odd this man from the Ulgen Khanate looked. Hair, eyes and skin of such colours among people that far east? How was such a thing possible? Shaking his head, Leo looked at Priam and said: "Come!" Thus, did the King and his maneless lion depart, leaving the Man from the Eastern Steppes, among whose nomadic people intermarriage with neighbouring tribes was common.