'A great god is Ahuramazda, who created this earth, who created yonder sky, who created man, who created happiness for man'-Darius the Great
---Artaxerxes POV----
A month had passed since the crisis of the gaunaka, and rather than what most expected to happen, which was anything short of a full-blown civil war, the court had been quiet.
The court had since made the trip from Susa to Persepolis, to celebrate the King of King's birthday. The Kings birthday was naturally a grand affair, though not as grand as the Nowruz festival, it was still celebrated widely throughout the empire.
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Artaxerxes sat in the massive Apadana of Persepolis on an elevated terrace with other members of the Achaemenid clan. This included his elder brothers, mother, and various branch family members such as Masistes and Artaynte.
They feasted on the massive cedar table while celebrations were carried out in the main Apadana square. The King sat as per usual, on his towering imperial Takht, surveying those below. If there were any thoughts of the recent events on the king's mind, then he didn't let it show, exuding a calm and composed demeanor.
"How has your training been going brother?" Hystaspes asked, having not seen Artaxerxes in the past few months due to his deployment in Bactria. Finishing what remained on his plate, Artaxerxes responded, "It's been going well brother, I've just been having issues with my swordsmanship."
Though he had gotten some ideas from Themistocles and Dariaios, he hadn't been able to get his head around certain techniques developed by the Achaemenid clan. "Mm, Don't worry brother, We can practice together from now on since I'll be staying in Persepolis for the next few weeks until I'm sent back to Bactria."
"Thank you, brother," Artaxerxes said with a nod
It was the fate for the spare sons of the king to be used as political pawns, if not banished to some far-flung satrapy of the empire in order to calm chances of rebellion.
Suddenly, the blare of bronze horns broke through the festivities, signaling the beginning of the birthday celebrations steeped in tradition. One of which is that -according to proper etiquette- the main wife, Amestris, is allowed to ask for a gift.
As time passed, it was the moment for Amestris to walk before the King's throne and ask for a gift.
Artaxerxes not paying too much mind as to what was going on was daydreaming about how he would slay a lion and the expressions on his brother's faces when they saw his lion hide cloak.
Amestris standing before the King, performed a curtesy as is tradition, and then asked for her gift, "Great King, I only ask for one small gift. It is truly something insignificant in the face of your sovereignty."
Listening to such flattering words, the king listened with a renewed interest as to what his queen desired.
"For my gift, I want Masistes of Bactria's wife dragged before me in chains."
Silence. That's the reaction from the courtiers, servants, nobles, and the Achaemenid clan members. Silence. Too shocked to react.
'Ahuramazda! Mother had this trump card all along?' Artaxerxes thought, overjoyed that his mother was about to get her due justice.
Hystaspes and his other siblings seemed equal as shocked, after all their mother wasn't one for merciless action and usually thought her children to express mercy. Meanwhile, Xerxes was looking a bit constipated, with a feeling of Deja Vue as it was starting to feel like a pattern of being cornered by women.
"Are you certain, my wife?" Xerxes asks, with a glimmer of hope that his wife would backtrack on her earlier request.
"No! By the grace of Ahuramazda, this is my request" Reaffirming her desire for blood, Xerxes could only concede.
"Very well.... Guards! Bring Masistes wife here bound in chains." Xerxes proclaimed. Masistes, still at the dining table ran forwards before the king's Takht, "My King! please reconsider! My wife never committed any sins!"
Perhaps feeling some pity for his brother, a trace of uncertainty appeared on Xerxes' face. "Yes perhaps this is too harsh a request, my King" Spoke out another Achaemenid, no doubt one in Mesistes camp spoke out.
The King, having heard multiple outcries, now had the excuse to retract his offer to Amestis without much cost to his honor, thus he said "Guards! Back to your posts!", the guards who had yet to leave the apadana, heard their king and returned to their positions.
'Damn! Is there anything I can do?' Artaxerxes thought, and after much consideration couldn't think of much, other than appealing for the king to go on with the order, which would most likely be ignored as he was a child and it also seemed the king wasn't keen on chaining his sister in law before his court.
Amestris, frustrated that her request wasn't going to be met, decided that rather than creating any further damage to her husband's reputation, should bide her time a little longer...
With the Queen leaving the Dias before the Takht, the crowd in the Apadana released a sigh of relief, and before long the festivities continued once more.
Artaxerxes, having missed his opportunity to speak with his mother who had left the Apadana shortly after her request was denied, had a sinking feeling in his heart.