GOLDEN FLEECE QUEST:FEASTING WITH KING CYZICUS AGAIN

When Jason and the Argonauts entered the throne room with Princess Iona, they found King Cyzicus sitting on the throne with Queen Megara by his side.

Another magnificent feast was all laid out on tables, surrounded by chairs.

“Greetings all,” Queen Megara said.

“Greetings, your ladyship,” the sailors said together.

They all bowed.

“Now we shall feast,” said King Cyzicus.

“Would you three care to sit with Cyzicus, Iona and myself again?” Megara asked Jason, Heracles and Atalanta.

“I’d love to, your ladyship,” Jason said.

“So would I, your ladyship,” said Heracles.

“And me, your ladyship,” Atalanta said.

The three of them sat with the royal family, while the others sat elsewhere.

“Now then, tell us everything that happened since you were all here last,” said Megara.

Jason started off first.

“Well, your ladyship, after we left, we sailed on to the island of King Amycus. Along the way, a treacherous storm sprang up and drove us twenty miles off course. We lost twenty oars.”

“That does sound bad,” said Megara.

“It was awful, your ladyship,” Heracles said. “But we managed to reach the island.”

“King Amycus, did not give us a warm welcome, your ladyship,” said Atalanta. “He came to the shore with dozens of soldiers, to prevent us from landing.”

“I’m not surprised,” Cyzicus said.

“However, Heracles settled the matter, your lordship,” said Jason. “He saw to it that our needs were met and had Cyzicus tied to the mast.”

Cyzicus, Megara and Iona, all found that most amusing.

“HAH!” Cyzicus said. “Serves him right.”

“So, your lordship, we defeated the soldiers, took on food and water and made new oars,” said Atalanta.

“Then we sailed on, your lordship,” Jason said.

“What became of King Amycus?” asked Iona. “Did you put him ashore?”

“Well, no, princess,” Atalanta replied.

“Jason and I had him thrown into the sea, princess,” said Heracles.

“HAH! Good riddance,” said Cyzicus, who like Megara and Iona, did not disapprove of Heracles’ and Jason’s actions.

“After dealing with Amycus, your lordship, we sailed onto the island of Phineas,” Atalanta said. “We faced rough conditions along the way, but nothing very serious.”

Jason reflected on Phineus’ story for a moment. It moved him to sadness.

“Phineus told me about the decline of his kingdom, your lordship,” he said. “How he was overthrown and taken into exile. It was a sad story to hear.”

“Megara and I knew Phineus,” said Cyzicus. “Iona was a little girl then.”

“Phineus was a very good king,” Megara said.

“Unlike many others,” said Cyzicus.

“Tell us what happened next,” Iona said.

“We sailed onto Colchis, princess,” said Heracles.

“Along the way, another storm sprang upon us, princess,” Atalanta said. “We lost eighteen oars and were driven off course by fifteen miles. It didn’t stop us from reaching Colchis though.”

“When we reached Colchis, we stopped off to make some new oars, princess,” said Jason. “Then we headed for the city of Aea.”

Heracles felt a little awkward about revealing what happened near the city.

“Unfortunately, we had a spot of bother while approaching Aea, princess,” he said.

“What kind of bother?” Megara asked.

“One of the Argonauts started getting very troublesome, your ladyship,” replied Atalanta.

“He’s no longer with us, your ladyship,” Jason said.

“What became of him?” asked Cyzicus.

“I’d better answer that, your lordship,” Heracles said.

“Go on.”

“I er – I cast him overboard, your lordship.”

“I don’t blame you,” said Cyzicus, who wasn’t the least bit surprised.

He certainly didn’t think it unworthy of Heracles and neither did Megara and Iona.

“Unfortunately, we crossed his path again, your

lordship,” Jason said. “But we’ll come to that.”

“So when did you go to the palace?” asked Iona.

“As soon as we reached Aea, princess,” Atalanta replied. “King Aeetes saw us right away.”

“Was Aeetes suspicious about anything?” asked Megara. “Your intentions so to speak?”

“No, your ladyship,” Heracles replied. “We pulled the wool right over the king’s eyes. Feasted we did too.”

“Managed to get the Fleece, did you?” Cyzicus asked.

Although he had no interest in the Fleece, Cyzicus longed to know if the mission had been a success. So did Megara and Iona.

“Indeed we did, your lordship,” replied Jason.

“Well done,” Cyzicus said.

“The credit, I hand to Heracles, your lordship. He’s the one who seized the Fleece.”

Heracles was taken aback.

“Thank you, Jason,” he said.

“How did you manage to get it without being caught?” asked Iona.

“With a little inside help, princess,” Heracles replied. “One of the servants drugged the guards after the king had gone to bed.”

“What happened then?” asked Megara.

“We stayed in the palace overnight, your ladyship,” Atalanta replied.

“I bet Aeetes wasn’t pleased, when he discovered that the Fleece was gone,” said Cyzicus.

“Indeed he was not, your lordship,” Jason said. “Wanted to know if we had anything to do with it, but we pulled the wool right over his eyes again.”

“I take it that you all left after that?” asked Megara.

“Indeed we did, your ladyship,” Atalanta replied. “One of the Colchians came too.”

“One of the Colchians?” asked Cyzicus, who like Iona and Megara, was most surprised.

“That’s right, your lordship,” Heracles replied. “Wanted to get far away from Colchis he did.”

“He’s an Argonaut now, your lordship,” said Jason.

“Interesting,” Iona said.

“Now then, tell us where the Fleece is,” said Cyzicus. “Is it onboard the Argo?”

Jason had been waiting for that moment, waiting to tell the royal family what he had done with the Fleece and the events leading up to it, about Mopsus’ betrayal. It made him feel a little awkward.

“No, your lordship,” he replied. “To tell you the truth, we don’t have it anymore.”

“You don’t, have it?” Megara replied in surprise.

Iona and Cyzicus were equally as surprised.

“The thing is, your ladyship, Aeetes found us out,” replied Atalanta.

“Found out?” Cyzicus asked. “How?”

“The one-time Argonaut that I cast overboard betrayed us after we left, your lordship” replied Heracles. “After finding out the truth, Aeetes came after us with a fleet of twelve war galleys. He threatened to have us sunk to the sea floor by his fleet, if Jason didn’t hand the Fleece back.”

“And did you?” Iona asked.

“No, princess. I cast it into the sea.”

“You cast it into the sea?” asked Cyzicus, who like Megara and Iona, was stunned.

“Yes, your lordship. Right you were about the Fleece. No living mortal has the right to possess it. Now it is out of human reach.”

“What did Aeetes do?” Iona asked.

“He let us go and headed back to Colchis, your ladyship” replied Atalanta. “With the Fleece gone, he had nothing to fight for.”

“You’re a very clever man, Jason,” Cyzicus said. “Clever and cunning. You did exactly what I would have done.”

The king was most impressed, as were Iona and Megara.

“So what happened next?” asked Megara.

“We visited Phineus again, your ladyship,” Heracles replied. “While we were there, Helios was trained a little how to fight.”

“Picked it up real fast he did too, your ladyship,” said

Atalanta. “After all, he witnessed countless fights at the palace, so he knows every move.”

“Fight with us he will, when we return to Thessaly, your ladyship,” Jason said. “Fight with us he will, when we overthrow Pelias and hand back the kingdom to my parents.”

“After visiting Phineus again, we stopped off at the island of the one-time King Amycus, then came here, your ladyship,” said Atalanta.

“Conditions weren’t always perfect along the way, your ladyship,” Heracles said. “We were engulfed in fog and had to stop for two days. But we made it without being driven off course. Now here we are, dining again in this magnificent throne room.”

With that, Jason, Heracles and Atalanta, finished their story.

All three members of the royal family, were very impressed. It was the greatest story they had ever heard.

“A most fascinating story,” said Iona.

“We’ve never heard any other like it,” Megara said.

“It shall be passed down from generation to generation in this kingdom,” said Cyzicus.

“You, Jason, shall be known as the captain, who saved his ship and crew from a Colchian fleet,” Iona said.

“By casting the Golden Fleece into the sea,” said Megara.

“I thank your lord and ladyship and you, princess,” Jason said.

The feast was finished by the time Jason, Atalanta and Heracles had finished their story.

“And now, Jason, you and the Argonauts will stay here for the night,” said Cyzicus.

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