He frowned down upon her, suspecting what she was about to ask.
“Speak!” he said.
“O brother, the Prince of Iran has begged me to remind you that our father, Cyrus, promised me to him in marriage. He requests that you now send me to him as his wife.”
A smile of disdain curved the heavy lips of the King. This was the first time his proud sister had ever bent her knee or presented a petition to him. He gloated a moment over her in silence, seeking words that might assure her once for all of the hopelessness of her request.
“Impossible!” he ejaculated. “I come to you with a message from the gods. His request cannot be granted now or ever. There is no one fit to mate with one of our family. Therefore it remains that we, you and I, you two and I—that we intermarry, so that the throne of our fathers may continue to be filled with the race of Cyrus!”
Artistone gasped in astonishment. Athura rose to her feet, shocked and amazed. Her eyes searched the evil, leering face of her brother, to ascertain whether he were crazed or drunk.
“Are you demented?” she gasped. “Marry your sisters? Never since Aryans lived has it been permitted! Death will be preferable! Are you in earnest? Or is it a horrible joke?”
“Never have I been more in earnest, my beautiful sister!” answered Cambyses, mockingly. “Am I not King? Is not my decree above all law and custom? I tell you that presently I will issue my decree making it lawful for the King of the World to marry even his sister! I shall marry you, Athura! I will bend your proud spirit to my will. You, Artistone, shall be my wife. You shall be my chief wife, my queen. If either of you refuse, a bowstring will be your portion. My other wives shall be subject to you, except as I command. I have spoken. It shall be so!”
He turned on his heel and stalked back towards the palace, while his sisters stood as if rooted to the earth staring at his receding form. He turned after going a dozen paces.
“Write no more messages to that Darius,” he said to Athura. “I shall send a bowstring to him if you do so. The world is not large enough to contain him and me at the same time. I have spoken!”