“The election is the day after tomorrow,” Narsus said as he and Ava walked home from training.

Ava sighed in exasperation. “Please don't talk to me about the stupid election.”

“But you're running, aren't you?” Narsus asked curiously.

“I never put my name forward,” Ava replied. “My master, Delynqis, did it for me.” She shrugged and added, “I'm not going to worry about it. It's not like I have a chance of winning.”

“You sure about that?” Narsus asked with a smile. “I hear one of the veteran politicians has been doing his best to smear your reputation. If he didn't think you had a chance, I doubt he'd waste his time attacking you.”

“How am I suitable for the position?!” Ava asked hotly. “What do people see in me that makes them think I'd be a good consul? I can kill monsters, sure, I can pour wine and clean your house, fine; that doesn't mean I can lead a city!” She stopped and took a deep breath. “Sorry, I really shouldn't take it out on you.”

“That's what I'm here for,” Narsus replied, gently putting his hand on her shoulder.

Ava smiled. “But you'd better not vote for me,” she said sternly.

“I can't promise that.”

“You'd vote for me just because I'm your friend?”

“No, I'd vote for you because I think you'd be a great consul.”

“Well, if I win, I'll try my best. That's all I can promise.”

The two of them arrived at a crowded market square. As they passed through the throng of people, Ava got the uncomfortable feeling that she was being watched. Glancing around, she saw heads turning to look at her from all sides as people recognized Athens' hero. She sighed in irritation and quickened her pace.

“Down with the false hero!”

Ava stopped and turned in shock. She had expected the usual over-the-top cheering, but the cry against her caught her completely off-guard.

The first shout was followed by a second. “Where is the praise for the fallen? Have you forgotten your brothers and sisters, your sons and daughters, who gave their lives for our city?”

Even as more voices took up the cry, “down with the false hero!”, a clear voice called out, “Ava for consul!”

Ava recognized it as the voice of her own master Delynqis, who stood atop a wooden barrel, drumming up support for her. Ava put her face in her hands as more and more shouts of support joined her master's, until the whole marketplace resounded with the cries of the rival factions.

“Ava for consul!”

“Down with the false hero!”

“The savior of Athens! Hero of Athena!”

“She will bring great misfortune to our city!”

“All hail the hero of Athens!”

“Where is the praise for the fallen?!”

The crowd began to divide itself in two, forming opposing groups on either side of the marketplace. The shouting continued as the two sides glared at each other. Ava watched the proceedings in disbelief.

“You've got to do something,” Narsus said quietly, “this is getting ridiculous.”

“None of these fools have ever listened to me before,” she muttered angrily, “you expect them to now?”

A shout like a war-cry came from one side as a man, wielding a short wooden staff, charged at the opposition. Even as Delynqis desperately shouted for them to stop, both sides charged at one another and devolved into a massive brawl. Ava watched in horror, unable to believe the insanity playing out before her. But as much as she wanted to get as far away from this madness as possible, she knew she couldn't just stand by.

“Stop fighting, you lunatics!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Having momentarily gained some of the crowd's attention, she continued loudly. “When the monsters threatened to destroy our city, we stood together, shoulder to shoulder. We are all Athenians who love our city.”

“We love our city!” a man screamed. “And we'll never let a tyrant like you lead us to destruction!”

“Kill her!” another man shouted. “Kill her now!”

Half a dozen men shoved their way through the brawl and charged towards her, drawing daggers from their belts. Unable to restrain her disgust, Ava spat in their direction.

“If I were the monster you think I am, I'd kill you all where you stood.”

With that, she and Narsus turned and fled, outrunning their pursuers and losing them completely after turning a few corners. They came at last to Ava's house where they stopped and sat down, breathing heavily. Ava let out a long, frustrated sigh, covering her face with her hands. After a few moments of silence, she burst out, “what did I do wrong?”

“You've done nothing,” Narsus replied quietly. “This is clearly none of your fault.”

“No!” she snapped, “it's my fault for playing along, for not being honest. Everyone thinks I want to be consul but I don't! If I'd made that clear-”

“Excuse me!”

Ava looked up to see a wiry young man approaching.

“This is the home of Ava, the hero, is it not?” he asked.

“That's me,” Ava said, somewhat hesitantly.

“I bring a message from Alydynes,” the man said. “He wishes to speak with you as soon as possible.”

* * *

“It was not my supporters, but yours', who started the violence!” Ava shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at Aelyros. “Not only that, but some of your supporters even tried to kill me!”

“I am not responsible for their behavior,” Aelyros replied levelly, “and I hope they are brought to justice.”

“When I am consul,” Ava said, looking around at the crowd surrounding her, “I will bring order to this city!”

Her supporters cheered wildly.

“Our city will be as one,” she continued fiercely, “united against the world as the greatest power of our age. Those who would spread dissension,” she fixed her gaze upon Aelyros, “those who would seek to divide us, will not be tolerated.”

This brought a cacophony of shouts and jeers from Aelyros' supporters.

“You want to be queen of Athens, then?” one woman shouted. “A tyrant!”

“And what if, by the will of the people of Athens, I did become queen?” Ava replied, smiling. “As queen, I would be a stronger and  fairer ruler than any consul before me. My means would certainly be more honorable than those of the snake who opposes me.” Again, she looked pointedly at Aelyros.

She turned and strode away through the crowd, one half cheering her, the other berating her. Once free of the crowd, Ava found a secluded alleyway, where she began giggling to herself.

“Patience, patience,” she whispered, “it's almost time.”

She spread her arms and, in an instant, she was no longer Ava but a raven, flying up to perch on a rooftop. She looked out across the city, her small black eyes glinting in the sunlight.

“It's all very fun to plot and scheme,” the raven chuckled to itself, “but now, the hard work is all done and the show is about to begin. And what a show it shall be. A pity Athena isn't here to witness it, but I'll love seeing her face when she returns to discover what's happened to her city.”

The raven let out a cackle of glee.

“I can just picture it. Oh, this is going to be incredible!”