Achilles nods his understanding. It doesn’t seem like something Medea would bother lying about, and Hermes can always check in on King Aegeus, if he doesn’t already know his character. Athens itself can also attest to the quality of its ruler.

“I would not ask the king of Athens to entertain my daughter,” he says with his own brief smile and a quiet laugh. Though if Lyra has half a chance, he can imagine she’ll hound him with questions. She’s certainly not shy about that.

“And what about your sons? Are they still about?” Given Medea’s experience with men, he can’t imagine she would raise brutes, but parents can also be blind to their children’s shortcomings.