Author's Note

First off, I just want to thank everyone who reviewed. I've never actually finished a story -- whoops -- and I probably would have abandoned this one too if it hadn't been for you guys. Thanks for your encouragement and your criticism, but mostly, just thanks for reading. I've read all of your reviews, epically the ones about my ending, and while I don't always agree with you all, I do thank you for telling me what you thought.

However, I must say I have been slightly baffled by some of your reviews. Everybody wanted a happy ending. But I don't see how that was even possible!

The problem everyone seem to have was with Timon and Lena not ending up together. I have decided to explain my rationale to you in hopes you will forgive me for the lack of happy endings and continue to review my stories.

Here goes...

For Timon to stay with Lena, it would be like his father and Cadmus and all his people had never died. For him to stay with her and not go off and try to find support for his cause would be unbearably weak. Timon has grown up in this story, folks -- he's no longer the selfish, self-indulging little boy. He's had his heart broken and now seen what happens when you don't take diplomacy seriously. The little boy now wants to be a Prince, and what Prince would allow his palace to go up in flames and not do anything about it? I know what you're saying - "Lena's family was killed and she still stayed with Timon" -- but Timon didn't directly do anything to Lena's family. Maybe in her heart she was able to separate him from his father's action. Plus, Lena's lived out her revenge, in fantastic form. She's done what she needed to do. Now would be her time for self-indulgence in allowing herself to stay with Timon - but for Timon, his struggles are only just beginning. To ignore his responsibility to his father and his people would be selfish, and personally, I could not respect him for it. So that brings me to the conclusion that Timon HAD to go to Athens, to at least try.

As for Lena, I suppose some of you are thinking, 'okay, well if Timon had to go, why couldn't Lena go with him?" And my answer, brutal as it might be, is this: because things just don't work like that. Lena has finally established roots here, with Philo, even if she doesn't really love him. It provides a home for Nikkias, something that was very important to Lena. Lena may resent her family and her lot in life, but she's been through a lot with Alceaus and Nikkias. She's already lost her parents -- I don't think she could bear to lose her brothers too. Plus, do you really think Lena could go with Timon as he tried to gain support for his father? She was the one who got rid of his father! Why would she go with Timon and watch him try to undo what she did?

Some people said, make an epilogue. Show when Timon comes back for her. If he does, indeed, come back for her. I'm sorry, but I don't see how that's happy either! Timon comes home from Athens, either victorious or defeated -- and I can't decide which one I prefer -- and takes her away from Philo, from the children they probably have, and the life she's created in his absence? I'm sorry, that's still not a happy ending, haha.

So in the end, I apologize for making a story without a happy ending. After reading some of the reviews, I did feel I needed to explain myself a bit. I hope this cleared everything up. I, for one, am happy with my ending.

If you liked this story, I have several more up that you might also like -- Yellow Ribbons, which is, essentially, a ghost story, and Bloody Mary, the story of Queen Mary I. (Please forgive my shameless self-promoting) If neither of those two are to your liking, I am in the midst of creating a new story, similar to this one. It is as of yet untitled and the plot is still pretty shady, but it will involve an Irish girl and English boy, caught on different sides of a war. Keep a look out for it!