Truth and Sparta (26 page)

Chara stepped
into the tiny room, which was obviously a family living quarters. A
woman was there with her two children—a girl around eight and a boy
around ten. There were no signs of a man living there.

“
You are the one the Spartans have been all in a huff about?”
the woman asked.

“
Yes,” Chara responded.

“
And now they have you wandering the streets?”

“
Yes,” Chara confirmed. “I am to marry one of them.” Chara saw
no reason to hide the outcome for her.

“
So I have heard. I suppose it’s better than dying.”

Chara wasn’t
absolutely convinced on that account.

“
Never thought I would see the day when one of them marries one
of us. A strange form of punishment,” the woman said. “My name is
Albia. I clean the streets.”

“
Chara.” I annoy the Spartans, she said silently in her
head.

“
I suppose they are that desperate for women to marry
now.”

“
I think they just want to keep an eye on me.”

“
A very close eye apparently. Will things get better now?”
Albia asked.

“
Yes, somewhat.” Chara looked at the little boy who was playing
with two sticks and a ball made of wrapped grass. He had the chance
to be a free man one day. It would take years of training and
servitude as a soldier, but he had that option. And they couldn’t
kill him with impunity anymore. He was definitely much safer now,
unless the King reneged on his agreement, but she knew the Spartans
held their word as sacred. Except Nicias, whose promise to protect
her was something he’d shed.

“
Are you hungry?” the woman asked. Chara was. She didn’t want
to impose on this woman who obviously had very limited means, but
she was starving and she didn’t have any other way of finding a
meal.

“
Yes,” she admitted and sat down where she was asked to. The
woman started making some bread and Chara watched, reminded of her
own mother far away in Attica with her precious little girl. Chara
felt sorrow fill her as she desperately wanted to be with her girl.
This woman might not have much, but she had her children, which
made her lucky. She looked over again at the little boy playing, he
had a much better future for himself and his children now—and that
made Chara’s sacrifice easier to bear. Chara would have her own
children again—Spartan children. She had very mixed emotions about
the idea, but she would have children to love no matter how their
father regarded her. Her family would still be separated
through.

Her mind
returned to Nicias. She wanted him to understand why she’d done
what she did. He would never truly understand unless he knew about
Elphia—it would never make sense otherwise, but she was afraid to
take any chances when it came to the little girl she valued above
all else in the world. But then his father knew and he had
obviously told the King—but not his own son. She had to wonder at
his motives for not telling Nicias.

The woman
placed some bread in front of her and Chara thanked her. She felt a
lump in her throat when she thought of the generosity of this
woman, giving her bread when she probably had very little to give.
Chara swore that she would compensate this woman for her generosity
if she ever had the means and opportunity. She felt such pride in
her own people, of which this woman was a perfect example. They
helped each other at all costs and Chara knew that she’d done the
right thing.

Nicias didn’t
know where she was, she’d been swallowed up by the city and he had
no idea where she stayed—no one did. He couldn’t ask, but neither
did he hear anyone speaking of her whereabouts. She hadn’t passed
through the gates so she was still here somewhere. As much as he
hated it, he felt uncomfortable not knowing where she was.

She wasn’t to
be killed and he wasn’t entirely sure why, but her new punishment
left him with little peace. He wondered how she saw her punishment,
whether married to a Spartan was a severe punishment in her mind.
He obviously could not marry her, his reputation was damaged enough
as it is; marrying her would only further reveal his foolishness
and the influence this woman had on him. He knew this, his father
knew this, but there was still that part of him that was curious as
to why she’d come here seeking him to marry her.

She’d come to
apologize or so she said. She hadn’t technically suggested that he
marry her, but neither had she denied it being her intention. He
couldn’t understand why she would want to after she so viciously
deceived him, or perhaps her opinion of his was so low, she
believed that he had no pride left. He should put his head down and
let this pass. Actually he should leave for his father’s estate and
not come back until it was required of him. But he just couldn’t do
it.

He knew the
sweetness she was capable of and the idea that she would give that
to another man was uncomfortable—not that the sweetness had been
true or genuine. It had been false, but it had still been the best
days of his life and he would mourn them. His future had been one
he’d looked forward to. That wasn’t entirely true, he had to remind
himself, he’d been cognizant that she would grow resentful over the
years as her children were taken by the state. It had been far from
ideal, but he still had fondness for their time together and he
knew it would never truly leave him.

Her resentment
would not happen now, her husband would offer her children—Spartan
sons to raise and to pride over. And she would forget him, look
down on the lesser offer he’d put to her.

He still
wanted to know why she had come to him with her proposal because
there was something in him that needed to know her motives.

Chara came to
live with another family. They also had very little to share, but
they were generous in sharing what they had. The man had grown up
to be a companion to a Spartan soldier who had fallen in one of
their battles. He’d sought employment with other Spartan families,
but he was struggling to support himself and his family.

They had
discussed him taking Chara’s father’s farm as no one was tending
the fields and there was no reason why he couldn’t take it over.
She told him to seek out Panos and that he would show them
everything they needed to know.

Chara knew he
would struggle as he knew very little about farming, but he would
learn and Panos would be there to teach him.

She helped
them pack. They could take little more than what they could carry
on their backs, but they didn’t see any reason to wait further. She
watched as they walked out of the city toward a different life and
a new purpose. Now that the Helots could walk about without fear of
being struck down by a Spartan without any reason, it would likely
be a good life for them—one she could easily see for herself. But
that wasn’t to be her life; she was to marry a Spartan.

She had no
idea of what that would entail exactly; Nicias was the only Spartan
she had ever known. She recalled the rage in him and his hatred for
her. She supposed from his perspective she could not blame him;
she’d deceived him and she’d at the same time welcomed his
presence. He’d been the calm in the storm around her—not a role he
had known of or would have agreed to play if he’d had known. She’d
always had the intention of leaving without word; just disappearing
one day—which she knew was an awful thing to do. She couldn’t blame
him for his anger; she had taken from him with no intention of
returning. Perhaps they had wounds and intentions that would never
leave them in peace and would make it impossible for them to return
to a state where they existed well together. He was right, it had
been false, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t wanted it to be
true—circumstances were so that they couldn’t be.

Chara sat in
the empty room of the family she had just sent to her own farm—a
step that signified that she knew there was no going back for any
of them. She would be in a marriage—in whatever state that marriage
would end up—and her parents would be in Attica raising her child.
It was a good outcome, she should be happy. She could have a cruel
husband, but it was still a good ending. She had been prepared to
die; she should equally be prepared for an unhappy marriage.

It was time, a
week had passed. She’d spent the last few days of it alone in the
room vacated by the family that now lived in her old cottage. She
had no idea what the day would bring. She would be in some man’s
bed tonight. She didn’t dare think of the future, her stomach was
wavering enough as it was. She couldn’t afford to have hope because
the one thing she’d learnt was that hope hurt. She also wasn’t
entirely convinced that this wasn’t a trick. Spartans held their
words as sacred, but they were much more fluid on the concept when
it came to Helots.

She walked
into the square. Her tunic had been washed and so had she. She must
have looked significantly worse last time, having been dragged
through the countryside and starved of both food and water. Men
were streaming into the Assembly, not as many as last time, but
still numerous. She wondered why they would come as it was not a
normal sitting. Perhaps they were just seeking the spectacle of the
day.

King
Pleistoanax wasn’t there yet so Chara stood in the center keeping
her eyes on the marble floor by her feet. The noise from
discussions was loud around her as she patiently waited. She had a
look around to see if she could see Nicias, but a search of all the
faces revealed his absence. She felt her chest tighten with
disappointment, she still had hope that he would come and that he
would claim her. A marriage to Nicias would be tolerable, more than
tolerable, it could be perfect, but he was too angry and hurt by
her actions.

King
Pleistoanax arrived and seated himself at the elevated platform
along the back wall.

“
So have you gotten someone to agree to marry you?” he asked
directly without bothering to address the Assembly or the reason
why there were there. Chara noted that the Spartans didn’t bother
with relaying the obvious and proceed to the crux of the
matter.

He looked her
over and Chara held herself under the scrutiny. She had no idea
what he saw in her when he did so. She didn’t perceive hate
emanating from him, but there wasn’t kindness either, perhaps just
curiosity.

“
Who will stand for this woman?” he said to the Assembly. It
grew even deeper silence; the noises from the market place could be
heard echoing through the walls. Chara looked around the faces that
were all searching to see if anyone indicated claim to
her.

Nicias sat in
the back. He wasn’t going to be there, but he couldn’t stay away.
He couldn’t leave without knowing her fate. His father had been
angry with him, urging for him to leave and was even now staring
daggers into him, but Nicias refused to acknowledge him.

She looked
beautiful and slight standing in the middle of the hall. He didn’t
know where she’d been; he’d gone for walks with the excuse of
exercising some restlessness, but he had really been looking for
her, just to know that she was fine. And now here she was and he
still wanted to know where she’d been even though it didn’t matter
now.

She would be
someone’s wife a few short moments away. King Pleistoanax would
pick a man in this room and there was part of him that would be
really relieved if the man would pick him—to force the issue out of
his own hands, but he knew that the king would not due to the past
between them. The only way he would have her was if he volunteered,
an action that would go again his own pride, the will of his father
and the future of his own reputation amongst his peers.

All he’d
wanted was a simple girl who would warm his bed and keep by his
side. Actually, he’d wanted a wife, but none were available.
Although through a twist in fate, in the maniacal and spiteful ways
of the fates themselves, he had been presented with the opportunity
to have one, but at a cost—a severe cost.

“
I see,” Pleistoanax said. “No one is volunteering. It is not a
surprise; you could make for a uniquely troublesome
wife.”

The crowd
laughed and Chara reddened at the amusement they were having at her
expense.

He hated that
he could read her emotions, she had so little ability to hide them,
unless her accomplishment as a liar went so far as to blush. He had
been utterly convinced by her, by her welcome of him and he
suffered in its absence. He still wanted to know what of it had
been real if any of it. Try as he might, he just couldn’t bring
himself to believe that it had all been false. He had told himself
a thousand times that she was a liar and a schemer, but there was
still something in him that needed to know something of it had been
true.

He needed to
know, but he was running out of time. She was about to become
another man’s wife and to forever be lost to him. Pleistoanax was
surveying the audience.

“
I have given some consideration to this,” the King said from
his seat.

Nicias looked
around and saw the warning look from his father. His father was
worried, and he instantaneously wondered and realized that his
father feared he would claim her. Now was the only chance he would
ever have to claim her. No matter how angry he was with her now, he
knew in his gut that his anger might fade, but his chance to have
her would never come again. Not only her, it was his only chance to
have a wife and he was giving it up because he was angry.

“
Wait,” he said and rose. His father hissed at him to sit down
and Nicias turned to survey his father, whose pride would condemn
him to lifelong bachelorhood.