Truth and Sparta (27 page)

Chara’s
attention came to him as well. Her eyes were large and her mouth
was open slightly with surprise.

“
Is there something you want to say, Nicias?”

He hadn’t
actually thought of what to say next, he’d only reacted on
instinct. He took a moment to form the words in his head.

“
I started this journey, it is only right that I finish it. I
will claim her.” He wasn’t entirely sure what that meant, but it
sounded tolerable. He was in essence partially claiming
responsibility for her and his failure to avert the damage she’d
done. Taking responsibility was an excuse, deferring to a value
held in high esteem. It didn’t reflect his true thoughts or
intentions, but it was a reasonable excuse for the actions he now
undertaken.

Murmurs broke
out across the hall.

“
Noble sentiments, Nicias,” Pleistoanax said. Nicias was
grateful that the King decided to embrace the way he’d spoken of
his intentions; he could after all have focused on Nicias’ failure
to uncover her activities sooner. He could have dismissed him
completely. “Then we have a volunteer.”

Nicias’ head
was screaming at him to consider the consequences for what he’d
just done, he would lose his ties with his father and gain a wife
with nowhere to take. It might not be the wisest thing to do, but
on reflection he didn’t regret it. He might have made the worst
decision of his life, but for now he was more relieved than he
would have thought possible. She was his.

Chara watched
with shock and amazement when Nicias stood up. She couldn’t quite
believe it, but she was extraordinarily happy. Her eyes followed
him as he came down from his seat to the main floor. They were
going to be together. Hope flared in her chest as air filled her
lungs, she’d been holding her breath throughout.

She wasn’t
sure why he’d forgiven her, but she was grateful. Then it occurred
to her that he didn’t know about Elphia and she did not want to
start her marriage with a lie. But there was a good chance that he
would reject her again after she told him. It was a big secret and
she just couldn’t go into a union with such a large deception. If
she was as heartless as she’d been accused of being she would keep
her mouth shut and let this pass, then tell him when they were
married. After all the things she’d done, he deserved the
truth.

“
There is something you need to know before we proceed,” she
said quietly when he got near enough to hear her.

The look he
gave her was of accusation and disbelief. “Do not tell me there is
more deception that you need to reveal,” he warned.

“
Just one thing,” she said putting her hand up indicating to
King Pleistoanax that they needed a moment.

“
And you think now is the time to reveal it, in front of the
entire Assembly?” he hissed quietly as to made sure their
conversation was in essence private.

“
I don’t want to enter this marriage with lies.”

“
You seemed little concerned about lies before.”

“
That’s not true, I just had to,” she defended
herself.

“
Is there a problem?” King Pleistoanax asked with a raised
eyebrow.

“
We just need a moment of discussion to ensure this is the
right decision,” Chara said.

“
It is the only decision girl, you will marry today,”
Pleistoanax warned.

Chara nodded
in acknowledgement of the statement. “If we could only have a
moment.”

Pleistoanax
gauged her then gave a short nod with annoyance. “The bride must do
some bargaining, it appears.” The crowd laughed and Chara faced a
very annoyed Nicias.

“
We will have words in private,” Chara said. Pleistoanax
narrowed his eyes, but didn’t argue.

Chara started
to walk toward the entrance of the hall where the alcove was and
Nicias grudgingly followed. Chara stood and waited in the alcove
for Nicias to join her. She could hear King Pleistoanax talking to
the crowd and them laughing in return—no doubt at her expense.

“
What is it that you must tell me?” he said with his hands on
his hips. Chara could see that he was on guard and it may well be
that she would end up marrying someone else because of this, but
she wanted her marriage to be authentic without secrets. If that
killed the prospects of it with him, then that was just a risk she
had to take.

“
When I was with child,” she started feeling Nicias eyes
studying her, “the child didn’t die.”

She heard
Nicias exhale in anger. “Not some small lie—this is rather
significant. To what end will you go to keep things from me?”

“
How can you blame me? You know exactly what you would have
done if she would have been there when you came. And you did come,”
she accused.

“
It was my duty.”

“
As was mine to protect my daughter.” They were both staring at
each other. “So I took her away—away from you and your stupid
policies. My daughter will not suffer because you have pig headed
and skewed views on the world. You might believe she has no value,
but that does not make it so. You might have more training and more
strength with a preference for bullying people, but that does not
make you better than her.” She hadn’t meant for this to all come
out like this, but she had been holding onto this anger for so very
long.

“
It gave me no pleasure,” he said.

“
And it gave me no choice,” she responded. “You will not hurt
my children, I don’t care who you are.”

His stance
softened a bit. “So this is the reason you went to Attica.”

She stood for
a while before nodding. “I went to find a place for her and myself.
I didn’t quite intend for all this to happen, it just did.”

“
You were going to leave?”

“
Of course, my daughter is there—where else would I
be?”

“
Then why did you come back?”

“
For my father and Doros, but then Doros was killed and I swore
I wouldn’t let that happen to someone else’s brother.”

“
So you declared war on Sparta.”

“
No, I just wanted to get people to safety.”

“
And you used me as a cover. You might as well tell me all of
it.”

“
No,” she said looking straight at him, “I didn’t. In
actuality, I would have been more effective if I had stayed away
from the village entirely.”

“
Then why did you dally with me?” He was watching her intently
now.

“
Because I wanted to,” she said quietly looking down at her
hands. “I didn’t set out to purposefully deceive you—I just wanted
to be with you.” She looked up at him. “I was hoping you would
come, I did ask.”

“
To Attica?” he said with incredulity. “You know I cannot leave
here—this is where I belong.”

“
You told me. I should have left, but I didn’t want to leave
people behind and I didn’t want to leave you. I still had hope that
I could change your mind.”

There was
silence for a moment before he reached out and pulled her into his
arms. “You should have left,” he said, “it was foolish of you to
stay.”

She nodded
into his chest sighing in the embrace, an embrace she hadn’t been
sure she would ever feel again. She was exactly where she wanted to
be. She’d been strong for so long, she just wanted to not have to
be for a moment, to rely on his strength.

“
It is only by merest chance that they didn’t end up killing
you.”

“
The gods answered my prayers,” she said looking up at
him.

“
You know I will be ridiculed for this,” he said. She bit her
lips as she waited for him to continue. “But as you were prepared
to risk all, even death, I suppose a bit of ridicule is not going
to kill me.”

“
I didn’t want to enter this marriage with any more lies. I
want us to have a complete understanding between us.”

“
Are you sure there is nothing else?”

Chara searched
her mind, there were so many things she’d done, but she couldn’t
think of anything she done that he would particularly object to, so
she shook her head.

He leaned down
and kissed her and she rose onto her toes to meet him. She let the
comfort of the kiss wash over her, feeling the underlying heat as
her body responded to the familiar and unnerving sensation, she had
to smile.

“
Why are you smiling?”

“
I am so happy,” she confessed.

“
Yes well, look dower, this is a punishment
remember.”

She nodded
trying to suppress the happiness she felt from shining through
every part of her. They’d reached an understanding and she felt
there was nothing in the way between them now.

They returned
to stand before the King who gave them a querying look. “Are we
ready to proceed?”

Nicias nodded
and Chara felt the last piece of nervousness leave her. She had to
fight a smile and looked down on the ground.

“
So Nicias, do you claim this girl as a bride?”

“
Yes,” he said.

“
Then let it be known,” the King said and clapped his hand
loudly. “Have her prepared.”

There was
raucous cheer amongst the crowd as three women came forward. Chara
didn’t know where they came from, she hadn’t seen them previously.
She gave Nicias a look of concern as they took her arms and gently
urged her away. Nicias gave her a look of assurance. Chara didn’t
feel assured, she didn’t want to leave his side, but she wasn’t
about to be cowardly so she let the women lead her away.

“
Now, let’s retreat to the mess and rediscover wine and song
this evening,” the King said.

The women took
her out of the Assembly building and onto a house. These were
Spartan women; Chara had never spoken to one before. She had no
idea who they were and they didn’t bother to introduce themselves.
Chara wondered if they were resentful as her being a bride to a
Spartan man, but they made no indication either way.

“
We will cut your hair now,” one of them said with a smile.
Chara only nodded, she didn’t know what else to say. The women
brought out a pair of shears and proceeded to cut her hair very
short, much shorter that Chara’d ever kept her hair. In actuality
it felt like they were cutting her hair off completely.

“
I know it is severe,” one of them said reassuringly, “but this
is how it’s done.”

When they were
finished, they took her tunic off and replaced it with a new linen
one.

“
Eat first,” one of them said. “Then he will come to you after
dark.”

They left
Chara as a Helot servant brought in a tray of food. Chara smiled at
the girl thinking how wrong it was that she was being served by one
of her own people, but then she was a Spartan now in the eyes of
the state—an identity she wasn’t sure she could ever fully embrace.
It wasn’t as difficult to bear if she saw it as a sacrifice for
having Nicias.

Nicias arrived
later in the evening once the moon had risen. Chara hadn’t lit a
fire, she didn’t know if she was supposed to.

“
There you are,” Nicias said as he came into the room. He
joined her where she was sitting on the bed.

“
They cut my hair, it looks awful.” She’d seen the reflection
of it in a polished brass and knew it truly did look
awful.

“
You look beautiful.”

“
That’s because you are seeing it in the dark—wait until
morning.”

“
You look like a bride and that makes you beautiful.” He leaned
in and kissed her on the cheek.

“
Did they ridicule you?” she asked remembering his words from
earlier.

“
Not directly, but they will never forget.”

Chara felt
awful. “You didn’t have to do this,” she said.

“
I think I did. I would have forever wondered what would have
happened if I didn’t.” He brought his hand up and ran his thumb
gently down her cheek—a familiar touch. “I knew this would never be
the wrong decision, but not claiming you would likely have been the
decision I would have regretted my whole life.”

“
Your father is not happy.”

“
No, but then he spent many years with a woman he loved, so it
is easy for him to hold such perspectives. Not as easy for
me.”

“
Will he disown you?” she asked with concerned. She didn’t want
any more of her issues affecting him.

“
Yes, but it doesn’t matter materially. I am now to receive my
estate—King Pleistoanax has seen to it.”

“
The one up north?”

“
Yes. We leave for it in the morning.”

Chara leaned
into an embrace and sighed as his arms came around her. She was
happy that he was received the estate he’d wanted for as long as
she’d known him, and also for the fact that they would be leaving
Sparta the following day. She knew she would feel more comfortable
in the countryside than she ever would here. It also meant that
they would be alone which was something she’d wanted for a long
time. The only thing that still kept her from complete happiness
was the absence of her baby.

“
And what of Elphia?”