Truth and Sparta (25 page)

The whole room
was silent, waiting for her response.

“
I have been assisting any amongst my people to leave this land
if they wish to,” she said trying to steady her voice.

“
You are not the leader amongst your people that we were
expecting or searching for, which has left your activities
unchecked for too long—long enough to do damage.”

Chara didn’t
respond; she just held herself strong.

“
And you have found a unique weakness. There is no one in the
world we cannot fight and defeat, but it requires the enemy to
front up and fight. But you leave us nothing but quiet absence. Not
by any means an honorable warfare,” Pleistoanax said.

“
Warfare was never my intent. Not something I have any interest
or suitability for. I was simply providing an alternative to people
who face peril for themselves and their family here.”

“
Thereby incurring significant strife on our state.”

“
Your state, not my state.”

“
An unfortunate attitude amongst the Helots,” he said to the
crowd who was watching the conversation between king and prisoner.
“Particularly as our enemies have proved so willing to accept our
deserters.”

Nicias noted
that the Pleistoanax didn’t establish the link between Chara and
the Athenians directly. She had admitted that she had gone to the
Athenians and made her proposal. It was an important point, but the
King did not refer to it.

“
The Helots want us to cease the Crypteia,” he said to the
Assembly. Murmurs filled the hall as people spoke amongst
themselves. “The girl here says the Helots are deserting to avoid
it.”

“
They deserve it for their disobedience,” someone called. There
were voices of assent throughout the hall.

“
Perhaps so, but they also know without a doubt that our
enemies will accept them with open arms—and give them freedom from
what I hear.” The murmurs grew louder.

“
Then we must ensure they don’t leave,” General Barrias
said.

“
Which would require resources we cannot spare. We are not
great because we spend our army watching over the people tending
our fields. There are too many of them and not enough of us, which
creates quite a problem for us. If we pay attention to our enemies,
they will bleed our labor from behind us.”

“
What choices does that leave us?” one of the elders
said.

“
We must strike a bargain with the Helots,” the King
said.

There was
outrage amongst the Assembly.

“
I welcome any alternatives. If you have any suggestions, voice
them now.”

The Assembly
discussed alternatives, including holding Helot children as ransom,
and killing them all and replacing them with slaves. There were
also suggestions of killing any Helot who was seen outside of their
own fields. Each solution was discussed, but nothing seemed to
solve problems without creating more. The task of enforcement was
too onerous for many of them. Many of the solutions included
killing Helots to inspire fear, but some in the Assembly recognized
that killing Helots only reduced the workforce available to them
and that it would motivate Helots to continue their desertion.

Eventually
they voted and the Assembly grudgingly agreed to accept the
terms.

“
We will cease the Crypteia,” the King said. “But we will seek
to harness any energy amongst your restless young men. They will
serve Sparta, the model for which the elders will discuss and
decide. Now that business is concluded, we must turn our attention
to you,” he said switching his attention to Chara.

“
Behead her in the square,” someone called out.

“
For we must take care,” Pleistoanax’s loud voice cut through
the murmur. “Her death could well create a legend. She has achieved
extraordinary things and her death will only bolster the
imagination of her people. We cannot have that.” The Assembly was
quiet now. “It would be a much better solution that we turn her
attention to the betterment of Sparta and her people will follow
her lead.”

“
They will not,” she said.

“
Oh, I think they will. You are the first true leader that has
emerged amongst the Helots for a very long time, but we will use
that to serve our purposes. No, we must take your leadership and
turn it to our advantage. You destiny and happiness will be
entwined with this state. You will feel each blow inflicted on
Sparta and you will work to serve her advance.”

Chara was
shaking her head slightly, confusion written all over her
features.

“
We must ensure that you will never cause trouble for us again
and perhaps the best way to do so is to use your strongest
instincts. We will take the strength in your nature and
character—traits that will serve us well.”

Nicias had
lost track of the conversation. It had moved so fast and it was
ceased to make sense.

“
Your sons will be Spartan,” the King finally said. “Your
people will still look to you, and you will seek the continued
strength of Sparta. Betrayal of Sparta would betray your own
blood.”

The hall broke
out into a roar of noise, protestations, even laughter. Barrias
wasn’t pleased and left the hall.

“
You have one week,” the King said after the noise subsided a
bit, “to find a husband—a Spartan. Or I will pick one for you. We
will meet back here in one week. You may roam the city, but you may
not leave. Don’t challenge me on this—the gates of the city will
not let you pass. Do you understand?”

Chara stood
there silently.

“
Do you understand?” he repeated more harshly.

She nodded
awkwardly and he dismissed the Assembly. The King left as did the
others, flowing past her as she stood where she was, looking
confused and deflated. No one spared her any attention on the
surface, but there was hidden curiosity there. She stared into
space as the men walked around her, not making eye contact with
anyone.

“
And it will not be you,” Nicias father said with deepest
gravity. “That creature has done enough damage to us, you will not
go anywhere near her. I will disown you.”

Chara returned
to the alcove where she had been held prisoner, she didn’t have
anywhere else to go. She tried to get her mind around how her
circumstances had just dramatically shifted. She’d resigned herself
to dying and now she wasn’t. Not only would she live, she would
live as the wife of a Spartan, which for all intents and purposes
made her one of them.

She
appreciated the cunning in King Pleistoanax’s actions. It was the
ultimate betrayal, being practically adopted by the people she saw
as the enemy—making her a corrupt leader. But she had never wanted
to be a leader; she had only wanted to save her daughter.

She knew there
were people who likely felt that she should die just out of spite,
but she didn’t want to die. The hope of living flared too brightly
in her chest, even if she didn’t want it to. She hadn’t asked for
any of this. She’d just wanted to go on with her life with as
little strife and trouble as possible.

There was also
the temptation of just accepting this turn of events. She’d prayed
for some way that things could change so they would all be safe,
and so they could be together. The gods had answered her prayer—she
just hadn’t foreseen the means. She could be with Nicias now, there
was nothing standing in the way technically, except Nicias, and she
was fairly certain that he would reject her. She wouldn’t blame him
if he did; he’d been abused roughly in this process.

There was also
an underlying fear of being married again—and to a Spartan this
time. They held their women to high standards. She would have a
husband and she would need to support him as he required, she would
have to manage his affairs in his absence—potentially a perfect
stranger, someone who had been ordered to marry her. She recognized
that there was the distinct potential for resentment there, which
could make for a very unhappy marriage.

Things had
gone from relatively simple to very complex. There were no chains
on her wrists now, but the new invisible chains were heavier. But
it wasn’t all bad, she recognized that there were potential
benefits to the arrangements. Her presence amongst the Spartan
could provide a means of dialogue between her people and them. She
hoped her presence would also hold them to their promise of ceasing
the Crypteia. It may also give her the opportunity to pass the
mantle and position of leader to someone else, which was what she
truly wished—she’d had a lifetime of worry already and she’d never
asked for it or wanted it. Her family was safe, her people were
better off and there was a path for freedom for any young man who
wanted it. The ultimate outcome of this path was the end to their
subservience. It would take time, but it meant a slow change to the
structure of this society. It was a big concession.

She needed to
speak to Nicias. If she had a choice, she wanted him for her
husband. She recognized that the chances were not good, but she
would take him under any conditions over a perfect stranger.

She had to ask
around in order to find him, but eventually she was directed to a
long building with many doors. She found him in one of the large
rooms, which was filled with beds. This was where he lived, where
he had spent the bulk of his life, having nothing more than his
weapons, his armour and this bed. But these were the things that
the Spartans valued, the austerity that they prided themselves on,
believing it made them stronger.

He was
cleaning his armor. He didn’t look up when he heard her, but he
knew she was there. She watched as he spread polish on his shield,
coaxing the metal to shine and telling of all the scars it had
endured in battle.

“
What do you want?” he asked quietly. She didn’t answer, didn’t
know what to say. “You have a need and seek to use me for your
purposes again?”

“
I just wanted to say that I am sorry.”

He moved
quickly, took her by surprise and had his sword at her throat
before she knew what was happening. “You’ve betrayed me; you’ve
used me, toyed with my name like it means nothing and now you think
I will forgive you? Do not tell me that you are sorry, because you
both know you would have done it exactly the same given the chance
again.”

“
I had no choice.”

“
No,” he said loudly, “you had choice, but you chose them
instead of me, you said so yourself. Not a great quality in a wife
if you are deluded enough to think I would marry you.”

“
I never intended to hurt you,” she said feeling herself tear
with the strength of his reaction. He truly despised her. She
wasn’t surprised, but it was confronting actually seeing
it.

“
Then I dread to think what you would do when you intend
it.”

She could feel
the cold metal at her throat. It was the first time he’d drawn a
weapon on her. He look on his face was cold and calculating. This
was Nicias the soldier, shrewdly considering the choices before
him—a sight she hadn’t really seen before. He was completely
different when they were together, where he was relaxed and
enjoying himself, away from all the stresses of his life.

“
What I did wasn’t about choice. I did what I had to do,” she
said.

“
Really, you had to wage war against Sparta?” he said with
incredulity.

“
We all did what we had to do,” she said, her anger coming in
now. “You as well. You did what you had to do, or were going to and
I responded.”

He had a look
of disbelieving confusion. “Are you saying this is my fault
now?”

She didn’t say
anything, but the accusation was in her eyes. She needed to think,
she told herself. She was going down the path of telling him about
Elphia and it might not be the best thing. On one hand, she wanted
him to know about her, on the other, it might be better that he
never does—especially as she didn’t know how deep his anger went.
“It doesn’t matter now,” she said. “I have said what I needed
to.”

“
Well, I am glad you decided to depart these little gems from
your mind. I cannot count my fortune that you are willing to share
them with me,” he said, his sarcasm biting.

“
I think perhaps we should finish our dealings then,” she said
with sadness. Perhaps she had been silly to think they could be
reunited. He only glared at her when she left, walking out into the
bright sun.

She had
nowhere to go, the city was large and there were no places for her.
She had no money for boarding anywhere or for food. She wasn’t
particularly hungry anyway. She just wanted to hide somewhere and
forget about this whole mess. She wondered if she would ever get to
see her daughter again—whatever man she ended up married to might
never allow her to travel.

She just had
no energy left; she’d used it all up with her fear and her
defiance. Now that the immediate threat was gone, her energy had
abandoned her completely. She just wandered around the city for a
while, not knowing where she was or what direction she was heading
in.

Eventually a
girl tugged on her arm and Chara turned to see a young Helot
girl.

“
Come,” the girl said.

Chara
followed; there was no reason not to. She followed the girl into
the alley where they walked for a while before stopping before a
small door. “In here,” the girl said.