Unshed Tears - Kade Jones (best books for students to read .txt) 📗

the appropriate place. This time however, she was not greeted by the white toga of the senate, but by the crimson cloak of the soldier. She did not expect a gentle debate. The old jailor ushered her to one side of the assembly and quickly left.

The speaker's pit on which she now stood was semi-circular in shape, yet the stone seating that surrounded the area was square. It was small by comparison to an Athenian hall. Sunlight breached the open pillars to the east, and cast shadows throughout, and the marbled surfaces were inlayed with the inverted 'V' of Lacedaemon. The general had already started his speech on the opposite side of the floor.

“Ah! Our Messiah is come.” Gylippus theatrically and loudly announced to his group of officers. With a dramatic wave of his arm, he began to stride the floor as if addressing a real senate; his great bulk making his footsteps sound heavy. “I beseech you, stand and tell us of your… heroics Octavia; of how you have come to the rescue of us poor

Spartans, who would be so

defenceless against those big, nasty Athenians.” His tone was thick with sarcasm.

Octavia remained silent, but her mouth was moving as if muttering something under her breath. Gylippus ignored it and saw it for a sign that she was nervous. He took the opportunity to press home his advantage. “You have come here, stolen our prince and held us at spear-point so that you could personally lead a counter ambush against the enemy. Did you really think that we would welcome you into the city with flowers and a parade? Now it seems you have nothing left to say.”

She mumbled… something, but it was too low for any to hear. Gylippus leaned toward her, as if trying to comically listen to her words. Like she was some naughty child caught stealing with a no-good explanation, “I’m sorry.” He placed a hand to his ear “I didn’t quite catch that, oh Great Messiah. Did you say something?”

Still nothing but an inaudible drone passed her lips. Feeling as though she was about to break down in tears like some Arcadian girl, Gylippus pressed on. “Come child, surely you can share what you have to say with all of us. After all, we…”

Looking him directly in the eye, Octavia made her response. “I said;

it’s because you understood, you failed to understand that you misunderstood!”

General Gylippus froze as if caught in a time bubble. His eyebrows went from a high arch to a knitted furrow on the instant. His gathered comrades turned to each other with bemused looks and one corner of Octavia's lip curled into a smile. She watched as they tried to make sense of her nonsensical statement. She could never resist an opening to completely sabotage another’s ranting and Octavia was trained to confuse and beguile. The general was just not ready for her.

Now she

began to pace the floor as if to mirror the general’s actions from a moment before. “Allow me to explain: You understood

that I had taken your prince and have hidden him safely away so that I could blackmail you into letting me lead your men into battle - which, by the way was highly successful. But you failed to understand

the reasons why I did what I did and you did not even question it. Therefore, you misunderstood

the whole situation and have now come to me to get the answers.” She stopped and raised an eyebrow. “Am I correct?”

Gylippus remained where he was for a moment before shaking himself from his quandary filled thoughts. “Bah! You talk in riddles woman.”

“Perhaps she is right.” It was Arbraxos who now took the floor, coming somewhat to the rescue of his superior. He gave Octavia a look with his striking blue eyes as if to say; that was too near the mark but… bravo.

“We were so intent on having the prince returned to us that we didn’t even ask her why she had taken him in the first place. Add to that that we were on the eve of battle. By the time we had decided to let her go ahead with her ambush plan, we were only looking at the short term.”

“Yes.” said Gylippus, recovered now and with narrowed eyes. “You certainly came to us at a time of pressure. But I think that was the idea. So, now the question is; why did you abduct Pausanias? He should have been cutting his teeth on the field, not in some cellar, or wherever you have him, and why did you even want to personally oversee a Spartan victory?”

Octavia chose her words carefully - as she lied. “To your first question, Prince Pausanias had to be kept safe. I have been sent by the King and given instruction to keep him from harm and to use any means possible. Unfortunately, because I am female, you would never have listened.”

Gylippus snorted. “Then why, pray, not send a man?”

“Because of my speed.” She quickly answered. “Also because as a woman, I could – and did - pass through the Athenian camp, and I learned of their plans. The king, in his wisdom saw that I could be used to kill two larks with one sling, and so the battle went better than expected. The bonus is that his son is still alive and well. You see, the king fears for his health at present, and he will need his heir apparent.”

The general was becoming angry. Octavia was standing here telling him that he was – to all intents and purposes – not a good enough leader to win the island of Sicily for the glory of Sparta, or to keep the heir to the throne safe. The king had sent a woman

to increase his odds! His honour was being attacked, and the kidnapper who stood before him was mocking him with her arrogant talk. His hands had curled involuntarily into fists and his great muscles were becoming knotted.

Although he had received the training all Spartan warriors receive as a young boy, (and he was about the biggest and strongest among his peers), Gylippus could never escape the fact that his mother was not of Spartan stock. Therefore, he was considered; a man of inferior status,

no matter how high he rose. He had worked hard to become the general that he was, and his size had much to do with it, but also his wit.

He had become an advisor of sorts to the king and was respected for his views and advice. But the thought always remained in the back of his mind throughout his life. Inferior!

It was what all true Spartans thought as he walked by or as he took the field. On the one hand, it was a source of strength that forced him to strive that bit harder to succeed, but on the other it was his weakness also. Right now, it was the only thought in his mind.

Of course, Octavia could see the effect she was having on this brute, but she also knew that it was out of necessity that she antagonized him. In order to find the one who she was looking for, she had been told to goad him into making the mistake that would reveal her true quarry. She did not fathom all that the Guild Masters told her. Octavia herself didn't understand fully why she was ordered to help with the Spartan victory, but she knew enough not to question them. So, she continued in her condescending tone.

“To your second question, I could see how things would work out if I did not take charge. My number two was the ideal choice to take out the second group of archers before we could join the main battle, and you would not have allowed her to become involved if I had not kidnapped the prince. Yes, I knew the timing was perfect. You had no choice on the hour of war, but I assure you now, as I did then; Pausanias is safe.”

Octavia too had begun to ready herself for a fight. Her own muscles were bunched and ready for action, but she was much more adept at hiding the signs than her opponent. She was a calm pond without, but a raging rapid within. Her speed and brain were her strengths and her training was her foundation. She decided to get things underway and see what would be seen. With all the arrogance she could muster, she made her final insult.

“So, the question I put to you Gylippus is this; are you not grateful that I have come?”

For a second, the general lost it just as she had planned. In an instant, He quickly closed the space between them and raised his great hand back to strike her… but stopped. Octavia was about to move into action herself, but held her reserve in a defensive stance.

Giving her a growl, he turned and walked quickly to one of the seated officers. Picking up his shield and spear, he threw them down with a clang to slide towards Octavia’s feet. Jutting his chin towards her, he said; “So, You wish to play with the men? You wish to test my leadership? Well then, let’s test your balls!” He turned to his captain. “Arbraxos, Show this wench what it is to live under Spartan law.”

***

Octavia was taken to the training pens near the gates of the city. Here, the young boys of Sparta were conditioned for manhood. Back in Tiberius, she had read up on the hardships that the males went through from the age of seven. She learned of how they were taught to cope with pain. How they were encouraged to steal by being kept undernourished, and of how they would be punished if they were ever caught stealing - to encourage stealth. But you could only gain a small measure of real knowledge from words printed upon a screen, and seeing is sometimes the only way to open your eyes…

As she was led by six guards around the outside of the sanded courtyard, she watched the various forms of vigorous training taking place. It reminded her of her own regime back in The Blue City when she had first arrived at The Dome, all be it a bit more lo-tech.

There was a brutal fight going on in one corner where two teenage boys were going at one another with wooden swords. Both of them were bloody and bruised. Nobody moved to stop it. Only shouts of encouragement were sent in their direction.

In another area, a group of four girls had gathered close to one particular boy