Truth and Sparta

by Camille Oster

  “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.

  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.

  Chapter 32

  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.

  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.

  Chapter 33

  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 br
eath 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.”