110

The Argive -- Chapters 106-110

*****

Chapter 106: Devastated

Astara didn't know what to think or feel.

Despite being in a new city, she didn't even want to leave the cheap house that her family rented upon arrival. All she wanted to do was stare at the wall while she chipped at her nails.

It just wasn't right. She had hedged everything on this journey to find Praxis and now here he was with two beautiful women. He'd probably forgotten all about her.

But she hadn't forgotten about him, nor all the time they had spent under the sheets in Corinth. All those times when he held her and made her feel safe.

The problem was that she also hadn't forgotten about casting him away. Maybe this was her punishment after all? To pine after what had already been lost? To never truly be happy?

"Astara?"

Astara wiped her cheeks quickly as she turned to look at Nico. He was giving her a concerned look from the doorframe. He was also the only one that knew the true reason why she was so upset.

"Why don't you go to him?" asked Nico, not stopping until he was sitting beside his sister. "Why can't you still talk this out?"

"Because there's nothing to talk about," replied Astara. "He's happy here. He has everything he needs."

"We didn't come all this way just so you can give up. Something needs to be said."

Astara pursed her lips and turned away from him. "But what if I don't like the answer?"

"Any answer is better than no answer," replied Nico.

Astara turned to look at her brother. "You're pretty smart for your age."

Nico grinned. "Yeah, I know."

Astara poked him, which made the young boy laugh. He stood up and started to move away from her. "I mean it, Astara. Go talk to him. From what I'm hearing in the city, we might not have much time before the Spartans get here. You know what that means."

She definitely did. If Messene fell like Argos did, it might mean Praxis would move again, or worse. She was working with limited time, and ultimately that was what made her push forward.

It took Astara all of twenty minutes to think of the best course of action, and it involved a note left for Praxis to let him know she was in the city and the next move would be up to him. While Astara didn't outline all of her feelings for him, she broadly hinted at their depth in a way that wouldn't totally embarrass her in case he didn't act on them.

The next step was getting the note into his hands. Astara had watched him enter the city's palace with the king, and she assumed that's where he was staying. That was confirmed after she arrived at the palace and questioned one of the servants, who let her know that Praxis was staying there with two women.

"Can you give this note to him?" implored Astara to the servant. "It's very important that he reads this."

The servant nodded and vowed to take it to him. Astara's heart was beating wildly as she watched the servant turn and go back inside, but that was when her eyes noticed a gorgeous woman with flaming red hair watching the entire interaction from within the palace.

It was one of the same women that had been on Praxis' arm.

Astara gulped hard and turned away, walking away from the palace quickly. She nearly panicked when she heard the woman yell out from behind her.

"Hey, wait a second!"

Astara wasn't sure why but she increased her pace. Perhaps it was the fear of discovery or maybe it was just the adrenaline but she didn't want to face the woman red-handed.

Unfortunately for Astara, the woman soon sprinted after her, catching up before they'd even reached the marketplace.

"Wait a moment, will you?" asked the redhead, taking deep breaths to recover her composure. She had Astara's note in her hand. "Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter who I am," replied Astara, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"It matters when you're trying to give Praxis a note like this," said the redhead, pointing to his name on the cover. She opened it up and started to read from it.

"Hey, that's private!" replied Astara, trying to rip it from her hands. The redhead kept it out of reach until she got the gist of her message. To Astara's surprise, she gave her a look of curiosity once it was all over.

"Astara," said the redhead. "So you're Astara?"

"You know of me?" asked Astara.

"Of course I do. You were once Praxis' lover. The one he had when he was exiled in Corinth."

"Who are you?" asked Astara. "How do you know this?"

The redhead touched her chest. "I'm his lover now. My name is Lysandra. And he has told me about you."

Astara felt butterflies in her stomach. "What did he tell you about me?"

"We're very honest with each other," replied Lysandra, giving her a knowing look. "I know the look that he gave me when he talked about you. You were a very important person to him."

Astara felt herself blush. She turned away from the other woman momentarily, which only caused Lysandra to speak again.

"What are you doing in Messene? Praxis said you were still in Argos. And that you are married to his stepbrother, Xanthos."

Astara pointed to the note. "All the answers you seek are right there in front of you. I came here to find Praxis."

Astara expected Lysandra to be angry about that statement but anger never touched the other woman's face.

"Find him for what?" she asked. "What do you want with him?"

"Because I still love him," said Astara defiantly. "And I expect that will make you hate me but I won't deny it. I love him and I still want to be with him."

Still, the anger didn't manifest. Lysandra seemed at a temporary loss for words but she didn't appear upset, which only made Astara more confused.

"You crossed the entire Peloponnese just to get him back?" asked Lysandra before looking at the note. "You left Xanthos and you just want a chance to talk to him one more time?"

Astara swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. She fully expected Lysandra to tell her to get lost, or to tell her that Praxis was no longer interested. She expected ridicule, cruelty, and perhaps even a violent smack to the face if Lysandra was particularly inclined.

She received none of that.

"He's at the palace right now," said Lysandra. "I can take you to him if you like?"

Astara's eyes went wide. "You would do

what

? After all of that, you would still let me talk to him? To the man that is your lover right now?"

Lysandra actually smiled. "Praxis and I have a special relationship. If you have something you need to say to him, then I'll bring you to him so you can say it. With as far as you've come, it must be important."

Astara was speechless but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Lysandra didn't appear to be dishonest. Quite the opposite in fact, she appeared genuine about her offer.

Just what in the world was going on?

"Come on, let's go back to the palace," said Lysandra, gesturing back to the building.

Astara followed her blindly, not even knowing the right words to say. There was one word she got out right as they slipped inside and started to walk the halls.

"Why?"

Lysandra giggled. "Like I said, what Praxis and I have is special. Maybe he'll explain it to you, and if he doesn't, then I will. You'll just have to see for yourself."

With those words, they stopped at a door, and Lysandra opened it. Astara heard her call out for Praxis, and she nearly panicked when she heard his voice loud and clear on the other side. Finally, Lysandra opened the door all the way, putting Astara face to face with Praxis for the first time in forever.

He looked just the way she remembered. Praxis was ruggedly attractive with his scars and piercing green eyes but there was something different about him this time, something older and wiser. It was like he'd grown years since the last time they saw each other. She had no doubt that he went through a tough time after the fall of Argos and it added a new quality to him.

What was even more, he seemed to be just as surprised to see her as she was him.

"Astara," he said finally. "What are you doing here?"

Astara forgot how to speak. She forgot how to move. The next thing she knew was the feeling of Lysandra propelling her into the room.

"I'm going to let you two talk a little," said Lysandra as stepped out of the room and closed the door. Just like that, Astara was alone with him.

"Astara?" he asked again, no doubt wanting some kind of answer.

It took her a few seconds but she finally found her voice. "We left Argos. My family and I, or what's left of it. Xanthos killed my father and my older brother."

Praxis' eyes went wide and then he did something she didn't expect. He embraced her. Astara couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of his arms around her once more.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "Are you all right? What happened?"

Astara looked up at him. "He's a monster, Praxis. You were right. You were

so

right. I never should have married him. I should have ran far away from that brute."

Astara broke down in tears at that moment and sobbed against his chest. He didn't say much in that moment, only softly caressing her hair like he used to do. Astara cried for several minutes before she felt she could regain her composure and that's when the questions started anew.

"Is he looking for you then?" asked Praxis. "Does he know you're here?"

She shook her head. "I don't think he knows where I am. But I doubt he's looking for me. He took a new wife right as this all happened. I'm sure he wanted one that would actually sleep with him."

"He killed your father because you wouldn't sleep with him?"

Astara shrugged. "That is one reason. I suspect the other was because he felt he didn't need us anymore. He tried to take our land too. In the end, we barely got away with our lives. We didn't know where to go or what to do, especially without Father. Xanthos stole everything from us."

"I'm so sorry," he repeated, trying to soothe her once more. "As grateful as I am to see you, you picked a bad place to come. War is coming to Messene. What brought you here instead of somewhere safe like Athens?"

Astara knew this part was coming. Her heart was beating rapidly as she looked up at him. He deserved the truth.

"Because I knew you were here," she said. "I heard a rumor and I acted upon it."

"Why does it matter that I'm here?" he asked.

Astara summoned all her courage for the next part. "Because I still love you. And I regret what happened between us with every bone in my body. And if there was one thing in my life I could do over, it would be never letting you leave. I made a terrible, terrible mistake, Praxis. All I want is to be with you."

She never expected the look of surprise on his face. "You want to be with me? Again?"

Astara nodded quickly. "Yes, I do. And I'll do anything to make things right between us. Anything, Praxis."

Chapter 107: Ghosts of the Past

Praxis wasn't sure if he heard that correctly. All he could do was stare back into Astara's lovely blue eyes as she trembled against his body.

She wanted to be with him again? In what way?

And now of all times?

"You want to continue our relationship?" he whispered. "Not just as friends but as more?"

She nodded her head rapidly. "I want to be lovers again. We only broke up because of something so terribly stupid, Praxis. I

was

stupid. I let a stupid thing interfere with what we had. At the time, I thought that... well, I thought a lot of things. I was naive, very naive, and I didn't realize what we had."

"I knew what we had," said Praxis, letting himself show the pain that he carried ever since that day. "I remember what we had very well."

Astara nodded her head. "I don't have a right to be here in front of you. Too many times, I felt like I squandered my chance with you. That I'd never get another one. I crossed the entire Peloponnese to come find you and now that I'm here, I realize what a mistake it was to do so."

"Mistake? Why a mistake?"

Astara jerked her head back. "I saw that woman. Lysandra is her name, right? And the other one, the blonde."

"Zenais," said Praxis.

"A name as pretty as she is," said Astara. "I should've figured you wouldn't be alone. Why would you be? Men like you don't remain unattached. It was only my foolish desire to relive the past that brought me here."

Astara made as if she was going to leave but Praxis grabbed her arm and pulled her back. There were tears in her eyes again as she looked up at him.

"You don't need to leave," he said. "Just because you've caught me by surprise doesn't mean that my answer is no."

For a brief moment, Astara managed to look hopeful. Then reality returned.

"Don't toy with me please," she warned. "I don't want to get false hope."

"Why do you think I would give you false hope?"

"Because of the other women. You are already claimed."

"That's a discussion that I would need to have with Lysandra and Zenais," said Praxis. "But I will say that they are unlike any other women I've met. If you think that's the biggest barrier between us, you're wrong."

"Then what is the biggest barrier?"

Praxis wasn't sure how to answer her. He didn't know if he could answer it himself. He didn't blame Astara for what happened between them, at least not anymore. She was promised to someone else long before their relationship blossomed. If anything, it should have just been a passing fling and developing feelings for her wasn't part of the plan.

But after it ended, could he really take her back? Would it be that effortless or would they be haunted by the past?

"There's some things that I need to figure out first," said Praxis. "I didn't expect this and I'm not sure what to say."

Her confidence took a hit. "How long do you need to think?"

"I don't know," said Praxis. "An evening? A couple days? The problem is that you've come at the worst possible time. There will be a battle soon and who knows what the outcome will be. We might fix this temporarily just to get tossed around again."

"I don't intend to let anything separate me from you," vowed Astara. "If you're willing to give me a second chance, I won't let anything get in the way. I just need to know that you want this. We can take care of the rest."

"Then give me the benefit of some time to think," replied Praxis. "Let me work through this on my own terms and I will let you know."

If she was disappointed about not getting a quick answer, she didn't show it. Astara nodded and made for the door. "I suppose I will return to the house for now."

"Where are you living?" asked Praxis. "How will I be able to find you when that time comes?"

"I'm not far away. It's a small place, just outside the center of the city."

"Come live at the palace for now," said Praxis. "There are plenty of rooms here. My father won't mind."

Astara raised an eyebrow. "Your father?"

"There is much that has changed," said Praxis, smiling. "My father is King Nicomedes. I am part Messenian. It's a very long story but I know he won't mind. Quite the opposite, he likes the sound of people at the palace. And if your family has traveled a long way, you deserve the best lodging."

Astara's smile was genuine. "Thank you. We will take you up on your offer. We don't have much so it won't take us long to move. And when the time comes, I'd very much like to hear more about that story. It sounds like you've gotten a lot of the answers you were seeking when we first met."

"That I have," said Praxis. "Come on, let me give you a hand."

*****

It only took an hour to get Astara moved to the palace. Praxis accompanied her to the small house, where he was greeted by the sight of her family. As could be expected, Nico was the first to greet him, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Praxis!" yelled Nico, rushing forward and hugging him. "It's so good to see you!"

"You too, Nico," laughed Praxis. "How are you? Still fighting? Still good with a sword?"

The youngster nodded. "Astara doesn't let me practice nearly as much as I want but I think I've made a lot of progress since we last met."

"I have no doubt about that," said Praxis, ruffling the boy's hair. "Come one, let's get you all situated. I'll pay off your landlord in the process."

While the wagon was loaded up, Praxis sought out the landlord, finding him to be another familiar face. He was the same one that rented to Praxis when he first landed in Messene, and he wasn't very happy when Praxis tried to pay him off.

"You again?" groaned the landlord once Praxis pulled out some coins. "Why are you constantly stealing my customers? Are you trying to run me out of business?"

The landlord was placated after Praxis slipped him an extra coin and that seemed to be the end of it.

A short while later, the wagon was off to the palace. Praxis showed Astara and her family to their rooms and even helped them unload. On the last trip out, he just so happened to run into his father. It was at that point that he thought to make sure his offer of hospitality wasn't too premature.

"Of course I don't mind," said Nicomedes, shaking his head. "It's just as much your home as it is mine."

"I'm glad," replied Praxis, relieved. "These people have had a long journey since Argos. They need a little bit of comfort."

"So who is this woman?" asked Nicomedes. "The one that's your age? Someone that's important to you?"

"Someone that used to be very important to me," replied Praxis. "And someone I haven't seen in a long time."

Nicomedes gave him a shrewd look. "Something tells me she's still important to you, my son."

Praxis swallowed the heavy lump in his throat. "That's something I still have to figure out. And there's very little time to do just that."

Nicomedes put his hand on his shoulder. "There is always time for matters of the heart. As you most certainly know, running away from love doesn't solve your problems. It only exacerbates them."

Praxis nodded and said no more. His father had a point. This business with Astara would have to be figured out, especially if he hoped to have a clear mind when the Spartans arrived.

He spent most of the rest of the day thinking about it. Even training didn't push thoughts of Astara away, though it did dull it to a certain degree. By the time he was ready to retire for the night, he hoped some rest would help to make the decision easier.

At least being around Lysandra and Zenais would allow him to check on that piece of puzzle.

Lysandra especially seemed very interested in where his mind was after meeting with Astara.

"So, spill the details," said Lysandra as she laid across his chest in their bed. "I've been waiting all day to hear about what's going on with Astara. And I only see Zenais in here with us."

Praxis started to chuckle. "I guess that's part of my answer right there."

"What part?"

"Whether you would be upset about me bringing in another woman," he answered. "I see you don't really care about that."

"Not just any woman," corrected Lysandra. "This is Astara we're talking about. I know the history that's there. You loved her before you loved me."

"You're right about one thing--there is a lot of history there," said Praxis. "Good and bad history. The question is does the good outweigh the bad?"

"Why do we need another woman?" asked Zenais from right next to him. "Aren't Lysandra and I enough for you?"

"More than enough," answered Praxis. "Which is what makes this so tough."

Zenais grunted and began to trace lines down his arm with her nails. "I'm not sure about this. I don't want to split my time with you even further."

To Praxis' surprise, Lysandra started to giggle. "Didn't you see her earlier, Zenais?"

Zenais shook her head. "No, I only saw the back of her when she was moving."

"Well, that explains a lot," replied Lysandra. "Wait until you see the front. She's very beautiful."