The Argive Ch. 031-035

Chapter 31: The Feast

The first day of the Feast of Hera was a definite low point in Praxis' life.

Everywhere he looked, he saw signs of revelry. Argos was alive with the sights, sounds, and smells of the Feast. It was a four day period where the entire city could just forget about the realities of life and celebrate. There was dancing to be had near the marketplace and there were the sounds of happy children everywhere, moving throughout the streets. Even the smell of the city was different--perfumed scents from the east coupled with the scent of freshly-made bread.

Everyone in the city was happy today.

Everyone except Praxis.

It might not have been so bad if Astara wasn't everywhere he looked. His brother's fiance was never far from sight now that she was joining their family, and the people of Argos loved to see the joining of two important houses.

It didn't matter that Astara looked no happier than Praxis was. She was going to be Xanthos' second wife whether he liked it or not.

And what was even worse, Damian somehow knew about their earlier tryst.

Every time that Praxis would find his eyes on her, he would feel the heat of a glare on the back of his neck. When the sensation became too hard to ignore, he would turn and find Damian staring at him, no doubt silently reminding him of what had already passed.

She's going to be Xanthos' wife now. She doesn't belong to you, Praxis.

There was scarcely a worse feeling than the one of helplessness. And that's what he felt every time Astara was near.

Apart from his own personal drama, the Feast was kicked off without a hitch. All of his mother's carefully-arranged preparations were a big hit with the people, as evidenced by the way they cheered her whenever she was around.

Queen Doris took it all in stride, but it was hard for her to admit that she overexerted herself in the process. This morning was the worst yet. She'd barely been able to get out of bed without coughing up a storm--something that troubled Praxis as well as Lysandra, who had volunteered to help her.

"Why don't you just get your rest today?" asked Lysandra as she gestured for Doris to go back to the palace. "Praxis and I can handle anything that's remaining. It's not a big deal."

Doris put on a genuine smile and tapped Lysandra's arm. "And miss the start of the festivities? No, of course I couldn't do that. I have to be here, and besides, all the hard work is over. The only things remaining are little items that we can take care of quickly. I want to see the start of this wonderful feast."

"Mother, she has a point," said Praxis. "You look just awful right now."

Doris started to shake her head. "You certainly know how to talk to a woman, don't you? I don't see what Lysandra sees in you."

Lysandra giggled at that comment and started to turn red. Though Praxis had introduced her to his mother as one of his friends, it didn't take Doris long to figure out the true nature of their relationship. For what it was worth, she welcomed the redheaded woman with open arms in true Doris fashion.

"He's a very sweet man, when he wants to be," said Lysandra, coming to his defense and throwing him a wink.

Praxis had the urge to smile but it never made it to his lips. For one, Lysandra didn't know anything about Astara, and whether she'd sensed his changing mood was still to be determined.

Praxis also felt the sense of guilt from pining over Astara while Lysandra was hanging off his arm. He felt like the worst kind of hypocrite, and he knew it was only a matter of time until Lysandra found out.

And then what would happen? Would that mean the end of his relationship with her as well?

He didn't want to even think about that right now. All he was concerned about was getting through the next few days.

At least that first day went by quickly. Before he knew it, it was past dark and the city was starting to quiet down for the evening. Praxis had dinner with his family, an affair that was noticeably more silent than on other nights thanks to the brooding moods of Praxis, Astara, and Melitta, who was still upset about Xanthos taking another wife.

Doris was also conspicuously absent, having gone to bed early after another long day of exerting herself.

Praxis didn't stay up for long. His feet were killing him from the festivities and all he wanted to do was to get some sleep as well. However, sleep wasn't going to be forthcoming when he saw who was in his bed.

Lysandra was wearing only a coy smile when he arrived, the blanket pulled up to her midsection and leaving her gloriously nude. Her flaming red hair was draped around her shoulders and her green eyes were locked on his.

"I've been waiting all day for this," she said, her voice husky with the tone of an aroused woman. "I thought about stealing you away all day but I didn't think I could do it without your mother noticing."

Praxis chuckled as he walked closer to the bed. "Not that it would have mattered anyway. She already suspects something is going on, remember? She just doesn't have hard evidence of it yet."

Lysandra grinned as she reached under his chiton and took his cock in hand. "And yet, I've found all thehard evidence I need right here."

There was something about a gorgeous, naked woman that seemed to make every problem in your life go away. As soon as Lysandra touched him, all thoughts of Astara vanished as his body started to respond. Soon enough, he was hard, and Praxis used his free hand to pinch Lysandra's nipples, causing her to groan.

It only took a few minutes of that before Lysandra ripped the blanket away, exposing the rest of her body.

"Blessed Demeter, if you don't get inside me right now, I'm just going to die of arousal!" she mewled while arching her back in the air. "Give it to me now!"

That was all the encouragement that he needed to hear. Praxis rolled onto the bed and slipped between her thighs. Lysandra was the one to connect their parts together, and for the next half hour, they fucked in a variety of positions while becoming soaked in sweat. It wasn't until she was riding him that he finally had the urge to cum, spraying her insides with his sticky seed.

It was just what she needed. Lysandra dismounted from his lap and fell to his side but not before taking some of his cum on her fingers and bringing them to her lips. It was an erotic sight to watch her suck her digits dry, one that he wasn't soon to forget.

After she was finished, she took a moment to catch her breath while Praxis did the same. It was only when she turned toward him and put her hand under her head that he figured out something was up.

"Will you tell me about Corinth?" she asked as her fingertips traced circles around his chest.

Praxis gave her a weird look. "What about it? I told you most of what happened as soon as I got back."

Well, almost most of it. He conveniently left out the part about Astara, not wanting to trigger a fight. Though he wasn't quite sure what this "thing" was between him and Lysandra, he knew better than to mention another woman while still in bed with her.

Lysandra's fingers hadn't stopped moving. "What was it like? Did you meet anyone there?"

"I met the King of Corinth," answered Praxis. "Alongside one of his best warriors. They're good people, and I definitely don't wish them any bad will."

Lysandra seemed to accept this answer until her fingers circled around his nipple. "What about the women?"

And there was the catch.

Praxis raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask such questions?"

She shrugged playfully. "I'm just wondering if you found a nice Corinthian girl to warm your bed while you were there. I hear they have some of the most beautiful girls in the world in Corinth. It wouldn't surprise me if you did, and I certainly wouldn't be mad about it."

"Somehow, I don't believe you," he joked.

She poked him. "It's all right if you did. I'm not going to get upset. It's not like we're together or anything."

"Still, this feels like a trap."

Lysandra rolled her eyes. "It's not a trap. It's just a question. I'm just curious is all. So did you get with any girls there?"

Despite knowing better, Praxis figured out she wasn't going to stop until she heard the answer she wanted. He took a deep breath and nodded his head.

"There was one girl."

"Only one? That's it?"

"Only one," he repeated. "Happy now?"

"Hardly," replied Lysandra as she started to laugh. "What was she like? Was she good in bed?"

For a brief moment, Praxis let his mind linger to thoughts of Astara and the sex they had together. It was always passionate, and Astara did a great job of making him feel like the only man in Greece. Although to be honest, Lysandra was very good at that too.

"She was great," said Praxis before shooting her a grin. "Almost as good as you."

Lysandra grinned at that. "Smooth."

"I thought you'd like that."

"What else? How many times did you see her?"

"A few times," he replied modestly. "Maybe about half the time I was there, I was sleeping with her."

Lysandra raised her eyebrow. "That much? You're certainly a stud, aren't you? And how come she didn't come back to Argos with you? Especially after a week in your bed?"

Praxis shrugged. "It's just not that easy."

"Why's that?"

He thought about her father and the fight they had together. Praxis also thought about Xanthos and how smug he seemed announcing that Astara would be his next wife.

"It was just a complicated situation," said Praxis before thinking of a white lie. "Plus she was living in Corinth. Can't exactly carry on a relationship like that."

"She's really living in Corinth?" asked Lysandra, her tone questioning. It was a noticeable change in the atmosphere between them, and Praxis should have figured out at that point that something was up.

"Yup," he lied. "Still there."

"Hmm," said Lysandra, still tracing his nipple. "Well, it's a good thing that she didn't keep you in Corinth. You never would have been back in time for the feast. Or for your brother's wedding."

"Yes, because I wouldn't miss my brother's wedding for the world," quipped Praxis acidly.

That response at least made Lysandra laugh. She leaned in closer to him and kissed him sweetly. Praxis figured that he'd made it through the dangerous questioning without stumbling too badly, but what came out of Lysandra's mouth next showed him that this was only just the beginning.

"So tell me something. How long have you been in love with your brother's fiance, Astara?"

Chapter 32: Oh No

Looking back on it, Praxis should have realized he wasn't going to get out of this situation so easily. The question shouldn't have come as such a surprise but he still found himself with his jaw open moments after Lysandra asked it.

"You can close your mouth now and answer the question," she teased, still using her finger to trace around his nipple.

Praxis did just that but the words were still struggling to form. At this point, he knew there was no point in lying.

Somehow, Lysandra knew about Astara and she had him cornered.

"How did you know?" he asked finally, his voice nothing but a low whisper.

Lysandra struggled. "It's not that hard to see. You were both looking at each other a great deal today, and none of those looks were happy ones. At several times, you were even staring at her. You never looked more distressed than when someone brought up your brother's wedding tomorrow, and eventually I just put two and two together."

Praxis brought a hand to his forehead. "Well, you have the gist of it. There's not much more to say than that."

Lysandra wasn't done yet. "So was she the woman in Corinth? The one that got away?"

Praxis nodded silently.

"Hmm," replied Lysandra as her fingers finally settled on his chest. "You're in quite the predicament, aren't you? Your brother is marrying someone you love. And I remember from the fight that one night before your exile just how you feel about your brother."

"Rub it in even more, will you?" joked Praxis sourly. "I don't even want to think about the situation, let alone Xanthos. It makes a bad situation ten times worse."

"Not to mention, it puts into question what we're doing," said Lysandra, giving him the fateful words.

Praxis closed his eyes tightly, knowing this had to be coming. This was the part where Lysandra left his bed for the last time, where she would get dressed in a hurry and walk out of his life forever. She might even be saving up to unload on him, showing a fiery temper that would match the color of her hair.

And yet, it never came. Lysandra didn't move, and when he opened his eyes again, he found her staring back at him.

"I just want to ask you one thing," she whispered. "When you're with me here, in bed, are you imagining that I'm her? Do you see her whenever I'm here?"

There was a shocking amount of vulnerability to her words that Praxis didn't expect. It took a level of bravery to ask that question, and Praxis found that he was impressed by her candor and her guts in asking it.

And since the theme of the night was honesty, he decided to give a genuine answer.

"No, I don't," he replied, staring back at her. "When I'm with you, I'm really with you. I picture you when we have sex. Though she does trouble me greatly, it's not hard to push it away when I'm with you, or whenever you show me that gorgeous body you have."

It was the total truth, and Lysandra was happier for it. A coy smile began to form on her perfectly pink lips, and once more, her hand began to trace circles around his chest.

"You're just saying that," she playfully accused.

Praxis held up his hand. "By the gods, I swear it. Horn of Hades, I only picture you when we're in bed."

She poked him. "I'm just teasing you but thank you. It's an insecurity of mine, the thought that... well, never mind. That's a story for another day."

For the briefest of moments, Lysandra looked actually troubled. More troubled to even find out about Astara. There was a history of darkness in her words, one that wasn't going to be easily uncovered. Praxis took that information and filed it away, waiting for another time to open it.

Lysandra took a deep breath. "As long as you're present when you're with me, this news about Astara doesn't bother me. In fact, I think it's rather endearing."

Nowthat was certainly a surprise. Praxis' eyes went wide.

"Endearing?" he repeated. "That's not what I expected you to say."

Lysandra started to laugh. "What did you expect me to say?"

"Honestly? I half expected you to tell me we wouldn't sleep together again. Or that you was pissed at me."

Lysandra shrugged. "I'm not pissed at you. After all, I've seen Astara before. She's beautiful. Probably the most gorgeous woman in the entire city. Yes, I could choose to be jealous but I think you'd have a harder time finding a man in the city who didn't think she was beautiful."

"Yeah, but I slept with her," said Praxis, not knowing when to stop. "And I did it since we've been together."

"But we're not together," stressed Lysandra, gesturing between them. "Yes, we have sex and yes, I think we're becoming good friends, but it's not like I'm your woman, right? We are not at that point in our relationship."

Praxis hadn't expected that, although it was true what she was saying. Neither of them had defined exactly what they were besides the occasional bedmate. Perhaps that's why he was getting off so lightly.

"The biggest thing for me was knowing whether or not she had you completely," continued Lysandra. "You have feelings for her, but if they were overwhelming, we'd not be in bed together. That to me represents that whatever it is we're doing together, it has a chance. I don't know what it'll become and you probably don't either, but it tells me that this is still worth investing my time in. Does that make sense?"

In a way, it did.

"So you want to keep doing this?" he asked, gesturing between them.

Lysandra giggled and nodded. "I do. Do you?"

"I do," he answered, meaning every word. "This might have been one of the weirdest conversations I've ever had, but I'd be a complete fraud if I said I didn't enjoy my time with you."

She leaned in closer to kiss him. "Likewise. Just promise me one thing--if you ever find yourself picturing another woman while we do it, tell me so that we can end it quickly. But as long as you're still in this, we'll keep going to see how far this journey will take us. Deal?"

"Deal," replied Praxis, finding the terms easy. Perhaps even easier than he expected. "What should we do to seal our arrangement?"

Lysandra grinned wickedly as she threw her leg across his lower half. "I know just the thing!"

*****

The next morning, Praxis made his way to the center of the city early as the feast entered its second day. Today, he was carrying trays of food at the direction of his mother, making several trips from the palace in order to feed all the Argives.

He wasn't alone either. Lysandra was nearly in his shadow as well, and every time he looked at her, she had a knowing smile--a smile that said she was now comfortable with their arrangement.

Surprisingly enough, he was comfortable with it as well. It made a lot of the guilt go away knowing that she was fully aware of the Astara situation and she still wanted to be with him. It even made seeing Astara easier than it otherwise would have been.

The double life he felt he was living had been thoroughly smashed through.

Even if he wanted to focus on Lysandra or Astara, the day was too busy to spare a thought for them. Most of the preparations for that afternoon concerned the wedding, which was going to be an event the entire city was going to witness. Thankfully, Praxis managed to get out of doing much for the wedding itself, choosing to focus on the other aspects of the feast, but it was Theron who brought up a sensitive topic as crunch time neared.

"You have a way of waiting until the last second to make your move," said Theron as they moved through the city.

Praxis gave him an odd look. "What do you mean?"

He gestured to the base of the Aspida Hill, where a small altar could be found for the wedding. "You told me you were going to marry that girl one day, remember? About Astara? And she's only an hour away from marrying your stepbrother. The way I see it, you only have an hour to save face or she's going to be lost to you."

Praxis took a deep breath and nodded his head. "It's a lot more complicated than that. There's nothing I can do about Astara today."

Theron let out a low whistle. "That's a shame to lose a woman like that. Especially to someone like Xanthos. Not only do I feel bad for you, but I feel bad for her too."

Theron had a point. Xanthos wasn't known for having the kindest heart, something that Astara had already learned from when he struck her father.

Just like I did. I hit her father too.

The thought wasn't pleasant but neither was the thought of her being tethered to Xanthos forever. But what exactly could he do about it?

"I ought to dash in there, toss her over my shoulder, and then marry her before he can," said Praxis boldly. "That would be my own shot."

Theron started to chuckle. "A short-lived shot that would be too. Because you and I both know that your stepfather would kill you for it. You'd never be allowed to stay in Argos if you did that."

Praxis sighed. "You're right, of course. But the idea looked a lot better in my mind."

"They often do. They often do, Praxis."

The two men continued to watch as a small team led by Eulalia arrived at the altar to prepare for the last-minute arrangements. The wedding kicked off in earnest a short while later, where Xanthos and Astara were united in the eyes of the gods.

Praxis stared more at the ground than he did at the ceremony, not wanting to see his woman being given to another man. At least Astara didn't look happy at the wedding either.