The Argive Ch. 096-100

"No one that is currently living knows about it," replied the king. "I'd prefer to keep it that way despite the circumstances."

"What circumstances would that be?"

Nicomedes waved his hand. "I've said too much already. Come on, let's throw some more spears."

Praxis' eyes narrowed as he studied what the king said. What kind of circumstances was he worried about? What was so shameful that he couldn't share it with anyone, or even cause himself to talk about it, especially many years after the fact.

Again, Praxis was confronted by the same suspicion. One that was almost too fantastical to admit.

It was also one that would need to be asked delicately. And Nicomedes seemed all too willing to change the subject.

"So tell me something," said the king as his tone turned much more lighthearted. "Those two women with you. Lysandra and Zenais. They are yours, right?"

Praxis couldn't help the grin that spread out on his lips. "They are mine and I'm theirs. We are in a relationship if that answers your question. An unorthodox relationship, but one that suits us just fine."

Nicomedes grinned back at him. "You remind me so much of myself, especially in my youth. It's not hard to see how much they care about you. I think you have two of the most beautiful women in all of Greece with you."

"It certainly feels that way when we are alone together at night," joked Praxis.

"Do you love them?"

"Yes and no," replied Praxis. "Or maybe yes and I don't know. I love Lysandra. I've been with her the longest but Zenais isn't quite there yet. She's only joined us recently but I can see myself getting there."

"They seem like good women," noted Nicomedes. "A good woman is hard to find and even harder to keep."

"They seem determined to keep me, but I don't know why," joked Praxis. "That's not a complaint mind you. I'm thankful that I have Athena's blessing to keep them."

Praxis had expected the conversation to continue on a more lighthearted route but Nicomedes surprised him again. Most of that surprise stemmed from the look on his face. If Praxis could describe it with one word, that word would be haunted. He wondered if he was thinking about his wife.

"Whatever you do, don't give them up so easily," warned Nicomedes, his soul in his eyes. "Take that advice from someone who's been down that path before. If you love them, don't let a silly thing like pride get in the way."

The emotion behind Nicomedes' plea had Praxis wondering just what he was getting at. Was this friendly advice or more? And did it stem from Phaedra's mother?

Or perhaps from another woman?

By now, Praxis was fairly convinced about his suspicion. He had to know but how best could he ask?

The words came out surprisingly easy.

"Is there anything you want to tell me, Nicomedes?" asked Praxis quietly. "Anything at all?"

The question was innocuous enough to be overlooked in case Praxis was wrong. Even still, Nicomedes looked away for a moment, causing Praxis' heart to start beating wildly.

So many years of searching might come down to this moment right now.

Praxis locked eyes on him when Nicomedes finally opened his mouth.

"I think that's enough wine for tonight," said the older man, dumping out the remains from his cup. "We will talk more tomorrow."

With those words, Nicomedes began to walk away, leaving Praxis in stunned silence. Before the king could leave the courtyard completely, Praxis called out to him.

"Nicomedes?"

The king turned to look at him but stayed silent.

"You can tell me," said Praxis. "Whenever you're ready."

Nicomedes swallowed heavily. "Goodnight, Praxis."

Just like that, he was gone. The only thing that was left were questions.

The most important question was still on the tip of his tongue.

Are you really my father?

Chapter 98: Old Friends

"That's it? He didn't say anything more? Did you ask him directly if he was your father?"

Lysandra was full of questions the next morning, especially as she and Praxis walked out of the palace and down into the main marketplace for something to eat. She was just hearing about his conversation with Nicomedes from the previous evening, having been asleep by the time he arrived back at their quarters.

And now she was desperate to hear the whole thing.

"Nothing directly," replied Praxis. "But I have strong suspicions. There's something there that he won't tell me. Something in his past that brings him great shame. There are just too many signs right now that point to him. I really think it's him."

"What about the name though?" she asked. "I thought you said your father's name was Evander?"

Praxis shrugged. "Names can be changed especially when it's convenient. I wouldn't put it past him if he wanted to leave the old name, and the old life, behind."

"But everyone would know him when he came back," said Lysandra. "If it was really him, wouldn't his family recognize him? What about his friends? He was from Messene so you think there would be someone that would have recognized him if Nicomedes wasn't his real name."

"I don't know," said Praxis. "I'm just like you right now. I have more questions than I have answers. It's gnawing at me though, Lysandra. I think there's something there. And if he's so ashamed of something in his past, that could be it. It was a shameful act."

"Maybe," she considered. "But it still doesn't seem right. Especially once--"

Praxis barely heard her, despite the fact that she was still talking. He did a double and then a triple take on a couple that had entered the marketplace a short distance away. It was a face he would know anywhere, not having seen it since the last time he left Corinth.

"Agemon! Agemon, over here!" called out Praxis.

To his great relief, the Corinthian turned in the direction of his name and his eyes fell on Praxis. The big soldier grinned once he recognized his old friend, and he quickly bounded over to close the distance between them.

"Thank the fucking gods I finally get to see a familiar face!" boomed Agemon, the large man yanking Praxis off his feet as they embraced. Praxis laughed and patted his back heartily before pulling back to look at him.

"I'm grateful that you're still with us, my old friend," said Praxis. "After I heard the news about Corinth, I wondered what would happen or where you would go."

Agemon lost his smile temporarily and shook his head. "Dark days. Very dark days. At least we're alive. Cypselus too, the last time I saw him."

"Is he with you?"

"No, he's in Athens," replied Agemon. "That was the first place we went but ultimately Cora and I decided to come to Messene. To see if we could find you."

Agemon wrapped his arm around Cora's shoulders, and Praxis took her in appearance for the first time in ages. Of course it brought a smile to his lips.

"Hi Cora, I'm Praxis," he said, introducing himself. "Are you two together?"

Agemon couldn't contain his grin. He nodded all too quickly. "We are. She is my woman."

"Nice to meet you, Praxis," replied Cora. "Agemon has told me so much about you."

"And I knew about you before Agemon finally made a move," joked Praxis. "He's been infatuated with you forever."

Cora laughed at that, especially as Agemon turned red in the face. Praxis shared the laughter with Cora before introducing Lysandra to both of them.

"So you both are well then?" asked Agemon. "I didn't know what I'd find when I got here. There were no rumors of you, not even a whisper. I wondered if I was chasing a ghost."

"Messene seemed like the best place to come," replied Praxis. "Especially with the rest of the Peloponnese under the Spartan yoke."

"That's another reason why we come," said Agemon. "We noticed the Spartans on the road east when we were coming here. Just a couple days ago. They were riding hard in the direction of Argos. Nikandros was with him. He looked determined to get there as quickly as possible."

Praxis thought about it for a moment before it dawned on him. "He's rallying his allies for the war with Messene. I bet he's going to see Xanthos and maybe even stop at Corinth. He's going to have them contribute troops for the campaign against King Nicomedes."

"I figured it was nothing good," replied Agemon. "So I've come here to offer my services. I'd like to fight for Messene when the time comes. Those bastards took my home once. I won't let them do it a second time."

Praxis grinned and patted Agemon's back heartily. "You are most welcome here, my friend. I'll have to introduce you to Nicomedes. We've been trying to get his army in shape for the fight ahead. They show great promise but they've neglected real training for too long."

"Well, just get me linked up with them and I'll show them how to mow down their enemies!" growled Agemon. "I have so much fire in me from having to witness the fall of Corinth that I almost feel bad for the next Spartan that gets in my way!"

"Come on, I should show you the army," said Praxis. "More than likely Nicomedes is down there as well."

With those words, he turned to Lysandra. "Will you take Cora back to the palace for the time being? Until we can get them living arrangements?"

"Of course," replied Lysandra as she gestured for Cora to follow her. "You have to tell me all about you and Agemon. Praxis told me stories from when you were all together in Corinth, and I'm dying to hear all about it!"

Knowing Cora was in good hands, both Praxis and Agemon took the road outside the city, making their way to the nearby field where the core of the army was assembled. It was there that Praxis happened upon Asterion and his formation first. It couldn't have been at a better time, because there was some kind of argument going on, and it centered on Nicomedes, Asterion, and a third person.

Unfortunately, that third person was Zenais.

Once he saw Praxis, Nicomedes waved him over.

"Praxis, I heard this was your idea," he said, pointing at Zenais. "Care to explain to me why you've brought a woman into my army?"

"Because she can fight better than most of the men," replied Praxis, which only made Zenais beam with pride. "She wants to fight for Messene, and we could use her skills."

"Women don't belong on the battlefield," snapped Nicomedes. "She's a liability that we can't afford!"

"Actually, my king, she shows great promise fighting in the spear phalanx," said Asterion. "She fits in very well. And it affords her the protection of the man next to her."

Nicomedes looked like he was ready to start spitting nails. Praxis had only glimpsed a part of the king's temper before, and now it looked like it had returned with a vengeance.

As mad as he was, Nicomedes took several deep breaths to calm himself before his glare settled on Praxis. He gestured for him to step away for a moment.

"Don't you remember what we discussed last night?" asked Nicomedes. "About keeping your loved ones close? Why put her on the battlefield then? What is your point?"

"And I heard your message loud and clear," replied Praxis. "But Zenais is a warrior in her own right. She's survived and thrived in the wilds of Arcadia before falling in with me. She knows what she's doing and she wants to save your city. Why wouldn't you want someone like that on the battlefield?"

"Because she'll be a distraction! Who knows how she'll perform in the heat of battle!"

Praxis gestured over to the formation, where Zenais had once more resumed her place while Asterion ran them through drills. "She doesn't look like a distraction from here. You can't even tell she's a woman from this distance, and I bet the men will be grateful to have someone else to watch their back."

Nicomedes let out a loud sigh. "You're not going to let this one go, are you?"

"It doesn't matter what I want," replied Praxis. "You're the king. If you make the command to put her out of your army, we all have to abide by it. But I figured she'd be worth more to you here than locked inside the palace."

Despite his power, Nicomedes looked helpless. A range of emotions passed his face before he finally settled on reluctant acceptance. "Time is passing me by, Praxis. I'm an old man now. In my day, having a woman on the battlefield was a sacrilege, punishable by the gods. But then again, I think they would think the same thing about Asterion's formation. These aren't rational times."

"Does that mean she can stay?" asked Praxis.

Nicomedes scoffed. "I suppose. I don't have the luxury of unlimited fighting men at this time. If she wants to help and as long as she's not a distraction, she can stay."

Praxis couldn't help but smile. "She'll make you proud. I can promise you that."

"We'll see about that," replied Nicomedes before he nodded toward Agemon. "By the way, who's that man?"

"Someone that will be very useful to us," replied Praxis. "Come over here, let me introduce you."

It only took a few moments for Nicomedes and Agemon to get acclimated to each other, and Agemon's affable nature quickly had the king forgetting that he'd just been upset moments before. It also didn't hurt that Agemon volunteered to help train the army while he was there, which would keep Praxis from being spread too thin.

"I'll take all the help we can get," replied Nicomedes. "And if you have any brothers that are the same size as you, can you send them to Messene?"

Agemon laughed, creating the start of a very good friendship between the two men. Seeing as he was a friend of Praxis, Nicomedes also made the offer of accommodations at the palace, which Agemon accepted with much gratitude.

"I like that man," said Nicomedes later on, when Agemon left to get settled in the palace. "So you met him in Corinth?"

"He almost beat my head in the first day," replied Praxis, chuckling at the memory. "But we put aside our differences and became fast friends. I have yet to regret that decision."

"Well, I'm glad he's here," said Nicomedes before falling silent for a few moments. Praxis looked at the king out of the side of his eye. Once again, Nicomedes was deep in thought.

"About last night, Praxis..." he began before Praxis interrupted him.

"You don't need to apologize about it. I wasn't trying to pry, Nicomedes."

Nicomedes shook his head. "I know that. And I do owe you an apology. The truth is that you asked me a question last night that I couldn't answer. I'd like to make sure you get your answer to that. Tonight, I want you to meet me again outside the city. As the sun sets, meet me on the western road. There's something I want to show you."

His curiosity stoked, Praxis couldn't help but ask the question. "What is it?"

"Not now," said Nicomedes. "I'll tell you then. You can have all the answers you wish. Do we have a deal?"

Praxis didn't need to even think about it. "We have a deal."

Chapter 99: No Time for Old Relatives

One of the things that Astara liked the most about Argos was its vibrancy.

No matter where she went in the city, it always felt alive to her. The sights and sounds of so many people, all just trying to make a living while enjoying their lives as much as possible, was what kept her sane in these troubling times. It was also what kept her rooted to Argos, despite being in a marriage to a man she hated.

There was another reason she stayed too. As much as Astara wanted to flee the city, she knew that Xanthos would take out his punishment on her family if she did. And she couldn't bear to bring them that hardship, especially now when the family had fallen on bad luck. It was just a few days ago that her father mentioned a shortfall of goods to trade, with many merchants avoiding the city now that it had been taken over by the Spartans.

Argos was a dangerous place but as long as she had her family, she could keep her sanity. But how long would it stay that way? Would there ever come a day when she had to leave for good?

Astara was still pondering that question when the summons came. It was one of Xanthos' men, one of his personal guards that he'd recruited once he took power. Astara knew what his appearance meant. She knew that the Spartan king was due to arrive in Argos today, having recently been to Messene. The visit wasn't planned more than a day beforehand, when Nikandros sent a runner to inform Xanthos of his imminent arrival.

Astara thought it only signaled one thing--war was coming again.

She made her way to the main reception hall, where Xanthos and Melitta were already waiting to greet the Spartan king. True to form, Melitta glared at Astara as she took her place on the other side of Xanthos. The woman hadn't said one word to her that wasn't dripping in venom since her marriage to Xanthos, not that Astara minded one bit. She didn't have a high opinion of Melitta before the marriage and that had fallen even more since.

For his part, Xanthos scarcely acknowledged her presence, a welcome development in Astara's opinion. For much of the last week, he'd been content to pretend she didn't exist, which was something she could definitely live with. If she could just make it so their marriage didn't exist, it would go a long way to righting the wrongs in her life.

Xanthos and Melitta went to great lengths to present an image of strength, but that image fell apart completely once confronted by true power in the form of King Nikandros. The Spartan king strode into the reception room like he owned it, which in a way was practically true.

"Call up your men," barked Nikandros, without even giving a greeting. "We're going to war."

Xanthos stumbled on his response, clearly not expecting such a blunt request. "To war, my king? Who are we going to war against?"

"Who else? The Messenians," replied Nikandros. "I'm assembling a mighty army to crush them, and I want your men as part of that army. Call up your warriors and you'll rendezvous with me in Arcadia before we march to Messenia. I'll be making the same request of Corinth as well but it's time to put an end to that troublemaking fool, Nicomedes."

"How soon do you want them ready?" asked Xanthos. "It will take us time to find enough men to send. Our army isn't in the best shape right now."

Astara held back a laugh at that statement. It wasn't that the army wasn't in the best shape. It had practically ceased to exist after the fall of the city. All the best men fled abroad while those that stayed deferred any defensive opportunities to the Spartan garrison. The Argive army existed only in Xanthos' head.

"You have a week," barked Nikandros. "And not a day later. I've already given orders for my men to be ready to move out as soon as I get back to Sparta. The entire might of the Peloponnesian League will grind Messenia into dust. By this time next year, Messenia will only exist in memory."

Xanthos licked his lips. "Yes, my king, it shall be as you say."

Astara shook her head out of instinct. There never was a more servile lapdog than Xanthos. As soon as Nikandros told him to jump, he did it. The man disgusted her more than she ever thought possible.

However, it was the next piece of news from Nikandros that she never expected.

"You'll never believe who I found at the side of Nicomedes," sneered Nikandros. "I found your stepbrother, Praxis. The old fool was actually taking advice from him."

"Praxis," spat Xanthos while making the foulest face. "So he gives advice to our enemies now? All the more reason for him to die. He should have died when he and his ilk were kicked out of Argos."

"Well, that's the problem with weeds," replied Nikandros. "If you don't snip it at the root, you can expect them to come back with a vengeance. This campaign will allow both of us to get what we want. I know how much you'd like to kill your stepbrother."

"I will send as many men as needed to make sure that happens," vowed Xanthos.

Astara felt like she was rooted to her spot. On one hand, she was ecstatic to learn that Praxis was still alive, but on the other, she was petrified that her husband and his patron now had it out for him. He would have to be warned but how?