Memoirs of an Immortal (The Immortal Series) (5 page)

“No more sleeping. Today we’ll show you around the palace and tomorrow your real training beginnings. We need to teach you our ways. Moreover, the ephors want to meet with you.” Cynisca stated.

“They were not pleased that the king had left Sparta to get you. Even if the oracle told him so, they wanted him to marry Gorgo, the daughter of the previous king. She was thought to be the next queen. However, when king Leonidas was summoned to the oracle and heard of you he had decided against his marriage to her and chose you, which cause the ephors to be divided. Some said that it would bring great misfortune had the oracle not been fulfilled, others did not want an outsider to be in our midst.” Eupolia explained.

Laying there listening to both of them made my responsibilities all the more real. I realized that I had an important role to play and now wasn’t the time to sit idly by and become a spectator of my life.

“So now is the time to show them who I am and what I’m capable of. For those who believed in the oracle, I must live up to their expectations, while for those who did not believe in me, I must exceed theirs.” I said determined. Both girls just looked at each other and nodded. I got out of bed walked to the door. “Now show me all I need to know and everything I am not supposed to.”

Training

As the week went by Eupolia began to explain the ways of the palace, from the servants to kings, I made sure she left nothing out. I wasn’t going to be made of fool of. She spent a whole week teaching me the inner workings of the politics of Sparta and who had power and how they used it. While at night Cynisca was teaching me the proper etiquette of a Spartan wife and queen. What was expected of me and how I was to react to everything. She even made sure I knew I had pull and power and how I was able to exploit it. It had been over a week since I had seen Leonidas. I heard from Cynisca that he was busy with the ephors and their demands to know what had happened and how I was fairing.

While we were walking through the corridor of the inner courtyard Cynisca was telling me of the history of Sparta and how Leonidas is said to be a descendant of Herakles. I stopped cold in my tracks. There in front of me Leonidas stood in the courtyard busying himself with his men. I inched forward, instinctively wanting to be with him. He looked up and saw me.

My heart jumped as happiness flowed through me. As he began to walk towards me I could feel my body move, taking a small step to meet him. I was about to greet him to show him how much I had learned when he walked right passed me. His men looked at me their faces full of pity. I could feel my body wanting to fall, my knees grew weak, my eyes blurred from my tears. He had spoken to Cynisca and motioned to his men to follow.

“How are you?” Dienekes walked up to me and asked trying to sympathize with me. I sighed heavily.

“I’m tired. There’s a lot to learn and very little time until the ceremonial dinner.” I said meekly, without looking at his face, trying to wipe my tears away.

“You are capable of a lot. You will be fine Psykhe.” He smiled and followed Leonidas out.

“Hey Dienekes?” I yelled and he turned “Yes Psykhe?”

“You tell your king that I will not stand for it much longer. I have a will greater than his, if he thinks I will be toyed with, he had better think of sleeping with is sword at night!” I had meant every word I said.

“I will my queen, I will.” Dienekes nodded.

I looked into the courtyard where Leonidas stood. I had walked to where he was standing the first night I was there. The heat of the day enveloped me as I stood there. I looked up staring into the sky, the sun was setting and the sky was a beautiful red hue. As I stood there trying to feel his presence, a gust of wind came through I felt it across my skin the loneliness was palpable and overwhelming.

Cynisca ran up to me and said that the wedding preparations were getting ready and because my progress was so quick the wedding was to be pushed up a week. She was always a sweet girl. She tried so much to make me feel at home and at ease. She never wanted me to be sad or alone. But my lonely heart couldn’t let go of the fact that he had not spoken to me or even made an effort to acknowledge me, since he brought me here. Why was he so forward in Crete? Why was he able to express himself so clearly to me, but here he cannot even look at me?

Cynisca interrupted my thoughts to tell me that my father had sent me musicians and dancers from our island so that I could represent myself and our people. I smiled upon hearing this. I looked at Cynisca and asked to see them as soon as they reached here. She nodded.

Eupolia had recommended that we take a walk to the outer palace so that I could be seen and also observe those around me, I reluctantly agreed and followed them. As we walked through the palace and were about to reach the front doors that led to the outer areas, Leonidas appeared in front of me. I guess Dienekes had relayed my message. I still remembered swearing his name under my breath. Later on I found out that he had just told him in passing while laughing, but Leonidas didn’t think it was laughing matter and left to search for me.

Eupolia and Cynisca both moved quickly in front of me, but when Leonidas reached forward to push them back, I moved ahead of them to protect them.

“You are not to ever touch them. They are my girls not yours.” I hissed. His eyes did not move from me, the girls were stood strong in the background giving me strength to not move an inch.

“Everything here is mine, including those girls and especially you.” He barked. “I do not take threats lightly, I…”

“I do not care what you take and do, but I will not stay here and be ignored and humiliated in front of your people. Before we reach the ceremony you had better rethink this. Perhaps Gorgo would be a better choice. She may be better suited to deal with a brute like you. I am Psykhe and no man, king or god will ever treat me anyway other than what I deserve.” Every word came out strong and hard. All my emotions, the sadness, the anger and the loneliness came out as I stood my ground. He was angry. Very angry.

“How could you say that since I chose you?” He growled.

“You didn’t choose me, the oracle did. You chose to follow the gods’ and their orders and I finally see that I am nothing, but a tool for you to use for power. Now if there is nothing else for you to say to me move out of my WAY!” I hissed. Our fight must have echoed through the palace because Dienekes had shown up looking very anxious.

We were stood glaring at each other both of us breathing heavily. I knew he wanted to let out his frustrations. He was not going to move. He was a king and a little girl was not going to make him lose face. He grabbed both of my arms and pushed me to that wall. I grabbed his cloak holding him close to me.

“I am not afraid of you or anyone. Now let go of me.” I barked.

He held on tight. It began to hurt, but I wasn’t going to let on. He glared at me, but after awhile he finally let go. I straightened my dress and summoned the girls and left.

I could see from the corner of my eye an older man and a young beautiful woman standing next to him. They must have heard us and came out to see what had happened. I stop for only a moment to see these two looking at me. The man’s look gave me the same chills as when Crito looked at me. The longing and hunger was not lost in his expression.

He looked much like Leonidas, but older. However he did not have the same aura as those around him, but rather he had the air of a snake, slithering though Sparta. The young woman beside him had dark brown eyes, her attire was regal and her air was full of greatness. This had to be Gorgo. I stood frozen at the Spartan beauty in front of me that was best suited for Leonidas. My heart sunk even lower knowing this was who he was supposed to marry.

“Psykhe!” I heard him cry out. His voice brought me back to my fury. If he had such a choice why bother ever coming into my world? No wonder he ignored my existence. If he regretted it, he could have simply told me so.

I walked out of the palace. I didn’t bother to stop, my anger carrying me. Where? I didn’t know. I continued to walk not knowing where I was going.

“That brute, that Ass, that thug! Cynisca, Eupolia are you ok?” I shouted. They followed me close behind. I began to examine them, making sure they weren’t hurt.

“He has never acted that way before.” Eupolia had a worrisome look on her face.

“Don’t worry! I won’t ever let him hurt you.” I reassured her.

“He had it coming.” Cynisca spat out. “He ignored you the whole time you were here. Here you are all alone and you don’t even know our ways. He could have at least been more understanding or considerate.”

“He did ask for reports of her and what she was doing.” Eupolia tried to defend him.

“Yes, but why couldn’t he come and see for himself? Or why couldn’t he approach her to see how she was feeling?” Cynisca couldn’t help, but yell back. She was angry and I was happy that someone had noticed, that it wasn’t somehow all in my mind.

“I’m not alone, not anymore. I have you two with me. I’ll be fine.” I reached for both of them and hugged them.

“Psykhe?” said Eupolia “The two you saw before.”

“Yes I know that was Gorgo.” I nodded.

“Yes,” She said “But the man next to her that was her father, Leonidas’ older brother Kleomenes. We were told to keep you far from him.” She hesitated “and from her.”

“Why?” I asked.

“He’s likes all things exotic. You’re a foreigner therefore different and he likes that very much. The king wants you as far from him as possible.” Eupolia clarified.

“And why must I stay away from her? Who is she that I can’t go anywhere near to?” I waved my hand, not wanting to hear the answer. Afraid it might be something that my heart could not take right now or ever. “Enough! We are out in the city now, let’s enjoy ourselves.” I smiled.

As we walked through the city, they both began to regale me with stories of when they were young and how they ran through the city streets. Cynisca was telling me the best places to eat food and have wine, while Eupolia was showing me the best stalls to buy pretty things. I was finally having some fun, I actually caught myself laughing. I felt like my anxieties no longer existed until Eupolia stopped and pulled my arm.

“The king!” She whispered.

He stood ahead of me with Dienekes and Maron. All three were looking at us. Well two were looking, while one glared at me. I kept smiling and had decided to give him the same treatment he had given me since I came here. I walked right past him not even batting an eye in his direction, for me at that moment he didn’t exist.

As I was walking away, I heard a bellowing cry from Leonidas. “Go back to the palace!”

This was a game of wills and I wasn’t going to lose. I gave him no answer, no acknowledgement and continued to walk away. It was Dienekes who ran after me and stopped me.

“I know that Leonidas is taking it too far and you’re feeling hurt, but you’re making it worse. I will try to talk to him, but you need to take a step back and understand he cannot lose to you. For us Spartans it looks bad so please just go back.” He said earnestly.

I sighed tired of all the rules. “I’m going to the palace anyways, but not because of him. But I’m serious about him rethinking everything.” I breathed. Dienekes’ face fell as I spoke. “I am not afraid of marriage, especially when you can marry someone you can love and respect, which is the truest gift the gods can ever give you. Someone you can rely on, confide in, pass the difficulties of life with. That is the foundation of a marriage. If he only did this to appease the gods…” My words began to trail off and everything that I felt came crashing down.

“How can I ever look at myself?” I began shouting. “He stole everything that made me who I am and now I am nothing to him? I am the idiot that gave my heart to this man?” My breathing became laboured. “What am I supposed to do now? Dienekes, what? Sit in the palace being overlooked? I saw Gorgo. She would have been a better choice. Her beauty alone would make any man happy!” I began to laugh at my idiocy. How could I ever think I was worthy of all this? “I guess I am not as worthy as I thought. He regrets it now, that’s why he acts like this.” Cynisca came up to me and gestured her head in the direction from behind Dienekes’ back. Leonidas had stood there and heard everything I had said.

I felt like such a fool to believe that I was someone special, that someone thought enough of me to love me, to want me. I was the idiot. How could I so easy give him my heart? Why did my soul only belong to him? Why was I the only one who was suffering? Without realizing it I yelled in his direction.

“I want everything back that you took from me. Everything!”

I took a deep breath and walked towards the palace. I didn’t need anyone to show me where to go now, but I knew the girls were following me. When I reached my room I turned around and I apologized to them and told them they could leave.

I entered and looked around at the room that he given me. I walked over to the window when my fire pit lit itself again.

“That bad?” Pro began.

Throughout the time I was here, Pro had often appeared to me, making me realize that his existence wasn’t a mere figment of my imagination, but rather a real occurrence in my life.

“I’ve been watching over you. Psykhe, I know you’re lonely, you gave up everything to be with a man that does not even speak to you!” He grunted. I kept ignoring him as he spoke. “You have been working endlessly for a man that you gave your heart to. Why I wonder?” He waited. When he realized I wasn’t answering him began again. “I wonder if there isn’t a person better suited for you.”

“Enough” I said my voice monotone, wanting him to stop speaking.

“That stupid king is allowing his pride to get in the way. Men are men, you are a woman therefore you should understand him.” I could tell by his voice that he was trying to provoke me.

“It’s not going to work” I hissed.

“Listen, if you want out all you need to do is ask. I’ll figure it out for you, but next time, call for me. You are not able to be left alone. You are not that type of creature.” Pro stopped for a moment. “Look Leonidas is also nervous and afraid. You are a force that not even he can handle.” Pro spoke so knowingly, it made me curiosity.

“And how is it that you know me so well? What makes you able to understand how I’m feeling at this moment?” I was really seeking an answer.

“I’ve been watching over you for awhile. Remember, I’m your guardian. I just don’t want to see you hurting anymore.” I couldn’t take it anymore of his cryptic words.