When Misha went back to her house, Alexa was already asleep. Stretched carelessly on her bed with a damp towel next to her head. To the relief of the woman, the bruise on Alexa's forehead was receding but to be sure she put some more ointment on it. She was about to leave her bedside when she noticed scrolls on the floor on the other side of the bed. Misha quickly realized that it wasn't any scrolls but Alexa's diary.
She remembered the day when the girl asked her for money to buy things so she could start writing. Misha asked her what she wanted to write about and Alexa stopped moving, looking at her with puppy eyes. The girl couldn't answer. Misha realized she must not have thought this through so she was the one suggesting a diary. The woman never thought twice about it, she wasn't even sure the girl ever used the tools she bought that day. To her surprise Alexa indeed started to write.
"My name is Alexa. I'm 12. This is the first time i try to write a diary. I'm not sure if it's going to be a regular thing but i had to try. I always thought that to write a diary you'd need something to talk about but Misha told me that it could be like a friend, a friend who will never ever reveal your secrets. I told her that if someone was talking about your secrets it was not a real friend but she answered me that sometimes even a friend could be a disappointment. That's a sad thought.
I should probably explain about Misha. She is the one who raised me after the death of my parents. I don't know much about my parents, or what was Misha's relationship with them, it is not something she likes to talk about. I don't think they were good people because no one ever shared their memories of them, at least not with me. Sometimes i can see the elders looking at me with a certain wariness and i wonder if this is related. I'm at the crossroad, i want to hear about my parents but i can feel the answer will be hard to swallow.
I live in Amphipolis, i grew up here. It is not a very big village but big enough to have a tavern, owned by Misha. I'm proud to be from here, it is the village where the Lord Conqueror was born. I still can't believe the ruler of most of the known world lived here. I try to learn everything i can about her. Thanks to the tavern, we often have bards who stop here for a night or two, so i can ask for stories about the Conqueror. I know some people here don't want to hear about her, the elders mostly, they're still blaming her for the death of many, calling her names, like the Destroyer of Nations. She protects Greece from invaders and they're still thinking she is a demon.
In 12 years i never saw her here but i'm sure that one day she will come."
Misha carefully put the scroll on Alexa's desk. She couldn't stop the tears falling from her eyes. Right there she became aware of a painful truth. If Alexa had a choice, of course she would choose to leave. She was obsessed by the ruler for years now and soon she will have to decide whether she wants to stay here with a futur far from exciting or leave with her idol and enjoy a luxurious life.
Unlike Alexa, Misha knew it will not be that easy, she knew the life in Corinth will come with expectations and rules the young girl was never prepared to assume. But what can she offer her here in Amphipolis ? Alexa would be safe, yes. But deep down Misha always felt the girl was made for better. She was smart, with a good education she could become someone, a woman who will be remembered.
XXX
"My Queen"
The said Queen turned toward the voice, surprised to see someone in her quarter. She was about to lecture the intruder about the importance of privacy but the woman beat her to it.
"Forgive me My Queen to enter unannounced but your Weapon Master asked me to fetch you. It's an emergency."
If Eponin ordered someone to break one of the few rules she put in place when she became Queen, Gabrielle thought it was indeed quite the emergency.
Once at the gates of the Amazon City, Gabrielle understood. A group of Amazons was laying there surrounded by their comrades. There was so much blood, Gabrielle felt a fire building in her chest. "What happened ?" She asked her Weapon Master.
"Centaurs" Eponin was as tensed as her bow. The healer was desperately working on one of the fallen Amazon until Eponin moved towards her and stopped her movements.
"Is she-?" But the Queen couldn't finish her sentence, she didn't want to ask that question.
The healer looked back at her and shook her head.
Gabrielle wanted to scream, she could see her fellow sisters mourning already the lost of the Amazon. As Queen though she couldn't, she was the one who had to stay focused, she was the rock of the Amazon Nation. So she hold back her tears and clenched her teeth.
"Gather everyone. I want to know what took place over there." Then the Queen knelt down next to the dead body of her sister and kissed her forehead sending a prayer to Artemis asking her to welcome and take care of the fallen Amazon.
When Gabrielle entered the meeting room, her sisters were already arguing about the procedure to follow. They stopped talking to salute their ruler and waited for their Queen to speak.
"We lost a sister today." Her voice strong and regal she added "Blood was spilled on Amazon territory, the first drops since the signature of our peace treaty with the Centaurs years ago. I demand answers." She said looking intently at every Amazons present at the table.
Eponin was the first to speak. "Amarice was supposed to guard the gates. I had problems with her these last moons, she often defied my orders. She was a hothead. She wasn't supposed to be there."
"She is dead Eponin, it's hardly the time to insult her !" Solari was upset, everyone knew the bond between her and Amarice was strong. Solari was the one who trained the girl when she first came to live with the tribe.
"We almost lost two of our sisters because of her craving for actions ! They are seriously injured ! All because of one reckless woman." Eponin couldn't contain her anger.
"Are you saying she deserved it ?" Solari was fuming.
Eponin was aware of the tension in the room, she thought it best to carefully chose her words. "No one deserve to die like that. I will personally ask that justice be made but i know what you are all thinking."
"And what are we thinking exactly ?" Solari taunted.
The Weapon Master looked at them with disgust. "You're thinking of revenge."
"She didn't die by mistake Eponin, she was trampled to death. Of course we want revenge." The voice came from Chilapa. Eponin wasn't surprised to hear that from her. The young Amazon never withheld her dislike of the Centaurs.
"We need proof before doing anything." Insisted the Weapon Master.
"We need to prepare !" Chilapa roared. "Our sisters defended themselves. Centaurs have casualties too and they are probably not hesitating like us. If they attack us we need to be ready." She then looked back at Eponin, glaring at her. "Since when are you backing off from a fight ? Are you not our Weapon Master ?"
"Yes i am. And as such i can tell you all that a war with the Centaurs right now would result in a bloodbath. For people who are so angered by the death of one of our own, you sure are quick to ask for the death of many more."
Eponin's words shocked the Concil, every Amazons in the room were outraged and were not shy to voice it.
The Queen couldn't stand it anymore. "Enough !" she cried successfully silencing the room. "We need informations before taking any rash decisions. I want to hear about our injured sisters. What did they say ?"
Again Eponin was the one to speak up. "Cara was overseeing the group. She told us Amarice joined them at the border of Centaurs territory. Some Centaurs were apparently hunting, one of their prey ended up dying inside Amazon territory, he tried to retrieve it that's when Amarice attacked him."
"A Centaur crossed our border ! And killed one of our own on our land ! What else do you need ?"
"It happen all the time ! We cross it everyday ! It's a mutual understanding. The difference this time is that we had an overzealous and rogue sister outside as well." Eponin's patience was lessening. She saw Gabrielle silencing any comments from her sisters before motioning to her to keep going with her report. "When the Centaurs saw their comrade being attacked, they went to defend him. Our sisters did the same for Amarice."
Gabrielle couldn't believe what she was hearing. "We attacked first." she said dreadfully.
"Yes My Queen." Acknowledged Eponin.
Gabrielle felt a sudden weariness settle. Hours before she was the leader of a peaceful Nation and now she is here discussing the possibility of a conflict.
"How many dead on their side ?"
"We don't know. Cara told us one of them had to be carried away, she couldn't tell if he was still alive."
This made everyone quiet down. Each one of the Amazon were thinking about the meaning of this. The idea of a possible war was nagging on their minds.
"My Queen, we need to act first, show them we want a diplomatic answer not a military one." Eponin persisted.
"They killed an Amazon on Amazon territory, this can't stay unanswered !"
"This is not just about us." Finally Ephiny was stepping in. She remained silent until then knowing full well how this meeting was going to go. Years of peace made them all forget about their real situation. Blinded by their pain, the big picture was lost on them. "Don't forget that a war between Centaurs and Amazons will certainly be ill-received by the Empire. We were able to keep our land only because we convinced the Conqueror that we will be the first barrier between her and the Romans. We can't fight the Centaurs and the Romans at the same time. Our action today could give her reasons to go back on our deal."
No one dared utter a word after Ephiny's intervention, knowing full well the Queen's second in command was right. The Amazons were now waiting anxiously for their Queen to make a decision. They didn't have to wait for long.
"I will go to Centaur's territory and ask to talk to Kaleipus myself."
"For all we know they're just waiting for an opportunity to attack us. You'd be an easy target. This is too dangerous." Solari looked at Eponin expecting her to at least support her on this but any more comments were stopped by the stern voice of the Queen.
"We need to act before everyone's mind is polluted by false rumors. I refused to go to war on a misconception. To avoid that, i need to talk with Kaleipus. Face to face."
Eponin managed to convince the Queen to take at least a small number of guards with her to her visit to the Centaurs. They didn't have much time to discuss Gabrielle's decision. The Queen wanted to act now, she was sure that to wait any longer will do irreparable damages.
Once at the border, the Queen asked her guards to remain in Amazon land while she advanced alone in Centaur's territory. A few steps in, she heard an arrow being shot. She stopped and saw it land a few feet from her. This was intended as a warning shot. A good sign, it meant they were willing to discuss. Gabrielle motioned to her guards to not move.
"I am Gabrielle, Queen of the Amazon Nation. I come here unarmed and request an audience with Kaleipus."
She waited. She couldn't say how long she stood there. She was about to relent to her guards who were bugging her to go back to the village when she saw a Centaur trotting toward her. Like her, he was alone.
"Queen Gabrielle" He saluted.
"Kaleipus."
"Don't think i made you wait here as some kind of power game. I was actually trying to convince my companions to not kill you on the spot."
The Queen barely managed to refrain a smile. "I should thank you then. To be honest, my sisters share the same idea."
"We seem to agree on something." Despite the intent joke, Kaleipus wasn't smiling.
"I hope we will agree on much more Kaleipus. We didn't get that far to let it all blow up because of the behavior of reckless members of our mutual tribe."
Kaleipus sent her a warning look "I lost a man today Gabrielle, his brothers are asking for justice."
Gabrielle didn't back down "I lost a sister as well. Isn't it enough justice ?" she replied with fervor.
"Your Amazons attacked a Centaur."
"Amarice is ... was a new recruit. A feisty one. She paid it with her life."
The Centaur stayed silent, apparently deep in thought.
"I doubt that will satisfy them." Kaleipus saw a fiery look lightening the Queen's eyes. "I'm sorry for your Amazon but she poured oil on an already burning fire."
Gabrielle's brow wrinkled as she was trying to understand what he was saying. "What do you mean ?"
The Centaur deliberately moved away from both tribes, not wanting anyone to eavesdrop. "More and more Centaurs are voicing their disapproval of the old peace treaty between our two Nations. The most virulent are the young ones, they think our Nation will be better off as allied to the Roman Empire." The Queen could sense his disdain, she knew Kaleipus shared her view of the Roman Empire. "Romans pretend to respect Centaurs traditions to convince us to join them against the Conqueror. In reality, they still think of us as animals. We will be used and killed at the first opportunity." Kaleipus said with venom "Our young companions, they see themselves as powerful warriors but you can be the most powerful warrior out there, you can't do anything alone against an army. Centaurs will find themselves between the Roman's and the Conqueror's army, considered as scums by one and traitors by the other." Kaleipus stopped talking but the Queen felt he wasn't finished.
"If we avoid a war today Gabrielle, it won't mean Amazons will be safe. Elders like myself, the one who lived during the unification of the Greek Empire, we don't want to throw the peace away. We're not fools, we know a war will condemn our race. Our voices still matter but know that after my death things will change." He said gravely.
"Why are you telling me all this now ?" The Queen asked suspiciously.
"Opportunity" Kaleipus approached the Queen "The Centaurs never dreamed of being as thriving as we have been these last few years and it is mainly thanks to the treaty you proposed back then. I owe you for these years of peace. In return i will do everything i can to keep our peace treaty standing for as long as i can, starting now. But you have to promise me that if the opportunity arise you will pardon the Centaurs." The older man offered the woman his outstretched hand.
Gabrielle was stunned by what was happening. She had imagined several scenarios, not one was close to what she was witnessing right now. She accepted the offered hand but couldn't refrain herself from inquiring.
"I don't understand Kaleipus. You must know i won't be able to do anything for the Centaurs if they decide to join the Romans. I don't have that kind of power."
It took the Centaur a few seconds to answer apparently unsure of what he was supposed to tell the young Queen in front of him. "You are a great leader Gabrielle. Soon it will be your time to thrieve."
Kaleipus didn't let the Amazon Queen time to question his curious remark as he was already rushing toward his companions.
