Chapter 12
It took a total of two weeks for Nasrim to walk again. She wasn't completely healed but she was healed enough, for her and Dave to make their way back to Sparta. The Athenian King had told them that horses and supplies were being readied for their departure. "That's fine. The sooner, the better." Dave responded. "Come Nasrim, we will go for a walk; hopefully everything will be ready by the time we get back."
"Good idea." His wife responded as she linked their arms and walked out of the Athenian palace. When they reached the outside, they could see the busy streets of Athens. People were running around like the insane with carts and animals all over the streets.
Athens was much different from Sparta. Sparta was much quieter than Athens and less busy. As the Spartan couple passed shops, Nasrim noticed that there were many art and poetry booths. "Dave?"
"Yes, Nasrim?"
"These Athenians are much incredibly different from you Spartans. As we walk, I have noticed there are no blacksmiths."
"Athenians are art dwellers. They are not bred for battle like we Spartans are." Dave replied.
"Is that why you and these Athenians do not get along?" she asked as she smiled at an Athenian child that passed their way.
"In some ways, yes it is." Dave replied, also smiling at the child. "We do not understand each other, it seems."
"I see," Nasrim said as they passed the twentieth art booth. When they finally came to the edge of the market, they found themselves near the beach. Nasrim had never seen such a sight. Waves of dark blue water hit the sand constantly. White sand was laid in a soft, wide strip all the way down to her left and right. Her eyes widened at the sight of the massive body of water. Dave noticed the look on his wife's face. "You have never seen the beach?"
She shook her head. "No, I never have."
"Come then, we'll go see it first hand." Dave replied as he began walking towards the sand.
"Uh, how about we go somewhere else?" Nasrim said as she pulled Dave's arm. Dave looked puzzled. "You do not want to go?"
"No, perhaps another time, dear. I want to see their garden." Nasrim said with a smile. Dave shrugged his shoulder. "All right, we will go to the gardens, where ever that may be."
"Thank you." Nasrim said. She gave Dave a kiss on the cheek before she hugged his arm. Dave smiled and put his arm around his wife, kissing her hair as she hugged his upper torso.
They walked around the market place this time, not wanting to be a part of this type of chaos. When they reached the other side of the market place, they homes. Above the homes, on hills, they saw what looked to be a temple. "That's one of the many temples that belong to Athena herself."
"Athena, she is the goddess of wisdom,"
"And war," Dave said.
"Well, isn't that interesting" Nasrim replied. "I wouldn't cross her path."
"Yes, neither would I." Dave smiled. "We will see the temple before we leave Athens."
"How about we go now? I want to see these temples. Back in Sparta, I never went to one of our temples."
"There are two reasons for that, dear. First, you have not been in Sparta for long, and two, the men that keep the temples, the priests, well they are less than what you think they are."
"What do you mean, Dave?"
"The priest are not how a man would raise a sun."
It took a couple of seconds for it to register to her. Her lips made an "O" shape as she nodded her. "Sadly, men like that exist." She replied.
Dave nodded. They walked to the houses that sat at the base of the hill. People and their children watched them walk though the dirt streets. Nasrim did her best to smile at them, but it was hard with all the looks she and her husband were getting. "Dave, I do not think these people want us here."
"That is their problem, Nasrim." Dave replied as he glared at the men they passed. They instantly backed away from the large Spartan King. "They are all weak." Dave looked over to the women and children. "Even the women here are no match for Spartan women. Ugh, it's pathetic." Dave growled as they walked through the small houses.
"Dave my dear, the cultures and traditions are different. The two cities are confused about one another. Leave them be. Do not let this spoil our peaceful time before our journey." His wife soothed. Dave looked down at the woman in his arm, hugging his torso. She gave him a gentle smile. Her husband returned it, as well as a squeeze around her small frame.
"You are absolutely right, Nasrim. Perhaps when we get back home, I'll declare war on them all for hurting you" Dave said with a smile that would make the devil's seem pansy. Nasrim laughed as she smacked Dave on the stomach. "You will do no such thing."
"They hurt my Queen, dear. It is my duty not only as King, but as a husband as well." He replied. Nasrim shook her head. "There is no winning with you, my love. There really isn't"
"You won my heart, Nasrim. That's the greatest loss I will ever have." He said. He gave a kiss to her hair as they walked. It was a few moments before they reached the beginning of the path to the temples above. As they climbed, they passed people who had just given their prayers to the Goddess. Nasrim watched them. "You did not bring any offerings for the Goddess. She will be angry, will she not?"
"You are right." Dave responded. His attention went to the ground and trees. He let go of his wife as they passed a tree of apples. He went to the trunk of the tree and looked up. There were many ripe and luscious red apples in the branches above him. "What are you doing, David?"
"Getting our offerings." Dave replied. Dave gave her a quick smile before turning his attention to the tree's trunk. He took a breath before punching the trunk a couple of times. Nasrim watched astonished as dozens of red apples fell to their feet. She laughed when one hit Dave on the head. He growled as he rubbed his head. "Well, there are plenty to go around, but now how are we going to get them to the temple? We cannot carry all of them there, David." Nasrim asked as she picked a couple of apples up.
Dave looked around, there was a small basket behind the tree. He went around to grab it before walking back to his wife. "Here, I'm sure no one will miss it." Dave said as Nasrim put the apples in her hand in the basket. She smiled up at him. "All right my clever King, help me with these apples, huh?" Nasrim said. Dave chuckled and gave her nose a soft kiss before they began picking up the apples.
When they were done, they began walking back up the trail to Athena's temple. The reached the top in about five minutes. Nasrim had thought the market place was bad, but when she saw the scene before her, she had been wrong. Dave smiled and pulled her with him as he made a path for them through the tough Athenian crowd.
When they were in front of the temple, they climbed a couple of steps to enter. Inside was magnificent. Nasrim had never seen anything like it in her life. The trim was gold with paintings she figured were the gods themselves. In center of the temple stood Athena. Her crown was gold with her made of what looked to be white marble, though the marble was painted where her clothes were carved in. "She's beautiful." Nasrim said as they walked closer to the statue.
"Though she is not associated with beauty, she definitely is beautiful" Dave said as he placed the basket of apples at the base of the statue. There were hundreds of more offerings laying there. Clothes, food, money, and even jewelry were all laying on the ground before them. Nasrim turned her attention to the priests on her right. They were all smiling and talking to the people that came to the temple. "Dave, they do not seem so bad."
"The ones in Sparta are, my love." he replied. He put a hand on her back making her turn to him. "Let us pray before our long journey. We still need to head back to the palace."
Dave and Nasrim both stood closer to the statue. Dave went down to his knees and sat on his feet. Nasrim copied him; never praying to the Greek Gods, she didn't want to mess this up. Dave bowed his head and closed his eyes. Nasrim did the same.
At first she didn't know what to pray for. She there for a few seconds not knowing what to do. Then she thought of Dave. She would pray for his safety as well as his family's and kingdom. Sparta was the next things she prayed for, praying that it would stay strong and beautiful. She finally prayed for herself. She prayed for strength for what lay ahead of them. The life would be hard, she knew it already. Being a Persian turned Spartan Queen would not be an easy task.
When she opened her eyes she found Dave staring at her with a broad smile on his lips. "For someone who has never prayed to the Gods, you sure have many things to pray and ask for."
"I was confused at first." Nasrim stood up and brushed her dress off. "Then it came to me of what I should pray for."
"And what did you pray for?" Dave asked. Nasrim gave him a sinister smile. "Now David, prayers are supposed to be private, between the Gods and I."
"Fair enough" Dave chuckled. He grabbed Nasrim's hand and kissed it before pulling her towards him and walking out of the temple. They made their way back the the mayhem crowd in front of the temple. They walked back on the path way leading them down the hill this time.
They reached the palace at noon which left them plenty of time to travel. They bid the King and Queen farewell and thanked them for their hospitality, Nasrim more so than Dave. Dave helped Nasrim get on her horse before he jumped onto his. The doctor came forward. "Now King Dave, I must warn you to take it slow for a while. Nasrim has not fully healed and if you carry her on at a fast pace, she will be back to the way she was two weeks ago." He said slowly.
Dave growled and gave the man a frown. "I know what is best for my wife, doctor. Now do you have any medicines she will be needing?" he said in a low growl. The doctor visibly shook as he grabbed a leather pouch from the servant behind him. "Here you are Nasrim. The potions and creams are for you wounds. Dress them before you go to sleep and after you bathe."
"Thank you doctor." Nasrim smiled as she took the pouch from him. "Thank you all." Nasrim waved to them before she steered her horse towards her husband, who had already started to leave. She chuckled as she got the horse to catch up with Dave. "David, slow down."
"The faster we get out of this place, the better, Nasrim." he replied. "Did the doctor give you anything?"
"Some potions and creams for my injuries. He said to travel slow."
"We will, when we get out of Athens" Dave smiled.
"Fine by me. I hope the others are not too worried about us." She said.
A/N: Man it has been such a long time since I've updated this story. For those who have bared with me, I thank you. Please read and review. Well, if you're here, it means you have already read it lol so the only thing left to do is review.