Chapter 18
Authors note: hey guys I have added the 2nd royal house into the story in this chapter they are not please with Kassandra's growing power also I have made Gorgo the Daughter of the co King instead of a member of House Agiad as she is in real life to add a bit of flavour enjoy.
Conquest of the North/trouble on the Homefront
(Fort Ikaros Northern Border of the Spartan Empire)
Kassandra watched as her expedition force was gathered a mixture of solders from across the Empire a force of 10 thousand ready to march North and to assist with the expedition was her newly appointed General Stentor.
With his father posted in Persia and Brasidas posted in Byzantium he was the best choice Afterall during the conquest of Persia he had kept the peace back home now it was time for him to earn some recognition.
Scouts had been deployed North to locate a good staging ground for the Army the reports had been good an abandoned fortress just 10 miles north of the border that was ready for occupation the expedition received its orders to be ready to march out at dawn.
(Sparta)
Gorgo was having a very bad day while she was the widow of Leonidas she was not of the royal bloodline she was of the minor Royal House of Eurypontid while they were Kings of Sparta they had very little say in the running of the Empire in fact to many they were irrelevant in the New Empire.
Well to the majority of the population they were Irrelevant there was still some of the older Spartan Clans that supported them but as Kassandra conquered More and More land their support got smaller and smaller.
But right now, her family were demanding that Kassandra return to Sparta to answer charges they wanted to lay against her. "Father what charges could you possibly have against Kassandra this is another petty attempt against the House of Agiad"
King Leotychidas looked at his Daughter with anger. "what charges were to start taking foreign Titles without the approval of this council and marching and army north without the approval of this council and the worst Declaring herself a goddess to rival that of the gods themselves"
What he did not suspect to happen was the majority of the council to start booing him how could they be so blind theses story's the solders brought back about Kassandra's powers were all lies they had to be he would prove them all to be lies.
Gorgo was in absolute shock her own Father was against his Granddaughter she could not understand it was her family so petty over Kassandra's growing power did they think she would remove them from power yes, she had taken the lead in running the country and in return Sparta ruled most of the known world.
The booing stopped when she stood from her throne "I will hear no more of this Kassandra powers are not fake for I have seen them myself at Thermopylae. And isn't its funny Father how you only speak your complaints when she is not here to defend herself you complained when she marched against Athens and Persia and now, she must fight Barbarians on our Northern Border and you once again complain".
The council meeting ended with the charges not being past by a clear majority but it was clear now that the New Empire was facing internal power struggles already, she could only hope that Kassandra finished her war against the Persian remnants quickly or she may return to an Empire in Civil-War.
(Unknown lands North of Spartan border)
A strange land completely unknown the Greeks the force made its way into the unknown lands for the first 2 days they found nothing but on day 3 they encountered their first tribe the locals watched as this group of metal men marched into their encampment it seemed these people had basic understanding of the Greek and Persian Language which made it far easier to communicate with these people.
Apparently, the Persians enslaved the town years ago but recently fled when word camp of a Spartan force crossing the border after the failed raid the tribe was brought into the fold as were the next 14 tribes the Spartans encountered.
(Spartan Citadel Unknown lands)
Kassandra read the reports from the scouts the Persians had conquered a decent portion of land before they turned the conquest towards the lands around the black Sea in an attempt to make it back to Persia only to hear that Persia had fallen, they now called themselves the sons of Xerxes began enslaving the locals to boost there numbers to invade Spartan lands.
Had it not been for one impatient officer the raid could have been far worse she would crush every bastion of these sons of Xerxes none would escape her, but now she had other problems reports she received from back home of the Eurypontids her mothers family had tried to press charges against her with the Spartan Council the only part of the constitution she had not tried to change as she had been busy.
She had to insure her rule at home was secured when she wasn't there she needed someone there to support her mother that's when it hit her she wrote a letter had had it dispatched by rider to the city of Byzantium with all haste she would show her petty Grandfather the cost of turning against her.
(1 week later the City of Byzantium)
General Brasidas was at his desk when the messenger a Persian ran in with the letter from the Queen reading it, he was shocked by its contents.
My trusted friend and General
It appears my Mothers family are turning on me my mother is holding them back but I fear they may get desperate enough to do something drastic against her in an effort to secure the Throne for themselves as such I am reassigning you to assume command of the home guard protect my mother and the people we cannot have this Empire break into Civil-War.
Yours Truly
Queen Kassandra Agiad
Queen of the Spartan Empire
Pharaoh of Egypt
The immortal Queen
Brasidas was in complete shock was King Leotychidas that Desperate for Power he would usurp the Throne from his Granddaughter or possibly kill his own blood despite this doubt his Queen had given him Orders he would ride for Sparta at once unaware that as he was packing to leave a plot to take the Throne by force was already brewing in the House of Eurypontid and if it meant the removal of Queen Gorgo so be it the Gods would forgive them.
Authors note:
And that's chapter 18 will Sparta Break into Civil-War will Queen Gorgo fall to the Assassins Blade? Who knows until next time.
Revan Shan 2077
