The Ephors began to file out onto the grand temple floor, each more hideous than the last. The Spartans bristled at the sight of these creatures, all of them old, weak and driven mad by inbreeding and the corruption of power. Leonidas glanced to his father, his heart pounding.
It does not matter what they decide- I cannot leave Gorgo to these demons...
The Ephor from before, the first they had dealt with, stepped forward. "Androcles, you allow your only son to challenge centuries of tradition and Greek custom. This insolence is unheard of, but I should not be surprised that it should come of your house. My brother Ephors will consider your offer of trade, but we make no promises. What else have you to offer?" He demanded. Clearly, he was asking for a bribe.
Leonidas looked to Dilios, who stepped forward. "Five sachels of gold, ten cloaks of the finest brushed wool and ten bushels of wheat. All to be given only if Gorgo is free to marry the king." He said, very careful to outline the fact that the Ephors would receive nothing if they demanded Gorgo to be their Oracle.
"We will consider the offer, but we must see the girls; bring forth Gorgo of Sparta and the helot." The Ephor commanded.
Dilios nodded and stepped back, motioning for the servants to carry the litters forward. They came into the center of the temple and placed the litters on the floor. The kings and Spartan warriors stood on one side, the Ephors on the other. Leonidas was reminded of rival wolf packs, ready to fight over a kill.
An Ephor, tall and very thin, moved forward to the litters. It almost appeared as if he was sniffing the air, testing which scent pleased him more. Leonidas remembered Gorgo's scent. It angered him to think the Ephor might be pleased by it. The young king watched as the Ephor extended a gnarled, bony hand and pulled back the curtain on the first litter. Gorgo was inside, and revealed to the Ephors but still shielded from the eyes of the Spartans.
Watching closely, he could see the Ephor's face split into a wicked, lecherous grin. The grin spread to the faces of the other Ephors as they all moved forward to crowd around her. They ignored the other litter completely, it was as if the helot girl did not exist.
"Ah, Gorgo of Sparta, yes. I remember you!" One of them said eagerly.
"Advisor Cadmus was so consumed with self-loathing and regret when he agreed to give you to us; you would have fetched such a high bride-price in the city." Another said, his voice dripping with lust.
"You are worth much more than five sachels of gold, I should think. Your face is a match for Helen herself."
Leonidas clenched his fists at the open taunt. He wanted Gorgo to be able to see him, so that he could speak to her with his eyes.
I will bring this temple to its knees for you, my queen!
An Ephor glanced up and caught the fire in the young king's eyes. "Ah, Leonidas. You wish to see what we see?"
I wish to crush you with my bare hands!
Leonidas said nothing.
The Ephor obviously did not appreciate his furious silence, and so his smile changed from playfully lecherous to genuinely cruel. "Right then, she hopes to be your queen? Surely you have seen her already. My brothers," he said, addressing the other Ephors, "I think it possible that the whelp king, Leonidas, might have tainted this girl. Only a pure woman can be the Oracle! If tainted, she is useless!"
The Ephors rose their voices in a chorus of agreement. "Leonidas has taken the girl to ensure her as queen!"
"She was promised to us years ago! Little whore, we should sacrafice her to Hera!"
Leonidas could take no more. "No!" He shouted, silencing their rambling. "No, Gorgo is pure, I have not taken her."
He stepped forward, shaking off his father's restraining hand. "Gorgo is a pure Spartan woman and her rightful place is on the throne at my side." He said firmly.
The Ephors smiled again at his outburst. "Oh, is that true, young king? Then surely you have no objections that we test your word!"
Before Leonidas could react, the Ephor reached forward into the litter and pulled Gorgo forth, displaying her to the eyes of the Spartans. Behind him, Leonidas could hear Dilios mutter, "By the gods." There was more murmuring, the Spartan warriors at their back had grown uncomfortable seeing Gorgo- she was friend and healer to many of them, and like the kings, they were more than hoping for a reason to slaughter the demented old mystics.
It was indeed Gorgo, clad in barely more than a careful arrangement of scarves that clung to her breasts and hung loosely over her hips. So much of her skin was revealed, more than Leonidas had ever seen- her arms, her torse and her legs were exposed to his eyes; desire and a fierce urge to run to her swept over him. The servants had painted her body, intricate goddess symbols covered her arms and back, even more so on her legs and stomach. Tiny braids were woven throughout her loose mane of hair, and her eyes had been shadowed with the blackest kohl.
The night before, Gorgo had begged him not to look at her even when they were alone. Now he knew why.
She, like the thousands of Oracle girls before her, had been dressed as the whore of the Ephors. Leonidas felt his stomach clench.
The Ephors held her hands behind her back and roughly forced her face up when she tried to turn away in shame. "No, no, girl. You will either be an Oracle or a queen before this night is over. Show some pride!"
Gorgo began to struggle then, cursing and hissing at the Ephors as they began to lay hands on her body. Leonidas started forward, and it took King Androcles, Dilios and the captain to hold him back from the Ephors. "Leonidas, you must stop!" His father ordered him. "They mean to test her purity, I know this kills you but you must control yourself!"
Leonidas knew the words of his father were true, but how could he or any man stand by and watch as those creatures touched her so roughly?!
His eyes followed their hands as they stroked over her breasts and stomach, her arms and legs. Disgusted and humiliated, Gorgo continued struggling against the Ephors even as they held fast to her to prevent her from escaping. If the fire in her eyes was any indication, it appeared that Gorgo was as eager as her fellow Spartans to slaughter all the Ephors in the temple.
Leonidas felt the wolf within ready to attack. He envisioned himself tearing into them with his bare hands, beating them until their faces were smears of blood and bone, spears through their hearts, blades at their throats...
You miserable, wretched, animals!
An Ephor hand moved down to the scarf over the apex of her thighs- the final test for her purity. Gorgo cried out, this time in fear and pain; the sound tore Leonidas apart inside. "Enough!" He roared at them, struggling against Dilios and the captain's firm grips.
The Ephors laughed and shoved Gorgo forward, onto her hands and knees. "Take your girl, Leonidas. You are a blasphemous whelp, and we have no want of your woman."
Dilios and the captain finally released him, both of them sighing with relief. King Androcles gave his cloak to Leonidas, "Take her, my son. The day is yours."
Leonidas rushed forward to help Gorgo to her feet, pulling his father's cloak over her to sheild her body from the eyes of both the Spartans and the Ephors. She instantly pulled it closer around herself, desperate to be covered and absorbed with shame. Leonidas took her into his arms, "Gorgo, I am sorry. We will take you back to Sparta."
"Take the daughter of Cadmus, and leave us the helot. Do not forget the gold, wheat or cloaks promised to us." An Ephor demanded.
Leonidas released Gorgo for just a moment, and drew out his sword. "Yes, I think you'll be needing the cloaks most of all," he growled at them.
He moved, faster than Gorgo had ever imagined a man of his size could move. His blade sliced through the air, cutting at the clothed necks of the Ephors, one after another, until their robes lay in tatters, their own bodies suddenly just as exposed and naked as Gorgo's had been moments before.
Once he was finished, Leonidas inspected his sword. Only a few drops of Ephor blood had been spilled. Small wounds, nothing deadly.
Pity.
The Ephors shrieked and cursed him as they bled, and scrambled away to retrieve more clothing, shame and humiliation adding speed to their gnarled leper bodies. Leonidas turned to Gorgo, his father, the servants and his warriors. "Behold, the mighty and powerful Ephors!"
The Spartans laughed heartily at his boast.
Leonidas moved to Gorgo once again. He swept her into his arms and moved away from his company, wanting very much to speak with her alone.