plummet: I know I haven't posted a chapter in the longest time, but...Your reviews inspired me to write this. Thanks so much, for all of them…I hope you guys and gals decide to stick with this story, despite my very irregular updates…Lol.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except for a part of this plot and any characters you may not recognize.

A Heart that Feels Not Is Dead

Chapter Four: A Short Reprieve

Recently, the rain had thinned out to little more than a drizzle, and a few Spartan and Arcadian soldiers made off to find some dry kindling for a fire. Sophronia inwardly sighed as she collapsed onto the boulder behind her. She hung her head in her hands, exhausted emotionally and physically, the pain of her injuries finally catching up with her.

It was over now; all of the Persian ships within a human line of sight had been utterly demolished by the powerful sea waves and storm winds. It all seemed so easy to her, though…too easy and deceiving, like the eye of a hurricane. There had to be more ships, but yet…everyone seemed to believe this to be the end, or at least, a good way close to it.

She glanced over to her far left at the king, studying the expression on his face as he conversed quietly with the captain. Her suspicions were confirmed; from what she could make out, they did not believe the war to be won so easily, either. Normally, she would have felt a little prideful at her correct assessment, but at the moment, she felt as if her heart was in her throat, suffocating her…She struggled to draw breath.

Running her hands through her wet, scraggly hair, she tried to look on the bright side. At least the rain had cleaned her dirty face and nasty, blood-matted hair. Flushing a little, she weakly drew the wet cape closer to her body. How she must look to them, torn clothing and all…She had always been shy and self-conscious, and being surrounded by gorgeous, well-built men did nothing to help the matter.

'But wait…' she thought, confused. 'Cloak…I have his…Oh dear.'

Her flush deepened considerably. How uncouth of her, to be so thoughtless of the needs of her king! After a moment's indecision, she took a deep breath to calm her nervously beating heart and stood up shakily on her feet. She waited until the captain left Leonidas' side to approach him. Stopping her advance directly behind him, she lightly tapped him on his shoulder to get his attention. His head snapped backward, eyes softening ever so slightly when they fell upon her slight form.

Unfastening the cloak from around her neck, she made to hand it to him, but…he just looked at her, mild amusement etched into his features. All of sudden, her confidence vanished, a wave of embarrassment left in its wake. What had she done wrong?

"My king?" Sophronia inquired. Maybe if she explained herself, he would stop looking at her like she was fool. "Here is your cloak back…Thank you for letting me use it; I was very grateful for its warmth." He smirked wider, if that was possible. She shook the crimson cloth for emphasis. Perhaps she wasn't being clear enough…?

Leonidas chuckled then, and Sophronia bowed her head in mortification, the embarrassed flush returning to her cheeks. 'Pathetic…' She mentally berated herself. The truth was, the carefully built walls around her heart had crumbled due to recent events. Her heart was left bare and exposed to the world, even the weakest of barbs able to cause her great pain…It was almost too much for her to bear. She began to make her hasty retreat when Leonidas reached out and gently grasped her shoulder. He turned her back around to face him, all the mirth wiped instantly from his face.

"You misunderstood my amusement, milady," he said gently, his deep, calm voice like a soothing balm on her wounded, anxious soul. "If you only could comprehend the nature of men, you would clutch onto this mere piece of fabric for dear life." He then took his cloak from Sophronia, swiftly refastening it around her neck before she could protest. Her brows drew together in confusion. What was he getting at?

"How can I put this lightly?" he continued without hesitation, a smirk relighting his face. "Men are very basic creatures, especially us soldiers. We are…deprived of a woman's warmth for very long periods of time in our profession, and as your tattered attire is very revealing…You may draw much more attention to yourself than you would appreciate."

Sophronia was left speechless and wide-eyed. Before then, she had naively thought that her presence among them would not be a burden on anyone, but who was she fooling? She was nothing but a huge temptation and distraction, something these good men most definitely did not need in a time of war and suffering. And, all things considering, she felt even more vulnerable than she thought possible.

Noticing her shocked yet pained expression, he spoke again, "Do not worry. I will make it known to everyone that you are to be left alone. However, I suggest you do not wander into the Arcadian ranks, for I, as a Spartan king, do not hold much power over their actions."

Sophronia slowly nodded her head, still dazed. From what, she did not know. Suddenly, she grew tired again…oh so very tired. But strangely, she was not hungry, although she had not eaten anything in more than a day. Swaying on her feet, she almost fell over, but Leonidas caught her in his arms, pulling her to his chest reflexively. Sophronia's breath left her in surprise; she was not expecting him to catch her. Her head, coincidentally, rested directly over his heart. She could hear its steady, slow rhythm, and it calmed her. She closed her eyes, and just listened.

Ba-bump…Ba-bump…Ba-bump…

"Are you alright, milady?" Leonidas' voice broke through her trance.

In response to his inquiry, Sophronia brought her hands up to his chest and pushed herself back a bit in order to look up at him. She tilted her head to the side, as if contemplating something. Leonidas was immediately struck again by the hue of her eyes. They were so unique; he had never thought it was possible for eyes to have that many colors, and yet…There she stood before him, all his previously formed assumptions most obviously negated. Brown eyes were the most common amongst the Spartans, yet there were a few with eyes of green or blue. His eyes were green, but until now, he never really thought anything of it. A wave of déjà vu overcame him as he stood there, silently watching her watch him, and he wondered, not for the first time, if he had seen her somewhere before…

Ever so suddenly, Sophronia began to step out of his impromptu embrace. For a brief moment, Leonidas blinked confusedly at the abruptness of her departure, but he masked it quickly with indifference. When she had removed herself to the proper distance, Sophronia self-consciously pulled the cloak tighter around her shoulders under his unnerving gaze, her eyes darting everywhere but in his general direction. She had lingered in his presence far longer than propriety allowed, and she was ashamed of her blatant folly.

"Thank you for your honesty and kindness to me on this day, my king; I am forever in your debt," she spoke with such sincerity that her gratitude, to him, was nearly tangible. He was momentarily astounded by the range and strength of her emotions. Spartans, from birth, were schooled into emotionless warriors, but this woman standing so humbly before him...She defied everything he believed in, and yet, no matter how thoroughly he searched…He could not despise her for it.

Leonidas assumed his kingly role and said, quite curtly but not unkindly, "You are welcome."

Sophronia then bowed deeply from the waist, as was custom, and left his presence to assist a small group of soldiers who were preparing a meal beside one of the more recently made fires. He watched her as she worked diligently beside his men, a soft smile lighting her face as if a task as simple as preparing food brought her the greatest of joys. He frowned in puzzlement at her demeanor. How was it that she could recover so quickly after such an ordeal? Her entire family…gone, and yet, there she was, smile in place, as if nothing of the sort had ever happened. But why…why…yes, why was the question. Why was his mind pondering on such things? This was someone he just met, and a woman, at that!

He shook his head lightly to clear it, angry at himself for his mind's frivolous wanderings. Striding over to a log resting within the Gates, he sat himself down, a stern look adorning his features. At the present time, he had much more important things to think about, and they did not involve women and their ever-changing emotions.

plummet: Hope this chapter was worth the wait...-sweat drop- R&R, please...and thank you.