Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it

Claimer: None except Andromeda and the Cynurians

Rating: T for minor language and gory/bloody violence

Author's Note: Soooo...I'm not even sure the last time I revisited this story but I saw all the followers and thought it was high time I continued this :) While I didn't get the review I had hoped for, all the followers of this story have silently prompted me to post another chapter. So without making this a long boring speech, here's chapter 3 of the Cynurian Queen (please R&R!). Enjoy!

~Chapter Three: Paying the Consequences~

For the next two weeks, I was watched like a hawk. Guards, councilmen, shopkeepers, even everyday men and women who milled about the city, seemed to have their eyes fixed on me. Astinos, Stelios and I arranged our meetings in different locations each evening, since that was the only time the three of us were allowed to go out without being questioned. I knew my uncle would know where I went off to every evening, but he said nothing about it. I continued my training, but took my fighting courses with my uncle and not my friends. I rode my horse only in secret and talked only when spoken to. I wasn't trying to change, only trying to stay out of trouble.

One night in early September, I couldn't bear it anymore. As I met my two companions that evening by an old well in an abandoned alleyway, I sought to relieve my feelings.

"That's it, this has to end," I said as I came to a stop in front of them.

"Good evening to you to, M'Lady," Stelios mock bowed and Astinos laughed out loud. I didn't smile.

"I'm serious Stelios! All this pretending is driving me insane. I can't ride my horse in public, I can hardly speak to anyone except council members and other women, and I've been inside so much these past few weeks, I feel like a prisoner!"

"You're much paler than before, I have to admit," Astinos teased and I batted his arm away. I sat on the steps of the old well and buried my head in my hands.

"Come now, it will get better," Stelios said, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. I peered at him through my hands.

"Trust me, it's only getting worse."

Stelios smiled again. "What's worse than this?"

"Oh I don't know what's worse – being sent away to Athens to study or to Macedonia to marry some suitor from a royal family."

Stelios stopped smiling and the colour drained from Astinos' face. "You're not serious are you?" Stelios asked, turning me a little so he could look me in the eye.

I narrowed my eyes. "Go ask the Council. They're deciding my fate, as it would be. You could cast your vote if you like."

"Isn't there anything your uncle can do about it," Astinos tried to reason. "I mean, he is the King."

I shook my head. "He's powerless against the Council- the law is above everyone remember, King or otherwise."

Stelios seemed to ponder something for a minute but it was Astinos who spoke first. "What are you planning on doing? We could sneak you out of the city and you could go hide somewhere until its' safe to come back."

I shook my head. "I'm not running away, Astinos. I will find out what the Council wants and then we will go from there."

The three of us sat in contemplative silence for some time until the sun was nearly gone behind the mountains. The growing darkness snapped me out of my trance.

"I should probably be going now," I said as I stood and dusted of my clothes, pulling my black cloak closer to my body.

Stelios nodded. "Ay, before it gets any darker and we all end up in trouble."

Stelios, Astinos and I said our goodbyes and one by one we left the alleyway, making sure that no one watched us as we all departed to our homes.

That night, as I lay in bed, I couldn't help but wonder what the Council's verdict would be.

The next day arrived and I was as anxious as ever though I said nothing to my aunt and uncle. I had overheard the council as I went to meet my friends, but no one else knew what I did. The day progressed as usual and I went about my normal activities. My uncle joined us for lunch around midday and after that, I told him I was going to go to the market with Lysidia to buy some things.

When he agreed, I headed towards Lysidia's home where I knew she would be at home with her son. Her husband had died a year and a half before and she was now a widow. I knew Stelios wouldn't be around, even though he lived in her house, since it was midday and he was probably out and about with the others.

I was nearly halfway there when I saw Lysidia running down the street, barreling straight towards me. I didn't even have time to say hello when she grabbed my wrist and quite literally dragged me into a side alley. She was panting and slightly out of breath.

"Lysidia what-"But I was cut off.

"You have to get out of here!" She told me frantically.

I looked at her strangely, confused by her announcement. "What are you talking about? I thought we were going to the market?"

Lysidia shook her head violently. "Andromeda, you need to get out of here! Run and hide!" I knew by the use of my name that it was urgent. When I opened my mouth to argue, Lysidia tightened her grasp on my wrists. "They're here for you! There are guards outside searching the city for you!"

My eyes went wide at the realization of what she was saying. The council had made their decision and it didn't seem like I was going to Athens or Macedonia. I released my hands from her grasp and took her by the shoulders.

"Get out of here! Go home and pretend like you haven't seen me. Hurry before they come and find out you've warned me!"

She complied, pushing me down one last alley before turning and fleeing in the opposite direction. I didn't have a chance to glance behind me as I made my way through the back alleys of Sparta, using the buildings and homes as a shield between me and the guards. As I turned out of one alley and made a run for it across another, a guard spotted me and alerted his soldiers. They barricaded my exit, so I fled the other way only to find it too was blocked. My only opening now was the gap in between two pillars but as I made for it, three guards appeared there and I was surrounded. I had no choice but to surrender to them. And then from amid the surrounding guards emerged Theron, and I knew the trouble I was in.

He had a sly look on his face and pulled out a roll of parchment I was sure had no writing on it. He cleared his throat and said, "By order of the Council, you are hereby sentenced to a public trial for the crimes you have committed." His voice was smug as he spoke and I glared at him. "Your trial will take place this afternoon and until then, you will be escorted to the prison where you will remain until your trial begins."

I was helpless and I could do nor say anything, lest it be used against be. I complied and the guards formed a tight circle around me. To say I was horrified by the Council's decision was an understatement. They marched me down the main road, the shortest route to the prison, but also the one with the most people. The guards kept such a close circle that no one on the outside could see who was standing in the middle. It seemed Theron was planning on saving all my humiliation for the trial.

It felt like one of the longest walks I had ever taken, although in reality it hadn't even taken us five minutes. I was placed in a cell and told that I would be released later on at my trial. Within the hour, my aunt and uncle were there and if I was furious, they were livid. We talked in hushed voices so as not to be overheard. I told them what had happened, and of what I had heard the previous day.

"Don't worry, we'll get this sorted out," my uncle was saying but I grabbed his hand.

"No, please, say nothing!" They looked at me with questioning faces so I elaborated. "You know that Theron holds the Council- they do nothing without his orders. He devised this, persuaded them. You have no power over the law, my uncle. If you try and fight back, it'll only get worse. The whole of Sparta would go into an uproar."

"We cannot let Theron do this," my aunt Gorgo replied.

I nodded in agreement. "I know, but you must listen to me. Go and gather everyone you can find to come and listen in at the trial. But say nothing about whom or what it is about, only tell them to come. Say nothing to anyone, do you understand?"

"What are you planning?" Leonidas asked me and I couldn't help but give him a half smile.

"To put Theron in his place," I replied.

From between the bars, my aunt Gorgo grabbed my hand firmly and gave it a squeeze. My uncle looked deep into my eyes and I saw the same determination in them that coursed through my veins.

And then they left and I was left to ponder alone.

It was early evening when the guards arrived again to take me to the Council Room. I had told my aunt and uncle that I wanted no visitors and none came. I knew if my two best friends found out, they would have Theron's head on a silver platter and my plot against Theron would be foiled. I knew I would have to fight this one alone.

There were two guards in front of me who obscured me from the view of most of the council. My uncle and aunt had gathered as many as they could, just as I had asked. The guards stepped aside and the room full of people finally got to see who this trial was about.

A collective gasp and some murmurs sounded throughout the room. I looked around quickly but discreetly moving only my eyes, trying to see who was there and who I could count on. My aunt and uncle, of course, occupied the centermost seats, my two best friends (who looked ready to murder the first person that spoke to them) were seated nearby and the rest of the Council Room was filled with commoners, guards, and obviously the councilmen who would be deciding my fate. I was pleased with the turnout, and I caught my uncle's eye briefly and gave him the most imperceptible nod, though by the sparkle in his eye, I knew he understood. When Theron stepped into the room, he too seemed astonished by the amount of people that had turned up, but it seemed to please him even more.

I stood in the centre of the floor looking quite smug for someone who was on trial and this seemed to irritate Theron greatly. I could see it in his eyes. And so he began the trial.

"We are here today to witness the trial of Andromeda," he said loudly, purposefully, as he walked about the room. My eyes followed him as he stopped in front of me and looked me in the eyes. "Or as she is better known around here, Callisto," he added, a smile on his face. "For the crimes she has committed against this city."

My eyes sparkled. "And what, pray tell, is my crime," I asked all too sweetly.

A smile I can only describe as evil crept upon his face. He was enjoying this too much. "You have been hereby sentenced by this Council, with the crimes against you being: unruly behaviour, ways most unbecoming of a Spartan woman, and most disgracing of all, disregarding Spartan law."

I caught my uncle's slight shift in his chair and my aunt's hand on his. She was calming him, I knew, repeating the words I had told them. Say nothing.

I pondered Theron's words for awhile, saying nothing as he continued. "You have a blatant disregard for the laws of this city, to which you are a citizen of. And while you may be the niece of our Great King, Leonidas, it does not excuse your acts as forgivable. No one is above the law."

"You're right," I agreed with a small nod and every eye in the room turned to me in shock. Even Theron seemed uncertain of what I was saying. But I wasn't finished. "Everything you have just said is the truth. I am a citizen of this great city of Sparta," I motioned with my hands in the air to the world outside us. "I am the niece of our Great King. And yes, no one is above the law. But you like facts, don't you Theron-"

"Councilman Theron to you," he interjected but I brushed him off.

"Well here's a fact for you," I said in low voice. I took a step closer so I was standing at eye level with him. "My name is Andromeda and by birthright, I am Cynurian and sole heir to the throne of my father's city. I am not a Spartan."

I punctuated those last words. I held my composure as did Theron. We stared at each other, each challenging the other to back down first. Theron put on another smile and began walking circles around me.

"Do you see, Council, how she mocks this city? Do you see how she covets the throne? Before long, you'll be plotting murder and claiming Sparta as your own."

I rounded on Theron all the while keeping my temper in check. It would do me no good to attack him or raise my voice. "Don't play games Councilman. You have no trial here. I covet nothing that does not belong to me. And as for my father's throne, may he live another fifty years before I need take it. Don't mock this council, Theron."

I knew he saw it in my eyes- the rage, the anger. It was right there, burning inside me. He thought he was going to win this battle. He thought I was going to back down. He was wrong. Theron walked up behind me and addressed me as much as he addressed the council.

"Look at you, underneath your façade. You think you can be a tough warrior, but you are no man." He did not see my eyes narrow and burn, for he had angered me beyond imagining. And then, he pulled from my hair the beautiful butterfly pin my aunt Gorgo had given to me as a child and my raven hair cascaded down my back below my waist for all to see.

"Now that is what a woman looks like," he said and thrust the clip into my hand. I clenched it tightly, though not enough to break the delicate wings. And then it hit me. He had said I was not a warrior- I was no man. That was obvious, and who would ever think I was - unless he was jealous.

I let out a short laugh at my realization that turned Theron's attention on me like a hawk. "You laugh now, but you won't be laughing when the Council chooses your fate."

"That's just it though," I replied, looking Theron in the eye. It was my turn to walk circles around him. "There won't be any decision regarding my fate. I'll make that choice on my own. I see it now, why it bothers you so much, all this un-Spartan like behaviour, as you call it. You're afraid."

Murmurs swept through the crowd. "I'm afraid of what?" Theron spit out. I raised my hands in the air, and motioned towards the outdoors once more.

"You're afraid that every woman, every girl in the city looks up to me," I said, a smirk playing on my lips. This was it; this was my time to shine. Theron had had his fun for far too long. "You fear that I will influence all the young women in this city, that they will have dreams and ambitions like I do. You fear that I'll change the nation of Sparta." I laughed out loud. "You're jealous that I may have more of an impact on this city in my short life than you will ever have in all of yours."

And by the look on Theron's face, everyone seemed to agree with me. He looked disgusted that I had beaten him; that I had achieved what he could not. I shook my head in disgust.

"This trial is over Theron," I said, turning my back on the council and leaving. "There wasn't one to begin with."

A second's pause and then Theron's voice floated through the air again, and all those who had been standing to leave stopped moving. "Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure you have done no wrong?"

I turned back and gave him one last glare then turned to leave. "Guards," he shouted and two soldiers entered the building and my face dropped in horror.

Between them they half carried, half dragged my best friend, Lysidia. "Someone always pays for the crime," Theron said so low I knew he was mere inches from me. "And the snitch always pays the ultimate price." And then I lost all composure.

In an instant I had turned halfway and withdrawn my dagger, the one I always kept strapped to me. It landed on Theron's throat. The Council inhaled sharply. "Let her go and I'll spare your life."

He hadn't been expecting the attack and the other guards didn't want to get involved incase Stelios decided to take them out. It took all of Astinos' strength to hold him back. My eyes spelled danger and his spelled fear. I could see it rolling in their depths. I was not afraid to kill.

"Listen here, Theron. I may not be Queen yet, but one day, when I am, though I have no war with Sparta, I will have war with you."

Theron motioned for the guards to release Lysidia and she put a hand to my shoulder. "It's not worth the bloodshed," she said softly so only I could hear her.

My dagger lingered a moment longer, my adrenaline fading as I realized the gravity of the situation. "We are going to leave this council. And should anyone of your guard or council follow us, there will be blood on your hands. You will not speak of us, nor search for us, nor knock on the doors of our homes, or mark these words Theron; your blood will paint these floors red. That is my promise."

And then the blade flicked away and Lysidia and I left the council.

Only when we were a great distance from the Council did Lysidia and I pick up our pace, though we did not run. We were arm in arm, partly to keep each other from falling and partly because we did not have anything else to hold on to.

I turned my head slightly so I could whisper to her. "We don't stop until we get to your house, do you understand." She nodded mutely. "I'll feel safe when we're behind closed doors."

It took us another three minutes to reach her home and once we were inside, we locked the door and set the barricade. "Where is your son?" I asked her.

"He's safe," she whispered and I knew she was trying to be strong. She called to her housemaid, Amphora, who emerged with Lysidia's son, Evander. He was a cute child, only five years old, but very intelligent for his age. Lysidia took him in her arms and hugged him.

"I'm sorry Lysidia, this is my fault. I've caused all of this," I told her honestly and sank into a chair, my head in my hands. It was then I noticed that I was shaking.

Lysidia shook her head. "No, it isn't. I knew what I was doing when I warned you. If only I had gotten to you sooner."

Suddenly, we were interrupted as loud knocks sounded at the door. "Stay here," I warned and my hand instinctively went to my dagger, though I did not pull the blade out. As I got closer to the door, I could hear the shouting.

"Lysidia! 'Dromeda! Are you in there! Open the door! Lysidia! 'Dromeda!" It was Stelios and by the sounds of it he was planning to break the door down.

"Stop banging!" someone else said and I knew it was Astinos. I looked to Lysidia and nodded that it was okay.

"Stelios! Hang on," I shouted back and the knocking stopped as I undid the barricade and let them in. "Keep your voices down will you, you'll wake the entire city."

"Are you alright?" Stelios asked me, surveying me to see if I had any cuts or bruises. I brushed him and Astinos off.

"I'm fine. Lysidia's waiting for us." I ushered them inside and locked the door but did not bother with the barricade.

The moment Stelios saw his sister, he breathed a sigh a relief and caught her up in a strong hug to which she had to push him off. "You'll strangle me yet," she teased and she smoothed down her hair and dress.

Another knock sounded at the door a moment later but this one I knew. It was one solid knock, not forceful, but demanding of an answer. I turned to the door but Stelios had already gotten there. He opened it and stepped aside. It was my uncle, my aunt Gorgo behind him.

"Is everyone okay?" he asked the four of us and we all nodded. He did not bother to enter the house. He turned to Lysidia. "You risked everything you had today, and I thank you for it."

"Callisto will always be my best friend, my sister of sorts," she replied and my eyes turned to her. Even she never used my real name. She grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. "I only wish I had gotten there sooner."

Before I could answer, my uncle spoke directly to me. "Andromeda, I think the Council's message was very clear."

Andromeda- my uncle never used my nickname. I looked up at him. "I understand what one man was trying to do. You saw his face, uncle. You know he had no case against me."

"I know what I saw and what we all saw," my uncle replied. "From now on, there will be rules you will have to follow." I opened my mouth to argue but one look silenced me. "You will not be seen outside unless I or someone else is your escort," he said and my face turned into one of shock.

"But-"I tried to interject but my uncle cut me off.

"That's enough, Andromeda! Starting today, at least in public, you will pretend like you are one of us. Do you understand?"

There was no arguing, no fighting back. He had won this battle and he knew it. But I would not show my humiliation, I would not tell him he had won.

I held my head high and answered, "Yes, my King."

And then I stepped through the open door, brushing my aunt aside and headed to the palace.

The last thing I remember seeing on my uncle's face was remorse.

A/N: Thoughts? Comments? Love to hear from you guys so please find it in your hearts to review! Thanks for reading! :)