" Are you nervous?" Alexios looked up at Aleera as he walked. She looked so propper on top of his dark-colored horse. The rays of the mid-morning sun seemed to beam through the rain clouds just for her, combing through her light brown hair creating a halo of sorts and making her look even more like a goddess.
Aleera inhaled deeply, could he really read her that well? Or was he simply trying to make conversation? She wasn't as nervous about her meeting with Poldarkes as she was about what would come afterward. What she saw in her vision with Kassandra haunted her throughout the morning, and she hadn't the courage to tell Alexios. Who knows how he would react if he knew she was alone, naked, with his sister, and even worse got kissed by her.
"Hardly." She said with a straight face, "should I be?" She snuck a quick glance at him, before returning her focus to the crowded streets.
Alexios chuckled, he enjoyed how confident she was and her casual authoritativeness was unexpectedly arousing him. He cleared his throat as if to push some sinful thought from his mind, "he is as ruthless as he is unpredictable. It took all my power not to murder him for being such a prick."
Aleera couldn't help herself. She pulled the horse to a stop and took a brief moment to laugh to herself. Alexio may have been the most selfish and reckless man she had known, and to hear him criticize someone else for acting the same way was hysterical.
When he didn't hear the sound of the horses hooves, Alexios immediately turned around and reached for his sword, as if he expected there to be a reason to fight. He quickly took hold of the horse's reins, " Why did you stop?" he asked with heightened aggression.
Aleera bit her lower lip to keep herself from laughing, "Poldarkes sound a lot like a man I know," she ran her eyes over Alexios's body, leaning off to the side of her saddle to get a better look at him, "he's about your height, and has the same build."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Alexios challenged. He rounded the horse and put himself directly below Aleera, eye level with her exposed thigh. It took every ounce of strength to resist the temptation to kiss her tan skin. He wanted her even then. Even when she was mocking him, he couldn't help but lust for her.
Aleera reached down and stroked the side of his face with a nimble hand teasing his lips with the touch of her thumb then taking over his stubble and finally into his thick hair. She offered him a tender smile and leaned over the side of the saddle, bringing them closer, "Only that I have experience with taming ruthless and unpredictable men." she whispered flirtatiously.
Alexios grit his teeth. He didn't appreciate the way she emasculated him. It didn't matter that Aleera didn't truly mean what she said. Because in Alexio's mind, the thought of Aleera taking control and "taming '' him, wasn't just an idea, but a very real possibility.
He looked up at her, with dark eyes. He needed to remind her that, while he was willing to sacrifice the world for her, he would never be able to completely submit to her.
"You think you've tamed me?" he growled. He gripped Aleera's thigh tightly, coiling around her like a snake. Slowly, he began to glide his hand further up her thigh, higher and higher until he felt her skin tremble underneath his fingers. He couldn't help himself, he needed to be in control, needed to assert his dominance over her. He cupped her chin and pulled her closer, "If you weren't so fragile," he warned, "I would tear you off this horse and show you just how wrong you are."
Aleera's expression dropped. He was being so serious, so ruling. Her body grew stiff, feeling threatened and confused by his sudden change in nature. She tried to keep herself calm, but the growing tension only seemed to anger him more, and his hold on her only grew stronger.
"Alexios," she said with a fake smile, "I only meant…"
"I know what you meant," He sneered. He released her but made certain to be rough about it. He wanted her to understand that even joking about his submission awoke the very thing she was trying desperately to control. He stepped away and turned his back to her, "If I can't claim you for my own, then you have no right to do the same."
Aleera's mouth gaped open, but only for a moment, before her thoughts filled her mouth with words, "Last night, you told me…"
Before Aleera could finish, Alexios whirled around and cut her off, "what I told you last night was a lie." he didn't like the way he sounded, hated that those words even came out of his mouth. He didn't make eye contact with her, afraid of what her glossy blue eyes would do to him. He turned away, cursing himself for digging the grave deeper. But he was too deep into his persona, too far down into the rabbit hole that the cult had created. He couldn't allow himself to look weak, not again, it would only prove her right.
Aleera stared at him, trying to understand his anger. But he wouldn't look at her, and it hurt her even more. "I see." she said softly, straightening into the saddle, "How foolish of me to mistake your tender words for anything more than an act." She encouraged the horse to move forward, grateful for the growing distance between her and Alexios.
"You idiot." Alexios scolded. He ran his hands over his face and drug his fingers through his hair. He didn't regret what he said, but rather the manner in which he said it. He easily could have matched Aleera's flirtatious resonance and saved himself the heartache of watching her ride away. If only he had thought about her, instead of his own selfish pride…
Alexios looked down at his feet and kicked the dried dirt. It was his own fault that he and Aleera could never be together. His selfishness and manipulative nature, cemented in him by the cult are what stood between him and what he wanted. That, and the fact that she loved someone else.
"Aleera, wait!" he called. But by the time he looked up, both Aleera and the black horse were out of sight.
They weren't too far ahead, but by the time Alexios had caught up to them, Aleera was joined by another rider. He couldn't hear their conversation, but he could see the man's face and decided it would be best for him to keep his distance. Weaving through the crowd, he placed himself within earshot of Aleera and Cicero, carefully blocking out every other conversation in order to hear what they were saying.
"Thank the gods you're here," Aleera exclaimed. She pushed her horse alongside Eros and reached for Cicero's hand.
"I wish I could say it wasn't by chance. What happened?" for a moment, he allowed himself to forget about Thaletas and the other Spartans and accepted her hand in his. He had already been suspicious to see her riding alone, and so he didn't hesitate to ask the question, "Where's Deimos?"
"Never mind him," she answered quickly. She looked at him with frightened eyes, longing for the comfort she knew he could give her, "Please, tell me you have good news."
Cicero bit his lower lip. Aleera already had a lot weighing on her, and to mention Thaletas and the Spartans would only crowd her troubled mind. But he couldn't lie to her, nor would he ever want to keep secrets from her. He reached out and stroked her cheek, "We need to talk to Aleera," Cicero said cautiously.
The pieces of Aleera's heart shattered. She could see the distress in Cicero's eyes and knew instantly that she would regret hearing what he had to say. She looked behind her, scanning the streets for Alexios. Anxiety bloomed within her chest when he was nowhere in sight.
"he left you, he was always going to leave you. Nothing he said to you was true, and you know it." whispered the voice in her head.
There was too much going on for her to focus. Too many people, too many thoughts. How could she allow herself to get caught up in such pitiful emotions when she was so close to fulfilling her mission, her purpose? She wanted to run, run away from it all and pray that it would all wash away. She looked over at Cicero with pleading eyes but said nothing. Instead, she spurred the horse forward, cutting through the masses and heading towards the coastline.
A crash of thunder brought Aleera back into reality, it was only then she realized that it had started to rain. She skidded the horse to a stop, not knowing how far she had ridden or where she had ridden too. When she looked ahead she saw a small altar hidden behind bushes of seagrass. A single tree protected the area from the light rain but beyond that was nothing but the sea. There was a sharp pain that caused her to grab at her chest as if something inside her longed to escape to that place. She quickly dismounted and headed towards the brush, ignoring the calls from Cicero who trailed behind her.
Aleera didn't know who's altar this was or if it was specific to any of the gods at all. But that didn't stop her from falling to her knees and praying. But with the prayers, came tears. Uncontrollably, they fell over her sun-kissed face and onto the sandy ground beneath her.
"You can not have everything, Daughter. You must choose…"
Aleera raised her head. This was what she feared, that the same voice that told her to give in to her emotions, would reprimand her for those actions.
"You told me to give in! But it has brought me nothing but pain! " She couldn't help but curse her mother's words. She knew what she had done was a mistake. The games she had played with Kassandra, with Alexios. In the end, they brought her to her knees, when she meant for them to empower her.
Hecate's voice echoed in the air around her, "you will be free, my child. Trust in me, trust in the gods, trust in yourself. All will be exactly as it was and should be."
Aleera raised her head, "no." she sobbed, "no. this has to end." She was too overcome with emotion and couldn't feel Cicero's arms wrap around her as she continued, "this all has to , " please…tell me that it can end…"
Cicero pulled Aleera closer to him, wrapping his hands in her hair and forcing her to lean against him. He had no idea what happened to cause her to break down so suddenly. Perhaps it had built up over time and he was just unaware due to his absence. Maybe it was something Deimos had said to her before she fled. Whatever the reason, Cicero knew he had to get to the bottom of it. He had never seen Aleera in such a hysteric state before, and it was just as alarming as it was heartbreaking.
"Shh." was all he could offer to comfort her.
Aleera's eyes shot open, as if she was released from a trance, "C..Cicero?"
"It will be alright," he whispered, pulling her tighter, "I'm here." He combed through her light brown hair and kissed her forehead lightly. He felt his heart ache, like something was pulling on its strings. He couldn't explain it, but he felt Aleera's pain, her longing, her regrets. Something had enlightened him, making him understand.
Aleera buried her face into Cicero's chest, smudging away the reflection in his silver armor. He was always there for her. He would push his own desires aside to fulfill her every need and she couldn't say that she had ever done the same.
"I'm sorry, Cicero…I'm so sorry," the tears fell like fountains from her eyes, " I've completely lost it…"
Cicero pulled away and held her at an arm's length away by her shoulders, " Aleera, look at me." He waited for her to obey. But when she refused he gently lifted her chin up, "You have nothing to apologize for. You know just as well as I do that we all have our place in this world, puppets under the strings of the Gods." He brushed her hair back behind her ear and whipped away her tears with his thumbs, "I should be the one to apologize, I left you alone. I got too caught up in my own desires, my affairs, and now..." he tried to look away, not wanting to have to finish his sentence. But Aleera caught him.
She pressed her trembling fingers against his face and turned it back towards her. She knew he was withholding something, but not because he wanted to. He did it as a means of protecting her, to save her from feeling more pain. But there was no more room for sentiments like that, she needed him to continue, needed him to break whatever news he had to her so she could reassess and move on.
"Please," she said softly, "there is no need to save me from the torment. I already know the severity of what you want to say." Her voice was breaking, making it hard for her to speak.
Cicero lowered Aleera's hands from his face, but never let go of them. He rose slowly off of his aching knees, pulling her along with him. He looked down at their hands, admiring how perfect they looked together. He sighed, knowing that if Aleera's prophecy came true that he would likely never be able to hold her hands again.
That dark reality snapped him back into himself. He looked Aleera in the eyes and cleared his throat to speak, "Thaletas was attacked at the Archgesion. He's breathing, but his life hangs by a thread." He paused, giving her a moment to think before he continued, "The Spartans, they want me to take his place should he succumb to his injuries."
Aleera's detained breath escaped her lips. Her hands went in two different directions, one covered her gaping mouth, and the other fell to her nauseous stomach. She turned away, "tell me you didn't accept. " she pleaded.
Cicero pierced his lips shut. He knew his silence would only verify her fears, but what else could he do? He looked down at his now empty hands, already missing her touch, "I told them, if a battle were to ensue while Thaletas recovered I would act accordingly." His hands tightened into fists, "I couldn't just leave them on their own! I trained with these men, they trust me to do what is right by them and.."
Aleera whirled around, "And for Sparta!" she spat. "If Thaletas falls they would have sent another to take his place, you know that better than I do," she stepped closer, holding her arms over her chest for comfort as she spoke the inescapable truth, "I always known you wanted to return to Sparta, to your people, your home…" he knees were weekend she couldn't stop herself from collapsing.
But Cicero was quick to catch her. Catching Aleera in his arms, he brought her close, frantically brushing her hair aside to reveal her tear soaked face, " shh, shh, shh" He kissed her forehead gently, holding his lips against her until she stopped crying, " You are my only home, Aleera. When this is over, we will be together, I promise."
Aleera clung to him, terrified that if she let go he would fade away forever. She was determined to keep him by her side, no matter what happened, "I have to meet with Poldarks," she said softly, not wanting to face the fact, "After, I want to leave. For good."
Cicero hugged her tighter, "we will." he reassured her. But his words were only half hearted, he still had his responsibilities to the Spartans and to Thaletas. He opened his mouth to speak, but was thrown off by someone yelling Aleera's name. He could feel Aleera tremble at the sound of the man's enraged voice, and when Cicero looked over his shoulder and could vaguely see Alexios approaching them.
He didn't have to ask to know that Aleera was afraid of him, her trembles became more violent with each step Alexios took towards them and it was more than enough to ignite the primal defenses that Cicero had been suppressing.
"It's alright, I've got you." He assured as he steadily rose to his feet. He coaxed Aleera to stand with him, holding her close as though to shield her from Alexios.
They emerged from behind the brush and headed towards Eros, who patiently waited for instruction. Aleera tried to keep her eyes focused on the auburn colored horse, but she couldn't help but sneak a quick peek at Alexios. He was drenched in sweat, as though he had run after her on foot and it seemed that every muscle was trying to pop out from under his skin. He looked furious, his face red and eyes as black as night. She squeezed Cicero's arm tighter.
"Don't be afraid of him," Cicero whispered to her, "he doesn't deserve that satisfaction."
She took a deep breath, he was right and that empowered her, giving her the courage to relax. She eased off of Cicero's arm, reaching for Eros's reins.
"Aleera, please." Alexios marched towards her, but Cicero stepped between them, making it clear that he was not about to let him pass.
"Take one more step and I'll put you down." Cicero took a defensive stance as Aleera hoisted herself onto the horse's back.
"You know you can't win that fight, Cicero." Alexios homed in on Aleera, who looked anywhere but at him, "I just need a moment." he dropped his guard slightly. The darkness of his brown eyes had faded but his body language spoke caution.
Aleera felt a deep rage flow through her. She would not allow herself to fall for the act again, not after the ache that it caused her. She slowly turned her cold eyes to him and said, "you've fooled me with your sentiments before, made me believe there was a place for you by my side. I will not be that naive again."
Alexios felt the unfamiliar pain of his heart breaking in two. In all his years of fighting, never had he experienced such an ache, "Please." He said it so softly, as though afraid of what it would sound like. He stepped forward, ignoring Cicero's warning.
Cicero unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Alexios's neck. He looked over his shoulder at Aleera, who returned his gaze with a simple nod.
"I warned you, if you harmed her in any way, I would kill you myself," Cicero sheathed his sword but stepped in front of Alexios, putting them nose to nose, just like the night before, "she is the only reason you're still alive."