55. CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Alena stifled a yawn, trying not to draw attention to herself. She squirmed on the wooden bench of the semi-circular stands where she’d been sitting all morning. Leukos sat by her side, his usual stoic expression plastered on his face. Leaning on his forearms, fingers laced, he watched the Western nobleman below addressing the seated crowd from a raised stage.
On her other side, Nik lay sprawled back against the wooden wall, arms crossed, and legs kicked out in front of him. A blonde woman in a pretty, patterned dress, sitting further down the stands, glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him.
Nik flashed one of his dimples and winked back.
Following the news of the three legions approaching, Brennus had called a meeting in the hillfort’s communal hall. Every local chief and nobleman took to the stage, discussing their plans on how to keep the hillfort safe in front of an audience of villagers and warriors.
An old man with curly, greying hair and a thick red beard recited tales of past battles, preaching patience until reinforcements arrived. When his time ended, he tottered off the raised dais to quiet clapping.
Anticipation hung in the air, and excited chatter spread throughout the crowd as the next speaker was called forward. A handful of men seated on the first row of benches stomped their feet.
“Alcaros! Alcaros! Alcaros!”
Alena craned her neck, searching among the throng of heads for the general Brennus had mentioned in passing. Even Nik sat up straighter, no doubt curious about the man the audience acclaimed.
At last, a tall man strode forward and leapt onto the dais to thunderous applause. Even from afar, he was much taller than either Leukos or Nik, with thick arms and shoulders as strong as an ox’s. Shoulder-length chestnut hair hung about his bearded face, and his dark green tunic was open at the collar, revealing a thin silver torc glinting around his muscled neck.
He faced the crowd with a wide grin, and to Alena’s surprise, he didn’t seem much older than Leukos’ twenty years of age.
“My friends.” His deep voice boomed across the stands, and the crowd settled down. “Brothers and sisters of the Green Mountains. Volcos has reunited the tribes once more to fight against the growing threat of the Empire. Caius Tarquinius no longer honours our treaty and has sent his legions through our lands. Volcos was right to post scouts along the eastern hills. They found a Rasennan Legion camp preparing to invade us, but despite our brothers’ best efforts, Biturix and his men could not defeat them.”
Whispers broke among the crowd, but Alcaros held up his hand.
“I assure you, the hillfort will hold. The legions will invade the valley below, build their camps and defensive walls, and cut off our supply lines, but we will hold.”
Sounds of approval ran through the stands.
“Volcos and the other chiefs have been warned of the threat and are on their way now. Their arrival may take time, but we’ll spend it fortifying our own defences and doing our best to disrupt the enemy below.”
Alcaros motioned to the group of men and women dressed in long robes with colourful necklaces standing solemnly by the dais.
“The gods are with us, and the druids are ready to unleash terror upon our enemy. The Rasennan threat has returned as Volcos expected, but this time we will not lose!” Alcaros raised a clenched fist as a sign of strength. “We won’t let them take our lands! We will fight, together as one, and we will win!”
Cheers erupted again, many jumping to their feet to applaud him, chanting his name in unison.
Beside Alena, Leukos cocked his head, sharing a look with Nik. Both seemed unimpressed by the young general’s speech.
The noblemen in the first row of seats clapped Alcaros’ back as he stepped off the dais, and even Brennus and Lug clasped forearms with him. The druids approached the stage in a single file, and the crowd grew quiet again. Damona had warned them in advance about the prayer to the gods that ended the communal meeting, and although it intrigued Alena, Leukos was already up on his feet, ready to go.
An older man dressed in a belted robe stepped onto the stage, holding a gnarly wooden staff in one hand. Other robed figures trailed him, heads bowed. Closing the procession was a young woman carrying a lamb.
“Why did they bring a lamb?” Alena asked.
Nik snorted.
“Time to go.” Leukos gripped her elbow, guiding her down the wooden steps.
All three left the hall, slipping into the open courtyard under a cloudless blue sky. The druids’ soft chanting resonated at their backs.
Leukos and Nik walked in companionable silence, side by side. Whatever tentative truce they’d agreed upon, Alena was glad for it. With the Rasennans surrounding the hill from all sides, they had enough to deal with.
When they reached the gate opening onto a paved street, a voice called out to them.
“Achaeans, a moment!” Lug came running forward.
Alcaros and two of his men followed at a slower pace.
Nik glanced at Leukos. “I thought we weren’t meeting until tonight.”
Their leader’s brow lowered, his gaze narrowing on the approaching men. “We weren’t.”
They’d all been invited to a feast later that evening to announce and celebrate the renewed alliance with Megara and to formally meet the other warriors, including Alcaros.
“Be nice,” Alena warned before Lug was upon them.
“Apologies for the interruption.” The chief’s son offered them a sheepish grin, his hand ruffling through his half-braided hair. “I explained you were to be introduced this evening, but he insisted.”
A smirk rolled across Nik’s lips. “Well, if the young general wants to meet the two best Megarian warriors in the flesh, who can fault him?”
Lug blinked at him. “Oh no, you misunderstand. Brennus mentioned Alena’s parentage to Alcaros, and the general insisted on meeting her.”
Nik’s smile faltered, and Alena bit back a smile. In two great strides, Alcaros moved closer, his face a picture of respect as he sank onto one knee before her. His two men followed suit, and Leukos’ expression darkened.
“Lady Alena.” The general spoke with authority in his rumbling voice. “I am Alcaros, son of Vallio. I hail from the Tribe of the Sea, the same as your mother did. When Brennus revealed your presence here, I wished to meet you at once, for we are kin.” When he raised his head, his warm hazel gaze connected with hers.
“Alena, daughter of Damocles.” She couldn’t bring herself to think about her real parents yet. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Alcaros rose again, his imposing frame towering over them all. He surveyed the two Megarians flanking her. “May we speak alone?”
Leukos went rigid, and Nik gave a sardonic grunt.
“Is there a problem?” The general’s question hung in the air, his gaze shifting from Leukos to Nik. “Ah, my apologies, I forget. It’s inappropriate in Achaea for a young lady to be seen alone with a man without a chaperone. Westerners, however, don’t care for such demeaning rules. Women here are free to do as they please.”
Although his tone remained friendly, his words were no less provoking.
Leukos didn’t honour him with a response and glanced at Alena instead. “It could be dangerous.”
Alcaros’ jaw ticked. “Are you suggesting a tribesman of the Sea would harm Andrasta’s daughter?”
One of his men closed in on Leukos, but Nik stepped in his way with a hard glare, his thumb tracing the hilt of his sword. The air crackled with tension from both sides.
Lug’s eyes darted between them while Alena’s pulse leapt to her throat. No one had expected the sudden turn of events.
“You swore allegiance to Volcos, chief of the Ancients,” Leukos said, his voice flat. “Once he finds out about Alena, he’ll feel threatened.”
“Volcos was chosen by both the people and the White Mare as our chief commander,” Alcaros countered. “Despite Alena’s heritage, we Westerners cannot follow her without the goddess’ blessing.”
Lug gave a vigorous nod. “It’s true. Volcos proved himself in the eyes of the goddess, and she Gifted him in return. The Westerners will follow him to their deaths or until a new leader is chosen.”
Leukos still appeared sceptical, but before the situation further deteriorated, Alena intervened.
“Then there’s no need to worry.” She put a hand on his arm and gave him a small smile before facing Alcaros. “Please, let us go for a walk so we may speak. My—um… my guard, Nikander, will keep watch from a distance.”
Nik arched an eyebrow, lips twitching, and she shot him a pleading glance.
After a beat, he grabbed the wooden gate behind them and held it open for her and Alcaros without a word. No doubt he would make her pay for her comment during their training.
“I’ll see you back at the hut,” she told Leukos.
“Be careful.”
She felt his gaze follow her out.
The streets were quiet. With the arrival of the legions, the villagers who couldn’t fight had either fled to the temple portal or barricaded themselves in their homes.
As they walked side by side along the cobbled path, Alcaros loomed over Alena, staring unabashedly at her. “Brennus was right. You look just like your mother—or at least what I remember of her.”
It seemed odd to think that he’d known her mother.
“I was just a young boy during the war, but our mothers were great friends, and my father fought in Andrasta’s army. I remember her fondly.”
“What was she like?”
Alcaros was silent for a moment, running a palm over his trimmed beard. His serious expression reminded her of Leukos. Another young man weighed down by all the responsibilities he carried.
“I remember her red hair, of course, always up in a half-braid. She was also a great cook. With my mother, she’d cook up a great, big feast for my family, spending hours chatting and laughing as they prepared the food. She had no home, not after her first husband’s death, and so she always stayed with us.”
Alena nodded, drinking in every word. According to Damocles’ stories, Andrasta’s first husband had been a beloved Rasennan emissary who’d lived in the Western Lands. His murder by Rasennan soldiers had been the spark that had started the whole rebellion.
They continued walking through the hillfort, sticking to the shaded areas as Alena listened to Alcaros recount stories about her mother. How Andrasta was always away for meetings and battles. How she would return during the winter, but even then, never for long. He also mentioned the torc that always sat around her neck, above the White Mare’s lavender-coloured Mark etched between her collarbones.
He even mentioned Katell.
“Once, Andrasta came to our house with a small child—your sister. She’d brought her back to the village for the naming ceremony, but for some reason, my mother was furious. They argued all night, and come morning, your mother was gone again. That was the last time I saw her.”
He paused, watching a young woman hurrying past them, tugging a mule loaded with bags.
“When news of Andrasta’s death reached our lands, it was terrible.” He stared at the towering defensive walls ahead, shadows clouding his eyes. “Everyone was in shock; no one could believe that Andrasta would ever lose. My mother was distraught for a long time, and even when my father returned from the war, she was never the same.”
Alena couldn’t imagine growing up in the tribes after the Rebel Queen’s defeat. Leukos had once explained that despite winning the Battle of Kendrisia, the Rasennan Legions had suffered too many losses. It was impossible for them to continue waging war on two fronts, so they’d reluctantly agreed to sign a peace treaty with the Westerners.
But Damocles had been right. The Rasennan Empire’s thirst for expansion was insatiable, and now two legions had arrived and were preparing for a siege.
They stopped by a small fountain and sat on a carved stone bench under the shade of an oak tree.
“Where is your village?” she asked.
“North, past the Land of the Ancients, and then west. It’s the furthest land in the west. Once you reach the Endless Sea, you’ll be there.”
It seemed impossibly far. “Someday, I’d very much like to go.”
“Of course.” His beard curled up into a smile. “It is your home now, and you’ll always be welcome.”
Home.
The word spread warmth through her chest, and she smiled. It sounded odd after spending so much time travelling through foreign lands.
Alcaros’ smile widened into a grin. “The White Mare has guided you back to your homeland, Alena, and Volcos will be delighted to hear the news. He’s on his way to the hillfort with reinforcements as we speak. Once he arrives, I’ll introduce you and he’ll no doubt welcome you into his army.”
Alena stilled. “His army?”
“Isn’t that why you came? To join us?”
She shook her head. “I’ve already pledged myself to the Megarian rebellion. We came to warn you of the Rasennan attack and discuss an alliance once more between Westerners and Achaeans.”
“I see.” He leaned back, his brow lowering. “So, the prince came all this way to warn us of an attack that we’d already foreseen?”
A strong impulse to defend Leukos surged, but words failed her. Travelling to the Western Lands had been her plan after all, and—
She paused. “The prince?”
“Your Megarian leader.” The hardness in his tone betrayed his clear aversion to Leukos.
“Leukos? He’s not a prince, he’s the son of a Silver Shield.” But even as the words left her mouth, a seed of doubt sprouted in her mind.
Alcaros shrugged. “Perhaps I was mistaken. I believed him to be King Pandion’s son.”
That was impossible. Agapios had told her the eldest son, Aegeus, was dead, and Prince Galen had been taken by the Emperor. Leukos and the rebels even intended to rescue him.
Had she misunderstood?
Her mind churned as Alcaros continued, “In any case, Brennus has agreed to the alliance, and Volcos will follow. But what will you do once the Megarians travel back to Achaea for the winter?”
His unexpected questions left her flustered. “I… er…”
She had no idea. She’d joined the rebellion but hadn’t thought about anything beyond finding Katell. If the alliance held, then perhaps they could travel to the Tribe of the Sea together and stay among their mother’s people.
Without Leukos.
Her heart stuttered and squeezed at the thought of being separated from him.
A breeze swept past, and Nik appeared in a blur. The general started, his hand reaching for his sword.
“Apologies,” Nik said, wiping a hand across his mouth in a poor attempt to conceal his smirk. “I believe it’s time to head back, Alena. And your men are searching for you, General.”
Alcaros gave a sharp nod, then faced Alena again. “It was a true pleasure to meet Andrasta’s daughter. I look forward to seeing you tonight at the feast. Until then.” He left them alone, heading straight for the gate and watchtower, where the patrols kept an eye out for the legions.
Nik and Alena followed the defensive wall towards their hut, each lost to their own thoughts.
Alena’s mind reeled from all the information and stories Alcaros had shared with her.
Stories about the Rebel Queen.
She still couldn’t come to think of Andrasta as her mother and wished she could talk to Katell. Did her sister have any memories of the Western Lands or their mother at all? If so, she’d never mentioned them.
Her suspicions about Leukos being a prince also grew with each passing moment, and she jumped when Nik put a hand on her shoulder.
“Are you doing all right, Red?” His eyes focused on her face. “Looks like you had a rough couple of days. The Blood Wolf, your new Gifts, and now this—it’s a lot for one person to take in.”
She offered him a weak smile. “I wish Kat were here. She’d know what to do.”
The unrelenting ache lodged inside her chest served as a constant reminder of her sister’s absence. A pain that would only abate once they were reunited.
There was so much Alena wanted to share with her—her encounter with the Blood Wolf, meeting the Huntress, finding out the truth about their mother, the Rebel Queen, and her lover, Kallinos, their father.
She wanted to tell her about Leukos and how the stoic Megarian warrior had been insufferable and broody at first, but then kind and protective. How her feelings for him were like nothing she had ever felt before and how every time he touched her, it kindled a heat within her—
“If she’s still with the Sixth Legion, then we’ll find her again,” Nik said, dragging her from her thoughts.
They continued down the muddy path leading to their hut. Now that Leukos was on her mind—along with her feelings for him—Alcaros’ words came back to her.
“Nik, what does Leukos intend to do after the alliance?”
She halted under the shade of the trees bordering their path.
He stopped in his tracks and glanced back. “What do you mean?”
“Once they announce the alliance tonight, what will happen next?”
He cocked his head. “I guess it depends on the siege, but we’ll stay and fight as long as we’re needed.”
“And then?”
He arched a brow. “And then?”
“Leukos will go back to Achaea with the others before winter comes.” Her voice was quiet and hollow.
Nik’s blue eyes studied her for a long moment. “And then he’ll return to the rebels and gather his allies in Achaea.” He released a long breath, scratching the scruff on his jaw. “Leukos may have many faults, but he’s above all fiercely loyal. He’ll never stop fighting against the Empire, not until Prince Galen is rescued.”
Alcaros’ words circled back to her.
I believed him to be King Pandion’s son.
King Pandion’s son.
The truth dawned on her then. Leukos’ nightmares when she’d healed him back in the cave. The way the rebels had naturally deferred to him as their leader. Leukos’ hatred for Nik.
It all made sense.
Her gaze snapped to Nik’s. “Because he’s not just the son of a Silver Shield, is he? He’s a prince.”
Nik stilled and then clicked his tongue. “I told him you’d figure it out. With all the damn scrolls you’ve read, I’m surprised you didn’t know already.” Crossing his arms over his chest, he released a long breath. “Yes, he’s a prince. King Pandion had three sons. Aegeus, Galen, and Leukos.”
His confirmation knocked the breath out of her lungs.
“He wanted to tell you himself tonight. It’s to be announced at the feast.”
Her temper flared, and a huff escaped her. All that time they’d spent travelling together, risked their lives together, and he’d never told her the truth. Not even after she’d pledged herself to the rebellion.
The truth stung like a fresh wound, but she refused to let it show.
“And he survived the massacre? How?”
Nik flinched and dipped his chin. “Pelagios had taken Theo and him to the hills to hunt and practise their sword and archery skills. I hoped to join them, but my father had other plans for me.” His voice trailed off, and he swallowed, unable to meet her eyes. “The next morning, Leukos was the first to find the corpses in the palace. The assassins had already left to open the gates of the city for the legions camped outside. Pelagios hid Leukos before the soldiers could find them, and I believe Agapios was the one who smuggled them out. Years later, once Leukos reappeared and word reached the Emperor, he sent the Blood Wolf to track him down.”
Alena’s heart clenched, some of her anger abating. Leukos, still a child, had come home to find his parents and siblings butchered by enemy assassins and had been haunted by that traumatic event ever since.
No wonder his nights were full of nightmares.
“How do you know all of this?” she asked. “I thought you hadn’t seen each other in years.”
Nik sighed, tugging at the patterned tunic the Westerners had provided for him. “I heard many rumours over the years. During my time in the arena, my patroness loved to gossip and told me a great deal about the Emperor’s hunt for Leukos once she realised I was Megarian. As for the rest, Theo filled me in back at the camp.”
Alena released a long breath and put a hand on her forehead. “I wish he’d told me sooner. I can’t believe, all this time…”
Nik’s gaze softened. “He was trying to keep you safe, Red. The Blood Wolf was after him and the less you knew, the better.”
She understood the logic, but Leukos had kept her in the dark too long. And despite him trying to protect her, the Blood Wolf had still found them, and she’d been the one to defeat him.
She had saved him.
Didn’t she deserve his trust? Or at the very least, the truth?
“Don’t let yourself get caught up in your head.” Nik jerked his chin back toward the hut. “Come, let’s train. It’ll do you some good before the feast. The sun is still high in the sky, and if we end up involved in the conflict somehow, we need to get you ready.”