Persephone: Leonidas' Domina

42- Leonidas

"Do you think that it is alright to give the Hermes and Hestia Familias such privileges?"

The meeting had ended with Leonidas asking Orion to round up the young males and Artemis Familias that would fight, saying that they would find a way to think of the other Familia women.

"And what exactly are this privileges you speak of?" Leonidas asked. "Food? Their own rights on their own land?"

"Most of the foods and vegetables had been rationed to the Familias," Orion replied, his voice holding no malice but a need to be understood. "So that they would be enough for the Gathering."

The Gathering.

Leonidas had forgotten about that.

"It would be cancelled," Leonidas said with a low sigh. "With the rate at which people are dying, I doubt that all Familias in one place would not lead to a massacre of its own. The food for the Gathering would be allotted to the Hermes and Hestia Familias then, but if need be, we would reach out to our own portion of it. They are doing us a favour that they do not have to."

Orion stayed quiet for a while, letting the words of Leonidas sink in before he said, "And what if they start a rebellion?"

Leonidas could not hide his irritation "Because of food?"

"With everything that is going -"

"With all due respect, Lord Orion," Leonidas cut in, his anger already spiked. "If you are scared that they would want start a rebellion because we are making our dependence on them obvious and giving them choices, I would gladly remind you that this same people are underfed, weak and quite small in number which would mean having a rebellion would bring fast death on their heads. Plus, our own army is killing us one by one, so we are the ones without a choice."

Orion stayed silent now, Leonidas knowing that he was probably sounding less like he would but not bothering to think about it as the other male said with a sigh. "You must forgive me my Lord. It is just- Everything is happening too fast. It feels like a nightmare."

You do not know the half of it.

"And I never got to thank you for saving my sister as well," He continued. "I know that you both might be matched but she is a bit of handful sometimes."

"My reasons for sending her away had not been for her safety,"

"Yet, she is safe," Orion pressed on. "It keeps the Laskaris Family forever in your debt."

Leonidas himself had not even spoken to Stylani ever since the last time they were together. What she had told him had left him speechless and he would have left her sooner but she began to cry and beg that he did not hate her which made him stay to calm her down.

And caused him to leave Persephone.

Orion Laskaris stood upright now, turning around as if he was about to leave before he paused and said, "May I ask a question?"

"Proceed,"

"I had heard about you having a Koinõnos. Loukas, I believe? It is just that I have not set my eyes on him all through the day."

"And?"

"I was wondering if he was on the island where you sent my sister and your Mother."

Leonidas closed his eyes as an image of Loukas laughing flashed through his mind.

Perhaps, if he had let the male leave, he would be alive, he would be here calming him down and making some joke about how beautiful he was through all the chaos and maybe make Leonidas smile.