Athenian Slave (Book 2)

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

It was time. It had been two weeks since the incident, and Alexios knew that he could not allow himself to let the anger leave him until he had dealt with Cosmas. He was just unsure that he would ever be able to look at the male and not want to cause him physical harm. Only it had come to the point where he could see a tiny glimpse of what Charmion could be when she recovers from this grief, and he will be the one left behind mired in anger, unless he can deal with this issue.

It was not that Charmion was better as such, but it was almost as if a silent acceptance had overtaken her, and this added with the grief allowed her to be healthier than she had been for that first week. He was not so worried about her. She still cried silent tears, still had moments of rage or irritation. But he had also seen a smile that day. A small one. Tiny really, a twitch of the lips. But it showed she was capable of recovery, no matter how long it took.

He knew she did not see this in herself. Knew that she did not understand what he had seen in her over the last few days. She would know with time, and time is all he could give her at this point. But his knowledge of the events that had occurred had left him sleeping less and less each night. It burned within his soul. Knowing that the culprit sat within his walls and he had not known his own reaction, or known it too well, to visit the male in question.

“Alexios.” He turned towards the hail, as he pinpointed Iason coming in through the courtyard archway. He raised an eyebrow at the stern expression upon his second’s face. “Do you plan to hide out here forever? You were never one to over think things such as this. What is it you are afraid of?” If he had been anyone else, Alexios would have made sure the male never managed to speak to him as such again. As it was, he been through too much with his friend to ever make such a move against him. Knowing that they had each other’s back in the worst of times was always useful.

Before he could say a word, Iason beat him to it once more. “I know, I probably overstep my mark, but I only do so because I worry for you my friend. You have seen a light in recent months. The darkness not as heavy on your soul as it is for the rest of us. And the only difference any of us can see is the female who currently sits enclosed in your chamber. The pain she has been through may be different to the pain we saw, but we can all see you are helping each other heal. She is not just a slave to you, or to any of your men. They see her as a free woman, and you cannot get away from that now. But there are murmurings among your men over your lack of action against the male, who caused such suffering to the light which was able to guide them minutely out of the darkness, which encases them.”

He had not seen how much his men had changed. Had not noticed something that he had been so in tune with only weeks before. Charmion had consumed his thoughts, his actions and his time. And he could not find it within himself to be sorry for that. Especially from Iason’s words and tone, which suggested his men expected no less from him. They themselves would probably act as he did if given the chance with the woman in question.