Athenian Arrow

Chapter XXI

Adonis returns home from a conversation he had with Nikolas that prevented him from coming home any sooner to check on his son after he had left. Luckily, Adonis did not have to search for him throughout the house for he saw his son storming out of the andron. "Alexi! What's-" Adonis tried to question his son's current state but the boy abruptly interrupted his father.

Alexi spun around quickly to look at his father who was irritating him at the moment. The last thing he wanted to do was to speak about the matters at hand. He didn't want to accept this reality now. Talking to his father would only remind him that Nikolas wished him to be the leader. It would remind him that he has no choice but to accept the role due to his image. But more painfully, it would remind him that he would have to lose Andreas in order to avoid chaos across the country.

Losing Andreas felt like Demeter losing Persephone to Hades. The air seemed colder. The sky seemed greyer. And what once was colourful to him whether that being an object or a memory, seemed dull and spiritless. It was the dead of summer yet Alexi felt as if winter had made it's appearance and made this whole dreadful world seem black. Nothing lived within it. Love was considered to be too colourful for it to be allowed in such a dark world. It was now that Alexi understood that.

"Did you know that Andreas is the son of the Spartan leader? Did you know that Father?!" Alexi screams out of anger and sadness towards his father. He was certain that Andreas could hear through the Andron door though his mind refused to care enough about anything if he was unable to love his enemy.

Adonis was too busy being in shock at seeing the state his son was in for him to answer right away. Alexi's face was red from anger. His back was arched and his hands clenched into fists. The only sadness that showed through all this anger was his tears rolling down his face yet he didn't sob. In all his life of being Alexi's father, he had never seen his son in such an angry state. Alexi was known to be calm, peaceful, and forgiving. He rarely held anger for how forgiving he was. Though Alexi was caring and attentive to people around him, Adonis saw the connection Alexi had with Andreas was much more than his usual caring personality. Though he is not quite sure what happened in the Andron, he knows that Andreas is the cause of his anger. So he decided to remind his son of their love, "I know that Andreas has a love for you and you return that same affection," completely disregarding Alexi's confession.

Alexi's anger slowly dissipates as he is reminded of the love they have for each other. Sadness starts to take over when he comes to a realization. "Well then, Andreas was correct." If his father caught on to them, then Andreas was telling the truth about other people catching on, Alexi thought.

Adonis didn't understand what Alexi had meant by that fact as Alexi smiled a sad smile with the tears still making it's notice.

Alexi finally made his exit when his thoughts started to overwhelm him. Who exactly was Alexi from Athens? What was he fighting for? Did he really want to continue killing Spartans while he's in love with one? Especially ordering around other Athenians to do the same? What did the war even mean to him anymore? All Alexi found was love during this sadistic period of time. He never derived pleasure from killing or inflicting pain on the enemy. The feeling of needing to protect his people and having a love for his city is what motivated him to do so. Killing the enemy is easier when you don't connect with that side in any way.

Alexi didn't fail to notice that Andreas' way of no longer being with the Athenian would sever ties to that connection, for Alexi who is about to be the leader of Athens is destined to face the leader of Sparta, Andreas' father.

...

Adonis sighs to himself as he watches his son walk away. He turns to look to the Andron door for a moment when his son is out of sight before deciding to talk to Andreas and find out what transpired between them. Adonis walks up to the wooden door and reaches the handle before entering without warning. He notices Andreas standing in the middle of the room with his hands running through his long brunette hair due to stress. Adonis looks at him sympathetically as he shuts the door. It seemed as though Andreas had not noticed Adonis entered the room until he heard the sound of the door closing. Their eyes meet.