Athenian Arrow

Chapter XXV

"Alexi!" A woman's voice called out his name a few feet behind him. Alexi's ears perked to the sound of footsteps getting closer while he was observing and critiquing his soldiers sparing with one another. Alexi takes his focus off of their training to turn around. His gaze stumbles upon his sister walking angrily towards him. Once she's in earshot, Alexi starts with a sigh while crossing his arms, "You're trespassing on training grounds. Women are not supposed to be here. You can get hurt." He says this a little annoyed as he knows that his sister understands the rules.

"Does that include women being related to the Athenian leader?" She questions with attitude. Anastasia was not one to show attitude as she had a very understanding personality but when she did, that is when her family knew she was truly upset.

Alexi rolled his eyes as he sighed. This was not the time he wanted to have this conversation.

"Don't roll your eyes at me," she noticed. "Were you ever going to tell Mother or I? Father didn't even bother to tell his own wife that you are now leading Athens. When did this happen?" Anastasia's stance told Alexi she was not moving until he gave her an answer.

"Sister," he started. "It all happened so fast and very unexpectedly. Nikolas needed Father and I's attention that it took up our time to come clean to you and Mother," he tried to explain to her.

"We sleep in the same house, Alexi. Wake me up, do something! Not only is my brother leader of Athens, but he declared war against the Spartan leader in Olympia and now you shall fight him in a few days?"

Alexi sighed again while looking at his soldiers who were watching the commotion. He pulls her by the arm to create some distance between the soldiers and any other potential bystanders. "It's hard to explain Anastasia. Please not now. Let's talk when I finish my duty here."

Anastasia scoffs offensivley. "We were so close brother. I consider you my confidant. And now you hide something like this from me? You didn't even bother to ask our opinions as this one path changes our whole family.  But you failed to think to ask because we are only women, correct? We're not qualified to be soldiers so we have no say? We did not even receive an invitation to your crowning to support you."

Anastasia had enough. She was there when Alexi needed her help to complete a mission and she can't even get the truth out of him. All he did was stand there silently as if her anger didn't matter. "You're right, being the sister of an Athenian leader does not give me special privileges to trespass," she states disappointedly as she turns to walk back to the village. Her steps implant shoe prints into the damp soil from when it rained last night.

"I'm in love with Andreas!" Alexi yells to catch her attention. Thankfully, that stopped her from exiting the premises as Alexi hoped. Anastasia turns to look at her brother who looks hopeless. She figures there is more to that if Alexi kept his ranking so secretive. She scans the area and spots the tents that the soldiers use on the training grounds for meetings, shelter, storage, a place to eat, and other purposes. She nods her head in the direction of the tents to signal that they should talk there.

The tent had two wooden stools, a wooden table, some chests filled with essentials, and a small pile of firewood off in the corner for outside. They sat on the stools for a while before Alexi had the courage to speak up. He was bent forward with his elbows resting on his thighs as his hands were clasped together. Anastasia respected the space he needed and didn't say anything.

It was no surprise to Anastasia that Alexi was in love with that Athenian man whom Zoi called a beast as she caught on that Alexi had romantic feelings for him. When she confronted him about it in that cave that they had been sheltering in for the night, he denied any romantic feelings and just claimed they were friends. So she was surprised that he admitted it, especially with how he had been lying to her recently. Though, she still isn't sure how Andreas has a role in this situation.