Truth and Sparta (28 page)

Nicias
considered her for a while.

“
I suppose there is no reason she can’t come back. She is my
child now.”

Chara gave a
squeal of delight. “Perfect,” she said. “It is all so perfect.”
Nicias smiled at her obvious joyous reaction.

“
What is she like?”

“
She is beautiful,” Chara said barely able to contain her
excitement. “She has your brow.” Chara ran her fingers lightly
along his brow, realizing exactly how much she loved him. “I
thought I’d lost you,” she said letting the gravity of how that
felt wash over her. She’d told herself that she didn’t care and
that it didn’t matter, but now when things had turned out so well,
she knew she would have felt the loss forever.

Nicias was
looking down in her lap and she studied his face. His hand was
running along the skin of her thigh sending hot waves of sensation
running up her body. She still couldn’t believe he was hers. After
all that had happened, she’d been given a fate she was extremely
happy with. The gods had definitely acted in her favor and she
would have to thank them tomorrow and every day after—only their
interference would explain how things had turned out so well.

Nicias looked
up and she felt his eyes connect with hers. He was so incredibly
beautiful, this man who was her husband and the father of her
child. She couldn’t keep herself from smiling and more so when he
drew her to him until she legs came around his waist. She wondered
for a moment if she deserved such complete happiness, but the
thoughts fled out of her mind when he kissed her—a slow exploring
kiss. They hadn’t actually been apart for long, but these last few
days had taken them on an extreme journey that felt much longer
than the time that had actually passed.

He broke the
kiss, but didn’t pull away entirely. Chara felt his breath on her
lips. “No more lies,” he said and Chara nodded. She fully intended
to comply. She never wanted to lie and deceive again, it wasn’t
something she’d enjoyed the first time around, but it had been
necessary. And considering how everything turned out, she didn’t
truly have any regrets now, because it was her actions that had
brought them here—had overcome insurmountable obstacles to get them
to a position where they were man and wife.

He kissed her
again and she welcomed him, eagerly pressing her body along his.
She revelled in the feel of every part of him, wishing away the
clothes that stood between them. He seemed to hear her thoughts and
pulled her tunic over her head, revealing her body to the air and
his gaze. The light in the room wasn’t bright, but there was enough
of it for them to see.

He ran his
hand along her neck and down her shoulders, the trail of his hand
leaving goose bumps along her skin, his hand continued along her
arm and then the side of her chest. He reached her breast and
cupped it as Chara felt the warmth of his hand embrace her, sending
heat to her stomach, making her moisten in readiness for him.

He laid her
back on the bed and replaced the gentle kneading of his hand with
his mouth, her body drawing her nipple painfully tight as his
tongue teased the small nub. His teasing was making her core throb
for him to come inside her, but he would not be rushed. He teased
her until she arched up into his mouth hunting for more sensation.
His hand run along her thigh which she parted in welcome as his
hand trailed toward her center. His fingers played along her wet
folds until his thumb pressed down on that very sensitive point
that made her cry out. Two of his fingers moved into her and her
body convulsed around them.

“
Whatever your actions, my wife, your body does not lie to me,”
he said and looked into her eyes. She leaned up into a kiss,
wanting him near, gently worrying his lower lips with her teeth.
His fingers worked in and out of her and the sensations built into
a crescendo without her having any influence over it. She wanted to
wait until he was inside her properly, but his fingers inside her
showed no mercy. She arched into the assault as the waves of pure
pleasure washed over her.

“
As much as I could watch you forever, this is torture,” he
said and withdrew his fingers. He sat back and pulled off his
tunic, revealing the magnificent body that Chara could stare at for
hours. He joined her on the bed, positioning himself between her
thighs which she parted for him. They both moaned as he pushed
inside her and Chara revelled again at the feeling of complete
fullness as he joined with her.

Her body was
sensitive from the pleasure he had already caused in her, and this
this fullness gave her a feeling of utter completeness. He pulled
out of her and Chara watched as his body strained with control as
he slowly pushed back in, sensation flooding her again, robbing her
of breath and any sanity she felt. She was left with nothing in her
existence than the feel of him inside her and the friction of his
movement. His strokes drove her to heights she hadn’t believed
possible, the next always taking her a bit higher until she body
couldn’t keep up and the sensations overtook her, each stroke
sending new waves of unrelenting pleasure, his strokes coming fast
and hard.

He released
into her, shuddering with the power of it and Chara’s body felt new
heightened sensations until he collapsed down onto her, letting her
feel the glorious weight of him.

“
I will do this to you every day,” he said through his
shuddering breath.

“
Then I have truly been blessed,” Chara whispered and kissed
his warm and moist shoulder. They laid there for a while, and she
hoped he’d stay just as they were because she didn’t want him to
leave her body.

“
I love you,” she said.

Nicias
couldn’t help but tense at her words. He pulled away, out of her
and looked back at the face of the woman that was his wife. Her
face was so honest, but his mind was protesting. He generally did
believe her, but such sentiments were difficult because they held
such power.

“
Please don’t lie to me in such things,” he said
guardedly.

“
And I am not,” she responded, taking his challenge
fully.

“
I want to believe you more than anything in the world,” he
said and he did, but if he chose to believe her, he would give her
power to ruin him. All of his training had taught him the perils of
letting someone hold such power—it was the key to a man’s defeat
whether it be enemy or friend. Irrespective of the weakness of
sentiment, he wanted her to love him—he knew now it was what he’d
wanted all along.

She sat up
bringing her hand to his shoulder. “I will prove it to you every
day.”

“
Don’t lie to me again.”

“
I promise.”

He did believe
her—he had to trust her. He understood the drivers behind
everything she’d done and he did trust her and her motives. He knew
he was a lucky man, his wife loved him and she was a woman to be
reckoned with.

He got up from
the bed. “I can’t stay tonight, although I want to more than
anything. Tomorrow and every day after, we will be together, but
not tonight. Sleep well, we leave early in the morning.” He pulled
his tunic on and then looked back at her. “Don’t look so
delectable, it is hard enough to leave.”

He should have
left right then, but he had to go back for one more kiss.

Nicias and
Chara started their journey to his estate the next day. Domesticity
was something Nicias had to get used to as he hadn’t lived anywhere
but in barracks since the age of seven. He struggled with it at
first, but learned to settle into the routines of a country
estate—having a wife he loved and respected had some obvious and
compelling rewards.

Elphia joined
them before long along with Chara’s parents who returned from
Attica to be closer to their daughter. Nicias was weary of the
little creature that stumbled around their house at first—and the
feeling was mutual—but then for a long time, Nicias was more often
than not seen with a little girl on his shoulders.

They all
worked hard to rehabilitate the fields of the estate that had been
abandoned many years earlier and managed to get them producing
well. Chara’s parents chose a cottage at the edge of the estate and
they joined Chara and Nicias for meals on occasion and
celebrations, but they never felt comfortable in the Spartan
house.

Chara was
indeed blessed with sons as peace was gain with Athens and Nicias
would spend large stretches of time at home. People did not forget
his notorious wife, but he didn’t mind the curiosity in others of
how he was managing domestic life with the rebel. Everyone
eventually grudgingly admitted that she had qualities that his sons
would be lucky to inherit. King Pleistoanax would sometimes ask of
her and on rare occasions he would refer to her as his adoptive
daughter when some of the single men would wonder why they couldn’t
also take a Helot girl for as bride. Nicias never told Chara of
this because he knew she would feel uncomfortable with the
term.

Chara didn’t
lie to Nicias exactly, but they did agree that there were things he
didn’t want to know—like when a pregnant girl would turn up looking
to save her baby. She could never turn her back on someone in need
and Nicias knew better than trying to stop her, even though it was
illegal to ferry people out of Sparta. The Athenians were no longer
officially welcoming, but they turned a blind eye when a bewildered
looking girl turned up in their region. Della still managed to
settle anyone who came across. Few returned from Attica—unlike
Chara’s parents—as the relations with the Spartans were slow to
change. They didn’t go back on their word of ceasing the Crypteia
though.

The
devastating Athenian defeat at Delium made them more amenable and
they finally agreed to a fifty year truce called the Peace of
Nicias. The history books will say that the peace was named after
an Athenian General, but we know better. It lasted eight years.

Undoing One’s Enemy
- Lord Eldridge
returns to London to reclaim the estate that had been stolen from
him. He is determined on the ruination of the family that destroyed
his, but his plans conflict with his gentlemanly duties to the
remnants of the Hessworth family—Amelia Hessworth and her ailing
aunt.
Amelia Hessworth's willful pride and determination only increases
the stakes as she refuses to accept a fate less than the one she
wants. She won't let circumstance or the arrogant man who's come to
throw her out of her home stop her, even as she has little choice
in the short term but to rely on support from the man who despises
her. In fact, she learns to embrace the freedom outside of
Society's strict expectations.
To say they don't get on is an understatement, but circumstances
can be cruel.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/317331

An Unlikely Savior
- The Revolution
is spreading across France and it had reached the stately chateau
of Virginie Durmont's guardian in the country side. She had
accidentally been separated from the rest of the family and her
need to escape France has become paramount, something her sheltered
life and refined upbringing has left her unprepared for. Her only
choice is to turn to her guardian's belligerent and selfish
half-brother, Tomas Sanbonne.
Virginie is certain that her guardian's faith in his half-brother
is misplaced, but her dire circumstances mean she must beseech his
assistance. She must reach safety beyond French shores and she will
just have to put up with his considerable disapproval of her and
everything she stands for.

Available
May 30
^th
2013

The Game
-
Jane Burrows knows that the corporate environment is
difficult to navigate at the best of times. It is especially
difficult when the important account lead hates the very sight of
her. Damon D'Arth is a corporate warrior who knows his way around
the politics in the world for major infrastructure. Jane needs to
stand up for herself and her mentor's interests.
This job is the key to Jane's future and she's been given a great
opportunity, but now she needs to prove that her promotion was
justified. She just isn't sure she can survive in this high
pressure environment with hidden dangers and equal exhilaration.
Her mentor's support is the only thing that is keeping D'Arth from
ripping her to pieces.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/271723

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