Chapter 46

Krista laid her husband gently down upon the grass.

Knelt beside him, Krista could almost fool herself that he was simply sleeping. With his head turned to the side, Krista could not see the blood that stained his chin.

His eyes were shut to dreams, Krista told herself. He wasn't dead.

None of them were dead. They couldn't be- This was just a trick.

But maybe it was her that was asleep. Perhaps this was just one long nightmare that she just had to awaken from.

Yes, that was it. She would wake up in a minute and be back in Greece with Cassia and Zeph at her feet, and Lazarus and Artorius would be toiling in the fields.

Frieda and Diomed would be back in Britannia with their children, and Leonidas . . . Leonidas would be with Cato still.

As she sat there in the grass, her fingertips brushing Artorius's cheek, hoping he would open his eyes and shout 'Tricked you!', she felt reality trying to seep back in front of her.

She didn't want to go. She wanted to stay with her husband, by his side waiting for him.

A lock of his black hair fell in front of his eyes and Krista hurriedly brushed it back, her fingers combing through his hair as her heart twisted in pain once more.

How many times had she done that in the past? Ran her fingers through his hair? How much had she taken it for granted and now he . . . he was no longer there- No!

He couldn't be dead. He couldn't be. She was supposed to die first.

She was the one who was meant to die in the arena, she was meant to die in the forest that time, she was meant to die and save them.

But instead everyone else was dying for her.

No, Krista argued with herself, he isn't-

­"Artorius!" Leonidas's voice cut through her pain and hit her like a carriage.

His voice was angry, as if he could not believe that Artorius was dead, that Artorius was just tricking.

"Artorius, get up!" Leonidas shouted again.

Krista slowly turned her head to the side, her fingers still brushing his hair, and looked at Leonidas.

He was no longer bound but he was not free either as two guards prevented him from coming over to her.

"He's. . ." Krista closed her eyes as she tried to bring herself to say the word.

But she had to say it. If she was to get out him out of here, she had to say it. She had to believe it.

"He's dead, Leonidas." Krista turned back to look at Artorius. Maybe her words would stir him to wake up and say that she was wrong.

But it didn't, and his eyes remained closed.

Krista let her eyes travel down to his chest and gaze upon the arrows there for the first time.

So, there were archers in the trees.

Krista remembered how Octavia had signalled them.

She guessed she should not have been surprised; after all, she had put Frieda in a tree when she faced Octavia with Argyle . . .

Thinking of Frieda brought a new wave of pain across her chest.

"You killed him!" Leonidas turned and advanced on Octavia.

"Leonidas, don't," Krista spoke softly to him, still looking down at Artorius. Her eyes travelled past his chest to his sword that lay only a small way from her.

Her own sword was behind her somewhere after she had been knocked to the ground.

She reached her arm out slowly and curled her fingers around the hilt. It was still warm.

Krista leant forward and pressed her lips to Artorius's forehead. She lingered there for a moment, trying to burn his scent into her mind, before she got to her feet.

She saw the circle of guards around her before she turned and took a few steps towards Leonidas.

The two guards looked at her dubiously before they parted and Leonidas raced forward. He ran over to Artorius, checking that what Krista said was true, before he rejoined her a few moments later.

Krista simply watched Octavia.

Leonidas's lips parted as a thought came to him, "Why Artorius? Why not shoot all three of us?"

Octavia blinked before she turned to Leonidas, "You may yet be useful to me."

"Useful?" Krista's voice was a dull monotone. She had no more fire in her veins.

"I need somebody to carry your bodies back to Rome," Octavia answered.

A spark ran through her body at the idea of returning to Rome and the idea of shackles being replaced upon her wrists.

Leonidas bristled beside her.

They had both fought for freedom for so long that it seemed nearly impossible to think that they could be slaves once more.

"But you cannot," Leonidas shook his head, "We have scrolls from your father, Commander Gaius, declaring our freedom!"

Octavia arched an eyebrow, as if finding his last line of defence as humorous.

"We are free citizens of the empire!" Leonidas shouted.

"Leonidas . . ." Krista began to speak when Octavia interrupted.

"You may indeed be free citizens of the empire, but you are free citizens that have just declared war against Rome," Octavia clarified for them.

Leonidas felt the colour drain from his cheeks.

"You, and your entire ilk, will be taken to Rome as prisoners of war and put to death in the arena."

Leonidas growled, "I will die before I feel the clamp of iron on my wrists once more."

"Hmm," Octavia turned to Krista, "And how shall you stop us? You may have been too busy to notice but your army has just retreated. It shall not be long until they surrender."

Krista and Leonidas looked at each other. He too wondered who had sounded the horn but there was only really one possibility.

And knowing her son and his lack of obedience to orders, she knew that that possibility was more than likely.

"Or, if they do not surrender, we shall simply burn the stronghold to the ground." Octavia shrugged.

Krista took a step forward, "Take me."

"Krista!" Leonidas grabbed her arm.

She turned back to look at him.

"What are you doing?" He snapped.

"Saving whoever is left," Krista looked him deeply in the eyes.

Her son was in that fort and, whilst she knew he was a good fighter, she knew that he was not invincible to flames. She had to save them all.

Leonidas let go of her arm and stood beside her, "Then you need to take me to."

"No," Krista argued, "You need to get out of here. It's me she wants. Get out of here and make sure our bodies-"

"-This is all very touching," Octavia shouted, putting an end to their bickering, "And I expected nothing less from you Krista, sacrificing yourself for others, but I already gave you your chance to surrender."

Krista closed her eyes as she knew what was coming.

"And do you remember what you did? You fought me, and now look where we are? Your husband is dead. No, I gave you your chance, now everyone is going to die."

Leonidas shook his head in disgust, "How can you be a daughter of Commander Gaius?"

Octavia turned to Leonidas, "What do you know of my father, expect that he was suffering a moment of weakness when he handed you your freedom?"

"We knew your father very well actually," Krista told Octavia.

"You tried to kill him!" Octavia scoffed, "I have heard the stories."

"That is true," Krista nodded, "In fact, I tried many times to kill your father, but that was when both of us were blinded by our ambitions. Once we got past that, I found your father to be a very good, kind man. He understood the difference between the need for war and when a war was being fought just for the sake of it."

"And do you think this war is just for the sake of it?" Octavia asked.

"I think that for as long as there are slaves and injustice in the world, there will be people like us trying to stop it." Krista told Octavia in honesty.

Krista did believe that. She believed, to a certain extent, that man needed war just as it needed food and water to survive. And as long as there were things wrong in the world, people would battle over it.

"Then what would you suggest?" Octavia was intrigued.

"A duel," Krista took a small step forward, "You and I. If I win, you leave and return to Rome."

Hadrian did not seem impressed when Octavia entertained the idea, "And if I win?"

Krista swallowed, "We will return to Rome as your slaves."

Leonidas stood fast beside her.

Octavia pondered the idea for a second, "And I get to kill everyone in the fort."

Every beat of Krista's heart sounded like a hammer against metal as she gave a slow nod of her head.

"Very well," Octavia nodded before she turned to Hadrian to settle the details.

Krista spoke to Leonidas under her breath, "I need you to get back to the fort and tell everyone what is happening. Tell them to leave out the back."

"What about you?" Leonidas asked her.

Krista smiled but she didn't feel it, "I'll be fine,"

Leonidas knew she was lying but what could he do? If he did not leave and warn the others then this would have all been for nothing.

Leonidas looked back at Cato's body.

"I'll go to the fort," Leonidas told her, "But I'm not leaving without you."

Krista looked up at him, "Leonidas . . ."

"You are more needed than you know," Leonidas placed a hand upon her shoulder and it struck her that each of them were the only ones left.

They had lost their friends and the people they loved most in the world. They only had each other left.

"I expect to see you up there," Leonidas told her.

Krista gave a small nod, feeling the numbness in her limbs begin to recede. She could feel her stomach knotting in unease.

Leonidas squeezed her shoulder once more before he turned to walk away when the guards on the perimeter closed ranks and forbade him to leave.

"Where do you think you are going?" Hadrian laughed when he saw his counterpart attempt to leave.

Leonidas frowned at Hadrian.

"You are stay here. I am sure we'll be leaving for Rome shortly," Hadrian smiled at Krista.

Krista just looked at Leonidas with wide eyes. Who was going to warn them now?

Leonidas came back to her side, "Now you really need to win."