After her... unfortunate?... trip into the Outer Circle homes that the gladiator Androkles had decided to take her on, Persephone had been made a conscious effort to learn more about the area of her city.

She had started with what we easily available to her. The fact that it flew in the face of getting to know the actual people and lives of those who living in the Outer Circle - like the gladiator wanted - rankled in the back of her mind as she started, but she was a princess with limited opportunities for real world adventures so starting where she could had been her first step - the University.

She had scoured the history books of the city, she had pulled up building plans and maps of the roads. With a good visual memory, Persephone had tested and taught herself to know the layout of her entire city by memory - a task that had taken a lot of time and many days of effort to learn, but she had found the hours where she could and practised as often as possible.

Next came the learning of businesses and merchants within the Outer Circle. Not that this would be possible to memorise at all. There were so many - almost as many as there were families and she had simple ordered a ledger to be made up of all of the businesses listed by tax and income contributions, so that she could look at any patterns in area or industry that were failing so that she could try to help improve those areas of the economy.

She had then, where she could, tried to drive through the Outer Circle in a plain carriage a few times, determined to look through sheer curtains at the way her people lived and how they operated.

It was safe to say that the faces of children in need had done much to spur Persephone into action.

What she had yet to do however - until tonight - was step foot into the Outer Circle. But this, she was required to do.

One evening, once darkness had fallen Persephone had sent a messenger to the guard Nicholai. While her own personal bodyguard was only a few weeks old in her employment and she was not yet certain would agree to her plans, she trusted the loyalty of Nicholar and had been forced to lean on her sister's bodyguard - a man she knew to be honest and trust-worthy.

Without telling him what they were doing besides explaining that she needed an escort into the Outer Circle where she was meeting someone, the two of them had travelled by carriage, along with Thalia of Nikolaos. A woman who Persephone had had stay in the royal palace that night for this very purpose. The woman had been determined to accompany Persephone to meet with this Lukos of Magnemea and had insisted that her interpretation of the man and her witnessing of his words and actions would give them insight as to his truthfulness after the meeting was concluded. She had made her only condition incredibly clear - and repeated it again in the carriage on their way to the tavern in question.

No-one was to draw attention to her presence and certainly not to her identity.

Persephone had not included her ladies maids in the venture, risking rumour of her travelling alone with only a male guard and female friend, as the fewer people who knew of this outing the better... for it was sensitive information she was hoping to gain from this excursion, and she couldn't risk it being heard by ears that might break under pressure. She would not subject her ladies maids to such danger. Nicholai, she knew, had sworn his life for such things... and Thalia had insisted on accompanying them against all other logic. Either of these she would have to live with on her conscience.

As their carriage - the plain and discreet one that palace kept for just such occurrences - pulled around a particular corner of a street in the Outer Circle, Persephone recognised a tavern of the same name she had been told by her Master Informer - the name she had given to the pirate they were to meet.

When the Lady Thalia had requested a meeting with her and divulged the name of a privateer whom she believed was fulfilling the Stravos family's "extra" activities in the Aegean, Persephone had had the man investigated and a message sent to him. She had no idea how such a message was transported, nor how it had found the correct man in so vast a sea but found him it had and a meeting had been arranged.

Clearly her mention of being able to offer him recompense for a simple discussion had help enough of his attention to name a day, time and place.

The place in question was the tavern she could now see.

Getting down from the carriage, Persephone adjusted her dark cloak of coarse fabric, determined to ensure that it hid her clothing - her riding boots and trousers and a simple tunic shirt over-covered with a leather jerkin Nicholai had insisted to don for the trip - before she nodded to Nicholai that they were in the right place.

It was clear by his face that the man did not approve of a potential heir to the Athenian throne entering such an establishment and she agreed that such a meeting was risky. If a single person in the tavern identified her as the Princess Persephone, the court rumour and intrigue would be unstoppable. But Persephone had agonised over the decision for several hours, considering sending an informer or a servant in her place and had just been unable to allow the mission to be given to another. It was too sensitive. Too important.

This pirate might hold all the answers to bringing down the Stravos family, securing her line to the throne and erasing all threat from one Elias of Stravos.

It was too valuable an opportunity to be missed or to trust to another. No matter the risk to her own reputation.

Pulling the hood close but being careful not to look like she was trying to hide her face - nothing drew eyes more than someone being overtly secretive - Persephone entered the tavern, ensuring that Nicholai was at her side, rather than at her back. She didn't need him looking like a bodyguard. Thalia trailed behind protecting the rear, anyway, but was short enough not to draw the same attention that Nicholai would in such a spot.

The noise of the room hit her like a wave, with chatter, cheers and screams of delight. It was a room mostly full of men and scantily clad women and Persephone immediately felt out of her depth.

Hurrying forwards through the clouds of smoke, the scent of mead and the general debauchery that her eyes caught from around the corner of her cowl, she made her way to the door at the back of the room - as her Master Informer had arranged for her and instructed - and then down a blissfully quiet corridor. The last door on the left led to a private bedroom, clearly meant for rent by whomever needed more privacy than the front room could afford and, once inside it, Persephone lowered her hood.

The pirate - one Captain Lukos - had not arrived yet, but she doubted that she Nicholai and Thalia would have long to wait before they were graced with his presence.

Princess Persephone had known him for a very long time, so she could read him like few others could. It was true that he wasn’t happy about her being in this part of the city, not just because she was the heir to the throne of Athenia, but because this wasn’t the safest place to be an attractive young woman. Nicholai knew her to be smart, and thus if she was coming here, it must be of great importance. So he’d agreed to accompany her, though he had set down a few rules of his own for the trip. She had to wear a leather jerkin to help protect her if he was to be her only guard. He’d given her one of his daggers only to be used as a last resort. She wasn’t to leave his side for any reason, and lastly he warned her that he might have to touch her in ways that she was not used to. He’d given her a good once over after she’d dressed for this little outing and while there wasn’t much he could do about the silkiness of her hair, he’d done for her what he did for Dawn, braiding her long hair into a single braid like the lower classes were wont to do.

As much as he didn't like the idea of the crown princess in a tavern in the seediest part of town, Nicholai liked even less the idea of the kingdom being ruled by the Stravos family.  Feeling more than a little awkward, Nicholai walked in the tavern his left arm curled around Persephone’s waist. He didn't have the shield that he typically carried, but hoped that this would be enough. He was a big man, and while she was taller than her younger sister Emmy, Persephone’s head could easily be tucked under his chin.  He looked around the room, trying to find a balance between the persona he was trying to project and behaving like a real bodyguard would.  Thalia walked on his other side.

He could feel her tension upon entering the tavern, smiled down at her, breathing “Relax.” Though his lips barely moved when he offered her reassurance, the hand on her hip squeezed gently, "You can do this."  He said softly, then kissed her temple as he might've done Dawn's.  His intent was make make it clear that she was with him, in a way that should prevent anyone from bothering her.  His gaze meeting that of the man who'd eyed her when they entered, licking his lips in a suggestive way.  Nic knew he had been looking at the princess as Thalia was too far to the left of where the man's gaze had settled.

He walked with her to the private room reserved for them, letting his arm drop from around her waist now that they were alone.  He sat beside her at the table, motioning to Thalia to sit on the princess' other side, positioning the table just so, to ensure he could use it as a shield for Persephone, and that it didn't hinder his ability to move if he needed to.  He frowned briefly the sighed when Thalia sat in the darkest corner he himself taking the spot that put him between Persephone and the rest of the room.  Better safe than sorry.  He thought with a quick grin, looked at the princess and waited, watching the door.

This was madness.  

Why had she agreed to do this?  Where was this sudden newfound loyalty to the crown coming from?  It was one thing to pass on information to the crown, it was a whole other thing to accompany her to the lowest parts of the city to engage in a clandestine meeting with her former captor and kidnapper.  She'd expected he'd be arrested.. tried for treason...sedition.  Enslaved and thrown to the lions for all she knew.  Not used as a chess piece to advance a political agenda.  She'd prepared herself for that.  Perhaps she always had; from the second he'd told her about Elias.  There was no way Minas would allow a pirate to continue his destruction across the Aegean in such a way; it was detrimental to his standing to reign him in.  

But Minas wasn't the monarch to decide his fate.  Persephone was.  And while the future queen was probably not as brutal as a man would be, she was no less calculating.  The only saving grace to the whole scenario was that, while she'd told Persephone about Lukos, her promise to him remained largely intact.  With Persephone plotting to use him as a piece in her grand scheme to keep the crown, Lukos and his crew and the people on his island were safe from retaliation for kidnapping her.  And while that news was less than pleasing to her family, she felt better that she wasn't signing a death warrant to a village of mothers and children.  

Thalia sat silently in the carriage with Persephone and Nicholai, her personal guard.  Dressed in a similar black cloak that Persephone's guard wore, she looked like a smaller version of the men who served on the Athenian guard.  She'd even managed to have armor made for her which she was still trying to get used to.  It fit her like a glove; the dark leather breastplate molded to her torso and strapped along the sides and the leather lappets hung a little longer than a mans but didn't pass her lower thighs.  She wore a black tunic beneath the garment and black udones and puttees wrapped up her calves and her boots were a smaller version of the military's.  Gone were the ornamental sandals that provided very little protection from the elements.   

She stared out the window as they wound their way down to the lower wards; her fingers toying anxiously with one of the flaps of her lappet.  As if she'd see him.  As if she'd see any of the men beforehand.  Shaking herself from the thought, she turned back to Nicholai and Persephone.  "I'm not there.  If he notices me, this will never work."  She waited for their agreement before leaning back against the luxurious seat cushion.  

When they stopped in front of the tavern, her stomach did a flop.  But she waited for the door to open as she pulled the hood over her head; concealing her identity from anyone who looked at her.  Stepping out after Nicholai, she waited for Persephone it exit the carriage and then fell in line behind her as if to provide a rear guard to anyone who noticed them.  

The tavern was boisterous even at this hour.  Thalia's hand remained on the hilt of the short sword strapped to her waist.  She had another on her back and the blade she'd taken from Imbrascus on her calf.  But if the whole of his crew were there even that wouldn't be enough.  Since the day she'd told Persephone of Lukos and they'd calculated the letter for him, she'd been training harder than she'd ever trained before.  When Diomedes returned home, she'd cornered him and insisted he instruct her; even going so far as to plead and demand that she join him on certain days to train with his men so she could have someone without bias fighting her.  Her entire existence for the last two weeks had revolved around training in combat, defensive tactics and getting stronger.  But no amount of training could account for her size.  Against Arctos's crushing hold, she'd never stand a chance.  Even Lukos had her on pure brute strength.  

They wove their way through the boisterous main room with men partaking of drink and women.  Thalia blushed... not for what she saw, but what Persephone was being exposed to.  She was a future queen.  She'd been guarded against this just as well as she had.  There were no reservations here; no courtly modesty.  She'd grown accustomed to the lower classes baseness when living on the island.. but even having been back in Athenia for over a month, she'd forgotten how crass both the men and women could be.  

They followed Nicholai through the room to a more private meeting area.  Nicholai motioned for Persephone to sit and Thalia slipped back into a corner; blending into the shadows.  She was only here to observe.  To read Lukos and inform the princess if he was being truthful with her afterward.  If all went to plan, he would never even notice her in the corner... or at least consider too unimportant to think of as anything more than one of their guards.  

Then again, when did anything go according to plan?

The letter found its way to him while he was in a marketplace in Colchis in the form of an impossibly plain man, whose face he couldn’t remember the moment he turned away. There was no royal seal and nothing to suggest that it was anything other than a normal summons for a noble house wanting to remain anonymous. Probably what he would be tasked to find was something unsavory or illegal. He handed the letter to Bianor, his scribe, for safe keeping.

He forgot the letter entirely throughout the afternoon. It wasn’t until nightfall that he returned to the ship from one of the taverns. Bianor met him on deck. Lukos was a little unsteady on his feet, although Arktos swung wildly from side to side, singing as he wandered up the gangway. “She was a pretty one, this lovely girlie of mine!” Arktos's baritone sing song voice bellowed out over the entire harbor as he stumbled onto the ship. He caught himself with a sort of drunken grace that Lukos wasn’t in the proper frame of mind to admire.

“Your letter,” Bianor said grimly, handing it to Lukos. He accepted it, not frowning at the broken seal. Bianor usually read anything addressed to him before he did. It was the scribe’s odd expression which prevented him from tucking the letter away and forgetting it again until morning.

“What’s the matter?” the words came out slow, not nearly as sharp as they would have been if he was sober.

“Read it,” Bianor glanced over his shoulder as Arktos leaned sleepily on the mast. “How are we to ship out if the lot of you are drunk?”

“We’re not,” Lukos carelessly waved the letter at him. “Someone needs something.”

“Captain,” Bianor took him by the shoulder, his old, withered grip surprisingly strong. “Read the letter.”

Lukos shook him off but at last looked down at the scroll. He nodded. The old man’s insistent tone was finally sinking in enough to make him realize this was not an ordinary demand and supply missive. Glancing over at his first mate, still hugging the mast and singing about the whore he’d just finished with, Lukos raked his fingers through his hair before making his way down the stairs to his cabin.

He lit the clay lamp on his table before sitting down on his bed to read. By the time he’d finished the missive he was confused and agitated. Pushing it onto the floor, he lay down, pulling the pillow over his head as though that would shut out the summons. Sleep stole him quickly but with morning brought sobriety and when he read the letter again, he was more prepared to deal with it.

It was an odd letter that he distrusted intensely, even though it contained every assurance that it was not a ruse. Clearly it was not from Stravos. The writing was in a woman’s hand but he wasn’t entirely sure who would be writing to him that hated Elias and had the ability to command armies. Except someone in the royal family. That Elias was ruining his name was not of tantamount concern; he only dealt with the hideously wealthy and already knew they did not have a high opinion of him. They couldn't dispense with him, as he was their only means of acquiring things they wanted that others could not find, or in some cases, would not.

What did concern him was that someone in the royal palace knew of his involvement with Elias at all. That part had been a strict secret. The only person he’d told was in Athenia and though he still believed she’d betray him if she could, it was likely she just wasn’t that important. As much as she’d raved her family would come for her and find her, he’d never met anyone looking for her or heard her name mentioned in any port. Clearly, she did not have the ear of the king.

Abruptly he got up and left the cabin. He stormed on deck, barking orders, and stirring his men into a flurry of activity. Within an hour the ship was underway.

For the past few weeks, he’d begun to act more like himself, more level headed. Arktos had stopped giving him side eyed looks when he walked past but now, he was reverting back to bad habits. The mere idea of reentering Athenian waters set his teeth on edge. As the weeks raced by, he grew more restless and snappish. 

When the Aceton coasted into the harbor, two days before the meeting, he set about with his plans. His secretive correspondent was obviously someone very high up in the kingdom to outrank Stravos which, by that very virtue, meant he placed no trust at all in the blood oath so dutifully sworn. The whole letter raised his hackles, the way Elias’s had when he’d been summoned then. It put the putrid taste in his mouth of being under someone else’s command. However, he was not a fool. He could no more ignore this summons than he could Elias’s, close to a year ago by now.

He went to the tavern each night, bringing his men with him, making them popular with the whores in the area, assuring themselves goodwill with the locals. They, in turn, relayed the changing of the guards and which ones could be bought, if necessary. This was overkill, he knew, but he didn’t like anything about this meeting. It was out of the blue and, if Elias could have been trusted, should never even take place. While he did not think it was Elias himself who'd given the game away, it must have been someone close to him.

The evening came and he retraced his footsteps from the previous days back to the tavern, a few crewmen following in his wake. He paid for the room and then for whores, taking one for himself to stay by his side while he and his men sat in an out of the way part of the room. Once they were settled and brought out the gambling dice, he pulled the whore onto his lap and mindlessly threw the dice, glancing at the door every few minutes. With every patron that entered the tavern, his arm tightened around the whore’s waist and he’d press his lips to her neck, keeping an eye on where the patrons went.

He was wary of Stravos employing a ruse of some kind. The whore provided an excellent way to hide and watch. Each of the patrons, if they looked his way, averted their eyes quickly, not wanting to stare or squint through the gloom just to gawk at a group of men gambling and frittering away their money on nothing worthwhile. Her thin chiton was wet under his hands from her sweat and drink that one of his men spilled on her in a moment of carelessness. She stank of sour wine.

The door opened again. His gaze fixed on Persephone the moment she entered the tavern. He barely spared a glance for the two others with her. Her face was visible for an instant when she looked around. As she moved away toward the back, he straightened up, abruptly shoving the whore off his lap as the three disappeared into the meeting room. The whore gave him a reproving slap across the chest but he ignored her. Without a backward glance at him, she simply situated herself on to the lap of the man beside him, content to find someone who would pay more attention and who might be persuaded to part with more gold.

He did not immediately leave the table. As soon as the smaller of the cloaked figures disappeared into the room, he looked back at the main entry. Paranoia made him wait to see if Stravos would follow. Minutes stretched by. Patrons came and went. The whore lured away his crew mate. He barely noticed.

At last he arose. The men still with him stopped their game. Dice clattered across the tabletop and were not picked up again. One man stood and followed Lukos as far as the doorway to the meeting room while the others sat, ready in case any unwelcome Athenian guards should enter.

He deliberately opened the door slowly, his dark eyes taking in the lay of the room in an instant. As soon as he was sure he wouldn’t have to do more than shut the door behind him, he took a seat across from Persephone. His gaze wandered indifferently over the other two but kept being drawn back to her face. It was difficult to give anything else his full attention. She reminded him of a goddess statue in a temple; perfectly carved and just as cold. Idly he wondered how much he could get for her but it was a game. After the mess with Thalia there was no amount of gold in the world that would possess him to touch this woman in front of him.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he stared her down, refusing to speak first. Mildly, he was a little surprised to find that he’d been right that he was meeting a woman. The fact that two people accompanied her told him she was important, as he’d also guessed. That was as much as he knew; the rest was conjecture, though he was beginning to suspect her identity. Her letter had all but cried royalty.

Nic studied Thalia for a long moment, a tiny hint of a frown pulling at his lips. What worries you so? He wondered, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He still wasn’t exactly…. happy about taking the crown princess down into the lower wards to begin with, and if anything were to happen to Persephone because of a dispute between Thalia and the man she’d brought them down here to meet with,, he would absolutely furious, with everyone involved, though mostly at himself for agreeing to this madness, “If you think that’s for the best.”

When the door to their private room opened slowly, Nic was immediately on alert. The man who entered, he’d noticed before, during his own quick sweep of the outer room, this man had stared at Persephone, but not leered at the princess like the one man he’d glared at, so Nic had dismissed Lukos as an immediate threat.  But then, he hadn't know that this was the man they'd come to see.

Nicholai inhaled sharply, noting the sword strapped to Lukos’ waist. Unwilling to risk any harm coming to Persephone, Nic leaned his weight against the table so that it slid a few more inches forward, away from Persephone and closer to the other man as he moved to take a seat across from her. That way he had more room if Nic had to throw himself in front of her, and the increased distance would make it harder for Lukos to hit her even with the sword strapped to his waist.  Nicholai curled his left arm around Persephone's waist, loosely for now, but it could tighten in a heartbeat, pulling her against him and turning his body as a living shield for hers.

As they had crossed the main room of the tavern, Persephone had not noticed the eyes of the men undressing her from head to toe, or trying to peer inside the cowl of her cloak. It was not in her nature to notice the looks of attraction from men, but for their political concerns or schemes in their facial expressions. And there were no political aspirations in this room. Instead, she was very aware of Nicholai bracing an arm around her waist and even leaning in to place a kiss upon her temple. A noble lady of more experience might not have minded the attempt at subterfuge but Persephone was too innocent to ignore the feeling of a man's lips against her skin - even somewhere as innocent as her forehead and, as such, as blushed by the time they reached the private room they were aiming for.

When the three of them entered the quiet little chamber, Persephone lowered her hood and brushed her fingers against her temple.

"I appreciate the attempt at deceiving the general populace, Nicholai, but I think a close presence will suffice in future." She told him firmly, but not unkindly. She knew he had meant well and that his ideas were often sound. She just found she had a personal dislike for the touch of men these days. Not that she had a whole lot of experience with them... only one instance... well... two incidents, one offender... And she wasn't about to allow such thoughts and feelings to undo her intentions or aims for that evening, so she pushed them away quickly.

The room was small and perfunctory. With a narrow bed in the far corner, against the wall, a table and chairs sat almost in the centre of the room and a cupboard that could hold a grand total of three cloaks before it was full most likely.

It was to the table and chair that Nicholai encouraged Persephone to sit and she did so without much thought. The man then sat himself beside her, leaving only one out chair available - across the expanse of the table. Thalia chose to place herself in the corner of the room, out by the bed where it was dark and shadowy, a ghost in the wings.

When Captain Lukos of Magnemea entered the room - or at least she assumed it was him given that he entered alone - Persephone wasn't sure what she had been expecting. A haggard appearance; beaten by sea and storm? An eye patch? A peg-leg? Instead the man was - as far as she could see - perfectly assembled with all appropriate limbs and appendages, and was almost handsome in a rugged, beaten one-too-many-times-with-a-stick kind of way. His hair could also do with a wash.

But, this was no time to judge or allow her feelings to show on her face. So, instead, she simply watched the man walk in and sit down in the chair opposite her.

It was in this moment, that Persephone realise they had placed themselves all wrong.

The pirate sat with a languid ease and folded arms that suggested nonchalance but was really a cover for defensive and awkward. Persephone might not know the lecherous gaze of men, but she knew the awkward body language of a noble trying to seem at ease. It was the same stance that the Captain took now.

And it was no wonder - with them on opposite sides of the table like enemies.

Treat others as what you wish them to be. Not what you think they may be...

Queen Lucille's words of wisdom floated through Persephone's mind as she quickly weighed the pros and cons.

She knew the stories of pirates. She knew of harrowing tales and destructive reputations. She knew of fictionalised villains and real stories of kidnapping, rape and murder. But she also knew one thing and one thing specifically that came up in every story, no matter where other details varied.

Greed.

Pirates seemed to share an insatiable desire to obtain, to grow and to horde. She knew not why and she knew not how, but she found herself relying on such a common denominator, her logic clinging to it as proof that what she was about to do was not insane, even if it was exceptionally naive.

Her logic dictated that this man would do nothing to her so long as the terms for his companionship were still to be discussed.

And so, she behaved thusly...

Turning to her bodyguard who had, once again, curled a hand around her waist to direct her as necessary, Persephone took a hold of his wrist and slowly and deliberately removed it and gave it back to him, wanting it known by their guest that she was not expecting him to behave like a villain; that she would not need the sudden defensive behaviour of her bodyguard.

Next she stood up from her chair, and carefully moved around the table with the grace and poise she had been blessed with.

Upon their entrance, the room had had all curtains drawn and a whole bunch of candles lit around the place, ensuring that no-one could see in through the windows. Therefore she did not have to be concerned with lurkers or spied identifying her.

Reaching up, Persephone unfastened the clip of her cloak and removed it entirely, her clothing - riding boots and pants of the finest quality leather, her jerkin of the same material and beautiful silk tunic the colour of white wine beneath indicating her wealth of not her rank. Her skin was smooth, her hair shining and her smile was bright and white. There was little evidence to negate her next words as she reached a slim hand out to the pirate.

"Captain Lukos? My name is Persephone." She told him, her smile kind and friendly, despite the fact that she could feel her knees quivering. She felt like she was approaching a wild bear with a slice of apple, desperately hoping he wouldn't take off her hand at the same time. "I am daughter of King Minas."

The boisterous sound of the patrons outside filtered into the room through the thin wooden door.  There as nothing luxurious about this tavern or about this room as a whole.  It was dark and the walls were a mixture of boarded wood and plaster.  The tile floor was cracked in many places and it was small.  She barely had enough room to stand in her corner near the bed and there was very little room to move around with so much furniture there.  Most rooms for rent only had a bed.  As this one was on the main floor and had a table inside as well as a small chest to hold garments, it was likely the tavern owners.  Then again, she wouldn't put it past Lukos to be quite acquainted with him.  

Nicholai guided Persephone about as if she were a clay vase.  Like the slightest provocation might cause her to crack.  And perhaps Persephone believed that, but Thalia didn't.  Persephone had been cloistered and coddled all of her life...just as Thalia had been.  Save she'd never received the physical training Thalia had.  She didn't believe she had potential beyond her position.  Beyond what she was told to be.  Thalia had been forced to come to the realization that she was.  That she could care for herself.  Whereas before she thought she was the odd duck; unable to fit in with women like Persephone...like women at court because of her anxious nature, her inability to hold her tongue or sit still, and her awkwardness, now she embraced everything that made her different.  She embraced it and she fed it.  Perhaps she would go back to court.  She would go on the arm of her husband one day.  But this time she wouldn't look away when someone evaluated her.  She wouldn't find a place to hide or escape.  She would look them back in the eye as she did with Persephone.  She was different.  She'd never be like her.  She could only be herself and the only way others would accept her would be if she accepted that herself as well.  

Thalia wanted to cross her arms beneath her cloak; her impatience didn't last any longer than it took Persephone to sit down.  But she kept her hand on the hilt of her blade; ready to draw it if anyone but Lukos entered the room.  When the door opened slowly, her fingers tensed around the blade just as Nicholas tensed near Persephone.  They were both on edge and they had every reason to be.  

But the door was closed behind him and no one else entered.  Thalia eased her hand on her hilt as Lukos glanced around absently before sitting down in the chair across from Persephone; his back to her.  To anyone else he might look at ease; leaning back in the chair with his legs splayed out in front of him, but Thalia knew better.  There were very few times Lukos wasn't ready to strike.  Now was no different.  

He looked disheveled; unclean as if he'd been at sea for days and hadn't had a chance to bathe.  But he didn't seem to care, either.  She wondered if he missed her half as much as she missed him.  Did he lay awake at night with her image burned into the back of his eyelids?  Did he stare into crowds and swear he saw her in the faces of other women?  Did he look out at the water waiting for a ship that would never come?  ...She did.  

She looked at Persephone instead as she pushed away Nicholai's hand and stood.  How she stepped around the room and removed her cloak; exposing herself in all of her finery.  When she smiled, she couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy radiate down her spine.  Instinctively she watched him.  Had he been with anyone since her?  Probably.  She had to expect he had.  She tried not to think about him wrapped up in another woman's arms; her legs around his hips; his mouth on her body.  

She grit her teeth and turned her attention to the door.  Persephone's voice broke the awkward silence; announcing herself and her association with the king.  For all her confidence, she knew she was uncomfortable and out of her element, but she'd been trained how to handle situations like this from a very young age.  There was very little Lukos could do to knock Persephone off balance.  At least not when it came to handling a room.

The sharp intake of breath from Nicholai drew his attention. His gaze raked the man over and he smirked when Persephone firmly distanced herself. It was an affront of the highest order and it bespoke that this man was lower, a mere subject who had no such liberties with her person. Despite the fact that he had no personal feelings for Nicholai, he liked the man put in his place.

He hadn’t for a second believed that a man like Nicholai had possession of the woman before him. The stiff way she’d walked through the tavern, the awkward way they held their bodies away from each other spoke volumes. That she further distanced herself from what he assumed to be her guard, made him half grin. This meeting was proving entertaining, if nothing else.

She was right about how their positions around the table appeared; they were enemies. Despite what she’d promised in the letter, he didn’t expect any of it to happen. With Stravos, chests of gold had been waiting at the dock; a ready promise fulfilled. Here, they were meeting in a tavern in the worst part of the city. It was a clear indication of what she thought of him. To her kind, he was unfit and unable to be trusted to appear as a human being in her austere palace. For this reason, he hadn’t bothered to don a chiton or make any preparations to himself at all. The loose shirt he wore and the trousers were what he’d been wearing all day. He’d be what she wanted; dirty, less than. Nobility liked the preservation of rank to be distinct.

His thoughts started to wander down a dark road the longer he watched her. She was an impenetrable ivory tower and he did not know what she wanted but he guessed it was nothing he would be willing to do without great reward. Another personal sacrifice for the powerful high above him. He balled his hands into fists, his posture no longer languid but rigid, ready to spring.

Black eyes followed her movements as she stood up. At first he assumed she would address him from that position but she moved around the table. His arms uncoiled and he surged to his feet, glaring down at her. He watched her reach up to pull back her hood and swallowed hard as she removed her cloak completely.

Glancing at both the shadowed guard in the corner and the one who’d had his arm around Persephone, he was blatantly unsure now of what was happening. Without being wholly aware that he was doing it, his eyes roamed her, taking in her whole appearance at once. She was a far cry from any woman he’d ever seen and most certainly any single person in the last few months. Thalia was the only girl he’d had this reaction to before. He shoved all thought of her violently out of his mind, as he did any time she frequently tried to break into his thoughts.

Unlike Thalia, he did not want Persephone. She was on some other level - a piece of art to be admired but never touched and he continued to stare at her as she reached out her hand. At last he blinked, coming back to himself and glanced down at her delicate fingers. He knew exactly how much force to use to break them and wondered what her guard dog would do if he did.

"Captain Lukos? My name is Persephone. I am daughter of King Minas."

He did not mirror her smile. His glare deepened as his mistrust grew. Stepping back from her hand, he gave her another once over, this one having nothing to do with admiration.

“Princess.” He bowed but wholly ignored her hand now. For the space of several seconds, he gave her a third looking over; calculating her appearance, weighing her worth in terms he did for every person he met. How much, in theory, could he get for her? A glance at her guard dog and he did the same thing; how long would that man last in the arena? To the shadowed figure in the corner, he tilted his head, his gaze lingering longer than it had before.

That man was small for a guard…

Outside the room, a crash resounded, followed by a chorus of laughter. It was enough to draw his attention back to the task at hand. “Your letter was a surprise,” he said mildly, taking his seat again, sprawling back out the way he’d been before with his arms crossed and his chin raised. The name ‘Stravos’ wouldn’t pass his lips unless she said it first.

When Persephone rejected his attempt to protect her for the second time, even though he’d warned he before they left the palace, that he would be doing just what he had done, Nic was baffled and closed his eyes for the barest instant, Why did she bring me if she won’t let me do my job? If she didn’t agree with the terms she might’ve said so back at the palace. That moment of silent contemplation was enough to allow the Princess to slip away from his side, which was a direct violation of the terms he’d set and she had agreed to, in so far as she had not argued with his terms back at the palace.

He found himself missing his normal duties of guarding Emilia, for if she had an issue with the terms for her personal security she at least was honest enough to say so when they were in a safe location not in potentially dangerous situation.  His eyes flew open as she circled around the table moving towards the pirate captain, and he scrambled to his feet. But for the sharp look she’d sent him when he rose, he would’ve followed closely after her, cursing the distance between them. If Lukos should attack he wouldn’t be able to save her. His heart was in his throat at the idea of having to inform Emilia that her beloved sister had been hurt or killed on his watch.  Why am I even here? He wondered anew. If she has so little faith in me? For the first time in his life, Nic was at a loss. He remained standing through the remainder of the meeting, saying nothing further for the rest of the night.

Persephone hesitated when the pirate's features took on a dark and stormy frown. Her mind, sharp and agile quickly went over what she had done within the last ten seconds to offend the man but came up empty. Instead, she simply assumed that her limited knowledge of seafaring ways had somehow irritated him (the last thing she wanted to do).

As the man bowed formally to her she gave a generous head nod to him and what she hoped was a warm expression to try and convey respect back. It never made negotiations smooth if you offended those you wished to have something from.

Instead, Persephone lowered her hand and smiled in good faith.

"I wasn't asking you to kiss my hand, Captain Lukos." She told the man, with a hint of humour. "I was attempting to shake yours."

Without offence or derogation, however, Persephone simply moved to drag the chair she had been sitting on (which turned out to be surprisingly heavy) and pulled it around the table so that she could sit with the captain, instead of against or across from him.

Positioning the chair so that it wasn't wobbling on the uneven floor and then sitting carefully, her knees and ankles together primly, her spine straight and her hands in her lap (despite the formal appearance, after years of training, this was actually how Persephone was comfortable sitting), Persephone watched the pirate with open interest.

Fidgeting, looking about the room, excessive blinking or unnecessary movements of any kind had all been educated and tutored out of Persephone at a young age. She sat and held herself in the way she would were she sitting on a throne or posing for a portrait. Which also meant that are stare was a strong one, her expressions calm and her gaze a force to be reckoned with - even if it came from such a lithe and willowy young woman.

This was, of course, the reason why she had needed bodyguard protection on this mission of sorts. While she wanted to make it clear to their pirate guest that she didn't feel the need for it when he was around - a gesture to try and encourage camaraderie and an unspoken message of trust - she was also aware that she was a thin girl and, while considered beautiful by many, was an unimpressive physical specimen. There was no way she could defend herself beyond standard survival instinct and she would need the brawn and strength of Nicholai should this meeting head south.

Assuming that it would, however, and indicating to the captain that she was defensive against his presence...? Such behaviour would only survive to increase the chances of violence.

People become that which you treat them as... Queen Lucille had once said...

When the man mentioned at being surprised by Persephone's letter she smiled kindly again.

"I'm sure." She agreed with him, before a pretty frown of contrition marred her features. "I am truly sorry for the secrecy of my missive, and for disguising my identity. Even after this meeting is adjured - if we cannot meet at a beneficial agreement - I will be denying myself as ever being here. You understand that I couldn't be certain to whom the letter would fall." Her frown disappeared to be replaced with an expression of relief. "And yet, you received it, and you have come..." She said with another smile - this one of thanks as her eyes narrowed at the far corners.

Taking a moment to consider her words and bracing her bottom lip between her teeth for a second, Persephone calmed her features before beginning...

"I'm not going to insult your intelligence but attempting subterfuge, Captain." She told the man. "I am not going to command you for your help or threaten you with judiciary action against your acts of piracy." She shook her head. "I have bigger concerns in my Senate to be addressed. Concerns that you can help me with." She paused to let the word sink in. "For that is what I am asking of you... your help."

"Elias of Stravos is a man that wishes to discredit my family through acts of vandalism and violence against all of the kingdoms." She began, trying to choose her words carefully. "I need only the testimony of someone he had hired to enact such violence to have the right to remove his titles of nobility and save the Athenian Senate from his games... I do not profess to understand whether any of this will be of concern to you or your activities but I did not call this meeting to appeal to your heart... I came to try and appeal to your pocket." Her expression turned serious so that he would know she was not joking or attempting to sway him with pretty smiles and innocent eyes. "At the Stravos family's detitling in twelve days’ time, I would become the crown heir to the Athenian throne. It is with this level of authority that I would be able to issue rewards of whatever kind you might wish for your aid. I have but to outlay my stipulations and for you to name your price. Assuming you are still interested in my proposal, now...?"

"I wasn't asking you to kiss my hand, Captain Lukos. I was attempting to shake yours."

He worked his tongue along his teeth and then smiled without a trace of warmth. “I know.” Again he watched her, his eyes wandering openly now as she turned to grab the chair. At first he wasn’t sure she would move it directly beside him but when she sat down, nearly touching him, he fought the urge to shove his own chair backward to maintain a comfortable distance.

She seemed to believe that he wanted to be near her and he wasn’t sure what he’d done to convey the sentiment. He eyed her for a moment, considering the way she sat, perfect and rigid. This was how he’d assumed a royal princess would act and he found it entertaining, if a little off putting. How would she act if she was forced to actually work, he wondered? Would her posture sag then? His eyes fell to her hands in her lap. He didn’t have to touch them to know how soft they would be.

She frowned a little when he mentioned the letter. He tilted his head as she spoke, comparing the way she was speaking to him with the way Stravos had done. Their approaches were markedly different and she had taken great pains to ensure that he did not fear her, which he found delightful. A slow grin, like a shark might wear grew the longer she went on.

“Next time you wish to hide your identity,” he broke in as she paused. “Don’t tell me you command armies. And have a scribe write for you. Your letters are prettily done.” His tone suggested that his thoughts on her handwriting were not a compliment.

She continued, telling him that she would not command him, but simply ask. Lukos leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees, staring at her like a cat toying with the idea of sinking its fangs into the mouse in its paws. “You want my help,” he said, shaking his head, shifting so that their knees were nearly touching. If she wanted to be close? Fine. They’d be close.

He wanted to forced her backward, make her understand that she was wading into deep waters where she did not belong. She was very young; too young for political games, and certainly too naive to be in a place like this or talking to someone like himself.

The way she described Elias made him nod. The one time they’d met, he’d worked out as much for himself. Stravos had been arrogant and unpleasant but his way was what Lukos was used to dealing with. What Persephone was trying to do, win his trust with her pretty face and pretty manners only made him see her for what she was; a woman. No matter her title, he did not see her as particularly powerful.

When she got to the part about not trying to appeal to his heart, he laughed.

“I came to try and appeal to your pocket."

“Then appeal!” he laughed harder, glancing at both her guards as though checking to see if they found this equally funny. “Princess, if you want my attention, gold should be in your hands or down your tunic. Since I see neither, I there’s nothing left to discuss.”

He shoved back his chair, dropping the sardonic smile and looking down on her with a blank expression as she spoke quickly about the senate vote. Leaning down, placing his hand on the table by her shoulder and getting close enough to kiss her, he dropped his voice so that it held no hint of amusement. “You can’t guarantee anything. Everything you offered in the letter hinges on a very large ‘if’. What I have been offered, and threatened with? Is very real. You’ll have to do better than that, Princess.”

The way he called her princess suggested it left a bad taste in his mouth. Pulling away from her, he turned, pushing in his chair, clearly done with this conversation. “The senate will not allow a woman to rule. So thank you for this evening. It’s been informative.” He would not relay to Stravos that Persephone knew of his plans, but he wouldn’t hide it if asked either. Let them all burn so long as he got the gold he was promised and was left alone afterward.

Persephone said nothing as the man answered her queries. When he leaned in close, she didn't shy or baulk. She stayed exactly where she was, spine straight and expression firm. She did not yield, she did not cower. Instead, she watched him carefully with every word he spoke, her features not giving her away.

When he was done with his speech, the pirate had already decided that this meeting and proposal was not for him. That there was too much risk involved. And he had begun to walk away.

Persephone was no idiot, however. No matter how much the man might consider her a little girl who had no place demanding things from him, she was far more than her blessed features might indicate. She was smart - highly intelligent in fact - even cunning in some regards... She had been managing the Court of Athenia for the last ten years - since she was twelve years old - and had been handling the Senate for the last six months. She had been the head of her house in effect for eight years and held her own barony her entire life.

She was by no means a little girl.

Angered as his dismissive behaviour but by no means showing it on her face, Persephone simply stood as he turned to leave the room and with three quick steps and an elegant spin, placed herself in front of him, his path to the door blocked.

This time, it was she who invaded his personal space. It was she who stood close enough to kiss that man should she wish and it was she who stood firm and determined, no matter the height difference between them or the proximity of their frames.

This time, her friendliness was only on the surface, her tone changing to one of steel.

"With the greatest respect, Captain." She said his title as he had said hers. "I would prefer the title of 'Queen'."

Persephone's eyes narrowed and she took a step deliberately forward and suddenly, in order to instinctively push the man back a step.

"I do not come bearing gold coins or fake chests of promises." She told him. "I have no need to flaunt my wealth or my power. Those of true authority never do. I'm sure as a Captain of men you can understand this?" This last she asked with a coy tilt of her head. "I come with open hands and an honest gift." She pouted out her lower lip prettily, as she took another step forward. "Which would you prefer Captain Lukos?" She asked, her tone turning friendly and innocent again. "Gold...? Power...? Lands...?"

Persephone stood with her hands loosely linked behind her back, her frame casual but firm. Her stance was one of power and strength despite the diminutive height and breadth it took up.

"Perhaps women are your weakness?" She asked innocently. "Perhaps a particular woman?" Her eyes flashed but she moved on from the topic before it could be pursued, allowing the words to hang in the air, apparently without depth or meaning. "Perhaps I could interest you in more ships... a title... a pardon for all current and future activities?"

Persephone took a final step closer to the man, their faces inches from one another and her straightened spine making the difference in their statures as small as possible.

"Do not mistake my eagerness to work with you for a naivete of purpose or weakness of will, Captain Lukos." She stated, her tone dark and serious once again. "I am more than I seem and I can assure you that the Senate will vote for my ascension to the throne." Her tone rang with truth and her eyes never broke their stare. "As Queen I would make more fearful an enemy than you could possibly imagine, Captain." She leant back on her heels a little in order to bring up her hand again, and smile once more. "So, how about taking me as a friend... Lukos."

Thalia deserved an award.  Longest time watching a ticking time bomb set to explode without saying a word.  That would be what it was for.  It was a battle of wealth and privilege and built-in respect because of her title, against a man with no scruples and who treated people like chattel.   Persephone never had a chance.  She saw that, but only because she knew Lukos.  She knew how stubborn he was and she knew the way he looked at Persephone.  Not as royalty.  Not as a person in an authoritarian position or one to be respected because of her wealth and title.  ...But because she was a female.  And it didn't matter how much Persephone asserted herself over Lukos, no amount of standing her ground and demanding her title's due diligence would work.  

Not with him.  

Thalia had tried that.  She'd thrust her breeding and nobility in his face from the beginning.  It never made a lick of difference to Lukos because to Lukos title didn't matter.  He...his men earned respect over time.  They fought for it; sometimes until they bled.  She knew that because she'd had to do the same thing just to regain her freedom and her sword from Arktos.  And Thalia really had no desire to see Persephone battling it out with Lukos or any other member of his crew.. because she would lose.  They didn't fight with words as she did.  They fought with weapons.  

Persephone's attempt at hospitality was met with arrogance and dismissal.  She should have expected that.  But she'd come here to watch; to observe and give Persephone any insights afterward should she need it.  She wasn't meant to be part of the negotiations.  Persephone was the future queen.  It was up to her to negotiate with those who would prove valuable to her throne in the future, not Thalias.  And if she failed it was a direct reflection on her ability to be seen as an authority.  As a queen.  ....But Lukos wasn't even listening to her.  He had his gold in his hand with Elias.  All he had with Persephone was a female with empty promises.  When he stood and leaned over the Princess, Thalia's hand tightened on her blade again; her heart going into her chest.  Because he would strike.  She had no doubt of that.  And she wouldn't allow him to lay a hand on the princess.  Glancing at Nicholai, it seemed he had the same idea, though he remained distant but watchful.  

Finally, Lukos turned to go back to the door with a condescending dismissal of her title.  Where it Thalia she would have slapped him.  ...Then again, they'd always been far too aggressive.  They fought until they were both physically and mentally exhausted.  Persephone didn't need to be subject to that.  But she fought still the same.  Gone was the friendly tones sultry with negotiation.  Thalia gave an inward groan.  Persephone's new tone worked well in court.  No person would dare speak against her in such a setting; not with the backing of her entire guard, her father and the Senate.  She commanded authority there and it was given.  But here?  

There was no throne here.  There was no court or Senate.  And demands of this nature didn't work on Lukos.  Not when he wasn't interested in listening from the start.  It only caused him to bow up and shut down.  At this rate, it wouldn't matter if she asked him to give her her cloak he'd turn her down just to be spiteful.  It's just how he was.  So when he refused her again, as she knew he would, Thalia finally spoke as he opened the door.  Her voice resigned and rather soft.  "You have a choice, Lukos..." 

When she had his attention she pushed the shoulder of her cloak back and swept back the hood so she could look at him openly; her gaze unreadable.  "...You always have a choice...  Right or wrong.  This is one of those times."  She stepped away from the wall; out of the corner and the shadows near the bed; her armored frame half hidden behind the long garment.  "Listen to her..  ...Please."  

His outstretched hand nearly closed around the door handle but he paused at the sound of light footsteps behind him. In a blur of white whipping past, with a dancer’s spin, Persephone materialized in front of him to press her back against the door. The way she stood, looking up at him with a note of defiance strongly reminded him of Thalia. They’d played this same game, though he had been the one to block her way.

"With the greatest respect, Captain. I would prefer the title of 'Queen'."

He searched Persephone’s face as she flung his own intimidation tactic back at him. The sardonic smile reappeared. She’d found a game he liked to play. Her attempts to force him to back up by using her own body weren’t the same when coming from a woman. If she pressed against him, there would be no shiver of fear and he wondered if she’d actually do it.

She continued speaking, using a harsher tone, explaining that she had no need to flaunt her power; except that, for him, at least, he would have preferred it. If he was to bet on a dog fight, he wanted to be sure the mongrel he chose had teeth. As she tilted her pretty head, he found himself growing intrigued and he allowed her another step forward. He could feel the heat of her body and still he gave her no quarter. There would be no backing down and with two guards in the room, he didn’t believe for a second that she’d let their negotiations devolve into something close to interesting.

He’d been teased before but mutual attraction had been there. She could pout and press against him all she liked. The heir to the throne would not have dalliances with pirates. Her game did not move him the way Thalia’s had, though, despite himself, she did have his full attention.

"Which would you prefer Captain Lukos? "Gold...? Power...? Lands...?"

His mouth remained tight shut even as ambitious ideas stirred with each higher offer. Yes. He wanted those things, but lands he knew she would never actually give him. She could not possibly be foolish enough to just hand over all of Stravos’s power and wealth to a pirate captain, and to him, more specifically.

"Perhaps women are your weakness?"

He snorted.

“Women are not hard to get,” he arched an eyebrow, positive now that she was not only naive but a virgin besides. Women were all around him. He had but to reach out and pluck one up, pay her, and send her away before trouble ever needed to involve itself.

At her next words, that perhaps he’d like a specific woman, he frowned. A mischievous glint flashed across her eyes for an instant but she moved smoothly on, not giving him the chance to demand what she meant. That had tipped him a little off balance but he recovered just as quickly when she mentioned ships. Those he would take. A title? He considered the idea but tossed it aside immediately. There was only one reason he’d ever need a title and she was long gone.

The smile she’d worn dropped away. They were all but on top of each other, each refusing to back down, needing to dominate the other. Perhaps if she’d met him in the palace, or somewhere else, he’d have bowed to her; gave her the due respect her title demanded. Her fatal error was in assuming he preferred this hovel of a tavern. He was used to walking where gods used to tred.

“Funny,” he smirked at her, keeping his voice low since she was close enough that he could feel her breath on his face. “I’ve heard this same threat before. I walked away with chests of gold. You’re still offering me air and promises.”

That she used his name did not goad him but her little smile at the end did. He was about to tell her where she could put their new friendship when he thought better of it. Instead, he reached behind her. They were practically in an embrace since she refused to move. He twisted the door handle, fully intending to jerk it open and see how graceful she was then, but Thalia spoke up.

"You have a choice, Lukos..."

His hand froze on the door handle. Briefly his gaze locked with Persephone. No sound came from her lips. After a second, his fingers uncurled from the handle and his arm dropped to his side. He took a full step away from the princess before he eyed the shadowed guard over his shoulder.

After a second, he looked back at Persephone again, almost expecting her to start laughing. He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his lips together before turning fully around to face Thalia. She looked almost like he remembered, though pale like she stayed indoors more, less gaunt, strained about the mouth. The part about ‘choice’ and ‘right and wrong’ was a left over argument from 3 months ago; a week before she’d demanded for the last time to be taken home.

The room was hot and suddenly too small. He stared at her, unable to accept what he was seeing. She didn’t make sense, not in this setting and not dressed like that. If they didn’t have an audience, he might have moved toward her but with Persephone at his back and NIc standing sentry, he remained where he was.

His heart threatened to break his chest. Both hands balled into fists. He bit down on his tongue. At last he looked away.

“Right,” he muttered at last, turning his back on Thalia to glare at Persephone. Her offer of a ‘particular woman’ was crystal clear. Looking at the chair pushed neatly into the table, he walked back to it, pulled it out, and sat back down. His jaw clenched and unclenched several times and he looked down at the silver ring on his index finger, toying with it.

“I will listen,” he said darkly, throwing a black look at Thalia. “No promises.”

The word ‘fool’ chased itself around and around in his mind. Thalia’s presence threw him into complete confusion. He didn’t know whether to force his bargain with Elias or to actually give Persephone half a chance to win him over. That Thalia was here at all was the most concerning part and Persephone’s other offer of clemency was becoming alarming. Nothing he did was enough to warrant the crown’s interest...unless the woman in the armor was a little higher up in the aristocracy than he’d ever dreamed.

Persephone had held her breath when Lukos had reached for the door handle again. Partially because she had inwardly felt uncomfortable at a man standing so close to her - only one other had done that in her lifespan - but also because she could feel her chances at kicking Stravos into the dirt disappearing.

This was the difficulty with this particular negotiation. She couldn't force Lukos. She couldn't threaten. She couldn't make the man do something he didn't want to do because when it came to the moment of truth in the Senate; when she was wholly reliant on the words coming out of his mouth... she needed to be certain that they would be the ones she needed - the ones upon which they had agreed. In that second, in that heartbeat, he could betray her and say any manner of thing. Bringing him in as a testimonial would be risky - even if he did have to make a vow before the Gods before speaking. Some men just didn't fear divine retribution. And if ever there was a man who didn't fear anything, she had a suspicion it was Lukos of Magnemea.

Frustrated, Persephone wanted to chew her rage with gritted teeth at the number of egotistical men she had been dealing with recently, but allowed herself to let it go - along with the breath she held - when Thalia took a step forward, her words stilling his hand.

Persephone watched over Lukos' shoulder as she revealed her face and spoke with him about choices. While the words seemed nice enough to Persephone, they were still abstract to her, but the changing light in Lukos' eyes said that they meant something to him. Something more than was being openly said.

Whatever it was, Persephone was thankful for it as the pirate captain turned away and took the seat at the table, muttering about no promises being made. With a quick glance at Thalia, Persephone gave a small twitch of the lips that seemed to be the beginning of a relieved smile - but one she cracked down on fast, while Lukos' back was to her.

The two women moved syonymously - one to the back corner where she had previously been standing, and the other back to her chair.

This time, Persephone took the chair back around the table. The piece of furniture between them no longer feeling like a divide between enemy territories, but a plain on which they could lean and discuss terms together.

Her seat remained prim and proper and her hands Persephone moved to clasp together on the table top, attempting to appear friendlier and less regal but unaware that it was doing no good. Her heritage and upbringing were simply too ingrained.

Without pomp, circumstances or thanks for him agreeing to listen - it was clear the man had no liking for formal mannerisms - Persephone pleaded her case as quickly as she could without seeming worried or stressed. Determinedly, she stated the requirements she had of him, intent on making her plans clear before he could head for the door again.

"I am looking for a simple testimony, Captain Lukos." She told him, her voice calm and firm. "I would be asking that you appear in a Senate meeting, before the entire Senate of Athenia, pledge a vow of honesty before the Gods and then state the agreement you had with Lord Elias of Stravos." She told him. "I would need nothing else from you and offer you the immunity of charges against you for the act you committed under his instruction, plus whatever payment you request from me." Her eyes turned speculative. "I know that Lord Elias must have given you a lot of gold to commit such a potentially dangerous mission as attacking a Colchian cargo ship. This is the main reason I brought no such treasure with me today. I did not want to be seen as one such as him." She frowned at the very idea. "Tell me what it is you want from me, and I shall have it for you in three days. At that point, and only then, you may or may not promise to the agreement. I offer you none of these empty promises you fear... I am simply waiting for you to tell me which promise you want me to make."

Thalia didn't know what to expect, stepping out of the shadows as she did.  The way they'd left things it could have done more damage to his and Persephone's relationship than it did good.  But he was leaving and she was desperate.  Even though there was nothing she could do, she needed to see him; to be in the same room with him longer than this short amount of time.  If he left.. if he walked out again then it would all go back to the way it was and in that second she couldn't let that happen.  

He stared at her for what felt like forever but really only could have been a few breaths.  The play of emotions was evident in his eyes, but only someone who knew him in the way that she did could tell one expression from the next.  Her face flamed and lips parted as she sucked in a deep breath.  She lowered her chin and balled her hand around the hilt of her sword to keep her fingers from trembling.  Persephone and Nicholaos may as well have not been in the room; everything else seemed to fade out.  

Finally, he broke the spell and muttered under his breath before turning to go back to the chair he'd tucked under the table.  When he pulled it out, she grit her teeth and stepped back against the wall; leaning against the rough surface now to support her legs.  This feeling was new.  She'd only felt it one time; when he'd returned after leaving her on the island with a ship in tow and a storm raging outside.  She stared at him upside down on the bed before climbing off and going to him; breathless with anticipation.  It was like every nerve in her body only came alive when he was near and they were all aching to be with him.  She closed her eyes and prayed to Artemis for fortitude.  Gods she'd missed him and it was only when his eyes met hers..when every restless night tangled in each other's arms staring into those eyes came flooding back that she realized the extent of how much she needed him now.  It wasn't fair; how cruel the Gods were for putting him in her life.  She was of noble blood; blue-blooded aristocracy.  She consorted with royalty.  Her families influence went back generations.  They changed the course of Athenia more times than she could count.  She had no place with Lukos.  Her place was with Patros of Antonis,  her fiance.  It was what everyone expected of her and, perhaps in time, she could have been happy with him.  

...But he'd never challenge her the way Lukos did.  They'd live their life parallel to each other walking forever in a boring straight line.  And she didn't want to walk in a straight line.  ...But the one thing that Patros had that Lukos didn't was that he put her first.  Ahead of her reputation.  Ahead of the politics and his families interests, he still wanted her.  She wasn't sure Lukos would ever want anything more than his gold and his ships.  And she realized she couldn't be with someone that didn't put her first.  

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes; willing her emotions to roll out of her chest when she exhaled.  She channeled Diomedes; knowing what he would say; how angry he would be with Lukos.  How he wanted his head on a pike more than anything and how livid he was that Persephone wasn't willing to avenge her kidnapping yet.  If at all.  She had to be angry.  For him.  For her family.  She had to remember how much he'd hurt her.  She tried to focus on Patros but it provided little comfort, so she kept her thoughts on her niece and nephew.  It was for them she did this.  For them and for her country.

The black stare following Persephone as she moved around the table did not change once she sat down to face him. His mouth was set in a grim line, accentuating the stony set of his features. However, as she arranged herself to attempt another round of encouraging friendly exchange, he did not adopt the mocking mannerisms he had used to intimidate her before. He had promised to listen and while she spoke, he focused on her completely.

The traitor behind him could wait.

When she asked that he appear in the senate, his stony mask broke as his eyebrows shot up. He had no idea what the inside of the senate looked like but he’d seen the senators themselves, draped in their long chitons, full of their own pomp and self worth. The thought of around fifty staring him down as he spoke made his mouth go dry. It wasn’t fear exactly but he didn’t like exposing himself to that many powerful people alone; and he would be alone. None of his men would be allowed to stand there with him.

His eyes slid away from her to rest on Nic just behind her but he wasn’t seeing him. He was already trying to figure a way out of this suicide she was asking of him; that Thalia was asking of him. Perhaps they didn’t need to fight Elias in the senate. It would be so much easier just to execute the whole family. That he would be willing to do. She had only to ask and he’d swarm that arrogant bastard’s villa, slaughtering anyone and anything in his path. Persephone’s seat would be secure, and he would have rid himself of his own problem.

Except politics didn’t work that simply and he knew it.

He resisted looking back at Thalia. There was no more confusion as to why she was here. It wasn’t Elias who’d betrayed him. It was her.

That she had betrayed him wasn’t what surprised him. She’d lied to him when they parted, promising no retribution but he’d known she would. For her, there’d been no other option and she owed him nothing. When she had held her sword to his neck back in the temple, anything between them had died in that moment. His idiot sentiment for her was the only reason she was standing in this room now, why he was sitting here now.

If he’d just killed her, instead of whatever else he’d been playing at, the problem of Athenia’s monarch asking him to risk not only himself, but his crew and his ships would not be happening.

Lukos sat back with a deep sigh, looking away from them all to the far, unoccupied corner of the room. He toyed with the silver ring again, spinning it around and around as he searched for a way around what Persephone wanted; like he could have both. “Stravos promised total annihilation if I betray him,” he said distantly, still looking elsewhere. The only way out was no Stravos. Period.

“You asked me to name my price,” his gaze settled dark and calculating on Persephone. “Make me Stravos.” He waited while that demand sank in.

“Give me everything. I want his wealth and I want his title and I want his power. That is what you promised in the letter. And that’s what it’ll take.” This was his way out. What he demanded was too high and he knew it. Perhaps this was Thalia’s way of getting back at him; selling him like he’d sold her, with essentially the same end. He’d be royally fucked, and then, in his case, be killed.

He didn’t sit there to wait for her answer. Instead, he got up again, smiling at her, and reaching his hand across the table, grasping hers and giving it a shake. “Your highness.” Letting go, he turned to look at Thalia. In his gaze was all the malice and longing he’d been fighting since before he’d brought her back. That she had betrayed him didn’t tear him up inside the way it should have. The anger was there but it was tempered by the growing want to have her back.

He said nothing to her as he reached for the door handle again. She’d chosen what she wanted and he would have to live with that.

Persephone's features were calm and unreadable as Lukos considered her words and then laid out his terms. She had expected him to come back with something large and extravagant - something that he would expect her to not be able to cater to. She listened to his demands carefully and, with all of the knowledge, documents and understanding of the lands and provinces in her kingdom, residing in her head, was able to work out exactly what she might be able to offer to match his demands.

As he shook her hand before leaving his seat, Persephone was surprised by returned the shake with a strength unlike a woman. She had been taught long ago that to be treated as as close to an equal as a woman could get to a man, she needed to show her strength in everything she did - including so simple a thing as a handshake.

It wasn't until he had stood and reached for the door again that Persephone spoke, he mental calculations complete and her heart hopeful that her words would stay his hand.

"Agreed, Lukos of Magnemea."

The words hung in the air with all the weight and significance that they held.

A tide had just been turned.

"I can give you everything Lord Elias currently has. I offer you his province - Lyncestia - lands of over 6,000 men, with one of the largest harbours in Athenia amongst its holdings. I offer you the barony of the province; the title currently held by Lord Elias."

Placing her fingertips on the surface of the table, Persephone stood and moved around it, trailing her hand over the wood grain, as she sensed she had his attention and was eager to make the most of it.

"You would have not his current wealth in his vaults - it belongs to him personally and I cannot take it - but every piece of business that funnels and produces that gold would turn their destination from his hands to your own. Gold, trade, ships... Within a week, you would have more wealth than you have made in the last five years." Her eyes flashed. "You would become Lord Lukos of Lyncestia..." She added with a sly half smile. "A man of position, title and fortune..." She glanced sideways, her gaze tracking towards Thalia in the corner but not so the woman would see, given that Persephone now stood with her back to her.

Persephone might not be the most knowledgeable of pirates - nor of men - but she was also not simple, nor unobservant. The tension in the room since Thalia had removed her hood could not have been broken by sword no axe. Regardless of Thalia's thoughts on the matter, no feelings had been resolved by either party in this - of that Persephone was certain.

Standing in the middle of the room, Persephone grinned at the man a little wickedly and raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms - the first unladylike gesture she had made since Lukos had entered the room.

"Being a baron isn't all fun and games, Lord Lukos..." She told him. "You would be beholden to the crown, to the House of Xanthos. I will not have this offered to you as a trick or a double-cross. This is an arrangement that should be that which we both gain from. Are you sure you want such power...?" Her smile crept in across her face...

Thalia's heart fell into her stomach.  What he was asking wasn't just for a few trunks of gold.  She should have expected that.  He was asking for everything.  Titles.  Land.  Armies.  Armada's.  It was an impossible request and he knew it.  He was doing it on purpose because he didn't think Persephone would ever agree to it.  And were his testimony not worth the empire, she may not have.  

But one word from Lukos either direction could change the fate of Athenia.  The weight leveled on his back was so extreme, Thalia didn't know if there was a price that Persephone wouldn't pay.  He didn't want it though.  She knew that.  Knew him.  It was one thing to have riches and power.  But to be beholden to a monarchy; to answer to a higher power and to steward the lands of a Barony was against everything he'd ever claimed to believe in.  He was,  in essence, shackling a different set of chains on his wrists save this time, they were gilded.  

Thalia closed her eyes and lowered her chin.  In his impossible request.. in a request he never thought could be fulfilled, he'd tied himself down.  He'd tied his crew and their families down.  Because giving away a traitors lands?  Persephone would find no greater pleasure in it.  Thalia would do the same thing.  

The scrape of wood against the tile floor as Lukos stood to shake her hand drew her attention and she looked up just as Lukos turned to stare at her; all of the hatred and desire she was accustomed to seeing there magnified in that short moment of time.  She couldn't mirror it though... not like she used to.  Instead, there was something akin to... pity.  Perhaps she had sealed his fate by going to Persephone.  But he nailed himself down with the request of a barony.  All of the people he was beholden to; his illicit behavior would have to come to a close.  His men would have to fall in line as well or go off on their own.  and that was an even more impossible feat.  

Her attention turned to Persephone as she agreed with little thought to his request. She closed her eyes again and gave a cynical laugh under her breath before looking away.  He didn't know the magnitude of his request and now he'd just been sealed to his fate.  Everything he fought for, he'd turned away from for the idea of what he thought true power was.  

But she knew he was only doing it because of her.  The knowledge of that was bittersweet.  Had she not said anything he would have walked out the door and carried on with his life.  Persephone would have had her guard hunt him down and sooner or later he would be brought to justice in that regard.  Either way, it was an impossible position for him and she recognized that.  But he'd only managed to make it worse. 

She watched as Persephone rounded the table and went to Lukos with casual indifference.  As if offering a pirate someone else's lands was something she did every day.  As if it was a trivial request.  As if he should have asked for more.  Persephone knew it.  Thalia knew it.  Being a land baron was about as opposite to piracy as one could get and Lukos walked right into it.  He asked for it.  

And now he'd pay for it.  

For the second time, his hand froze on the door handle. Glaring over his shoulder, he turned a little to level Persephone with a hard stare. “What did you say?” The words slipped out just above a whisper. He watched her stand, trailing her fingers over the table. It was something he’d done before; a signal that the upper hand was now hers.

He’d overplayed his hand and was now watching Persephone the same way she’d looked at him when she’d offered her hand the first time; like she was the wild animal that needed its claws ripped out.

As she agreed to the lands, he thought of his island and the derelict temple as its crown. Of his one slave girl who came up three times a day and who wouldn’t come at all if it rained, forcing him to either go down to the village or starve until she could bring food. If he became a baron, there would be a massive house, filled with slaves. The thought was terrifying. How would he ever be alone?

Thalia had reamed him several times about how he was responsible for the lives of his crew and their families. He’d reared up at her, furious that she would presume he didn’t understand. She’d seen for herself that he took care of them all; but 6,000 men? Plus their families? That was a whole other level.

His stomach bottomed out as Persephone pressed on, explaining that wealth would pour into his fingers. Very little work involved. In order to keep generating that wealth, he’d have to stay on land, negotiating with men he hated and who would most certainly hate him in return and to a greater degree than they did now. At the title Lord Lukos of Lyncestia, he felt physically ill.

As her gaze shifted sideways, his did the same, landing on Thalia. He leaned back against the door, hands behind him, pressing his palms against the wood. It was solid and smooth and real. Unlike everything that Persephone was promising, threatening. His heart thudded dully.

Lukos tipped his head back, his eyes sliding back to Persephone as she reminded him of what it would mean to be a baron. The thought of bending his knee to her, of having to give up what he’d worked for over the last ten years, what he’d quite literally bled for, was enough to make him wonder if he was even sane for considering this.

“This is still just promises,” he said at last, his voice flat, his eyes becoming hard again. “You’re asking me to cross someone we both know would hunt me down if he heard even a whisper that we’ve met.” He inclined his head to her as Persephone gave him more assurances. Without looking at Thalia this time, he said, “Your friend over there thinks that some choices are simple black and white decisions.” Turning toward her now, he finished with, “We’ll see in the end if I’ve made the right choice, won’t we?”

“My ship will be docked in the harbor until the full moon. I’ve got other business here. Come to me before then with your proof. Show me you’re serious and I’ll stand in that senate for you,” he told Persephone but he glared at her and stepped up to her, closing the distance within two steps. His eyes bored into hers with sudden vehemence. “This had better be worth it.”

Turning on his heel, he opened the door. It was like stepping into another world. Laughter rolled into the room, bringing with it the odor of unwashed bodies and wine. Without a backward glance, he shut the door behind him. The man who’d been waiting for him scrambled to keep up in his wake. At his sudden appearance, his crew rose as one from the table and followed him out into the night.