Bride of Krypteia {Prince of Smut x LingeringDesire}

"You are all Kryptes now," Ephor Lycurgus said to the small group of young men assembled in front of him. He was flanked by several other Ephors, all distinguished and older men who were among the leaders of Spartan society and military. "We have chosen you as the best of your peers, the highest potential of all our young men, and potentially our future leaders."

Thyreos listened in a relaxed attention stance, eyes on the Ephor speaking and body loose. He was clad only in a loincloth and carried an oversized knife, the same outfit as the half-dozen men around him that stood before the Krypteia council. It was an honor he could not deny, something any of his old classmates in the agoge would have gladly accepted. But now, standing before the Krypteia and on the cusp of being sent out to earn his membership in this society, he felt strangely conflicted.

It was an early Autumn night and the Laconian countryside outside of Sparta was cool enough that Thyreos felt chilled without another layer. And he would be spending all night outside tonight, hunting. What he hunted tonight was what made him uncomfortable, for the targets were Helots. The servile, slave class of Spartan society far outnumbered the Spartan citizens that ruled them. They worked the fields, did menial tasks in grand estates that dotted the land, filled many of the crafts jobs, and provided the labor for construction and public works projects. Invaluable to Spartan society, they were owned by the country, not individuals.

Every Fall, Sparta declared an unofficial war on the Helots through the Krypteia society, whose members could kill any Helot they desired with no repercussions. They hunted them at night, targeting strong and potentially rebellious males, and the annual cull was designed to instill fear in the slave population as well as eliminate the most dangerous of their ranks.

There was something about hunting typically unarmed and untrained fellow men that didn't set well with Thyreos. He knew this was also a test to ensure that the Kryptes were loyal and would kill for their country with no hesitation. That was a challenge that he could accept and he convinced himself to not think of this as slaughtering the helpless, rather it was proving his loyalty. He steeled himself and set his jaw, he would fulfill his duty tonight.

"Go forth and hunt. Take what you need from the Helots. Kill those that could threaten Sparta. Return here in the morning," Lycurgus said in closing, before raising his hand in salute. The young Kryptes lifted their arms and turned to jog off into the night, unsheathing their knives and limbering their bodies for combat.

"Thyreos - let's go over the hill to the next valley. The kleros there is large and has a number of Helot buildings adjacent to it. They won't be surprised and try to hide, like the ones in this valley once word of the first kill gets out," said Androcles, a friend of Thyreos who was both ambitious and headstrong. He was also impossible to argue with because of those traits, and Thyreos knew it was more of an order than a request.

"Fine, Androcles, but let's make sure we pick Helots that could be dangerous, not just slaughter any we find. They are valuable as workers you know," said Thyreos as he followed his friend up the rocky path.

It was a grueling hour jog over uneven terrain, but like all the army soldiers, Thyreos trained daily and was both muscled and lean. His body was used to running longer with full armor and pack and once they were huddled by the Kleros grounds, he found his breath recovering quickly. His green eyes were thoughtful as he surveyed the quiet estate, knowing the horror they would bring. Thyreos knew he was viewed as more of a thinker in the army ranks, a skill which combined with his weapons ability made many of the Ephors see potential for him as a leader. A youthful face exposed by his close cropped black hair made him look younger than his twenty two years, but scars on his body showed he'd already seen combat and been tested. Being a thinker also made him cautious, and something felt off that he couldn't quite place.

"Shouldn't we wait, maybe catch a Helot sneaking around at night when they should be inside?" he asked Androcles.

"No. Better to just go inside and find ones we want. Plus we need to get food and water," countered Androcles. The headstrong man stood and jogged towards the largest of the Helot buildings, which was lit and seemed to have a number of people moving inside. "If we are lucky, we can kill several in one attack. We'll be done."

Sighing, Thyreos got up and moved to follow Androcles. Motion out of the corner of his eye made him pause. Did someone just sneak from the Kleros into the building that Androcles jogged towards? Did they enter through the rear door? Gripping his knife, Thyreos studied the building, which was definitely lit in a way that would attract Kryptes to it like a moth to the flame. All the other structures were dark and quiet. What if the Helots were planning to resist this Krypteia and had a strategy? Androcles was too far ahead and Thyreos suddenly started running to catch up, but his friend had already kicked the door down and was rushing inside.

"Wait - Androcles, watch yourself!"

Autumn, the worst season. It’s what Zosime had come to call it. The helots with whom she looked after with her family were hunted, like animals. Or much worst, criminals. She understood that aspiring soldiers needed their practice but at the expense of good and hard working people... she thought not. However, to speak her mind against the senate and their asinine laws would be counterproductive and a sad waste of time. So instead she put her training to good use and protected her charges. The children moved into the main kleros, leaving only those old enough and willing to fight for their life in the smaller one nearest the fields.

She armed herself and ensured her snare was set. each room contained a few helots so as not to become sitting ducks. A messenger carried word between the houses, slipping in to tell of the news from the city. It was a long wait and candles burned low while the inhabitants paced back and forth in front of the windows, sealed off with waxy parchment for the upcoming winter months.

Zosime was of the marrying age, however she remained unwed and unmatched due to her lack of social interactions and for the fact she preferred the quiet of the countryside. Having lived in the agoge, it was beyond her now and she lived at home until paired, consummated and finally in a home of her own. Though she had her sights set on a particular soldier she had met and known for a long time, the man seemed disinterested in her, even with marrying season coming upon them soon.

Word came of movement along the road, they were here. She tossed thoughts of marriage and her future to the side for the moment and focused her energy on defeating whomever thought it necessary to come all this way for murder. Green eyes focused on the nearest door, the one off to the right of the front room. Her heart thundered in her chest, even as her hand tightened upon the hilt of her sword. Black lock of hair fell over her face and down her back, though she didn’t care. The brown swath of fabric surrounding her body was meant to make her look like them, though she would fight like a spartan.

The splintering of wood and crunch of steps over that reverberated through the tiny keep. The room she was in was dark on purpose, as a means of surprise. Clenching her teeth, she watched as the male gazed around, keeping his bearings. The curl of his lips in the light made her smirk, she was slightly disappointed that there was only one after all of this hard work. Hearing a grunt she knew he must have found a few of the helots in another room. Zosime wasted no time in making her presence known, engaging in combat with the male, sword to knife as she approached from behind, giving her companions a moment to escape into the night, they were the bait and she the real treat.

“Leave them be.” She snarled and charged at the male. Back and forth they went, the male cajoling her and peppering the air with insults, while she remained quiet and allowed her sword and actions to do all the talking. He was strong but she kept up with him, disarming him of his knife in a few swings of her blade. Though being fair she sheathed her blade and engaged in hand to hand combat of which she was quickly pinned after landing a few blows. The male called her a filthy helot and pressed his stronger, larger body to hers. he pinned a wrist above her head as her other hand clawed at his bare chest and her legs kicked but were unable to connect.

She had never feared before this moment as she felt him shoving at her clothing and rubbing his penis against her in some insane attempt at domination. It wasn’t until she felt his fingers at the apex of her thighs that she understood and screamed. Crying out for help as her free hand sought out something to fight him off. Her sword hung sheathed at her side but the way he had her pinned didn’t allow her to get it free. throwing a punch and trying to gouge his eyes out, didn’t seem to deter him of his mission. What felt like ages passed and her fingers found something , wrapping around the handle of his knife she wasted no time in plunging the blade into heart as he brushed the head of his cock along her core. He cried out in surprise and as she twisted the blade he screamed and went limp.

His weight was too much and she gasped for air as she shoved at him and rolled him off as the feet of another soldier came into view. She snarled and swung at him in an attempt to injure the next assaulter. She missed, narrowly and was shocked to recognize this next man. “Disgraceful and indecent to rape helots in the name of a training, is this what Sparta has come to?” She asked rhetorically, eyes narrowing as she unsheathed her sword, a smirk upon her lips as she fully intended to finish this man off as well.

Thyreos covered the distance across the courtyard as quick as he could, but he felt like he was moving in slow motion. It was obvious now this was a trap; this building was lit like a welcoming sign for any Kryptes that might have come by. And earlier, he wasn't sure, but as they had jogged down the trail he thought he had seen a figure running in the distance ahead of them. A lookout no doubt.

The Helots were getting smarter and Thyreos cursed Androcles' headstrong nature and his own arrogance. While rare, occasionally Spartans were killed by Helots during the Krypteia. They were usually overwhelmed and alone, which is why most Kryptes tended to pair up or work in groups. And Androcles was in there now alone, without his partner.

Thyreos burst into the first room, finding it empty. There were several doors and in the distance he heard cursing and what sounded like a fight. On his left, he heard running and doors slamming, so he turned and went into that darkened room first. Dim figures scurried out ahead of him and he sprinted into the room, screaming for them to stop. Following them led to another room, this one lit now and empty. The fight seemed to be coming to his left and he could hear Androcles' voice clearly, angry and yelling.

Thyreos was frantic, trying the two doors exiting this room and finding them both barred from the other side. Turning around, he doubled back to the entryway and went the other direction. Two rooms later, he finally found his partner.

At first he thought Androcles was raping a Helot, the big man was on top of a woman and between her legs, his loincloth pulled down. As Thyreos slowed, he realized Androcles was strangely limp, the motion in his body coming from the woman below him pushing the man. With a final effort, she rolled him off of her and withdrew a clearly Spartan knife that had been buried in his heart. Androcles' eyes were still open in shock and blood was only beginning to pump out of the gaping wound.

"ANDROCLES!" shouted Thyroes, though he knew his words were unheard.

The moving knife, now slashing at his feet, shocked Thyreos back to reality and he jumped back just in time. The woman that struggled to her feet appeared to be a Helot judging by her brown outfit. Her robe was ripped and askew from the fight, the skirt torn from the hem up to her hip. At that hip was a sheathed Spartan sword, the possession of which was a death sentence for a Helot. Body moving by reflex, Thyreos dropped into a low fighting crouch and readied his knife. He eyed her warily and opened his senses to any signs of compatriots she might have that could sneak up on him.

Female Helot or not, she had killed Androcles, had a sword, and seemed to know how to use a knife. He would not discount her abilities like Androcles had. He would make sure he killed her.

"You will die for your crime," snarled Thyreos as he circled closer to the woman with his knife before him.

Her expression shifted from anger to shock as she looked at Thyreos and the words she spoke were decidedly not in the accent or tone of a Helot. She sounded more like an angry Spartan woman in fact, and the way she unsheathed and held her sword indicated she was well trained.

Who was she?

The bare bladed glinted in the lamp light, lovingly polished and honed to razor sharpness. It brought Thyreos back to the issue at hand and he was once more focused only on killing this woman.

"You bear a Spartan sword and a Spartan knife, with a dead Spartan at your feet. Prepare to face your judgment, woman," Thyreos hissed back, letting his anger steel his resolve. He'd never killed a woman before and had always thought he would be reluctant to do so, but this witch seemed like one he could dispatch with no regret.

Thyreos tested her, feinting and retreating, and the two of them were soon shuffling their feet in a wary dance as their blades swung in the air. Then he suddenly saw her face clearly.

"I... I... you! You're no HELOT!" Thyreos exclaimed, dodging her blow and lowering his knife. There was anger on his face, but the rage he had felt earlier was dissipating slightly. He knew her, not well, but she was a Spartan woman. He remembered her from the agoges and their shared military training years ago. He didn't know her name, but her face and fighting style were very distinctive. He'd actually faced her before, in training bouts.

"STOP! Spartan, sheath your sword!" Thyreos shouted, pointing at her sword. Taking a deep breath, trying to get a grasp on his swirling emotions he held his hands up in peace. "I know you. You know me. What are you doing dressed like this? What have you DONE here?"

With the last words, he pointed towards Androcles dead body, now surrounded in a large and growing pool of the dead man's blood.

Her long black hair in her face as she glared at the man, it was funny really, the fact that he didn’t recognize her. She hadn’t seen him in a long while but she would know him anywhere. “then kill me,” she replied. Her voice low and snarling, she had no intention of letting this man defeat her either. She smirked at him and his foolish words. Though she followed his game, falsely lunging forward and watching his every move like a hawk. Prepared to do battle and fend him off, her sword rising, the air moving about her and lifting her hair. Her perfect Roman features on display.

“You... You.. I! You are correct!” She spat at him following through with her strike and narrowly missing. The recognition dawning on his face as her smirk widened into a full fledged smile, her pearly white teeth glistening in the low lantern light. Catching him off guard she lifted her sword to strike once more, but his shout stopped her. Zosime knew it was dishonorable to kill another when his weapon was lowered, and the man’s was. She looked to the ground and shoved her sword into the planks at her feet.

“I’m protecting what is not yours to kill, no matter what you are told. You as a spartan soldier should know in your heart that this is wrong. He tried to force me to lie with him. To take what would belong to my husband, he wouldn’t stop and I begged him to. I killed him with his own blade and I feel no remorse. No man should take of a helot, their life or their gifts.” She was fuming.

“Take your friend, soldier and leave, but might I suggest you not associate yourself with his kind and you forget what he taught you, if anything at all.” She grabbed her sword and pointed at the door with it’s tip. “If I find you here again this night, I will kill you. Now leave!” She demanded, her pulse racing and her hatred rising, she wished she would never see him again, but knowing he’d be there at every festival and each celebration made her head spin and her blood boil.

The fertility festival would be coming by the next full moon and she would see him there, their eyes would meet and she would most likely scowl or meet him in the dancing circle and trip him or something equally cruel. She let her thoughts run rampant with ideas while she hoped he gathered the body and left. Her expressive green eyes flit over him momentarily.

Her sword lowered, Thyreos could now study this woman more clearly and she was definitely the one he remembered. She had those striking green eyes, full of fire and energy, that were hard to forget. Her face, now that her long black hair no longer covered it, was equally memorable. A mix of strong features, high cheekbones and full lips that Thyreos had thought extremely attractive as a student in the agoges. Now, flushed red from fighting and emotion, with her eyes angry and piercing, Thyreos found her quite striking. She was like a hawk screaming at a larger predator as it stood over a rabbit it had just caught, defiant, deadly, and beautiful.

"What game do you play dressing as a Helot to bait your fellow Spartan to dishonor!" countered Thyreos, letting his eyes flash as his anger and grief spilled out. Headstrong and arrogant or not, Androcles had been a friend and Thyreos was still trying to unsee the evidence of Androcle's last dishonorable act before his death. "Right or wrong, Helots are Spartan property. We hunt them in the Krypteia for the good of Sparta, to kill the most rebellious and keep the rest in fear. This is no act of cruel pleasure. It is my duty."

Thyreos let the words ring out, passion fueling them as he spoke what he believed to be the truth.

"I-I don't know what Androcles was doing, but I know he wouldn't have touched you if he knew you were Spartan," continued Thyreos, steeling himself and setting his jaw. "You baited him by attacking him. He was headstrong, yes, his blood lies on you and whatever stupid, foolish game you tried to play tonight."

"I will take my brother Spartan," growled Thyreos as he stooped to shoulder Androcles' heavy body. It would be a long, cold walk home tonight, but he would carry Androcles without a cart or horse as penance and mourning. "He would not want his body here, in the home of you who would be our Sister Spartan."

The last words Thyreos spit out, glaring at the woman. Attractive or not, she was clearly evil and Thyreos vowed he would never let his hatred for this arrogant woman fade. He was tired now, cold and sad. The adrenaline of battle had faded leaving him drained and full of grief more than anger. He would leave, but never forget.

"I will make sure the Krypteia know what you have done tonight. You will be punished, and I hope by my own hand. You are a stupid, foolish girl that needs to grow up."

----------------

Instead of punishment for her, the Krypteia seemed to view Thyreos as being the one at fault for letting Androcles make a rash decision. Although he was obliquely told that she had been "talked" to and reparations were to be made to Androcles' family, Thyreos' honesty about Androcles appearing to have been in mid-rape seemed to free the evil woman of any accusation of guilt.

That admission of Androcles' intent to rape had been a struggle for Thyreos. He could have easily have denied that Androcles had been killed for such a reason, leaving blame to be placed squarely on the woman. But, honesty had prevailed and truthfully it had been disquieting for Thyreos to have seen his friend in such dishonor, especially with what turned out to be a Spartan woman. Let Androcles' sin be a lesson to others, and indeed it was as gossip soon spread through the army about that fateful night.

And if there was a forthcoming punishment for the woman, which the Krypteia leaders had alluded to Thyreos several times, Thyreos never saw it. Indeed, within a month he saw her at the Fertility festival, although he studiously avoided looking at or talking to her. She even seemed to get sympathy and respect from many of the other woman in attendance, which made the young soldier only more inflamed. Instead of a night of joy, dancing, and wine, Thyreos left early and alone, content to walk the ridge by his barracks in the full moon and seethe in his anger.

The next morning, Ephor Lycurgus sought him out and gave him stunning and unexpected news. A match had been arranged and Thyreos was to be wed in two weeks, on the night of the empty moon. Arranged by a respected elder as Lycurgus, such a marriage was a high honor and likely a high status bride. Like all soldiers, Thyreos had hoped for a wife. Even though he had years of military service still left before he could settle into a Kleros with his bride, consummating the marriage was a pleasure that any man would look forward to.

Perhaps his failure to control Androcles that fateful night wasn't going to be a stain on his career. Surely Lycurgus himself wouldn't have found Thyreos a bride if he was not viewed as still a high potential soldier, a future leader! Thyreos couldn't wait to enjoy his reward.

“Does it matter? Spartan or Helot, we need each other to survive. Helot women are as important as Spartan women, her gift shouldn’t be for the taking and hunting the men are a different thing then going after the weaker. I am dressed as I always am, forgiveness will not be granted, and you are wrong, you can choose to sit in a field and say you found none or only a few and lie, you don’t have to do this! You chose to!” She screamed at him, her voice raised in anger as tears, hot and angry streamed down her tanned cheeks.

“You weren’t here, you know nothing of what he did!” She countered, eyes flashing with passion. “Please tell them that I protected myself from a lustful man who assumed he’d gain an easy target from my household! Try me soldier and you shall befall the same fate as your brother soldier. You are a coward and a disgrace to the roman empire coming to the house of women to hunt for men which we have none, save my father.” She sneered at him from the doorway. “I’m grown enough, it is you who need to grow and learn, yet still earn his place among the mighty!” She yelled after him in the dark.

The room was sealed, it was her bedroom after all, they left it for cleaning in the morning and she and the Helots returned to the main house to sleep. They righted everything the next morning, Zosime among the Helots, cleaning in her brown farm dress. Her anger didn’t dwindle, instead it burned like a flame inside her chest, how dare this vile man come into her bedroom and try to take what didn’t belong to him, then his friend defends him for being the one to try and harm her.

Though her family sent out a meal with the rest of the spartan community, she wanted to add poison when she’d heard his father spouting the innocence of his son. She hated the attention and shied from it, unless it was someone she had need to show respect to. As always, most facts were askew and made her look better or like a man killer. She tried righting and not garnering sympathies, however most wouldn’t let her talk.

The fertility festival was one of those times. She wore the traditional garb of a single, childless female. A smile plastered to her painted lips and lined eyes gazing out on the sea of available males. However, one caught her eye as he sent a look of disdain her direction. In this moment, she did not recognize him right away. She steered clear of him as well but partook in the merriment of the festival and all it had to offer the young woman. Though she did feel slightly bad for the misguided soldier, he had lost someone he was close to and in a manner not befitting a soldier of Sparta.

A letter arrived, sealed the next morning for her. As soon as she saw the seal, she knew its contents and fear filled her heart. She wasn’t sure she was ready to be a bride, but Ephor Lycurgus was the best at matches and knew what he was doing to secure the future for Sparta and all of it’s inhabitants. “Let the preparations begin,” She whispered, more to herself than anyone else. The night of the empty moon she would lose herself to another, giving him the only thing, she had left to give. Her heart thundered behind her breast at the wondering of who he was that would claim her. Unlike most marriages of the time, no information was given other than a location for which to be claimed.

Biting her lip, she wondered if this were a test, to see if she were strong enough to handle marriage without the typical means of communication. She could veto it, but then again it was a respectable elder and she wasn’t apt to do so. Taking a deep breath, she cleared her thoughts and prepared herself for the change that would soon come. Not that it was too much save for she would possibly be with child within the year and casually find out who the father was walking down the road. Perhaps she would be given his name at their meeting place.