Chapter Text
It was morning and, in the courtyard, there was noise of swords clashing together, util the sound of a bottom hitting the floor, noise of laughter and then more swords clashing.
The sun Shone on the growing ivy, that circled around the pilers of the yard, little birds could be seen and heard chirping and singing their morning songs, to anyone who would listen. Servants could be seen moving around and setting up the palace for the following day ahead.
‘Scrape’ That sound was getting horrendously annoying now. William grunted as he picked up his sword again. But didn’t step up off the floor yet.
“Would you stop grating my sword against the stone floors” he said pointily. The teenager, whom he was talking to, just grind widely, baring her teeth, the sun light seemed to create a halo, from where William sat on the ground. The halo was around her short, light, brown hair that was in a half up and half down position, to keep it off her eyes. She also had pale green eyes that matched the post washed, grass-stained tunic that she was wearing for training that morning.
“Why should I? when you can’t even hold the thing properly.” The witty retort only angered, her best friend, more.
“You are going to the death of me, Sparta. You know that?”
“well, I did learn for the best, after all.”
With a comment like that William saw it was going to be pointless to fight the 16-year-old girl anymore.
, “You win, I give up. But I will have my revenge.” William promised.
They shared a laugh and Victoria pulled William up from the ground and headed to the armoury to put their swords and amor away. As they walked, taking in the morning sun, rushed footsteps echoed through hallway.
“Your majesty!” a breathless voice called out. “Your majesty.” The tired voice repeated. William and Victoria turned around to see, a rather young-looking letter boy, who had a sweaty completion and as a result his hair stuck to his forehead.
“What are you doing here?” Victoria now interested, asked.
“Well,” the boy bowed. “I was delivering a letter to the generals and the letter was from the boarder and… and when he saw it, he sent me to get you. He said that it was urgent-” the poor boy rabbled
“urgent” William repeated, softly.
“Yes, sir. He said that you were to meet him in the war room.” The boy took a final bow before running off.
Victora and William decided that the generals could wait. And they would understand, once they explained, the circumstances of their tardiness.
The stone hallways’ arches had hanging baskets, commissioned by the locals for the palace and they were filled with all kinds of flowers, some where bright blue while others were a deep violet. One thing that Victoria loved about the hallways, were the plants, most of the outdoor hallways’ ceilings had a wonderful green canopy that she had local gardener do for her. She always flet a deep connection with the wildlife that surrounded her.
Victoria was a few paces behind William when they got to the armoury. The room was spacious with a high ceiling, and on the walls, there was different weapons hung up, or resting against them. Victoria remembers when she spent days categorising the weapons into groups and then those group were ordered alphabetically. Also, there was a wooden bench that lay in the middle of the room, that had a general cleaning kit for the weapons, placed on top. There was a door on the left-hand side, at the back, led to the blacksmiths and the stables, where the horses were.
William groaned as, his almost amber looking eyes, looked over his sword. “You had to scrape it didn’t you.” Then he reached for the wet stone that sat at the edge of the table.
“If you want sympathy, you are looking at the wrong person.” Victoria retorted playfully.
Once they had delt, and hung their armour back up, on their respectable hooks, they headed for their next task: the war rooms.
William came up with a theory that “Well if the letter was from the boarder, then it has to be about the Athens war with Rome, right?” Victoria took this fact in, because Athens was one of the only things that stood between the romans and Spartans. So, this war, decided their future.
They made their way down the corridors to where the war rooms were, when they heard a large commotion. They turned the corner and what they could hear was audacious. “These are my plans, you ass!” one voice yelled. Then a crowed of voices yelled curses, on top of curses, at each other. It sounded like they were having their own little war, In the closed off rooms.Outside the war rooms, stood two guards, who were wearing their tunics and breast plates, also they held a spear in their dominant hand, and a rounded shield with the spartan ‘l’ on it. Both men wore worry on their faces.
“Marm, I am glad that you made that rule, of no weapons in the war rooms. I believe, at this moment you would be having to chouse new generals and strategists. If that rule did not exist” The guard on the right-hand side stated, as Victoria and William moved closer to the doors.
“Thank you, Marm.” The other guard agreed with his partner.
The guards stepped out the way, so Victoria, their queen, could open the doors. As both doors were pushed open the sight was disgusting, the main room’s table and floor were littered with papers, every were, and grown men screaming at each other. “They look like they’re doing a perfectly good job on their own. Do we have to get involved?” Victoria questioned,
To William.
“I am afraid so.” William, had to lean down a bit, to speak close to her ear, because the noise of men would have drowned him out. “And” he continued, “can you sort the noise out, please, I might have a burst ear drum, if you don’t.”
And with that, Victoria cleared her throat and projected, “Would everyone be quiet”
In that moment, you could hear an arrow piece through air.
Normally the war room was a large circle, with a large circle table in the center, that had neatly stacked papers and plans of attack upon it, and book selves lining the walls were there weren’t any windows. A conjoining room, to the right, had hanging plants and more confutable, soft, lounging chairs within it. To the left, an alcove, with a Stache of Lord Arise, a god of war, and below it was offerings to him and other gods of war.“Please can someone explain to me, why I can hear you all screaming at each other from the other side of the palace?” Victoria exhaled.” Now” she added impatiently.
There was a shuffle of papers and some words past between some men before a piece of paper was handed to her. The piece of parchment that Victoria held was a tan colour and the wax seal broken. She slowly unfolded it, and read aloud:
To the Queen and to Sparta,
News this morning is that Rome has conquered Athens.
I believe we require immediate support to hold back the romans. But we await news of any attacks of any other outposts.
General Papadopoulos
For home, for Sparta.