Warrior Princess
Disclaimer: I own nothing from 300, only my Oc Alexandria.
Having sat in the cave for hours on end, Alexandria quickly became anxious, but no more so then when the battle raging outside became deathly silent. She bit her lip slightly in worry as she tried to hear for the Spartan's triumphant battle cries, hearing none. Should she stay in the cave? What had happened to the men? It wasn't possible that all of them were killed in battle, was it? No, it just wasn't possible, the Spartans were far too strong.
"By the Gods, please, give me some sort of sign." Alexandria muttered under her breath as she stood, beginning to pace slightly. Soon she heard the scraping of a pair of feet across the rocky bottom of the cave, and tensing she blindly tried to see who it was.
"Don't come any closer!" Alexandria exclaimed as she saw the shadowed figure stop suddenly.
"Princess, it's Dilios." Came a soft reply as Alexandria had to bite back a sigh of relief. He was okay, they were okay. "Come, the coast is clear, and many are wounded." Dilios added as Alexandria could make the faint outline of his hand, waving in the shadows. Walking slowly towards him, she was surprised, to say the least, when he grabbed her hand, pulling her along. He stopped short though as he cursed, clasping her hand in both of his. "You're as cold as ice." He commented in concern as Alexandria shivered.
"Caves aren't exactly the most hospitable place to hide." Alexandria stated dryly as she watched Dilios bring her cupped hand towards his face. He blew hot air in and around her hand and she could feel some of the warmth returning to her cold, numb, fingers.
As well as her face.
"I'm sorry, I should have thought ahead and let you grab your blanket." Dilios stated as he sighed, taking her other hand and repeating.
"I'm fine, but the wounded could be dying, we should be on our way." Alexandria stated stiffly as Dilios sighed, knowing why she was acting so cold.
"Alexandria, about what happened before-" Dilios began, but was quickly cut off as Alexandria swiftly pulled her hand from his.
"What are you talking about?" She asked coldly, as if trying to get across the point that she didn't want to talk about it. Ever.
"No Alexandria, I need to explain myself." Dilios insisted as his voice became stern.
"There is nothing to explain Dilios, men have needs, I know that, and I also know that I can't fulfill them." She replied coldly as she moved to go around him, only for his hand to shoot out and grab her arm.
"It's not like that!" Dilios replied angrily as he glared at her slightly, warning her to keep her mouth shut. "You are King Leonidas' Daughter! Princess Of Sparta! I am a soldier, nothing more, nothing less."
"So just because of titles I'm supposed to live with heartbreak?!" Alexandria yelled back before she could stop herself. She looked to the ground, breathing deeply as silence reigned in the cave, the light from the entrance being their only guide out of the cold darkness.
"May the Gods forgive me." Alexandria heard Dilios mutter as she looked up in confusion, only to feel warm lips on her's, persistent and demanding. Alexandria moaned softly as she returned the kiss, moving her hand up to his hair and gripping it tightly as she heard Dilios groan in return, feeling his hands wander down her sides and to her legs. His hands ran afire through Alexandria's clothes and to her skin causing her legs to weaken and shake. Dilios smirked into the kiss, having felt it as he bit her lower lip softly before letting his tongue take what was, by right, his. Alexandria was a quick learner as she returned his actions without hesitation. She had waited so long.
He had waited just as long.
As his arms encircled her, backing her up against the stone wall of the cave, she found that she would rather be no where else in the world.
It seemed like hours when it had, in all reality, only been minutes as the two made it back to the camp. Hands dropped to their sides, they gave no inclination as to what had transpired in the darkness of the cave.
Only the most talented of eyes could have seen.
Only their King.
As Leonidas watched the two walk off in separate directions, he suddenly felt very old and worn down. Watching his son growing up was one thing, but watching his daughter grow into the young lady that she has was completely different. He sighed as he looked over the camp, at the men's faces. They were all alight with victory, living in the euphoria of it.
He felt there no reason to celebrate.
Yet.
Alexandria sighed softly as she made her rounds once again, seeing many familiar faces, and missing some.
"Stelios!" Alexandria shouted as she saw him standing beside a hunched over by a figure sitting on the ground. Stelios looked up as his name was called, and smiled as he waved her over.
"The baby has a scratch." He stated as she looked down at Astinos' bleeding arm. Alexandria rolled her eyes at Stelios' behaviour as she knelt down beside her friend, taking his arm and examining it.
"Don't listen to this fool." Alexandria soothed with a smirk as she looked back up to the blonde. "He is just jealous that he has no scars to show from battle as of yet."
"Very true, Alexandria." Astinos added in with his own smirk widening, but dimming slightly as he winced once she started to clean the wound out. Stelios smirked slightly as he shook his head.
"Always sticking up for one and other." He commented as he laughed slightly, kneeling down beside Alexandria. Alexandria smiled softly as she took a clean cloth, wrapping it around his arm tightly to stop the bleeding, for the wound had not been deep enough to concern stiches.
"All done." Alexandria stated as she stood, Stelios rising with her as Astinos nodded in thanks, flexing his arm slightly to get used to the wrapping. Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her as she looked up, biting back a surprised gasp when she saw her Father, with the scratch running down his eye.
"How is your eye?" She asked as she quickly took to examining it, hearing her Father chuckle slightly, grabbing her hand.
"You worry far too much." He stated easily as he looked at her fondly, and Alexandria looked slightly bashful.
"Can't help it." She mumbled slightly as she shrugged her shoulders.
"Come, child, I wish to speak with you." Leonidas stated as he wrapped an arm around his daughter's shoulders, lightly pulling her along.
"About what?" Alexandria asked, her curiosity always getting the better of her as she walked along side him. Leonidas waited long enough to walk out of ear shot of everyone else, before turning to her.
"I don't think it wise what you and Dilios have started. Here, of all places." Leonidas stated evenly as Alexandria looked up to him surprised.
How could he have possibly known?
"It's not that hard to see, dear child." Leonidas added, chuckling as he saw her expression.
"What is so wrong then?" Alexandria asked as she sighed softly.
"You'll be a distraction from battle for him, not to mention, what would happen if he was to die?" Leonidas asked softly as he gazed down in concern at his Daughter.
"All the more reason to live in the now, Father, not the 'what may be.'" Alexandria stated sharply as Leonidas knew he had hit a nerve.
He only wanted what was best for her.
"Now if you'll excuse me, my King, I have things that I need to tend to." Alexandria stated coldly as she broke away from him, heading back to camp.
Somedays he hated being the bad guy.
Alexandria, from then on, would wait anxiously in the same cave as the battles took place. Each time she would sit there, praying that Dilios would come back alive, and luckily enough, the Gods granted her wish every time. She knew her Father's words had been true, for as the battles wore on, Dilios came back with more and more wounds, worse and worse. Sighing Alexandria stood up, as once again a battle raged outside of the stone walls, and looked around. Biting her lip slightly as she looked at the wall, she finally came to a conclusion that she needed something to do to combat her feelings of anxiousness and worry. She grabbed a nearby stone, flinging it up and down as she continued to stare at the wall, when an idea all of a sudden hit her. Smiling she walked forward, and began to draw designs on the wall, thinking of Dilios' stories while she did.
She would preserve the history of the 300, and anyone passing by will see their grand tale.
"Alexandria?" Came Dilios' voice hours after the sun had once again set. His only light to see her was the flaming torch jammed between two boulders, and she was nowhere in sight. "Alexandria?!" He shouted again, before he heard the scraping of rock and rock not too far from where he stood.
"I'm here Dilios." Alexandria quietly called out as Dilios grabbed the torch, shining it more so on her. He gasped as he saw what she was doing. The designs weren't the best pieces of art he had ever seen, but the scale of which it was done was enormous.
"What are you doing, love?" Dilios asked as Alexandria shivered slightly.
She wasn't used to him calling her that just yet.
"I'm depicting your story, the story of the 300, of my Father, our King." Alexandria stated as she turned to him, only to look at him in worry as she rushed forward. "Your eye." She mumbled softly as she reached for it, but Dilios grabbed her wrist to stop her.
"It's only an eye, Alexandria, it's not a fatal wound." Dilios consoled her as Alexandria sighed, nodding. Dilios smiled softly as he leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on her lips before pulling back.
"How many are dead?" Alexandria asked as Dilios sighed sadly, looking down at her with sympathy.
Oh no.
"One has died today, beheaded by the Persian coward who came on horse back, behind him." Dilios stated with a sigh as Alexandria shook her head, not wanting to hear the answer.
"No." She whispered in denial as Dilios nodded.
"Astios' Father mourns alone tonight. He is inconsolable." Dilios stated softly as Alexandria shook her head, feeling unSpartan like tears flood her eyes.
"No." She choked out again as she breathed in and out deeply, to try to stop her crying before it started.
Too late.
Alexandria sighed as she sat around one of the fires with Dilios, grabbing a cloth after she had finished cleaning what she could.
"No, don't put that on." Dilios protested as Alexandria sighed, shaking her head.
"I won't risk any further infections." She stated as she got up and kneeled behind him, wrapping the cloth around his head and tying it. She winced as she could already see some blood stained the cloth. "We'll have to remember to change it every day."
"Dilios!" Came her Father's voice as Alexandria jumped slightly, looking up as he walked over. "I trust that scratch, hasn't made you useless?" Leonidas inquired as he pointed to the wound, Dilios standing up.
"Hardly my Lord. It's just an eye." Dilios defended himself as Leonidas smirked in approval. "The gods saw fit to grace me with a spare." Leonidas sighed, nodding before he looked up towards the ridge, where the Captain stood alone.
"My Captain?" He asked softly as Dilios turned, looking on to the shadowed figure sadly.
"Curses the gods, and mourns alone." Dilios answered as he pointed towards him, Alexandria turning to look as well as she blinked back tears once again before any of the men could notice. Suddenly the cries of a horse could be heard as the three turned to face the commotion, seeing Daxos speeding into their camp on a black stallion. Alexandria looked on in confusion as she saw the man's terrified face.
"Leonidas!" He all but shouted as he jumped off of his horse, quickly jogging up to them. "We are undone. Undone, I tell you. Destroyed!" Daxos rambled on as Leonidas stepped forward, putting his hand up in a calming motion.
"Daxos, calm yourself!" Leonidas ordered as he too gazed on in confusion. What had the Arcadian so out of sorts? Alexandria looked to Dilios with the same confusion as he had on his face.
"Our hunchback traitor led Xerxes' Immortals to the hidden path behind us." Daxos reported as Alexandria bit back a gasp, paling slightly. Dilios, much to Alexandria's embarrassment, saw this and grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to him as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "The Phocians you posted there were scattered without a fight." Daxos stated as Alexandria looked to her Father's expression, seeing that it was thoughtful. "This battle is over Leonidas!" Leonidas' face turned stormy at that.
"This battle is over, when I saw it is over!" He spit out as he turned, ignoring Daxos' repeated pleas.
"By morning, the Immortals will surround us. The Hot Gates will fall!" Daxos exclaimed as Leonidas ignored him, turning to his Spartan soldiers.
"Spartan! Prepare for glory!" Leonidas shouted out as he raised his arms in triumph, those around seemed to sit up straighter, prouder.
With more excitement in their faces.
Even Alexandria sported a smirk of her own.
"Glory? Have you gone mad?" Daxos asked breathlessly, not believing what he was hearing. "There is no glory to be had now. Only retreat or surrender. Or death." Daxos ended as he looked back up at Leonidas who stood defiantly proud.
"Well that's an easy choice for us, Arcadian!" Leonidas growled angrily as he stepped his way back to the man. "Spartan never retreat. Spartans never surrender." He stated before quieting down some. "Go, spread the word. "Let ever Greek assembled know the truth of this. Let each among them search his own soul!" Leonidas exclaimed, before backing off and quieting down some. "And while you're at it, search your own." He added as Daxos calmed, looking down before back up to Leonidas, his face hard set. Daxos backed off, as he turned, looking unsure of even himself before turning back to Leonidas.
"My men will leave with me." He stated confidently as he looked almost apologetic as he turned back, standing beside his horse. "Godspeed, Leonidas." He offered before jumping back onto his horse, and galloping out of camp. Alexandria looked to her Father as she bit her lips slightly, nodding.
He was making the right choice.
Leonidas smiled softly as he nodded to her and Dilios, before continuing on into the camp.
"Children!" He called to his men, his family. "Children! Gather round." He ordered as everyone gave him their undivided attention. "No retreat. No surrender." Leonidas began as he paced in front of his men, looking excited and ready for battle. "That is the Spartan law." He added in proudly as Alexandria and Dilios stood behind him, "And by Spartan Law we will stand and fight, and die." He paused slightly to let everything sink in as Alexandria looked on, feeling so incredibly proud to be this man's daughter. "A new age has begun. An age of freedom! And all will know that 300 Spartans gave their last breaths to defend it!" The soldiers broke out into their cheer as Alexandria listened to Dilios' voice call out, his arm jerking up with the others. She smiled as she looked up to him, he returning the favour.
She had to be supportive, be the Spartan woman.
"My friend." Alexandria heard Leonidas whisper in greeting as she looked over, seeing the bloodied and bruised Captain standing before him.
"I have lived my entire live without regret till now." The Captain began gruffly as Alexandria watched him sadly.
Astinos looked so much like him.
"It's not that my son, gave his life of for his country." The Captain stated as his bottom lip quivered slightly. "It's just that I never told him, that I loved him the most." The Captain admitted as Alexandria felt a new batch of tears fighting at her eyes.
That was all Astinos had wanted, strived for, was his Father's love, acceptance.
"That he stood by me with honour. That he was all that was best in me." The Captain finished quietly as Alexandria began to blink rapidly to keep the tears at bay, relieved that no one had yet to notice her own inner battle. Leonidas stepped forward slightly as he looked onto his friend sadly.
"My heart is broken for your loss." He stated sincerely as the Captain looked up, disbelievingly.
"Heart?" the Captain scoffed as his face turned to one of unbridled fury. "I have filled my heart, with hate." The Captain answered as Leonidas nodded, still looking on sadly, nodding slightly.
"Good." He appraised as the Captain moved through the crowd, away from the circle. As he went by, Alexandria reached out, placing a hand on his arm. He turned to her, still looking completely lost as she smiled sadly.
"Astinos was always proud to be your son, Captain." Alexandria stated softly as the Captain's eyes watered, and he nodded slightly, offering her a sad smile in return for her comfort. Alexandria nodded as she let him go, let him move on.
"Dilios, let's take a walk." Came Leonidas' call as Dilios looked over in confusion. Alexandria nodded as she moved away from him, urging him to go as he soon fell in step with their King.
Alexandria sighed in relief as she saw the distant wheat fields of home, and the buildings of Sparta, still standing proud in the distance. Dilios smiled slightly as he looked down to her.
"We're home." He whispered softly as Alexandria smiled brightly, before the sinking feeling once again hit her. Yes, they were home, but 299 families, including her own, were about to hear of the news. That their Husbands, Fathers, Brothers, were not coming back. That Xerxes had won the Battle At The Hot Gates. Then she looked to Dilios, and saw the shame in his eyes as he looked onto the city, knowing he was feeling ten fold of what she was.
"My Father gave you this job, Dilios, you need not be ashamed that you weren't there." Alexandria tried to sooth as Dilios shook his head, dropping his shield. Alexandria sighed as she looked to him, placing her hand on the face to turn him to look at her.
"Come back with your shield, Dilios, with your honour, and live to fight another battle, another day, for there will be many more to come." Alexandria ordered softly as Dilios gazed down at her, as if in a daze.
"By the Gods, you're so much like your Mother." Dilios stated softly as he leaned down slightly to kiss her softly, holding her tightly to him.
They made their way through the trail running through the fields as Dilios held his shield up high, his face determined as he looked towards the city. Alexandria, though, was caught up in something else.
Her Mother's figure, standing in the field.
Dilios had given her, her Father's necklace, that her Mother had given him, telling her that Leonidas wanted this returned. Alexandria asked if he had, had any words to go with the necklace.
Dilios had shaken his head.
As she walked up to her Mother, she could see the cold set in her eyes as she stood in front of her.
"Mother." Alexandria greeted softly as Gorgo reached out, pulling her into a hug.
"My baby." Alexandria thought her Mother had whispered in relief, but she could have been mistaken.
That didn't sound like her Mother at all.
Alexandria pulled away slowly, as she gently took her Mother's hand, placing the necklace in it as she shook her head slightly. Gorgo's face was unreadable, as Alexandria slowly parted from her, leaving her Mother to her thoughts.
"Alexandria!" She heard her name being called as her little brother ran up, hugging her around the waist. Alexandria smiled softly as she hugged him tightly to her.
He looked so much like their Father.
"Go, and see to Mother." Alexandria stated softly as he nodded, letting go and running the rest of the way towards their Mother. Alexandria turned around slowly, looking up to Dilios sadly as she sighed, once again shaking her head.
"Come, let's go home." Dilios stated as he wrapped his free arm around her waist, leading her back to her city.
Her life.
Her home.
It was there, at the Hot Gates that 299 Spartan men lost their lives. 299 took the final stand against the tyrant, which in turn inspired the Greeks to move into action, being the first link in the chain reaction that lead to the Greek's victory over Plataea, to the win of the freedom. These are the battles that change history, whether for the good or bad, and none should be forgotten.
But there will always be one story that sticks out the most.
Of the 300 that battled the tyrant.
Of the odds.
The victories.
And the demise.
Of King Leonidas, and his 300.
I want to thank all my readers and reviews, you guys are honestly the best! I am sooo sorry for the much too long awaited ending of this story, I really have no excuse other then school, and since I'm on a snow day today I finally found myself getting my act together and getting this last chapter out to you. Thanks again and Godspeed to you all!