The Sacred Domain, the third hub of the Zodiac Twelve Palaces, the Hall of Gemini.
Helen carried a fluorite lamp and walked alone with graceful composure, raising a hand to brush over the furnishings around her, each rich with the weight of age. A trace of nostalgia stirred in her eyes, and the corners of her lips lifted faintly.
At the entrance, Queen Gorgo, standing before one of the courtyard pillars, paused for a moment, her thoughts drifting.
It felt like it had been a very long time since she had seen Lady Helen smile so genuinely from the heart.
Whether that had been a blessing or a curse, after the Trojan War, the golden apple that had stirred up countless disputes and brought endless calamity had eventually been passed down by the Areopagus to Helen, allowing her to remain forever young.
The kingship of Sparta had changed hands generation after generation, and the number of familiar faces had only dwindled. Even Pollux and Castor, the siblings stationed at the Areopagus, had little time to spend with their younger sister because of their duties.
For a woman left to keep watch over the Temple of Artemis, a life that never ended was not necessarily a gift.
And everything about Lady Helen seemed to have remained suspended in the past, somewhere between the Calydonian Hunt and the war against the giants, never truly able to move forward.
But ever since that King Theseus had appeared, the smiles on this elder of the family seemed to have grown more frequent over the past two days.
Could that rumor actually be true?
Back then, during the Calydonian Hunt, had the one on the Areopagus really sparked something unusual with Lady Helen?
If so, that would seem to explain why the Areopagus had bestowed that golden apple upon Lady Helen...
Then that probably meant the other rumor was true too, didn't it?
It seemed the goddess Athena really was quite fond of this illegitimate son, if she had been willing to part with something that precious.
"Gorgo? Gorgo!"
The sudden call by her ear jolted the Queen of Sparta awake from the gossip-fueled flames rising in her chest. Feeling a little guilty, she looked toward the very subject she had been mentally arranging.
"What is it? Is there something on my face?"
Helen instinctively touched the side of her cheek and asked in confusion.
"No. Have you finished looking around?"
"Mhm. They're only a few old things. There's nothing much to see. King Theseus said that in a few more days, my brother and sister may be able to return. Once the Greco-Persian War is over, we'll have plenty of time to catch up."
As she answered in a thoughtful voice, the first beauty of Greece, whose exquisite face seemed to shine, carried a sense of ease and release in her tone. Then she lifted the fluorite lamp and led Gorgo out through the hall's curtain of light, weaving through several turns toward the side-chamber bedrooms where they would rest.
The two parted ways. After giving a few simple instructions, Helen stepped inside, and amid the soft rustle of loosening clothes, made her way toward the bath.
"Ah!"
But just as Queen Gorgo, now holding the fluorite lamp, reached the corner, a hurried cry came from the bedroom behind her.
"Your Highness!"
"There... there was a bug. It almost landed on me. It's already... already been driven away..."
"Should I come in?"
"No... don't come in. You should get some sleep too. We'll probably be very busy tomorrow before departure, with the Great Offering and everything. Also... don't tell anyone about this."
Hearing that somewhat awkward warning, Gorgo chuckled softly and shook her head. She could only agree, then turn and go back to her own room to rest.
Inside, Helen, her clothes half undone, looked quietly toward the figure within the steaming mist, lightly biting her soft red lip.
"What are you doing here?"
"Ahem. Borrowing a place to hide for a bit..."
Samael awkwardly rubbed the bridge of his nose, turned his head away, and let his gaze wander.
"So that's why?"
Helen lightly patted her chest and murmured to herself, though an unintentional trace of disappointment slipped into her eyes.
"Uh, it happened suddenly. Showing up like this was a bit unexpected, so I didn't have time to let you know. Sorry about that. I'll turn around first. You should put your clothes back on. It's cold, and you'll catch a chill."
After a brief silence, Samael stole a glance through the mist at the proud, divine figure of Greece's greatest beauty and gave a dry laugh as he reminded her.
"You don't need to explain anything to me, and there's no need to feel troubled over this. After all, all of Greece exists because of you, and even my life was given to me by you."
Helen lifted the ribbon that had slipped from her shoulder and answered with remarkable understanding. Then, amid a faint rustle, she put herself in order, invited this guest to sit beside the bed, and rose to prepare tea and cakes.
After running about the entire day and being repeatedly interrupted by Nero's shrill singing, Samael finally managed to drink a cup of hot tea. He could not help stretching out, closing his eyes, and leaning comfortably against the side of the gauze curtains.
After resting for a while, the fingers of the man's right hand, lying on his thigh, began tapping in a steady rhythm. Slowly opening his eyes, he spoke in thought.
"Do you understand what you need to do tomorrow?"
"Mhm. The goddess has already delivered her oracle to Gorgo and me."
Helen nodded faintly and refilled Samael's cup.
"This won't be an easy task, and it's going to offend people. Until dawn, you can still refuse. If you do, I'll think of another way."
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. To save Sparta, and for... you, we will eliminate every obstacle and keep Athens stable."
Samael paused slightly and looked up at the first beauty of Greece before him. Through the lingering mist, their eyes met.
"In Greece's current situation, only you have the prestige to unite the forces of the various city-states..."
"Mhm. That's true too..."
After that, their gazes drifted apart, and in the somewhat heavy atmosphere, the two exchanged a few dry, halting questions and answers.
"Do you intend to stay here tonight?"
"Hm?"
"I can stay with Gorgo. You may rest here alone."
"No, for safety's sake, you should stay."
Samael glanced a little guiltily toward the peak of the Areopagus, quickly shook his head, then came back to himself and hurriedly added,
"You take the bed. I'll sleep on the floor. We'll just make do for the night. Let's not alarm anyone else."
Helen did not hesitate. She nodded slightly, then rose to tidy away the clutter and move the table and stools aside.
But when she had cleared the floor and was about to take the blanket from beneath Samael, she suddenly realized that the Holy King leaning against the pillar had half-lidded eyes and unfocused pupils.
"Your Majesty?"
His breathing was steady, but there was no answer.
He had actually fallen asleep...
Helen froze for a moment. Leaning closer, she caught a faint scent of blood.
Yes, he had fallen asleep.
According to Lady Scáthach and the goddess, after learning of Greece's crisis, he had gathered forces in the north and set out. Along the way he landed in Britannia and drew in the Celts. Faced with the crisis brought on by the fall of the divine ancestor Romulus, he had repelled the Huns, Persia, and Egypt in succession, saving Rome from collapse. After that, he rushed to Persia, drove wedges between Egypt, the Huns, and Persia, and broke apart the anti-Greek alliance. Then, without stopping for even a moment, he crossed the Sea of Chaos and reached the Peloponnesian peninsula, protecting her and Gorgo, evading pursuit, and safely bringing them to Athens.
And in the end, he had not rested for an instant, but went on to purge the Areopagus, gather the strength of the Greek city-states, and draw up the strategy for sending troops to Thermopylae.
Most people had only seen the fair-weather ending. No one knew how much pressure he had borne along the way, or how many powerful enemies he had faced.
Only now, with the outward brilliance and glory stripped away, did Helen, seeing him up close, realize something all at once.
So this Holy King, this supreme god of the Orphic faith, could grow tired too, could grow weary too, could be wounded too, could reach his limit too...
Helen pressed her lips together, her eyes filling with deep tenderness. Without realizing it, she leaned in closer, and her fingertips came to rest on the furrow still lingering between Samael's brows even in sleep. She gently rubbed at it, trying to smooth it away.
Gradually, that soft, soothing pressure eased the knot there and lightened it a little.
"Achoo..."
Without noticing it, those bamboo-white fingertips drifted downward, tracing the handsome line of the man's face. The faint tickle made Samael sneeze lightly.
Startled, Helen hurriedly withdrew her hand, her heart filling with a touch of guilt over her own presumption.
The fact that His Majesty had been able to fall asleep in her room meant one of two things. Either he was exhausted beyond measure, or this was a place where he did not need to carry quite so much pressure.
At a moment like this, she really should not disturb Lord Theseus because of selfish feelings.
Slightly reproaching herself, Helen gathered her thoughts, turned sideways, and climbed onto the bed on one knee. Bending her legs, she arranged the blanket, then placed both hands lightly against Samael's back, intending to ease his half-reclining posture flat so he could rest more comfortably.
But the man's body tilted, and his head slid down into Helen's lap.
The softness of that contact against her skin, together with the faint, quiet fragrance filling her breath, made Samael curl in slightly like an infant. Both his hands unconsciously came to rest in front of Helen's knees as he found an even more comfortable position to sleep in.
Helen lowered her eyes to the sleeping face in her lap. As if moved by some strange impulse, she gently brought her legs together and laid them flat, lightly pulled the blanket up, then raised a hand and dispelled the Rune on the fluorite lamp that served as its source of light.
Then... sweet dreams, Your Majesty...
The lovely figure seated quietly against the headboard softly parted her lips and murmured, as if a lullaby were playing inside her skull, guiding a soul gently into sleep.
The night was silent.
Yet one dark figure after another was already circling in from the scattered star palaces.