Elias had meant to be on time, but his father had wanted him to meet someone that they had trade ties with. It was a very boring meeting, and Elias mentally lamented when he realized the sun was too high in the sky—he was officially late to meet the princess. He could have used the fact he was meeting a princess to get out of the introductory meeting, but… he didn’t really want to shirk what his father deemed as his duties in favor of a friend.

Even if she was a girl, a princess at that. He strived for his father’s praise and love, and shirking his duties would do nothing but convince the older Stravos that the younger male was not… worth the sound of his voice. So he sat through the meeting, politely sipping from a glass that had been handed to him.

When he was released from the meeting in question, he waved off his father’s chatter, and left the older Stravos to continue conversation. He was late, horribly so. He hoped Achilles hadn’t managed to get away from Athanasia. Elias took his time, used to people waiting on him, even if he had not wanted to make this particular person wait.

He finally reached the agora plateia and made a face of disgust at the peach color. She was easy to spot, mostly due to that awful color. He scrunched his nose as he came to stand in front of her, kneeling to scratch the dog behind his ear. “You’ve cleaned up nicely, haven’t you, Achilles?” He chuckled quietly, running his fingers under the dog’s chin.

“You… not so much,” he stated, making another face at the chiton she had chosen to wear. He flashed her a grin, though, “But I suppose I can forgive your poor choice of color, in return for waiting on me.” He realized he was late and was willing to acknowledge it.

Elias smiled at the yip of greeting from the dog, though he had hit a nerve with Athanasia, and she did not sound nearly as pleased to see him. He’d definitely insulted her, though he was not yet sure if he had meant it as an insult—he probably had; he liked her fire, and enjoyed being on the other end of her temper, it would seem. He makes no move to 'defend' himself. The fact of the matter is that he was late for a meeting with a princess. She had every right to be upset with him. In fact, he would have been disappointed if it had not upset her.

He would have been disappointed if she were too nice. Whatever quantity he deemed “too nice” to be. She was right, though. He should have sent someone ahead to inform her that he would be late to their meeting… He rolled her eyes as she brushed her chiton. “Always have to look perfect, hm, Athanasia?” She was already upset, and he was happy to provide her with more fuel. “The color is an abomination, but it does look nice on you. Compliments your skin tone, in a sickly kind of way.” He added, easily following the fact she had worn the color in an attempt to get a rise out of him.

She pointed her finger at him, and he pursed her lips at her next statement. “Mhm, say,” she was turning to leave, and he reached to grab her wrist, stepping close to her. “Athanasia? Would you really let a man tell you what to wear, how to dress? That is not the princess I met.” Dark eyes studied her. “Never let a man tell you what you are worth, even if it is only the clothes that you wear.” He advised, quietly.

The same advice he would give his sisters, his cousins. Women were worth more than their ability to bear children, after all. But he would hate to see some man stifle the spirit that the Colchian princess had, specifically. She was such a fiery little creature, and he wanted to fan that flame. “If you wish to leave my presence,” he released her, aware they were in public. Anyone could see them and they already had rumors spreading. “At least allow me to escort you home.”

Elias studied her quietly, dark, earthen eyes taking in the brown of her hair, the tan of her skin. The fact she was untouched, unblemished, beautiful. Niobe would call her homely, and had, in fact. When she tried to walk away from him, he grabbed her, fingers curling around her wrist.

He did not allow anyone to walk away from him, even her. Even a princess. But especially her. If he let her walk away, who knows how the dynamic they had going would change.

So soft.

He held her in place, not tight enough to cause a bruise, but she certainly was not going to get away from him that quickly. Her head tilted back, to meet his eyes, and he leaned close to her; from afar, someone may think he was kissing her. Their breath mingled as he studied her. The blaze of pink to her cheeks made him smirk. He enjoyed seeing what he did to those around him; but to see that reaction from her… it satisfied something that wanted more.

The smirk faded as she promised she would never let a man speak to her about how she should dress, and he studied her. Her cheeks flush with pink, her eyes ablaze with fury. If he leaned just a bit closer, their lips would meet and…

Instead, he ignored his thoughts. “Insults are one way to get a reaction, just as a greeting is.” He responded, reaching with his free hand to rest two fingers against her chin, adjusting her gently so that he could really look at her. “You really are beautiful, even if the color you chose offends me.”

He offered her a smile. “Sometimes, my dear, insults are much more than insults. But you…” Dark hazel hues wandered her features. They were close enough that Athanasia might catch the green flecks that floated through earthen hazel. He leaned just a bit closer, his lips brushing against the side of her mouth, not a kiss, but near enough to get another reaction, “...you’ve certainly picked up on that, like the smart girl you are.”

Athanasia’s next words were biting, and he chuckled, “Perhaps I would like that.” He would greatly enjoy seeing Athanasia in her most natural habitat; but he would not admit that to her. For now, he was toying with her, seeing how far she would allow him to go. How far he could get in public versus how far he’d get in private…

Well, Elias knew his way around women, even the fighty ones like this princess. But gods, was this one fun. He wanted to push her buttons, see how far she’d push back. He had never had a female he was interested in act this way towards him. Most of the time they were enthralled, thrilled to have his attention, tripping over themselves to woo him for the night…

But Athanasia…

She had his attention.

Not just for the day, but from the moment she had flung that peach. Such a movement truly should not have intrigued him. It enraged him, certainly, but once he’d started to get to know the woman behind the childish petulance…

And the title she sported.

How close would he have to get to have her?

As her hand slipped into the pouch at his side, he was none the wiser. After all, nobody had ever tried to rob Elias. He certainly would not expect this action of a princess. But then, once he figures that out… Well, he’ll enjoy her even more, won’t he?

She asked about rumors, stepped closer, and he chuckled softly, straightening slightly. “Well… for one, you’ve been seen holding hands with a man, your secret lover… But then, rumors are just that, hm, lies told to amuse the people who have no entertainment in their lives.”

She stated that there was ‘something about him’, as he let her go and he chuckled. She seemed to be having doubts about leaving his company, and he shook his head. “If the Princess wishes more rumors, then, please… by all means, show me your world.”

He’d certainly set her up for even more rumors.

The sense of power that Elias felt as he pinned Athanasia in place was thrilling. It was like a rush of adrenaline that he was not expecting, a high he would constantly chase. It was something he had never felt before, even in all of his womanizing days. It was this woman, this princess. There was something about her, and he needed to have her. It wasn’t every day that Elias questioned that he might be in love, or perhaps it was like with Niobe and it was an obsession. But whatever it was, he wanted to continue. He never wanted it to end. Where he held her, the skin of his hand felt hot, and he was certain that his heart was throbbing in his ears and she could hear it. He kept his breathing even through sheer willpower alone; he wanted to see who would back down first. Would she back down, or would he? It was a battle of wills.

He had heard from his mistress that many men had tried to take Athanasia for themselves, and they had failed. She was strong-willed; she was fiery, and he liked that. He enjoyed seeing that he caused her to have a reaction, and he wondered how many men had managed to do that. There was something satisfying about potentially being the first man to get a reaction from Athanasia.

She did not try to pull away, and as he complemented her to be beautiful despite the disgusting color of which she wore, she seemed to be debating on something. He could see it in her eyes. A fear, curiosity, she was thinking of whether to run. They locked their eyes for a moment; she seemed like she was forgetting where she was. He did not have that joy because he had to remain composed. As composed as one could be one pending a princess by her wrist to oneself, but still composure was something that Elias could not afford to let breakdown.

She jolted in surprise as he pressed a kiss to the corner of her cheek. He had just brushed her lips, her eyes were wide, and she was unsure; her mouth was set hard line. He wondered if he had gone too far. It was the first sign of, perhaps the word is discussed, that she had shown since he had reached out to grab her. He wondered just how far she had gone with men, and her words were biting as she insulted him and he chuckled. He did not notice when her hand slipped into his pouch and remove something very dear to him.

She stated that he would hate every minute of being in her world, in the wilderness that she so enjoyed, and he believed her. He believed her with all of his being. After all, Elias was not known for going into the woods other than the hunt and even then the hunting was regulated on almost set up to be easy to do. He was spoiled; he did not work for what he wanted, he simply took the things he wanted. That was how things were for him. He was born in the such privilege that he could afford to take what he wanted without thought for others, and he did not think far beyond what is it that Elias wants.

She seemed amused, though. Her eyes lit up, and he could only imagine what was going on inside of her head. He continued to fill her space, and he chuckled again. He was so amused that she was allowing him stay so close to him. She seemed to prefer her personal space, yet here they were with very little between them. Perhaps she was playing the game, too. Now that was a fascinating thought. If she could play the game as well as he could play the game… Then what did that mean?

Someone who could play the game as well as Elias, the womanizer, who had women falling over to get into bed with him. What would that mean for him?
He was not just a pretty boy, and he could push her around it because even though he was below her in status, he was also above her because of his gender alone.

There was nobody here to question the gender norms; save for Athanasia herself, nobody here to make him question gender norms, save for the princess herself. And while he did not believe in the gender inequalities of the world, he understood they existed for a reason. Everything existed for a reason and was colored that Elias was. He could identify many reasons for the inequalities of the world. And this is not even the only inequality in the world. There were others, such as slavery.

Her eyes wandered to the ring on his hand. The family’s symbol, the anchor that identified Elias as a sailor. She smiled, and then she issued a challenge.

Elias was starting to wonder perhaps she was not inequitable to him, perhaps she was an equal. And the thought burned in his mind, that she might be his equal, and he couldn't help but smirk... “Well, princess, if you truly believe that anchors are meant for boats in the sea and bears for their home in the forest… Perhaps you take me to the forest, and I take you sailing one day. We’ll see how you do on the water.”

It was a threat, it was a challenge. He wanted to see if she could do it—if she could make him uncomfortable. Even if he wound up embarrassing himself, it will be worth it because there was the chance that he could garner some form of attention from this girl, who was thus far great at hiding how she felt in situations with him. It was something he was not used to.

The sweet smile that she gave him before she skipped off with the dog at her heels made him chuckle, and he was quick to follow. For the moment, he was like a whipped puppy on a leash. He would follow Athanasia, even if it made him anxious to consider what might happen in the forest.

The very edge of the forest came into view: the greens, the browns, the scents of the forest assaulted his nose. He was not familiar with the forest, but she was. He knew that. They had changed. There was no sense in ruining perfectly good clothing in the forest on a track, trying to impress a girl.

The fact that he was trying to impress a girl was something to reflect upon later, for it was not in his personality to actually impress but to charm and woo and then leave.

Her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and she had a bow and a quiver full of arrows on her back, in a dagger on her hip. She was ready to go. And as she came into view against the stark beauty of the forest, he had to pause and study her. She was so different, yet no different from the day they had met. But this time she was in the world she loved. And he was the one out of place.

“Athanasia,” he greeted as he came up to her side. His own bow and arrow were flung over one shoulder. He was not going to show up to the forest without some form of weapons, and even though we had had to borrow these weapons, they would do. “Are you ready?” His voice was quiet, it almost felt strange to speak so close to the forest. He was not certain whether to be quiet or not. And he would look to her for instructions, as this was her domain.

Elias smirked as she mentioned the bow. “Well, you know I often hunt, as many nobles do. The bow and arrow are my preference, though I am skilled with a sword as well.” He wasn’t a fighter, by any means. But hunting was not fighting. He had ensured Niobe was trained as a bodyguard (albeit this was not obvious) so that he could worry less about getting into fights. It might humiliate other members of the nobility to be protected by a woman, but Niobe rarely had to use a sword to protect her master. Her wit, her charm, her body–she served Elias with all of those things.

“Mm, I am familiar with climbing trees. Though I do not have much experience with boars,” he stated honestly. “A boar’s tusk can kill you,” he stated solemnly. He’d seen men return from hunts torn to pieces by a boar. However, all of Elias’s hunts were in larger crowds, managed by others to ensure his safety over theirs.

Fascinating creatures.

Elias studied the young princess. His lips curled gently. “I’m not used to such rough terrain, Princess, and most of my hunts are in large parties or at sea, but,” he reached to catch her chin, so that he could turn her to face him. “I suppose if I am to die eventually,” he leaned to whisper in her ear, “then it would be a great honor to die seeing the world you so enjoy.”

He released her and studied her quietly. She seemed to be contemplating something, and from the manner she kept glancing over to him, she was quite certain it was about to do with his safety. “I’m truly touched by how little you think of me, Asia,” he purred her name, smirking. “But the water would be where I am most comfortable, yes.” He does not answer whether he can swim, because while he knows he can, she is seriously underestimating him and it amuses him to no end.

She seemed to finally be ready to leave, and her fingers curled around his wrist. “What a forward move, princess,” he crooned, as she led him into the forest. The young woman was certainly something else–and for the moment he fought back instincts that had him wanting to pull her against him, or to pin her against a nearby tree.

See how far she’d let him go…

He’d have to try that later.

2 Hours Later -

Athanasia certainly knew how to pick a hike. She claimed that Elias was going to enjoy the place that she was taking him to. However, he was more curious about if he would enjoy the act of reaching whatever destination they were going to just sit down. His feet hurt. Typically, he was on a horse.

They reached a beautiful spot where he could hear the burbling of a waterfall, and he wanted nothing more than to get into the water and go for a swim. However, she turned around and instead she asked if he was ready to hike for another four hours. He grimaced and moved to drop his bow, reaching to grab her wrist.

He was holding her in place, if she’d let him. And as he spun her around to fully face him, he shook his head. “If you make me hike another four hours, you can leave me there to die, Hades can have me.” He muttered, nodding to the water.

“Why don’t we go for a swim, princess? Unless you have a better idea of something for us to do in this wilderness…?” He winked suggestively. This would be his first time in a forest, that much was true.

Elias enjoyed archery, and while he was trained with a sword, he was not up-to-par like military men were expected to be. His muscles were slim, not overly noticeable, and he preferred it that way. So did many of the women he bedded—he was no stranger to the fact he was a very pretty male. The gaggle of women that normally followed at his tail just confirmed that, any time he began to doubt himself. (Hah, as if Elias has doubts about his beauty.)

He raised his eyebrows as she casually mentioned a scar, presenting her left leg to him. She kicked her leg out, showing which leg the scar was on, but her clothing did little to hide the scar. Once she was standing properly, he knelt next to her, reaching to trail his fingers across the scar, not too mindful of her personal space.

After all, if she did not like it, then she could kick him in the face, quite easily. “Mmm, must have hurt. How old were you?” He asked, tilting his head back to study her. It was not often that Elias kneeled on the ground, for anyone, but certainly not a woman.
Eventually they began to walk again, and for a while there was nothing more afoot than the trek ahead of them.

He eventually settled into step next to her, pausing as she did. After a moment of studying her, he was cupping her chin in his hand with a smirk. Her eyes were so wide, he had certainly caught her off guard, and he could not hide the smirk that crossed his lips. Oh, so smug. And the way her cheeks flushed left him with a satisfied smile, as he released her.

She became defensive as he shortened her name, and he chuckled, raising his hands. “It’s not often a woman tells me she doesn’t like how I say something. Pray tell, what about ‘Asia’ sounds wrong when I say it?” He inquired; voice smooth. He was reminded of a child, being dragged through the market by an upset mother as they caused trouble, by the way she grabbed his wrist and pulled him along by his wrist.

His own mother had never bothered, not that he could remember, though he had been a fairly well-minded child with very little need to be forcibly dragged along. He had always been a well-minded child, until his father decided that he needed to become a Stravos—to start working in the family business. And… from that point on, he learned that life was never fairer to those with less, and that as someone with more it was his job to take what he needed for himself and continue his way up the ladder.

He focused on her again, as she refused to clarify why she disliked her nickname from his mouth. Interesting, he would need to explore that later. She was quick to hit him in the chest, and he chuckled softly. The sound would unnerve most, though he was clearly amused. “Perhaps I need to work on my flirting, Athanasia. Do give me tips, if you care too.” He smirked at her, clearly searching for more ways to unravel the threads that held this princess together.

And oh, just like he had learned from his father, he’d take what he wanted, he’d get what he needed. And if he could not have Persephone, then perhaps this princess would do well enough. Of course, the more he looked at Athanasia, the more he could pick the similarities and the differences between Persephone and this girl out… but yet, she was similar enough, and intriguing enough, that he wanted her.

One princess was as good as the next, you see, when it came to acquiring a crown.

For two more hours they walked, until finally she was skipping—and he decided this must mean the end of the line had been reached. For someone who was lazy, physical activity such as this was not his idea of fun… there were far more interesting ways to be physical. The things one did to impress a girl, though.

And impress her, he needed too. She wasn’t as easy of a sell as the girls in Athenia, who swooned when he spoke to them. Or the poor girls on the streets who saw him as a chance to get a bastard child and a paycheck to keep a secret. Ah, yes, his child was cared for even though he had no idea what their name was, or their gender, or anything more. The agreement on that had been clear: no letters, he’d send her money, she’d keep his secrets and his child safe.

And he had Niobe personally deliver those payments to ensure they reached the woman, and that she was reminded of who she was dealing with, for Niobe was his most imposing weapon when she wished to be.

He was proud of how Niobe had turned out, from the sobbing mess of bruises and malnourished skin and bones to the beautiful young creature that could coax a man out of his clothes, and then coax his secrets from him with ease. He had trained her well, and she seemed to enjoy serving him—though, he supposed, if he had been a slave that was purchased, treated well, and then released… it would make sense to stay near the hand that had treated you well.

But of course, he knew that. There was a reason he had been so kind to Niobe after finding and buying her. He’d wanted her to stay; to better herself, to become someone he could rely on without fail. As he thought about his spymistress, he caught Athanasia’s glances, though he pretended he had not, as if he were lost in the world around them.

She showed him things, talked excitedly about those things, and he smiled and nodded, offering idle conversation where it was appropriate. She was not the most gorgeous girl in the world—certainly she was not Persephone—but she was beautiful, in her own right. Her personality shone, not that he really cared an inkling about that. He only needed her for her title.

Eventually, she was informing him that it would be another four hours and that he would have to walk it. As he proclaimed that Hades could have him, he caught the amusement in her eyes. Lovely eyes, at that, and immediately he was focused from his thoughts to her. He’d inform Niobe that he wanted this one, later.

They’d make a plan and put it into motion.

He just had to make sure not to piss her off any further than he’d already managed too.

“And you said my teasing was bad, Athanasia,” he purred, finding that her laughter was nice, perhaps her difference to Persephone would prove to be for the best. He suggested they swim and rolled his eyes as she pulled out of his hold, forcing a bland, unamused look upon him.

Ah, he’d fumbled.

“Too much, huh?” He shook his head, and wondered what made her tick… what went on inside that pretty little head?

She was moving to the edge of the cliffside, and he eyed her, cautiously. She was quite near the edge and there was part of him that was unnerved—no, not a fear of heights, but rather, of being the last one seen with a princess that wound up deceased.

That wouldn’t be good for him, or his already poor reputation among the Athenian nobles.

It would not be good for his quest to take the throne.

Eventually he realized she was pulling a rope up, with a basket attached on the other end, and watched as she deposited items that she cared about into the basket. He was quick to do the same, choosing to leave his sandals in the basket, as well as whatever was in his pockets.

And… he paused, because there was a palm-sized piece of obsidian missing. A rock that he was never, ever without. He furrowed his brow and shook his head, convincing himself he had left it back in his quarters.

As she lowered the basket back to the ground, he waited to see what they were doing. She walked the edge of the cliff, and he walked behind of her, prepared to grab her if she fell—he was not about to go down for her death, if she died because she was being stupid. He believed her to be a very bright, intelligent girl but…

This did not seem very safe.

She finally reached her destination, the waterfall, and for a moment he was lost in the haze of the falling water, distracted. The next time he glanced at her, she had stepped onto a damp rock, standing taller than he was, and he tilted his head back to look at her.

She explained what this spot meant to her, and he found himself really listening. Because she was showing him something no woman had ever cared enough (or perhaps he had not cared enough to see) to show to him. And it was fascinating.

Athanasia took a step back, and he took a step forward, instinctively. She was speaking to him, and he pondered her words—and then, she had jumped. Simply fallen back from the rock, tumbling through the air.

He stepped up onto the rock she had just vacated, watching. A quick glance to the water confirmed it was deep enough to keep her from getting hurt, and he chuckled softly to himself. “Such a daring girl, this one is. Persephone would have never done something like this.” Though he found himself wondering if the Persephone he had known was the same as the one he saw at all of the meetings.

How much had she changed?

Had she changed as much as he had?

Before he could become too lost down a rabbit hole of memories, he stepped off of the cliffside, as well. Holding his breath, he could not stop a holler as he fell, for the moment, for a brief second—there was a glimpse of who Elias had been, before the family business had sank its claws into him.

He hit the water and stayed under, composing himself as he rose to the surface. “You’re crazy, Athanasia!” He called, over the roar of the waterfall. “Absolutely, utterly, insane!”

Elias tilted his head back, watching the way her eyes had widened. She was thinking, probably, that she might need to kick him, but as he studied her, he wondered what it might be like to have her force him to kneel before her. For it to be an order… not a choice. Dark eyes wandered over her form, thinking about all the reasons he might be made to kneel before her. And none of those reasons were… chaste thoughts. She was nervous, and as she gave him an age, she turned and left him by himself. On the ground.

He chuckled softly, giving her a head start. If only she’d stop running from what he promised her, if only she’d stop playing so hard to get. But then, if she let him have her… she would not be quite as much fun, would she? He smirked, as he stood, straightening the fabrics of his clothing, as he walked after her. His pace was leisurely compared to her own.

She’d cut him off, implying she did not like hearing the nickname from him, and he sighed. “As you wish, Princess.” The way he crooned her title would have made most women melt, and he wanted to see how she reacted; though he was hopeful that she’d not fit his expectations. Force him to piece together the puzzle that was her mind…

A fascinating specimen, really.

And then she declared that he should quit flirting, and he raised his eyebrows. “Aw, and miss your reactions, Princess? Now, that would be unfortunate. You’re so…” He leaned to whisper in her ear, “…so easy, to rile up darling.” He liked seeing the effect his words had on her, the way she reacted; shying away from her own emotions.

Just call Elias a puppet master, because one way or another, he’d pull enough strings to have what he wanted.

He’d winked at her, up until then she had been laughing, leaning into him as they teased and joked, and then she was cold. He kept his irritation off his features, as he watched her. It seemed that this Princess did not enjoy intimacy—perhaps she simply had no idea how fun being intimate could be…
And then she’d jumped from the clifftop, and he had followed, only after assuring himself that she had not died.

And there the laughing girl was again, at ease and completely in his grasp. It was strange to him, to temper the charm that he often oozed. It seemed to scare her off. The pattern was clearer now, and he grinned, “I’ve not had this much fun in a long, long time, Athanasia. Thank you for reminding me there is more to existence than the Senate, or the family business.” He meant the words, he was thinking back to Niobe, how she had needed to be handled differently than the women that tossed themselves at him…

And now, Niobe was in so deep, she’d probably never get out.

As he treaded water, he studied their surroundings; it was truly beautiful here, he could understand why she enjoyed coming out to the water. She was asking what he did for fun, and he pursed his lips. “I’m a Senator, Athanasia. I help my father with his business. I learned a long time ago, you cannot have fun and still earn power.”

It was an honest statement. He moved closer to her. “Come to Athenia and show me how to have fun. I’ll take you to the forests of Aetaea, or the fields of Arcasis… perhaps a hunt or… something.” He murmured.