The Beautiful Stranger

Chapter II: Knowing Her

Kassandra's POV
Kephallonia

I had been in the washroom for some time now, washing the dirt out of my hair and scrubbing it out of my cuts. When I was finished I stepped out of the tub and on to the soft bath mat. I dried myself in a towel and reached for my chiton only to find it wasn't there. That meant I had to venture all the way through the house and into my closet to find one; the only way to get there was through the kitchen, where Ophelia was.

I wrapped the towel around my body as tight as I could and opened the door. I stepped out of the washroom and onto the cold stone floor. I started down the hallway towards the kitchen with my stomach becoming knotted with each step.

It's fine Kassandra, she won't see anything. Kassandra wasn't worried about the way she was formed, she was fit and in good shape. She was worried about her scars; two on her arm, one on her shoulder, and she was sure there were some on her back that she couldn't see. She just wanted Ophelia to think she was pretty. She might not even notice you.

With that final thought she rounded the corner and she was in the kitchen. She froze.

Markos had left so that left Kassandra and the blonde haired girl standing alone together. Kassandra clenched her fist with anxiety. Why did I even leave the washroom.

The girl looked her up and down. "Your clothes?"

" I-in the closet, " Kassandra stuttered, "I have to go through the kitchen to get them, I thought you had already left." That was a lie, she knew Ophelia was there.

Ophelia didn't say anything, she just nodded. With that Kassandra speed-walked passed the pretty woman and down the next hall to the closet.

∆∆∆

Ophelia's POV
Kephallonia

Markos had just left and I was standing in the kitchen waiting for Kassandra to finish in the washroom so we could talk. I wanted to tell her I was visiting from Athens and her mother was there.

She suddenly came around the corner and stopped in her tracks. She was wrapped in a towel. I didn't mean to look at her the way I did and I'm sure she noticed with the way she curled her hands. She was muscled and fine with the scars of a warrior. The one I noticed first was on her shoulder, then her arms and when she finally hurried past the rest on her back. Her knees were scraped and bruised, they looked fresh. She probably got them trying to find me.

She said something about forgetting her clothes and her closet was down the hall. She eventually returned with a look of embarrassment on her face, it wasn't very noticeable but it was still there. We exchanged hellos before she tried to walk away again.

"Kassandra?"

She turned slowly to face me again.

"I need to talk to you."

"Now?"

"If you don't mind," I took a step towards her. She was at least a head taller than me but I was still at a small distance so I didn't have to look directly up at her. "it's very important."

A questioning look crossed her face. "Go on then."

"I'm here to tell you who I am along with some very important things you must know," the look didn't leave her face. "I'm a hand of the government and your mother is in Athens."

Kassandra had been looking at the ground and her head snapped up to meet my eyes. "She's what?"

"In Athens." Her brows were furrowed in concern of shock. I wasn't sure. "Don't worry, she is safe and will be able to get a boat here as soon as possible, you don't even have to leave."

The thing about Kassandra is that she had already left Kaphallonia once when she was looking for her family before. She had lost a little girl named phoibe and had an affair with a high authorial figure, Aspasia. Aspasia's husband, Perikilies had died before their affair had been found out. Aspasia had been dismissed from her position and Kassandra eventually found out she was the leader of the Cult of Kosmos. Aspasia was doing it for a good reason and Kassandra understood that, but with the way the Cult had treated her family she couldn't bear to stay with her last lover any longer. So she left Aspasia with understanding in her heart and left Athens without her mother.

"How did you find her?"

"She came to us, Aspasia specifically." I tried to tread carefully around that name. I knew it would be like walking on eggshells .

Her jaw clenched a few times and she swallowed hard. "Oh. What did Aspasia have to say about all this."

"Aspasia was very kind about it all and understood the situation. She remembers your ventures well. Especially when you came to her looking for your mother."

"Yes I know. Is my mother in the way."

"She can be if you would like that. I can send a messenger now."

"I would appreciate that," Kassandra smiled for the first time since I've met her. "I could kiss you for doing this for me."

We laughed about it but in reality I wouldn't mind. Kassandra made her way to her cot and I spoke the the guards outside and asked them to go to the port. Their task was to find the messenger on my boat and send him back to Athens to retrieve Kassandra's mother.

••••••••

Chapter two is done.

1. Have you ever been to Greece

2. Aspasia is a smash and that's all I have to say