“It is apparent to you, Captain Gustasp, that I am no friend of this Gaumata. I have been brought here by lying letters purporting to be from my brother, Bardya, and I knew not the truth until your daughter revealed it to me. Doubtless I have been brought here to suffer death. For, as long as one of the house of Cyrus remain, so long will the usurper be insecure on his throne. I remember Gaumata. I saw him during the last year of Cyrus and I heard of his punishment. Now has come his revenge! But I shall escape. There is one who comes from the west as swiftly as horses may bring him. Do you remember the youth who played with us in those days? That grave youth who was a man even before he was old enough to enlist in the King’s guards—Darius, son of Hystaspis, King of Iran?”
“I remember him. Has not his fame filled the whole earth? All young Aryans swear by him!”
“True! Had not Cambyses cruelly interfered, I would this day be his wife. He took an oath to Cyrus, my father, to support Cambyses and Bardya on their thrones, as long as they should live. Death has released him from the oath. It may not be that I shall reign alone as Queen, since it is contrary to the customs of the Aryans. The King of Iran is now the head of the Achæmenian royal family and entitled to reign as King of the Aryans. When he shall pass the bridge to heaven, the Prince of Iran will be King. The world will then know a just and mighty master. And I shall reign with him. Then, Gustasp, I may be able to reward faithful service. Is it not possible for me to escape? I escaped from Cambyses alone, disguised as a youth. Have you not a horse that I might ride away upon this night?”
Gustasp was troubled. He gazed thoughtfully out of the window a moment in silence. The red rim of the sun was disappearing behind a distant ridge.
“This is a wild portion of Medea,” he said presently. “Brigands roam about. Traveling without a large escort is dangerous. It is now almost night. For a week there can be no danger to you here. I am in command of the Guard. It will not be so much a prison for you as a place of safety. To-morrow I will send to the hills for one who owes his life to me. I saved him from the wrath of Gaumata, who had ordered me to execute him. This man will I send with a message to your friends. He may bring help. The chamberlain of the castle is a priest of the Magi. He was in the room below as we came through. He is here as your guard, I suppose. But this night I shall sleep at the foot of this stairway and keep watch over you. You are weary and must have sleep. My daughter, if you will, shall watch with me. Perhaps to-morrow we may think of a better plan.”
Athura rose and went to the window, where she stood some moments in silence, contemplating the forbidding aspect of the darkening hills and considering the words of the captain. She was, indeed, weary. She therefore signified her assent to the suggestion, and the captain retired. His daughter remained with the Princess. The captain that night slept on the floor of the room below, with his body across the doorway leading to the chamber above and his sword at his side.
CHAPTER XIX
A GALLOPING TO AND FRO
THE dull, plodding peasants of Persia, Medea, Susiana, and Babylonia wondered why so many messengers rode at breakneck speed, on foaming, dusty horses, and so many squads of cavalry galloped, along the roads, during those last days of the false Smerdis, or Bardya, King of the World. They loved not these military men, with their over-bearing ways, their oaths and blows, their lawlessness and oppression. But they only sighed and remained silent, hoping but not believing that some day the Great King would lift them up and put the soldiers down. The shepherds on the hills drove their flocks high up into the mountain fastnesses and concealed them in gulches and ravines. For, it was whispered, an immense army of Persians was marching up from the south. No one knew why it was coming, but it was safer to keep the flocks out of sight, lest the hungry hordes should have fresh meat at their expense. Rumors of war flew about. Some said Babylonia was about to revolt; others that the Scythians were threatening an invasion.
Meanwhile at the capital city, Hamadan, confusion reigned. Reports came from Persia indicating that the King of Iran was gathering a great army. Then came messengers from the army at Damascus relating the departure of the Prince and the Guard. Patatheites and Gaumata at once became uneasy and directed the governor of Nineveh to march out and intercept the Prince. Then came Prexaspes, who, knowing that he could expect no mercy from the King of Iran and his son, offered his services to the usurper, and was made commander of the army and satrap of Medea. He advised immediate preparation for war. Decrees were issued to all the governors of provinces commanding them to assemble their soldiers and bring them to Hamadan. Heralds were dispatched to the King of Iran demanding the reason for gathering an army at Persepolis. Prexaspes personally went into western Medea, where he had large estates, and directed that all Medean levies from that section should gather at Nicæa. Then Gaumata and Patatheites, learning that their ruse whereby Athura had been beguiled into the castle of the former, had succeeded, departed from the capital city to visit her and make some treaty with, or disposal of, her. They had barely departed when Captains Arios and Mardux at the head of their combined companies rode into the capital on horses almost dead with fatigue, and at the palace gates demanded the person of the Princess Athura. The commander of the palace-guard was insolent and insulting. He even threatened to arrest the blustering captains, who thereupon suddenly assaulted the palace with their bold troopers, before the guards could be warned, and gained possession of it. The guards fled into the city and called upon the citizens for aid. Captains Arios and Mardux searched the palace in vain for the Princess Athura, but found and released the usurper’s harem, in which was Phædima, the daughter of Otanes. What next to do the captains knew not. But the citizens of Hamadan, indignant that a company of freebooters should dare to take the King’s palace, soon gave them something to do and laid close siege to them in it. They were not to be dislodged, however, and held the citizens at bay, trusting that they would presently be rescued by the King of Iran.
The Prince of Iran, having marched by a short route across northern Arabia, avoided Babylon on the right and Susa on the left and arrived upon the great highway between Persepolis and the latter city, where, as narrated, he received information that led him to march at once to Susa, intent upon aiding in the rescue of the Princess Athura. He seized Susa and deposed its governor, who was a Mede in the service of Gaumata. He paused here two days to rest and refit his command, meanwhile sending scouts northward to gain information concerning the movements of the usurper. Then a body of Persians, constituting the advance corps of the Persian army, having arrived, the Prince left a garrison in the city and with about twenty thousand men hurried northward on the road to Hamadan, intent upon capturing that city before Gaumata could prepare for resistance. On the first day out he was met by the messenger from Athura, which caused him to change his intention and march into western Medea upon Nicæa.