The early life of queen Gorgo involved helping her father reject the bribes of a tyrant as well as preparing herself for a glorious future as the queen of Sparta. "She always knew the fear would come. The body remembers the pain, but not the soul, she remembered a warm maternal voice telling her. You can overcome this, the voice said. The girl wrapped herself in a scarlet cloak. For a moment, she imagined that it was blood-spattered, but then she told herself that the cloak belonged to someone who faced the fear and won. Phobos, intangible fear, peered at her malevolently through the darkness, flashing momentary glimpses of courage in retreat. Gorgo felt a gulf between her and the world beyond precious walls dissolved. The imperturbable blackness remained, an uninvited guest mocking the solidity of her presence. Gorgo remained utterly still, feeling her defiance quietly growing in strength. She felt a brave dawn shimmering through the mist of formless fear. And then a hand reached for hers. She looked to her right and saw a boy whose eyes instantly locked onto hers. The sudden sensation of hands entwined surpassed the feeling of fearful flesh devouring her heart. The boy maintained his eyes on her as he held her hand tightly. Gorgo saw the look of courage in the boy's eyes. She knew that they both had to walk through the darkness and make it to the other side. As they held hands, they both saw an army rising and facing the darkness. Warriors sprung from the unwholesome blackness and began to assault the fear. Cries of pain echoed loudly for a moment, submerging the two children. Gorgo and the boy felt the darkness being defeated, their hearts beating in near-unison. Gorgo looked at the boy and imagined seeing war scars on his body. Then she knew who the boy was: Leonidas. The darkness now began to dissolve, and bright dawn light came pouring through the dying mist. Gorgo and Leonidas realized that they had already walked through the darkness. They had both overcome fear. Gorgo held on to the scarlet cloak. The boy was gone. Gorgo stood before an ocean of brightness. She blinked her eyes in a near-disbelieving fashion, as though expecting herself to awake from a dream. She still felt the boy's touch on her hand."