Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine.

Brotherly Love:

The sky was a magnificent blue and the warm afternoon sun shone down on the sea, making the water sparkle like stars in the sky. Some said the sea was a reflection of the sky but Hector didn't believe them. The sea was something else entirely than a simple reflection, Poseidon only had to unleash a storm to prove it. It was hard to believe that in a few days or even a few hours time the sea would be filled with Greek ships.

Hector knew he should be angry at Paris for starting this war but he couldn't. His brother was young and naïve, foolish some might say. Although the youngest prince of Troy was very intelligent, indeed he was better than Hector in most matters, he let his heart guide him too often.

Paris was a handsome young man with his dark brown curls and brown eyes and many women, and even some men, had fallen for his charms even though the young prince never abused of his power. However, while many people wanted to please him, Paris remained a romantic soul, he wanted to find true love just like Hector had with Andromache.

Then there had been their trip to Sparta to sign a peace treaty with the King Menelaus. It had been Paris' first important mission and he had barely been able to keep still on the ship to the great amusement of Hector and the crew. When they had finally arrived in Sparta Paris' eyes had grown the size of dinner plates as he took in the city, even Hector, who had seen much in his life already, had been impressed.

During the trip to the palace of Menelaus his younger brother hadn't stopped babbling about the amazing architecture, the view and so on. Hector let him talk, he knew better than to try and engage Paris in conversation when the younger man was captivated by something, it would result in Paris giving all kinds of details on one fact or another and Hector being completely clueless as to what they were talking about. It seemed strange that Hector was the better diplomat of the two but the elder man had always been better at discerning what was of importance for his country and what wasn't while Paris wanted to try and please as many people as he could.

King Menelaus himself greeted the two brothers at the palace gates and led them to a large dining room where slaves were preparing everything for the evening meal. The king ordered a slave to escort the two princes to their rooms while he grabbed a passing girl and kissed her forcefully on the mouth. Paris' mouth had dropped open in shock, he was probably about to say something stupid so Hector grabbed his arm and nearly dragged him from the room.

When they were alone Paris began to rant and rave about how it was a scandal that a king would behave like this and the poor girl who seemed absolutely terrified until Hector firmly told his brother to stay quiet and behave. Grudgingly Paris had done so. The remainder of their stay had gone by quite well though Hector had caught Paris and Queen Helen exchanging secret glances and Paris looking at her pityingly everytime her husband treated her like dirt, which was nearly all the time. Even Hector had been shocked at the lack of respect Menelaus showed his wife, who seemed about the same age as Paris.

When they were on their way back to Troy and Paris had told Hector he had taken Helen along his first reaction had been anger of course. Paris had probably broken te peace treaty between Troy and Sparta that had only been signed to days earlier. Hector felt betrayed, for a moment it was as of Paris didn't care about Troy, their father and him but then, when Paris realised what he had done, his eyes had widened in shock. The younger man began worrying his bottom lip, as he always did when he was nervous and Hector knew his brother had once again acted without thinking. When he claimed he loved Helen Hector had not doubted that, he was no fool and most of all he knew his little brother. There had been no lie in Paris' eyes when he had said he loved her and finally Hector knew what the glances had meant.

Paris had fallen in love with the beautiful Queen of Sparta and when he had seen how she was being treated by her husband he had decided to get her out of there and give her a chance at a better life, not thinking of the consequences.

For a moment Hector feared the girl had been playing with his brother's feelings to get away from Menelaus but those suspicions were soon crushed when he saw the two of them together. They reminded him of Andromache and himself.

So now Hector was waiting for the Greeks to come and fetch back the Queen of Sparta, ready to fight a war that could so easily have been avoided if only Paris had thought before acting. Yet that was how Paris was and Hector wouldn't change him for all the riches in the world.

Let them call him a fool, he doesn't care, after all brotherly love has no limits.

The End.

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