A/N: I have been reading and reviewing Troy stories for the longest time and finally I have written one of my own! This story mostly revolves around the romance between Hector and Andromache in the future. I hope you all enjoy and please review! Thank you!
"Paris, you scoundrel!" shouted Hector, running down the staircase in hot pursuit of his younger brother.
"If you want it back, you're going to have to catch me first!" cried Paris gleefully, jumping the last few steps and running into the kitchen, where their father Priam and cousin Briseis were eating a peaceful breakfast of bacon and eggs.
Peaceful until Paris burst into the room, of course.
"Why, son, what is the matter with you?" asked Priam, a tiny strip of bacon stuck to his lip. "Even though you are an adult now, you act exactly as a child would."
"That's because he still is a child," commented Briseis snidely, sipping her glass of orange juice.
Choosing to ignore both insults directed toward him, Paris opted for a change in direction. "I am the child?" asked Paris incredulously, grinning from ear to ear. "There is only one child in this household and that child is-"
"Hector?" asked Priam, when his eldest son burst into the room, red-faced and scowling.
"Give it back!" shouted Hector, making a dive toward Paris's arms.
As Paris fended his older brother off with his right hand, his left hand shot up, clutching a stuffed brown horse. He waved it victoriously in the air.
"Aha!" he yelled triumphantly, "Now I have proof that Hector is, in fact, the child!"
Hector, who saw that his secret was revealed slumped his arms to his sides, a dark look on his face. "Give Ares back," he muttered.
"By the Gods!" cried Paris, his face almost split in half by his wide smile, "This thing has a name!"
Paris looked like he was about to urinate in his pants from utter bliss.
Priam and Briseis looked on in fascination, at the brooding Hector and the triumphant Paris. Of course, they could not blame Hector for being in a foul mood, for Paris can have a rotten effect on people; or a lovely one. Paris tended to polarize people; you either love him or you hate him. The strongest advantage Paris had was the fact that he was supremely good-looking.
Priam had made a mental note to himself: Keep Paris away from suicidal people.
"Aw, what a cute little horsey!" cooed Briseis, ripping the stuffed horse from Paris's hand, "Don't you think so, Uncle Priam?"
"Indeed it is," observed Priam calmly while sipping his coffee.
Paris, who was at a loss for words, glanced at Hector who was smiling smugly. Apollo help me if I lose to Hector again! Thought Paris bitterly, wringing his hands.
"Don't tell me you're not going to acknowledge the proof that Hector is more childish than I am!" cried Paris, "I mean what kind of twenty-something year old man keeps a stuffed animal under his pillow?"
Just as Hector was about to protest, Briseis cut in and said, "I think it takes a real man to own stuffed animals. Shows they're not trying to be the hard, tough-as-nails type. This horse is very cute, Hector."
"Thank you, Briseis," said Hector, "Glad to know that somebody here isn't mindless and insensitive to other peoples' possessions."
Paris, who was thunder-struck, looked from Briseis to Hector to Priam to Briseis again. "The man named the horse ARES for goodness sakes!"
"And your point is?" said Priam, "I think Ares is a lovely name. Who was Ares again? Ah, yes, the Olympian god of war and son of Zeus. The name fits this horse just fine."
"Thank you, father," said Hector.
Sighing in defeat, Paris accused, "Why do both of you always take his side?"
"Side?" asked Briseis innocently, "We don't take anyone's "side". I wasn't aware that this was an argument."
Growling, Paris made his way to the refrigerator, grabbed a bottle of Sunny-D and made his way out of the kitchen.
"Now wait just a minute there," said Priam, "Where do you think you are going? You know very well we have an important dinner engagement tomorrow with my business partners."
Not even bothering to turn around to face his father, Paris said airily, "Oh, I have a date with this gorgeous girl named Marpessa. Absolutely exquisite. We're going to the Petite Café. Besides, the dinner is tomorrow. I'll be home by then, geesh."
After that statement, Paris turned around and said, "Father, aren't you glad that at least one of your sons manages to find dates?" He directed his sweet stare at Hector and then left.
"With the women he brings home, I'd rather have him not bring home any," grumbled Briseis.
"Don't impregnate any woman!" shouted his Priam.
"I won't!" shouted Paris before closing the front door.
Chuckling, Hector took a seat at the kitchen table and helped himself to a heaping of bacon and eggs. "That Paris," he muttered, opening a section of the newspaper.
"You know, I seem to remember your stuffed horse, Ares," mused Priam. "Wasn't that a gift from your mother and me when you were just a baby?"
"Yes, it is," said Hector, in between bites.
His and Paris's parents, Priam and Hecuba have separated quite a while back, about 10 years ago. Citing irreconcilable differences; needless to say, Hector and Paris did not take it lightly when they divorced. They did all they could to try to help save the marriage but in the end it didn't work out. So now Hector and Paris live with Priam, along with their cousin Briseis while their other siblings lived with their mother. They visited occasionally.
"You must really love that horse, huh?" asked Briseis.
Hector just nodded behind his newspaper.
"Your mother called this morning," said Priam, standing up to put his dishes in the sink.
"Oh, really?" asked Hector, lowering his newspaper, "For what purposes?"
"She wants all of us to attend Laodice's play at the local theatre," said Priam, "Its tonight at the Oakland Arts Center. I guess I have to cut our meetings short tonight."
"Fine," said Hector. "Laodice is getting to be quite fond of theatre, isn't she? My sister wants to be an actress! Imagine that."
"I think acting is a wonderful profession," said Briseis, standing up. She swung her tote bag over her shoulder and stated, "I'm going to go to work now!"
And with that, she left the room, leaving only Hector and Priam.
"Where does she work again?" asked Priam, only mildly curious.
"At the hospital. She's there as the receptionist for Dr. Curtis."
After a moment of silence, Priam cleared his throat then casually said, "So, about my business partner's daughter-"
Slamming down his newspaper on the table, Hector sighed. "Father, please don't bring her up again. Are you and Eetion playing matchmaker for me again?"
"Of course not!" said Priam, "Why, that's preposterous! Eetion and I do not scheme over your love life… although I heard his daughter is really very nice, quite a beauty-"
Raising his hand up tiredly, Hector said, "Father, stop. I believe I can find my own wife, I am not that helpless."
"But you'd take a million years! Uh- I mean, son, just try to talk to her, see how it all works out!"
"Well, I suppose one of these days, if I'm not too busy," said Hector reluctantly.
Priam clapped his hands together. "Wonderful! Tomorrow night, then?"
"You know very well we have that dinner engagement tomorrow," said Hector. "Who are we dining with again?"
Smiling secretively, Priam casually said, "Eetion."
"What!"
"You heard me, son. I said Eetion. Our company is partnering up with his, for as you know, the man is a genius. He can think up of concepts for rides so fast he can make your head spin."
Hector groaned. TroyWorld, his father's theme park is going to create an alliance and team up with Thebe Engineering?
Priam is the creator and owner of one of the world's most famous theme parks, TroyWorld. It had been built five decades ago and was popular among kids and adults. In fact, it was so popular that their company had been able to produce a theme park for almost every country in the world. Just recently they have been hauling in profits like never before; a breakthrough was what his father called it.
Their rival theme park is called SpartaLand. They are not as popular as Troy World, but getting there. SpartaLand's owners are two brothers by the names of Agamemnon and Menelaus. They have tried almost everything to gain more fame than TroyWorld. So far all their efforts were futile.
When Hector hit the age of 21, he had been helping out his father, flying all over the world for meetings and such. It had been a very time-consuming and demanding job. Since Hector never had any time to spare for himself, he barely had any friends and only had one or two girlfriends in the past. Needless to say, he and Paris are different like night and day. Hector couldn't charm a woman to save his life.
"Father, I hope this isn't one of yours and Eetion's sick tricks to get me to meet his daughter."
"Son, that is absolutely ridiculous. Is it my fault that Thebe Engineering is a brilliant company? Is it my fault that Eetion, the president himself is a genius?"
"But don't you think we have enough rides? I mean honestly-"
"Son, who knows what's best for the theme park? Moi, the creator, or you, my predecessor?"
Hector shut up.
"Thought so," said Priam cheerfully. "Ok then, so it's all settled! Tomorrow night, you and Paris will accompany me to the dinner. There, we shall discuss which rides to build and etcetera. Now, let's go to work!"
Hector groaned then stood up to get his coat.
But I do not want to meet Eetion's daughter…what can I possibly say to her? I'll bore her to tears!