"To peace."

That was what Hector had said in earnest just the day before. And now, she was acting against her own words. Troy's crown prince cursed under her breath, blaming herself for being unable to deny her brother's wish. King Priam, their father, had worked for years for the peace between Sparta and Troy. Hector herself had experienced the last years of the war first hand, when she took arms at the age of fifteen. Now, four years later, she was a respected general, whose reputation reached Thessaly and Greece equally.

On the other hand, Paris had lived a sheltered life with his adopted family. In the early years of the war, he had been too young to be sent into battle, and when he had been recovered, the war was already in its final stages. He only knew war through the tales of glory that were reported back from the front. His head was full of heroes, honor, and glorious battles. Hector knew that none of that existed in the chaos of the battlefield. She knew how much a war was devastating to a country, taking a strong toll on its people, and leaving nothing but barren soil after it. It was cruel, but necessary for an even stronger nation to be reforged. She knew the price of peace, and how much it had to be valued.

And yet, she had allowed Paris to take Helen with him. She was fully aware of the consequences her brother's action could have. But she had allowed Helen to stay.

Perhaps she had taken to the optimism of the newly established peace. Troy had regained its footing surprisingly fast, prospering beyond imagination. Her people united behind a single cause, Hector had left her homeland without any worry. Yes, war burnt everything in its tracks, but yet, what was reborn from it was beautiful. It was like a dream after a horrible nightmare. Surely Menelaus would not sacrifice the peace for just that. The abduction of his wife was not worth years of war. Not so soon after the last one. Things could be talked through, that was what Hector would do. That was what king Priam would do.

That was, unless Menelaus involved his brother Agamemnon. Hector feared what the greedy king would be able to do if he went against Troy. The man controlled almost all of the known lands. He had always shown interest in Thessaly, always looking to expand his territory. At his scale, the previous war between Sparta and Troy had been like a skirmish for him. Certainly, Troy did not hold enough land to justify raising such an army, would it?

Once they reached Troy, they would send messengers with gifts to Menelaus and the other kings present at the peace banquet. It was not as if the Spartan king was attached to his queen anyways. During the week they were in Sparta, Hector had turned a blind eye to his affections for his many servants, just like she had turned a blind eye to Paris' visits to Helen. Perhaps Helen would have to be sent back, or a political marriage could be arranged with one of her many sisters. There were so many possibilities. Once in Troy, her father would know what to do. Hector irritably dug her knife in the wooden sculpture she destined for her son. She felt both angry and ashamed. Once again, she shied away from her responsibilities. She simply could not deny her baby brother anything.

Hector remembered Paris and Helen begging for her forgiveness, just a few minutes ago, when she had discovered them hiding on the ship. She had seen the love that united them. Even though they had met just a week before, their bond ran deeper than the simple physical attraction between the fairest woman in Greece and the most handsome man known in their realm. Hector had seen enough of her siblings fall madly in love and developing each and every kind of relationships to pinpoint what her brother exactly felt for Helen. And the desperate look the fallen queen had given her had convinced her that Paris' feelings were indeed reciprocated. Helen's marriage had not been one of love, and Menelaus had been everything but a good husband to her. Hector pitied Helen, and while she would have no qualms to return the woman to Sparta and abandon her to her fate, she recognized that Paris' fate was now tied to Helen's. And she would not lose yet another brother to a war that had already ended. Their relieved expressions when she had agreed to return to Troy had pained her to no end, for she knew she was making a foolish decision.

Somehow, Hector was jealous of them, for having found each other. While she loved her wife, Andromache, their feelings towards each other were more akin to a strong friendship. They were faithful to each other, and had developed a fondness along the years. But their marriage had been one of politics. They both understood their roles and fulfilled them flawlessly. The two of them were viewed in Troy as the perfect, loving family. It reassured the citizens when they needed stability most in war times, and this was a constant that had never changed in the five years that they had been together.

Hector was happy indeed. She unconsciously longed for more, and knew that Andromache did too. They often discussed that topic, and both knew they could not risk their current life for anything else. For their people, they simply couldn't. And they were happy with that. They both knew that being royalty was as much a privilege as it was a duty. They didn't have to cook, clean or do any menial task for themselves. Their needs were provided for. They had plenty to eat, warmth when it was cold outside, and comfortable clothes to wear. They received an education, the best professors, the finest weapons. Their people worked to provide them with skills they themselves did not have the time nor money to master. And for that reason, they had to devote these skills entirely to their people. That was their role, their duty, their privilege.

From the moment she had given her first judgment at the age of seven, Hector's life had been traced. As the crown prince, she had received a strict yet loving upbringing, learning politics, academic skills and warfare from an early age. She had devoted herself to becoming a good king and had married a princess who understood her role as well as herself. She would raise her heir like she had been raised, instilling into his young mind with values of duty, honor and faith. Hector had become a pillar of Troy, a great general and a great father. At the age of nineteen, she had already taken many impactful decisions without any fear. And yet, she could not shake the shiver that took her when she tried to untangle the conflicted feelings she had towards Paris and Helen.