A/N: First of all, I would like to apologize in not updating for about two months, the writers block was tough but I worked threw it and really like what I wrote. I want to thank everyone who has stuck with my story. I'm trying to do the legend justice it is hard to follow the original myth. I wanted to really philosophize the meaning of what is a hero in this chapter and build the mood for the war on both sides. The Iliad left out the whole thing about Iphiginia and only briefly mentioned it in book 9 I believe. Euripides expanded on the legend by trying to capture the tragedy of Agamemnon by showing a more regretful side of him I tried to incorporate this by using both stories in my retelling of the tale, isn't that what folklore is all about? Enjoy the labor of my research and creativity and please review and express your thoughts.

Chapter 7: The Exile of Insanity

It had been three months sense Hector had left. I kept counting the days until he returned to me. Hecuba and Priam welcomed their sons back with open arms. Then I saw her, she was spellbinding, it was if she was the sum of all my darkest uncertainties.

I didn't want to understand why Priam, who was usually a wise man called her Helen of Troy. I witnessed the painful but silent torment of Cassandra in all her sad despair. My husband had been almost hauntingly quiet that day. It wasn't until later that evening I apprehensively decided to break the silence and ask how the treaty in Sparta went.

"Andromache, there is something I have been meaning to talk to you about. My intentions for peace have succumbed to war." (He didn't say it was nothing to worry about which terrified me, he didn't say that everything would be alright in the end, all he said was that he loved his country to much to let war plague Mother Troy.) "Hector, I thought you said that the treaty was signed by your own hand." He looked at me with fear in his melancholy eyes. "Andromache, that woman you saw earlier, do not hate her, she is not the reason of this war, she is the Achaean's excuse for a war. For centuries the Achaean's have tried to gain access to the Dardanelle's. Paris said that he had to get her out of a bad situation and that she is nothing more than a refugee. After much thinking, I have decided that if I were to return her, it would be an instant death sentence for her and this would not stop the Achaean States from declaring war under Agamemnon." I looked at him with something beyond fear in my eyes. "You know you don't have to go threw with this." Hector was a natural talent when it came to reading peoples emotions, especially mine. Perhaps this is why he could relate to horses so well, because he believed that a good general could read the behavior of their horse as well as their men. Then he looked at me and said, "My Love, It is alright to be scared but don't cry for me. First of all, we have the advantage with the war on Holly Troy. I myself have never been threw a war but I assure you that I have had the finest military education the civilized world has to offer. Though this life is blessed with privilege, it also has civic curses. It is my job to protect the farmer and the merchant solider civilian, and you. Tomorrow morning Father and I will address the public and begin preparations. I will also have military officials sent to prepare our allies." He looked at me like the poster patriot that he was, but there was a glint of trepidation in his soul. "Hector; is this what I left Thebe for, a war? How long will it last, who will live and who will die." I was crying uncontrollably, our room and this scared haven seemed so surreal, like the dream before the nightmare.

I instinctively thought of my native Thebe; "Our Allies, you mean Thebe. Oh Hector, now if there is any time I have ever asked for anything, I need to go home, I need to make sure my family is safe."

"Andromache, I forbid that, it is not safe for a woman to be traveling during a time of war, if any thing ever happened to you I would never be able to forgive myself. Besides in two weeks your eldest brother Podes and your father will be coming to discuss arrangements." At that point I cut him off. "Stop, why can't you just say it, my father and my brother will be coming to receive their death sentence." Hector held my face in his hands and said; "Andromache, let us rest and not think about what parallels may come in life and just live for the moment." With that he tenderly kissed me good night.

Morning's bliss smiled like a gentle infant, one still innocent, one still naive to the parallels of war. It was a beautiful autumn day; one would never guess a massacre would soon occur. Life was almost normal. The children were on the beaches looking for treasures and their mothers were at market. Hector was sitting at his study preparing his speech. A giant crowd had gathered to hear my husband address his nation.

"People of Troy, humble farmer and Shepard, slave and citizen; in a few days time the Achaean nations will be upon us, they have united under Agamemnon, the king of kings.

I ask you, why do we fight, Are we men of virtue, or are we the humble citizen soldier just trying to serve our country and preserve our independent culture and history and not become a colony to Hellas. I ask you, what is a hero, is it the men who die in battle, the winners of the war or a father just trying to protect his family so in the end he can go back to his civilian life. It pains me to tell my forefather's country, my country that we have to prepare for war. Some of you may view this as your opportunity to become heroes, the real hero is the man who does not think twice about rescuing his brother in arms, his fellow caviler, the man who puts his own life in danger. In war, there are no winners, only losers. War is a loss but a necessity. It insures peace. Tonight, citizens of Troy, I ask you to go home to your families and have that last supper and time with your wives. Tomorrow brings a new day."

Silence, it was one of those moments when the world stops. When ten seconds can feel like ten hours. Nobody moved and nobody breathed, the world was heavy with anticipation. The next morning Hector and I stood hand and hand, husband and wife, monarchs of a country on the brink of war, on the beach; a beach which in the very near future would become wet and stained by the crimson color of human blood, pain and uncertainty the anitserinity, time stood still, it was the goodwill before the storm.

Somewhere else in a moment of time, a man who had everything, worried about the fate of his family, his two young daughters and infant son; but they were not enough to satisfy his thirst for war. Agamemnon was told that the Goddess Artemis demanded the blood sacrifice of his own seed because Artemis Moon favored sacred Troy. "We must send for her Agamemnon, there is no other way. I will send a messenger to tell your wife that Iphiginia is to be the bride of Achilles and Mycenae and Phthia will be united" said Calchas. "Calchas, my daughter is innocent, I'm sure we could just take the land passage, we don't need to sail."

"Agamemnon, the mob is already restless; travel by land would take far too long. As your advisor, it is my job to tell you that you face mutiny by the crowd if you do not apse the goddess.

(BACK IN MYCEANE)

"Iphiginia, I have great news from your father, you are to be married to Achilles before he leaves for the war. I will send you and a handmaiden to the famous port."

"Mother, but what of my siblings, and dear Hermione? I can't leave you in a time of war to go off to a far off kingdom."

"Iphiginia, your father's cousin Aegisthus has graciously offered his counsel in governing. Go up and pack and I will be up in a few minutes."

Aegisthus was a shrewd man who was bent on possessing the Mycenaean thrown. With Agamemnon gone, Clytemnestra was vulnerable. "She will be mine, as will Mycenae and with Agamemnon and Iphiginia gone what's to stop me from avenging my father." Aegisthus looked at his guard whom seemed slightly worried. "What about Orestes, or for even that matter, Menelaus."

Prince Aegisthus smugly sipped his wine and gave a cruel smile, "Orestes is not even a month old and will be sent away for the dear boy's protection, make sure he never returns, Menelaus is chasing a woman who doesn't even love him and Agamemnon is sacrificing his daughter in the name of war. I have nothing to worry about.

The next morning, Iphiginia arrived at the Achaean camp. "Father, I have missed you, you look so tired with thoughts of this war on your mind. I remember when I was a child, you would let me ride on your favorite horse and you would play with me as a child. But I hear I'm to be married in a political marriage to Lord Achilles."

"Iphiginia, go ready yourself for tonight's celebration where on this eve, you will make a happy bride and good wife, a servant to your country. She walks away so naively like the child she is. Calchas, I can not do the bloody deed. I held her when she was a babe. She is my child, my humanity, my innocence."

That night, Iphiginia was walked by her father to the Elysium Fields, She protested loudly at first but in the end, she willingly did it for her country. The child that represented what was left of Agamemnon's innocence became the bride of Hades. Her father watched in shame as Calchas smoothly slit her pure throat and collected the bold for Artemis Moon. War has no reason or logic. It is only tragedy. Who are the heroes? They are the average Shepard from the hills of Troy and the child like bride from Mycenae. In war there are no parallels or even planes, only the exile of insanity.