Hector's head snapped around.
"What!" he exclaimed, a startled look on his face. Paris grinned. Just then the people saw the royal family on the balcony and gave a loud cheer. Hector, Paris and Priam waved to the people. After a few moments the crowd seemed to loose interest in them and returned to celebrating. The three of them saw down on the thrones. Hector leaned behind his father's throne to speak to Paris.
"Her name is Andromache" Paris repeated. "She's the daughter of Sardis, that wealthy jeweller who lives on the east side of town."
Hector blinked.
"And how come you have never seen her before?" Paris continued with a smile before his brother could respond. "Because she lives in one of those big manors in the countryside with her mother and sister."
"How do you..." Hector began.
"Because" Paris interrupted, a twinkle in his eyes, "evidently her sister is very attractive."
Hector narrowed his eyes.
"Brother" Paris said a calming voice, reaching across and tapping Hector on the shoulder. "If you like her then of course I won't um...decide to...visit her sister."
"Thank you" Hector replied sarcastically leaning back over to face the crowd.
His soft brown eyes searched frantically for Andromache, but she was no where to be seen. Disappointed, Hector sat slumped on his throne until the servants call them for dinner.
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After a delicious dinner of roast quail and venison Hector and Paris went to join the party in the square. While Paris went off in search of the saddle maker's wife, Hector spent his time searching for Andromache. Once he thought he spotted her dancing on the roof of a building and gave all the women quite a scare when he came bursting up the ladder. After apologizing profusely he returned to the market just in time to see Paris leading the saddle maker's wife down a deserted alley. Just as they disappeared the woman's husband came stumbling around the corner carrying a large jug of wine.
"Casara" he bellowed in a drunken voice. As he approached the prince, Hector could see that his face was flushed from the vine and that a large vein in his neck was pulsing frantically.
"Ah, prince Hector" he said attempting a bow. "Great party, good job with the war." "Have you seen my Casara?" he slurred, "I seem to have lost her."
Hector had just opened his mouth to respond when Casara's giggles could be heard down the alley.
"CASARA" the man screamed. "If you are with another man I'm going to kill you!!!"
Just before the man reached the entrance to the alleyway Hector stepped in front of him to block his path.
"Citizen, I'm sure that that's not your wife, and if it is I'm sure she's laughing out of pleasure from our excellent wine, and not the touch of another man." Hector said nervously.
The man swayed for a moment and appeared about to leave when a woman's moan of pleasure echoed down the alley.
I'm going to kill Paris when we get home, Hector thought to himself.
"Casara, you're a dead woman" the man yelled over Hector's shoulder.
Suddenly the man charged at Hector. Underestimating the strength of the man the prince landed on the ground with a thud, the air knocked out of him.
"Run" Hector tried to scream, but no sound came out.
Just was the man was about to reach the unsuspecting Casara and Paris Hector jumped to his feet, grabbed a nearby pot and threw it at the man. It hit him square in the back of the head and smashed to pieces on the ground. The man stood rigid for a moment before collapsing on the paving stones. A moment later Paris and Casara emerged from the darkness of the alleyway.
"Go home" Hector said sharply to Casara.
She nodded silently and ran off, leaving her husband lying in the alleyway.
"You" he said to Paris. "are coming with me."
Without a sound Paris followed his brother out towards the street. Hector stopped at the house on the corner and pulled two gold coins from his purse. He slid them under the door with a sigh.
"For the pot I broke on the man's head" Hector explained in a cold voice.
Just before they reached the main street Hector turned to face his brother. Paris lowered his eyes.
"Do you know what's going to happen now?"
Paris shook his head.
"When Casara's husband wakes up" Hector began. "He is going to see the broken pieces of the pot and figure out what happened. Then, in a fit of rage he is going to tell the entire city that Prince Hector attacked him in order to allow his wife to continue on her little affair."
"Sorry" Paris muttered. "And thank you"
"Sorry won't work this time Paris, I want you to promise me that you're going to stop sleeping with other men's wives."
Paris looked up to meet Hector's eyes.
"I promise" he said in a serious tone, but Hector could see the edges of his mouth twitching as if to hide a smile.
Hector sighed and turned back towards the street.
"Sure you do" he said rolling his eyes and marching down the street.
Hector was still so angry with his brother that on the way home he did not even notice a beautiful woman in a purple and blue stola passionately kissing a man on the steps of the palace.
"What!" he exclaimed, a startled look on his face. Paris grinned. Just then the people saw the royal family on the balcony and gave a loud cheer. Hector, Paris and Priam waved to the people. After a few moments the crowd seemed to loose interest in them and returned to celebrating. The three of them saw down on the thrones. Hector leaned behind his father's throne to speak to Paris.
"Her name is Andromache" Paris repeated. "She's the daughter of Sardis, that wealthy jeweller who lives on the east side of town."
Hector blinked.
"And how come you have never seen her before?" Paris continued with a smile before his brother could respond. "Because she lives in one of those big manors in the countryside with her mother and sister."
"How do you..." Hector began.
"Because" Paris interrupted, a twinkle in his eyes, "evidently her sister is very attractive."
Hector narrowed his eyes.
"Brother" Paris said a calming voice, reaching across and tapping Hector on the shoulder. "If you like her then of course I won't um...decide to...visit her sister."
"Thank you" Hector replied sarcastically leaning back over to face the crowd.
His soft brown eyes searched frantically for Andromache, but she was no where to be seen. Disappointed, Hector sat slumped on his throne until the servants call them for dinner.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After a delicious dinner of roast quail and venison Hector and Paris went to join the party in the square. While Paris went off in search of the saddle maker's wife, Hector spent his time searching for Andromache. Once he thought he spotted her dancing on the roof of a building and gave all the women quite a scare when he came bursting up the ladder. After apologizing profusely he returned to the market just in time to see Paris leading the saddle maker's wife down a deserted alley. Just as they disappeared the woman's husband came stumbling around the corner carrying a large jug of wine.
"Casara" he bellowed in a drunken voice. As he approached the prince, Hector could see that his face was flushed from the vine and that a large vein in his neck was pulsing frantically.
"Ah, prince Hector" he said attempting a bow. "Great party, good job with the war." "Have you seen my Casara?" he slurred, "I seem to have lost her."
Hector had just opened his mouth to respond when Casara's giggles could be heard down the alley.
"CASARA" the man screamed. "If you are with another man I'm going to kill you!!!"
Just before the man reached the entrance to the alleyway Hector stepped in front of him to block his path.
"Citizen, I'm sure that that's not your wife, and if it is I'm sure she's laughing out of pleasure from our excellent wine, and not the touch of another man." Hector said nervously.
The man swayed for a moment and appeared about to leave when a woman's moan of pleasure echoed down the alley.
I'm going to kill Paris when we get home, Hector thought to himself.
"Casara, you're a dead woman" the man yelled over Hector's shoulder.
Suddenly the man charged at Hector. Underestimating the strength of the man the prince landed on the ground with a thud, the air knocked out of him.
"Run" Hector tried to scream, but no sound came out.
Just was the man was about to reach the unsuspecting Casara and Paris Hector jumped to his feet, grabbed a nearby pot and threw it at the man. It hit him square in the back of the head and smashed to pieces on the ground. The man stood rigid for a moment before collapsing on the paving stones. A moment later Paris and Casara emerged from the darkness of the alleyway.
"Go home" Hector said sharply to Casara.
She nodded silently and ran off, leaving her husband lying in the alleyway.
"You" he said to Paris. "are coming with me."
Without a sound Paris followed his brother out towards the street. Hector stopped at the house on the corner and pulled two gold coins from his purse. He slid them under the door with a sigh.
"For the pot I broke on the man's head" Hector explained in a cold voice.
Just before they reached the main street Hector turned to face his brother. Paris lowered his eyes.
"Do you know what's going to happen now?"
Paris shook his head.
"When Casara's husband wakes up" Hector began. "He is going to see the broken pieces of the pot and figure out what happened. Then, in a fit of rage he is going to tell the entire city that Prince Hector attacked him in order to allow his wife to continue on her little affair."
"Sorry" Paris muttered. "And thank you"
"Sorry won't work this time Paris, I want you to promise me that you're going to stop sleeping with other men's wives."
Paris looked up to meet Hector's eyes.
"I promise" he said in a serious tone, but Hector could see the edges of his mouth twitching as if to hide a smile.
Hector sighed and turned back towards the street.
"Sure you do" he said rolling his eyes and marching down the street.
Hector was still so angry with his brother that on the way home he did not even notice a beautiful woman in a purple and blue stola passionately kissing a man on the steps of the palace.