Hector was speechless, it required every inch of his willpower not to leap with joy. After holding his gaze for a moment Andromache bowed again and then followed her father towards the exit.
"It was nice to meet you" she called turning back to look at the brothers.
"It was nice to meet you too" Paris said.
Hector waved numbly.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"You see" Paris said excitedly at dinner later that night. "It wasn't her, you still have a chance."
"I hope so" Hector said picking at his grapes. "She didn't seem too interested in me."
"Brother" Paris exclaimed. "What did you expect her to do, throw herself at your feet and profess her love?"
Hector gave his brother a weak smile, suddenly realizing how foolish he had been.
"Now" Paris said standing up. "You are going to need to learn the ways of love" he said slowly, drawing out the last word.
"You mean seduction?" Hector said with a grin.
"No! Of course not" Paris said pretending to look hurt. "That's what I do. You need to learn how to attract a woman's love, not her body."
"I'm not completely incompetent with women you know. I've had a few" Hector retorted.
"That's true, but none of them were as beautiful as Andromache. I think she's going to be a difficult one" Paris said wisely. "You are going to need my help."
Hector rolled his eyes but nodded in defeat.
"Excellent, we'll start in the morning." Paris said excitedly clapping his hands together and practical skipping out the door. He was thrilled to be able to aid his brother at something, in return for the many times Hector had helped him.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The next morning Hector was awoken by a knock at his door.
"Wake up brother!" Paris cried bounding into the room carrying an assortment of bottles with him.
Hector sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"What's all that" he said pointing to the bottles Paris had dumped all over his bed.
"Scents" Paris replied confused, having expected it to be perfectly clear.
"Scents? Only women wear those" Hector said wrinkling his nose.
"No, there are scents for women and there are some for men" Paris said in a teacher like tone of voice. "Now hurry and get dressed."
Fifteen minutes later Hector was washed and dressed. Paris had arranged his hair so that his soft brown curls would not fall into his eyes.
"What did you do to my hair?" Hector asked nervously.
"Nothing, I just made sure that Andromache will be able to see your face."
"Ok" Hector replied slowly reaching up to touch his hair.
Paris applied one of the scents from the bottle to his brother and ushered Hector out the door.
They reached the market just as the sun rose above the walls. On the way there Paris had told Hector several phrases to say to Andromache when he saw her.
"You know what to do when we see her right?" Paris asked, his lack of faith in his brother evident in his voice.
"Yes" Hector said with a nervous sigh.
The two brothers walked around the marketplace until the sun was straight above them. Finally they spotted Andromache strolling by the stalls.
"Ok now go" Paris said pushing Hector forwards.
"Are you sure about this plan Paris?"
"Yes, now go" Paris said looking exasperated.
Hector watched as she approached one of the stalls and examined a pearl necklace.
"Um...good morning Andromache" he said walking up beside her.
"Oh, good morning Prince Hector" she replied kindly.
"Um..." his mind frantically tried to remember the phrases Paris had taught him.
Andromache looked up at him and smiled slightly.
"Yes?"
"You look very nice today"
"Oh, well thank you" she replied nodding to him.
"Nice, nice? What was I thinking, I should have said beautiful, because that's what she is" Hector thought scorning himself.
"That's a very nice necklace there" he said looking down at the piece she was inspecting.
"Yes it is" she responded with a smile.
"I...um...I could buy it for you if you like" he said tentatively.
"Are you trying to buy my affections Prince Hector?" she asked.
Hector smiled and shrugged trying to look innocent, but stopped quickly when he realized she looked angry. The prince opened his mouth to apologize but Andromache was too fast.
"Well" she said haughtily. "I would like to inform you that I am not the sort of woman to be bought. How dare you try to insult my honour like this" she added before spinning around and storming off down the street.
Hector watched her leave feeling dumbfounded. Once he had regained his composure he turned around and glared at Paris who gave him a helpless shrug.
"It was nice to meet you" she called turning back to look at the brothers.
"It was nice to meet you too" Paris said.
Hector waved numbly.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"You see" Paris said excitedly at dinner later that night. "It wasn't her, you still have a chance."
"I hope so" Hector said picking at his grapes. "She didn't seem too interested in me."
"Brother" Paris exclaimed. "What did you expect her to do, throw herself at your feet and profess her love?"
Hector gave his brother a weak smile, suddenly realizing how foolish he had been.
"Now" Paris said standing up. "You are going to need to learn the ways of love" he said slowly, drawing out the last word.
"You mean seduction?" Hector said with a grin.
"No! Of course not" Paris said pretending to look hurt. "That's what I do. You need to learn how to attract a woman's love, not her body."
"I'm not completely incompetent with women you know. I've had a few" Hector retorted.
"That's true, but none of them were as beautiful as Andromache. I think she's going to be a difficult one" Paris said wisely. "You are going to need my help."
Hector rolled his eyes but nodded in defeat.
"Excellent, we'll start in the morning." Paris said excitedly clapping his hands together and practical skipping out the door. He was thrilled to be able to aid his brother at something, in return for the many times Hector had helped him.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The next morning Hector was awoken by a knock at his door.
"Wake up brother!" Paris cried bounding into the room carrying an assortment of bottles with him.
Hector sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"What's all that" he said pointing to the bottles Paris had dumped all over his bed.
"Scents" Paris replied confused, having expected it to be perfectly clear.
"Scents? Only women wear those" Hector said wrinkling his nose.
"No, there are scents for women and there are some for men" Paris said in a teacher like tone of voice. "Now hurry and get dressed."
Fifteen minutes later Hector was washed and dressed. Paris had arranged his hair so that his soft brown curls would not fall into his eyes.
"What did you do to my hair?" Hector asked nervously.
"Nothing, I just made sure that Andromache will be able to see your face."
"Ok" Hector replied slowly reaching up to touch his hair.
Paris applied one of the scents from the bottle to his brother and ushered Hector out the door.
They reached the market just as the sun rose above the walls. On the way there Paris had told Hector several phrases to say to Andromache when he saw her.
"You know what to do when we see her right?" Paris asked, his lack of faith in his brother evident in his voice.
"Yes" Hector said with a nervous sigh.
The two brothers walked around the marketplace until the sun was straight above them. Finally they spotted Andromache strolling by the stalls.
"Ok now go" Paris said pushing Hector forwards.
"Are you sure about this plan Paris?"
"Yes, now go" Paris said looking exasperated.
Hector watched as she approached one of the stalls and examined a pearl necklace.
"Um...good morning Andromache" he said walking up beside her.
"Oh, good morning Prince Hector" she replied kindly.
"Um..." his mind frantically tried to remember the phrases Paris had taught him.
Andromache looked up at him and smiled slightly.
"Yes?"
"You look very nice today"
"Oh, well thank you" she replied nodding to him.
"Nice, nice? What was I thinking, I should have said beautiful, because that's what she is" Hector thought scorning himself.
"That's a very nice necklace there" he said looking down at the piece she was inspecting.
"Yes it is" she responded with a smile.
"I...um...I could buy it for you if you like" he said tentatively.
"Are you trying to buy my affections Prince Hector?" she asked.
Hector smiled and shrugged trying to look innocent, but stopped quickly when he realized she looked angry. The prince opened his mouth to apologize but Andromache was too fast.
"Well" she said haughtily. "I would like to inform you that I am not the sort of woman to be bought. How dare you try to insult my honour like this" she added before spinning around and storming off down the street.
Hector watched her leave feeling dumbfounded. Once he had regained his composure he turned around and glared at Paris who gave him a helpless shrug.