Thank you all for your reviews and suggestions, it's really great to have advice and stuff so I can improve my writing. If something's bothering you, just post it in a review and I'll try to fix it. Enjoy!
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Andromache was heading towards her room when she abruptly changed her mind and headed towards the social room. She didn't feel like being alone tonight and she still hadn't met the other women in the quarters. She walked in, scanning the room quickly and spotting roughly a dozen women at various places. The gentle hum of their voices quickly stopped as they spotted her.
I seem to be very good at stopping conversations, Andromache thought wryly. She could feel a blush creeping into her cheeks and she tried to think of something to say.
"Stop staring at her!" a voice exclaimed from behind her. Andromache turned to find a girl about her height, smiling brightly. "Andromache, I am Briseis, King Priam's niece. Hector couldn't see me from where he was sitting, that's why I wasn't pointed out to you," she chatted happily. "Come, I'll introduce you to the other women."
She led Andromache around the room, pointing out the different women. "This is Cassandra, my cousin. She's one of Hector's sisters." Cassandra looked old enough to attend the feast, but Andromache couldn't remember spotting her.
"I wasn't feeling well, so I didn't go to the feast," Cassandra said, as if reading her mind. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Andromache." She was braiding a girl's hair, and smiled down at her. "This is my youngest sister, Laodice. She's just turned six, and over there is my other sister, Polyxena. Shortly she'll be celebrating her tenth birthday."
Andromache smiled at Laodice, who was staring at her with round eyes. "Are you going to marry Hector?" she asked.
"I am," replied Andromache, smiling.
"Are you in love with him?" Laodice prodded.
"Laodice, hush," Cassandra scolded. "And there, I'm done. It's time for you to be off to bed." She called over their nurse, who took the two young girls to their chambers. Cassandra pulled Andromache down onto the couch next to her, and Briseis took a seat opposite them.
"I had promised her she could stay up until after the feast, she'd been hoping to meet you," Cassandra chatted easily.
"Who are the other women over there?" Andromache asked.
"Cousins, of some sort. They're all gossips, so be careful what you say to them," Cassandra said softly. "Hopefully they'll be married off soon so we can be rid of them."
Briseis eyes twinkled conspiratorially. "The one on the right is well-favored, but the one behind her will have a hard time catching a husband. And I pity the men who marry them, they've got nothing else going for them besides their looks, and one of them doesn't even have that. But it would be far worse if they were to never marry and remain here with us." She shuddered.
Andromache had to laugh and snuggled down comfortably, kicking her sandals off and drawing her feet under her. "Well, perhaps you two should marry then. I must say, from a purely objective view, the both of you have better chances."
Both women shook their heads. "I am studying to become a priestess of Apollo," Briseis informed her. "And Cassandra does not wish to marry."
Andromache turned to her, her eyebrows raised. "Why? Surely your father could get you a good husband."
"It's not that," Cassandra replied. "For he certainly means to. I just have no wish to be married."
Andromache couldn't understand her reasons, but nodded anyways. "Well, then you'd best pray that they find husbands, then." She gestured to the girls who were giggling together. "But they seem a bit young for marriage; they look as if they've barely reached their teens."
"They barely have. I believe they both are just turned thirteen. But I am only fifteen," Briseis said. "Cassandra is the only one of us to be of marriageable age, she's eighteen like you."
Andromache was surprised, "I had thought you to be older, Briseis."
"She is older than her years," Cassandra said. "She is the same age as Paris yet there are years between them in some respects."
"I don't go chasing after members of the opposite sex, she means." Briseis laughed. "Did Hector tell you of the time he snuck in here?"
Andromache nodded, her eyes twinkling with laughter. "After some maidservant?"
Briseis nodded. "The woman has since married, and her maidservant left with her. But I doubt Paris has forgotten her. No doubt still has marks from the beating Hector gave him."
"Prince Hector beat him?" Andromache was surprised. "But he's his brother! I assumed your father would have chastised him."
Cassandra shook her head. "Father spoils Paris, he would never be able to lay a hand on him. But the maidservant had encouraged him. Mother took her to task for that. Thankfully she and her mistress are gone though, horrible women. Both of them were forever gossiping and they didn't behave properly at all."
"With Paris, women rarely behave properly," Briseis said dryly. "I love him dearly, but-"
"Briseis," Cassandra softly interrupted her. She nodded her head towards the other girls, who were leaving. She waited until they'd left to continue. "Dismiss the servants."
Briseis went over to where the maidservants were, and Cassandra turned to Andromache. "Do you like riding?"
Andromache was puzzled, but she nodded. "Very much. Your brother told me he'd take me sometime, but I still haven't decided if I want to go."
"Would you like to go with us?" Cassandra asked softly, casting a cautious glance towards the other women who were packing up their things.
"Yes, I would. But it's dark, and from what I've seen of your brother I can't see him agreeing to such a scheme."
Cassandra shook her head. "No, Briseis and I are in the habit of going alone."
Andromache eyes grew wide. "Without an escort?"
"We do it all the time," Briseis said softly, coming over.
Andromache was torn. "I would love to- I haven't been riding in ages- but I can't. If we were caught I would bring shame to your family, to my family, to your brother, and to myself! I'm not one of Troy's own princesses, therefore I would be judged harsher."
"We're never caught," Cassandra urged her. "We've been doing it for years. Besides, our people aren't at all critical. Everyone knows of Paris' many affairs, but no one blames him because he's a prince of Troy. You've been accepted by Father- that's all anyone cares about. They love you because you're going to marry Hector, and everyone adores Hector. The people have been wanting to see him married for years. And now he's not only getting married to a wonderful, beautiful woman, he's contracting an alliance at the same time. You cannot go wrong unless you prove unfaithful to him, and since you're going to be with the two of us- and we're known for our modesty- you'll be fine even if we are caught, which we won't be."
"Please come, Andromache. We'll show you the view from the hills; it's lovely at night. We've been there many times so we can't get lost, and the city as night is beautiful. You must see it." Briseis added her pleas.
Andromache could feel herself weakening. "Are you sure we won't get caught?"
"Positive," Briseis answered. "We have a route where few ever travel, and if we are caught we can just say we're going to the temple of Artemis to pray for modesty and chastity. No one will think anything of it. She is the patron goddess of maidens, so it's not at all frowned upon for maidens to be traveling there without a man. As long as there are two of them together, it's socially accepted."
Andromache looked at her shrewdly. "How do you know all this?"
"I'm going to be a priestess, I have to know these things," she replied.
"Alright, I'll do it," Andromache answered, sighing. "What must I do?"
"Do you have a dark cloak?" Cassandra asked her. Andromache nodded, so she continued. "Go change into a dark dress, put your cloak on over it and take off all your jewelry."
"Traditionally maidens pray to Artemis very simply adorned, it represents the desire to not attract the attention of men," Briseis put in.
"Meet us back here shortly and we'll leave together, alright?"
Andromache nodded, and three of them took off to get ready. Andromache took the longest, since she'd been especially done up for the feast, but in fifteen minutes she was wearing a plain blue dress, darkly colored, and she was unadorned with jewelry. Her hair she left hanging down and as she put her cloak around her shoulders, she decided she looked very chaste indeed. Hurrying back she spotted the two girls waiting for her. Cassandra critically looked over her, then nodded.
"You look perfect," she said. "Come here." She led Andromache out to the balcony and pointed to a small building near the foot of the distant hills, outside the walls. "That's the temple of Artemis, so no one thinks anything of it if we take horses. In fact, it's considered suspicious if one doesn't take horses."
The three of them set off, Cassandra leading the way. They left the women's quarters, pausing to inform the guards that they were going to pray to Artemis if anyone asked. As Cassandra led them down a small, side hallway, Briseis whispered to Andromache.
"This is the hardest part, getting out of the citadel. If Priam or Hector sees us, they'll insist on someone accompanying us. Walk quickly."
Cassandra quickly and quietly led them through the palace until they came to a small garden in an isolated part. She led them through the paths until the three were stopped short by the sound of voices.
"Paris!" a voice exclaimed. The girls froze, recognizing the voice to be Hector's. Cassandra darted into the bushes, knowing the other two would follow. They did. Just in time too, for Hector strode past them, catching Paris in the act of slipping through the gate that led outside the citadel walls.
Paris cringed, then turned around to face his brother. "Yes?"
"What a lucky chance I've found you, I was looking for someone to help me sort through some manuscripts Father gave me. They're battle plans, and there are so many I was hoping find someone to help." Hector coyly ignored the fact that his brother was in the act of slipping out and pretended nothing was wrong. He firmly propelled Paris inside, who couldn't protest without risking trouble.
"Brilliant," Briseis whispered from inside the bushes.
"Shh," Cassandra hissed, "They're still within hearing distance." But neither of the brothers heard, and a few moments later she cautiously crept onto the path, making sure no one was coming. She motioned to the other girls and they quickly followed, slipping through the same gate Paris had been going through and quickly darting towards the stables.
The stable workers had all left quite some time ago so there was no one to bother them. Cassandra quickly led out three horses and Briseis bridled them while Andromache slipped blankets over their backs. The three girls quickly boosted themselves up, and Cassandra turned to Andromache.
"Pull your hood over your head," she commanded. "Remember, you're a chaste girl wishing to go pray."
Andromache and the three set off, meeting no one in the streets. When the reached the gate the guards stopped them.
"We are three maidens going to pray to the goddess Artemis," Cassandra said.
The guard glanced at the three hooded maidens, then nodded. "Artemis will bless you for your chastity," he recited, then gave the order for the gate to be opened. They quickly rode through and Cassandra set off at a brisk trot towards the temple. Roughly a mile later, the path they were on forked and Cassandra took the right one. They passed through a grove of trees, where Cassandra and Briseis slipped off their hoods. Andromache did the same, enjoying the cool breeze on her forehead. The three were riding side by side now, knowing they wouldn't meet anyone on the road. They came through the grove of trees, and the path branched left, but Cassandra didn't follow it.
"This plane is flat, here's where we can gallop. Just stay behind me, because I know when to pull up," Cassandra commanded Andromache, then spurred her horse. She shot off, Andromache and Briseis close on her heels.
The three of them flew across the plane, their cloaks whipping out behind them. The wind stung her eyes, and Andromache closed them, feeling like she was flying. She opened them and smiled, Cassandra had pulled ahead. She kicked her horse faster and he responded, flying across the plane at breakneck speed. All to soon Cassandra pulled up, and Andromache followed suit to avoid crashing into her. All of them were breathless, and Briseis turned to Andromache, her eyes sparkling.
"Wasn't that amazing?" she asked. "We get to do it again, on the way back."
"I haven't gone that fast since I was a little girl," Andromache said, breathing hard. "In Thebe women can't ride that fast, it isn't proper, but when I was little Arimedes used to set me in front of him and take me that fast."
"It's the same here in Troy," Briseis answered. "When you go with Hector he won't allow you to go that fast."
"If I go," Andromache replied.
Cassandra led them up steep hills, through streams, and over gullies. Roughly an hour later, judging from the stars, they reached the top of the hill. Cassandra led them right up to the drop, and the three of them pulled up their horses.
"It's beautiful," Andromache breathed. The full moon lit the sea in the distance, casting a silver light on it. And there was Troy, glowing from all the lights. Each of the guard towers had a fire lit, and random houses still had candles burning in the windows. The citadel was aglow in light, for there the torches were always burning.
"This is my favorite spot in the world," Briseis told her. "No other place offers this view."
Andromache found herself agreeing with her. Thebe had no place that offered such a lovely view.
"You see, Troy isn't such a bad place to have to live," Briseis said softly. Seeing Andromache's surprised look, she smiled. "Misery was written all over your face when you arrived."
Andromache nodded, acknowledging the truth in that statement. "I'm slowly warming to the idea of living here," she admitted. "Out of all the places to have to live, Troy is definitely one of the better ones."
"And your betrothed?" Briseis prodded.
"What about him?"
"Out of all the men to have to marry, is he too one of the better ones?"
Andromache paused, thinking. Finally, she slowly nodded. "Yes, out of all the men to marry, he is one of the better ones."
"You didn't always feel like that," Cassandra said, casting a shrew glance at her soon-to-be sister.
"He grows on you, I suppose," Andromache continued softly. "I was so scared, at first."
"That you would lose your individuality," Cassandra continued for her. Andromache looked at her, surprised. "That is also my fear. But I know my brother, you're safe with him."
"Perhaps you could find a man like him," Andromache suggested.
Cassandra laughed, but shook her head. "There is no man like him in the entire world," she said. "But even an identical copy of him would not work for me. Andromache, you are blessed, not only because you're marrying my brother but also because you'll be happy living with him. I never would be able to be happy belonging to someone. There is no man in the world that could own me. But enough talk, we must be heading back now." She turned her horse and Briseis followed, but Andromache lingered for a moment, taking in the view.
Yes, she thought, out of all the places in the world, Troy is not a bad place to live.
"Come, Andromache," Cassandra called out.
Andromache paused, casting one last glance over the city. And Hector is not a bad man to marry.