A/N:  Major angst in this one…

Chapter 7

At first light, Lucia sneaked out of the house.  She knew she had ignored Prince Hector's order so she decided she would stay in the back lines and provide support as a foot soldier.  Her shoulder was weak but she still managed to slay a few Greeks on the battlefield.  In the midst of the skirmish she did not see the enemy coming toward her from behind until a spear whistled past her ear and pinned the Greek soldier to the ground.  She looked back in shock and saw her savior on horseback riding away.

Could it be Prince Hector? she thought.  Whoever it was, he had saved her life.

Cursing her carelessness, she charged into the foray with renewed vigor.

Once again, the Trojans had successfully quelled the Greek onslaught and Lucia went home satisfied.  Peeling off her armor, she undressed to her waist and started to wash off the blood and grime from her face and body.  Lucia was pleased with herself -- no one had recognized her or so she thought.

While she was washing, Prince Hector barged into her room.  He was still wearing his armor as he tore away his helmet.  He was angry…very angry.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he roared as he grabbed her wrist and spun her around.  Without warning, he kissed her brutally.  She struggled and squirmed in his grip but the feel of his lips against hers sent her emotions spiraling.  The hands that intended to push him away now clutched his shoulders, her knees weakening.  Lucia moaned softly when he nuzzled her jaw and kissed the sensitive spot just below her ear.  He whispered hoarsely into her ear, "Why do you defy me?"

"I'm not the kind who would wait for her man to return from war," she replied breathlessly. She stilled, inwardly cursing her slip of tongue – now he knew her true feelings.

"And you're the most stubborn and infuriating woman I know," he murmured.

Instead of scolding her, he smiled and kissed her slowly this time, beseeching her. She opened her mouth to him and he got his first taste of her. He moved his hand down from her chin, to her neck, to her chest. Then he held her breast in his hand massaging it slowly. Lucia moaned into his mouth, pressing into his touch.  Hector swept her into his arms and walked toward the bed.

He placed her gently down on the bed and said, "Lucia…"

She interrupted him with her hand to his lips. "No.  I don't want romantic words or declarations of love. I don't want to think about what we're doing now. All I want is to feel you."

His eyes sparkled in wry amusement at the concept of a lover who didn't want romantic declarations, but he followed her rules and didn't say a word while he made her moan.  Hands quickly discarded any clothing that came in their way.
 

He was naked now, pushing her tunic off the rest of her body. He nuzzled at her neck, one hand teasing at her breast, the other cupping her bottom. She clung to him and closed her eyes, wishing that he wasn't so good at doing this to her...making her gasp and scream and writhe and sob. 

Their lovemaking was passionate as they spent hours kissing and exploring each other intimately.  The sun had already touched the horizon and the sky had darkened.  Lucia realized he had to leave.

Hector managed to prop himself up enough not to crush her with his full weight. Kissing the side of her neck, tongue soothing the light bite mark he'd made, he didn't say a word as he got up and dressed.  Brushing her cheek with his fingers, he smiled and left.

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Putting on her tunic, Lucia came out of her room and saw her mother standing in the hallway, her face pale and her eyes sad.  She suddenly felt vulnerable under her mother's stare.   

"Mother –"

"Lucia, I saw him come out of your room," she said with a sigh.

"Mother, I… I'm sorry," she muttered, looking down in shame.

But her mother came and hugged her.  "Is this what you want Lucia?"

She shrugged her shoulders dejectedly.  "I don't know."

But she knew one thing – there was nothing Hector could do to make her change her mind.  Vengeance was still very much ingrained in her heart.  If Hector thought their night together would change her, he was wrong.  

The next day, she rode into camp in full armor.  The soldiers waiting at the gates stared at her and whispered among each other, their weary faces lit up with smiles.  "Lucanus is back! He's alive!"

Ignoring their stares, she cantered towards Prince Hector and his Apollonian Guards.  He was discussing something with his men when she halted in front of them.  She could feel his gaze on her as he regarded her in silence.  Captain Tyr looked uneasy but he said nothing.  Lucia boldly met the prince's gaze and said, "You need warriors…here I am."

The men waited for his answer.  "You'll ride with us," he finally said and rode out toward the city gates. 

Tyr rode next to her and said in a low voice, "There are many men out there who miss their women…"

Lucia turned to him.  "Don't worry, I will protect you," she whispered.

"Welcome back," he teased as he rode on ahead.  Lucia smiled and galloped after them.

Neither Lucia nor Prince Hector spoke of their night together or how their relationship had changed.  He never had to worry about her as she could hold her own battles against the Greeks. She had fought alongside him in the day and warmed his bed at night.  So far, he had kept to her rules and did not utter a word when he made love to her.  They had been discreet about their meetings, but she sensed that Tyr knew of their affair but he chose to look the other way.

In the dim room, she traced her lover's handsome face as he slept, wondering how he had suddenly come to mean so much to her. Or maybe she had reckoned everything wrong. Perhaps her heart had always been that way, even long before that night ever happened. Maybe that was why having him close felt so right…why loving him came so easily.

As the days went by, Lucia was blissfully happy – she had never felt like this since her brother died.  Perhaps the gods have looked kindly on me, she thought, unaware of the potential danger she was in. One day, her mother came to her and said,

"Lucia, a few days ago a woman was hanging around the house asking a lot of questions about you. She could be a spy from the palace."

Lucia bit her lip nervously, wondering if they had already suspected who she was and her relationship with the prince.  She was lost in her thoughts until her mother touched her hand. 

"Please be more careful, my daughter.  You may have the prince on your side now but when he is gone, there's nothing to prevent the palace officials from taking you away."

Lucia shuddered at her mother's words.  Hector would never leave her, would he?

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Princess Andromache stood quietly in her chambers listening to Calista, her handmaid.

"Your Highness, I have followed the prince's movements for the past few days. It is true that he is seeing someone, a girl who is staying at Captain Tyr's house."

Andromache closed her eyes and searched for calm in the midst of raging emotions. She had noticed a change in her husband's behavior -- he was not cold or distant to her, in fact he still cared about her and Astyanax but his thoughts were often far away.  There were times when she woke up to find him gone in the middle of the night.  Now her suspicions were confirmed.

I don't want this -- to know my husband has fallen for another.

"What is her name?" she demanded.

"Lucia -- rumors say that she also rides with him to battle," Calista replied.

She remained silent, breathing in deeply.

What do I do? After this, what do I do?

It's alright when you can just imagine there's no face, she's not real

And you can tell yourself it's all right but she's real…

I could reveal her secret to the council and have her punished…

But that would hurt Hector and drive him away from me…I cannot allow that to happen.

"My princess, what do you want me to do now?" Calista asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Nothing yet but don't speak a word to anyone about this."

Calista bowed and went away.

With a heavy heart, she decided that the girl should be brought to the palace and presented to King Priam as Hector's royal concubine.  She didn't like having the girl so close to Hector but it had to be done.

"I will speak to Hector when I see him," she told herself and turned to her son asleep in his cot. "…for the sake of the family, for the sake of our son."

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One night, Hector came by her place, looking agitated.  He had attended his father's council earlier and something had made him uneasy. 

"What is it, Hector?" she asked, holding his hands.  She could see the frustration in his beautiful eyes.

He sighed.  "My father wants me to take the fight to the Greeks… to destroy them."

"But you do not think this is wise," she stated.

"The Myrmidons are still with them – Achilles is still with them."

At the mention of Achilles' name, Lucia tensed.

"I will go with you," she decided. 

Wordlessly, he drew her into his arms and kissed her forehead.  Snuggling in the crook of his shoulder, she sighed in contentment. 

"Tell me, sweet Lucia… what will you do when the war is over?" he asked.

"Hmmm, I'll go back to my farm – plant wheat and barley, go deer hunting, swim in the Scamander River you know… do the things that I missed doing," she replied absently.  

"It sounds wonderful."

Lucia sat up and gazed into his eyes. "As long as you're with me, it will be wonderful."

But he looked away and said, "I think this calls for a little celebration."

"Isn't it a little too soon to celebrate?" Lucia was confused by his sudden change in mood.

"Why shouldn't we? The gods have predicted a victory for us and I have the bravest and fairest warrior this side of Troy at my side," he teased, pinching her nose playfully.  "Go.  Bring me some wine and put on your best dress."

Lucia didn't think it was an odd request and obeyed.  She brought a jug of wine down and put it on the table. Then she went behind the curtain and rummaged through her clothes. She managed to find a deep red dress that belonged to her mother.  She didn't think she would need such a pretty dress but tonight, it was perfect.  Rubbing some perfume on her body, she put on the dress and tied a red rope around her waist.  Lucia suddenly felt nervous as she stared at her reflection in the mirror -- Hector had always seen her in armor and plain tunics, never in a fine dress.  She closed her eyes and tried to calm her trepidation.  Taking a deep breath, she stepped out from behind the curtain.

"What do you think?" she said, blushing hotly under his intense gaze.  She didn't realize how beautiful she looked to her lover – the pale moonlight accentuated the whiteness of her skin in contrast with the dark red dress she wore. 

Holding out his hand, he said, "Come here."

She approached him and noticed his jaws tighten as he passed a wine goblet to her.  "To us," he said, lifting his goblet.

Lucia smiled.  "To us."

After her second glass, she began to feel tired and dizzy.  "This is strange," she mumbled.  "I usually don't feel anything –"

Dropping her goblet, she slumped into Hector's waiting arms.

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Hector looked at Lucia, asleep on the bed.  The medicine had worked – she won't be awake until his troops had marched out to meet the enemy.  He didn't want to do it but he decided she would be better off inside the city. 

"I'm sorry, my sweet.  I cannot let you ride with me this time," he whispered and placing a kiss on her cheek he left her room.

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Last night felt like a hazy dream as Lucia woke up to her dog lapping her fingers.  "Hey, Max…"

Her head felt like lead as she struggled to get up.  She nearly stumbled as she stood up too fast and everything started to spin.  Leaning against the wall, she peered out the window.  The sun was shining brightly and the city unusually quiet.  Where is everybody? she wondered.

Lucia tried to remember the bits and pieces of the night before.  Hector had said something about bringing the war to the Greeks and she gasped in horror.  Everything started to fall into place – the wine was drugged.  He didn't want her to be out there.

Furious at his betrayal, she tried to reach the door but her feet refused to move and she collapsed to the floor in tears. 

Her mother had heard her cries and came running into her room.  "Lucia, what's wrong?" she asked, helping her to the bed.

Lucia gripped her mother's arms and said in a desperate voice, "You have to help me."

Philippa helped her daughter to the rooftop so she could see the battle that had taken place on the beach.  Twenty thousand men had marched into the Greek camp and there was fighting everywhere.  The Greeks had pushed the Trojans back to the grassy inland plains and suddenly the fighting came to a halt.  Lucia was shocked at the scene that unfolded before her eyes.  The Greeks and Trojans had moved apart – the Trojans back to the city and the Greeks to their ships.  From afar, she could see her beloved Hector mount his horse and lead his men home.  She felt a sudden chill in her heart; something had gone terribly wrong… but what?

The rumors in the city were rife.  Some said that Prince Hector had killed the great Achilles.  Others said it was not Achilles but one of the Myrmidons or some Greek king. 

It was late noon when Lucia recognized Tyr from a distance and rushed out to meet him.  "Please tell me that Prince Hector had killed Achilles," she said, holding on to his breastplate.  Tyr refused to look her in the eye and walked into the house. 

"Tyr, you're my friend … pray tell what had happened out there," she pleaded.

"It was a mistake," was all he said.

"What are you talking about? What mistake?" she urged him on, refusing to let him go.

Sighing wearily, Tyr said, "Today, Prince Hector killed a boy.  He mistook him for Achilles and killed him.  The boy was Achilles' cousin."

Lucia fell silent as she turned to the direction of the palace.  Oh, Hector…what have you done?

The city and its people were asleep unaware that their days were numbered like the sands of time, slipping into oblivion.  Standing on her balcony, Lucia shivered as the cold winds blew. Max whimpered and she turned to her dog, rubbing his ears affectionately.  "Even you feel the cold touch of Hades…come inside," she told him.

Eventually she settled by the fireplace and had fallen asleep, curled around her pet.  Max jerked his head up suddenly and howled.  Sensing that someone was in the room, she reached for her dagger by her side.  But a strong hand held hers.  "It's me." 

"Hector!"

She cried and hugged him, all misunderstandings forgotten.  "I missed you," she whispered.

He didn't say a word as he carried her to the bed.  Slowly, he undressed her and put her gently unto the soft mattress.  He stripped off his tunic and slipped under the covers next to her.  Propping himself up on one elbow, he smoothed back stray tendrils of hair and kissed her with a gentleness that she'd never seen from him before. Tonight, he took his time making love to her.  Lucia was drawn to him like a moth to a flame – mesmerized by the lights dancing in his eyes, unable to look away.

His smile was loving and tender and it frightened her more than the thought of dying. Her arms reached up around him and pulled him close, moaning softly into his ear as she came.   

They lay entwined on the rumpled sheets. He continued to stroke her hair, his hand brushing her cheek to the back of her ears. "I know you didn't want words. Once, I might have been able to, but not now. And I may be many things, but I'm not a heartless bastard. And I want to say that I love you."

She sat up and looked at him.  Something inside of her broke at his words, at his expression. His eyes were sad, his mouth trembling; it was a look she had never seen on his face before. "Hector…"

"Hush, my sweet," he whispered. "There is a secret passage in the palace, beneath the shrine of Apollo that leads to the other side of the mountains.  When the Greeks breach the city walls, I want you to go there.  Take this seal...  with this, my father will know that I sent you."

She stared at the marble seal in the palm of her hand.  "But I want to stay and fight," she pleaded.

"Lucia, for once please obey me…I cannot fight Achilles if I worry about my family… about you," he said, holding her.

Lucia's eyes widened as she pulled away from his embrace.  "You're going to fight Achilles?"

"Yes.  I know he's coming for me.  If I die, I don't want you to despair.  The city of Troy will fall and when that happens, promise me you'll be safe."

She felt the weight of all of Troy, the sorrow and the reminiscence of a peaceful era long gone resting on his shoulders. The expression on his face told her this could be their last night together. She shook her head, unwilling to believe that their time together could be so cruelly cut short.  Her worst fears had suddenly become a reality.

Holding her shoulders firmly, he said, "I need you to do this.  Please say you'd do it for me."

Tears started to stream down her cheeks as she muttered, "I promise."

Pressing his lips to hers tenderly, Hector rose from her bed and dressed.  "I have to go now."

In silence, Lucia brought the rope to his tunic and lovingly tied it around his waist, her hands moving gracefully around his body.  She pulled him closer, listening to the rhythm of his breathing. She tried to memorize everything about this moment; the way he smelled, the sound of his heartbeat, the feel of his warm and solid arms. 

Hector covered her hand with his and gazed deep into her teary eyes.  She reached up and cupped his face.  "You'll come back."

Her lover merely smiled. "Goodbye, my sweet." 

She could think of nothing to say that would make him stay, save the one thing she was too frightened to confess. She watched him walk out the door.  Trembling with fear and loss, she ran after him. 

"Hector, I love you," she finally said, unsure of whether he had heard her but he stilled for a moment and went on his way, without looking back.

Early in the morning, Lucia jostled with the crowd that had filled the viewing areas above the city walls.  The day was hauntingly beautiful; the sun was shining brightly and the warm sea breeze caressed her skin.  She looked toward the palace and saw King Priam and his advisors sitting under a blue canopy and her beloved standing at one of the wall's turreted corners.

From the sea a lone chariot approached the city gates.  Lucia dug her nails into her palms as she watched the man they called Achilles step down from his chariot and shouted for Prince Hector.  This Greek who had killed her brother now sought to spill the blood of her beloved.  She saw Hector walk up to his father, King Priam then to General Glaucus and to Prince Paris.  It was heartrending to see Prince Hector say farewell to his family – he held his head high and stood tall in the face of certain death.  Hector had reflected all aspects of a true Trojan warrior and hero as he walked out to meet the great Achilles.

Everything seemed ethereal to her after that – the two mighty warriors had clashed on the grassy plain.  She flinched as Achilles swung his sword at Hector.  She had never seen a man with such prowess and strength before as she realized why Hector did not want her to battle Achilles; he was the force of nature itself.  She gripped the side of the wall so tight until the stone made her fingers bleed. 

She could see her prince growing exhausted and Achilles taking the advantage plunged his sword into Hector's heart.  Lucia's scream was drowned by the groans of the crowd as they watched their hero fall.  She stared in disbelief as Achilles tied a rope to Hector's ankles and dragged him behind his chariot back to the Greek camp.  The crowd started to disperse in silence but Lucia stood rooted to the spot for a long time.

"Lucia…Lucia…" a voice called to her.

She turned but her eyes were glassy.  "Mother?"

"Let's go home now," her mother said as she gently held her bloodied hands.

Nodding dumbly, she allowed her mother to lead her home.

Lucia did not sleep that night as every time she closed her eyes, she would see him, feel him and taste him.  Staring out from her balcony, she wiped away tears with her bandaged hands. There would not be another night like last night, with Hector beside her. Tonight he was far from here, separated from her by the cold, black void.

"Have something to eat, Lucia.  You need your strength," her mother said, putting a plate of bread next to her.

She shook her head.

Her mother gently cupped her chin and made her look up at her.  "Prince Hector died a warrior's death but the real heroes are those who survive and move on. Mourn for him if you must but I want to see you happy again."

In the middle of the night, Lucia wandered into the old courtyard where it all began.  She shivered as she could almost hear his voice, his laughter in the wind. 

Come at me with everything you've got…

I swear a woman could do better than you…

Lucanus, you'll be a great warrior…

A sudden noise distracted her as she went to investigate the cause.  From behind a huge pillar, she watched King Priam and his men taking a body wrapped in a white shroud down from the chariot.  Then she saw Princess Andromache weeping over the body and froze.

Hector…

He had come back to his people.  She envied Princess Andromache who had held him in her arms, his family who had gathered around to weep for him because they could.  Turning away, she walked home alone.

TBC