Lilycup, RC & Priestess of the myrmidons: Thanks for reviewing, I am glad you liked the portrayal of Andromache. About the question of how long I will go on... Well, I am not sure, but I am thinking around fifteen chapters plus an epilogue. Since the story is set as a flashback, it will not go on until the war has started.

Chapter 10 – Awkward relations

"Hector!"

The prince raised his eyes and brightened as he spotted his younger brother approaching him in the corridor. It made him happy that Paris sought his company. For some reason, it just didn't seem like they had been given any opportunity to talk privately since he came back from Thebe a week ago.

"I am glad you remember my existence, Paris," he said with slight irony.

Paris smiled lightly. "Missed me, have you?"

"It seems like you have disappeared off the face of the earth if you want to know what I think."

"Well, I haven't," Paris said. "I am here and I am your brother, like I always have been. Nothing will change that."

There was a strange empathy on his words and Hector frowned. "Well, since we have finally run into each other we must make the most out of it. Personally, I feel like going out and drown myself in wine. How about that?"

"Oh, a trip to Apollo's Lyre perhaps?" Paris grinned.

Hector immediately stiffened and his smile died. "No. Not that place," he said shortly.

Paris blinked in confusion. "Why not? That's always been our favourite place..."

"I just don't want to," Hector snapped. Then he managed to calm himself down. "Anywhere else. Just not that tavern. All right?"

Paris still looked dumbfounded, but he nodded his acceptance. "Very well. But it doesn't matter, since there won't be any tavern visit tonight. At least not for you."

"What do you mean?"

Paris face had a look of pity. "Father sent me to tell you that he wants you to take your bride out for a trip around the city. She is curious of her new fatherland. But something tells me that she would probably take the first ship back to Thebe if you tried to drag her into a place like that."

Hector smiled dryly. "That might be true." He sighed. "So that's father's command then?"

Paris nodded. "He wants you two to get to know each other a little better. The wedding will be in less than a week."

"Well, I suppose he is right," Hector sighed.

"Indeed he is," Paris said sharply. "You have not exactly been working hard to make her feel at home."

Hector reddened. "I just haven't had the time."

"Excuses, excuses," Paris shrugged. "Come now, Hector, I am sure she won't bite you."

"Well, if you say so," his brother sighed. "I guess I better do what father tells me then..." He stopped and looked closer at Paris. "Why don't you come with us?"

"Me?" Paris quickly shook his head. "No, I don't think so."

"Why not? You know every corner of this town as well as I do. Besides, you and the princess have already have had time to get acquainted."

Paris nodded. "Yes, that's right. But it's not me who is supposed to get acquainted to her. Father's orders were explicit. He wants you to accompany her. Only you."

Hector sighed again. "Well, I suppose I haven't much choice then." Cringing slightly, he added "You don't think she will keep me occupied for the whole day, do you?"

Paris face suddenly darkened. "Perhaps you should appreciate your good fortune a little bit more, brother," he snapped. Then he abruptly turned on his heel and stomped off in the opposite direction.

Hector stared after him with both confusion and guilt. He couldn't remember the day Paris had refused to share a joke, but he also realized that his brother was right. He had crossed the line. He had to stop hiding from Andromache and from his fate. Damn it, he wasn't afraid of her!

Angry at himself, he returned to his chambers and quickly changed to a riding suit. As he pulled on the sleeves of his tunic, he caught sight of the small ring on his little finger. He had kept there ever since she left... When her absence felt too hard, he used to glance down on it and find some sort of comfort in the gold and the sparkling sapphire. By wearing it, he felt like he was still sharing something with her, like he still held a piece of her.

"I want you to have it. It would make me feel safer. Then I wouldn't have to fear for your sake."

He shook his head slowly. He realized that the situation was becoming impossible. He couldn't go on as long as he kept thinking about her like this. He didn't just wear the ring; it wore him too. As long as he kept it, he held on to her and it kept him from doing what he had to do. It was time to let go of the past. Time to put it behind him.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Briseis entered with an excited look on her face. "Hector! I heard you were going out riding?"

He glanced at her over his shoulder. "Yes, that's right. I am going to show Princess Andromache our beautiful city."

"Oh..." She silenced and bit her lip. The disappointment in her face was apparent.

"What is it?" Hector asked her in surprise.

She looked up at him with displeasure. "I was hoping you would give me those riding lessons you have been talking about."

"Oh." Hector sighed silently. It was time for that argument again. "I am sorry, Briseis, but it's my father who has asked me to take the princess for a ride. He thinks we need to... Well, get to know each other a little better."

Briseis looked sulky and Hector couldn't help melting. "I am sorry," he said again. "But I can't do anything about it since it's my father's orders. I promise you I'll give you your lessons as soon as I have time."

The look on Briseis' face told him that she had heard the same thing before, but she forced herself to smile cheerfully. "All right, I understand. Where are you going to take her?"

"I am not sure," he answered. "But I am sure she wants to see as much of Troy as possible. And we want her to see all the lovely things we Trojans can offer, don't we?"

She nodded eagerly. "Absolutely. I just wish I could go with you."

"So do I, Briseis," Hector said truthfully.

"But don't worry," she said, smiling. "I am sure you'll have a good time. Andromache seems like a really nice lady. I hope we can become good friends."

"Do you?" Hector asked her in amusement.

She nodded. "Of course. She gave me one of her necklaces and said I could keep it. She also promised to show me her collection of sea shells from Thebe some day."

"She did?" Hector said in surprise.

"Yes. She treated me like a grown lady, Hector, not some silly little child. I like that," She frowned a little. "But unfortunately she doesn't seem to know much about the gods. It is I who has to tell her."

"Oh, well, that's the most important quality of them all," Hector teased her as he fastened his arm bindings around his elbows.

He was more surprised that he wanted to admit. He had never expected the noble and refined princess of Thebe to take an interest in his little cousin. Especially not since she was a bastard who had been brought to this world through the union of a dishonoured princess and an unknown father. He would have thought that a high born lady like Andromache would have ignored her at best. Maybe she was looking to find allies in the palace?

Once again, he felt the need to glance down at his ring. Briseis noticed his movement. Her face softened. "You got that from Lena, didn't you?"

"How did you know that?"

"I used to see it on her finger. She said that it had all the powers of Artemis."

He frowned. "Did she? I thought it was a gift from her mother?"

Briseis looked surprised. "Well, I don't know, but that's what she told me. You miss her, don't you?" she asked him gently.

Hector sighed. "Yes, I do," he admitted.

"Well, don't worry. As long as you wear the ring you'll remember her."

"Yes, I will," Hector agreed and firmly pulled the ring off. "And that's the problem."

Briseis' eyes became wide. "Are you not going to wear it anymore? But it was a gift! And what if the ring really holds the powers of the goddess?"

"Then I shall have to do without those powers," Hector answered firmly. "I won't throw it away, but I can't wear it anymore. I just can't." Firmly, he placed the ring in a jewellery box.

Briseis still looked stunned. "I don't understand," she mumbled.

"I know you don't like to hear this," Hector said, smiling bleakly. "But you are probably too young to understand."

Andromache was waiting for him by the castle gate, wearing an elegant riding skirt with a cloak over her shoulder and her long hair tightly braided. Silver clasps sparkled from the thick tresses. "Are you ready to go?" Hector asked her.

She smiled smoothly. "I have been ready for a long time, my lord."

Her tone of voice indicated that he had let her wait, but Hector wasn't sure whether or not she meant to reproach him. He choose not to give her an answer and together, they headed for the stables, where two horses had been prepared for them. They both mounted and rode into the swarming streets of Troy.

Much later, they had made it to the sea. They had spent the latest few hours riding around the streets and tasting what Troy had to offer. Hector had felt a swell of pride as he showed her the city he had spent all of his life in. He had showed her every attraction, every sight and every place dear to him. In his eyes, there were no such magnificent town anywhere else in the world.

No one could argue that he didn't have an impressive realm to offer his bride. But even though Andromache clearly approved of what he had showed her, she didn't exactly seem ecstatic. She had showed a polite interest, but not much more. She didn't seem to be the kind of woman who was easy to impress.

Last of all, Hector had taken Andromache outside the city walls to his favourite watch point downside the temple of Apollo. It was a high rock with a fabulous view over the sparkling blue sea. The wind caught their hair as they stopped for a moment and let their horses catch their breaths.

"Do you come here often?"

Hector gave a start and turned towards Andromache who had been silent for a long time. "Yes, quite often," he said. "It has meant something special to me ever since I was a boy. It's just so relaxing to come her and let yourself be consummated by nature." He shrugged. "I find peace her."

She nodded slightly and Hector glanced curiously at her. "Did you have a place like this in Thebe?"

She shook her head. "No. I didn't need to go out searching for peace. I already had it." Her voice was distant and her eyes were aimed at the sea. Her thoughts were somewhere far away.

"Are you close to your family?" she suddenly asked him.

Her question surprised him. "Yes, I suppose I am. But my father..." He cringed slightly. "Well, he has always had his duties to consider. First of all, he is a king, only secondly a husband and father. But I guess you know what it's like?"

She nodded. "Yes, I do. My father has always been the king above all, just like yours." Then her face softened. "But even if I rarely saw him, I always knew that he would be there for me and for my brothers. There was never a time when I needed him that he wouldn't support me."

Her face was thoughtful, but then she smiled at him. "And what about your brother, my lord? Are you close to him?"

"Paris?" Hector said in amusement. "Yes, I am. We have always been best friends even though he is so much younger than I am. I guess I have been acting as a father to him as well in some ways, since his real father hasn't given him much of his time. But on the other hand, it's been rather hard to spend so much of my time with Paris, since he is what he is."

"What do you mean?" she asked him.

Hector raised his eyebrows, surprised that she would even ask such a question. "I mean, because he always getting himself into trouble," he explained. "He is impulsive and refuses to take responsibility. And I am usually the one who has to clean up his messes."

Andromache didn't answer for a long time. "Oh," was all she said.

"Is it possible that he actually did his duty and behaved when he came to Thebe?" Hector asked her. "Did you not see those sides of him?"

She smiled lightly. "Yes... yes, maybe I did."

Hector glanced at her. He was starting to feel tired of her distantness and her cryptic answers. But before, he had a chance to ask her anything else; she took the reins and turned her horse the way back to Troy. Hector had no other choice but to follow her.

He reflected upon whether or not his father's idea had been successful. It was difficult to decide. They had managed to spend a few hours in each other's company and at least that was something positive. But even if they had finally managed to start some conversation, the atmosphere between them had mostly been awkward. He just didn't know why they both had to be so damn stiff the whole time!

Before Hector had managed to find an answer to that question, they both heard a call. "Hector! Hector!" They both looked up in surprise. It was Paris who were approaching them in a wild gallop. His horse was panting heavily and its sides were soaked in sweat. The hoofs were kicking up a cloud of dust behind him.

"That is no way to treat a horse," Hector said sternly as his brother stopped in front of them. "Do you want to kill him? Why can't you ever learn to..."'

"Never mind the horse," Paris spat.

"Well, you could at least have taken the time to fasten the saddle girth properly. And just look at the reins! Haven't I told you a thousand times not to..."

"Damn it, would you listen to me," Paris exclaimed in anger.

Hector glared at him, but calmed down. "Take time to collect your breath, my lord." Andromache said calmingly.

Paris looked gratefully at her. He pulled a deep breath. "You must come back to the palace immediately. It's a crisis!"

"Well, what is wrong then?" Hector asked in concern. Not father, not yet...

"It's Briseis," Paris answered, his voice distraught. "She is vanished!"