Author's note: Thank you for all of your lovely reviews. I am relieved that no one seems to think that I need to be institutionalized yet. I am afraid I don't have time to answer everyone personally today, but for you who had specific questions:
Fele414: Well, I don't really consider this story a Hector/ Andromache romance. This is more of a Hector character development. But of course, Andromache must have played a great part in his maturity so I'll try to explore their relationship a little bit more in the remaining chapters.
Hecuba2: Yes, I know that they didn't have guns back then. However, if you read the chapter again, I am sure you'll see that there was not a fire weapon in sight.
This chapter might be a little bit messy. If anything is confusing, please let me know and I'll try to explain it better in the next chapter.
Chapter 12 – A brutal awakening
Everything was darkness. His body. His mind. His spirit. Everything that surrounded him. He had no idea where he was or how he had ended up at this place. He felt something hard and solid brushing against his back. It was probably a wall, but that was about all that his dull senses could make out.
At least he had not been bound; he could feel his hands and his arms and he was able to move them freely. Nothing seemed to shackle his legs or his feet either. But it didn't matter, since he was unable to use any of his appendages. When he tried to rise to his elbows, he felt an intense pain in his muscles; almost like cramps and he had to fall back to the ground, panting heavily.
That was when he suddenly discovered a glimmer of light in the obscurity that surrounded him and he could make out a human form before him. He didn't have to look twice to realize who it was. Had he not heard her enter the cell? Or maybe she didn't have to open doors to get in? What did he know?
Lena watched him flatly with her arms crossed over her chest. "Good morning, my lord," she said coolly.
Hector gazed up at her in disbelief. In his current shocked and dazzled state, there was only one reasonable question that he could think of. Not that reason had anything to do with this, but still. "Why did you do it?" he asked her hoarsely.
She looked at him like she couldn't believe that he was really that stupid. "For Troy of course," she said.
In complete incredulity, he watched her, this woman who he had trusted with his life and that he had let into his life and his soul. He saw her face with her blue eyes. Those eyes that he had spent hours gazing into. But now, they had a completely new meaning and the full realization almost made him feel nauseous.
"It's not possible," he whispered slowly. "You were standing in front of him... He would have recognized you... My father wouldn't..."
She tossed her head and smiled grimly. "Our father, you mean. Do you really think that old man is capable of keeping track of all the women he has bedded and left with bastards over the years?" She snorted contemptuously. "That is his misfortune. He is too used to getting what he wants. He should have realized that some women wouldn't let him use them and throw them away unpunished." She looked sharply at him. "My mother was such a woman."
"Your mother..." Hector mumbled. "Who was she?"
Lena crossed her arms and a hard expression appeared on her face. "I told your cousin about the woman who taught me about Artemis, didn't I? I just neglected to mention that the woman was my mother. She was a priestess of the goddess; the greatest one that was ever born. The power of her blood was strong, as it is in me." Her eyes glowed as she spoke.
Still dazed, Hector shook his head and tried to take in what she had told him. "How did it happen... When?"
"A few years before after you were born," she answered. "His wife had miscarried and he was not welcome in her bed at the moment. That was why he brought my mother to the castle and used her for his pleasure. Until she became with child, of course. Then he had her sent away."
She made no effort to hide her resent for the man who had fathered her. Hector looked at her, doubtfully. "My father is an honourable man. He would take responsibility for his actions."
"Oh. Lena scoffed and took a few steps in the cell, like she was trying to keep her anger and bitterness under control. "Of course he gave her a few coins to sooth his conscience. As if that was what she needed. Like she was some common harlot from the streets." She closed her fists tightly by the thought of how her obviously adored mother had been treated.
Hector tried to think clearly, even though he felt like his mind had been hit by a huge rock. "So you are doing this because you want to take revenge on my father?"
She pinched her lips closely together. "No, I only want what is mine and I mean to take it. It was my mother's last wish and I intend to honour her."
Hector shook his head in confusion. "Then I don't understand why you wanted me to send you away. Wouldn't it be better to stay as my mistress? Then you would at least have had some influence..."
"Oh, by Artemis!" Lena exclaimed. She approached him and her eyes narrowed. "Are you really that naive? Do you think I would settle with being your bedfellow? Do you think I would settle with a place in the shadows?" She straightened her back and spoke with dignity. "My mother was made to be a queen, Hector and so am I. A priestess of Artemis' rightful place would be by the king's side, instead of standing quietly behind him like your insipid mother! She was born to rule, to lead. Just like I am."
Hector stared at her, unable to take his eyes off her. He didn't understand how he could ever have believed that she was an insignificant girl from the countryside. Why had he not seen the truth when he looked at her? It was almost painfully obvious that she was his father's daughter. She had his majestic bearing and his natural eloquence with words. She was the daughter of a king and a priestess and her pride radiated from her like the light from the sun. The sun god's sister...
She looked like Priam too, Hector realized, even if her hair was darker. He and Paris had always looked more like their mother, but Lena's features spoke of their mutual father. And her eyes; those eyes that could pierce through anyone. She could not have inherited them from anyone else but the king of Troy.
He though of the times they had spent together. He had cherished those memories and considered them some of the most peaceful and relaxed moments of his life. He felt sick as he realized that it had all been a lie. She had had a special reason for being with him. And he had walked straight into her trap without thinking twice.
His eyes roamed across her form. Her body still didn't reveal anything, but he knew that she had gotten what she wanted from him. And soon it would start showing.
"The child..." he mumbled, questioningly.
She shrugged casually. "It seemed like the best way to claim the throne. When you are gone, he will be the new heir. I shall take my place as his regent until he has grown up. And as soon as I have gotten our father and everyone else out of the way, the kingdom will belong to me."
The callousness of her tone made Hector momentarily speechless. Was this the woman he had admired for her warmth and sincerity? She talked about murder like she had been discussing the weather. In complete incredulity, he shook his head.
"It might have escaped your notice," he started sarcastically, "but my father has another son but me."
"That boy," she snorted. "I wouldn't even have to seduce him to render him completely harmless."
Her voice sounded knowing and Hector frowned. He waited for her to continue, but much to his surprise, her face softened. She moved close to him and placed her hand against his cheek, even though he tried to pull away.
"Hector," she said gently. "I may not love you, but I don't hate you either." She caressed his face slowly as she continued: "You are not a bad person, but you have proved yourself unworthy of being the protector of Troy. You lack the ability to keep the city safe. You don't have the strength."
He blinked in disbelief. "Oh but you do?" he said ironically as he let his eyes follow her tiny form and her delicate limbs.
Lena's face reddened and she tossed her head as she backed away from him. "Why do some people think that strength has anything to do with a person's body? That is a fool's notion."
He raised his eyebrows. "Well, I think any man would agree with me."
"Man or fool; that is simply two different words for the same thing," she said dismissively "I was not talking about the strength of your muscles, Hector, though I'll freely admit that you might have a slight advantage over me in that respect." She looked at him, sharply. "What I was talking about was the strength of mind, the strength of soul. And in those terms, my advantage is boundless."
Impulsively, she moved close to him again. Her face was glowing with excitement.
"Don't you understand?" she asked him fervently. "I am not doing this for personal glory. I am doing this for the sake of my people. My blood has not been soiled and infected by some inbred foreign princess. The blood in my veins is pure. Trojan." There was an almost fanatic sparkle in her eyes. "And I have the power of Artemis. That's why I will succeed where you would have failed."
He frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"
She looked closely at him. "I see everything, Hector. One day, there will be enemies sailing against our country. They will strike hard against our city. You would not be able to defend her. Your life would be taken by a superior enemy and our walls would fall. I cannot let that happen."
He looked at her in astonishment. He wanted to ask her more; make her tell him about these enemies, but he realized that it would be the same as giving her the upper hand. He wasn't going to believe anything she said. All she had ever told him had been lies, so why should he believe her now? She was probably just trying to fool him again and he wasn't going to let her do it another time.
He closed his eyes and tried to control himself. "Where are we?" he asked her.
She hesitated. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter if I tell you. We are by the beach, in a cave just under your favourite viewpoint."
Hector's eyes suddenly widened as he recalled the reason why he had been out for a ride in the first place. "What about Briseis? Why did you capture her?" Of course, he had no way to know that they had captured her, but he was still certain of it.
"Oh," Lena shrugged indifferently. "A mistake, that's all. If only the little fool hadn't been stupid enough to try the ring on..."
"The ring?" Hector repeated. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Lena shook her head and smiled, almost with pity. "You still don't understand, do you?" she said gently and sighed. "Don't you remember that I told you that the ring was from my mother? Its power enabled me to feel your presence and see what you were doing. It would have helped me capture you."
He gawked at her, completely amazed by her cold calculation. She smiled knowingly and nodded.
"I realized that I had to hurry since your wedding would take place in a week or so. I didn't want any competition for my son. So I went to the palace..."
"But Briseis showed up instead of me." Hector guessed grimly
"I am afraid so." She sighed sympathetically. "That child is far too wilful for her own good, Hector. As you can understand, I couldn't allow her to tell anyone that she had seen me so there really wasn't any choice for me but to take her with me."
"But I don't understand... How could you possibly get into the palace and..."
"You underestimate me, my dear Hector," Lena said in amusement. "That has always been your problem. I have the power to bend peoples' will after my own. And you forget that practically all of the guards in the castle knew me. They wouldn't protest, no more than your little cousin would."
Hector clenched his teeth so tightly together that he thought they were going to break. "Where is she now?"
"In a house in the city," she answered. "Nikos was going to bring her here, but of course the fool managed to bump into your apollonians. He is about as discreet as a pregnant sow."
He stared at her as he remembered the part the black-haired man had played. "Nikos? Was that scoundrel behind this from the start? Did he plan this?"
Lena looked at him, deeply offended. "Do you seriously believe that a man could have thought of something like this?" She scoffed. "No, just like you, he was in my hands and I formed him like a lump of clay."
"But when I met you... It just seemed so real." He swallowed tightly, unable to grasp the fact that it had all been a ploy.
She smiled mildly. "It was for real, Hector. Most of the things I told you were true. I did grow up in that village I talked about and I did come with him to Troy when he passed by. And I was everything I displayed to you then; the obedient little woman who did everything for her man. He just didn't understand that I always had the power over him. But now he does and he has proved quite useful along with his good friends."
"But soon you'll find some more practical way to use him, won't you?" Hector grimly guessed.
"You must always have an open mind," she said casually, but silenced as she heard the sound of voices from somewhere behind them. "Oh, I think they are back now, with your sweet little cousin."
Desperate, Hector made an attempt to speak sense into her. "Lena, for gods' sake... If there is any spark of honour left in your heart, let her go. Do whatever you want with me, but keep her out of this. She has done nothing wrong. She is just an innocent child and she can't be held responsible for..."
"Innocent?" Lena repeated. "Well she might be at the moment, but the time will come when she will commit the greatest sin of all."
"What are you talking about?"
"Like I said, I see everything with the eyes of Artemis, Hector. She will fraternize with the enemy and give herself to one of them. She is nothing but a traitor – just like her mother."
"Her mother!" Was there no ending to the shocks she was going to give him? He asked himself.
Lena sighed. "Oh, Hector, must I spell everything out to you before you'll understand. Her father was a Greek, just like those Spartan pigs at the tavern that night. She deceived her family and her country and the gods cursed her for it. That was why she died." Her eyes narrowed. "Artemis would never protect a traitor. And Briseis is apparently her mother's daughter."
"You can't punish her for her parents' actions." Hector hissed heatedly.
"For the sake of Troy, I'll do anything. Artemis has earned a great sacrifice." She smiled smoothly. "And even if she is just a mindless little girl, it is no more than right that your cousin will join you on the altar."
So far, Hector's body had felt numb, but now an immense fury came over him. He lashed out at her with his arm. He wanted her in his hands. He wanted to remove that smug look from her face. He wanted to tear her to pieces. He wanted to kill the woman who had been his lover.
But he still had no powers and he fell on his stomach on the ground, barely able to breathe. The pain in his chest felt like it was pressing all the air out of his lungs. His powerlessness and degradation burned on his cheeks.
He heard her laugh quietly, somewhat compassionate. "Hector, please don't insult my intelligence. I could strangle you with my bear hands and you would die like a helpless child. The spell is strong."
She turned away from him when the sound of Nikos' voice reached her ears. Some sort of door was opened behind her and Nikos' great form was suddenly visible in the light.
"My lady!" he panted.
Lena frowned as she realized that he was alone. "Well, where is the girl?"
Nikos looked miserable and shook his head. "My lady, I am sorry... we were in a crowd... The girl fled..."
Lena's unmoved face was suddenly contorted with rage. "Imbeciles!" she cried. "You let her get away! With the city crawling with soldiers?"
"I am so very sorry, my lady," Nikos said quickly. "We couldn't follow her through the masses of people. The girl was so small that she could crawl under the horses' bellies and vanish." He made a pathetic gesture with his hands.
"Find her at once!" Lena spat threateningly. "Bring her here or I will have you all castrated!"
She indicated that she would concoct the spell right away if he didn't hurry and Nikos nodded. "At once, my lady." And he vanished again.
Lena sighed and tried to calm down. "If you want something done, you have better take care of it on your own," she muttered to herself. Then she composed herself and turned back to her prisoner. "A minor problem, nothing more. This will be dealt with. I'll be back."
She left and the space was once again completely darkened. Hector looked distantly into the blackness that surrounded him. He was dazzled after what he had learned from Lena, but at the moment, he couldn't think of himself. Only about his young cousin who had been brought into this even though she had done nothing wrong.
Go back to the palace Briseis, he thought frantically. For gods' sake, get home in safety!