Chapter 12. Forgiveness.

Andromache sat on her bed in a plain, pale pink chiton as Airlia and Marea embroidered a golden vine of flowers and leaves into her wedding gown. They had bee working on it for weeks now, turning it into a masterpiece of craftsmanship. It was a formal elaborate chiton made of pure white silk that dipped low in the front and back and fastened at her shoulders with golden fibulae shaped into roses. A golden sash would be tied below her breasts and knotted at her back, to fan out behind her above a fine foot long train. It would be so beautiful when they were done, but it was so much hard work that she insisted on supplying them with food and wine that she ordered for her and keeping them company as they worked. They appreciated the food and the company, but refused to have her sew a stitch, persevering that the fact that she fed them and talked to them was enough. Andromache had formed quite a bond with them over a short period of time like this. Staying up with them while they worked, sometimes helping them when they would allow her. Heccuba, Cassandra and Breseis had been very kind to her and very helpful, making it easy for her to fit in and feel accepted. Airlia, she had noticed had been very quiet as of late. The slim beauty seemed to be very sad and withdrawn smiling very little and always seeming to be deep in thought. "Airlia?" Andromache asked and the girl's eyes snapped up to hers instantly.

"My lady." She replied.

"You seem a bit off lately is everything all right?"

"Yes. Yes I'm fine, everything is fine..." she replied quite unconvincingly, giving a pinched smile before going back to her work.

"Somehow I don't believe you." Marea said. Airlia shrugged.

"It...it's nothing... it's nothing...I just...I'm fine it will pass..." She stuttered, stitching with shaking hands. Andromache and Marea shared a look and then Andromache got up off of the bed to kneel down at Airlia's feet.

Confess now my friend..." she said taking her hand in hers. "You are too sad for it to be nothing." Airlia closed her eyes and a lone tear streamed down her cheek.

"There is no pretense between us." Marea said wrapping a supportive arm about her slender shoulders.

"Come now. Speak." Airlia sighed brokenly and looked at them.

"You can tell no one, not even your husbands, promise me." They nodded and waited. "It is Lord Alyion." She whispered. "He wishes to have me for himself. He has been seeking me out for weeks now, months and he will not let me alone."

"Has he... touched you?" Marea asked carefully.

"No. But he wishes to and if he does so enough, then he can and will have me." Airlia replied more tears escaping her eyes.

"Hector says that it is not so. Alyion will never force himself upon you." Andromache said. "He's a good man, he will be good to you."

"I do not wish it. I do not want him to be good to me. I want him to leave me alone." She replied starting to sob.

"Well he may not be as bad as you suppose. I feared Hector with all my heart I thought that he would be cruel and harsh and unfeeling but I was very pleasantly surprised. Just give him a chance."

"It's not her fault if she is in love with another." She peered at the young girl but she looked away.

"There is no other." Airlia whispered. "But I will not be any man's whore." She looked over at Andromache. "He does not love me! I mean nothing to him! He thinks me beautiful and like a child with a toy he wishes to possess me, to have me. And he can, he has only to ask your husband."

"Do not speak of Hector as if he is a monster." Andromache replied sharply. "He is a good, kind, feeling man. But he is not my husband. Not yet at least. You are mine, and you belong to me. If he wishes to marry you off then he will have to consult me and he knows it. And I will not let any man have you." Airlia smiled sadly.

"He will not be ordered by his wife Andromache. He can do with me as he wishes."

"You are in love with him." Marea said suddenly and both Airlia and Andromache looked over at her.

"Who?" they asked simultaneously.

"Not Hector, Alyion. You love him." She said to Airlia and Andromache looked over at the young girl who now looked as if her heart were breaking.

"No, no." she whispered shaking her head fervently. "I don't!"

"You do." Marea said softly.

"No!" Airlia said flying up and walking over to the window looking out of it. Her fisted hands were pressed over her heart as if she could keep the treacherous emotions inside by brute force.

"Why else would you care?" Marea insisted gently. "Pride? I think not. If you felt nothing you could lay there and let him do what he wished. But to have him take you with no feeling, when you... your heart has enough love to fill the Aegean... that is a problem." The young girl's shoulders slumped and she turned to face them, her green eyes full of despair. Slowly her legs gave out and she fell to the ground, gasping and rocking herself back and forth.

"I see him in dreams all the time." She sobbed. "He calls to me, and I want to go to him but then I doubt him. I know that he feels nothing for me, but my heart aches for him and I reach out but he fades away. If I gave myself to him knowing that he did not love me...I don't think I would survive it." Her hand came up as if to grab her throat as she gasped in air. "I have this terrible ache in my chest and... I can't breathe... It feels like I can't breathe. I pray to the Gods all the time, to Aphrodite and Artemis...to Apollo... I pray for mercy, for strength...but I... I..." She broke out into sobs, vicious, heartwrenching sobs and Andromache and Marea flew to her side to cradle her and comfort her as she finally let loose months of pain and fear. "I don't know what to do." She whispered disconsolately.

"Airlia look at me." Andromache said firmly, holding her face in her hands.

"Look at me." Her green eyes fixed on her dark brown ones. "Hector would never, ever befriend a man who would force himself on a woman. Never. And if he found out that he had he would sever all ties with him, or kill him. I know that much of my husband. Alyion, will have to win your heart first if he means to win you. So you have no need to worry about that." Airlia nodded silently and smiled a little.

"You could just tell him." Marea suggested. And both Andromache and Airlia snorted. "Is that a no?" They looked at the older woman and then shook their heads. "All right then, I'll tell him."

"Don't!" Airlia cried. "Don't tell him! Please Marea, please don't do that!"

"Has he told you that he loves you?" Andromache asked.

"Yes. But that doesn't mean anything. Men will tell you anything to get you on your back."

"Airlia!" Andromache cried blushing but smiling.

"Well it's true." She insisted wiping her tears away.

"Still you could have worded it a bit differently." Marea said.

"In any event, he could be telling the truth Airlia. Otherwise he would have moved onto another by now. He could have anyone."

"He likes the idea of seeking untried flesh."

"For the love of Zeus Airlia, you speak of him as if he's a monster!" Andromache exclaimed.

"It's true Andromache, it is. He likes the idea of the challenge. Wearing me down, to prove how irresistible he is." She spat the last words out with venom.

"I can find out what his intentions are." Andromache supplied helpfully. And Airlia looked at her skeptically, her tears drying up leaving her sniffling.

"How?" she asked.

"Well. I could appear to be troubled, so that he'll ask my what is wrong and I will explain, with your permission that you, my faithful maid is very distressed by Alyion's advances. Then I will ask him if he has spoken to Alyion recently and then -"

"Too long, he'll see right through that. Hector deals with politics all the time he'll see right through all the nonsense and just get annoyed." Marea said.

"Good point." Andromache noted. "Well then the best approach is the direct one. The next time I see Alyion I will privately ask him what his intentions are concerning you and don't you shake your head at me Airlia." She said sternly peering at her. "He will have to prove himself to me first. And I don't care whether he is a man or a god. You are mine and I will not throw you away to a selfish man with a whim." Marea smiled and shrugged.

"Well...it sounds good to me." She said. And Airlia buried her face in her hands.

"Ok...all right...do it." She muttered and then looked at them dropping her hands into her lap.

He couldn't believe that Breseis still hated him. It had been days now, almost a week, and she hadn't exactly made her current dislike of him a secret either. Anytime that she saw him she would glare long and hard and then walk stalk away before he could say anything. Either that or make snide comments just loud enough for him to hear. It was bugging him severely. It was now a few day to his wedding and any excitement that he had worked up would be brutally deflated by her acrimonious temperament. Exactly how much time did a woman need to calm down anyway? Even Andromache hadn't been so bad and she had had more reason to hate him than she did. He had had enough of it. He was not going to sit around and the verbally stoned to death by a fifteen year old. He nodded to himself and rose to his feet. He turned and strode over to the door, opened it and marched down the hallway with a determined look on his face. He was going to make her love him again even if he killed himself doing it. He reached the women's quarters in record time and rapped sharply on the door. Marea opened the door and he opened his mouth to talk but paused at the look that she was giving him.

"What?" he asked staring at her slightly puzzled. Her eyebrows shot up and then she smiled shaking her head.

"Nothing my lord. Did you need something sire?" she asked.

"What are you doing in there?" he asked.

"Airlia and I are sewing the bridal gown for Princess Andromache." She replied. He narrowed his eyes and peered at her but she didn't flinch.

"Is everything all right sire?" he nodded and looked beyond her shoulder catching sight of his future bride. Memories of their picnic swarmed through his head and he blushed suddenly and looked down. Marea raised an eyebrow and then glanced back at her now red mistress, making a mental note to ask her about that later. "Sire?" she asked returning her attention to him. He barely looked her in the eye and scratched the back of his head.

"Have you seen Breseis?" he asked.

"She was in the garden the last I knew sire." She answered. He nodded and turned away.

"Thank you... Marea." He said, as if as an afterthought half turning to her as he walked away, and she nodded respectfully. As it turned out Breseis was still in the garden when he arrived. She was also none too impressed with him, even now for as soon as she caught sight of him, she started to walk away. After glaring at him of course. He rolled his eyes and followed quickly. She glanced behind her, saw him following and sped up until she was running. He growled underneath his breath and ran after her grabbing her arms and spinning her around.

"Get off you swine!" she cried struggling with him but he held fast.

"Breseis."

"Let go!"

"I need to speak with you."

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Stop being difficult!" he cried.

"Stop being yourself." She shot back elbowing him in the ribs. He doubled over for a second and she started to walk away but he grabbed her hair. "Ouch!" she screamed and her hands flew up to his trying to dislodge it. Wrapping it around his fist he pulled her back and spun her around. She glared up at him, radiating menace even though he was a good foot and a half taller than she was. "I hate you." She said peevishly.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"I don't care!" she snapped and as was his habit with her he released her hair cupped her elbows in his palms and picked her up. "Put me down this instant!" she screeched. It would all have been very amusing if he wasn't so annoyed with her, so instead of smiling he shook her instead until she shut up. He stopped a moment later.

"Are you done?" he asked.

"You great bully, you thin-" he started to shake her again.

"How about now?" he asked a few moments later. She glared at him.

"If you are trying to get me to forgive you then you're doing a terrible job." She said sharply.

"I'm trying to get you to shut up but I'm beginning to wonder if it's even possible." He replied. She glared at him and pouted.

"I still hate you." She muttered.

"I'm aware, now will you be quiet so that I can apologize?" he asked. "Or do I have to shake you again?" he started to do just that.

"NO! You'll make my teeth fall out!" she cried her eyes wide. He grinned at that statement.

"All right then Breseis I won't." he said lowering her to her feet. But still keeping his hands on her elbows. "I'm sorry that I yelled at you. I was completely out of order. I asked for your help and you had given it. I wasn't even all that mad at you." She snorted and he glared warningly tightening his hands on her elbows but she relented. "I wasn't mad at you, I was nervous, and jittery and quite a bit late but I was never mad. Under different circumstances I would have thought it rather funny actually. From the bottom of my heart I apologize for being a-"

"Horse's ass?" she put in. His eyes widened.

"I don't even know how you know that word but-"

"-Alyion taught me-" She cut in.

"-I don't want to know." He finished with a sigh. She smiled and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist pressing her cheek against his stomach. He cradled her head with one hand and wrapped the other arm about her holding her close.

"Don't be mad at him all right?" she asked. He shook his head.

"What's the point, just try not to use it around mother or father or they'll have my skin for it." He said. She laughed and nodded. "Good word choice though." He commented and she laughed again.

"I love you Hector." She said. It was simple but sweet and I made him smile.

"And I love you cousin." He replied.