After Troy
Chapter 7 – Aeneas' Task
"What's upsetting you?" Aeneas asked Paris during the morning walk. They were nearing Lyrnessus, hoping to reach the town by night fall.
"Oh, nothing." Paris lied. He glanced over to where Achilles walked with Briseis, and caught the warrior staring back in his direction. Both abruptly looked away.
Aeneas shrugged and turned to catch a woman as she almost fell, a little faint from the heat.
"Watch your step, now." Aeneas said kindly. "We're so close, you wouldn't want to hurt yourself now." He laughed, a little dazed by her beautiful eyes. The woman blushed, walking quickly to catch up with her group, ahead.
"Quite the charmer, I see." Paris teased Aeneas. They both laughed.
Aeneas' hand rested comfortably on the hilt of the Trojan sword. It was quite common to see him like this. He held the sword close at all times, determined that, at least, the people of Troy should have a future, if not Troy itself.
Aeneas sighed now, looking from the sword to Paris, and then to the ground.
"Perhaps it is you who needs to be questioned about their upset." Paris suggested, concerned for his companion's troubled mind, and looking to take the focus away from his own dilemma.
Aeneas furrowed his brow, looking now to the horizon. "It's our future, that I ponder." He said. Paris was surprised to hear such deep thought from a common farm boy. "I mean," Aeneas continued, "what will happen to us? We travel now to Lyrnessus, but whither then?" He looked to Paris.
"I cannot lead us." Paris said, he had never felt qualified for leadership. All his time in Troy he had presumed Hector would take over after Priam, and they would live out their lives thus.
"Then," Aeneas pressed on, he had decided it was time the prince knew, "the responsibility falls on Andromache, or myself."
Paris was confused, It was not that he thought the boy ambitious, or presumptuous. Only he had never considered it necessary, that path. How little he looked to the future.
"Why do you feel the need to hold that position? It is a great task to care for these people, and find them a future." Paris awaited his response.
At last Aeneas would voice the truth. "If all your brothers denied or were slain upon the Trojan throne," Aeneas lifted his head and breathed deeply as he continued, "I, Aeneas, son of Anchises, would have succeeded the throne as King." He looked at Paris, reading, as well as he could, the prince's thoughts.
"Anchises," Paris looked to Aeneas' father, the recognition now hitting him, "my father's second cousin?"
"Indeed." Aeneas nodded, adopting a much more formal tone that he had before.
"Then that would make you..." Paris raised his eyebrows, "Aphrodite's son!" He smiled, "Fantastic," he said, "I met your mother."
"I've not have the privilege, I'm afraid." Aeneas again looked to the ground.
"Then today, my boy, is certainly your day." The woman he had assisted had returned, this time accompanied by the most exquisite woman ever to have graced this earthly plane. It was this woman who had spoken.
"I beg your pardon," Aeneas said, "my day?" He was confused and certainly impressed by this woman's presence.
"Today, Aeneas, son of Anchises, you meet your mother." The woman said.
Aeneas was again confused. "But, where is she?"
Paris laughed, for he recognized the woman's face. Aeneas, having overheard this laugh, glanced at Paris. "Aeneas," Paris spoke, "we are graced by the gods today."
Aeneas looked at the woman. "Surely not..." he shook his head, "you couldn't be..."
The woman bowed her head to him. "Aphrodite, at your service." She smiled and Paris was reminded of the apple he had gifted her, and why. Aeneas was stopped in his tracks.
"Why are you here?" Aeneas asked.
"To deliver your message." She bowed briefly to Paris, then indicated they should continue to walk, as they had already fallen behind. As they resumed she smiled, her mischievous, beautiful smile. "Aeneas," she began, before getting sidetracked with thought. She was proud of her son, though she had not been present for a great deal of his life. How she wished she could have watched him grow, in Troy, not from distant Olympus.
"What is it that the gods command? How may I be of service to their greatness?" Aeneas implored his eternal mother and her companion.
"Yours is a task which requires assistance from someone you would rather not deal with." She indicated to Achilles, walking yet some distance ahead.
"Nay." Aeneas shook his head. "He defeated me in battle, that I will never forget. And the earthquake god told me to pull back whenever I face him." He would not ally his old enemy. To do so would mean defeat again.
"He did not defeat you in battle, for you still live." Aphrodite reasoned. "That is a claim too many cannot make. And the decree of the earthquake god was to pull back whenever thrown against him. You are not against him in this, my son. You shall ally him so long as you support the gods. It is their will, that which you swore to obey, in life and death."
Aeneas bowed his head. "Then what part must we each play, and what part together?" He begged of Aphrodite.
Without saying a word, Aphrodite placed a hand on his cheek and conveyed to him, by means of thought, what his task was. Paris, still standing by his friend, heard none of what was said, nor did any other mortal creature.
The full message, being both from the gods and personally embellished by Aphrodite herself, Aeneas took with him to the grave. When they broke from this contact Aphrodite stepped away from them and spoke briefly to the other woman. She returned after a moment.
"Athena," she spoke, of the woman with whom she had appeared, "will remain with you. She can contact myself and those at Olympus, and will guide you all through your travels."
They stopped now for Aphrodite's parting.
"Good luck my son." She smiled and embraced Aeneas. "I will see you soon, I've no doubt."
"Fairwell," Aeneas said, tears threatening as he recalled the message. With that the goddess faded from their sight.
"What is your task?" Paris asked quietly, overawed in light of their visitation.
"The future of Troy." Aeneas said, speaking only ever these words of it, and only once.
A/N: I think, by the time I have written the final chapter, I will have fully rewritten the first chapters of this damned story! (I just made changes to the god speech at the end of chapter 6) Haha, I spoke to my lovely cousin the other night. Hi Lucy! And now I have a storyline. Oh, it feels so good to have direction and purpose! Oh, yay! But now Odysseus needs to return! Its not in my storyline, but he's so cool!!! Oh, and while I'm here, HI JAMY! How's Germany? Yana5! Ah, your fics are crazy! But so, so funny! Sorry for interrupting, by the way! Lady Lenna: lose himself in it, eh? Maybe he will next time! ;) And hi x! haha, so much easier... I hope you weren't waiting up for this chapter. I was 10 hours late with this one! And my bastardly brother wouldn't get off my damn computer! Tool! Hehehe, I really do have to find one of these badges. Or make one! A friend of mine has a badge-making machine... I'll ask. Bradleigh, have fun finding the changes, and there will be much, much more godly intervention! Sorry Paulismel! I just couldn't keep it up. Next time, dude! Carribeangoddess, I entirely agree about Paris! But either way! And Hector, and Odysseus, they're all so incredibly cool! Adora-chillwind, I'll do my best. Purplemoofu, I think I can handle that! Destiny lot, thanks dude, hopefully, where it is heading, people will actually have the patience to stick around and read it... It's going to be a loooong fic! And thanks to KFF! I aim to please! I'm off, kids! Hope to hear from you all soon. And I'll update, hopefully, tomorrow. Bye now!
"What's upsetting you?" Aeneas asked Paris during the morning walk. They were nearing Lyrnessus, hoping to reach the town by night fall.
"Oh, nothing." Paris lied. He glanced over to where Achilles walked with Briseis, and caught the warrior staring back in his direction. Both abruptly looked away.
Aeneas shrugged and turned to catch a woman as she almost fell, a little faint from the heat.
"Watch your step, now." Aeneas said kindly. "We're so close, you wouldn't want to hurt yourself now." He laughed, a little dazed by her beautiful eyes. The woman blushed, walking quickly to catch up with her group, ahead.
"Quite the charmer, I see." Paris teased Aeneas. They both laughed.
Aeneas' hand rested comfortably on the hilt of the Trojan sword. It was quite common to see him like this. He held the sword close at all times, determined that, at least, the people of Troy should have a future, if not Troy itself.
Aeneas sighed now, looking from the sword to Paris, and then to the ground.
"Perhaps it is you who needs to be questioned about their upset." Paris suggested, concerned for his companion's troubled mind, and looking to take the focus away from his own dilemma.
Aeneas furrowed his brow, looking now to the horizon. "It's our future, that I ponder." He said. Paris was surprised to hear such deep thought from a common farm boy. "I mean," Aeneas continued, "what will happen to us? We travel now to Lyrnessus, but whither then?" He looked to Paris.
"I cannot lead us." Paris said, he had never felt qualified for leadership. All his time in Troy he had presumed Hector would take over after Priam, and they would live out their lives thus.
"Then," Aeneas pressed on, he had decided it was time the prince knew, "the responsibility falls on Andromache, or myself."
Paris was confused, It was not that he thought the boy ambitious, or presumptuous. Only he had never considered it necessary, that path. How little he looked to the future.
"Why do you feel the need to hold that position? It is a great task to care for these people, and find them a future." Paris awaited his response.
At last Aeneas would voice the truth. "If all your brothers denied or were slain upon the Trojan throne," Aeneas lifted his head and breathed deeply as he continued, "I, Aeneas, son of Anchises, would have succeeded the throne as King." He looked at Paris, reading, as well as he could, the prince's thoughts.
"Anchises," Paris looked to Aeneas' father, the recognition now hitting him, "my father's second cousin?"
"Indeed." Aeneas nodded, adopting a much more formal tone that he had before.
"Then that would make you..." Paris raised his eyebrows, "Aphrodite's son!" He smiled, "Fantastic," he said, "I met your mother."
"I've not have the privilege, I'm afraid." Aeneas again looked to the ground.
"Then today, my boy, is certainly your day." The woman he had assisted had returned, this time accompanied by the most exquisite woman ever to have graced this earthly plane. It was this woman who had spoken.
"I beg your pardon," Aeneas said, "my day?" He was confused and certainly impressed by this woman's presence.
"Today, Aeneas, son of Anchises, you meet your mother." The woman said.
Aeneas was again confused. "But, where is she?"
Paris laughed, for he recognized the woman's face. Aeneas, having overheard this laugh, glanced at Paris. "Aeneas," Paris spoke, "we are graced by the gods today."
Aeneas looked at the woman. "Surely not..." he shook his head, "you couldn't be..."
The woman bowed her head to him. "Aphrodite, at your service." She smiled and Paris was reminded of the apple he had gifted her, and why. Aeneas was stopped in his tracks.
"Why are you here?" Aeneas asked.
"To deliver your message." She bowed briefly to Paris, then indicated they should continue to walk, as they had already fallen behind. As they resumed she smiled, her mischievous, beautiful smile. "Aeneas," she began, before getting sidetracked with thought. She was proud of her son, though she had not been present for a great deal of his life. How she wished she could have watched him grow, in Troy, not from distant Olympus.
"What is it that the gods command? How may I be of service to their greatness?" Aeneas implored his eternal mother and her companion.
"Yours is a task which requires assistance from someone you would rather not deal with." She indicated to Achilles, walking yet some distance ahead.
"Nay." Aeneas shook his head. "He defeated me in battle, that I will never forget. And the earthquake god told me to pull back whenever I face him." He would not ally his old enemy. To do so would mean defeat again.
"He did not defeat you in battle, for you still live." Aphrodite reasoned. "That is a claim too many cannot make. And the decree of the earthquake god was to pull back whenever thrown against him. You are not against him in this, my son. You shall ally him so long as you support the gods. It is their will, that which you swore to obey, in life and death."
Aeneas bowed his head. "Then what part must we each play, and what part together?" He begged of Aphrodite.
Without saying a word, Aphrodite placed a hand on his cheek and conveyed to him, by means of thought, what his task was. Paris, still standing by his friend, heard none of what was said, nor did any other mortal creature.
The full message, being both from the gods and personally embellished by Aphrodite herself, Aeneas took with him to the grave. When they broke from this contact Aphrodite stepped away from them and spoke briefly to the other woman. She returned after a moment.
"Athena," she spoke, of the woman with whom she had appeared, "will remain with you. She can contact myself and those at Olympus, and will guide you all through your travels."
They stopped now for Aphrodite's parting.
"Good luck my son." She smiled and embraced Aeneas. "I will see you soon, I've no doubt."
"Fairwell," Aeneas said, tears threatening as he recalled the message. With that the goddess faded from their sight.
"What is your task?" Paris asked quietly, overawed in light of their visitation.
"The future of Troy." Aeneas said, speaking only ever these words of it, and only once.
A/N: I think, by the time I have written the final chapter, I will have fully rewritten the first chapters of this damned story! (I just made changes to the god speech at the end of chapter 6) Haha, I spoke to my lovely cousin the other night. Hi Lucy! And now I have a storyline. Oh, it feels so good to have direction and purpose! Oh, yay! But now Odysseus needs to return! Its not in my storyline, but he's so cool!!! Oh, and while I'm here, HI JAMY! How's Germany? Yana5! Ah, your fics are crazy! But so, so funny! Sorry for interrupting, by the way! Lady Lenna: lose himself in it, eh? Maybe he will next time! ;) And hi x! haha, so much easier... I hope you weren't waiting up for this chapter. I was 10 hours late with this one! And my bastardly brother wouldn't get off my damn computer! Tool! Hehehe, I really do have to find one of these badges. Or make one! A friend of mine has a badge-making machine... I'll ask. Bradleigh, have fun finding the changes, and there will be much, much more godly intervention! Sorry Paulismel! I just couldn't keep it up. Next time, dude! Carribeangoddess, I entirely agree about Paris! But either way! And Hector, and Odysseus, they're all so incredibly cool! Adora-chillwind, I'll do my best. Purplemoofu, I think I can handle that! Destiny lot, thanks dude, hopefully, where it is heading, people will actually have the patience to stick around and read it... It's going to be a loooong fic! And thanks to KFF! I aim to please! I'm off, kids! Hope to hear from you all soon. And I'll update, hopefully, tomorrow. Bye now!