A/N: Thank you again for the reviews! I just wanted to write that Briseis won't be in this fic, instead I will use Hector and Paris' sisters: Cassandra and Polyxena. I'm just going to pretend that Priam had four children (and not fifty :P).
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"Are you excited, Andromache?" asked Xanthe, while brushing Andromache's hair. Andromache had always told Xanthe to call her by her name, and nothing else.
"No," breathed Andromache, heavily. "I'm too nervous to be excited. I'm worried that Hector's family won't like me, and so then I'll be doomed to misery because I'll have a husband and new family that don't love me." Shelaughed so Xanthe wouldn't take her words to heart, although inside Andromache's heart was screaming because she did fear what she said.
"Prince Hector's family will love you," said Xanthe, "Prince Paris has certainly taken with you, and Prince Hector seems like a kind man."
"Yes, a kind man," murmured Andromache, lost within her own thoughts.
Loud shouting was heard from on the deck and the ship moved slightly, Andromache quickly turned to Xanthe. "What is it?"
Xanthe shook her head, not knowing why the men were shouting, and so left the room to inquire of one of the crewmen.
Andromache brought two sides of her hair together and clipped them together, behind her head, with a beautifully decorated clip that her mother had given her only a couple of weeks before Hector arrived in Thebe. Then Andromache allowed the rest of her neatly, curled hair to fall down her back. She was just placing her Theban crown on her head; Andromache would wear a Trojan crown once she had married Hector, when Xanthe burst into the room.
"We're here, we've arrived on Troy's beaches!" panted Xanthe.
Andromache looked at Xanthe and then turned her head, sharply, away. She cried inwardly, knowing that now she was in Troy, she would soon be marrying Hector. He was a perfect man to be arranged to marry, which Andromache knew, but she couldn't help but feel sadness at the thought of marriage when she didn't love her betrothed, and he didn't love her.
Xanthe smiled happily when she saw how magnificent Andromache looked. She wore a light, blue coloured peplos which was decorated at the edges with dark, blue thread. Small, jeweled earrings dangled from Andromache's ears, and she wore a few gold bracelets around both her wrists.
"You look perfect," said Xanthe and embraced Andromache in a tight hug. "Your mother would be proud of you."
Andromache clung onto Xanthe tightly, and bit down on her lips firmly, to keep herself from crying. "Thank you Xanthe, thank you so much."
Xanthe gently pulled herself away from Andromache's arms and went to open the door to the room, as someone had just knocked on it.
Hector stood there and his calming eyes ran across to Andromache, where she stood, quite perfectly and looked radiant. He was almost relieved to see that she hadn't been crying, although he clearly saw the distress spreading across her face as he looked at her, because he signaled that it was time to leave the ship and enter the walls of Troy.
"Xanthe, will you please wait for us on the deck?" asked Hector.
Xanthe obediently left the room and walked, quickly, to the deck and spoke with Paris while they both waited for Hector and Andromache.
"Are you ready, Andromache?" asked Hector, who walked into the room and carried on until he was directly in front of her.
Andromache nodded and gazed back at Hector, her eyes relaxing slightly. She then stepped closer to Hector, so close that she could feel his warm breath tickle her cold cheeks. Slowly Andromache wrapped her arms around Hector's neck, and then tenderly kissed his smooth and gentle lips.
Hector was taken aback at first, he hadn't expected Andromache to kiss him so suddenly, but then he wrapped his arms around Andromache's waist and held onto her tightly, as if he were protecting her.
Soon Andromache withdrew her lips from Hector's and smiled. "Thank you Hector, thank you for showing kindness towards me when we first met, I only wish that I had treated you equally."
A smile widened across Hector's face and he lovingly stroked Andromache's cheek. "You had reason to be uncivil towards me, and you weren't nearly as terrible as I had imagined."
Andromache laughed and allowed Hector to take her arm and lead her to the deck. She closed her eyes for a moment as she stepped up onto the deck, because she was faced by the blinding sunlight that shined in the ships direction.
"It's not always this bright," reassured Hector, as he watched Andromache reopen her eyes. "We'll ride the horses from here, you'll share a horse with me, and once we are within Troy's walls, we'll ride chariots to the palace."
Hector led Andromache off the ship, Paris and Xanthe following close behind. Hector helped Andromache onto a brown mare before he climbed on behind her. He brought his arms around Andromache, and held onto the reins. Andromache blushed inwardly; she loved the feel of Hector's powerful arms wrapped around her. Before Hector, she had never been touched by another man like this, except by her relatives. She felt so secure within his arms, that even though he didn't love her, he would still protect her from harm's way.
Paris rode a horse by himself, and Xanthe rode with a man that had accompanied Hector to Thebe.
"Are you nervous?" asked Hector, because he could see that Andromache's hands shook slightly.
"Yes," admitted Andromache. "I'm afraid that yourfamily will dislike me." She wasn't aware as to why, but Andromache felt that she could tell Hector anything, and that no matter how silly it seemed, he would never laugh at her.
"You have no reason to fear that," insisted Hector, "my family will fall in love with you as soon as they lay eyes upon you."
But you didn't, thought Andromache. Although I fear that I may fall in love with you, and that the love will be unreturned. Andromache had dismissed the thought of ever being in love with her husband when she was arranged in marriage, but now that she had met Hector, that had changed.
Soon they were within Troy's glorious walls and Andromache held onto Hector as he helped her off the horse. Hector then led Andromache to the chariots that waited for them inside the city's walls. Paris chose to ride his horse to the palace, he didn't wish to ride a chariot alone, and Xanthe continued to ride with the same man as she had before.
Andromache's eyes widened with shock when she saw that the people of Troy had come out of their homes to welcome home the Princes and to greet her. She blushed heavily as people hung out of their windows and wished her a joyful life, and as people on the ground greeted her happily. Andromache turned to look at Hector, her eyes questioning him as to why he didn't tell her that they would be greeted like this, but he merely laughed and she elbowed him playfully, which caused him to laugh more.
Fear began to bubble in the pit of Andromache's stomach as she caught sight of the palace, high up on the hill. She steadied her right hand which shook furiously underneath Hector's, and then she suddenly felt dizzy and gripped onto the chariot with her other.
"Are you alright Andromache?" asked Hector, concern rising in his voice.
Andromache nodded and began to breathe deeply, knowing that her nerves werecausing her feel like this. She clasped her hand to her stomach as she felt sick begin to gurgle within it.
The palace was drawing closer and closer, when suddenly Hector stopped the chariot. He and Andromache stepped off it and waited patiently while Paris dismounted his horse. Xanthe would be shown to the women's quarters of the palace while Andromache greeted Hector's family.
"It feels as if we've been gone forever," sighed Paris, as he walked to Andromache and Hector.
Hector nodded and started walking up the stone steps, and to the entrance hall of the palace, with Andromache at his side and Paris following behind.
Andromache was no longer feeling nauseous, however, she still felt a little dizzy and grasped onto Hector tightly as she walked up the steps with him. She looked up to the entrance hall and could see an aged man and woman standing side by side, presumably King Priam and Queen Hecuba. Two women were standing behind the King and Queen of Troy, and Andromache thought them to be sisters of Hector and Paris.
Hector and Andromache stepped into the grand entrance hall, andAndromache suddenly realised how wonderful the view was, even grander than any view in Thebe. The view from so high upon the city was amazing; she had never seen a more beautiful sight as she watched the people of Troy, and then gazed out to the sea for a few seconds before walking to King Priam and Queen Hecuba, with Hector.
"My son, welcome home," greeted King Priam and embraced Hector. Speckles of grey hair could be seen in Priam's white hair. He was extremely tall, even though years of age were catching up with him, which Andromache could clearly see by looking at his wrinkled face. He had the same chocolate coloured eyes as Hector did, and she smiled.
"Allow me to introduce my betrothed: Andromache," said Hector, happily and gestured to Andromache.
Andromache curtsied before the King and Queen, but felt slightly odd in doing so.
King Priam smiled happily and kissed Andromache on both cheeks. "It's an honour to meet you, my child."
"Thank you my King," replied Andromache.
"You may call me Priam, Andromache," chuckled Priam.
Hecuba then greeted Hector; she kissed his cheeks gently and embraced him in a tight squeeze. Hector was still her little boy, and always would be.
Andromache studied Hecuba briefly and saw only gentle kindness and warmth beaming back at her. Hecuba had thin streaks of white hair mixed within her grey hair, and even though the Queen looked frail, Andromache could see that this woman was still young at heart.
"Welcome Andromache," said Hecuba, and kissed Andromache's cheeks. "You may call me Hecuba; I detest being called Queen by family." Hecuba then laughed, as did everyone else.
"This is my sister, Cassandra," said Hector, after a moment, and gestured to the Princess that appeared to be the eldest of those who stood behind King Priam. Princess Cassandra stepped forward to greet Andromache; she was known to be the fairest of Priam's daughters.
Andromache's eyes suddenly widened, but she quickly composed herself. Stories of Cassandra, daughter of Priam, where widely known, because she had been rumored to be a seeress. Andromache's body tensed slightly as Cassandra's eyes scanned over her, but then Cassandra smiled and happily moved closer to Andromache.
However, Cassandra's eyes were filled with sadness, she appeared to be on the verge of tears, but she, too, quickly composed herself and smiled weakly, she knew the future of Andromache and Hector, and was tormented by it. She couldn't prevent what would happen, she didn't have the power and no one believed her prophecies, even though they were true, so she kept them to herself, and allowed fate to run its course.
"It's an honour to meet you, Andromache," said Cassandra.
"Thank you," said Andromache, "it's an honour to meet you also, Cassandra."
"And finally," beamed Hector, "allow me to introduce my other sister: Polyxena."
Polyxena stepped forward and greeted Andromache, then stepped beside her mother.
"Hector, will you please join me while I discuss some matters with you?" asked Priam.
Hector nodded, but then looked at Andromache. "But what about -,"
"We'll take care of Andromache," interrupted Paris and smirked slightly.
"Very well," said Hector, then left with his father.
"I'll show you to the women's quarters, Andromache," said Hecuba, but before Andromache could reply, Paris spoke:
"Oh mother! Andromache has just arrived, she doesn't want to go to her chambers, she wishes to explore."
Andromache and Hecuba laughed.
"If Andromache does wish to explore," laughed Hecuba, "then you may be her guide Paris. But please, please try and return before the feast this evening."
"When am I ever late, dear mother?" said Paris, innocently.