A/N: The wedding between Hector and Andromache will be in the next chapter, I will of course mention the wedding night in the next chapter. Thank you for the reviews! :)
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Andromache slowly lay down on her bed; she feared moving, because every time she did, she was suddenly reminded of her horrendous headache. She closed her eyes slowly and drifted off to sleep.
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Paris began walking away from the women's quarters, as he did, he saw Hector walking towards him, obviously wishing to see Andromache.
"Good morning Paris," said Hector, cheerfully.
"Good morning," replied Paris. "Andromache is not feeling well; she's retired to her chamber for some rest."
Hector stopped walking, a few feet away from his brother. "Is she alright?"
Paris walked the remaining few feet to his brother and brought his arm around him. "She will be, although she did vomit in the royal gardens. I think she is suddenly feeling nervous about the wedding night."
"The wedding night?" stuttered Hector.
"Let Andromache rest," said Paris, removing his arm from around his brother. "You can have lunch with her; she'll probably feel better then."
Hector nodded. He certainly hadn't expected to be greeted by Paris when he went to see Andromache, nor had he expected to be told that she was nervous about the wedding night. It was natural for both partners to be worried about the wedding night, however, Hector only worried about Andromache and how she felt about it.
Paris then said goodbye to his brother and went in search of some female company. Being a Prince of Troy, Paris was never denied the attentions of a woman. Paris could feel himself becoming bored with bedding random women, whenever he pleased. He looked at the bond between Andromache and Hector, and envied them; he wished to have someone he could love, just like his brother did.
Hector decided to follow his brother's advice in leaving Andromache to rest; instead he decided to speak with his father. He needed advice from a man that had experienced the nerves of a wedding night, and who better than his own father?
Slowly Hector walked to his father's chambers and knocked loudly on it. A male servant of his father answered and Hector stepped into the room, he saw his father looking out to his balcony. The servant quickly departed, leaving the King and Prince alone.
"Is Andromache alright?" asked Priam, sensing his son's presence without even looking away from the sea.
"I believe so, father," answered Hector. "How did you-,"
"Your mother told me," said Priam, and turned to face his son and smiled. "I'm very happy for you and Andromache, so is your mother. Now, I know you wish to ask me something, so please ask."
"I wished to ask you about the wedding night," said Hector, slightly embarrassed, "were you ever nervous, was mother?"
Priam motioned for Hector to come and sit beside him on his bed. "On the day of our wedding, every time I looked at your mother she would turn away from me, I could tell she was on the verge of tears all day. Your mother's nerves only made mine ten times larger, but when the time came, all was well."
Hector nodded, all would be well with him and Andromache when the time came, it was just reaching that time, which was difficult. "Thank you father, I'll leave you now." He then left and made his way to the stables, wishing to find some comfort by being with his horses.
Quickly, Hector reached the royal stables. He immediately went to see his beloved horse: Hermione. Before Andromache, Hector had never trusted anyone else to ride her, but he trusted Andromache with many things, especially his horses. Hermione stood in her stall, her head hanging over the wooden gate; he walked over to her and stroked her mane. Hector began to tell Hermione what had happened over the past few days, he found it relaxing to talk to her. Somehow he felt that she could understand, even though she could never respond to him, except with a neigh.
"Are you always in the habit of talking to your horses?" asked a voice.
Hector spun around to see the speaker, he already knew that voice, it was Andromache. "I thought you were resting."
"I was," grinned Andromache, "but then I awoke, and presumed you to be here. It took me a while to find this place, but I managed."
"I was supposed to show you the palace," said Hector and walked up to Andromache, "would you like me to now?"
"I would love you to," answered Andromache, her headache had ceased and her nerves were calming down rapidly, just by being near Hector.
Hector nodded and guided Andromache around the palace. She tried to remember everything he had shown her, so she could find her own way around the palace in future. Finally, when Hector had shown Andromache the palace, he took her to the city walls, wishing to save the greatest view till last. He led her up the stone steps, holding her hand tightly as it was extremely high above the solid ground.
Andromache sighed happily as she stepped onto the walls. She went to the edge, clasping onto the wall, and looked out at the great plain, the beaches and then the sea in the distance. What did I ever do, she thought, to be awarded with such views, and to be with a man I love?
"I love it," she said, and then Andromache noticed some chairs built into the wall. "What are the chairs for?"
"They are for my family to sit here and watch the army train," said Hector. "But they are also used when there is war, for my family to watch the many battles each day."
"It's hard to imagine war ever commencing in such a beautiful place," sighed Andromache.
"It is," agreed Hector, and then took Andromache in his arms, "but war has not come to Troy for many years."
Andromache nodded and buried her head in Hector's arms. She would remember this time in years to come, this time when she was naïve in thinking that war would never come to Troy.
Hector and Andromache returned to the palace, where they ate lunch happily. Afterwards, Hector decided to return to the stables, but Andromache felt the day too hot to spend much time outdoors and so returned to the women's quarters.
"Good afternoon Andromache," said a voice.
Andromache closed the door to the quarters, and turned to see Cassandra sitting on chair, watching her. "Good afternoon."
"Sit with me," said Cassandra, she then patted the chair beside her for Andromache to sit on.
Andromache did as she was asked, she had heard Cassandra was an extremely lovely Princess on closer acquaintance, and Andromache hoped this to be true.
"I don't wish to make your nervous," said Cassandra, sensing Andromache's feelings. "You've no doubt heard stories of me being a seeress; I just wished to tell you that you don't have any reason to fear me. I'll soon be your sister-in-law, and I feel certain that we'll be very great friends."
"I hope we will," said Andromache, truthfully.
Cassandra laughed. "I imagine Hector is with his horses?"
Andromache nodded and smirked slightly. "Of course, where else would the tamer of horses be?"
"Hector would always disappear when he was a little boy and hide away in the stables," said Cassandra, and smiled as she recalled the memory, "my mother would go frantic while she searched for him. He'd spend all day there, helping the stable hands with the horses, and then when he was eight my parent's gave him his first horse, he couldn't be parted from it."
Andromache laughed, she could clearly picture what Cassandra had told her. "Do you share your brother's passion for horses?"
"I've never been able to bond well with horses," said Cassandra. "Hector's expertise is with horses, Paris' are with women, Polyxena's are with people, and mine is with the gods."