Night had now fallen over the country of Troy, therefore Hector and Andromache had crept into their beds in hopes of sleep consuming them, but sleep did not come to them.
Hector and Andromache lay awake in their bed, nestling against each other. They had decided to remain in their chamber for the rest of their Anniversary, and they waited anxiously for word on Cassandra, which still hadn't come.
Hector needed to tell Andromache why his father had wished to speak to him earlier that day, but he didn't wish to see Andromache's reaction when he told her. A few moments passed by as Hector summoned the strength to speak to his wife. "My father called for me today because he wishes for me to sail to the west and settle a treaty with a country there."
Andromache breathed in deeply but remained silent.
"Only a few men will be sailing with me," continued Hector, "and I do not expect the voyage to be more than four weeks."
"Four weeks?" whispered Andromache; she wished to scream at Hector for speaking like four weeks wasn't long to be separated from the person you love. She lowered her head and sighed inwardly; she was the wife of a warrior and Prince, she knew that her husband would sail away many times before their lives ended.
"I'm sorry Andromache," said Hector and kissed his wife.
Andromache raised her head and smiled. "You can not help it, my love. I'm sure four weeks will pass quickly while you're away."
Hector nodded. "My father also thought Paris should accompany me and help seal the treaty."
"Does your father wish to deprive me of all my company?" laughed Andromache, although she didn't find anything amusing about Paris leaving with her husband. She knew that she would have company while her husband and brother-in-law were away, but Paris always occupied her successfully when Hector left Troy.
"No," replied Hector, ignoring his wife's glaring eyes, "my father thinks that by giving Paris some responsibility, it will help him stop acting like a child."
"A fine idea," said Andromache, honestly. Her own brother, Podes, had also shown little interest in growing up but once he had been forced to join Thebe's army, he finally grew into a man. "When will you leave Troy?"
"In two days time," answered Hector, his tone lowering with each word he spoke.
"The sooner you're gone," said Andromache, and smiled weakly, "the sooner you'll return."
Hector nodded, and jumped slightly when he heard a knock on his chamber door. He stepped out of the bed and quickly dressed into the skirt he had worn that day, leaving his chest bare, and answered the door.
Polyxena stood outside the door and smiled sadly when she saw her brother. "Mother sent me to tell you that Cassandra is well now, she woke a few hours ago and is now resting." She greeted Andromache who had walked to the door and now stood beside her husband.
"Would your mother like me to sit with Cassandra while she slept?" asked Andromache.
"I do not know," replied Polyxena, "I don't believe she wished to leave Cassandra, but I do think my mother needs to sleep, although she won't admit it."
"I'll walk with you to Cassandra's chamber and ask your mother," said Andromache, and wrapped her robe around her more tightly. She turned to Hector. "I'll come back if your mother wishes to stay with Cassandra, and if she allows me to stay with Cassandra while she sleeps, then I'll stay there."
"Shall I walk with you to the women's quarters?" asked Hector.
Andromache shook her head. "No, you sleep now." She kissed her husband goodbye and then walked with Polyxena to Cassandra's chamber, which was inside the women's quarters.
Polyxena and Andromache were silent while they walked to Cassandra's chamber. Hecuba still remained in the same place she had when Andromache and Hector left her, although now she sat on a chair and kept her hands to herself while her daughter slept.
Hecuba looked up when Andromache and Polyxena entered the room; she smiled at her daughter and daughter-in-law, and stood to greet them.
"I didn't expect to see you here Andromache," said Hecuba, and returned to her chair, "is everything alright?"
"Yes, everything is perfectly fine," answered Andromache. "I came here with Polyxena to ask you if you'd like me to watch over Cassandra while you sleep."
Hecuba smiled kindly. "That's very kind of you Andromache, but I'd prefer to stay here."
"Are you sure?" persisted Andromache. She could see beneath the rays of the moonlight that Hecuba had dark shadows beneath her eyes, and that her eyes were bloodshot. "I'll send for you if Cassandra wakes, at least sleep while she does."
Silence ensued for a few moments, but then Hecuba suddenly rose to her feet and turned to look at Andromache. Andromache was slightly startled to see how pale Hecuba had grown during the day; she looked into her eyes and saw an enormous pain there, a pain so great that it spilled from her eyes and trickled down her face in the form of tears.
"Polyxena, please return to your chamber now, you need to sleep," said Hecuba, and made no attempt to remove the tears from her face.
Polyxena looked oddly at her mother, but did as her mother had ordered and left Cassandra's chamber, closing the door quietly behind her.
"I'll return to my chamber now and sleep," said Hecuba, "please call me if Cassandra wakes." She then left the room, giving no explanation as to why she was crying.
Andromache looked at her mother-in-law as she left, haunted by the look in Hecuba's eyes, and in years to come Andromache would be even more haunted by that look, when she realised that it meant.
She sighed heavily and sat in the chair Hecuba had by Cassandra's side. Staying awake all night was not new to Andromache, as a child she had competed against her brothers to see who could remain awake for the longest.
The hours passed by and Cassandra slept on, Andromache was amazed at how peaceful and calm she looked now compared to how she had looked earlier. She stood up from her chair and walked over to the balcony, wishing to breathe in the cool night air.
The night Andromache had first arrived in Troy suddenly swam into her mind; she smiled upon recalling the distant memory.
"It's an incredible evening. I can't remember the air being as cool as it is tonight, the seasons must be changing."
Andromache leapt with fright and turned to see Cassandra standing behind her, she hadn't even heard her walk up behind her. "I thought you were asleep."
"I was," said Cassandra, simply.
"I should go to your mother," said Andromache, she felt awkward around Cassandra for some reason; a strange ambience could be felt oozing from her eyes. "She wanted me to tell her if you woke."
Cassandra gripped onto Andromache's arm, not tightly though, and held her friend back from leaving the room. "Leave my mother, she'll sleep rarely now, so she needs every last drop of slumber." She then smiled kindly, to calm Andromache's sudden frightened face.
"Would you like me to call for Polyxena?" asked Andromache, nervously. She didn't wish to be alone with Cassandra.
"No," said Cassandra, her smile slowly faded and was replaced with a sad expression, "Polyxena no longer knows how to act around me. She fears me, fears my words and looks towards her."
Andromache shook her head. "Polyxena doesn't fear you."
Cassandra said nothing; instead she turned her gaze to outside of the balcony. She felt the air breeze across her face and sighed happily, after a moment she turned to face Andromache once more. "I apologise for how I was today, you've a right to be anxious around me now. I'm not usually like I was today, so please … please don't fear me."
Andromache looked at her sister-in-law sadly for a moment; she was shocked when Cassandra walked over to her and embraced her tightly, and then burst into tears. Andromache held onto Cassandra, not knowing what to do or say.
That night Cassandra revealed a side of herself she wouldn't again show to anyone, because after that night she composed herself and acted strongly, ignoring the fierce urge to allow the pent up wails of fear and horror to escape her mouth.
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A/N: Thank you for the reviews, I hope everyone had a good New Years.
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