The sun rose high above Troy, sunlight trickled into Andromache and Hector's chamber. Andromache groaned when she felt the burning, hot sun glaring upon her face. She slowly opened her eyes and sighed aloud, she turned to look beside her, where Hector usually slept, but he wasn't there.
Hector had sailed away to seal the treaty with the West, he left only the day before. Andromache had summoned the enormous courage to say goodbye to Hector in the entrance hall of the palace, along with the rest of his family. She restrained from allowing tears to escape her eyes when she watched her husband carefully walk down the stone steps from the palace and to his horse. Although she dug her nails into her clenched hands to succeed in the task of locking away her emotions while Hector departed from Troy.
Paris had also sailed away with Hector, although before he had left, he had protested mightily to his father. Paris had been silenced on this particular matter; it had only taken a stern look from Priam to silence his moaning son.
Andromache rose from her bed, after smelling Hector's pillow which still retained his scent. She slowly dressed, choosing to dress plainly as the day was hot despite the slow change of seasons, and called for Xanthe to help with her hair.
"Prince Hector will soon return," reassured Xanthe, as she clipped yet another piece of Andromache's hair into place, "you must keep your mind occupied while he's away, don't hide away in your chamber all day."
Andromache nodded, she knew Xanthe was right. "I think I'll go for a ride today, I'll ask Polyxena to join me."
"That'll be nice for you both," said Xanthe, and smiled cheerfully.
Once every last strand of Andromache's hair had been clipped high above her head, except from a few way ward strands, she stood up from her table and thanked Xanthe before leaving for the women's quarters.
Andromache entered the women's quarters, closing the door quietly behind her, and was overwhelmed by the smell of perfume, extremely strong rose smelling perfume. A giggle erupted from the corner of the communal sitting area, where Andromache now stood, and she quickly turned her eyes there.
Two young girls sat in the corner and allowed nervous expressions to spread across their faces, one looking no older than six with stunning dark brown curls falling from her head, and the other appearing to be no older than nine with straight, smooth light brown hair.
"Whose perfume is it that you hold?" asked Andromache, and focused her eyes on the clear bottle that was held by both girls, it only contained a few mere droplets of perfume now.
Amarante, the youngest girl, bowed her head slightly and spoke: "It is Polyxena's."
"Does Polyxena know you have her perfume?" asked Andromache, trying to keep her tone slightly firm.
Both girls shook their heads. They both lived in the palace, and were nieces of Priam. The girls were exceedingly close sisters, barely seen apart, and their parents had drowned while returning to Troy from the East. Amarante and Lysandra appeared to be almost identical, excepting the height difference and hair, but in their faces they both bore their mother's sweet and gentle smile, and their father's twinkling green eyes.
"You'll both need to apologise to Polyxena for using her perfume," said Andromache, firmly, "but now you will come with me to the marketplace where we will purchase a new bottle for her, then you'll apologise once we've returned."
Andromache then walked over to the girls and wiped away their tears in turn. She smiled kindly, knowing how sensitive Lysandra, the oldest girl, could be.
Taking a palace guard as their escort, Andromache and the young girls walked to the marketplace. Andromache released a relieved sigh when she saw how bare the marketplace was with people, she detested the marketplace on hot days when it was crowded with people.
Lysandra held onto Andromache's left hand, while Amarante held onto her right hand. The guard followed closely behind them, being careful not to step on the Princesses with his large feet.
Andromache smiled inwardly, hoping to do this with her own children one day. She led the two girls to a stall in the marketplace that sold perfume and various bath salts. A waft of sweet smelling perfume floated over to Andromache, she smiled and remembered the perfume Hector had given her a few months past.
"You may pick a perfume bottle for Polyxena, and I'll buy it, is that alright?" Andromache asked Amarante and Lysandra, and knelt down to their height.
The girls both nodded, they were surprised that they hadn't been heavily scolded for their crime, but they knew Andromache was a nice young woman and they loved her dearly because of it.
It took some time for Lysandra and Amarante to agree on which perfume to buy. Andromache thought her nose would explode from smelling dozens of different perfume, which the girls had held beneath her nose.
Andromache also thought that the girls would never decide which perfume was best, but was happily surprised when they both settled on a rose minted perfume. She bought the chosen perfume and set off to the palace with the young girls, with the palace guard still behind them.
The walk to the palace took longer than usual for Andromache, because Amarante was beginning to tire. Andromache carefully lifted Amarante into her arms and walked back with her balanced on her hip. The palace guard carried Lysandra in his arms, who also started to feel tired.
Noon had sprung over Troy as Andromache stepped into her chamber alone. She had led the girls to their chambers, were they would quickly eat with their nursemaids and then have a long afternoon nap.
Polyxena wasn't to be found in her chamber, or anywhere in the women's quarters. Andromache had promised both Lysandra and Amarante that she would return to the women's quarters later that afternoon when they presumed Polyxena would return.
After eating lunch with Xanthe out on her balcony in her chamber, Andromache decided to take a stroll to the stables and groom Hermione, despite knowing the fact that Hermione was groomed daily by the stable hands.
Boredom was slowly sinking into Andromache's mind, and she needed to occupy herself. She walked slowly to the stables, wishing to pass time, but also wishing to admire the beauty of Troy's palace.
Andromache's soft sandals turned around a corner, revealing a bricked path to the stables. She gasped aloud when she saw Polyxena at the stables entrance, although it wasn't the sight of her dear friend that startled her, it was the sight of a stable hand kissing Polyxena's lips.
Polyxena blushed furiously. She hadn't yet seen Andromache; instead she blushed at the gentle kiss that had been bestowed upon her. She muttered sweet, loving words to the stable boy and left, walking in the direction of the palace and the hall Andromache now stood in.
Andromache frantically rushed to the hall she had turned from, only moments ago. She waited around the corner, hoping to not be seen by Polyxena. Andromache didn't know how to react, although she knew that she needed to confront Polyxena about what she had seen.
As a maiden and Princess, Polyxena had to leave herself pure for her future husband. It was dishonourable to receive a kiss from a man that wasn't her husband, or soon to be her husband.
Polyxena's sandals could be heard pressing against the stone floor, she hummed quietly to herself and turned down the hall Andromache stood in. A startled look quickly flashed across both of their faces, but both composed themselves.
"I did not expect to see you here Andromache," said Polyxena, noticing how shaky her voice sounded.
"I came to see Hermione," said Andromache, and looked up and down the hall to see if anyone walked down it, but no one did. "Come with me, to my chamber, I must speak with you."
Polyxena said nothing, but obeyed Andromache's words and followed her to the chamber. Once Andromache had shut her door firmly, she sighed heavily and sat down at the table.
"I saw you kissing a stable boy Polyxena," said Andromache, she didn't wish to dance around the subject and so decided to be frank with her friend.
At first it seemed like small tears were streaming down Polyxena's bowed head, but when she slowly raised it, it showed that nothing stained her face. She sat down at the table beside Andromache. "What will you do now?"
"I'll speak of this to no one," Andromache admitted. She was severely close to Polyxena, she wouldn't dare to jeopardise their friendship. Andromache allowed silence to follow her words for a moment, but then chose to speak again: "Do you love this boy?"
"He isn't a boy," whispered Polyxena, "he is twenty-two years old." She, also, was silent for a moment before speaking again: "And I do not love him, I'm merely attracted to his behaviour towards me."
Andromache nodded, although she didn't believe Polyxena's words on not loving the man. "Do you think he loves you?"
"I do not know," answered Polyxena, "nor do I care. We aren't courting one another, I wouldn't wish to, even if I were allowed. Sometimes I return his charming words towards me, but no more."
"Polyxena!" cried Andromache. "You need to care if he loves you, what if he asks Priam for your hand in marriage? A marriage between you both would never be possible, but if he loves you then he may venture to ask your father."
"I know," replied Polyxena, gravely, "that is why I can't see him again. By you seeing Nickolas and I together, it has forced me to see how foolishly I've acted."
Andromache nodded, although she couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness towards this man called Nickolas, he couldn't even have a say in whether or not he could be with Polyxena.
"Will you tell him?" asked Polyxena, her voice sounding urgent and panicked.
"Tell him what?" cried Andromache; although she had a feeling she knew what her friend would say next.
"Will you tell Nickolas that I won't be able to see him anymore?" asked Polyxena.
"Polyxena you need to tell him yourself!" Andromache scowled. "The poor man will be heartbroken; I will not be your messenger."
Polyxena stood up from the chair and was about to leave when Andromache groaned and called her back.
"Polyxena, where are you going?" exclaimed Andromache, who stood from her chair and walked over to her friend who had now turned to face her.
"Cassandra asked me to sit with her this evening," said Polyxena, quietly.
Andromache bowed her head, she knew that Cassandra spent many hours of the day in her chamber now, her face had rapidly grew pale and her eyes grew more sullen after each time she stepped out of her chamber. Cassandra barely spoke to her family, but she did cast odd glances in their direction when she saw them. She wished to see no one, not even Andromache who she thought of as a sister.
Andromache was slightly surprised that Polyxena had been invited to sit with Cassandra, she raised her head and realised that Polyxena was lying to her. "Please do not lie to me, we are friends Polyxena."
"You're right," sobbed Polyxena, unexpectedly allowing tears to flood from her eyes, "I'm sorry Andromache … I do not know what is wrong with me."
"You love him, don't you?" said Andromache, knowing the answer to her question. She looked at Polyxena with pity rising within her eyes; she knew that nothing could ever come of such love to a stable hand.
"I do!" cried Polyxena, hysterically and sank down to the floor. "I love him so much Andromache, I love him so passionately."
Andromache sat down beside Polyxena and embraced her tightly. "Your father will never approve Polyxena, I wish that he would but he will never consent to allowing you to marry a man…-,"
"So below my station as a Princess of Troy," whispered Polyxena, completing Andromache's words. "I know this, but I can't stop loving Nickolas, I don't want to be parted from him!"
"I'm truly sorry Polyxena," said Andromache, and wiped away her friend's tears, "but you must end whatever attachment you have with Nickolas, if you don't do it now then it will only become harder for you."
"I'll run away," said Polyxena, strongly, "I'll elope with Nickolas." She stood up and violently wiped away her remaining tears, then straightened out the pale blue peplos she wore.
"You can't!" cried Andromache, loudly. "If you were found then your father would kill Nickolas, do you want Nickolas to be killed?"
Polyxena shook her head furiously, releasing more tears. "I love him."
Andromache nodded, she could no longer think of words to calm her friend because there were none. She could clearly see how dearly Polyxena loved Nickolas; she could feel it from every word her friend had spoken. Andromache hugged her friend once more, but said no more.
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A/N: Thank you for the reviews, I really do appreciate them as they spur me on to write. Please review if you read this, I love to read what people think of it :)
I'm going to try and bring Hector back into the next chapter, although I don't know how I'm going to do that as I haven't even started it yet. Nickolas, Amarante and Lysandra are just characters I've created, in case anyone was wondering.
Also, I really need to know if there's a limit to how many chapters you can have in a fic here, does anyone know? I'd like to have the whole story of Till death do us part in one fic, without sequels, so if anyone knows the answer to my question then please tell me :)
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