Word that Prince Hector had returned to Troy, and without his brother, quickly spread through the city like a deathly plaque. Confusion swept through the homes and into the conversations of those unblessed with true knowledge as to why Prince Paris had not returned. Only the Royal family of Troy, Elders of Troy and some servants within the palace knew why Paris had not returned and were forbidden to speak of it outside the palace walls.
News had reached King Priam that his son had left Sparta, but that he wasn't alone. He was told Paris had left with Queen Helen of Sparta, wife of Menelaus. Priam had also heard that the Kings of the Aegean had set sail for Troy with their armies, and that high King Agamemnon had sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia for favourable winds. All of this shocked and astounded Priam and he prayed to the Gods each night for guidance.
Hector had spent every day since his return to Troy in meetings with his father and the Elders of Troy. They discussed the news lately brought to them, and Agamemnon and Menelaus's true desire to have Troy. Hector commanded that the army begin furious training at once, as it was inevitable that the Kings of the Aegean would soon come to Troy.
Andromache watched for hours from her balcony each day while the army trained, even though the warriors were no more than little ants to her eyes from where she sat. She knew her husband would often command them when he was away from meetings, and when he wasn't there to train the army, a general would take command of the warriors.
She feared the arrival of Paris; she would wake each morning sweating profusely from her nightmares of war coming to Troy. Andromache knew that Agamemnon and the other Kings did not only sail to Troy for the Spartan Queen, but for Troy. Even though she never admitted it to anyone but herself, she knew deep down in the pits of her soul that this would be the end of Troy.
On an excruciatingly hot afternoon, Andromache fell asleep on her chair on the balcony. She was not aware for how long she slept; only remembering that her dream was once more filled with the loud wails of women and clashes of swords. But she was soon woken by her handmaiden, and dear friend Xanthe, when the sun began to set over Troy.
Andromache gasped with fright when she felt Xanthe nudge her hand gently in attempts to wake her. She immediately sat up, then seeing Xanthe watching her, she smiled kindly.
"I wasn't even aware I had fallen asleep!" Andromache laughed, but her laugh quickly faded when she saw Xanthe's worried face. "What's wrong?"
"Prince Paris has returned," Xanthe whispered, even though no one other than Andromache would have heard her speak if she had spoken properly. "Prince Hector has ordered me to take you to the entrance hall where you will greet the Queen and take her to the women's quarters."
"Me?" asked Andromache. She rose from her chair but swayed a little and held onto Xanthe for support, she had been feeling faint and nauseous for the last few days.
"You and Princess Polyxena, who will be waiting for you in the entrance hall," said Xanthe. "King Priam has refused to greet Prince Paris in the entrance hall, so that is why you must greet him and the Queen."
"Why did Priam refuse?" asked Andromache, and sharply turned her head to look at her handmaiden.
Xanthe took a few moments before speaking. She had heard gossip of the Kings rage at his son Prince Paris, but didn't like to talk of gossip. When she felt Andromache's eyes staring at her, she spoke. "King Priam has asked for Prince Paris to be taken to his hall where he returns. It … it is said that King Priam wishes to speak with his son in front of the Elders of Troy."
Andromache nodded, but said nothing. She had seen Priam's rage with her own eyes when he had been told of what Paris had done, and it had shocked even her. But Priam was no where near as angry as Hector had been, he had shouted and sworn and ordered for the Queen to be returned to Sparta as soon as she arrived. Hector's reaction had frightened Andromache, she had never seen him so angry, but she could also see within his eyes that he was scared.
"Andromache, what will happen to Troy now?" asked Xanthe, drawing Andromache away from her thoughts.
The Princess looked to her friend and her eyes filled with tears but she quickly forced them away. She inhaled deeply and attempted to smile, to reassure Xanthe. "Troy will be safe. The Queen of Sparta will be returned to her husband and all will be well."
Xanthe smiled.
After stepping back into her chamber before walking to the entrance hall, Andromache walked over to her table and placed her golden laurel leafed grown on her head. She straightened her back proudly, smoothed down her robes, and left the chamber with Xanthe walking a few steps behind her.
The wise and great Elders of Troy had gathered in Priam's meeting hall and talked quietly to one another. Priam silenced them with one simple hand gesture and then the Elders took their usual seats. The King sat in his throne at the far end of the hall and surveyed each Elder while he waited for his guards to bring him his youngest son. Hecuba sat on her husbands left side, while Hector sat on his father's right and looked extremely worried.
Not wishing to greet his son formally, Priam had asked for Polyxena and Andromache to greet Paris and the Spartan Queen in the entrance hall of the palace. Andromache and Polyxena were then to take the Queen to the women's quarters where she would remain, while Paris would go to his father.
Polyxena had never dreaded to see her brother more while she waited for Paris in the entrance hall of the palace. She still couldn't quite believe that her brother would ever be so foolish as to steal another man's wife, especially the wife of a King.
As Polyxena anxiously waited, Andromache joined her; they both appeared to be equally nervous and worried. Both knew the dangerous situation Troy now faced by Paris's foolish act.
Andromache's heart began to beat rapidly and she felt vomit gather in her stomach. She looked to Polyxena who was suddenly transfixed by the sight of Paris stepping off from the chariot he and the Spartan Queen had stepped onto once reaching the walls of Troy.
The two Princesses watched as Paris helped an astoundingly beautiful woman off it after him, the Spartan Queen. They had heard stories of the Queen being a child of Zeus and that her beauty could never be matched, something that shocked and amazed them both.
"The Spartan Queen," whispered Polyxena as she looked at her. She was almost in awe of the Queen's beauty; she had never seen a woman so beautiful in appearance.
The Queen of Sparta thanked Paris when he had helped her off the chariot. She clung onto his hand and felt that he was shaking too, which didn't settle her nerves. Helen picked up the ends of her beautiful robe and began to walk up the palace steps with Paris.
Helen slowly examined Troy as she carefully walked up the stone steps. She had gasped aloud when Paris had shown her the glittering walls of Troy on the ship, and now wished to gasp even louder at everything she could see. There was so much life, so much culture before her eyes that she couldn't help but open her mouth in amazement.
The palace stood before Helen, looking more magnificent and prouder in the evening light than it had ever done before. She turned to look as a few merchants packed away their stalls within the walls of Troy. Helen was surprised to see that some of the Trojan people had begun to gather outside their homes to watch as she and Paris walked up to the palace. Once she had looked at her surroundings, Helen returned her attention to the palace and distinctly saw two women watching her.
Paris had never felt more frightened in his entire life, and felt even more guilt seep through his veins when he looked up to the palace to see Andromache and Polyxena watching him. He squeezed Helen's hand, wishing to receive comfort from her and she gently squeezed him in return. Paris had never been aware of what he was really doing by bringing Helen to Troy, not until now when he saw two of his family members that he loved dearly, and saw how they were even more frightened than he was.
When only a few steps remained before the hall, Paris saw that only Polyxena and Andromache waited for him there, with a couple of his father's guards. He had not expected a great gathering of people, but he had hoped to see more of his family, especially his mother and father waiting to greet him.
"Welcome home brother," said Polyxena, her voice quivering somewhat. She attempted to smile as she embraced Paris, but found she couldn't as she didn't wish to reassure either her brother or the Spartan Queen.
"Thank you Polyxena," said Paris and smiled, though it was a feeble one. He then turned to Andromache and was about to greet her when he saw the shock and anger in her eyes – the anger of him bringing anything remotely dangerous to Troy … to her husband. A brief pause passed by before Paris quickly greeted Andromache and then stepped back beside Helen.
"Father wishes to see you Paris," said a voice they all recognised. The owner of the voice stepped into the light of the burning torches in the hall and they saw Hector. He walked beside his wife, not wishing to be too near his brother because he felt an overwhelming urge to strike him for his idiocy.
Paris looked to Helen, fearing the tone in Hector's voice, and was worried to leave her.
"Paris, you are to come with me to see father now!" said Hector sternly. He then turned to look at Queen Helen and saw how nervous she appeared. "Queen Helen, you are to go to the women's quarters with my wife and sister." He then gestured to Andromache and then to Polyxena.
Helen smiled at both Andromache and Polyxena, but neither of them returned the gesture and she didn't blame them. She knew that the women before her now understood what would happen to Troy by her coming there, she saw the fear within their eyes, even though they tried to hide it. Helen could see it so clearly within them because she held the same fear within her heart.
"Everything will be all right," reassured Paris as he embraced Helen and whispered into her ear. He then left with his brother, while Helen left with Polyxena and Andromache.
The great King of Troy watched from his throne as his two sons walked into his hall. He looked to the elder of his sons and smiled inwardly; he had always been proud of Hector and would continue to forever. Hector was the perfect son in Priam's eyes, but Hector didn't possess everything Priam had wished for in a son. All of the things, mainly personality traits, that Hector didn't have were instead within Paris, and Priam loved his youngest son because of it. Paris reminded Priam of himself as a young man, but Priam knew that he would never have endangered his country like Paris had now.
Priam stood up from his throne and raised his head proudly. Paris knelt down in front of his father and then stood to his feet again. Hector took his place beside his father's throne once more and watched every movement between his father and brother with terrible anxiety.
"How dare you steal the King of Sparta's wife and bring her here!" roared Priam. "Did you expect us to welcome you and the Spartan Queen with open arms when the Kings of the Aegean follow you here?"
Paris's eyes widened in fear and he didn't dare to look into the furious eyes of his father.
"Did you?" demanded Priam. He was then persuaded back into his chair by his wife, who feared for his heart.
"No I did not," mumbled Paris, although he secretly had.
Cassandra suddenly appeared from the end of the room. She slowly walked up to her brother and studied him carefully with her eyes. "The Spartan must be returned to her husband!"
"NO!" cried Paris and looked up to his father, his eyes begging him. "Please father, you cannot return Helen to Sparta!"
"You have brought war to our shores!" shouted Priam.
"Agamemnon and the other Kings of the Aegean present war … not I," whispered Paris.
Priam looked to his son and knew he spoke the truth. Agamemnon especially, Priam knew, would have waged war against Troy no matter what. Paris's act had only proved a great advantage to the King of Mycenae, because it made war quicker and easier.
"No," said Cassandra hoarsely as she looked from her father and then to her brother, "no … the Queen must be returned to Sparta!" She hurried to her father and knelt down before him. "Father do not make the same mistake again, you can change the fate of Troy with one act … do it!"
"Bring the Queen here!" Priam ordered to his guards, ignoring his daughter.
"NO!" screamed Cassandra.
Hecuba hurried to her daughter and tried to soothe her but Cassandra kept begging her father to return the Queen to Sparta.
"Take her away!" Priam said, ordering his wife to take Cassandra to her chamber.
Cassandra burst out into a fit of screaming and tears while her mother attempted to soothe her and walk her to her chamber. Hecuba did not conceal her own tears as they flowed down her pale and aged cheeks.
A/N: I'm really sorry about the lack of Andromache and Hector together in the last few chapters, I really am. As I've said before, I need to get a lot of things into these important chapters as they'll play a role in the end of the story.
Priestess of the Myrmidon – Thank you, I'm really glad you're continuing to like this! Thank you and thank you for the review :)
Donna Lynn – I'm really glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Thank you, and thank you for the review :)
Queen Arwen – Sorry for the lack of H/A, there will be more focus on them soon. Thank you for reviewing :)
Kitera – Thank you for the review! I'm really glad you enjoyed the chapter, thank you :) I hate Agamemnon too, but he'll get what's coming to him eventually.