Warning: From this chapter onwards, the deaths of certain characters will be shown. There will be some violence, though there will be no harsh language. I'm undecided on whether or not to raise the rating, if you think it should be raised then please let me know.
The wooden horse, which now stood proudly while Troy was destroyed, had held only the best warriors from the Greek armies. Among those in the horse were Odysseus, Menelaus, Ajax and even Neoptolemus.
Neoptolemus had not shown his skill in battle before now, but as he killed tens of Trojans, the Greeks could see that he fought like his father. Neoptolemus had never seen his father fight, yet he held the same mad glint in his eyes after taking life, and he seemed to be the embodiment of the Achilles the Greeks had known and idolized.
The guards at the wall were slaughtered like cattle, unable to defend themselves because they were either drunk or had been taken by surprise. Once the guards had been killed, the gates were then pulled open.
Thousands of Greeks raced over the plain of Troy, Agamemnon leading them, and flowed into the city like an unstoppable tide of water. They killed all those in their path, including the old and young. They felt no qualms over the lives they stole, and took even more pleasure from killing those who valiantly tried to defend themselves and the ones they loved.
No mercy was shown, not one ounce of leniency to the old who cried in terror, to the young that posed no threat to the Greek soldiers, or the women who screamed out as they were raped in the streets.
Houses were set alight, even if people were still in them, and the city soon became like hell, with blazing fires beginning to consume homes and innocent lives.
The spine chilling screams of innocent Trojans soon reached the palace. The cries rushed through the palace and to the chamber of Cassandra, where she and Andromache still sat, reminiscing over past times.
Andromache was laughing, something she had not done after her husband's death, at Cassandra's tale of how Hector had once fallen off a horse during a race with Polyxena when they were children. Her grin soon vanished, however, when the screaming suddenly reached her ears.
Cassandra's smile also disappeared because she realised the time had come. She watched as confusion and fear swept over Andromache's face and wished she could do something to end what would happen, but she couldn't, as even her fate was sealed by the unrelenting gods.
Andromache slowly stood to her feet and walked out to Cassandra's balcony, afraid of what she would see. She felt her heart hammer against her chest as she neared the balcony, and quickly prayed that she was imagining the screams.
The sight of homes burning, people running for safety, and innocent lives lying dead on the streets, was what greeted Andromache's eyes. She staggered on her feet, disbelief flooding into her eyes, and gripped onto the balcony tightly.
Cassandra stepped out onto the balcony also and gasped at the sight she saw. She had seen some of Troy's fall in her dreams before, although the images were not as real as they were now. There seemed nothing so real, so uncensored, as the scene which lay before her.
Silently, Cassandra stepped back slightly. She wanted to run from the sight she had wanted to prevent, the sight which had haunted her thoughts and dreams, the sight which would begin even more heartache for the Trojans that survived.
Andromache suddenly turned when she heard Cassandra move, and grabbed Cassandra's arms. Her eyes, filled with anger and shock, glared into Cassandra's and she tried to speak but couldn't form words.
"You … you lied to me," Andromache finally stuttered, her voice hoarse. "You said this would not happen!"
Cassandra knew that after this night, Andromache would rarely feel happiness in her life again. She had only lied because she wanted Andromache to feel some happiness again, and she wished to explain this, but couldn't as Andromache's attention was suddenly diverted.
A child's cry had begun within the palace, which made Andromache look away from her sister-in-law. She froze for a moment, looking across to Cassandra's door, because she knew in her heart that it was Astyanax who cried.
Andromache suddenly released Cassandra from her grip and ran out of the chamber and into the halls. She paused for a moment, looking from right to left, to see which way would take her to her chamber more quickly.
Once Andromache had decided which course to take, she raced towards her chamber. She saw those in the halls, mainly servants, were fleeing in the opposite direction, but she did not follow them.
All that Andromache wished to do was find her son and to see that he was safe, she would then take him and run forever, run until they were safe. He was all that she had left in the world now, she loved him more than life itself, and would kill anyone who tried to take him away from her.
Just as Andromache was turning the corner that led into the hall where her chamber was, she fell to the hard floor, tripping over the hem of her robe. She quickly scurried to her feet, ignoring her bleeding lip, and continued on until she reached her chamber.
Andromache burst into her chamber and saw Astyanax standing up in his bassinet, crying madly. He reached his arms out for his mother, terrified by the sounds which came from outside the room.
A loud exhale of relief left Andromache's mouth when she saw her son was safe and she went and picked him up into her arms. She held him closely against her and kissed his head, thankful to the gods that he was safe with her.
"It's alright," soothed Andromache as she held her son, "you're safe now." She went over to her wooden chest where a thick blanket rested on it, and wrapped Astyanax in it.
"What noise?" asked Astyanax and he pointed out to the balcony where the horrible sounds came from.
Andromache said nothing in answer to Astyanax's question for a moment, and looked to where he pointed. She found it hard to believe, even though she had seen the destruction with her own eyes, that Troy was falling all around her, and she felt tears leak from her eyes.
"It is nothing, my dear," said Andromache, quietly and she kissed Astyanax once more.
Footsteps suddenly approached the doorway to Andromache's chamber, just when she was about to leave, and she turned to see King Odysseus, surrounded by a handful of his men, standing at the doorway.
Andromache stared at Odysseus and her eyes suddenly widened with realization because she suddenly recognised his eyes. She remembered seeing only Odysseus's eyes, as the rest of his face was covered, in the palace a few days past.
As her mind remembered that time, Andromache also remembered that Helen had been with Odysseus. She shook her head slightly, unwilling to believe that even Helen would help the Greeks, but as she delved into Odysseus's eyes she saw her fear confirmed.
"Helen … Helen helped you?" said Andromache, her voice unusually weak and low. She wanted to hear it from Odysseus's mouth; she wanted to hear that Helen had betrayed Troy because she was still reluctant to believe it.
No matter how much Andromache disliked Helen, she had never presumed that Helen was capable of betraying Troy. She found it hard to believe that Helen would betray the city of Paris, especially when she had lived there for ten years. But Andromache soon accepted that Helen was capable of such a thing, because she knew that Helen would seek her own happiness above everyone else's.
Odysseus looked away from Andromache, unnerved at how she stared into his eyes. He bowed his head for a moment, attempting to delay what he needed to do, but he soon lifted his head and looked at Astyanax.
Greece's victory over Troy had been planned in intricate detail, even down to which royals should be spared, and which royals should be killed. Odysseus continued to look at Astyanax for a few moments, with this thought in his mind, and then turned to his soldiers.
"Take him," ordered Odysseus, his voice barely above a whisper.
Obeying their king's words, the soldiers walked towards Andromache, their hands slowly outstretching so they could take Astyanax.
Andromache backed away as they came closer to her and she held onto her son more tightly. She shook her head slowly, her face as pale as death, and tried to speak because she knew what they were trying to do.
She looked around the room frantically, looking for a way to escape and then she saw the balcony. She hurried out to it, but knew that she and Astyanax would die from the fall if she were to leap from it.
The soldiers enclosed around Andromache and Astyanax like a pack of wolves, desperate for a kill. They suddenly began to tug at Astyanax and tried to prize Andromache's hands off him but she would not let go of him, even though he screamed, because she knew she couldn't let them take him.
Andromache tried to push the men away, hitting them as best she could, but she found that this only encouraged them. She tried to keep Astyanax in her arms, she tried to save him, but she soon felt him slip away from her hands and into the clutches of one of the soldiers.
Still, Andromache would not accept defeat and she charged towards the soldier that held Astyanax. She clawed at his skin, biting and kicking him, because she wanted him to release her son, her baby.
But Andromache's attempts were soon ended when the soldier, that held Astyanax, turned to face her and slapped her so hard across her face that she tumbled backwards and hit her forehead against the balcony wall and then sunk down to the floor, unconscious.
"You fools!" exclaimed Odysseus, amidst Astyanax's cries, when he saw Andromache on the floor. "She is Andromache, Hector's widow. Agamemnon ordered for all the royal women to be unharmed!"
Odysseus's voice shook with nerves as he spoke, and he was aware that the soldiers noticed his unusual agitated manner. He took no pleasure from finally beginning to defeat Troy because he knew that the Trojans did not deserve what was happening to them.
Troy had never been a threat to Odysseus or his homeland of Ithaca; it was only because he was sworn to the oath to defend Menelaus's right to have Helen that he fought. He knew that if he refused to fight then Agamemnon would attack his land, and as his land was weaker than Agamemnon's, he knew he would not win.
The only thing that kept Odysseus focused was that this would soon be over, the night would soon end and a new day would dawn. At the back of his mind, however, he knew that he would forever be haunted by tonight's events, and that his mind would forever be plagued with the cries of innocent Trojans, which he would be powerless to stop.
"Pick her up," Odysseus said to one of his men, "and follow me."
Andromache was harshly picked up and carried within the man's hands, and she did not stir at the sudden movement. The man holding her did not tend to Andromache's wound on the side of her forehead which was bleeding, and instead he followed his king without saying a word.
Odysseus led his soldiers from the palace. He kept his eyes straight ahead and did not let them wander over the bodies of innocent people because he could not bear to see their faces. He weaved in between the bodies and out of the path of those who fought for their lives, and still he did not let his eyes wander.
The city was ablaze; even flames began to take a hold of the royal stables and sections of the palace. The innocent lay dead, although some Trojans were rounded up – mainly women who could be sold as slaves – and chained together.
A chorus of children's crying and women's screaming echoed throughout the city, and their lament was soon adopted by men who cried at the sight of their dead friends and relatives, until their lives were taken also.
Odysseus and his soldiers soon reached the walls and he slowly climbed the steps up to them. Each step he took gave him the feeling that his insides were splitting, but he continued on with the hope that it would soon end. He knew what had to be done, what had to be done to defend the lives of his people in years to come, but he knew that he was merely creating an excuse to justify what he had to do.
Astyanax's crying had persisted on the way to the walls, but his cries suddenly stopped when he was carried up onto the walls. He could fondly remember the times when his father had taken him onto the walls to look out to the sea, and suddenly felt relaxed.
Feeling the sudden, harsh wind that could only be felt on the walls, Andromache woke. Her eyes opened slightly and she winced in pain at the blow which her head had received.
For a few moments Andromache remained still, and allowed her body to get used to the pain. As she remained motionless in the soldier's arms, she slowly began to remember what had happened.
"Here, my king," said the soldier who held Astyanax, and he handed the child to Odysseus.
Odysseus carefully took Astyanax into his arms, and held him the same way he had held his own son. He scanned Astyanax's face for a moment, smiling inwardly at how much the young prince looked like his father, Hector. But as he continued to look at Astyanax, he suddenly felt sickness bubble in the pit of his stomach.
While Odysseus looked at Astyanax, he imagined someone else killing his son, Telemachus. He hated the thought of anyone harming his child, but he also knew that there was no mercy in war, no happiness became of it, not even for the winning side because they would be haunted by their actions.
Andromache fully opened her eyes at the sound of the soldier speaking to Odysseus. Her eyes darted around where she was now, but her eyes soon stopped and stared at the sight of Odysseus holding her son.
"No!" shouted Andromache and, as the guard who held her was unaware she had woken; she broke free from the soldier's grasp and charged towards Odysseus. She saw the sudden shock seep into Odysseus's eyes and almost reached him when another soldier grabbed her.
Blocking out Andromache's cries as she struggled to break free from her new captor, Odysseus continued to look at Astyanax. He saw that Astyanax had relaxed in his arms and felt sick at the thought that the small boy felt safe in his arms; because he knew that the child was wrong in his judgment.
Odysseus slowly walked closer to the edge of the walls and then, even more slowly, held Astyanax over the wall. He saw the fear grow in Astyanax's eyes and then he saw that the boy noticed his mother, Andromache, and outstretched his arms to her, for her to help him.
His heart racing with fear for what he was about to do, Odysseus dropped Astyanax and then quickly looked away from the wall and tried to ignore the sound of Astyanax hitting the floor.
Astyanax fell down below the walls, cracking his skull on a rock and dying instantly. He had barely tasted life, yet he had lost so much in the time he had been alive. Not only had he lost his father and uncle, but now he had lost his own life also.
A blood curdling cry screamed out from Andromache's mouth, and it stopped the hearts of all those near, including Odysseus's. She attacked the soldier that restrained her, and a hard blow into the man's stomach from her made him instantly release her.
She ran to the walls and leaned over them to see her son, and with the moonlight and burning fires as he torch, she could see a small body on the ground. She narrowed her eyes to see in the darkness, and then saw a small pool of blood surrounding Astyanax.
Sickness immediately raced up Andromache's throat and she released it onto the ground beside her, pulling her long hair back as it rushed from her mouth. She bent over, allowing all of the sickness to leave her, and then slowly straightened up.
Andromache looked to the men around her and no longer saw the satisfaction of winning the war in their eyes, instead she saw the horror, of what they were doing, dawn upon them.
There was no use in trying to see if her son was alive, Andromache already knew that Astyanax was dead because she could feel it. She had felt the remaining pieces of her heart crumble when Odysseus dropped her son, and she could feel that his life was lost.
No tears rushed from Andromache's eyes as she sunk down to the floor and leaned against the wall. She felt that she could no longer cry, as if she were drained of tears. She felt so numb of pain that she fell silent, and remembered the look her son had gave her.
In her mind, Andromache could see the look on Astyanax's face as he had looked to her to help him. She had seen the look of fear on his small face and felt sick with guilt because she had not been able to help him.
That look would forever haunt Andromache and she hated herself for not being able to protect and save her son. She felt as if she had failed not only Astyanax, but Hector also. When Hector had died she was left with the responsibility to protect their son, but she had failed.
Andromache had endured what no person should have to bear. She had lost her entire family in Thebe, she had lost Hector, and now she had lost the most important thing in her life, her child.
A/N: Some say that Odysseus was the one who dropped Astyanax over the walls, while others say it was Neoptolemus. I've chosen it to be Odysseus in this. Thank you for all of the reviews :)
Queen Arwen – Of course I didn't think your review was a flame. If there's something you don't like in this, then tell me and I'll try to improve. I do agree with you though, I think the last chapter was a little rushed. Thank you for the review :)
Lily – Thank you for continuing to read and review this, I'm glad that you want to, even though the end will be sad. Thanks for the review :)
Kal's Gal – I'll keep going, thanks for the review :)
Gaby – I'm glad you liked the last chapter, thank you :) I agree, Helen was horrible for betraying the Trojans. Thank you for the review!
Hecuba2 – I'm sorry that I've thrown Astyanax from the walls, and that he dies in this. I don't think I'll write a sequel to this, but I may write other H/A fanfiction. Thank you for the review :)
Caz-jket – I'm glad you liked the last chapter and that you continue to like this story, thank you and thanks for the review! I'm sorry that no one believes you, but it's nice that your name is Cassandra; it's a great name :)
Priestess of the Myrmidon – I can understand your hate towards Helen, and I enjoyed your name for her ;) I'm glad you love the story, thank you! Thank you for the review too :)