AN:: To avoid some major confusion, I'll be calling Paris 'Paris' from now on but Katri will always call him Alex or Alexander because of the promise from the third chapter. Clarifying!!

And also... forgive my patheticness last chapter... I pretty much lost all dignity but I tend to get like that every now and then. sheepish grin But thanks to those who made me feel better

Chapter 05::

In the time after Paris' arrival, he didn't grow any closer to his new siblings. One disliked him, disbelieved the allegations toward his identity... didn't think that such a shepherd boy should have the privilege of living in the palace. The other believed too well that he really was Paris. Her predictions were all too vivid in her mind. Nothing could make her welcome Paris with open arms.

Hecuba was still ecstatic at the thought of her son returned to her. She spoiled him with gold and riches. She brought to him the most beautiful Trojan women and all Paris could do was grin sheepishly and accept the gifts. Priam did the same but brought to him the finest weaponry and gave him the finest lessons with the finest archers, sword-wielders and warriors of Troy. Nothing but the best was good enough for their newfound son.

The only one that Paris found remotely comforting was Briseis' presence. She was one of his cousins, a servant of Apollo at the temple that sat some distance away on the beaches of Troy.

"If you're so lonely, Paris, why don't you visit Katri?" Briseis prodded when she was visiting her new cousin. "You haven't shut up about her in all the time you've been here and I'm growing weary of your whining about missing her..."

"Because my mother won't let me. The Queen has ordered that I stay within the palace walls until she's comfortable with my being here and she's sure that the gods won't take me away again," Paris groaned burying his head in some pillows in his bedroom. "You have no idea how stifling it's becoming here. And Hector is shooting arrows at me with his eyes and Cassandra, I have a feeling, wants to poison me so I won't bring about her vision of Troy's destruction!"

"Then why don't you ask Katri to visit YOU?" Briseis suggested. "I can go get her if you want..." Paris just sighed.

"It's of no use... I don't want Katri to get up and leave for me... AGAIN. Her life has been interrupted by me way too many times already and I don't want it to be interrupted again because I feel a little smothered by all this."

"Ahh.. Foolish pride of the mortals..." Briseis grinned.

"Do not the gods have pride as well? Has it not been some of their downfalls?" Paris countered.

"Bite your tongue. You do well not to mock the ones that have returned you to your proper family," Briseis scolded.

"I don't this IS my proper family, Briseis. I think my proper family is in a little shack in the country side and taking care of the sheep that I used to take care of." Briseis just sighed her sympathy as she sat beside Paris' head, smoothing down the family inheritance of curly dark hair.

"How long has it been since you saw her last?"

"Almost two moons... Longer than I've ever been separated from her in the last ten years!"

"Then visit her tonight... Ask your mother.. Surely she'd do anything you ask her to," Briseis answered.

"I can't... I told you! She won't let me," Paris whined.

"I'll ask for you then?" Briseis insisted. "You need to get out anyways... I'll tell her I want to meet her or that I want some of her wool. Come on..." Paris rolled his eyes, dubiously.

"It won't work," Paris snorted.

"Watch me, oh ye of little faith," she grinned. He took her hand and he was led to the library where Hecuba was drinking tea with Cassandra. They were chatting together in a relaxed pace but the moment Paris entered the room, Cassandra stiffened and looked to the window, not wanting to have to look at the cause of the disaster she saw so clearly in her mind's eye.

"Briseis, Paris, what can I do for the two of you?" Hecuba smiled. Her hand reached out for Paris and he held out his so that Hecuba could it. It seemed automatic now. Hecuba always reached out for Paris' hand when near each other's presence.

"Aunt Hecuba, I would like to go to countryside if it's all right with you?" Briseis said, trying to hide her own grin when she saw Hecuba's movements. "I'm looking for some wool for the handmaidens to make a cloak for me and Paris suggested a girl a little out the of the city walls. Katriana, was it Paris?"

"Yes, Katri has some sheep that I'm pretty sure are ready to be sheared about now," Paris said softly. He wanted to come off as very respectful as to not jinx what Briseis was trying to accomplish. He held his breath when he saw his mother bite her lip in a frown.

"Katri? Isn't the girl you've lived with for several years, Paris?" Hecuba asked.

"A decade, mother," Paris nodded. Hecuba was silent for a second but then caved to the request.

"All right... But it's getting late..."

"I'm sure we can stay over for the night, Auntie," Briseis suggested. "I mean that Paris has stayed there for the last ten years! One night wouldn't hurt a bit."

"That's true, Briseis, but I'd rather that Paris came home," Hecuba reasoned, a bit annoyed.

"Would you rather we travel in the open darkness?" Briseis countered. Hecuba slumped in defeat.

"Bring a guard... At least one for each of you," Hecuba requested.

"One guard... We can bring Acacius," Briseis grinned. Acacius is one of the few guards that didn't act like his spear was stuck up some very uncomfortable bodily orifice. Hecuba looked like she was about to deny them the permission but Paris dropped to his knees and held her hand in both of his.

"Please, mother? I miss Katriana. I'm only asking for the night," Paris pleaded his eyes begging and Hecuba slumped ruffling his brown hair affectionately.

"Your father used that same exact strategy to get me to marry him and obviously I said yes," Hecuba huffed. "All right... But I want you back here before sunset tomorrow, understand?"

"Yes!!" Paris cheered, throwing his arms around her neck. "Yes! I will be back before you even know it, mother." He had on the biggest smile as he was about to bound out the door when Hecuba called him again.

"Paris?"

"Yes, mother?"

"Hector went to visit Katri earlier today as well..." Paris smile fell and his brow frowned at the news.

"He visited Katri?"

"Didn't you know?" Hecuba asked, surprised.

Paris shook his head, no.

"He's been visiting her every few days for the last two months. Anyways, when you see him on your way or when you're over there, tell him to get back. His father would like to have a word with him."

Paris nodded silently. He walked out, Briseis at his side. She noticed the withdrawn look that Paris sported as they went to grab their cloaks and started for the gates to get their horses and Acacius.

"What's wrong now?" Briseis asked. "I thought you'd be ecstatic now that you're about to see Katri again."

"I didn't know that Hector was visiting Katri," Paris muttered. Briseis looked at Paris' hands and watched them clench and relax and then clench again.

"Is there anything wrong with that? If you're brother is showing interest in Katri?"

"I..."

"You know if you look at the big picture, if this heads over the way it's going, Katri might move in here. You wouldn't miss her so much. It might actually be a good thing if Hector were to take Katri into his harem..."

"Katri is worth more than being thrown into a pit of stupid women in Hector's whore house!" Paris snapped, angrily.

"What if she were to be his wife?"

"She believes in monogamy, something I heard Hector wasn't very good at," Paris said bitterly. "And, either way, he's not good enough for her." At that, Briseis let out a guffaw. "Why do you laugh?! I'm only telling the truth!"

"Paris," Briseis laughed, teasingly. "If the PRINCE, the HEIR to the throne of Troy following Priam, is not good enough for Katriana, then who is?" Paris just stared ahead as he took up his horse and started out for the outskirts of Troy.

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Acacius and Briseis were lagging behind Paris as they talked. Their pace was relaxed, enjoying the perfect late spring day. It was sunny and the breeze blew lightly around them. They couldn't help but grin at Paris who was changing his pace constantly between a quick trot and a forced slow speed.

"He seems quite in a hurry to get over to that girl's house," Acacius observed. "Is he and the girl..." He crossed his fingers in an effort to show Briseis what he meant.

"No... well..." Briseis stopped to think. "A bit in a platonic way... Paris might be stepping up from that level but the girl, her name is Katri, I haven't met yet. Maybe..."

"I think we should let him go on ahead," Acacius laughed. "Hippolytas is getting agitated along with the prince."

Briseis laughed with him and nodded. "Tell him to go on ahead, then."

"Oi, Paris!" Paris turned to the guard and his cousin, his face set into an impatient frown.

"What is it?"

"Why don't you go ahead? We'll meet you there," Acacius shouted from his distance. At first, Paris hesitated.

"Are you sure? I don't want to feel like I'm abandoning either of you," Paris replied.

"Don't worry about it! We'll be fine. Get over to Katri," Acacius grinned. At the sound of her name, Paris turned his horse and began to gallop away disappearing over the hills almost instantly.

"Wow... You'd think Hades' demons were after him with how fast he went!" Briseis exclaimed. Acacius just chuckled.

Paris galloped to his old house and jumped off the horse the moment Hippolytas was stationed by the fence.

"Katri! Katriana!" He ran to the door and opened it grinning, but his smile faltered when he saw Hector at the table with Katriana. It was not as if they were caught in some kind of compromising position but it was obvious that they were enjoying each other's company just talking over some tea.

"Alex?" Katri stood up surprised. She was happy to see him. Don't mistake that but he hadn't visited in two months. It was a bit of a... shock to see him in their... her house again.

"Well, well... guess who finally showed up," Hector smirked. Paris glowered under Hector's patronizing gaze.

"Mother has asked that you return immediately, Hector. You needn't wait for me, Briseis, and Acacius. We're staying the night," Paris said in his most formal tone.

"Well, that's a shame," Hector smiled at Katri. "Do forgive me, Katriana. My mother begs me to take my leave." Katri smiled weakly when Hector took her hand and kissed it, his eyes never leaving hers. "See you tomorrow then Paris?" Paris nodded and Hector left without another word. Katriana's straight back fell into a relieved slump.

"Finally," Katri sighed. She began to gather the cups. "The man is a bit... annoying."

"Annoying? You seemed to be enjoying his company, Katri," Paris said almost accusingly.

"He's the prince. I have to act that way... He's a little boring. All he talks about is some expedition this or I have so much gold and women that," Katri rolled her eyes. "Impressive really, in a I-think-I'm-going-to-fall- asleep-in-my-tea kind of way." She waved her hand in nonchalant fashion, her back turned to him as she put the cups and plates into a tub of water.

"So... you're not... He's not.. you're not interested in him?" Paris stammered.

"Are you kidding?" Paris sighed in relief. "He's an incredible kisser! Of course I'm interested!"

"What?!" Paris cried out. Katri turned and Paris saw the teasing spark in her eye. "Stupid cow! I thought you were serious!"

"That's what you get for not visiting!" Katri retorted, playfully hitting his arm.

"Stupid cow!" Paris repeated, taking her into his arms and burying his face in the crook of her neck.

Katri's laughs died away when Paris just held her like that out of nowhere.

"I'm sorry for not visiting... I REALLY missed you though," Paris muttered into her skin, his arms tight around her waist. Her arms went around his neck and relaxed, knowing that he just needed some physical comfort.

"Then you should have visited."

"They wouldn't let me!" Paris whined. "Ah Zeus, I think I died a few times of boredom in that palace." Katri smiled and retreated a bit smiling at him.

"It's not exactly the same without you here either... but your presence still lingers here and there," she grinned. His eyes creased in confusion. "I tripped on that stupid rock garden you made years ago."

"I thought I buried that."

"I was digging the land up for a few vegetables I wanted to plant..." She gestured to her arm, which was bandaged. "The rock garden lives." Paris' saw the wound and immediately worried.

"Are you okay?" Paris asked, his hands caressing her arm as if his touch would magically heal her like Oenone healed him before. Her hand came to rest on his hands on her arm to stop them.

"I'm fine, Alex," she smiled. "Glad to know you still care."

"I'd never stop caring about you, Katri," Paris said softly. "Ever..."

'Gods, we're close...' Katri thought, and she wasn't thinking about their emotional distance... more like their physical distance. It seemed like two months were too long for Paris and he never quite realized until she wasn't beside him every day how much he needed her near and now he wanted her closer... and closer... and closer...

"Paris!" Briseis called from the oustide. The interference made them jump and Katri stepped back, her eyes wide and dazed.

"It's my cousin and our guard..." Paris answered without even hearing the question. She nodded and immediately went to the door.

Paris dropped onto a chair and let his head fall to the table, his forehead hitting the wood. He groaned at his lack of self-control and berated himself on such an action.

'I just missed her... That's all... No romantic feelings WHATSOEVER...' he rambled on in his head.

"Paris... you okay?" Katri asked putting her hand on his shoulder. He brought up his head and he saw nothing but normality in Katri's eyes (and a bit of forgive-and-forgetfulness as well).

"Yea fine..." Paris smiled weakly and stood up to introduce her to his new friend and relative.

------TBC-------

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