AN}—Another Yoda-type chapter title! Does anyone actually read this? That is the universal Author's Question. Whether or not their readers read their random notes. Hehe.
My Immortal
By BluWine
Chapter 13: Your Voice It Chased Away
Paris was at the top of the walls, looking over the destruction the Greeks had wrought upon the outskirts of their city. In the rays of the coming sunrise, he could see that everything outside their walls was destroyed. Over the distance, a steady trail of smoke rose from a cottage. Paris' fists clenched, his fear overwhelming what little composure he had left.
"She lives," said Hector, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. His voice shook with uncertainty but it did what could be done to reassure to Paris. "Katri is smart and resilient. She will have known to get to safety."
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Katriana had slipped into oblivion, never realizing that the saving grace of the gods and Fate had come between death and herself.
Achilles watched one of his more mindless malicious warriors go from tree to tree, burning each one with the torch he held. This one, Lykaios, seemed to be a true sadistic bastard, grinning maddeningly at the ruin he caused. As he neared the tree nearest to the walls, a voice that sounded distinctly like his mother resounded in Achilles' head.
"Stop him," Thetis shouted.
"Why?" Achilles asked, staying his ground as Lykaios lowered his torch to the roots.
"Do as I say and stop him!"
Inwardly rolling his eyes, Achilles decided to follow as his mother ordered.
"Halt!" Because he didn't mention a name, everyone froze in their position, all eyes upon their leader. Achilles strode up to Lykaios grabbing the fiery branch from him and looking up.
Achilles had not seen it before and he was surprised that he hadn't. The girl stuck out like a sore thumb, her white dress pale against the dark wood of the tree. The girl's dark hair did what it could to camouflage her but it was almost futile. The leaves of the tree however did what it could to hide this woman. The foliage seemed to hug her, wanting to save its occupant against prying eyes even as flames began to lick at her skin. It worked well for as Lykaios looked up he couldn't see the female.
"You wished to save this woman, Mother?""Yes, I wished to save her."
"She's just another soul to claim. What is the difference?"
"You were not meant to bring harm to her, Achilles. You would do well to pay heed to my words. Troy has received your message. Take your leave and let the girl live."
As much as he did not want to follow orders, it was his mother. The woman who let him freely choose between the happy and long life with her and his family if he chose to stay and the long life he would have through people's memories if he chose to leave. Achilles half-understood that, as a mother, it was not an easy decision to let him choose for himself but she did what she had. He would do her this one last favour before his time came.
Achilles turned away from the tree, his arm raising the fire to the Trojans watching above him. He didn't know that the young prince Paris was there was well, watching in horror with the crowd. Achilles whistled for his horse and mounted it, never releasing his torch.
"Let Troy see this as a message!" Achilles roared to the terrified crowd.
Paris backed away, making his way down the wall towers to get to the gate below. Even through the walls, he could hear the words of his enemy.
"A warning! A foretaste of what is to come!" Achilles continued, his horse cantering back and forth, wanting to leave, but unable to with his master reining him to the spot. "Let all of Troy see what the Greeks shall wreak upon their city when we breach its arrogant walls!" He threw the torch at another tree, watching it slowly take fire and burn. "Everyone! Move out!"
The Greeks took to their horses, and with a whoop that rippled through the burnt wood, they took off. None looked back, satisfied with the impression they left. All they thought of now was their eagerness to do what they had just done to the insides of Troy.
"I have to get out!" Paris yelled at the guards.
"I'm sorry, your highness. In regards to your safety, that is much to dangerous. The Achaeans may still be out there," the guard stammered, halting Paris with a spear.
"I don't care! Do you understand me?! I REALLY don't care! I need to get out there and find Katriana!" Paris shrieked. The guards looked lost, not knowing what to really do until they looked up and saw the higher prince coming.
"Let him go," Hector said. Paris breathed a sigh of relief when Hector grabbed his arm. "Acacius comes with a horse. You'll make better time with one." Sure enough, moments later, Acacius came riding in, jumping off the horse as Paris got on.
"Look in the trees," Acacius said. "I told her to come here when the Greeks started to advance."
Paris nodded and took off, not sparing a single glance behind him, tearing out after towards the cottage. He slipped off the horse as he got to the still burning remains of his previous home.
"Katriana!" Paris called, gathering up his courage. He called again but no answer came. He ran to the doorway, slamming it open. Using his cloak to shield him from the fire and smoke, Paris entered the burning building. There was only one other room in that cottage and it was already burnt to the ground. He desperately prayed that Katri wasn't sleeping in there when the Greeks arrived.
Ignoring the stinging in his eyes, Paris looked around. There was nothing. Katri wasn't in the main room. There would have been something left of her, as morbid as that thought might have been to Paris. He didn't know whether or not to be happy that Katri wasn't there, but that could only mean she was burned to cinders in the smaller room, or taken by the Greeks, neither option one that Paris liked very much. He ran out of the cottage, coughing up a fit.
"Katri, where are you?!" Paris muttered, falling to his knees from the lack of oxygen and the heat. His eyes watered and burned but he ignored it as he pulled himself up by the reins of the horse lent to him by Acacius. He saw the Greeks as a thin line on top of the horizon and he knew he had to leave before they realized one of the reasons for their attack was extremely vulnerable out in the open. He reluctantly turned the horse and galloped his way through the forest... or what remained of the forest anyways. It was all burnt and chars.
Remembering Acacius' words, he began to scan around him for any thing that might have looked out of place. Any color that wasn't meant to be there but the more he neared the walls, the more he realized that almost every tree was burnt to the ground. The few that were left were mere saplings except one or two that managed to escape the fires but not without its scars.
"Did you find her?" Hector asked, risking himself as he stepped out of the walls to meet his brother.
"No..." Paris said, his hand shaking. "I couldn't... She wasn't there." He dismounted his horse and advanced towards the walls. Halfway there, Paris' anger towards himself erupted and he threw the reins down, lightly whipping the horse but the animal became frightened, feeling the surge of emotion from its master.
"Paris!" Hector called warningly. The horse reared wildly and Hector ran up to grab the reins again. The horse whinnied and landed, then kicked its hind legs at the tree nearest to it. The tree shook and Paris scrambled away, thinking that the tree might collapse since its trunk was badly burned and weakened. All it did was shake, however, and when it did a brown sack fell from its branches onto the ground. Hector pulled the horse away and handed it to Acacius, who was standing nearby. Paris was still trying to get to his feet when Hector was already at the bag, examining its contents.
"What's in it?" Paris asked. Hector just smiled, grimly and looked up. Paris followed suit and saw the woman he'd been searching for in one of the higher branches. "Katri!!" Paris gasped. The branches seemed to move again and the leaves began to part. "She's falling!"
"Well then, we catch her," Hector replied. "But be careful...."
"Why?" questioned Paris, though neither kept their eyes off the girl for a second, readying themselves for when they knew she would slip and fall to the ground.
"She's unconscious. That much is obvious... But look at her legs... She's burned... Badly..."
Only then did Paris see the reddish wounds covering Katri's legs. Her dress was burned away, barely protecting her modesty. If the situation hadn't been so dire, Paris would have been embarassed to see her with so little on....
Not that he hadn't seen her with little on. It happened every now and then when two people wre so close and lived with each other for so long. As children, they used to even BATHE together but since she had come of age, Paris so very little of what Katriana had grown up to be....
But, Paris realized, these thoughts had fallen onto a very distant tangent... And now Katri was slipping and falling towards the earth. Hector was the one to catch her and Paris slipped off his cloak to wrap Katri with.
"Take her to the healers at once," Hector said, handing Katri to Paris. "Her legs wounds are worse than I thought and her breathing is shallow. She must have inhaled much of the smoke."
Paris nodded and ran into the city, screaming for everyone to get out of his way. He skidded into the palace, running into the healer's, Aristaeus, chambers. The man was not very old; ten years older than Hector at the most. His dark hair was fogged very little with white hairs and his tall posture was sometimes intimidating to his patients. Paris had to admit that he would have thought this man to be more of a warrior than a healer but he was proven wrong when he was demonstrated Aristaeus' skill. Aristaeus had risen only a few minutes ago when his prince entered the room.
"Aristaeus, you must help her!" Paris said, placing Katriana on the bed. She looked too frail, her face smeared with ash and her hair singed. Katri's expression was contorted in pain and he could only guess it would be from the burns that wounded her so. He raised his cloak to let Aristaeus assess the extent of the damage on her. Before Paris could even get a clear look at the wounds, he grimaced and turned away, his hand gripping Katri's. All he could think was that if he hadn't so selfishly forgotten about Katri when the Greeks came... Maybe if he hadn't forgotten the promise he had given Maia to take care of Katri then maybe she wouldn't be so severely hurt.
"What happened?" Aristaeus tsked, shaking his head at the damage. He gestured to his servants to bring in cold water and towels soaked in them.
"The Greeks were coming and she had to hide. She was trying to hide in a tree out on the north wall when the Greeks began to burn the lining down..." Paris replied softly. A servant came up and handed Paris a little wash cloth in a bowl and Paris nodded his thanks as he took it to wipe clean Katri's face.
"What, in the name of Zeus, was she doing out there alone?!" Aristaeus exclaimed, his own wash cloth on hand to begin to clean away her legs. He looked up and saw the scowl in the prince's features. His hand still clenched his patient's but Aristaeus could tell that prince placed the fault of this incident on himself.
"I forgot about her," Paris murmured, his hand still tenderly wiping away the soft ash from her skin.
Aristaeus saw the inner conflict going on in Paris and left it alone. Gently, he began to wipe away the debri from Katriana's legs and was surprised to find that the black strips he had thought to be the burned skin was wiping away easily. He picked one up and examined it, then grinned.
"This girl is very lucky. Where did you say you found her again?" Aristaeus asked. Paris looked up, eager for any good news.
"In a tree... She was climbed up a tree to hide. Why?" He looked down and saw what Aristaeus had discovered. What they thought was dead black skin were peeling and falling away. He picked one up and looked closer. "Leaves?" said Paris, surprised.
"Both her legs... It's extremely strange. It's as if the leaves had wrapped themselves around her in layers to protect her from the fire!" Aristaeus said in wonder. "She was basically burned only to the extent as she would have been if she spilled tea on her lap. Very hot tea and, mind you, she will still be in pain for the next few weeks or so since this will still most definitely blister a great deal but... yes, yes. This girl is very lucky..."
Aristaeus finished cleaning her legs up and had managed to pour water down Katri's throat later on. Paris never left her side, much less the room. He remained beside the bed, holding her hand and listening as Aristaeus started to explain about a burn salve that would help in Katri's healing.
"... It can also numb her so that it won't be quite as painful but that means she shall be immobile. Her legs won't be of much use to her when she can't feel them," Aristaeus smirked.
"Is she all right?" called Andromache's voice from the door. Paris and Aristaeus turned and nodded at the pregnant woman. Andromache stepped in, her hand covering her mouth when she saw the giant welts rising from Katri's legs. "Oh my goodness..." Her eyes went up to Katri's face and saw Katri's eyes closed. "Why is she not yet awake?"
"Her body needs to shut down so it can heal," Aristaeus explained as he walked back into his storage room. "She is fine. Don't fret so."
"Of course," Andromache nodded to the healer. She looked back at Paris, who was biting his lip as he sat beside Katriana's head.
"You were right," Paris said softly looking up at Andromache.
"What do you mean?"
"You were right," repeated Paris. "I stopped caring... even for the briefest of moments, I stopped caring about Katri and it proved almost fatal."
"A month is not what I'd consider 'the briefest of moments'," snapped Andromache.
"I'm sorry..." Paris' head bowed in shame. "I'm so sorry. I will never let that happen again." He brought his and Katri's clasped hands to his lips, kissing her hand softly for forgiveness. Andromache, realizing that Paris was indeed remorseful for how he'd been acting, rolled her eyes but sighed sympathetically.
"Look, Paris," Andromache started. "I will NOT apologize for the sentiment behind my recent remarks but I will apologize for them being so scathing but I was only trying to defend a broken friend. You literally abandoned Katri. It was scarcely something I could overlook."
"And I understand that completely," Paris replied. He would have liked to say more but Aristaeus returned with the burn salve. Andromache understood that the conversation had ceased and steered the subject to safer grounds.
"Should I lend Katriana a new dress?" Andromache offered.
"Thank you, Andromache. That would be most helpful."
Andromache smiled and turned to walk away. She walked down to her chambers and went into her large wardrobe. She slipped took an ankle length chiton, pale blue in color. It was extremely soft and Andromache approved of its use on her friend. As she was about step out of the chambers, however, Helen stepped in front of her.
"Andromache! How nice to see you," Helen greeted. Andromache smiled in return and progressed to make a small conversation before heading back to Paris and Katriana.
"Good morning, Helen. Have you just awoken?"
"Yes. I can't say that I'm too happy at not finding my husband returned to my bed, however," Helen sighed.
"Oh?" Andromache stalled, not wanting to lie to this woman. As much as she hated Helen for taking Paris away from Katriana, Helen could still plead ignorance, never having known nor claim to know NOW any knowledge of Paris and Katriana. She would still treat Helen with a civility though not exactly with respect. She STILL left her husband.
"Has Hector returned from the lines yet?" Helen continued.
"Ummm... Actually, you must pardon me. I must get going. Aristaeus expects this for someone under his care," Andromache said. She briefly nodded and started to walk away. Helen, never even missing a beat, fell into step beside her.
"A dress? A woman was hurt?"
"Oh... ummm. Yes, a woman...."
"Then I shall have to come with you. I have nothing to do otherwise, either way."
"But I'm sure you do! Why don't you have breakfast. Thylaos made some delicious roast chicken. I'm sure he can feed you some.... or something," Andromache stammered, not wanting Helen to break the reconnection Paris was making with Katriana.
"Don't be silly. I want to meet this girl," Helen replied. Andromache's steps slowed as they got nearer to the healer's chamber. "What is her name, by the way?"
Andromache stopped at the doorway, Helen looking at her sister-in-law for the answer when Andromache gestured into the room reluctantly.
"Katriana... Her name is Katriana," Andromache sighed.
Helen turned and felt her heart drop. On the bed was a girl. Not exactly beautiful, but definitely very pretty. Of course, she WAS covered in ash and soot so underneath all that grime so Helen had to admit this girl must actually be beautiful to look so pretty even when dirty. The only thing that made her ugly right then was her red, blistering, burned legs. A man was touching her legs tenderly, spreading on it a layer of salve, most likely to help heal the burns. The man, obviously, cared for this girl to be touching her so gently and carefully, aware of his every movement to make sure he didn't hurt her.... She could almost interpret the touch as one of love but that was impossible.
Paris loves ME... Not this.. this.. STRANGER, Helen thought.
Andromache stepped past Helen and placed a hand on Paris' shoulder but he barely looked up.
"Here's something for her to wear as she sleeps. Do you want me to help dress her now so she can rest completely after you apply the salve?"
Paris nodded and put down the bowl. He draped the blanket over Katri's body and propped her torso up so that Andromache could slip off the burnt dress and slip on the new one without Paris seeing her most intimate parts. Andromache pulled the dress down until it was over her thighs. Paris replaced Katri over her pillows and went back to his work. Helen just stared at Paris even after Andromache left, wondering if Paris would ever notice his wife's presence at all. When Paris began to bandage the legs to keep them from chaffing on the bed, Helen knew that the answer was no.
"Paris?" Helen called from the doorway, a little annoyed that Paris would ignore her so.
"What is it?" Paris asked in monotony. His face was screwed focusing so much on his task that he didn't recognize his wife's voice.
"Are you not coming to your chambers to rest? Surely, all your time on the lines and now caring for this stranger has taken some t..."
"She is not a stranger," Paris snapped. Helen stepped back, never experiencing what it felt like to have Paris snap at her for he always treated her so carefully. "Her name is Katriana and she is the one I've cared for most and cared most for me all my life."
"Most? How about your wife? Do you not care for ME as well? The one who's been sitting for the past four days worrying endlessly for your safety?!" Helen asked angrily.
Paris looked up and gaped at Helen for a second, just realizing to whom he was speaking to the whole time. "Helen... Helen, please forgive me. My tone was not as I intended it to be."
Helen might have given thought to his forgiveness if he hadn't still been holding Katriana's hand.
"Come away, Paris. Leave Aristaeus to his duties. You have no need to be here." She held out her hand, in offer to her husband. She expected him to take it thoughtlessly, much like he had every time before but this time Paris turned away and gazed at Katriana's sleeping face.
"I have need to be here," Paris answered softly. "I'm sorry, Helen, but I'm not going to abandon Katri again."
Helen's hand dropped like dead weight to her side as she stared at her husband in shock. "Are you serious?"
Paris didn't look up again. "I'll be staying here until, at least, she wakes up... I'm sorry but I refuse to leave her."
"Paris, your presence will do nothing to help her heal..." Helen tried to reason with him but it seemed like Paris had completely tuned her out of his consciousness. He just focused on bandaging Katri's legs and refused to acknowledge anything else around him. "You're REALLY not returning with me?" she murmured.
"No..." he answered. Helen growled in exasperation.
"If you feel it appropriate to leave your wife... the woman you started a war!! for, to care for some strange woman who had the stupidity to be in harm's way, then so be it!" Helen snapped. Paris didn't care to correct that she was a stranger... He just pursed his lips at her insults. She turned to leave and thought... hoped that Paris would follow her but he didn't.
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Katri's closed eyes saw the nightmares of her mind. She was in the Greek camp. They knew her secret and they were using it to their advantage. Achilles sat back behind the fire, watching as she was being brought down to her knees. A hot brand was being brought down from the embers and it was coming closer and closer to her skin that she could almost feel the heat on her self...
"... Katri. Katri, wake up! Katriana!" Paris called. He had been sleeping by her side for the last two days. Every now and then Katri would come out of a nightmare, and his voice would chase them away but she never completely woke up. She would just recede into her subconscious but this time her eyes opened and began to focus on the face beside her. "Katri?"
"Alex!" Katriana's eyes widened and she threw her arms around his neck, sobbing.
"Shhh... It's okay, love. They were just nightmares," he soothed, his hand running up and down her back.
"Alexander... Don't you dare... EVER, EVER leave me again," she cried into his chest, satisfied in that moment that Paris was there holding her. There was no Helen to think of. No princely titles were in their way. Nothing kept them apart.
"I'm here, Katri. No leaving this time," Paris promised.
"You said that last time," she muttered into his chest and Paris retreated confused.
"What?" Paris asked. Katriana looked around and saw that she was in the palace. Her heart broke inside, realizing that part of what she thought was the nightmare was real. He had truly left her before.
"At... At the cottage," she murmured, her voice still raspy from disuse. Paris paled and he looked down, ashamed. He took her hands, and he looked at her contritely.
"You must forgive me... You have no idea how many times I've felt like throwing my self to the Greeks the past few days while watching over you..." Paris apologized. "I didn't mean it... I was a bastard and if you hate me, I'd accept it entirely. Just forgive my words, Katri."
"Forgiven under one condition," Katriana said, smiling softly. She knew somewhere inside her that she shouldn't forgive so easily but his eyes were always her downfall. One glance and she would cave to his smallest desires, and she hated herself for it.
"Anything for you," Paris said without hesitation.
Her hand went to her throat and winced. "Water?" Paris stared at her for a second and threw his head and laughed. His hands grabbed at her head and leaned her over for a kiss and when his lips touched hers, Katri froze. She remained where she was and let Paris lean into her for more than a few moments than she thought was appropriate for a wedded man but what did she know? It wasn't like she was the one that was married. When Paris leaned back, Katri thought she saw something that resembled something remotely like recognition but it passed when Paris shook his head and gave her a cup of water. Nothing remained but his care and tenderness and nothing of the love that she barely glimpsed almost a year ago.
The next few weeks passed almost the same exact way but without giving Katriana another glance of what she thought she saw. She had to admit though that Paris was paying to her more attention than he should that she felt almost guilty at tearing him away from Helen so much. She lived that next few weeks without giving a thought to the reality outside the palace walls. Andromache, Hector and Acacius visited, Andromache daily and the men when they could. No one else could so Katriana couldn't meet the royal parents nor Helen who refused to meet with Paris but finally her brief escape from reality crashed down when Aristaeus announced that Paris would be removing her bandages. She was fully healed but she never mentioned it to anyone but the three others who visited.
"Are you sure you're okay now?" Paris asked, his hand at her shoulder. "We can wait if you feel like it's not yet healed."
"I think it's better if I get out of these bandages," Katri smiled, looking up at him. He kissed her on top of the head and smiled in return.
"If you say so," Paris murmured. He kneeled down in front of her and began to undo his knots. He unwrapped each strip of linen and each strip revealing her healed skin. Aristaeus looked over Paris' shoulders and frowned.
"Wow... My namesake must favour you," Aristaeus commented.
"What? Why?" Katriana took a peek at her leg and saw that Paris had an odd expression as well, his fingers running and up and down her legs as they were completely revealed.
"They healed really... really... nicely," Paris replied. Aristaeus looked between the two and immediately retreated, leaving them alone.
"... The gods always did seem to like me, don't they?" she murmured, blushing under Paris' intense glance.
"Yes, they do," Paris answered, reaching up to brush away the hair reaching into her eyes.
There it is again. Katriana turned away from him when she saw the look of love in his eyes again. He can't do this to me! I won't let him do this to me! She stood up and took a step away from him.
"I should... I should go meet your family now." Paris was frozen in his position by the bed, frowning at his what he thought he just wanted to do.
"Of... Of course," Paris murmured. "Let's go." He stood up and took her arm, escorting her into the grand throne room. His parents were at the head where they were supposed to be. Hector and Andromache were a little ways off and Helen and Andromache was by his mother. Like before, Helen's face erased all his problems and worries and Paris knew he should apologize for how he'd been acting.
Cassandra took one look up and saw Katriana and saw something no one else saw. Hecuba looked strangely at her daughter and then followed her gaze to Katri, staring nervously from the door. Cassandra did a double take and her eyes unfocused revealing one of her visions. She saw the death that was inevitable and the violence that would sweep her city but she saw it from an almost bird's eyes view. With a frightened cry, she pointed at the new woman with fear.
"You!" Cassandra cried out. She stood up from her seat and kept pointing at Katri. "You! You know!"
"What?" Katri's eyes turned frightened and she turned to Paris, hiding behind him.
"You know what will be!" Cassandra exclaimed. Everyone just stared, silently baffled, as all conversation stopped and wveryone looked at Cassandra. Her fingers gripped Katri's arms and started to ramble on. "You have to tell them! You must tell them all! You must help me make them believe that this stupid boy will only cause our downfall by his so-called love for Helen. You know it will happen. You have Sight. Somehow, you do too. TELL HIM!"
"No more of this talk of Troy's destruction, Cassandra," Paris hissed prying the hurtful digits away from his best friend's arms. "Do you see soldiers pouring into our streets like you foretell?! No! We will WIN this war and your crazy allegations mean nothing to that result. It's only been a month and I know we will be victorious."
"Paris! Cassandra! That is enough!" Priam cut in. He glared at the both of them. "Your tone was unneeded, Paris. And your lies are unnecessary, Cassandra."
"I'm not lying!! Why won't you believe me?!" Cassandra shrieked, pulling at her hair. "You will all die! Don't you understand?" Her dark eyes brimmed with tears as she grabbed her father by the cloak. "Father, please!!"
"Guards, get her off me," Priam ordered calmly. Two soldiers came and took Cassandra by the arms as she was dragged, screaming.
"Katriana! You know what will be! Katriana!! Show them! Tell them!!" she screamed. Then, the doors shut and her yells were heard no more.
"What did she mean, Katri?" Paris asked her quietly but in the quiet hall, everyone heard his question.
"I..." Katri looked at the doors that the woman... the PRINCESS was dragged through. 'They had taken her so easily. The curse of Apollo lives on in her and now it has driven her mad...' Her eyes had shown pity, and for a second, Paris thought he saw... shame? But it passed like the wind and she just shrugged. "I don't know... but please..." She gestured towards the two other people in the room. "Won't you introduce me properly?"
"Oh.... yes. Of course. This is my father, Priam, King of Troy." Katriana curtsied as was proper and Priam just nodded with a brief smile. Paris gestured towards the beautiful Queen Hecuba. "And, of course, you know my mother, Hecuba." Hecuba smiled Katriana, no longer feeling her threat against Helen.
"It's about time you came to visit, Paris. He's been quite lonely without a friend with him," Hecuba said.
"I am sure that has changed quite drastically, most recently, my queen," Katri bowed, laughing, and then turned to the elegant woman standing to Paris' right.
"And this is Helen of Troy," Paris said affectionately. Katriana smiled graciously at the woman. She truly was beautiful but her eyes looked haunted and terribly lonely.
"And Paris speaks quite highly of you, your highness," Katri greeted. She looked up and saw Paris' gaze as he stared at Helen and how she didn't look back. She suddenly realized she had not been dress for being in the presence of royalty. In comparison to Helen, she looked like a llama!
"Nice to meet you, Katriana, is it?" Helen answered just to clarify and Katri nodded. Without even a word to Katri, he let her arm go and took Helen in his hand. Paris took Helen away from eavesdropping ears and left Katri looking stupidly abandoned in the middle of the throne room in front of the king and queen.
"I shall turn in for the night, your majesties. It's been quite a day for me," she explained. "I should just like to have a few words with the prince and his wife."
"Of course," Hecuba said and turning her attention to her husband. Katriana stepped towards Andromache and Hector. It was Andromache who brought attention to the defeated look in Katri's eyes.
"Katri, are you all right?" Andromache asked, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder.
"One look at her and he forgets me," Katri whispered, her eyes beginning to betray the sign of tears. She looked up and saw Helen and Paris' face close to each other. It was obvious that Paris' apologies were enough for Helen and that she had forgiven him of his neglect that past month with a passionate kiss that Katri would have liked NOT to have seen.
"'Tis only lust, Katriana," Hector said, soothingly. "This month, as you recovered, was proof of that. Do you not realize that Paris has scarcely left your side since you were brought here? The only things that pulled him away was food and bodily comforts... Helen could not even make him look at her face to weave her spell upon him."
Katriana looked down and felt someone's hand on the small of her back. She looked up and saw Acacius by her side.
"Are you all right, love?" Acacius said his lips quite near her ear.
"Take me to my room?" she asked, nodding to his question at the same time. Her arms went around his waist, gripping him tightly to her. Acacius looked at Hector for dismissal and Hector gestured for their permission to leave.
Hector and Andromache watched in amusement as Katri and Acacius walked out of the room, their bodies close enough for someone who didn't know of how badly Katri needed comfort right then to mistake them for lovers. That someone was Paris, who caught them leaving at the corner of his eye when Helen stood up for something and left his presence for a few moments. Then his jaw dropped when he saw Acacius whisper words in her ear just as he previously did with Helen. Furthermore, Hector couldn't resist chuckling when Acacius dropped a kiss on her head and Paris' face contorted into something ANYONE could identify as jealous anger.
"One day, my love," Hector said whispering to his wife who was stifling her laughter with her hand. "One day, Paris, will realize what a fool he had been to let her go."
"And I will finally get to laugh out loud," Andromache grinned.
AN}-- Here go everyone! Enjoy!
Review Reponses=
Nevasaiel – Yet again, I can't answer! Sorry! But Oenone is a little odd one. She's a little spoiled, isn't she, for her to act that way.
pierce-belly-button – WOW that is one of the harshest punishments I've ever heard.
rose-eye-blond91– TWO hours?! Wow… I'm very flattered for you to have spent so much time on something lil ole me created. THANK YOU!
amanda - THANK YOU THANK YOU! Your review rocked! I bow down to my reviewers, you included. bow And I hope you noticed the chicken mention. Hehe. That was inspired by your review. Haha./
belovedbloom04 ) - yea. A lil kooky. And please don't cry! Can't have that
Sweetest Reality– Thanks for the review. And of course there's no point without Katri! She's my 'baby'!
yuki - Thank you for the review. Hope you enjoyed this one as well.
leclaire - At one point he has to care.
babyg2988– He gets to her in time! Yay!
Angel - Thank you for the compliments and I'm with Andromache. Paris would soooo be dead if the song didn't have two verses to go! Haha.
Shells - Oh I love you! You're catching on! I didn't know if people notice the one sentence I dropped that was a clue in that whole chapter.
Larrikin– Thanks for the review as usual! And yea. Paris… bit by bit HOPEFULLY, if your wishes come true, will see the light… FINALLY!
Elizabeth - Yes Troy has to fall! Of course it does! Hard to have it either way isn't it? Hehe.
Maren L P– Oops… he makes up for it a little in THIS chapter. Haha.
ellegirl104 - I'm just sucking all the sympathy for my OC aren't i?