Andromache

The city was in a state of disorder.

Everyone was in the street either fleeing or heading in or going home, there were people everywhere doing everything, or trying to.

Padme lead me through the streets with Briseis close in tow.

It was only when the shop was in sight Briseis grabbed my hand, "Andromache."

I turned to her.

The street was not the best of Troy.

It just appeared dirty.

Whether it be from trash or people not keeping it up. Everything around it looked the same. People that were in the street did not look like the best people, I was relieved I listened to Padme and we pulled on old cloaks from the stables.

"Tarus is gone," Briseis told me.

What!

I looked all around for my guard who usually stood a head and a half taller then the crowd.

He was not anywhere behind us.

Tarus always followed me closely. Always. A small bit of fear filled me. But he knew where we were going, so I pulled Briseis along and into the shop , which actually resembled a shack.

Padme was inside speaking with an old woman who looked like a wrinkled old olive. She looked me over and nodded to Padme who was waving her arms in the air, gesturing dramatically.

I looked around the shop front , which had nothing really. There were some shelves of plates, some parchment paper on a table, some dried food. As if there were just stuff here to make it look like a business. Though there were two young women in the shop.

Both look absolutely terrified.

A man as well who looked Padme, Briseis ,and myself over. When he reached my feet he looked closer.

I glanced down and saw my golden toe rings.

Homeless women and servants did not wear golden toe rings.

He looked up into my eyes and I went to Padme, who told me, "Follow her, she'll take you back and show you the tea's."

I stared at Padme, "You're not coming!"

She shook her head, "Customers only."

I froze in fear.

The old woman took my hand and pulled be back behind a curtain, down a dirty hall that had a dirt floor.

Immediately I wanted out.

The smell was horrid!

It smelled of rotted meat. It was hot and dirty. There were curtains in doors and no windows.

No air.

No breeze.

It was suffocating!

She led me into a room with no curtain that was actually a little better. There were some windows but they were not open. It was a small room. Every last inch of wall had a shelf with glass jars of tealeaves and other plants.

When the old woman spoke I looked at her so I could understand, "How far long?"

Puzzled I asked, "What?"

She then touched my womb, I jumped back and she cocked an eyebrow. She then pointed at my womb, "How old?"

It was then I realized what she was asking.

I had to think, "Almost a month….I think."

She nodded, "Young."

The old woman walked to a shelf and grabbed a deep blue glass bottle, she then ran to the other side of the room and searched along the floor until she spotted another bottle.

She grabbed a green bottle with berries.

The old woman spoke to herself in a low and hurried voice, it sounded like another language.

She ran to a corner and dragged a stool across the room. When she stopped she promptly hopped up on the stool. Grabbing another dark blue bottle, but this one was round.

Outside thunder rocked the city and the sound of a heavy rain came down.

Almost immediately the room sprouted leaks.

The woman ignored the leaks and set all the jars on a small round table in the center of the room. She opened each jar and took an empty jar from the floor. I watched as she took leaves and berries from the jars and placed them in the empty one.

Silently she worked.

I walked over to her and watched her with my arms crossed.

When she was finished she pointed to the single clear jar. "Have Padme make tea in morn. One tea. Drink fore eat first day meal. No get sick."

I nodded.

She continued, "Only work for first moons. When no more work come back and I make new batch. Yes?"

The old women then put her hand back on my womb.

Again I jumped back and she made a face at me. "No worry, Princess. You not loose second son. No more mad men in palace wall. Yes?"

I stared in shock at her, how did she know that?

The old woman then told me, "The gods speak to me."

Oh perfect, a man woman. I was now unsure whether or not I wanted to even drink the tea she had given me. Sadly, I was unable to think it over. Screams and shouts came from the front of the shop.