Andromache, Five years ago.
From the first moment I set my eyes upon the woman I did not like her. My mind was made up within the first few moments of our introduction.
It was not something she said to me.
Nor was it the way she looked at me.
The woman didn't even try to harm or intimidate me.
Oh no, she did something far worse. She did something that made me utterly despise her at that moment in my life.
She flirted with my husband.
Every year Paris celebrated his birthday with a grand banquet. It had plenty of food, wine, people, and of course female entertainment.
There was always a lot of female entertainment. Never before had the female entertainment ever bothered me. Not once in the few years that I had been married to Hector. However, on that particular night I was bothered.
Hector and I had been seated at the Royal Table with Priam, Hecuba, Hector, Cassandra, and all the Royal family members. It was a grand celebration of Paris entering manhood, officially entering manhood that was. Paris had entered manhood some time before the banquet, several times.
But I could hardly care about that.
My attention was on the stunning woman who had eyes for my husband. Hector was oblivious to the woman. I don't think he would have noticed her unless she dropped into his lap.
Oh, it was not for lack of trying.
At first the woman was sly. She would send him looks that promised things that I was responsible for. She would dance around the table with the other girls and try to catch his eye, which I already had.
But, the woman caught my eye.
I was quite curious who the woman was naturally. So I watched for her and then pointed her out to Padme, who I had brought along as my spy. Dressed as a form of entertainment Padme easily blended into the crowd. Once Padme had the woman in her sights the woman vanished for close to an hour. I was greatly relieved.
Padme came back and blended into the entertainment again, incase I needed her services for some matter.
When the dessert was served the woman returned!
Which greatly angered me, since she helped serve the Royal Table, and Hector. Only when she brushed up against him did he finally notice the woman. I watched this closely. Knife in my hand. Hector was not at all pleased to see the woman. Curtly, he dismissed her with the wave of his hand.
Yet, the woman was not deterred.
Had Padme not grabbed her by her lush thick hair, she would have continued to try and catch Hector's eye.
If she returned I would have been forced to stab her.
I watched as Padme pulled the woman from the hall. No one else seemed to notice, except for myself. I wished to know who the woman was! So, I leant over and whispered against Hector's ear, "Excuse me love, I'll be back in a moment."
Hectors strong hand fell down on my thigh, "No."
No?
His word shocked me! I narrowed my eyes at him, "What?"
Softly, so as not to make a scene, Hector leant close and put his forehead to mine, "No, Andromache, leave it alone. That woman is no threat to you and not someone you need to concern yourself with. Now give me the knife."
Oh, he thought he could tell me what to concern myself with did he?
He wanted the knife back? Well, I gave it to him. I put the knife in-between his legs with enough force it made a noise and caused the table look at us, curious about the loud noise. Which not only lodged the knife an inch in the bench we were seated on, it pinned him down by his robe, and frightened him.
I wouldn't have maimed him with the knife. Especially a part of his body I found so much pleasure with.
I turned and smiled to Priam, acting as a well behaved Princess and wife to the future King. I stood and softly to my father-in-law, "Excuse me, father, I feel slightly ill. I am going to go lie down."
"Of course Andromache, go lie down, I'll send Hector along shortly," Priam smiled, politely shooing me away.
At that, I stood and gracefully slid from the bench.
As quickly as I could walk I exited the banquet, past the grand festive dinner.
Once out in the hall I looked around for Padme and the woman. I easily spotted the two woman. Padme had the woman pinned to the hall wall by her throat. Both were dressed in the attire of whores. Therefore, it looked like they were in a dispute over business or a man.
I quickly lifted my robes and ran to them. My sandals softly clicked against the cool tile floor.
The music hid our voices, thankfully.
I looked to the beautiful Trojan woman, "Who are you and why are you trying to seduce my husband?"
The woman tried to shove Padme aside, but Padme held the woman's neck even tighter. "Her name is Iris. She used to court Hector, before he wed you. But this slut also was in the bed of the Lieutenant of the Trojan Army and three religious officials."
She was a slut!
"Let go of her neck, Padme, if anyone is to kill her it will be me."
Padme listened and let go of Iris's neck. The woman began to gasp and wheeze deeply. I almost felt pity for her.
"Where's your knife?" Padme asked me.
"Hector took it away from me," I told Padme, and then looked to Iris and told her, "Stay away from Hector. He belongs to me!"
She began to say something to me, I only caught the beginnings of a curse. Padme slapped her and she never got to finish.
"Andromache is Princess of Troy and you will address her as such, or I will rip your skilled tongue from your mouth," Padme spat.
I would have to buy Padme several new robes.
Iris looked at the both of us with sheer hatred. She was rather angry with the both of us. Not that I cared. So I asked, "Do you understand me, Iris?"
She glared at Padme, but apparently had no desire to be slapped again. So she hissed, "Yes, Princess, and believe me. You will never see me again."
It was not her words but her tone.
She had no intention of leaving Hector alone! How I wished I had my knife at that moment in time.
"Andromache! Padme! Get away from her!"
I jumped, as if I had been caught doing something troublesom. Padme stood calmly with her arms crossed over her chest, a glare directed at Hector. Whom Iris ran to in a state of panic.
Hector did not touch her, look at her, or even ask if she was harmed in any way. Still, it angered me that she ran to Hector, my husband. Before he could say a word I yelled at him, "Don't even talk! Do not touch me. Do not look at me! And don't even dare come back to our chambers."
Why I was angry with Hector, I wasn't sure. I had no reason to be angry with him, but I was. Unwisely he asked me, "Are you kicking me from our chambers?"
"Fine!" I yelled at him, "Stay! Sleep in a cold bed! See if I care! Pig!" At that I turned and stormed down the hall with Padme.
