Alone in the king's bedroom, Helenus was wearing his ceremonial robe with shaking hands.
It was the first important public appearance after his coronation and he just wanted for it to be over.
It was crucial to make a good impression today. Athena's feast was the most important celebration in Buthrotum. There would be a procession that he was supposed to lead together with Athena's priestess. And then the city's games, where his stepson would compete.
Everybody would keep looking at him for the whole day. And what if he made a mess?
Stop. He should just stop thinking about that. He was doing fine.
Someone knocked on the door and he took a long breath before answering.
"Yes?"
The door opened and Andromache peered inside.
"It is time to go" she said simply.
As usual, the whole city had gathered in front of the palace.
Trying to look as collected as possible, Helenus joined the priestess of Athena and the procession started.
While they walked silently to Athena's temple, Helenus mused on his first few months as the king of Buthrotum.
There hadn't been any particular problems so far. The people had not questioned his authority so far. Of course, that was also because he had Eudorus' full support and cooperation. Still, it had been smoother than he had expected.
But it was challenging.
He had to visit the lower city and the town's notables on a regular basis, because people expected to see their king. In Troy, nobody would have dreamed of coming close to him, let alone of addressing him, when he walked around. The Achaeans, however, had much more informal habits. Whenever he was out of the palace, he knew that people would approach him and speak to him without being spoken to. And he had to keep calm, make conversation, answer their questions, because that was what everybody expected of him.
Then there were the councils. He tried to listen to everybody before he made his decision. Still, sometimes he couldn't help but wondering whether he had done the right thing. He felt comfortable as long as they had problems with supplies or commerce. On the other hand, it was much more difficult when he had to settle a dispute between two villagers, or decide about a crime.
But people, including the council, wanted the king to look self-assured. So he had to pretend, and try to hide how uncertain he really felt.
In the meanwhile, they had reached Athena's temple.
Helenus took a deep breath, trying to concentrate on the decorations on the temple's front. He had to pretend that the whole city wasn't listening.
"O Athena, you who wear the aegis, accept our humble sacrifice and protect our noble city" he said slowly.
"Wise daughter of Zeus, advise our noble king" went on Athena's priestess.
"O Athena, listen to our prayers!" chorused the villagers behind them.
They kept reciting the prayer in turn with the people joining in from time to time.
Thankfully, they were facing the temple's front and didn't have to look at all those people gathered there...
Helenus felt immensely relieved when the prayer and the sacrifice were over and they walked back to the small stadium, close to the palace. He sat with Andromache in the tribune, while Molossus joined the other boys on the field.
"Your prayer was much different than Neoptolemus' one" said Andromache in a casual tone. "He was much more flamboyant".
Like he needed to be reminded of that!
"I'm sorry that I cannot compare with him" he hissed bitterly.
Andromache raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. "I meant it as a compliment, actually. You looked... dignified and solemn. You did well".
She gave him a small smile and turned to the field, where the boys were now gathering for the spear throw contest.
He felt slightly embarrassed. Why did she feel compelled to comment his performance, as if he needed reassurance?
Well, maybe because he needed reassurance.
He never opened up to her, but he had a feeling that she could see behind his mask. And that wasn't just because she had known him for years. She seemed able to read his face and his gestures, while he certainly couldn't read hers.
It was Molossus' turn to throw his spear, and Helenus watched carefully.
The prince looked quite relaxed while he threw, and his spear hit the target right in the middle.
That was very good. Helenus didn't particularly care for the games, but he knew that the whole city expected a good performance from the heir to the throne.
Shortly after, Molossus distinguished himself in the archery contest, too.
"He's doing well" he whispered to Andromache.
"Yes. He enjoys competition" she agreed. "You would know that if you spent more time with him".
He sighed. It wasn't the first time that he heard this.
But how was he supposed to handle a young boy? He had no idea! Aesacus would have known how to do that, but he wasn't Aesacus. He didn't know how to be supportive, encouraging, or whatever the boy would need.
What had he craved as a boy? What had he wanted from his own father?
Acceptance and some praise were the first things that came to his mind.
He hadn't cared for the fact that he and Priam never spent time together. He had just wished that his father would praise him and be proud of him, at least once. But it hadn't happened, and eventually Aesacus had been everything that Priam had never been.
But how could he know whether Molossus wanted the same thing? Besides, he wasn't even the boy's father. Maybe Molossus didn't want anything at all from him, and preferred to turn to the memory of Neoptolemus.
Of course, he tried not to be humiliating, not to say anything hurtful to the boy. He knew that insults weren't pleasant to hear.
His attitude seemed to be working with Molossus. The boy was respectful, well-behaved, and had begun to call him 'Father' without protesting. Helenus saw no reason to worry.
"You did well. Your mother and I were impressed" he told his stepson while they were going back to the palace, in the evening.
"Thank you!" said Molossus, beaming.
No. There was no reason to worry.
-O-O-O-
Every time that one of his ships returned from Kerkyra or Leukada, Helenus liked to talk to the merchants and see what was going on in the rest of the world.
So there he was, standing on the docks while the ship landed.
"My king!" yelled the merchant Demarchos from the bow. "I have news for you!".
As soon as the ship landed, Demarchos all but ran to him.
"My king!" he said breathlessly "I bring the most incredible news: Odysseus has come back to Ithaca!"
Helenus stared at him.
"...Odysseus? But the war ended almost ten years ago! Are you sure that it's not a gossip?"
"I am sure, sir! I heard it from his son's mouth! Prince Telemachus was in Leukada... he explained that he can travel through the kingdom, now that his father has come back home".
Helenus shook his head. Everybody thought that Odysseus was dead, he included.
"Where has he been for ten years?"
"I don't know, sir" said Demarchos with a shrug. "Everybody tells a different story: that he was a prisoner somewhere, that his ship was wrecked, and so on. But they all agree on one thing: he had to fight for the throne"
"And why so? After you last travel to Leukada, you told me that he still had a lot of support from his people".
Helenus knew that Penelope, Odysseus' wife, had managed not to remarry. She had insisted that nobody could prove her husband's death and that she therefore wasn't a widow. Odysseus father was still alive, and nobody had dared to force the queen into a second marriage.
"He still does, but the notables are angry at him. You see, my king: Odysseus father is very old and cannot protect the queen anymore. And so, suitors started pressuring her more and more. They even tried to murder prince Telemachus, so she would have no heir anymore. The poor lad had to seek refuge in Pylos for some time" explained Demarchos.
Helenus wasn't surprised. That was exactly the reason why Andromache had wanted him to marry her.
"… and when Odysseus came home and found out about it, he killed several of the suitors. But they came from the most important families of his kingdom".
Odysseus looked quite isolated.
"Thank you" he told Demarchos. "I will send you wine for your trouble".
Back at the palace, he summoned Eudorus and shared the news with him.
"That old dog! Only the gods know where he has been for almost ten years!" cried Eudorus, bursting into laughter.
"He looks like he could use an ally right now" said Helenus. "I think I should visit him".
"You definitely have to" replied Eudorus, turning serious again. "His return is wonderful news. Odysseus is a very unusual Achaean king… he is the kind of man who wants to stay on his island and out of trouble. He wouldn't attack us like the Triccans did. Achilles almost had to force him to make him come to Troy at the time. And when he was there… he wanted the war to be over as soon as possible. You see…"
Eudorus hesitated, then spoke in a whisper.
"… we suggested that we could sneak into the city and look for you almost together. We casted lots to decide which of us should go, since we might very well have ended up killed".
Eudorus had never mentioned that conversation so openly before.
"So he tried to end a war by cheating" he said coldly.
"You call it cheating, I call it pragmatism. It would have spared lots of time and many lives on both sides. But, as you know, it didn't work" replied Eudorus with a shrug. "We decided based on what Patroclus told us, assuming that your family knew you well. It clearly wasn't the case"
Helenus didn't wish to ask what Patroclus had told them, and Eudorus didn't elaborate further. He was glad when that conversation was over.
A few days later, Helenus was sitting at the bow of one of his ships, heading to Ithaca. It was the first time he left Buthrotum in almost ten years.
He felt very uneasy at the thought of leaving Andromache and Molossus alone. Of course, Eudorus had stayed in the city, and Helenus knew that they had the people's support. Furthermore, he had brought Mantes with him. The official reason was that the king needed a guard, the real one was that he didn't want to leave Mantes in town while he was away.
He really hoped that this mission would be over soon. And what if he didn't succeed and came back to Buthrotum with empty hands?
He would look ridiculous. Mantes and several others would rejoice.
Eudorus had been very optimistic about this mission.
"You and Odysseus will get along very well, I think" he had said. "You won't need to prepare a speech and talk him round. He is a man who gets straight to the point, he will see the advantages of an alliance on his own".
Great, it was an easy task. So he would look even more ridiculous if he failed.
Ithaca seemed to consist mostly of stone. Helenus could see how people living here had to sharpen their wits. They reached the palace and were welcomed by the maids without incident. They had time to eat before Odysseus finally joined them.
He said that he had been out hunting, but somehow Helenus had the impression that he was lying.
He and Mantes hugged, according to the Achaean costume. They had fought together in the Trojan War.
"And you are Helenus, the last king of Troy. I remember you" said Odysseus, outstretching his hand. "Word has reached me that you have taken Neoptolemus' place" he began.
"I am a regent for Neoptolemus' son, who will be able to take the throne in a few years" explained Helenus.
Odysseus looked slightly surprised but he didn't ask any more questions about that topic.
"I am glad to welcome you in my house. Enjoy my food and my wine: my island is a poor one, but I can offer that much"
"We are thankful for your hospitality. Allow me to give you this present: a spear whose head is made of iron".
Odysseus took the spear and looked at it with great interest. He asked many question about who had made it and how.
"What brings you to my little island? Almost nobody ventures here" he asked at the end.
Helenus decided not to dance around it.
"As soon as I heard about your return, I decided to pay you a visit" he answered. "We live in dangerous times. I wish to be on good terms with all of my neighbors and to avoid new wars, if I can help. I come to seek your friendship".
Odysseus studied him for a moment, then spoke slowly.
"I have seen many wars in my life. And now, after many years of battle and others of rambling and imprisonment, I just want to stay out of trouble and grow old on my beloved island. I am glad that you are seeking my friendship. Please, stay here as my guests".
In the following days, Odysseus did his best to be hospitable and show him his island. Helenus didn't miss the fact that Odysseus was also showing him to his island, presenting him as "my dear friend the king of Buthrotum".
He made no mystery that a foreign king was visiting him and wanted to be his ally. After a couple of days, Helenus was positive that everybody on the island knew about the iron-made spearhead.
On the day of Helenus' departure, Odysseus took him aside.
"You arrived at the right time. Those who have tried to seize my throne will be more cautious now"
"And so my opponents in Buthrotum, now that another Achaean king is my ally" replied Helenus.
Eudorus had been right.
"You mentioned your stepson. Do you, by chance, have a daughter, too? My son Telemachus has reached the age where he should find a wife" asked Odysseus.
This was going even better than expected.
"No, I don't have a daughter" answered Helenus. And then, all of a sudden, an idea came to him.
"…but Mantes has one" he added. "As you know, he is the head of my army, a man of great valor. If he had any younger daughters, I would marry my son to one of them in the future".
Odysseus seemed to consider the proposal for a moment, then called Mantes, who was standing at some distance.
"If I remember correctly, Mantes, your only daughter is not betrothed yet" began Helenus.
"She is not" confirmed the warrior. His eyes lightened up: he seemed to perceive where this was going.
"You could send your son to visit us for a while, Odysseus, and he could get acquainted with the girl" concluded Helenus.
Mantes could barely hide his gratitude.
"My only daughter might be married to the future king of Ithaca! Thank you!" he said enthusiastically once they were on the ship.
"You are welcome" said Helenus, sitting at the bow again.
Now he just hoped that nothing bad had happened in Buthrotum during his absence.