So it was that, long after everyone else had deserted the great hall, I found myself standing in front of the king, his chief adviser, the second-in-command of Apollo, and four guards. One on either side of the king and two standing at the doors behind me. The priest appeared somewhat distressed by this meeting and kept glancing over at the king as if unsure of something. He had known me from the time I was in swaddling cloths because my father had frequently brought me with him to give offerings to Apollo on behalf of our family and so I reasoned that I was definitely to be punished. Adjusting Astyanax so that he was more comfortable, I stood as straight and tall as the pillars of my temple and waited patiently for someone to speak.
"Ismena, why have you brought the child here?"
I was expecting this and I gave the correct reply, as per my cousin "he is staying with me tonight because the Crown prince and princess are otherwise engaged and I am not one to shirk my duties, your highness"
"You were at the temple for much of the day"
"Yes"
"Are your duties there complete?"
"For today, yes"
"Good."
The priest nodded approvingly at me and I bowed my head slightly in deference before resuming my position with my attention on the king.
Priam seemed to sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose as if beset by a sudden headache "do you know why you are here, Ismena?" he asked and I slowly shook my head.
"No I truly do not, your highness"
"Can you explain what happened at dinner this evening? I heard only parts of it but my son came to me afterwards and complained bitterly about your treatment of him and his wife" he said and I fought the urge to laugh. That was typical of Paris, the spoilt brat.
"Your highness, as you saw, I accompanied your daughter Cassandra to dinner and there were four seats in a row empty where she usually sits. She invited me to sit with her so that we could converse while we ate and, since no one was occupying that fourth seat, we both thought that no one would mind me sitting there. Until Paris and Helen arrived; no one even mentioned it, including yourself and Prince Hektor, so we talked and drank our wine and were minding our own business. Then Paris and Helen came over to us and said, quote: "You are not in your place, Ismena" unquote. To which, Cassandra replied that she had invited me to sit with her because there was a spare seat and he said, to his own sister, that she should stop babbling nonsense and should not be allowed out of her room because the mind of his innocent wife shouldn't be subjected to the ranting of a crazy person"
One of the guards made a noise that was suspiciously akin to that of someone choking, the priest raised an eyebrow, and the king glared at the offending soldier, giving me a moment to force back the amused smile that would have appeared on my own face.
"And what reply did you make to that?"
"Naturally, I was offended on her behalf so I told him that his wife was Greek and therefore should be used to it by now. I then also made it known that all of the physicians who examined and spoke with Cassandra had proclaimed her to be in perfect health and I myself have seen no signs of madness so he didn't know what he was talking about"
Both the guard and one of the king's advisers lost their composure and started chuckling and the two guards on the platform both tried to hide their smiles behind their helmets but with little success.
"I am aware that I may have spoken out of line, your highness, but no one else came to her defense and, while she is my close friend, she is also a princess of Troy and should be respected as such. Not ridiculed in public by her own brother" I finished with conviction. No matter how he decided to view my words, I honestly believed that I had done right by my people and that was what mattered to me.
Priam studied me for a moment then bowed his head as the priest leaned over to say something to him. Astyanax began to fuss in my arms and I shushed him gently, rocking him against me with the hope that he would fall asleep.
No such luck.
The baby was wide awake and was fascinated by the shiny amulet that dangled not too far from his little nose so he grabbed it and, naturally, tried to put it in his mouth. After extricating my now slippery pendant from his grasp, I tucked it under my dress and looked up at the men assembled to see if they had reached a verdict.
"I do agree with you on the latter. Cassandra, whatever her state, is still my daughter and indeed a princess. I commend you for your loyalty to her and also to Hektor, who speaks fondly of you. However, I am more than aware of the animosity between yourself and Paris and that it has grown to encompass his wife. The latter of whom has done nothing to deserve your ire, unless she has and I've not been made aware of it..."
"She irritates me merely by being within our walls" I thought to myself and regarded him steadily "your highness, if I may speak freely for a moment"
"Please do"
I took a deep breath and began by appealing to the one thing that I knew he would not dismiss. His faith. "Her presence here causes me much concern on the behalf of my people. I am a chosen of Artemis and have much faith in the gods but I also know that they often curse mortals who tamper with their designs. Helen was given to Menelaus in marriage by Zeus himself and, not only did he did not mistreat her, she bore him a daughter whom she abandoned by coming here. By the virtue of the gods, your highness, a woman cannot be married to multiple men at the same time and, since Menelaus is neither dead nor infertile, there is no grounds for a divorce. Therefore, her marriage to Menelaus is still valid and that between her and Paris is void in the eyes of the primary gods. Aphrodite and Ares were lovers, despite her being married, and that ended in disaster. He was humiliated by Hephaestus and mocked continually by the other gods, including Apollo. With that in mind, we can certainly conclude that the Divine one would extend the same mockery to your son and, by association, our people should they chose to accept this as morally correct" I pointed out then paused to mind the baby, who was squeaking rather loudly as if to protest his exclusion from the proceedings. Either that or he was hungry which I, being yet childless, could do little about.
When I lifted my head, the advisers were murmuring to each other and to the king while the priest wore an expression of succinct approval and he nodded at me in agreement.
"If I may finish. The purpose of that voyage to Sparta was to establish an Alliance and due to Paris' lack of self-discipline and Helen's refusal to adhere to her marital vows; it has failed and provided our enemies with a valid reason to wage war on us. A war that will inevitably take the lives of many of our men but leave them both unharmed since neither of them can fight and will not be on the front lines. Therefore, they are both to blame and that is the reason for my ire. If you wish to cast me out of the palace for defending your daughter and my country, then I will take what possessions I came with and leave without complaint. I am grateful for what I have received while here but I would sooner give it all up than betray my own just so our prince can have a foreign woman to warm his bed" I concluded then fell silent.
"You do not yet know love, Ismena" the King said.
I pressed my lips into a thin line of disapproval "if it causes someone to bring ruin upon his entire country and family for the sake of a pretty face, then I will gladly die without knowing it"
He stared at me as if he had never seen me before and the priest looked over at his liege "your highness, it appears that Artemis selects her chosen ones well. Ismena has always been headstrong but her concern was never for herself and still is not. She speaks true and it sounds to me like she has received messages from the goddess herself to cause her to act this way. To banish her from the palace would gravely undermine the character of any person who defends your other children against Paris" he said firmly and the adviser closest to him, who looked old enough to have vultures circling over his head, nodded.
"With all due respect, Prince Paris' behavior, as Lady Ismena has described it, was inexcusable. He is welcome to have his opinions about her highness Cassandra's sanity but it was poor form to use them to insult her in public. Especially at her own family's table!"
The adviser on the other side of the king agreed with him but had a different viewpoint "your highness, say that the victim in question was not Cassandra but Hektor instead. Would this trial still be taking place?"
Even the guards raised their eyebrows at that and I nodded seriously "he has a valid point" I contributed softly "for I would have defended Hektor, Helenus, and even Polyxena, with equal indignation had Paris spoken to them thus".
The king shook his head and rose from his seat "I am not going to banish you, Ismena" he said, walking down the stairs to approach me. Standing in front of me, he took the hand that was not occupied with the baby and simply held it "you are young and strong and the fire in your veins sometimes causes you to speak without thinking" he said.
I smiled "that, I am not too proud to admit"
Much to my surprise and relief, he returned the smile "then perhaps you are wiser than I thought. I will ask you only to watch how you speak to Paris and Helen and do not think for a moment that I will not be speaking to my son about this. He, too, must take responsibility for his ill-thought actions this evening. That is all. I bid you goodnight and may Apollo keep the demons from your dreams"
"And yours as well. Thank you, your highness" I replied in kind, bowing respectfully, then I bowed twice more in turn, to the priest and the advisers, thanking them for their defense before leaving the room. With a soft prayer of thanks to my lady, I practically flew towards my rooms and slowed only when I heard a door open. Hektor emerged from his room and touched his forehead with a sigh of relief when he saw me approaching "come in and sit with us a moment. I wish to hear what was said" he told me and stepped to the side to let me into their rooms.
Both were dressed for bed but the worry etched into my cousin's face made me smile despite my own weariness. Clearly, they had not been "otherwise engaged" at all. Astyanax squealed in delight at the sight of his mother and I gave him to her then hugged her firmly "do not worry so much cousin, it will give you wrinkles. I am not to be banished"
I told them everything that was said and then the verdict that was given and Hektor made a face "you do watch how you speak to them" he snorted "I have seen murder in your eyes when my brother opens his mouth and the only reason he was able to touch you at all the other night without losing his head was because you were drunk".
"That aside, your trial is only further proof that my father is gradually taking leave of his senses" he said dejectedly and ran one hand through his hair "I know they are coming for her and, this afternoon, I warned the generals to prepare for war. The army is ready, so now we can do naught but wait"
"We will not have to wait long" I added softly "the wind was blowing from the west today and will have hastened their approach. I will sleep with my knives at my bedside from now on".
Later, as I walked back to my room, my mind began to wander and my thoughts turned to the gods. What would it be like to watch everything wither and die while one remained young and unchanged? How did they cope with the deaths of the mortals they had chosen for divine tasks and guided through their lives? What was my own purpose in all of this, aside from the roles I played in the temple and palace?
With a shake of my head, I sighed and opened my door. There was no point in asking questions that might never be answered, especially when I had only so many years – maybe only days – left to accomplish whatever tasks the goddess had in store for me.
Hektor was right. All we could do now was wait.
I had changed into my nightgown and was sitting at my vanity, brushing my hair, when another knock came at my door and I slammed the brush down irritably then stood. "What in the name of Ares do you want NOW?" I snapped then threw open the door, fuming, to see none other than Paris standing there in his nightclothes.
"I came by because we need to talk" he said gravely.
After what had occurred earlier that evening, it was not surprising that I was in no mood to accommodate him and it must have been evident because he did not move closer to me or the door.
"Can it wait until morning?"
"No"
"How do you know that, after having witnessed your utter disrespect for your own sister and then having been tried for treason for defending her, I won't let you in here just so that I can kill you?"
"I don't"
"Now he decides to be brave" I thought irritably and heaved a sigh of long-tried patience. The night was just getting better and better.
"Well, come in then. But I promise nothing in the way of safety" I warned and walked back to my vanity. Paris closed and bolted my door and I set one of my knives on my vanity within easy reach in case he had any delusions about how angry I really was. He didn't, however, approach me but, instead, removed his robe then actually had the nerve to lay down on his back on my bed, resting his head on his folded arms.
"What in the name of...Get off of my bed!" I yelped and grabbed my knife.
"If I am going to die, it does not matter what I do, does it?" he shot back.
"I would rather not stain my bedding with your blood. The laundry maids would be cross with me and I would have to explain to your father why your head is on a pike in front of my door"
"And why I was in your room in the first place, since you hate me so much"
My hand gripped the hilt of my hunting knife so tightly that my knuckles were white and, had he smiled, I would have killed him without a second thought, king and country be damned. But his face remained solemn and something about his demeanour gave me pause "Paris...why are you here?"
"Because I wanted to apologize for tonight"
My jaw dropped and I gaped at him for a moment then started to laugh.
"You come to my room in the middle of the night, in your robe and not much else, have the nerve to lay down on my bed, and now you want to apologize for insulting your own blood in front of your Greek wife and everyone else within earshot?" I said incredulously.
"Yes"
"Then I am afraid you have the wrong room. Cassandra's room is three doors down the hall"
"She is likely asleep"
"That is no excuse. You humiliated her in her own home in front of a foreigner. She is entitled to an apology, regardless of the hour" I insisted, setting my brush down with a snap and turning to face him with my arms crossed. We stared each other down for a long while then, finally, he got off the bed and came towards me and I reached for my knife but he shook his head then knelt by my feet "you are not going to kill me, Ismena" he said.
"What makes you so sure?"
As if his position wasn't precarious enough, he captured the hand that was resting in my lap then studied it, running just the very tips of his fingers down my wrist and over my fingers "because that would be too easy"
Both of my eyebrows nearly ran off into my hairline and he looked up, a serious expression on his comely face "you and your sisters are hunters. You enjoy the thrill of the chase more than the actual kill itself. That is why you spit fire at me whenever possible and even draw arms against me because you know it will keep me at bay. But every morning I still wake up in the same room and when I leave it, you're still glaring at me and the cycle repeats itself"
Nothing irritated me more than not being able to find a suitable response for something but, strangely enough, he didn't seem to expect an answer. So I found myself listening while the younger prince, who was not well-known for being terribly observant, drew a concise picture of my animosity towards him.
"The other reason is that, despite your opinion of my personal faults and failings, I am still a Trojan and your unfailing loyalty to our people dictates that, unless I do something that makes it necessary for you to personally defend yourself or your family, you won't kill me. You may well kill Helen, but not me"
His attention returned to my hand and, feeling rather vulnerable, I resisted the urge to yank it out of his grasp, unwilling to show him that he had managed to get under my skin.
"I do not fear you but I respect and envy you. You have more inner strength and self-discipline than most of the soldiers under my brother's command and certainly more than I do. Anyone can run out and steal a wife or throw a spear. But not many could stand alone in a hall full of people and defend someone who is being wronged, without a thought towards how they will be perceived for doing so. You did and I hated you for it...even more so because I knew you wouldn't care how I felt"
"That is why you told your father" I said slowly as comprehension dawned on me and he nodded, a slight smile tugging at his lips "I knew he would not do anything about it because if he did, there would be an uproar. As it was, Polyxena told me off after you left...yes, you heard that right. My shy reclusive little sister heard our little altercation and scolded me for making a scene at dinner, which did nothing to help my wounded pride after you called me a traitor. Your cousin, I am sure, would have wrung my neck had her hands not been occupied with the baby and Helenus told me to grow up. Had father thrown you out of the palace, half of my family and our guards would have followed you. Nevertheless, I am sorry for putting you through that and for worrying Andromache" he replied
I sighed and withdrew my hand to rub my face with quiet frustration "your apology is accepted but, as enlightening as this has been, Paris, I still do not understand why you are here"
He got to his feet and, only half aware of what I was doing, I rose with him "because I wished to see you" he said simply and that was enough to snap me back to full alertness.
"What?" I sputtered "you have a woman, who is apparently supposed to be the most beautiful woman in the world, waiting for you in your room and yet you wished to see me?"
"Yes"
"Are you mad?"
"Perhaps, but I believe we established that already"
By that point, I was starting to get a headache from talking in circles and I made a face at him "Paris, go to bed"
"Not until you ask me"
"Ask you what?"
"The question that has been on the tips of everyone's tongues since I brought Helen back here"
I blinked several times then gave up and spat it out "oh, for the love of the gods, alright. Why her? You could have had almost any woman in either Troy or Greece and Aphrodite herself seems fond of you. So why did you feel the need to steal the wife of our enemy?"
Before I could react, he embraced me and kissed both of my cheeks then lowered his mouth to my ear "because you would have approved of my first choice even less" he murmured.
He then pulled away, retrieved his robe and bid me goodnight, while I stood there gaping at him like a fish out of water.
Paris left to to to his bed and his wife and somehow, thought I don't remember actually moving, I locked the door and removed my jewelery. But after I had climbed into my bed, which was still warm from his body, and doused the candles; I looked over at the window and wondered if it was even worth going to bed at all. Apollo would begin his daily journey in only a couple of hours and I had a lot to think about.