Till I am no longer
Chapter 8
ANDROMACHE
The night before hector was leaving, Priam alerted us on more bad news.
"Andromache. I am so sorry." He started off. "After the war, hector, I want you to go to Palados. It will take you 4-5 months to negotiate and back-do not stop by on the way. We want to take a treaty with them. I hope you understand this is of high importance to you, to us, and to troy." He said.
I was busy doing the calculations to hear what hector said back. When Priam left, I softly said,
"You'll miss our 2 year anniversary, hector," I said, clearly unhappy. More. Tears were already forming to hear that I was to be alone without my love for almost a year.
"I'll be back before you know it, love." He said, kissing my forehead so softly, gently, that the tears almost did spring out.
Hector watched as Andromache slept, tiny droplets of the water of Ixias, the goddess of sadness, beaded on the long lashes.
His heart broke thinking he'd miss their 2nd anniversary, AND be so far from her, for such a long time. Nearly a year.
But he had to do it, he knew. He was crown prince. It was for troy—his country, which he would be ruling. He thought of it all scared him, but he knew he could do it—as long as his beautiful wife, Andromache was there, by his side.
The dawn brightened, finally showing its golden beams of Apollo in the crown prince and princess's room. Soldiers bustled about, in preparations of war and negotiations.
When Andromache woke up, Hector was already clothed. She wrapped her naked body with anything within her reach- the sheets. And the first thing that Andromache did that day, was kissing.
Andromache slid her arms around his neck, and kissed him with so much passion in the world. Tears formed in her eyes and hector, surprised but never complaining, kissed back, with passion just like hers. The sheets covering her body feel away-but it didn't matter. It never did. After the kiss, Andromache rested her head on the crook of his shoulders. She fitted into his muscular body perfectly.
"I will miss you," she said, teary.
"So will I," hector said back. Andromache knew he was being 100% honest with her. "Perhaps more than you," he jested. Andromache smiled.
"Promise me that you will be safe."
"I will."
"Come back to me unsheathed," she whispered, as Andromache saw his ship getting smaller in the distance. He would not be back for a while, at least a year. He would miss their anniversary. And he was off to war.
He could never come back. He had never fallen in battle before, and he was the strongest of all, but he was no Briseis. And she was not going this time. When her thoughts reached up to this point, the world began spinning. Her love. Never coming back. Her hector. Never coming home. Andromache felt instantly dizzy and started to stumble, as she caught the nearby servant's shoulders tightly. The last thing she ever saw was the people of troy and the royal family crying out in alarm, rushing towards her with worry etched on their faces, but alas, the ship was already gone. Andromache saw black.