I'd Like To Believe
Chapter 6: If the Sky Comes Falling Down For You
A/N: Still don't own MPAS. Another update this week? The muse is strong.
Warning: More death, more depth of character from Charis. This one's kinda bleak.
The Achaeans moved fast; it had taken all of two days for them to gather suitable amounts of materials, and while the building guidelines for the new WABAC had them stumped (a round stone chariot, that moved by spraying fire?), they immediately started construction. With Agamemnon holding the blueprints, Menelaus still crying in his room, and all of the soldiers busy, Peabody and Charis were free to search for the missing royalty.
Unfortunately, Princess Andromache was craftier than she had previously seemed. She and her child never hid in one place longer than a few hours, and the duo always arrived too late. Even with most of the city reduced to rubble and ruin, she knew every hiding place, and was always one step ahead. It was no use. She knew that, as royalty, she had to be ready to run. If they wanted to find her, they needed the help of another royal.
That was where Talthybius came in. As Agamemnon's most trusted friend, and, as such, loyal to Charis, he was left to care for Queen Hecuba and a crazed Cassandra, until their final fates could be decided.
"How are they?"
"Unwell. The queen has nightmares, haunted by her lost children, and even children still alive. And ever since the incident at the temple, Cassandra doesn't move. She simply stares at the wall and babbles like a fool. Her mother had to force food into her mouth, for fear she'd starve."
Peabody shook his head in disgust, and Charis fumed. "Will Ajax not be punished?"
"He made an oath on the altar," Talthybius explained, "and thus will be spared."
"The same altar he ruined. Oath my ass."
Peabody gave her a meaningful glance. "I wouldn't worry. The gods will punish him themselves; I know they will."
Charis blinked, then smirked. "You would know, wouldn't you, 'messenger'?"
"Athena is demanding it as we speak."
Talthybius shuddered. "A man who knows the will of the gods; I do not know whether to respect or fear you, Peabody."
Charis chuckled. "I've settled for a little of both."
She got a teasing glare for her remarks, but was interrupted when Talthybius cleared his throat. He gestured at the seaside tent, and withdrew. The pair glanced at each other, steeled themselves, and entered.
Hecuba glanced up, and though her relief washed over her face immediately, there had obviously been fear in her eyes. She seemed perpetually prepared to receive news of Andromache's discovery and Astyanax's death, and the return of Charis and Peabody was a sign that they were still free. "My grandson is still alive?"
Charis nodded, and moved to sit with Cassandra, who faced the back of the tent with her legs pressed to her chest. Peabody approached the queen. "You taught Andromache well. Too well. She's safe from Greeks and those who want to help."
Hecuba sighed. "I appreciate your assistance, though I am starting to fear that nobody wishes to help my family." She managed a teasing smile in spite of herself. "Hopefully you will not call down Zeus's fury for doubting."
Peabody smiled. "You are a very intelligent woman, your majesty. But why are so so doubtful?"
From the corner, Cassandra suddenly spoke above her typical whispers, startling the occupants of the tent. "Polydorus. Polydorus appeared in the dream."
Hecuba sighed. "She speaks the truth. We both dreamed that Polydorus was betrayed by the king we sent him to for protection. We have yet to receive news, but men are inherently given to greed. I fear the worst."
Peabody froze up, and Charis saw out of the corner of her eye. She started to speak, when a great cry rose up from outside. She made eye contact with the dog, and scrambled for the opening with Hecuba.
When they made it outside, the queen shrieked, falling to her knees into the mud. Charis spun on her heels, darting past the tent as she retched in disgust. The other surviving women of Sparta had emerged from their tents, all screaming and weeping over the latest tragedy. Talthybius stood above the crowd, looking away in shame and sympathy. Atop his shield, dripping seawater, was the body of Prince Polydorus.
Peabody closed the tent, sinking to the floor. Behind him, Cassandra continued to mutter blankly.
"Troy is dead. Troy is dead. Troy is dead. Troy is dead. Troy is dead. We're all dead. Troy is dead. Troy is dead..."
She found him sitting against the cliff face, watching the waves lap against the shore a few feet out. Without a word, she took her place beside him, and the two sat in silence. Further along the beach, fires at the slave camp roared and reached into the sky, as if they were pleading for the stars to take their hands and pull them out of perdition. Occasionally, scattered wails of the women rose above the crashing of the waves.
"Agamemnon has summoned Polymestor. Under the guise of more treasures."
Peabody buried his face in his hands. "I know."
"Another popular tale in your time?"
"Not as popular. But I've heard it at least once."
Charis leaned back into the rocks, shuddering slightly as the cool surface. The nagging feeling had returned, and she finally had an explanation. Still, she refused to speak it or dwell on it. Peabody spoke up. "I've been distracted this entire time. Even with the WABAC out of my hands, I keep losing track. There's so much information on the fall and return from Troy, it all blurs together."
"You have a lot on your mind. Your son isn't here-"
"And I'm glad for it. This is a post war zone, Charis! Women are being split up and given away like livestock, children are being slaughtere-"
"I am WELL aware, Peabody." Her tone was dangerous, and Peabody looked away. She softened. "Your son is off, gods know where, and possibly well within the reaches of an evil woman who would stop at nothing to take him from you. If you're to be believed you've never been here in the past without him for this long. This is an entirely unfamiliar situation for you, and you've never tried to alter history like this before."
Her voice got quiet, and she paused. "Maybe...you aren't even able to change history."
He looked at her, and she continued. "Despite all we've done, nothing has changed. Cassandra was attacked, Polyxena was killed, and we've been entirely unable to stop it."
"...Paradox prevention."
Charis was visibly confused, and she glanced at him. "A paradox is when changing time makes it impossible to do so. Like going back in time and preventing your birth; if you aren't born, you can't stop it. In our case, because I know that these events will happen, I can't stop them, because I wouldn't be able to know about it..."
He trailed off, and she glanced out to the sea. "So we really can't change any of it..."
"I...I don't think so."
She moved to lie on her stomach, fiddling with the feather in her hair. Her entire purpose was being called into question, and her growing doubt was finally relevant. "Peabody, did all those stories...do any of them mention me?"
"...What?"
"You've read about Odysseus and know about his bed. You've read about Cassandra and the punishment of Ajax. You've read of the women of Troy, and you still didn't know about my work. You even know about the survival of Iphigenia, but it wasn't me. Does...anybody know of me in your time?"
Peabody thought for a moment. "I...I don't..."
She sighed. "I had thought so. My son is dead. My husband is dead. For all I've done, there's nothing left of me after I'm gone."
"That's not true! You've saved countless lives-"
"And yet my own is not worthy of remembrance."
They were silent. She rolled onto her back, staring blankly at the sky. "There's nothing I can do to change that, is there. I could feel the inclination to run out there, dispatch every Achaean present, and lead the women in a glorious parade to safety, but because I've been cemented in time as inconsequential, I can't do a damn thing about it."
"It's not in your nature-"
"It doesn't even matter anymore."
"Does this really invalidate all the good you've done?"
She was quiet. For a moment, he thought she had regressed back into the same fugue state as when Polyxena died. When she finally spoke, it was more like a ghost of a whisper. "I don't know if I did it for them."
That was the end of the conversation. She stood, and turned to head back up the cliff. "Polymestor will arrive tomorrow. What does the future know about that?"
"He is successfully lured into Hecuba's tent, she attacks him, and after an impromptu trial is taken away and killed."
It was exactly what she wanted to hear, but her face remained stony. "I need to be awake for that. I'm going to the temple. Wake me before he arrives."
She started to leave, then paused. "...That was where I was. When you fell in the horse."
He didn't know how to respond, and she carried on.
After a moment, he ran up and called after her. "You're name is somewhat familiar! I know the name Charis from somewhere!"
If she heard him, she didn't let on. She just continued her silent march back to the ruins of Troy, to take shelter in a temple stained by her perceived failure.