Chapter Eleven...Playful Rewards (continued)
Hector grinned at her and kissed her again, the passion building as it always did, and though it always did, it always
took him by complete surprise that he could love another person this completely, and have that love returned just
as absolutely. And it was an overwhelming need to just show her as much as he could just how absolute his own
love for her was, whether it be the little things, or the physical connection that bonded them.
And it was the moments after, with her just lying there in his arms, both satiated and lazy, that he loved also. He
brushed her damp hair off her face with his hand and kissed her lightly. "So what's the proper way to thank you
father for giving you this space?" He asked with a smile.
She opened her eyes with a content hum, drawing his face down for another of those sweet, gentle kisses. Smiling
peacefully back up at him. Thinking... that she must have died two years ago, before he'd found her, and this was
Elysium. Because there was nothing that could be more perfect. She covered his hand with her and turned her
cheek to press a kiss into his palm. Safe and warm and content and whole held close in his arms.
"I don't think elevating him to godhood would be enough thanks." she answered, turning her face to smile back up
at her husband. Laughing softly as she added: "Though I don't think this was what he had in mind at the time he
gave it to me."
"Well, I'll think of some way." Hector said. "I still have to thank him for letting you marry me after all." He said with a
chuckle, though he knew all too well they were both stubborn individuals and her father didn't have a chance
against either one of them. If he had thought to raise an objection, of course. Which he hadn't.
"But remind me in a few years NOT to give a piece of land to any of our daughters. Especially if they turn around
and use it for this!"
She burst into a laugh at his last comment and thumped him lightly on his bare chest.
"Satyr! Are you joking?" she asked, laughter still in her voice. Smile bright as her eyes. "Our daughters are going to
be so stubborn and determined they'll probably go out and create any private spot of land they want." She tapped
her fingers in a pattern against his chest lightly. Teasing. "Taking after their father after all. He's the persistent,
stubborn one in the family." She grinned up at him. "Do you think building a tower without any doors or windows
would be enough to keep the men away from them?"
"Then I'll just have to have Podes pay any potential suitor a visit. By the time he's done talking, I'll be the fiercest
warrior to ever walk the earth. Then they can sneak off all they want, but all the men will run from them in fear of
me!" He said with a laugh. "Hm...that's not a bad idea actually. And I'll give you persistent." He said with a smile, for
he had followed her all the way across an ocean. "But stubborn, that will come from you. Sneaky, from both of us."
Andromache was still laughing over the picture Hector was painting of their dark haired daughters chasing after
men that ran from them as fast as their legs could carry them. Given the length of both parent's legs, it would be
quite a race.
"Podes would love the job." she agreed, grinning up at her husband. "'Defending the scions of Troy,'" she lent
proper drama to the task with her voice before laughing again. "I should also chide you over calling me sneaky,"
she teased, before smiling widely again. "But I'm too proud you think so." She wound her arms around his shoulders
again. Content. "I like sneaky." she murmured, leaning up to kiss the tip of his nose. "And if our children are even
half as stubborn and determined and sneaky," she drew back to meet his eyes. "We're going to have our hands full
indeed, my love."
"Not as full as you might think." He said, for he had experience, if one could call it, watching his fellow Guards with
their children. The ones that were loved because they were children. Oh he had no doubt her father loved her. Her
mother, quite another story. And though both his own parents loved him, he was one of many. And he wasn't Paris,
w ho seemed loved above all. They were more than happy to dump responsibility for all of Troy on his shoulders
though, even when he was young.
He still hadn't given up hope that he had managed to steal her away from Thebes in time. In time before irrevocable
damage was done to her ability to bear children, to her heart, to her very soul. But the last two were what was
important to him the most. Children would come, or they wouldn't. It wasn't up to them to decide.
But he promised whatever god was listening, that if they were blessed with children, he would defend the children,
and he would love them with all he had. He hoped that was enough.
"We'll do fine."
She watched his face as he spoke and her own softened. Hoping all their children had his eyes. Which were deep
and dark now with thoughts he wasn't saying. She wasn't concerned about his ability as a father. He would love their
children the way he loved her. And no child could ask for more. And she'd mothered enough of both her own
siblings and their children to be an old hand at the basics. No.... that wasn't what was bothering him...
"What is it?" she asked softly. Dark eyes watching his face with quiet peace. Soothing, she reached up. Cupped his
cheek gently with her hand. "What are you really thinking?"
He looked at her with a soft gaze. Would he tell her? Absolutely not. It would be one of the few times he had ever
out right lied to his wife, and like all the other times, it was so she wouldn't feel an ounce of hurt if he could help it.
"Nothing important." He said just as softly, leaning into her hand. "Just the rambling thoughts of a man driven mad
by love, every single time I think something is perfect, it pales in comparison to the next moment."
"Liar." She whispered it, leaning up to kiss him soft and sweet. Did he think, lying here the way they were, that she
wouldn't know? Did he think, as closely as her heart was tied to his, that she wouldn't notice? There was something
he wasn't telling her and it was important if he felt the need to hide it.
She settled back in his arms, gazing up at him. Dark eyes still content and peaceful. Fingers gentle as she traced
his face.
"I love you." she told him softly. Completely his. "And I trust you." She didn't say it to use guilt. She said it because it
was true. And if it was that important to him, that he needed to hide it, she trusted his judgement. As much as she
didn't want him to bear anything alone. But she trusted him. The same way she'd trusted his judgement with her
mother. She kissed him again, lingering. Repeated the one thing that was most important and the only thing that
really mattered.
"And I love you."
He smiled. "I know. All of it." He assured her, and perhaps one day he'd tell her. But why ruin a perfectly perfect
afternoon because he was a pragmatist and ever thinking of ways to deal with the worst case scenario? That was
one part of his personality he tried not to push on her, it was hard enough for him to deal with in himself, never mind
making someone else deal with.
It may have kept him alive on the battle field, but where matters of the heart were concerned, it would only
complicate unnecessarily. He chuckled a bit. "Oh the festivities we're missing out on, your father is going to be
pissed." He said, not really caring.
She smiled up at him. Willing to let him change the subject. Whatever it was that darkened his eyes with shadows -
she would deal with it when it came to pass. If it was threatening, he would have told her. So it was a worry he was
tucking away.
She knew her husband. Knew that he always had plans within plans in case things didn't go as expected. She knew
he cataloged worries the way she cataloged his wounds. Put them in a list of priorities and came up with solutions in
case they were needed. Whatever troubled him now was a worry - and most likely one her own mother had planted
- and one he was finding a place for and some way of dealing with. And then he would put it aside. Perhaps not
entirely, but there were very few things her husband let eat at him from the inside. He dealt with what he could,
prepared for the rest and then went ahead with his life. With siblings like Paris and Cassandra, each prone to their
own kind of trouble, and a city in a fluctuating state of warfare, there was little else a man could do with future
threats without going mad.
So she would watch. And listen. And wait. And if whatever darkened his eyes rose the way he thought possible, she
would deal with it, at his side if need be. Until then she would help him forget it.
She smiled up at him because of that trust. Softening.
"Father will learn to deal with his disappointment." she grinned, brushing hair back from his forehead. "He probably
went ahead with any party he had planned even if you weren't there. Everything is just an excuse to celebrate
anyway. He's very determined that way. One could almost call him stubborn."
"Some guest of honor I am, huh?" He teased her as she brushed his hair that was forever falling over his brow off
his forehead. "Our fathers are one soul separated by an ocean, at least as far as celebrations and parades are
concerned." He chuckled lightly, doing just as she predicted, shoving it off to the side, this was something he could
do nothing about anyway.
"Not sure how much longer we have, though, before they send out a search party." Especially when Podes revealed
he had taken the Crown Prince of Troy to Triantifilla's quarters, and didn't exactly see him come back out.
She sighed, fingers still lingering against his cheek.
"You're right." she admitted with a soft smile. Reluctant. Raised her eyes to the sky and laughed softly. "They'll send
someone. Someones. Poor Podes." the laugh was open and affectionate before she cupped her husband's face
and kissed him again with a smile. "But you're right. Half the city's seen you but only the guards at the entrance of
the tunnel know where we've gone. And who knows what kind of trouble I might get you into unattended." she added
with a mischievous smile.
"See, I've been saying for two years that you're a bad influence." He teased with a laugh as they reluctantly
redressed and picked the foliage out of their hair. "I'm sure however much your little brother wishes to see me in
action, he doesn't want to see me in that kind of action with his sister!" He laughed again as he helped his wife to
her feet.
"But somehow, I have this feeling that our reception in Troy was merely a warm up to what your father has planned."
Hector said, for King Eetion seemed to want to not only out do Priam, but make up for Triantifilla.
"My father loves parties." she agreed with a laugh. Hector had read him well. "The wilder, the better." Which was
why she'd be pulling a wise retreat after a certain point in the night. She shot him a grin over her shoulder as she
moved to the river. "Father will keep you up all night and far into the next day. Every day if you let him. He
celebrates the same way he fights. Most of the city does." Which was yet another reason that all the doors were
solidly built with strong bars. She knelt next to the water and dipped her hands, standing to press that coolness
against his face with a smile. "With everything ahead of you, maybe you should have slept instead of being with me."
"Absolutely not." Hector said with a laugh, splashing water on his own face. "I know I've told you before my views on
sleep." In that it was basically a waste of time, literally, when there were other things he could be doing. So he didn't
sleep on campaigns, he didn't sleep on journeys, usually the only time he got good restful sleep was when she
made him, come to think of it! For her views on sleep were far different than his. "But we've perfected sneaking off
in Troy." He pointed out with a mischievous smile of his own. "So no worries, I promise I'll eventually sleep tonight."
She ran fingers through his hair, stroking the curls back into place and smiled at him. Wild parties the way her family
ran them weren't exactly Hector's style. And she loved that about him. That he would rather spend a quiet night with
her and his family than surrounded by beating drums, too much wine, and wildly dancing girls.
"We'll sleep tonight." she agreed. "In bed." as opposed to the tables most of the rest of the revelers would pass out
on. "And Podes can guard the door." She added with a grin, eyes dancing mischief. Her little brother was too young
for what went on later in the celebrations anyway. At least he was as far as she was concerned.
And she wouldn't have to face her mother...
She stepped in close and wrapped her arms around her husband, snuggling close in a hug. The city would reclaim
him soon enough. But he was still hers alone in this moment. And - "I do love you." she murmured. "I do."
Hector smiled at the mention of Podes. She still had that protective streak toward her siblings, something he had
recognized in her that first day he had met her. A streak that echoed his own toward his own siblings. Strangely
enough, though, she had been bound and determined to protect Eleni from him of all people!
He wrapped his arms around her in response, savoring these few moments when there was no one else trying to
push in on the bubble they had made around their world. "You better." He teased, a chuckle deep in his chest.
"especially if I'm going to be shown off as the latest novelty in Thebe."
"If you wanted to lay low and avoid notice it didn't help when you battled the sorceress in her own tower."
Andromache told him, content in his arms. "You're only giving the song writers more material. By the time we get
back to Troy she will have had three heads and spat poison and you would have had to battle your way past seven
monsters just to reach her in the first place." She raised her face to smile softly up at him, eyes warm. "Of course,
you did free the entire royal family of Thebe and your wife from her in the process. I don't think the celebrations are
going to be as subdued as usual."
He chuckled. "You give me far too much credit. It was easy for an outsider to the whole thing to come in and do what
I did. I didn't have a life time of her manipulating me, and spewing poison at me." He said. The whole idea of
celebrations in his honor made him just as uncomfortable here as they did in Troy. But he would do what he did in
Troy. Smile, wave, eat, talk, and sneak out.
He also knew that Triantifilla was still alive, therefore still able to injure anyone in anyway, which just made him more
vigilant. "Well, lets get this over with. Sooner we make an appearance, sooner we can sneak away."