Chapter Five....Wedding Jitters (continued)
"Are you sure we shouldn't go with the crown?" Eleni was asking.
"No, my dear. Flowers only. She's supposed to represent youth and life and beauty and so we must keep it
natural. Besides, the leaves on the crown poke."
Andromache would have voiced her agreement at that but Eleni and her future mother in law were busy sorting
through ribbons and flowers and tiny clasps and she hated to disturb them. Mostly because it would call attention
back to her and she was enjoying the sudden lack of flurry. Pleased and knowing she was acting like a little girl,
she touched the woven necklace Hector's mother had given her. It was a delicate twining of gold and green and
looked like ivy. The earrings matched. It was a beautiful gift. But it was the fact that such an imposing woman had
thought to give it to her in the first place that made her heart skip a bit unsteadily.
Everyone here was so elegant. So - unlike her own family with their dogs in the dining hall and roaring dinners that
went on deep into the night. She didn't regret her family but it did make her wonder if she was - delicate enough to
fit in here. She didn't want to be an embarrassment to Hector.
"We'll use the white flowers. The small, hanging ones." Hecuba was deciding. Yet another thing Andromache was
unendingly grateful for. "She should wear her hair down as much as possible. It accentuates her youth."
"Men like young girls." Eleni agreed in a voice of experience someone her age shouldn't have yet and Hecuba put
her arm around the slender girl and stated:
"Men just like girls. Anything female will do."
Andromache felt her heart melting toward Hector's mother. Both for the fact she spoke from experience and for the
fact that she reached out to comfort the younger woman beside her. I want her to love me, Andromache thought,
touching the necklace again. I very much want to be worth her loving me.
Hector knew the palace well, and he managed to get onto the balcony of the rooms Andromache was staying in,
the same rooms she had stayed in on her original visit to Troy. Hector may not have picked them out originally, but
he did insist she remain in those rooms until the wedding.
The week had gone on long enough as far as he was concerned. Hadn't gotten more than a glimpse of her during
that time, and only in public really. So he stayed on the balcony and listened to his mother and her sister talk
about men and jewelry and clothes, waiting for at least his mother to leave so he could sneak in. Eleni he could
talk into being quiet easily enough. Hecuba would shove him back out herself.
"Do you think we can braid some of these pearls into her hair?"
"I hadn't thought of that. What an excellent idea, my dear."
They'd progressed to the point where they were talking about Andromache in the abstract sense. And the bride in
question was content with that. It gave her time to look at herself in the bronze mirror and wonder if she had
anything that would cover up those freckles.
"We need some oil." Hecuba decided.
"What?" Eleni didn't jump thoughts as fast.
"For her skin, dear. So that she smells good."
"I just got done soaking in something or other." Andromache commented from the stool she was sitting at but
Hecuba and Eleni both just waved their hands and made some kind of dismissive noises.
"That's bath oil." Hecuba stated and Eleni nodded.
"Its not strong enough." she agreed.
"It was when I was in it." Andromache protested.
"That's just to make your skin soft, dear." Hecuba clarified. "He'll only be able to smell that when he's got his face
against your skin." Eleni stifled a snorting laugh and the queen ignored her and the flush spreading across her
daughter in laws throat and shoulders. "We need something that will smell nice all night long, through the
ceremony and the dinner and the priest's blessing afterward - "
"the longest part of the night." Andromache muttered and Hecuba dignifiedly ignored it.
"And long after you've both retired for the night. I'll go fetch some." Hecuba stated speaking over the snorting,
choking noises Eleni was making again.
"Please?" Andromache pressed her face into her hands at her sister's humor that didn't need words to be
understood and, giving her a pat on the shoulder that might have been supportive or commiserating, Hecuba
swept out of the room.
"Don't." Andromache warned. Eleni laughed and spun over. Then she leaned close and looked her older sister in
the eyes, serious.
"Worried?"
"gods..." Andromache closed her eyes. "I can't believe I'm talking to my baby sister about this." Eleni giggled and
picked up the brush again.
"He'll love you." she stated with exasperation, walking around behind her sister again. "Its all over his body
whenever he gets near you. That..." she sighed, waved the brush expansively, "protective, possessive, gentle,
sweet, fierce thing he does with the way he stands."
"Really?" Andromache's face lit and flushed hot at the same time. Her sister rolled her eyes.
"Only every single time he gets anywhere near the same room as you. Relax. He adores you. He won't hurt you."
Eleni added the last on an undertone and Andromache reached up to take her hand again.
"I hope he's happy with me. It's important. To me. That's he's happy."
Eleni snorted again. Enjoying getting away with the unladylike sound. "He'll be happy. Push him off the side of a
wall if he isn't. Now stay put." she instructed. "You need something to put some curl in your hair." Hands on her
hips, Eleni turned around to survey the room, ignoring the fact that her sister had covered her eyes and was
muttering something unladylike.
As soon as Hecuba swept out, Hector snuck in. Like he knew already, Eleni was easy to get around. his mother,
not so much. He watched the two women from behind and off to the side for a moment until Eleni started on curling
Andromache's hair and Andromache replied softly in her own way about that idea.
"I don't know, I like her hair." He said, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. "do I get a say?"