Chapter Seven....Homecoming
Andromache stood at the bow of the thin ship, hands loose on the railing, and watched the city in front of her rising
from the trees to bury itself in the mountains that surrounded it. It was a fortress, not a palace and blood had been
spilled in its streets since it was just a dream. A place carved out of the wilderness and wild by the men that had
dared to chance it.
She had never thought she would come back.
The wide river they were traveling down on the flat boat swept past and on its wild way but she knew they would
dock at the small port town. Find horses and an escort waiting for them. And then take the winding trail up to
Thebes. Where she would again be surrounded by family and friends and all that had ever been familiar in her life
before she'd left it. Left it for Troy and a prince with dark eyes.
And because of that marriage, Troy could now have its wood for its ships. And she had come here with her
husband to seal that agreement.
She had never thought she would come back...
Hector came over to his wife, after talking with the captain of the boat about the travel. He'd never been this far into
Greece, neither in training nor in war.
"You look awful nervous for someone who's returning to their childhood home." He commented, leaning on the
railing by his forearms. He looked up the river at all its bends and curves and back at his wife. "You're not afraid I'm
going to do something stupid like embarrass you, are you?"
He knew her better in a year's time than anyone ever had in all of her life and she smiled fleetingly, looking down at
her hands, the whorls in the wood under them. Her life had taken more bends and turns than this river since she'd
last been here. Looking back at the city in the mountain, she shook her head.
"Anything you do will awe them. You're Hector, Tamer of Horses, prince of the undefeated city of Troy. You
command the finest army in the East and apparently, if you believe the stories, regularly turn aside entire armies of
invaders by yourself." She slanted him a teasing smile at the last bit before her eyes turned back to the city and
went nervous again. She'd mentioned his martial skills, not that he was her husband. Her family would recognize
and admire him for the first. The second was unimportant to his standing in their eyes. Her thin hands moved
aimlessly on the railing. "I just - I feel as if I've been gone so long. And I'm not the same anymore. I'm not - " she
looked over at him, reaching out to lightly brush a strand of curling hair from his forehead. Just to touch him.
Because he was what had changed her. Him and the freedom that she'd learned to love in his company. "I'm not
sure I'll fit anymore." Softer she added: "I'm not sure I want to."
"In all honesty, I'm not sure I want you to fit in anymore. Would be harder to make you leave and come back to
Troy." He said honestly. "And its all well and good that this massive reputation I apparently have precedes me," he
said with a chuckle. "Hopefully that means I can eat dinner in peace. And its sad that your family wouldn't be
interested in the fact that I snore, I hog the blankets and I consume more bread in the morning than my whole army
put together."
And it still privately angered and burned him that her own mother tried to put a damper on their nuptials if not their
whole marriage. Facing that woman was not something he looked forward to, because he wasn't sure he'd be able
to hold his tongue for long.
He kissed her hand that had been at his forehead. "Relax. If my battle exploits gains me acceptance, then I can
work on the rest."
He made her heart ache, she thought, heart sighing at the touch of his lips on her hand. Smile softening her face,
she shifted over to rest her head against his shoulder. Smelling the sun his skin had soaked up on this voyage.
"I love Troy." she told him, voice warm. "And I love you. More than my next breath. I'm glad I got to come with you
when you came here. But its because I'm glad to be with you. Anywhere I get to be with you I'm happy." She
pressed a kiss to his shoulder. "And you do not snore. But you do hog the covers." Not that it mattered since she
always ended up snuggled close in his arms anyway. But it was true.
Hector laughed and wrapped his arms around her as she rested her head against his shoulder. "And just think, you
get to play tour guide this time. Should I be suspicious of your motives?" He asked as the boat made its final turn
and he heard the crew behind them making preparations for docking and disembarking.
"But, if they are so impressed with Troy, just remember, you are Crown Princess of Troy now, next in line for
queen." He said with a smile. "Mother hen to that army they so admire, and my wife. Whichever impresses them, let
it. We can be contently impressed with ourselves without them."
She laughed quietly against his shoulder. He made things better. He always knew how to look at things so they
were better.
"We are pretty impressive." she agreed with a smile, twining her arms around his shoulders to look up at him. Her
husband. It was still hard to believe sometimes. Except for the fact that she couldn't imagine living without him
anymore. "And I think I just might have to show you the mountains. Lure you away under false pretenses." Her dark
eyes danced as they met his.
"Prince Hector!" it was Athanasios and Andromache looked at her oldest brother from the safety of her husband's
arms. The caution was still there but the very sight of him didn't sent that sliver of fear moving through her
anymore. He shot her a quick, passing look of disapproval for being a distraction and not stepping back and away
from her husband so he could deal with the men's business of greeting and trade but she was ignoring it even as
he was dismissing her and turning his attention back on the prince.
"Welcome to Thebes, Prince Hector." he stated with a nod. One prince to another. "Father's been waiting for you.
Says its time to return to hospitality you showed us in Troy and wants to know if you've brought any single women
with you that are worth stealing the way you snatched his daughter." Andromache smiled because that sounded
very much like her father and she could hear his boisterous joking tone behind the message. Her brother, to his
credit, managed to convey the humor behind the message without slipping into sounding challenging. She'd think
he'd learned diplomacy but suspected he simply respected Hector too much for that. Her brother wasn't one to be
impressed with reputations but he'd seen Hector train both himself and his men while they'd all been in Troy last
and that her brother would respect and admire. No doubt eager to return the favor as well.
"Father's sent horses and an escort." Athanasios with a motion of his hand. A gesture that encompassed horses,
the honor guard on them and, Andromache bit back a sigh, a palanquin for her and the luggage. Some things
never changed.
"I don't know, Ida might start to get jealous..." He teased his wife before her brother called out as they docked.
"Athanasios." He greeted his brother in law with a clasped wrist, one arm still around Andromache. "Sorry, but I did
bring jewels and such for your women, wine from Troy, and horses trained in Mount Ida. They should do well here."
He said and saw the palanquin. "And all that should fit in there. Abouts. Might have to load some on the horses. My
father went over the top, in gratefulness for having Andromache as a daughter in law."
He was silently saying that his wife wouldn't ride in the palanquin, he knew how much she hated that. And unlike her
brother, he was schooled in the arts of diplomacy. "I look forward to seeing your father again, he's a good man.
And a good king. And on behalf of Troy, we accept your hospitality with open arms."
Athanasios gave a laugh at that and it rumbled.
"Troy's a welcome ally." he agreed. "No doubt father will want to outdo your gifts when you return." He watched the
first of the horses being led off the ship with approval. No one bred horses as fine as the Trojans. And no one had
the forests and rare wood that Thebes did. The prince had been a smart man to marry into their family and thus
establish his claim to both their fighting arm if he ever needed it and their dark forests. How his father had ever
convinced the man to take his mannishly tall and skinny sister in the bargain, Athanasios would never be able to
guess. Beat out the oil merchant they'd traded his used younger sister, Eleni, off to though. Only women were
interested in perfume.
"We'll let the servants strain over the gifts." he gestured and several of the guards dismounted, watching the prince
they'd all heard the stories off and the girl they'd remembered as quiet with gentle hands in the clinic. Wondering
about the match. But they were professional and they moved to help the servants with the luggage and gifts from
Troy, soon too busy exclaiming delightedly over the horses for attention to anything else. One of the guards
approached, leading two horses. He had an open, friendly face and gave Hector a wink before handing both the
reins to him.
"I'll catch a ride with the other horses." he commented before giving Andromache a "welcome home, princess."
"Father already has the fort in an uproar with feasting plans." Athanasios commented, swinging back up onto his
own steed. "So I hope you brought your appetite, prince." His eyes, blank and emotionless, found his sister's and
he added flatly: "Mother's waiting for you."
"I always bring my appetite." Hector said with a chuckle as he paused to help Andromache onto her horse before
mounting the one led over to him. He smiled and nodded at the guard, good to see at least some people here not
like Athanasios. How Andromache had come from the same house he'd never understand.
His eyes narrowed a bit at the mention of his mother in law, but he quickly put on a neutral expression. "I look
forward to meeting her myself." He said blandly, again, diplomacy. "And your father has already given me an
exceptional gift that I can never fully repay him for." He reached over and took his wife's hand and kissed it and
smiled at her. It would be all right. Even if he had to make it all be all right.
Athanasios was her full brother. The only full blooded sibling she had. And as unalike as they were they did agree
on one thing. Their mother. Andromache's throat tightened at his tone of voice. If Mother had made it a point to
mention she was waiting for her daughter then she must have something nasty in mind and they both knew it.
They'd both been on the receiving end of her barbs often enough to get no pleasure out of knowing what waited
for someone else. So she nodded to her brother and then a start of surprise moved through her when her husband
took her hand. She hadn't heard what he'd said before, too worried about her mother but the look in his eyes said
it all and she curved her fingers to brush them against his cheek when he kissed her hand. Her face softened at his
touch.
Oh, gods...she was so thankful for him...