Chapter Seven....Homecoming (continued)
Athanasios scowled darkly next to Hector and Eetion shook his head, great brows dropping over his eyes as they
went cold. If he had ever loved the wife that had given him his two oldest children there was nothing left of it now.
"She's about." Eetion stated flatly. "She'll decide when the appropriate dramatic moment is and sweep in from
there."
"Lurking." Athanasios almost spit the word. "She's had her poison brewing for Andromache since she made the
match she did." The venom in his voice was the same as his father's and there was no apology for it and no muting
it down for the entourage with them. "You she'll probably only want to glare at from a distance. Lucky you." he
added.
There was no apology for their attitude toward the woman that had been wife and mother to them both and no
attempt to hide it. The rest of the men around them ignored it and one of the priests made a warding sign against
sorcery where his king wouldn't see it. Podes, trying to follow as close to Hector as he could without stepping on his
heels, paused long enough to look up into the shadowy archways that loomed two or three stories above the
courtyard. But there was noone in the shadows that caused him to flinch.
"Best forget about her." Eetion shifted a hand in a swift cutting gesture. "She's got the tongue of a snake. Don't
expect her to resemble your wife. And don't show her mercy if she does." His wide shoulder shifted. "Leave it.
We've better things to talk about than spiteful women. I have woodcutters drooling all over the floor inside my
council chamber waiting to meet you."
"Well, if I'm the reason apparently," since he was the 'match' Andromache made, "that she's being especially vicious
lately, then by all means. Bring her on." It almost sounded about time that someone dealt with her.
Of course it was easy for Hector to say, he didn't have to live with her. While the rest of the men risked rocking the
boat and making their own lives even more miserable by confronting her, Hector didn't. And no one would
deliberately make his beloved wife unhappy as long as he could help it.
"But let's go meet these wood cutters." Hector said far more jovially, filing his plan to the back of his mind. "The
examples I've seen of your wood already is impressive, my father and I are hopeful about this trade acquisition."
"So - how is he?" It was Dori, plopping down on one of the pillows in the bedroom Andromache and her husband
had been given.
"Right!" Euphrosyne demanded from where she was rearranging one of the multiple bowls of mountain flowers that
filled the room.
Andromache laughed. Delighted to be surrounded by her sisters again and their busybody, friendly ways.
"He's wonderful." she stated calmly. "Perfect even."
"No." Dori protested, wrapping her arms around a pillow and resting her chin on it. "How is he in bed?"
"Yeah." Abdera dropped down onto a stool. "He's got a body built by the gods. Tell me he knows how to use it."
Andromache's eyes widened as if she hadn't been expecting this answer since she'd first been carried off. She was
actually surprised instead that they'd waited all through the greetings in the wives' rooms and the brief midday
meal. It showed considerable patience on their part. Or plotting because they wanted to be the first to get the
information and therefore hold the power of gossip.
"What's between a man and a woman is private." Andromache chided her younger sisters. Who only giggled.
"Since when?" Abdera demanded, fine brows coming down over her pale blue eyes. Andromache shook her head
and Dori bounced on the wide, intricately carved bed.
"Spill it!" she demanded. "Spill, spill, spill! You know you want to. Make us drool."
"You're doing that anyway." Andromache commented dryly as she leaned down to put some of the pillows her sister
had knocked off the bed back on.
"Eleni says he kisses as if he was drowning and you were the only air he would ever have again."
"She what?" Andromache straightened, torn between laughter and surprise.
"She says when he kisses you it makes her stomach go all funny." Euphrosyne agreed.
"He does have very nice long legs." Abdera stated factually. "Must be the horse riding."
"And beautiful hair." Euphrosyne stated with a sigh, sitting down.
"And amazing hands." Andromache agreed mildly. Which meant it took her sisters a moment to realize what she'd
said and then the room erupted with giggles and cries for more. Andromache grinned.
"Don't you have husbands?" she asked, making shooing motions with her hands but it was like trying to redirect a
flock of butterflies.
"Not interesting ones." Abdera clarified and Dori nodded.
"Details. We want details!"
"I'm not giving them to you." Andromache protested.
"You said he had nice hands." Abdear sang cheerfully.
"He's a hero." Euphrosyne sighed, looking as if she were about to go liquid and lose all bone structure. "Even the
gods aren't as interesting as heroes. He fought a small army to be by your side. And snuck past the entire fleet of
Sparta."
"Have you ever met Eleni's husband?" Andromache wondered out loud and got a pillow thrown at her.
"Face it, he's handsome and brave and famous." Dori shook her head. "And we, as your sisters, have a right to
know."
"I've never seen you smile so much or so soft." Euphrosyne added softly and Andromache melted inside.
"He's perfect." she stated, sinking down on the bed to sit next to Dori. "He's so gentle and wise. And he always
thinks of me first. He doesn't really think of himself at all. And he makes me laugh." she shared a smile with
Euphrosyne. "He makes me laugh all the time. As if it was all that he wanted to do with his life. You should see the
way he loves his family. His people. It’s - it’s the way I always loved you. And he's stubborn and determined and
sneaky clever too. And I love that about him as well."
"Body." Abdera prompted and Andromache's smile went intimate.
"I don't breath unless he's near me. Sometimes - he makes my heart hurt I love him so much. And when he touches
me - my skin sings. He makes my soul rise."
Dori sighed, hugging the pillow tighter.
"Does he have a brother?" she asked wistfully.
Hector greeted the wood cutters and discussed the trade agreement with them and Eetion, with Podes and
Athanasios standing near by. Podes seemed more like a watch dog than a brother in law. Hector seemed barely
able to shift his weight or pace a bit to stretch his legs without Podes right on his heels.
"Okay." Hector said. "Looks like that's settled." Hector wasn't long winded like his father. Trade talks wouldn't
stretch on for days just so he could hear himself talk. He looked at Podes. "Well, you're the tour guide, guess
you're in charge now."
Once they were away from the rest of the men Hector looked at Podes. "Okay, you got your choice Take me either
to my wife or my wife's mother."