Chapter Seven....Homecoming (Continued)
Athanasios had nothing against his sister. She'd done her job and married well even if he didn't understand why his
brother in law kept making it a point to touch her and keep her close. Women were made for breeding and nothing
else. His mother was one of those women that should have been forced to remember that. But no one dared. Too
much attention went to a woman's head and he was surprised the prince of Troy didn't seem to realize what kind of
trouble he was inviting into his household by paying as much of it to his gawky sister as he was. At least the prince
was tall enough to put Andromache in her place if she ever got uppity with him.
"You took our best healer, Prince Hector." It was Kephalos, the captain of the guard. He was a huge man with a
great scar that ran from what was left of his ear to the edge of his lip. It made him look terrifying and in a constant
state of snarling but his voice was jovial. "Some might know more about herbs but no one stitched closer or had
softer hands." His own scar, horrifying as it was, was testament to her steady hand and he'd never forgotten that.
Or lost the soft spot his heart had always held for the oldest daughter of his king. He hadn't missed the look in the
young prince's eye either.
One of the other men chuckled and made a comment about Kephalos's pretty face and Kephalos just grinned.
Athanasios laughed, comfortable with the soldier's easy going joking. He did admit - his sister had a soft touch. It
was hard to remember who her mother was sometimes.
"Find someone else to flatter, Kephalos. She's a married woman now." he didn't actually mind. Kephalos never
meant harm, he adored Andromache like a spoiling older uncle. But it wasn't a good idea to let the men appear too
friendly with the prince's wife. There was no telling how Prince Hector might take it. And no need to cause
unintentional insult. "We'll let the others catch up later." he stated, turning his horse and starting it back up the
path. "If we stay longer, Father will just use it as an excuse to send another party down the hillside."
Hector laughed and released Andromache's hand so they could ride. "Sounds a lot like my father actually. He likes
to throw parades for hardly any reason at all." He said to Athanasios. He looked at Kephalos and his scar. "Better
watch the other side of your face then," he said with humor known between soldiers. "Because you're right, I took
her and I'm not giving her back." And if the gods were with him, the most she would have to do for him was soothe
bruises and minor gashes.
They road up the hillside, and Hector could already hear the people and the music filtering down through the trees
and he smiled. This wouldn't be so bad, he liked lively people. And from the looks of Athanasios and Andromache,
he'd need the release of 'normal' people after dealing with his mother in law. "We'll go greet your mother right off."
He decided. Best to get it over with after all.
Kephalos gave a great guffawing laugh at Hector's rejoinder. He liked the young prince. And he liked seeing the
way Thebes returning daughter looked at the Trojan as well. Even if it did mean there was no chance she'd stay
behind and return to her post in the clinic.
"Fathers." Athanasios agreed with only the single word to show how closely they both seemed to get stuck with
constant celebrations. Eetion claimed it was good for the people and Athanasios had no reason to argue with it.
But it did make it hard to do anything important quietly.
Andromache looked up at the winding path. Knowing it by heart and hearing the music that came rolling and
running down that road toward them with a smile. Her father's people celebrated just the way they lived.
Wholeheartedly. The music and the dancing would be considered wild compared to Troy's more majestic and
refined approach. But she didn't think Hector would mind. And that thought made her proud to be his wife. Proud of
him. Because he had a heart for people and that made him great. But she looked over at him when he decided
about her mother.
Athanasios did as well and frowned.
"If Mother will see you." he stated. His opinion of a woman having that kind of choice over a crown prince in his
voice. He looked back at his sister, riding so straight and comfortably on her horse. She was just as bad as their
dame in some aspects. But at least Andromache never did it from spite or evil intentions. She was her father's
daughter too so a bit of stubbornness was to be expected. He'd also thought that same stubbornness would keep
her from marriage but perhaps being bedded had softened her to a woman's lot. Either way they were both about
to face a woman that didn't accept that, or any other rule but her own bitterness. And the chances were, their
mother didn't want to see the prince until she was ready.
"We'll see when we get there." Andromache agreed calmly. Not about to let the shadow of her mother spoil her first
look at her childhood home through her husband's eyes.
The last of the covering forest fell away and Thebes in all its rough glory rose in front of them, the gates open and
the streets thronged with nothing but dancing, cheering people and wild, skirling music.
They rode through the gates of Thebes, the gates not nearly as grand or as thick as Troy's, which just made the
city look all the more intimate. He gave Andromache a look, oh they thought her mother was stubborn? They hadn't
seen anything yet. That woman wasn't going anywhere near his wife without him there. And neither had a choice.
The crowd greeted their returning princess, their home prince, and seemed to know who Hector was, for often
times he was greeted by name. Well, close enough. Usually it was along the lines of 'prince of Troy' or 'prince from
Troy.' From a few of the men he heard 'Tamer of Horses.'
He smiled and waved. And kept his horse near Andromache's to make it clear why he was here, the trade
agreement was truly secondary. He was here to accompany his wife on a visit home.
"Look, we have an excuse to sneak out early." He said with a chuckle over the noise in her ear. "Now you get to
play tour guide of everything here."
She laughed happily at her husband's comment. So - pleased she could share this with him. So very glad that she
could give him back a little bit of what he'd trusted her with when they'd first met. That he would see her city with
open eyes and an open heart.
"It'll just be an excuse to get you alone" she teased, smile bright. "But I think I can manage a few surprises."
Andomache couldn't help but smile as the people of Thebes crowded close, the press of their bodies slowing down
the progress of the horses considerably. Their excited faces turned upward, they passed gathered flowers to the
riders and the soldiers were taking the opportunity to flirt with the pretty girls. As warm as their welcome was for
their returning princess, what touched her heart the most was their enthusiasm for her husband. He was a hero
they had only known from stories and from the titles they added to his name, the legends had run on eager feet to
the city on the mountain. *Their* story had apparently made it this far too because the calls included good natured
ribbing about the chase she'd led him on and he received more than his fair share of sighing looks and giggling
smiles from the younger girls that passed him flowers. Andromache's own arms were already full but it looked like
Hector might have to grow another set to hold what everyone wanted to pass him. She was proud of him. Which
was silly. He was Hector, crown prince of Troy, tamer of horses and leader of the finest army in the east. He hardly
needed his wife to be proud of him and there were so many other reasons she already was. But seeing the way the
people of Thebes responded wholeheartedly to him made her proud.
Athanasios, riding in front finally reached the inner courtyard where the royal court waited in a -slightly- more
dignified manner. Her father, huge and unstooped by either his years or his battles, was beaming with pride, teeth
white in his huge face. More of her brothers, the ones that weren't fighting elsewhere stood nearby looking the
entire range from trying not to appear impressed to eager and friendly. The councillors and advisers and priests
stood in a group slightly behind, trying to look important and managing with various degrees of success. And the
wives, her fathers, her brothers, the councilors, all of them waited on the side together with her sisters, chattering
away excitedly and waving to her with smiles, even if their eyes were for her husband and wide with curiosity.
Eetion stepped forward, arms stretched open in greeting as they dismounted, Athanasios beaming as if their arrival
was entirely his doing.
"Welcome! Welcome to Thebes!" Eetion exclaimed. Proud of his city and his guests. He knew it wasn't supposed to
matter to fathers what their daughters wanted, but he had wanted the best for this daughter. She'd always quietly
given so much to the family. He'd just never thought to put the crown prince of Troy into that list of men that would
make her happy. Zeus, but what a match that had turned out to be! He greeted Hector first as was proper. "It's
about time you got tired of looking at the sea all the time and decided to come visit us in the mountains" he boomed
cheerfully. "I thought I was going to have to stage a war to get your attention."
Hector laughed at King Eetion's comments as he swung down from his horse easily. "Well, I had to get her safely
behind Troy's gates before she changed her mind." He said, helping his wife off her horse after passing their gifts
to near by stewards.
Now, he supposed, was the real test. He knew what her family meant to her. And if they decided to despise him, he
could that causing nothing but trouble for them. He embraced the king fondly and looked at the rest of the family,
somehow knowing her mother wasn't there. Everyone, including Andromache, was too much at ease after all.
"But I thank you for your welcome. You have a beautiful city, even without the sea." He teased a bit. "And the
people are certainly friendly." He hadn't quite expected that much of a reception!
Eetion boomed a laugh and pulled his daughter over for a bear hug. Not entirely proper for a married woman but
he wasn't entirely proper anyway.
"She's a stubborn one." he set her back on her feet next to her husband. "Not a lot of muscle to her but stubborn
as some other family members I could name." A family joke since he was well known for his own stubbornness. "If
you had to lock her behind seven gates just to see her smiling the way she is now, I think it was a good plan of
attack." He turned and gestured to his sons, introducing the ones the prince of Troy might not have met yet.
"And this is Podes. He's your guide and more than willing to hunt you down if you are planning on missing any of
the events we have in store for you" Eetion introduced his youngest son who looked a great deal like his older half
sister in his serious face and wide set eyes. Eetion gave Hector a crooked smile. "Not that I would expect you to
disappear at any time or try to avoid any of the fanfare I have planned. Podes is merely to make sure you don't get
- lost."
"Is it true you fought Helenaius and defeated him in single combat?" the youngest prince asked, eyes wide.
"Later, whelp" Eetion gave him a hair ruffling that was both rough and full of affection and gave Hector another
wide grin, gesturing they should go inside as he continued to talk. "My people are most enthused about your
arrival, prince" he chuckled. "Seems there are some stories or something of the sort about you making the rounds
since you married my daughter." He'd heard them. Everyone had heard them. But he enjoyed jesting with the
prince about them. "How you fought cyclops and nyrid to carry her off to your nine walled city. After you'd defeated
the entire Hittite army in single combat on your way to fetch her of course."
Andromache, content to let the men be men and sort themselves out, stifled a smile behind a hand and a quiet
cough. She was no doubt supposed to be left behind and let the women carry her off to their rooms - and the
insuring gossip. And her mother... But it was good to be home and hear her father cheerfully insulting the man she
loved. Affection here was rough, enthusiastic, and, once given, whole hearted.
"Don't forget I took on Poseidon himself to cross the Aegean." Hector said, laughing, adding to the joke. "Even
Poseidon was no match for my determination to carry your daughter back to Troy. Luckily, she agreed. Because
I'm not sure I'm a match for her." That got a booming round of laughter, for Andromache's quiet stubbornness was
well known through out the family.
"It's good to meet you Podes." Hector said. "And yes, that part was true. Took two days, but we surprisingly took a
lunch break too." Single combat challenges were strange things with their own set of rules. The fight was called off
for darkness and meal breaks. That didn't happen in army warfare. He looked for his wife and caught a glimpse of
her disappearing with the other women and frowned a bit over that. He had no intention of letting her face her
mother alone.
They couldn't be on very good terms. Of all the stories she had told him of her family, her mother was never
included in any of them. She just blatantly refused to talk about her. Hecuba, Hera bless her, seemed to sense that
and had taken over a motherly role with his wife, for which he was eternally grateful.
"So where's my mother in law?" Hector asked bluntly. This was a blunt, rough people, he could get away with that. It
was refreshing not to have to measure words and be so carefully diplomatic all the time.