Chapter Six....Off To War
Something woke her. As if someone had called her name and Andromache blinked her eyes open. It was still
strange, sometimes, waking up and realizing she wasn't in her childhood room in Thebes. That a man shared her
bed... The thought brought a stupid smile to her face and she was careful not to shift and wake him as they lay
tangled together. Hector. Crown prince of Troy. Her husband... She was just closing her eyes again, starting to relax
when the first peal sounded through the open arches. Her eyes flew open again. She'd never heard the bell before.
But she knew its sound. And she knew what it meant.
Hector was immediately awake. He was always awakened by the bell, even as a child. And he definitely knew what it
meant. The Apollonians were being summoned. He carefully sat up and saw his wife was already awake. He almost
smiled, forgetting why he was awake in the first place. Then before he could submit himself to the joy of being newly
married to a woman he loved more than his own life, the bell rang again. "I have to go." He said. "It’s the Apollonians
bell."
The fear shivered through her heart. That this was what she'd known would come. And it was too soon. Too soon.
The bell never rang but for battle and its call at night seemed even more foreboding. But she pressed her lips
together and nodded. "I know." she answered.
He listened to the intonation and rhythm of the bell, it was a briefing in itself, one he knew far too well. "They're not
near." He said to reassure her, whoever they were. He got out of the bed, then leaned back over and stroked her
face. "I will be back." He said emphatically. Certainly the gods couldn't curse them this way, not after all they had
gone through already.
She caught his hand, pressed a ferverent kiss to it. But let him go. She had known this would come. She'd married
him because she couldn't bear not to, even at as high a price as this. While he dressed she did too, pulling on a
robe. But before he pulled on his breastplate she stepped forward. Just for a moment. Just a moment only. But she
wanted to feel the heat of him against her before he donned cold metal. Wrapping her arms around him she
pressed a searing kiss to his mouth, promising: "I will wait for you."
He kissed her back and cupped her face between his hands. "You better." He said, with a teasing glint in his dark
eyes. "After all, Akakios has already ditched you for your sister." Okay, so that wasn't at all how it went, but it was a
nice joke once they got word of Eleni's marriage to Akakios.
She smiled. Somehow it was there, called up despite everything around them, just by the look in his eyes and his
teasing. "A man can have more one wife." she reminded him, eyes dancing with something other than worry for a
moment. "And I'm already used to living with my sister." She stole another quick kiss and then stepped back. "But
she'd never forgive me for leaving your bed."
"Troy does make some nice beds, doesn't she?" He teased again, stole one more kiss then had to put on his breast
plate. "Don't worry, its nothing I can't handle. Its only the Apollonians going, no army." Which was a good sign and a
bad sign. The good sign was at the moment it wasn't a full out war. The bad sign was this problem needed the elite.
The bell toned again and he almost laughed. "I can't believe I'm going to be late. You are such a distraction." He
was determined she be smiling when he walked out of the room.
"When you come back, I'll make up for it." she promised, lips curving upward. Then she handed him his helmet.
Pressed another kiss against his lips. "Just come back to me."
"Promise." Hector said. Even if the gods rained down their fury at him, he was coming back to her. He stroked her
hair once more, then made himself leave the room and go fight for Troy.
***
Andromache slipped another thread into the loom's shuttle. It was the third one she'd broken so far. Which she
thought, personally, was a step up from how many she'd broken yesterday.
The weaving was relaxing and routine. Or it should have been. If it didn't give her so much time to think. She would
have preferred being a farmer's wife at the moment simply because then at least she'd be able to work herself to
exhaustion in the fields all day and actually get some sleep at night. Instead of pretending to sleep and spending
most of the night wandering instead. At least the past few nights she hadn't had to sit alone. Her father in law, King
Priam, had come across her in the gardens late several nights ago and, explaining that 'old people didn't need as
much sleep,' had stayed up with her for hours and talked. About life in Troy, about the past and his own battles.
About Hector. Since then, more than not, if she wanted, she would usually find him in the gardens.
"Bithia." Hector's mother, Hecuba stated: "You're tangling your thread. If you keep that up you'll have to pick out all
the day's weaving and start again." Then she looked over at Andromache.
"Those are very beautiful color choices, my daughter."
Andromache managed a smile.
"It makes me think of the sea." she answered. Even if she had been choosing the colors at random. Thinking of
Hector. Trying not to think of war.
He'd been gone over a month. The bandits that had been raiding to the far south had turned out to be more than
simple bandits and the fighting to root them out had gone on. Every time a messenger came with news,
Andromache felt her heart stop beating in her chest until she'd heard it for herself. Hecuba had showed her the
hidden places outside the council chamber that an intelligent woman could listen to the news from within at.
Understanding without ever mentioning it out loud, how it felt to be a wife with a husband absent to war.
And in the silences in between messengers, she forgot to breath.
Random, she sent the shuttle spinning through the weave of her loom. Thinking of everything and trying to think of
nothing.
In all honesty, the Apollonians should have returned hours ago. But, Hector was adamant about finding a river. The
bandits were left over mercenaries from wars to expand Troy, mercenaries from the other, now conquered, sides.
Who had wanted to cause trouble and disturbance to his country.
Rooting and weeding them out had been messy business, they were good fighters. They just weren't Apollonians,
Hector thought with a measure of pride toward his troops. Who were definitely thinking him strange the past few
weeks! He had always gone on minimum amount of sleep while in battle, that they were used to.
What they weren't used to was their general staring pensively off in the direction of Troy every night until at last he
had to go to sleep, only to wake up and do the same thing before the battles started again. Now he had to find a
river? That was completely off course.
But find a river they did and they watched as Hector dismounted his horse and washed his breastplate and greaves
off, washed off the blood he hadn't been able to get off earlier, then get back on his horse. He looked at them.
"What?" He asked, finally seeing their strange looks.
"Nothing." One said, shaking his head. Hector rolled his eyes.
"Look, my wife has never seen me bloody. Bruised, yes. Bloody, no. I'd like to spare her that for a bit, okay? Unless
any of you want me to upset my wife, which in turn upsets me--"
"--Which in turn makes you unbearable to be around." Another said, laughing. Hector smiled and nodded.
"Now you get it." He said. "To Troy."
Andromache gave up on the weaving. If she broke one more thread she might just do something uncalled for and
repeat some of her father's favorite words. Which were - colorful in the least. And certainly not suitable for either her
station or the women who's company made up the rest of the weaving room. Some of the oaths weren't exactly fit for
even a soldier's ears. So instead she simply set down the shuttle, placed the thread to the side and calmly walked to
the large windows. Looking out, for once, not at the sea. But to the distant horizon hidden by sharp hills and rolling
bluffs.
She'd given her sacrifices at the temple. She just tended to think that it was better when the gods didn't notice you.
There was only ever trouble when they did. So there was little comfort in the thought of praying for her husband's
safe return.
"Daughter," Hecuba stood up, laying her own weaving aside. "Walk with me."
"Of course." Andromache moved to join her and together they followed hallways and stairs. The older woman didn't
speak and Andromache kept her own silence as well. Knowing from experience that there was no need to fill the
comfortable quiet between them. Priam filled the air around him with the rich, soothing sound of his voice. Hecuba
filled it with peaceful silence. Andromache was glad for both. Finally the queen pushed open a doorway and
stepped out onto a roof. Andromache joined her, surprised and looked immediately to the same rolling hills.
"You can see so much better from up here." Hecuba stated mildly.
And Hecuba knew what she was talking about. She had used that perch to watch for her own husband when Priam
would go fight. Now, Priam had settled into the life of a king behind the high walls of Troy, and let their son fight the
battles. Hecuba was known to use this spot to watch for her son to return, even still.
Hecuba smiled indulgently at Andromache as small dark spots moved closer to Troy. "When they cross that bluff
there, I used to count to make sure all were accounted for." She said, pointing.
And crossing the hills and bluffs on horseback were the Apollonians.
"No forward rider to organize a parade?" Glaucus asked with amusement. He was an aged, and still feared and
mighty, warrior, having in fact served with the present king in the Apollonians.
"My father is much too fond of parades." Hector said with a chuckle.
"Because his father wouldn't throw him many." Glaucus replied, laughing.
Andromache watched the dark returning points both solidify and take on separate forms. Narrowing her own dark
eyes to search...
She knew him even before she could see clearly. By the position he rode in at the head of the returning troop. By
the way he rode. Something in her chest constricted tightly and suddenly, after all this time of uncertainty, she
couldn't seem to breathe. He was alive. Hera who watched over all wives be praised. He was alive.
"You have to let him see his father first." Hecuba stated softly, watching the younger woman with a quiet, melancholy
smile of her own. Remembering days long gone...
Andromache nodded. King's son. General of the Apollonians. Of course it was expected he see the king first.
"But," Hecuba added off handedly. "He only has to greet his father first. If you're nearby, he would certainly be
expected to see you before he gave his report."
At least it would be the new tradition of Hecuba had anything to do with it. And she somehow doubted her romantic
of a husband, seeing the young princess, would be able to keep his son from her.
"Thank you." Andromache kissed Hecuba's cheek. Heart unsteady in her chest. She thought she might fly. Or shake
herself to pieces. Instead she spun down the steps. Hecuba watched her go and then turned back to her own vigil.
Counting riders and wishing...