An odd, eerie silence overcame Andromache when she left the tent of Neoptolemus. It was a silence that had grown so unusual to her that she shivered slightly. For years she had not heard such silence, such haunting silence, because the plain had always rung with the sounds of battle and the sounds of death.
Only a few cries and whispers disturbed the silence that hung over them all like the dark clouds that were beginning to hide the bright sun that hovered over Troy. The Trojans made no sound as they were forced onto the Greek ships, they did not even try to protest because all their hope had gone.
When Hector had been alive, the Trojan people had been filled with the hope that they would win the war against Greece, but when he died their hope slowly diminished and now it had become none-existent. The Trojans no longer held hope that they would be rescued because they had lost everything, including their own identities.
As the Trojan people were loaded onto the Greek ships, Andromache watched them for a moment as she was led to Neoptolemus's ship. She knew that she faced a life of servitude, just like them, and almost felt like laughing because only yesterday she had been a princess and today she was a slave.
Andromache continued to follow Eudorus, one of Achilles's myrmidons who had been ordered to take her to Neoptolemus's ship, but she kept her eyes on the people boarding the ships until another sight caught her attention.
Stepping onto a ship, with a large Mycenaen flag, was Cassandra. She slowly turned her head when she felt a pair of eyes on her face. She scanned the crowd beneath the ship for a moment and then saw Andromache and smiled sadly.
When Andromache first noticed Cassandra she felt a sudden wave of anger flow through her, but as she continued to look at the woman she had called her friend, she felt her body relax and the anger subside.
There was no use, Andromache realised, in harboring hate for Cassandra when she knew that the gods' will would have prevailed, even if Cassandra had told her what would happen. She wished that Cassandra had told her what would happen, she wished for it terribly, but she knew that nothing would ever bring Hector and Astyanax back to her now.
"Princess Andromache!" admonished Eudorus as he turned to see that Andromache was no longer following him and that she had stopped. He quickly walked up to her and then saw what had caught her attention and he was silent for a moment before speaking. "You have to come with me, we must board the ship."
Andromache saw King Agamemnon walk across to Cassandra and talk with her briefly, a disgusting smirk across his face, before walking away. It was then that Andromache realised that Cassandra was now under Agamemnon's care and she felt a tidal wave of sickness come over her when she thought that Cassandra now had to answer to him.
"I will follow you," said Andromache and she slowly turned her head to look at Eudorus. She studied his face for a moment and wondered why he addressed her as the princess she no longer was, and she finally assumed he did it out of guilt.
Eudorus nodded, but said no more. He looked back at Cassandra once more and then lowered his head and began to walk away.
For the last time, Andromache turned to look at Cassandra. She stared at her sister-in-law for a few moments and felt a fleet of emotions rush through her veins, but she ignored them all and allowed a faint smile to cross her lips.
It was such a weak, sad smile that no one else noticed it except for Cassandra, as she continued to look down at Andromache. She smiled back in return, although her smile was even weaker than Andromache's and her lips barely curled up.
Andromache then turned and began to walk away, but as she continued to walk away, she realised that she was not only walking away from Cassandra, but her whole life in Troy. She was leaving her life in Troy behind, and as she boarded the ship, she inhaled deeply because she could feel tears begin to creep into her eyes once more.
She slowly walked over to the edge of the ship and leant against the side as she looked out at the sea, the sea she had once sailed on with Hector. She closed her eyes for a moment to hold her tears at bay and then slowly opened them.
"You are to come with me to one of the rooms on the ship," said Eudorus as he stepped beside Andromache. He was silent for a moment, then continued. "Neoptolemus is allowing you a room to yourself, you will not be disturbed."
Andromache nodded, but said nothing. She then turned and followed Eudorus to her cabin, unaware that Neoptolemus watched her intently from the other side of the ship.
Time seemed to stand still as Cassandra continued to stand, leaning on the edge of the ship and looking out to where Andromache had stood, moments ago. She stared at the spot where her sister-in-law had stood, almost mesmerized by it.
It was then that Cassandra suddenly felt her head ache with pain and her mind went blank. She stumbled over to the side of the ship that looked out across the sea and she gripped onto the side and coughed slightly.
When she straightened up and looked out to the sea she saw something that would haunt her for the rest of her days … her own death. She knew the gods would give her insight into what would become of her because they wished to torture her even more, or so she believed.
Across the sea, not visible to anyone other than herself, Cassandra could see her and Agamemnon returning to Mycenae. The picture was so clear and realistic that she felt as if she was watching a play being acted, a play of her death.
The chariot carrying Menelaus and Cassandra away from the docks of Mycenae and to the palace was wrought by the finest gold. It was laden with beautiful flowers that had been plucked that morning, and the sun shined down blissfully on them.
Agamemnon was as joyous as ever as his people left their homes to stand in the streets and greet him, he seemed even more content than he had been when he conquered over Troy. Nothing clouded his mind, not even the thought of seeing his wife, Clytemnestra, who he had not seen for over ten years. Even the memory of killing his own daughter, Iphigenia, did not eat away madly in his mind.
When Agamemnon and Cassandra reached the palace, they saw a long path of red cloth rolled out from the entrance and to the feet of their chariot. Beacons burned brightly outside the palace doors and the smell of roasted pork wafted through the air to them.
Clytemnestra, sister of Helen and wife to Agamemnon, waited patiently at the entrance hall of the palace. Her hair was neatly decorated with flowers twisting around her crown, and her light red robe flowed past her curves and down onto the ground like water.
She smiled when she saw her husband, but her smile vanished for a slight moment when she saw Cassandra standing beside him. Her smile soon reappeared, and she slowly descended the steps from the entrance and began to walk towards her husband.
A forced smile formed on Agamemnon's face when he saw Clytemnestra and he hesitated for a moment before finally stepping off the chariot and greeting his wife.
"Welcome home, husband," said Clytemnestra as Agamemnon kissed her cheeks. Her voice was as smooth as silk, and she took Agamemnon's arm and began to walk with him towards the palace.
A blazing fire had erupted within Clytemnestra, years ago when she had learnt of what had become of her daughter. She had controlled the fire until now, until now when she saw her husband and planned to seek revenge for the pain and destruction he had caused.
She could not believe that he could even dare to look at her after what he had done to their daughter, but she controlled the anger within her and forced herself to look content as she walked with her husband.
As Clytemnestra and Agamemnon walked up the steps to the entrance of the palace, Clytemnestra turned to look at her husband.
"I have missed you," she said softly, as she and her husband finally entered the palace. She paused for a moment and looked across to the hall where she saw a man lurking in the shadows, a man she knew.
"And I have missed Iphigenia," she continued, and she turned to look at Agamemnon once more.
A horrified expression began to spread across Agamemnon's face and he opened his mouth to speak but could find no words.
"Where is she?" Clytemnestra asked softly, and she looked down to the chariot where Cassandra was being helped off by two men. She then turned her head to look at her husband, her voice no longer hiding the pain and anger she felt. "Where is Iphigenia?"
"I …," began Agamemnon, but he could not finish his words. He took Clytemnestra's hand within his own and tried to speak but couldn't.
Clytemnestra snatched her hand away from Agamemnon and her eyes narrowed in anger. "How can you even bear to look at me? You killed our daughter! You killed my daughter!"
Suddenly, Clytemnestra withdrew a knife from within her robe and the man that lurked in the shadows rushed towards Agamemnon and forced him to the ground. Clytemnestra looked down to Agamemnon and cried out in anger when she saw the look of fear in his eyes because she could clearly imagine the fear within her daughter's eyes when she had been killed.
Clytemnestra was the first to stab her husband as she cried out in anger. She stabbed him continuously, madness suddenly overcoming her, until she heard a cry from the front of the chariot where Cassandra was.
She watched as Cassandra was killed before her eyes by the men who had helped her off the chariot, and she watched as the woman fell down to the floor, her eyes still open even though she was dead.
It was then that Clytemnestra rose to her feet, her robe soaking with the blood of her husband. She looked across to the man who had lurked in the shadows, and who stabbed Agamemnon one last time before looking at her.
"Justice is done, Aegisthus," said Clytemnestra quietly, and she dropped her knife down to the ground. She then looked at the man, Aegisthus, and stared at him for a few moments.
He had been the one who had comforted her when her daughter's death had been confirmed. He had been the one who had stood by her side for years while Agamemnon was at war, and he was the one who she had grown to love.
"Iphigenia will rest in peace now," said Aegisthus and he stepped over Agamemnon's body and across to Clytemnestra. He kissed her lips softly and then looked down to Agamemnon. "He deserved to be killed, my love."
Clytemnestra nodded, panting slightly, and rested her head on Aegisthus's chest. She raised her head after a moment, however, because she suddenly heard her daughter's laughter echo through the hall. She smiled because she knew her daughter was now at peace…
Now, a gasp suddenly escaped Cassandra's lips as she sunk down against the side of the ship, her heart beating furiously. She clutched a hand to her chest as her panting gradually began to stop and she looked across to Agamemnon, as he talked with one of his men, with a horrified expression.
The dark clouds that had hovered over Troy were now beginning to disperse and the sun was blazing its light down upon the city once more. A few ships had begun to set sail across the wide, open sea and Odysseus watched them intently as they left.
Thoughts whirled through Odysseus's mind when he stared at the ships as they began their journey to Greece. He imagined sailing across that sea, which he would soon do, and felt sick with nerves.
He was more than thrilled at the prospect of returning home, he had wished to return home every day since he had left, but he now realised that his life there may have changed.
Ten years had passed, ten long years. Odysseus was not so foolish as to think that every thing he had known in Ithaca would have remained the same, he knew time would not have stopped when he left, and he feared how much things would have changed.
When Odysseus left Ithaca, his son, Telemachus, had only been seven. He worried that his son would not recognise him after their years apart, and he feared seeing how much his son had grown. Telemachus had been only a young boy when Odysseus left, and he was anxious to learn how the years had altered his son and their relationship.
It was not only seeing his son that Odysseus feared, it was also seeing his wife. He had pined for her ever since he had left her and was more than thrilled at the prospect of seeing her once more, but he also knew that they could not go back to how things were.
The love Odysseus and his wife, Penelope, shared would not have changed but their lives would have. They had been separated for ten years and had learned how to live apart, but now they would need to learn how to live with one another once more.
"Odysseus," said a voice, and Odysseus turned to see who had spoken.
Menelaus stood a few feet behind Odysseus with Helen holding onto his arm. He looked perfectly content with the world, and a smile was spread across his lips.
"We are about to leave," said Menelaus and he slowly took his arm away from Helen and stepped closer to Odysseus. He then embraced Odysseus like a brother and held onto him for a few moments before stepping back. "I could not go without saying goodbye, and without saying thank you for your help."
Odysseus nodded and smiled weakly. "You do not have to thank me, Menelaus. It was an honour to fight by your side."
"Thank you," said Menelaus and he took Helen's arm once more. "I wish you a safe journey home, Odysseus." He turned to leave but Helen gently held him back and she stepped forward to speak with Odysseus.
"Thank you for helping me, Odysseus," said Helen and she smiled sadly. She kissed both of Odysseus's cheeks and then stepped back. "I do not know what would have become of me, had I not seen you in Troy that day."
"I pray that you return to Sparta safely," said Odysseus and he lightly kissed Helen's hand.
A soldier's voice suddenly rang out from aboard the nearest ship and Menelaus raised his head at the call. He then looked to Helen and took her arm within his once more, before facing Odysseus.
"We must go," said Menelaus, "our ship is ready." He and Helen then walked away and silently boarded their ship.
When Helen stepped onto the ship, she had a sudden flash back of the time when she had last been on a ship, the time when she had left Sparta for Troy with Paris. She smiled sadly at the memory and felt a single tear escape her eye and trickle down her soft cheek, as she stood looking out to the sea. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and deeply inhaled the sea air while she remembered that time when she had been so carefree and deeply in love with Paris.
Despite the fact that he may not have always loved her, Helen still loved Paris. He was still like an addiction that she could not kill, even though he was dead. She inhaled deeply once more and began to prepare herself for a life she had once left, and was now returning to.
The life she had escaped from waited for Helen across the sea and she dreaded the feeling of suffocation she had felt before leaving with Paris. She knew that if Paris had not come when he did, all those years ago, then she would have gone insane.
"You look pale," said Menelaus as he stepped beside Helen and took her hand within his own, "are you unwell?"
A forced smile suddenly formed across Helen's face and she hid the tears that were held within her eyes. She turned to look at Menelaus and suddenly saw the burning love he had for her, and her smile weakened slightly.
"I'm fine," she said, after a slight pause. She delved into Menelaus's eyes, and it was then that she realised that she couldn't break his heart like Paris had broken hers. She softly kissed his lips and whispered: "I love you."
Even though Helen was not in love with Menelaus, she felt determined to honour and respect him. He had, and would continue to love her unconditionally, and for that she would care for him in return.
There would never be any great, passionate love shared between Menelaus and Helen, but they would go on to live lives of happiness with one another. Their lives would be filled with contentment until Menelaus died.
The most beautiful woman in the entire world would meet her end, however, shortly after her husband's death. She would be driven away from Sparta and take refuge in Rhodes where Polyxo, a widow of a man who died in Troy, lived.
While bathing one day, Helen would be crept up upon by servants of Polyxo. She would be hanged on a tree in revenge for the death of Polyxo's husband, and there she would be left until someone came across her beautiful face and she would be honoured with the appropriate funeral rites.
The daughter of Zeus would pass on into the underworld and she would be happy with Menelaus once more, but never as happy as she had been with Paris in their few short years of bliss.
Shame filled Odysseus's stomach as he looked out across the sea and to Troy that stood in the distance. He had never felt such shame for what he had done when he saw the destroyed city, the city that had once been beautiful and magnificent.
The memory of Troy would be etched upon every soldier's mind when they went to sleep each night and they would toss and turn with the guilt of what they had done. It was almost as if they were cursed to lead lives of regret, and many soldiers did believe they were cursed.
The horrors of the night, which had caused the downfall of Troy, would rarely be spoken of by those who were there because it brought back so many awful memories. It was a night no one wished to remember, yet it was also a night that people were forced to remember.
A sight soon caught Odysseus's eyes and he turned to see Hecuba being led into one of the rooms on the ship. He watched as she walked away and wished that he had not accepted such a gift from Agamemnon because he knew that every time he looked at her, he would see Troy burning in his mind.
Odysseus had only decided to take Hecuba as Agamemnon's token of gratitude for fighting in the war because he did not wish to anger Agamemnon by refusing, and because he also hoped that he could allow Hecuba to live the rest of her days in peace.
He had already decided that Hecuba could be a handmaiden for his wife, which was not an ideal life for a woman who had once been a Queen, but it was the best he could offer her because she was now a slave.
As Hecuba walked away, she suddenly felt a pair of eyes on her face. She slowly turned her head and saw that Odysseus looked at her. She glared back at him and sneered when he lowered his eyes and turned to speak to one of his men.
Hecuba allowed herself to be forced into a small room on the ship and refused all food that was offered to her. She knew that she would not live to see another sun rise because she had already decided that she no longer wished to live without those she loved around her.
That night, when Hecuba was allowed out onto the deck for some air, she threw herself into the sea. She wanted to die; she wanted her pain and her grief to end because she could no longer bear the suffering.
The last Queen of Troy had lost everything she had ever loved and she no longer wished to see another day dawn when she knew that those she loved would never return to her. She drowned peacefully in the sea and her body was lost forever, but her soul returned to those she loved.
Odysseus and his men had tried to save Hecuba but they soon saw that her life was lost to the underworld. He silently prayed, not only for Hecuba but for all those that had been killed in Troy, that their lives be taken safely to the underworld.
He then returned to his own room and allowed sleep to take him, a rush of excitement flowing through his body because he thought that he would soon return home to Ithaca.
It would not be for twenty years, when Odysseus would finally return home to his beloved wife and son. He would be thrown into dangerous paths on his journey home, and it would not be until years had passed that Odysseus would return to Ithaca.
The life Andromache had known in Troy was suddenly slipping away from her as she stood on the deck of Neoptolemus's ship, after being allowed some air, and watched the city fade from her view. She stood at the end of the ship and stared at the glittering walls of Troy, which despite all that had happened, still stood proudly in the distance.
Andromache was leaving all she had known for years and now she was heading towards a life that was completely unknown to her. She was leaving a fallen city, yet she had never felt such a strong desire to be there as she did now.
The thought of leaving a life filled with riches did not scare Andromache; it was the thought of leaving the life she had known with Hector and with her son. Even after Hector had died, she still felt his presence around her because he was Troy.
Everything that the city of Troy had stood for, all of the values of Troy, were the same values that were within Hector. He was the walls that defended the city, he was the blanket of stars that glittered down into the sea, and he was the hero within every Trojan's heart.
Hector had been everywhere Andromache turned, and now she could already feel his absence. She inhaled the sea air deeply into her lungs and clenched her fists firmly on the edge of the ship when the wind raced around her.
The once Princess of Troy thought that there was no light at the end of the journey for her, she felt no hope in ever finding happiness again now Troy had fallen. However, her life would somehow go on.
After returning to Greece, Neoptolemus would marry Menelaus's daughter, Hermione. He would not marry her out of love because he would not meet her until the day they married, and if he had not sworn to marry her when Menelaus proposed it, then he would never have married her.
Neoptolemus would take Andromache as his concubine and he would treat her better than anyone, even more so than his own wife. He would honour and respect her, it even seemed that he loved her, but Andromache never showed such emotion in return.
Andromache and Neoptolemus would go on to have four children together, but Hermione would have no children with him. She would be forced to watch Andromache's stomach swell with each child and she quickly began to hate her. Hermione would even go on to believe that Andromache had cursed her and made her barren, although no one, not even Neoptolemus, would believe her.
After years of neglect from her husband, Hermione would finally leave Neoptolemus and marry her father's nephew, Orestes. She would never see Neoptolemus or Andromache again, and would go on to have only one child with Orestes.
Years would pass by and Neoptolemus would still keep Andromache as his lover, but the time came when he was called away to Delphi and he never returned because while there, he was killed by Orestes.
After receiving the news of Neoptolemus's death, Andromache sailed away to Asia with one of her sons and there she lived the remainder of her life.
All of this awaited Andromache as she now stood on the ship that left Troy, and yet she knew nothing of her fate. She sighed as the wind caused her hair to billow behind her, and suddenly felt arms wrap around her. She looked behind her but saw no one, and it was then that she finally smiled because Hector's spirit was with her once more…
THE END
A/N: After 68 chapters, this is finished. It's gone right from the beginning when Andromache and Hector met, and all the way to the fall of Troy.
I'm still a little shocked that I've finished because I've been working on this since the beginning of December 2004. I never, ever, expected to have so many chapters, or to have so many reviews!
When I first started this I expected I would get flamed and I didn't have any idea of what to do past the second chapter, but now I've completed 68 chapters and I'm finished.
I cannot thank my reviewers enough :) I appreciate and love every single review. I'm incredibly thankful to the reviewers, and to the readers who may not have reviewed, because without you I would not have been able to finish this.
I was really spurred on my by readers/reviewers, and it meant so much to me to have people review my work. I couldn't have imagined better feedback for this and I'm so glad that people enjoyed my story.
For the moment I am taking a break from writing fanfiction. I'm not sure how long this will last, but I just want to focus on other things for a while.
Thank you so much, once again, to everyone that has read and/or reviewed this! I greatly appreciate it, thank you :)