Epilogue

The Prince of Troy galloped through the legendary gates on the back of his black steed, and the sea of people gathered in the main street swiftly parted for him when he did not slow his pace. He was in a hurry evidently as he maneuvered his way through the narrow streets and up toward the palace stable, yet when he passed by a group of young women clustered near the market square, he paused to nod his head in greeting and granted them one of his infamous charming smiles. They immediately fell into a fit of girlish giggles at the sight, and his smile morphed into a wolfish grin. Perhaps he could spare a moment to speak with the brunette who peered up at him so coyly through her lashes. He recognized her as a daughter of one of the men in his father's council, and he was beginning to guide his reigns in her direction when he heard "Astyanax!" His head snapped at the gruff voice, and he saw his father waiting outside the stable with his large arms crossed over his chest. Astyanax laughed sheepishly under his breath and granted the brunette one last reluctant glance before digging his heels into the sides of his horse and heading further up the street to the stable. He quickly dismounted and grinned at his father who patted him firmly on the shoulder. The eldest prince had been visiting one of the cities in northern Troad and had been gone for three days. Hector had expected his son to return earlier that afternoon, but Astyanax occasionally seemed to forget how to gauge the time.

"I see Ismene has caught your eye," he observed with a smirk. 'Is that her name?' Astyanax wondered but didn't dare say such a thing aloud. "She's an honorable girl. Keep it that way," his father warned.

"Father," Astyanax scoffed as they headed toward the palace. "You have not raised an imprudent son."

"I should think not," Hector answered though he knew it was only a matter of time until Astyanax found his Uncle Paris' ear and learned all the tricks to woo women. Hector, however, couldn't help smiling since he had always dreamt of the day when he would watch the girls chase after his son. Of course in his mind, he had not anticipated that the day would arrive quite so soon, or that Astyanax would happily encourage them; but Astyanax was handsome and almost the spitting image of Hector except with piercing blue eyes. Hector shook his head at his thoughts and resolved that he would keep a better eye on his son lest any mischief happen. Of course what were a boy's teenage years without a little mischief?

Once inside the palace, they weaved their way through the familiar corridors and toward the royal quarters. "How fares Lysander?" Astyanax asked with interest as they drew closer to their destination.

"His wound is healing quickly, and there is no sign of infection," Hector assured his son. Lila had been undeniably upset when her two eldest sons returned from a day of causing trouble and discovered one of them had fallen on a sharp rock while racing. Lysander ended up with a cut on his side which required stitches. Hector had similarly been concerned, but he understood better than his wife that boys would be boys. He for one had numerous scars and fond memories from his adventures with Paris. In fact, the bond between Lysander and Astyanax reminded Hector a lot of his relationship with Paris as a boy. There was only a year difference in their ages, and they were practically inseparable. They especially enjoyed competing with one another whether it was racing, sparring, or seeing who could catch a girl's eye the quickest. As Hector watched them grow and guided them on toward their inevitable task of leading the army and the city, he couldn't help but pity any man who met them in combat. They would make an invincible team when Troy went to war next.

Astyanax paused outside the corridor to their rooms then and asked, "Is mother still angry with me?"

Hector smiled and gripped his son's shoulder reassuringly. "She was never angry with you to begin with. She's your mother and prone to worry. Think nothing of it."

Astyanax nodded and allowed his father to lead the way down the hallway and into a room where Lysander was lying on the bed recuperating with his sister Aella at his side. The twins were nearly identical aside from their difference in sexes. Each had their father's tight-knit chocolate brown curls but their mother's hazel eyes. "I see you're still hanging on," Astyanax teased his brother good-naturedly.

"I do not yield so easily, brother," Lysander assured him with a grin.

"You fell quite hard," Astyanax reminded him.

"Did I?" Lysander asked innocently. "I thought you were too far behind to tell."

"You should be more careful," Aella interrupted them irritably. Her brothers were constantly causing trouble and worrying her to death, and Hector often thought that her personality most resembled her mother's. She had a maturity and wisdom beyond her years. Her relationship with her older brother also reminded Hector of that between Lila and Liam in how they constantly provoked each other.

"There is no need to feel envious," Astyanax taunted her as only an older brother could. "You may challenge me any day."

"I have no need to," she swiftly replied. "I've claimed victory far too many times to count." Indeed, when they were young, Aella had outrun both Astyanax and Lysander numerous times to their joint annoyance.

Hector chuckled under his breath at his children who he assumed would quarrel until his death if only to serve as a challenge to him. Then he noticed Astyanax slip away to the balcony where Lila had a young girl situated on her hip so that she could see over the ledge. Lila was telling the girl about the kingdom of Troy. "Brother!" she cried when she noticed Astyanax and scrambled out of her mother's grip to run and hug her eldest brother.

Astyanax grinned and lifted his little sister up toward the sky while Lila chided, "Astyanax! Be careful. Don't you dare drop her!"

The young man innocently asked, "What, mother?" He took a step toward the ledge with his giggling sister still in the air, but he stopped the moment Lila's hazel eyes narrowed as a silent warning. He had received that look one too many times to not heed it even now that he was no longer a boy. He swiftly set his sister down on her feet, and Elene leaned against her older brother. Elene was their youngest, and Lila wondered how their enemies would feel if they knew the great King of Troy was wrapped around a nine-year-old girl's finger. She was the only one out of their array of children who had inherited Lila's copper hair, and it seemed an appropriate expression of her fiery spirit. Lila swore Elene's older brothers were already corrupting her, and she and Hector often joked that Elene would make a fine fighter when she grew up.

Lila's anger dissipated easily as she stared at her son, and within moments, she grabbed him and pulled him in for a hug. "You've returned unharmed I see."

"I'm not quite so clumsy as Lysander," he assured her. He couldn't help making jabs about his favorite brother. Lysander granted him the same honor whether Astyanax was or was not in the room. It was their brotherly way of showing affection.

Lila laughed lightly and pulled away to look up at her son. "Says the boy who managed to break his arm while walking up the palace steps when he was 8."

Astyanax blushed slightly at the memory and said as he always did, "It had rained. The steps were slick!"

Lila did not say another word on the subject though her hazel eyes shone in amusement. Astyanax had grown not only to be a handsome man but a good one as well. She swore it was only yesterday that she was wading out into the Aegean Sea with him on her hip, and now there he stood nearly as tall as his father and still growing with a contagious smile, endless array of smartass remarks, and unmatched loyalty. Despite his playful antics, he had a good head on his shoulders, and he looked out for his family more than any of their other children. In fact, Lila could still remember the day that Astyanax came home with a black eye and explained that some kid had bullied his younger brother Aphareus. Without hesitation, Astyanax had beaten the snot out of that poor kid, and Lila knew that day the kind of man Astyanax would become. He was loyal, witty, and kind hearted, and frankly Lila couldn't be more proud of him.

At that moment, Hector stepped out onto the balcony and approached the pair. "Your brother calls for you."

"Perhaps he needs someone to turn him over," Astyanax joked and grabbed his little sister who giggled when he placed her on his hip. Without another word, he abandoned his mother to see what Lysander wanted.

The King of Troy had in fact said a little white lie, but he wished to have a moment alone with his wife to discuss a matter they could no longer avoid. "Aella is coming of age," he broached gently.

Lila crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the balcony with a dubious look on her face. "If you're alluding to marriage, I can't see it ever happening. With you for a father and Astyanax and Lysander for brothers, no man will come within ten feet of her."

Hector smiled and raised his brow. "She should be married. We'll merely ensure that she finds a suitable match."

"There's no such man," Lila countered flatly. "No one could possibly live up to your expectations."

Hector bowed his head as he recognized the truth in her words, but he still had an amused smile tugging at his lips. "I thought I should warn you before suitors began arriving and asking for Aella's hand."

She grinned then and pointed out, "You may need to remove all the swords or sharp objects from the council room." Hector grinned broadly at the implication of her words, and she teased, "We don't need you starting any wars."

He laughed and reached out to take her around the waist and pull her against him. It didn't matter how many years passed by or what happened, the King and Queen of Troy never lost their love for one another. In fact, without even meaning to, they had become the stuff of legends, and people from other lands knew of the great King Hector and his wife whose love was meant to test time. Of course no one knew how literally Hector and Lila had tested time, but that was a secret the pair would take to their graves. He kissed his wife gently and released a hand from around her waist to cup her cheek and tilt her head back slightly. No matter how many years passed, she was still as beautiful and vibrant to him as the first night he had found her in the dungeons of Troy. Likewise, Lila smiled up at her handsome husband and idly pushed a stray curl from his face while musing on how lucky she was to have landed in Troy and captured the heart of the most attractive prince so many years ago. The two were momentarily lost in their thoughts looking at one another, but then Hector wondered, "Where are Haemon and Aphareus?"

"With their aunt," Lila answered with a smile. "Apparently Helen must spoil all our children." In the seventeen years since returning to Troy, they had the twins and three more children. Lila often quipped that with six children, they had enough to start a tribe, but Hector merely reminded her of his promise the night they returned to Troy. They indeed had a family so large that Lila was never afforded a moment of solitude.

"We are lucky," he said then and placed his forehead gently against his wife's. Troy had enjoyed long periods of peace since their return, and they were blessed with fair harvests each year. It appeared as though the city had gone from being cursed by the gods to blessed, and Lila loved waking up each morning to her family and looking out over their balcony at the ancient world full of possibilities. Although her inability to predict the future any longer caused her both fear and relief, it was an amazing feeling peering across the infinite field of the unknown. She at times feared for what would become of Troy and her family since both had already narrowly scathed past their demise once before, but with her brave husband at her side and her family behind her, she would never have to face it alone.

Final Author's Note: Hey guys I just want to thank everyone who read this little fanfic and everyone who reviewed. This started off as me being bored while watching Troy one night and deciding on a whim to write a fanfic, and I never expected for it to go this far. I definitely wouldn't have finished it without your support and lovely words. I really appreciate everyone who added me to their favorites' lists! You made me feel so special :D I know this is really random, but I thought it was kinda funny so I would share it with you guys. Wanna know which chapter got the most hits (not counting the prelude since you hit that every time you open the story)? "The Hunter"... Runner up? "Stay"... Moral of the story? Sex sells hahaha

I would also like to point out that you all are responsible for creating a new fanfic monster! I've already started writing a new story. I didn't want to upload it until I had finished this one, but I couldn't help myself because I was so excited about it! It's another Hector/OC story (What? I have a problem? Nooo...), but it starts before the Trojan War and before his betrothal to Andromache though it will include both of those aspects. I'm terrible at summaries, but it will show Hector's evolution into the brave, noble prince that everyone loves –which I personally find sort of intriguing. I wanted to address the notion that he didn't come out of the womb a hero: he was made. At its heart, it's sort of a star-crossed story about two unlikely friends who eventually grow to love each other. Of course, being the drama queen that I am, it's not nearly that simple, and they have to face some hardships as a result of their different statuses. I think it's sort of different from your run of the mill Hector love story, and hopefully you guys agree. It's called Girl in the War and has already been uploaded if anyone is interested... Thanks again to everyone! :D Until we meet again xoxoxo