Chapter 02:
And If You have To Leave
Alexander grimaced at the memory as it passed through his mind nine years
later. He was bouncing along the road on their horse on the way to town.
Katri was sitting between his legs just staring ahead, her hands at the
reins.
"I'm sorry," Alexander said, breaking the silence. He rested his chin on
her shoulder and frowned. Katri just looked at him, strangely.
"What? Why in the world are you apologizing?!" she asked confused.
"Remember how we met?" Alexander replied. "I pushed you into mud because
you were a girl..."
"You're apologizing to me about something that happened when we were
eight?!"
"Better late than never!"
"Alex, we're seventeen years old... I think our childish impulses have long
been forgiven," Katri laughed. "Not to mention, if memory serves me
correctly, I got my revenge. I remember running after with mud, and slung
it at you in the house..."
"Oh... yes," Alexander grinned. "I forgot that part. Forget it then. I
retract my apology." Katri slapped him playfully on the arm.
"Mama was a little distraught at our first interactions though," she
chuckled. Her laughter trailed away at the mention of Maia. "Do you miss
her, Alex?"
"Of course, I do," Alexander answered softly. "Every single day..." Maia
had been gone from the world for two years now and her children missed her
dearly.
“You were like a son to her. You know that right?” Katri leaned back on her
friend. “And you’re blood to me...”
“I know...” They remained quiet the rest of the way into town, lost in
their memories, thankful that they still had each other to make some more.
They neared the market and halted some feet before the entrance.
“What’s going on?” Katri asked a bit confused. There was a crowd gathered
through the streets. Dozens of richly decorated horses were trotting down
the dusty streets. A caravan of trumpeteers, bodyguards and royal subjects
followed and in the center of all the noise and chaos was an empty space.
“Must be some imperial member...” Alexander jumped off the horse and helped
Katri down.
“On our market day?!? We won’t be able to buy anything if the King and
Queen are here. The merchants will only want to sell to them!” Katri fumed.
“That’s because they have the MEANS to buy anything,” Alexander grinned.
“That’s my point, Alexander!” She shook her head and took some bags from
the small cart behind their horse.
“Ummm.. Katri?” Alexander started uneasily. Katriana just rolled her eyes.
“I know.. You want to see if you can catch a glimpse of our Royalty. Go
ahead. I’ll take care of this,” she shooed him with her hand. Alex grinned
and gave her a hug.
“You’re a god send,” he smiled, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. He
ran off, still shouting back at her. “I’ll meet you here in twenty minutes!
I just want a peek!”
Alexander ran through the crowd, bumping away indignant people. With a bit
of stealth and a goofy grin, he weaved his way through all the way to where
the epicenter of the crowd was. His eyes saw a woman in probably her early
forties, dressed in a rich red and gold dress, talking to a man behind his
goods. Alexander’s eyes bulged just how expensive the cloth that graced
this woman LOOKED.
A few feet to the right of the woman was a man. Tall and lean, he seemed to
be the epitome of strong masculinity. Knowing nothing of the royal family,
he nudged a fellow bystander for the man’s identity.
“Why... that’s Prince Hector, crown prince of Ilium,” the old man answered
with a toothy grin... (or as toothy as it can get, because it seemed he
only had about six in the rotting cavern he called his mouth.)
Alexander just stood in awe at his Prince. Dark curly hair kept neatly on
his head. He wore a bright blue robe, emroidered at the seams with gold. A
tanned chest was revealed under the robe and it showed the results of a
lifelong training as a warrior by the most elite of Troy. The royal family
moved to another trader’s hut and the guards, in their golden armor, moved
the crowd to keep a safe distance from the nobles.
Hecuba, wife of Priam, king of Ilium, looked at the majestic cloths the
merchant had. The sheets seemed to shine under the sunlight and she smiled.
“How much for this?” she asked holding up the a sheet of pale yellow satin.
(ANDon’t remember and don’t feel like referring to my history book...
satin, don’t remember when it was invented but here, since it’s AU anyways,
it’s invented, perfected and available to the regals of Troy.)
“For you, your majesty, it’s not a single piece of gold,” the merchant
bowed, handing her the roll of cloth. She laughed in enjoyment of the
advantages of royalty. She turned to give the cloth to her manservant but
one of the crowd caught her eye. There was one boy... standing in the midst
of all the citizens of Troy.
His resemblance to Priam in his younger days were unmistakable. He had the
same chiseled jaw that was passed on to his sons. The locks of curly brown
hair was undeniably one of the royal family's own. Hecuba looked at Hector,
busy talking up some girl, and saw how similar this boy looked to her other
son.
"Asefinx," she called one of her guards.
"Yes, my queen," he bowed.
"That boy... there in the front of the crowd." She pointed at Alexander and
he started at the attention being brought to him. "Go and fetch him..."
"Yes, my queen." Asefinx stood up and walked to Alexander, standing there
just bewildered as the crowd around himmurmured in gossip. "The Queen
wishes to see you, shepherd boy." He grasped his arm and brought him to
Hecuba, who gasped at his sight.
"Stand up," she ordered when Alexander got down to a knee in reverence.
"Zeus... it can't be you..." She held her hand up and reached for
Alexander's cheek. Hector saw the way her mother shook and was by her side,
at a moment's notice.
"Mother, what's wrong?" he asked putting an arm around her.
"It's... it's him..." she whispered. Alexander just looked on still
confused.
"What? Who's he, Mother?" Hector prodded, feeling uneasy aroung the tears
spilling from his mother's eyes.
"Boy, what is your name?" Hecuba asked.
"A... Alexander, your highness," he murmured, bowing slightly.
"Alexander..." Hecuba seemed to be thinking for a moment. "And of your
parentage... who are they?" Alexander remained silent.
"Hurry up, boy!" Hector demanded. "The queen has asked you a question!"
"I have none..." Alexander answered quietly and ashamed.
"None? Don't talk rubbish, shepherd boy. Everyone has a mother..." Hector
snapped.
"I don't!" Alexander persisted. "I was found in the mountains as a babe...
I was abandoned most probably by my parents. I have no knowledge of them."
"Paris..." Hecuba sobbed. "You're Paris..."
"Paris?" Alexander repeated confused. He almost took a step back when
Hecuba reached out for his face with her hands, sobbing but smiling at the
same time.
"You're my son... Oh thank you, Zeus, for returning him to me... My son...
You're Paris... I know you are," she rambled.
"Your... your son?" Alexander choked. "Paris?"
"You are! I know you are!"
"I couldn't possibly be... your son..."
"Yes! You are! You were found... in the hills... by some boulders on Mt.
Ida. It was where I left you... My son... and this is your brother,
Hector," she went on happily. "Oh... don't you see the resemblance between
the two of you? The same hair and eyes... the chiseled jaw... All from your
father..."
"My father.... the king?" Alexander choked. Hecuba nodded furiously.
"Mother, you can't be serious," Hector whined, shocked and indignant. "You
pick a boy from the crowds and say he's of royal blood. Such allegations
are preposterous! The royal court will shun you for such claims!"
"But who is the head of the royal courts, Hector?" Hecuba asked, her eyes
flashing at her older son.
"You, mother," Hector sighed defeatedly.
"I find it hard to believe that I can shun myself from my own palace,"
Hecuba snapped. Hector eyed Alexander suspiciously. Alexander could tell
that Hector did not trust him in the least and rightly so. He wasa just so
overwhlemed by all these assertions of the Queen... but he couldn't help
feeling a little bit hopeful.
Could he really be the lost son of the Queen of Troy? No... This had to be
a joke.
"I don't think I'm your son, my queen. With all due respect, so many
children must have been left in the mountains for one reason or another...
So many of them could have the same features as I... There's very little
chance I'm yours..." But the queen just smiled sadly at him through her
tears.
"You suffered much, haven't you, my son?" she said more as a statement than
a question.
"What?"
"It was the reason we had to leave you..." Hecuba took Alexander's hands
into her own. "A prophet visited our palace on the day of your birth...
sixteen years and six moons from now... We asked him to give you his
blessing but he only had ill news to speak of when he saw you... He said
that you would spend the first years of your life under much pain... Then
in the last of your years, you will bring down our city. Troy will fall
because of you. That is why we hoped you would have passed away in the
woods... but you came back to me." Alexander looked away, mulling over what
he just heard.
"I'm only sixteen and half?!" he asked, crossly. Hecuba laughed that this
was the only thing he found of interest in her recent confession. Alexander
looked up to Hecuba's eyes and he became painfully aware of some of the
scars left from Rauko's beatings on his back...
The first half of the prophecy had come to pass... Who's to say the rest
wouldn't? Would he really risk his city just so he can have his real family
take him in? That's an easy question to answer.
"You're really my mother?" Alexander asked tearfully. Hecuba nodded and
both burst into tears as they embraced for the first time in his life.
Hector just stood aside watching them as he rolled his eyes.
"Can we go home now?" Hector snapped.
"Yes!" Hecuba exclaimed breaking away their hug but still holding his hand.
"The palace... Come, Paris!" She started to walk to down the streets,
dragging Alexander along with her but Alexander was hesistant.
"But.. my... my sister..." Alexander stammered.
"Sister?" Hecuba repeated confused.
"See?! He has a blood sister! He couldn't possibly be Paris," Hector
interjected.
"Actually... she's not of blood," Alexander corrected the prince. Hecuba
gave Hector a glare and he sulked away. "Katriana... She's LIKE a sister to
me. She's expecting me right now..."
"Katriana... where is this girl?" Alexander grinned and led the Queen to
where the cart was. It was strange to see the guards parting the crowds for
him but, he had to admit, it was strangely satisfying to see everyone look
at him with curiousity. The crowd followed them out to the outskirts of the
market to where Katriaina was sleeping in the cart. He jumped on beside her
and gently woke the sleeping girl.
"Got your look at our beloved royalty?" she asked sleepily sitting up as
she rubbed her eyes.
"I got a little more than that," Alexander smiled. Katri gave him a strange
look before realizing that the Queen and the Prince of Troy were looking up
at her, smiling themselves.
"Oh!" Katri cried out. "Your royal majesties! Forgive me. I didn't notice
you!" She jumped off the court, bowing lowly and averted her eyes.
"Don't be silly, child," Hecuba laughed. "You're considered a sister to my
son, so you are considered a daughter to my self." Katriana's eyes grew
clouded as she looked at Hector.
"I'm sorry but I do not understand," Katriana stuttered. "I've never even
met Prince Hector... Why would he consider me as such?"
"Not Prince Hector," Hecuba smiled slowly nudging the girl to stand up.
"But Prince Paris... or Alexander as you've know him." Katriana turned
around to see Alexander... or now... it seemed like he changed with the
smile gracing his face. This was Paris now and he was smiling at her with a
smug expression.
"Prince?!" she choked.
"I found my mother," murmured Alexander... or was it Paris? Katriana
cringed at the headache threatening her head. "Is it all right for us to go
to our cottage before I go with you?" Hecuba nodded. The Queen called for
some horses and they all jumped on their own.
"Come ride with me," Hecuba beckoned to Alexander. Alexander looked at
Katri who was still bewildered by all this new information. She just forced
a smile and waved for him to go. He turned his horse as the Queen, sitting
in a lady-like manner and led by a manservant, came beside him and rode
ahead.
"Would you like to ride with me on my horse, milady?" Hector asked Katri.
Katriana was about to jump on a tall black stallion and it seemed like she
had accidentally chosen the Prince's own horse. Thinking it would be
unlawful and disrespectful to go against royalty's wishes, she nodded and
was helped onto the black horse. Hector jumped on after her, holding her
waist to him by the arm.
"You have a bit of..." His fingers reached around her to pull away stray
wool clinging to her hair.
"Thank you," she murmured. Katri squirmed between Hector's bare legs. She
had never been this close to another man except for Alexander. Of course,
though, he didn't count.
"So it true what he says?" Hector asked, his breath blowing across her
neck. "Was he really an orphan of the mountains? You're not his blood
relative?"
"Have you any reason not to believe him?" Katri asked defensively.
"I don't have reason to believe him either," Hector countered. "It is just
that many men would think of stories on the spot they stand on if it meant
that they would be considered a prince of Troy. Mother is highly excited
because of this but..."
"You still have your doubts," Katri finished for him. "Alexander is a
good..." She trailed off, chuckling. "He's at an awkward age where I don't
know whether to call him a man or a boy."
"You've been with him for quite some time then?"
"Since we were children," she nodded. "My mother pretty much adopted Alex."
"Alex? That's his present name?"
"Well, Paris now isn't it?" Katri murmured. "Royalty..."
"You seem unfazed that he had some hidden identity. Isn't it a bit
remarkable that he's the child of the King and Queen? I mean, how much
grander can your lineage be?"
"How about when you're the child of a god and goddess?" she suggested her
eyes stealing a look at the Prince. He blushed slightly, not use to the
idea of being corrected. Not many corrected the crown prince of Troy.
"I still have my skepticism about this boy," Hector stated underneath his
breath.
"You have no need to have them. Alexander is still too young to understand
the world. He's a man physically but mentally... he still doesn't know
much," Katri shrugged. "He won't lie, my Prince."
"You speak as if you have many more years of wisdom than myself though it
is easy to see I am much older..." Katri was silent for a few moments.
"Don't be deceived by what you see," she said cryptically. They arrived at
the cottage and Hector remained in his seat, holding Katri by the waist.
His brow was furrowed with confusion by her last reply and Katri just
smiled.
Alexander's eyes finally turned behind him when he jumped off his horse. He
saw the back of Hector's head as he was looking down at Katriana. Katri was
just smiling secretively at the Prince and Alexander interpreted it as
flirting. His frown, evident, the Queen asked Alexander what was wrong.
"Is the Prince looking for prospects?" Alexander asked, uneasily. Hector
and Katri were now off the horse but they remained by the animal's side
talking.
"Prospects? For his harem, maybe..." Hecuba laughed. "Hector is not one to
settle down anytime soon."
"Harem?" Alexander choked. He strode over to Katri, who was laughing at
some amusng joke the Prince had just said.
"Alex..." Alexander could see that her smile became more fixed than
genuine. "Will... will you be leaving tonight?"
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about..." He nodded at Hector. "Please
give us a moment, brother." Hector stiffened at being addressed 'brother'
by this stranger but he swallowed any retorts to be courteous in from of
Katri, whom he realized he could get along with.
"Of course... brother," Hector muttered, spitting out the last word like
poison. He turned his horse away while Alexander led Katri into their
little home.
"You're leaving, aren't you?" Katri sighed, taking a seat on a bench, after
they were behind closed doors.
"The Queen has asked me to leave with her to the palace... I think
permanently," Alex answered.
"Well...if you have to leave, then I guess you must..." Katri said,
defeated.
"You're willing to let me go so easily?" Alexander said almost indignantly.
"Who said I was willing?"
"You tell me to go without even the slightest hint of remorse!"
"Oh course, I'm remorseful, Alex! I don't want to live in this cottage by
myself! I just lost Mama! I don't want to lose you either but if the queen
believes you are her son..."
"Then I can ask her to let you come with me," Alex exclaimed. "I'm sure
she'd let you! The queen said it herself. You're like a sister to me so
you're like a daughter to her as well!"
"Alex, I can't."
"Don't say no.. Please. Come with me. I don't want to do this alone."
"Alexander, I can't go to that palace with you."
"Why not?" he whined.
"Because I can't!" She closed her eyes and she heard voices inside her head
reminding her who she was in comparison to him. "There are people there who
will go insane just at the sight of me because of who I am."
"You're over-reacting. They'll treat you just fine!"
"Don't be stupid, Alex!" she cried out her temper losing its grip. "You're
being naïve! They won't accept me! I'm not like you! You... You're a
prince... as it turns out MY Prince, and I'm nothing but a peasant that
just happened to cross your path so, if you will, Your Majesty, please take
your leave of my house and begin your life as Paris, Prince of Troy, as you
shall now be known as." She thought that her outburst would end the
conversation so she made for the door but as she reached the handle, her
best friend stopped her.
"Not to you," he whispered putting his arms around her from behind. Her
head dropped against the wooden door and Alex's head was just as it was on
her right shoulder when they had made for the market. "I'll still be
Alexander to you, right?... Still the same nasty-smelling boy who pushed
you into the mud years ago because you were a girl..."
"You still ARE a nasty-smelling boy who pushes me around because I'm a
girl," she laughed tilting her head up so she can look at Alexander. "I
still see no difference..."
"Exactly... so please come with me?" he pleaded. "Please please please
please..."
"I want to..." The voices inside her head increased in volume and it was
almost defeaning to hear. "I REALLY want to but I can't... Everything
inside tells me that I should let you deal with this on your own first..."
"You really won't come, will you..." She shook her head. Alexander slumped
against her, beat. He had her pinned against the door now, his head resting
at the crook of her neck. "I hate you," he muttered heartlessly.
"I hate you too," she grinned. It was a common exchange between them from
when they were children. At first, the words held literal meaning for the
two but as they grew up, the phrase remained the same in expressions but
changed in meaning the exact opposite. "I'll come and visit as much as you
want though..."
"As much as I want?" he grinned, mischievously.
"As long as not in excessive amounts," she laughed. "But I'll visit... IF
your guards will let in a peasant... Paris." Her eyes twinkled at his new
name.
"I'll have to get use to that name, won't I?" he groaned.
"Yes..."
"You really won't come?"
"Nope."
"Can you come tomorrow?"
"Can't... must take care of the sheep..."
"Can I visit you?"
"Always..." She kissed him on the cheek. "You're suffocating me..."
"If I let you go, THEN will you come?" She shook her head again. He backed
up knowing the battle was lost. "I didn't think so..." Katriana looked
outside the window.
"You're new family awaits, Ale... Paris," she murmured, urging him gently
to the door.
"Katri?" She looked up to acknowledge him. "Promise me one thing, okay?"
"What?"
"Just keep calling me Alexander?"
"The boy who pushed me into the mud," she nodded. Alex grinned before
hugging her again.
"I'll see if I can come tomorrow."
"And I'll be waiting..." Alexander took her hand as he went out the door.
The Queen and Prince were already on their horses, talking heatedly among
themselves. They stopped when they saw Katriana and Alexander coming out.
"Shall the lady be joining us?" Hector asked smiling down at Katri but she
shook her head.
"Alex starts this on his own," she shrugged. With one last embrace and a
chaste kiss on the lips, Alexander jumped onto his own horse beside his
mother.
"Bye, Katri," he smiled sadly.
"I look forward to some visits from you, Katriana," Hecuba smiled.
"Especially me, milady," Hector said, charmingly. After a quick wave, they
rode off with their guards, quite dramatically since it was about sunset
and the palace was to the west. Katri turned to her horse and cart, led
there by some other servants of the queen. The voices inside Katri's head
were chattering among themselves with this turn of events.
"Alexander... the lost prince of Troy!" she laughed under her breath. "Who
knew?" Several of the voices answered, "I DID!"
