The Trojan Princess (29 page)

*
* *

           
Helenus had not sought an audience with the king and yet he found himself
summoned to his private chambers nonetheless, and it was with curiosity that he
went to him. He could not think on what matters the king would wish to discuss
with him alone.

           
“I apologize for the lateness of the hour,” King Priam said, for it was dark
outside the windows and night had fallen many hours ago. “I have been thinking
on Diephobus and Helen’s marriage, and as much as it may pain me, I have longed
hoped for him to marry.”

           
“His marriage is both shameful and dangerous,” Helenus contradicted him.

           
“Enough, Helenus, for Diephobus came to me after our council meeting to discuss
the tension he has felt from you of late,” Priam said. “He is of a mind that
you are opposing his marriage because you yourself proposed a marriage to Helen
and she refused you.”

           
“That is not the case,” Helenus said. “Helen was imprisoned, and Diephobus
thought to release her without consent and married her without sanction. To do
so, he –”

           
Priam raised a hand to stop him, and Helenus tried to constrain his frustration
and curb the anger that filled his voice whenever he spoke of his brother.

           
“Yet it is true that you sought marriage with her?” Priam asked.

           
Helenus nodded, forced to concede that it was indeed true.

           
“I confess that I have not done as I should have done and found wives for all
of my sons,” Priam said regretfully. “As my Heir Apparent, I sought only a
bride for Hector, and have neglected to do so for my other sons.”

           
“I do not seek to blame you, father.”

           
“I thank you for that,” Priam said, smiling at him. “Though it is time that you
were married, and it so happens that I believe Andromache has been allowed to
remain unwed, in grieving for Hector for too long now.”

           
“You wish to marry me – to Andromache?” Helenus asked, and a blush rose to his
face, for he had long thought in his sleep of such a thing.

           
“She is the mother to my Heir Apparent,” Priam said. “And as such she needs the
guidance of a strong man to lead her in many decisions, especially now Astyanax
grows. I cannot consent for her to marry outside of my own heirs, for it must
be a prince that becomes guardian to such a boy. You have grown close to her, I
am led to believe?”

           
Helenus knew that Diephobus must be behind such actions, and wondered why he
had done such a thing, for he knew that it must not be out of eagerness for
Diephobus to see his brother happily married that he had put such thoughts into
the king’s mind.

           
“What say you?” Priam asked.

           
“I would not object to such a marriage,” Helenus said. “Though Andromache is
likely to, for she still mourns for Hector and in his memory has vowed never to
remarry.”

           
“She will do as she is bid,” Priam said. “A royal household is a dangerous
place for an unmarried woman of such great importance to be, she would do well
to heed that.”

           
Helenus bowed his head. He wondered what schemes Diephobus was conjuring, and
he feared for Andromache, for it was surely not in her best interests that
Diephobus sought to interfere in her affairs.

*
* *

           
Andromache was weary when she learned that discussions were underway to betroth
her. While she had known for some time that it would soon be expected of her to
be married again, she had led herself to believe – and hope – that it was not
to be so as the months and years since Hector’s death had passed and no talk of
marriage had arisen.

           
Yet it seemed the time had come and Ilisa and Philomena did seem as opposed to
the idea as she had believed they would be.

           
“Imagine the gifts that will be bestowed upon you,” Ilisa sighed wistfully, for
she herself had never married and now deemed herself too old to be considered
an attractive prize for anyone. “And he is sure to be an honourable man, if the
king is to make the match on your behalf.”

           
“And you have long been without male companionship,” Philomena added, a hint of
pink upon her face.

           
“I have found companionship in Helenus,” Andromache said, and Ilisa and
Philomena exchanged a look that Andromache did not care to interpret. “And
besides, I have no need of a marriage; my son will be King one day. I do not
wish for any more.”

           
Her maids nodded, though she knew that they did not think a marriage such a bad
proposition. Helenus, it would appear, seemed to share in their opinions on the
matter.

           
“You would be protected,” he argued, when she broached the subject with him.
“Not only you, but a husband of high enough standing could protect any
intrusion upon Astyanax’s inheritance too.”

           
“I can protect myself and my son without the need for a husband,” Andromache
insisted, and she thought Helenus’ face fell, though she did not understand for
what reason.

           
It seemed to her that nobody agreed she was not in need of a husband, and so it
was a surprise when Diephobus spoke with her on the matter.

           
“You do not wish for another marriage,” he said, consolingly, and though she
was suspicious she let him continue, for she longed for somebody to agree with
her. “And I do not blame you, for my dear brother Hector was not a man who can
easily be replaced.”

           
“That is true,” Andromache nodded.

           
“It is unfair that you must be forced to dishonour your memories of my dear
brother, you dear departed husband, in such a way,” Diephobus sighed. “Though
perhaps I can be of assistance in these matters.”

           
Andromache’s eyes narrowed, for she liked not the way he spoke.

           
“You would seek to persuade your father that I am not in need of a husband?”
she asked, uncertain if the man could be trusted. “What could you gain from
such an act?”

           
Diephobus smiled.

           
“If you could be persuaded to grace us with your attendance at the marriage
ceremony for Helen and I, perhaps I could be so persuaded to advise my father
that you are not ready.”

           
Andromache looked upon the man with distrust, but he was offering her what no
other in the palace had, and though she did not wish to give her blessing to
such a marriage as his and Helen’s, she knew that he alone could stop Priam’s
plans for her to marry. With reluctance, she accepted his terms.

           
“Do not fear Andromache,” he said, as he left her counsel. “I will not let you
down.”

           
Andromache watched him depart, already weary of what she had agreed to.

*
* *

           
Helenus had thought of little else but the prospect of marriage to Andromache
and though he knew that the princess was loath to marry again, he could not
find it within himself to be upset by his father’s plans for such a betrothal.
He oft dreamed of marriage to such a woman now, and though he had long had
feelings for her, he had not allowed himself to believe that such a marriage
would ever be considered.

           
It was such a distraction to him in his thoughts that he had put little mind to
exposing Diephobus’ scheming, and it was only when dire tidings were brought to
the council that Helenus was reminded of his need to question Antenor on his
brother’s behaviour, though he knew that it was probably now too late.

           
The messenger informed the aggrieved council that Antenor, so old and frail,
had been taken ill and had passed away, and though it was not unlikely that a
man of such age would die, Helenus could not help but wonder if Diephobus had
played a hand in it. It was only days since Helenus had warned him of his
intent to question Antenor over his alleged bribes; but Helenus could not bring
himself to believe such a thing, even of his brother, though he was reminded of
Antimachus and his untimely death.

           
“He was a great man,” Diephobus said, upon hearing of the news, leading the
council in tribute to the man. “He will be much missed in these council
chambers.”

           
Helenus looked upon his brother, and Diephobus caught his eye for a moment.
Helenus thought he saw a gleam of victory in his brother’s eye, but then he had
turned and his tribute continued, and Helenus wondered if he had imagined
seeing such a thing at all.

*
* *

           
Laocoon had received word of Antenor’s death with a dreadful understanding of
what such a thing meant. He was under no illusion that Diephobus, that
trickiest of princes, was somehow involved in the ancient councilman’s passing,
and of course poor Antimachus’ too, for he had thought once to oppose the
prince in the matter of Helen. It was a dangerous place to be, he mused,
ensconced within the council chambers.

           
Being a wise man and with no intention of losing his life, he had departed from
the city having sent word to Polites, whom he knew could be trusted to deliver
the message to the council, that he would require a time away from the city.
Diephobus may be suspicious of such an absence but he could not harm him, and
when Laocoon returned he hoped that the prince would be in a more favourable
mood.

           
As such he left behind the city and travelled along the coast, carrying only
what he would need on his journey to reach his wife and children. He had never
brought them to the city, for he knew the dangers being a council member would
entail and he had not wished to put his family in harm’s way for his own
ambitions.

           
Laocoon had tried to serve his city well, though, and yet war stained
everything that had been achieved and he did not cherish the thought of one day
returning to the palace, with its uncertainties and its scheming princes.

           
The headland rose before him and the city dwindled out of sight behind, so that
once he passed over the ridge of the hilltops he would no longer be able to see
the mighty walls of Troy and, more importantly, they would not be able to see
him.

           
As he went over the ridge he saw that the sea before him, obscured from the
sight of the city by the cliffs and hills, was white rather than blue. Laocoon
stopped and looked upon the sight as realisation dawned.

           
He could not see the ocean before him, for thousands of ships had gathered
here, hidden from Troy, and the sails flapped in the wind and men stood about
on the wooden decks, waiting for what he did not know, though he knew that war
was far from over and that these Greek armies had not returned home as they had
wanted the city to believe.

           
Alarm gripped him and he wished that he had not travelled so far. He knew that
he must go back and warn the city of what he had set his eyes upon, so that
they may be forearmed against the invasion he knew must follow. He looked down
upon the ships with dismay for a moment longer and then turned back, careful on
the slippery rocks of the headland, for it would be a long, fatal fall down to
the jagged rocks beneath the cliffs if he should lose his footing.

           
He thought of the wooden horse that stood before the city gates and he knew
that it was no gift; he did not know what it was, but it could be nothing good
if the armies waited out of sight to strike.

           
As he once more crossed the ridge, looking upon Troy once more, his haste and
his panic made him less cautious than usual. His mind was preoccupied, and it
was too late before he realised the rock he had stepped on was slippery beneath
his feet. He lost his foothold, feeling his body lose its balance and his
stomach heave. Laocoon fell from atop the headland before crashing upon the
rocks and the waves beneath, his body breaking with the force of the impact,
swept out by the waves and the currents, so he would never be seen again.

*
* *

           
Andromache dressed in her finest robes and wore her most elaborate headdress as
she set out to attend Diephobus and Helen’s marriage ceremony. Her maids had
been most surprised that she wished to attend, yet she had not told them of her
agreement with Diephobus, for she felt sure that the two women would
disapprove, and she knew that they would be right. Helenus too did not look
impressed to see her departing from her chambers and making haste to the
procession that would follow Helen and Diephobus to the temple so that they may
once more be married; this time in full view of all of the city. Helenus did
not question her, nor chastise her, but Andromache sensed true feeling on the
matter all the same, and it was with heavy heart and mind of doubt that she
attended.