Work Text:
Andromache’s POV:
Year 1 of the war; Before the death of Eetion
Since the Achaeans have arrived at our shores, our lives have been turned upside down. I spend my days worrying about my husband instead of being with him. I wished to speak of my resentment towards someone for this war, but I am not sure who. I dare not speak ill of any gods, even those siding with the Achaeans, and despite Aphodite’s involvement in bringing Helen here, I should certainly not speak ill of her since she is helping our cause. Of course Menelaus would want to take his wife back. If anyone stole me away from Hektor I would hope he would come, and take me from my kidnapper as well. And yet it somehow feels wrong to direct my blame at Alexandros. Despite everything he is a son of noble Priam, and everything he has done has been because of the gods. Regardless, this war has lasted longer than I thought it would. Longer than we all thought it would. The hardest parts of the day are waiting for Hektor to return from battle. I know he is the strongest and most valuable among all of our fighters, and is heavily involved with the war effort because of that.
“Andromache!” Hektor rushed in and held me for a few seconds. “How were you while I was gone, my love?” He gave me a sincere smile.
I was so happy to see him. “I am alright.” I value honesty with him, and I knew Hektor could feel my apprehension. “When do you think this war will be over? It’s just been going on for so long now, and I feel as if it’s going nowhere. Can’t we just end the war? Can’t we give Helen back to the son of Atreus? Why must this drag on?”
Hektor sighed and simply said, “I don’t know. I’ll fight for Ilion as long as it’s needed. It seems the gods' involvement in the battle complicates things. Despite my disagreements with Alexandros’ decisions I will defend my brother, and I’ll defend our country.”
My husband is more than just the strongest among our men, he is also the most honorable and respectable of everyone known. “Of course.” I replied. I laid my head on his shoulder and we sat with each other in an embrace for a while.
Hektor interrupted the silence to ask me a question, “How has your father been doing in Cilician Thebes? Have you gotten to visit him during the war so far?”
I had not seen my father in a while, but I had heard that he had been doing fine and well. He and my brothers not being here in Ilion has given me relief for their well being. It was always my husband I worried more about. “Eetion is well. He is safe too I believe.”
Hektor smiled at this information, “That is good to hear Andromache. I wish that both our families prosper, and continue to do so. It saddens me when my brothers are lost, and I know that many more of my siblings will not make it to see the Achaeans being driven away from our beaches, but I know that my brothers are honorable sons of Priam, and they will be seen in the fields of Elysium when we join them one day, far from now.”
The way he speaks is always reassuring to me. I love him. I have so many people in my life who I love and cherish. I could not dare even think about losing any of them, and when my gallant husband, the breaker of horses, talks I always take his words to heart for they feel so healing.
Year 10 of the war; Before book 6 of The Iliad
I wanted sweet sleep to fall upon me, but it wouldn’t. Astyantyx was right next to me, and I was waiting for Hektor to get back. I still worry about him every time he fights. It always sends me on an anxiety ridden thought train about all the war has taken from me. I could be living a happy life with my beloved, some day being the next queen of Ilion. I knew I would never be subject to a quiet life, but a more or less peaceful one with my Hektor, and my son is all I could ask for. Now I don’t know if this will ever be possible if our city falls. Of course I know this is my paranoia, Ilion will prevail, and I will be able to forget about all these thoughts. Someday I’ll only be focusing on raising my son with my husband, and my eventual queenship over Ilion.
Hektor walks into our corridor worn out, and bloody. He takes off his armor, washes off and sits next to me, “You’re still up Andromache, why is this so?” He inquires.
“I was waiting for you, my love. I also wanted to be there for Astyantyx in case he was in need of anything.” I tell Hector this, and smile at him. He gives me a sincere smile back, and stays quiet for several seconds before he tells me, “You know the son of Peleus, Achilles, has stopped fighting. He’s angry with the king of Mykenae.”
Achilles. The man who stole the life away from my father, and my brothers. I try not to think about their deaths. It angers me too much. “That is good news that the swift-footed son of Peleus has stopped fighting,” I begin. I am silent for a short while before continuing, “I remember Achilles. I remember when he murdered my father, Eetion, and all seven of my brothers so many years ago.”
Hektor wrapped his arms around me, and I put my head on his shoulder as I wept gently. I fear that Hektor and my child are all that I have left, which is why I am so paranoid of losing them. Hektor addressed me, “Tell me my love, did Achilles honor your father’s body?”
“He did. He did not strip him of anything. He cremated, and buried him honorably with his decorated war gear. Where my father lies there are elms grown by mountain nymphs. Achilles let my mother go alive, but she too died, of some type of illness. I hate the son of Peleus, but I know he knows how to be an honorable man.” I answered my sweet husband.
Hektor shrugged and replied, “I’m not so sure that he is an honorable man. How could one leave their army in need over a silly dispute? Nonetheless, I am happy that he has left the fight.”
I agreed with what he had said, but I did not express it. I took my arms off of his body for just a second and asked him, “You do believe that we will win this war don’t you?”
Hektor answered me, “Uh yes, of course I do. More so now than ever.” He took a second, and I could tell he was unsure, but he continued with a slight laugh, “I just pray to Phoebus Apollo that Agamemnon pisses the son of Tydeus off too.”
I somehow felt a bit reassured by this, even though I was not entirely. He always makes me feel better just by being next to me. I looked longingly into his eyes, and he did the same to mine. We sat there in a peaceful silence that almost made me forget for a second the war we were fighting, and all the lives that have been taken throughout these ten long and merciless years. Sleep fell upon the glorious son of Priam before it struck myself. We laid there together, and I stroked through his hair for some time more before falling into a lasting slumber.
Year 10 of the war; Book 6 of The Iliad
My mind had been racing for far too long. Hektor is going to go past our Skaean walls and go into the Achaeans camp. I can not bear this. I am going to lose him. If he is lost Ilion will fall, and then only the gods know what will happen to our son. But if Hektor dies then what am I to care about? My life will be nothing but grief, and I shall be left only with my own sadness, and my son reminding me of the future I could have had, and the future grief to come. Having talked of the death of my family with him recently has made me think about how he is my everything, and the symbol of my future. I can not see him go. I have just now reminded him of the death of my family, and I feel so helpless.
“Hektor you must not go! If you go you will die, and you cannot die for my sake. I love you more than anything in the world. You are my everything. Of all I have loved and cherished it is only you and our son left. You must stay by our ramparts for me and for him!” I begged my husband with nothing but raw emotion and anguish.
“Andromache, I love you, and you know this, but I must not be a coward for my people. I must not be dishonorable.” Hektor took a pause in his statement, “Even though… I know in my heart Ilion will fall despite what I wish to believe, I must still be there to do everything possible to protect my people. I hope you understand that I cannot allow myself to merely stay behind and watch people suffer.” I cannot bear to hear what I was hearing. Before I could speak again Hektor continued, “Andromache, of all things I will be saddened by when our city comes to be taken, the thing that saddens me the most of all is that there will come a day where you will be slaving away in Argos, having been stolen by some Achaean who will never respect you. I love you Andromache, and I can not bear to see that happen, I will be dead before then.”
What I was going to say I had forgotten. All I could feel was sadness and anger. I continued holding Astyantyx in my arms, and I allowed every feeling of grief to come upon me in that very moment. I could not look my love in the eyes because I think I would be too troubled to do so. I noticed Hektor reaching out to hold our son, but Astyantyx was frightened by his armor and stature. In a way so was I because it served as a reminder of how I was about to become a widow. He took his helmet off and held Astyantyx. “May this boy be a strong ruler of Ilion.” Hektor began as I saw him tear up, “And may it be said that he is a better man than his father.” Hektor proceeded to put our son back in my arms and he noticed my teary expression. “Do not weep my wife. No one can escape fate or destiny. Remember that I love you, and weep no more. Just as I am your everything you are mine as well. Please worry no more. Return to your loom, and trouble yourself no longer.”
Hektor walked away then, and so did I, but how could I possibly trouble myself no longer. My weeping increased more and more as I approached my loom. I sat down to weave with Astyantyx still in my arms, but I could not bring myself to do anything. I could not even weep any more. I could not bear to think of my sorrows any longer. I put my son safely down, and I allowed sleep to fall upon me.
Year 10 of the war; Book 22 of The Iliad
Upon Achilles rejoining the battle, all of the men who had left the secure walls of Ilion had come back into our guarded city. My heart felt a sense of relief in this. I do not know why Achilles has rejoined the battle, but I am glad he has because now all of our warriors including my honorable husband have come back to the safety of our city. I feel a bit guilty in this gladness since I know Achilles will add trouble to our country, and this will prolong the war for many more years. I am not troubled by this because at least I have hope my Hektor is safe now. I had my maids help me prepare a bath for my husband with so much joy. I have not been able to do this since he left to advance upon the Achaean camp. In such delight of soon seeing Hektor again I returned to my loom and weaved as I anticipated his return. Astyantyx was safe, and so was Hektor, and my life was about to feel whole once more after so much anxiousness and anguish.
After a long time of patiently waiting for his return I could tell something was not right. I could not bear to think that perhaps Hektor’s unyielding honor has made him stay outside of the Skaean gates to face the swift-footed son of Peleus. But still I stayed put at my loom in anticipation until I heard sorrowful screams from Hekuba, the mother of horse-breaking Hektor. My heart immediately began to race. My mind at that moment immediately thought of the possibility that Achilles had slain my husband, but I could not believe it yet. My heart in some selfishness hoped that it was Alexandros who had been killed, or something else entirely. I could not stay for another moment. I gathered my maids and raced through the halls to reach the wall and look at what had happened. When I looked out from the wall my heart stopped. I felt as if every bone in my body had been trembling, and that I was going to fall to the ground in sorrow. The body of my husband was being dragged around by a chariot Achilles was at the head of. Tears poured down my face and I fell to my knees. “Hektor…” I whispered.
I stayed in that position weeping uncontrollably before I collected any sort of thought apart from my sorrow and emptiness. I began to speak between my sobs, “Hektor, the fates that we were given have made us unlucky. As you hurl down to Hades I am left nothing but a widow with shuddering grief. You stated before you left that you hoped Astyantyx, who you referred to as Skamandrios, would become a mighty ruler of Ilion, but I know you only spoke this to comfort me. Astyantyx will either die here at a young age, or become an orphan in Achaean lands. This thought sorrows me beyond comparison. You have fallen and so has Ilion. Even though your city appears to be standing; it will not for long since you were the protector and pride of Ilion. Your body will be ripped apart by dogs, and the clothes that have been fashioned for you I must burn now in your honor as they are no use to you.” From there my voice began to fade, and was overtaken by my crying.
As I felt my sorrow encapsulate every inch of my body I thought of how Peleus’ son killed my father, my brothers, and how he has now killed and desecrated my husband. I no longer have any hope to hold on. Everything I love has been ripped away from me all because of this bloody, and meaningless war that has gone on for far too long.