Chapter Text
Troy
Part 1
The dirt underneath his sandal clad feet is dried and cracked almost like sand except it is coloured too dark. The dried land expands a great distance here and at one end stands a foreign army all clad in shining armour and blue clothing. At the other end, just behind him stands his own army, the armour not as bright but just as strong and with dust brown clothing sitting underneath.
In the centre of the two armies, King Paradith watches his best soldier – a great hulk of a man full of muscles and iron strength – fight only to lose within a few moments.
The foreign army cheers its win, and Paradith knows that the loss will kill him in the end, even if he thanks the Gods that it will spare his men’s lives. His General’s mouth is turned down, and Paradith sighs heavily wishing the Black Wolf did not fight at all, but knowing he always will.
“As agreed,” Paradith spoke with all the dignity of his years and all the sadness of his loss. Offering the beautifully carved ivory horn, Paradith held his most prized possession out to the Black Wolf. “This is the symbol of my people, a symbol of leadership and heart. Give this to your King and know that he now holds my country and my people within his hands.”
“He is not my King.”
Startled, Paradith blinked before raising one brow.
“Then why fight for him?”
“Because he paid me.”
~*~*~Remember, I will still be here~*~*~
The party was in full swing, and Jackson was trying his hardest to stay polite and respectful while King Gerard blatantly ignored him in favour of dragging a young girl onto hips lap with a lewd smile. Dragging his anger back under control, Jackson reminded himself that his wife back in Troy, Lydia, would skin him alive if he was rude in any way, and that he had to keep the peace treaty intact.
It was a shame he couldn’t say the same for his brother, Scott, who was somewhere private doing something that he most certainly wasn’t supposed to be doing.
“Allison?”
“You shouldn’t be here, Scott. If Gerard found you here, he’d kill you and end the treaty with Troy,” she spoke softly pushing lightly at his chest as the young man wrapped his arms around her.
“He won’t. You’re wearing the necklace I gave you,” Scott grinned before he started kissing her neck just under where the necklace lay. Letting his hands caress her hips and pulling her more firmly against him, Allison smiled and lightly giggling when he lapped at her skin.
“Maybe I should be wearing only the necklace, if you’re not going to stop,” she moaned.
“Definitely.”
Unclasping her dress, Allison let it fall to the floor so it pooled at her feet, before she untied Scott’s armour. Grinning at one another they fell into bed.
~*~*~As long as you hold me, in your memory~*~*~
“I thank Poseidon for the calm waters and Aeolus for the strong wind so that we might return home soon,” Jackson spoke, grinning at the vast waters surrounding their ship as they ventured home.
“As do I. Tell me, do you love me, brother?” Scott asked, almost timid.
“What did you do now?” the other Prince sighed.
“What makes you think I did something?” the dark haired teen asked, giving wounded eyes like a kicked puppy.
“Because you only ask if I love you when you’ve done something that you think I’m going to kill you for – which I probably will,” Jackson grinned giving a light punch to his brother’s arm.
“You just might, yet,” Scott said into the wind, not returning the grin as he usually would.
“What exactly have you done, brother?” the brunette asked, sombre now.
“Come, it’s better that I show you.”
Moving to the other end of the ship, Scott almost casually tugged at the rope knots that gave entry to the storage space beneath the soldiers and sailors walking about. Quickly climbing down the small set of ladders Jackson followed somewhat curious and suspicious of what he was to find.
With only a grim look passed between them, Scott made his way to one of the corners of the cabin area holding out his hand. To Jackson’s surprise and anger, a gentle hand grasped onto his brothers and was followed by a beautiful woman looking in both shyness and fear.
“What have you done?”
“I couldn’t leave her there,” Scott argued.
“Yes. You could. And now you’ve condemned us to war! What were you thinking? What were you thinking?” Jackson pointed angrily at the Princess.
“I love him. And I couldn’t stay another day with them! I hate Gerard and he’ll make me marry for his own gain!” Allison objected not letting herself be cowed.
“I don’t care who you marry as long as it doesn’t start a war! Which this has!” Putting a hand to his head, the brunette sat down on a crate wondering at the stupidity of his brother. “We must turn the ship around.”
“No! He’ll kill her!” Scott cried.
“He’ll kill us both,” Allison spoke softly. She grasped onto Scott’s arm tightly, imploring with Jackson through her eyes, trying to show how much she needed to be on this ship.
“You know I love you, Scott, but I can’t watch our people die for her.”
“I love her, as much as I love you, or mother, or Lydia, or Stiles! I couldn’t let her stay there, I couldn’t!” Hooking his free hand in Jacksons, the darker skinned Prince pleaded his heart.
“Then you will fight beside me when the war calls to our walls,” Jackson sighed. Looking pointedly at Allison now, he regarded her with a warning in his voice. “All the deaths to come are on you. Do not forget that, sister.”
“I won’t, brother.”
~*~*~Remember, when you’re dreams have ended~*~*~
Slamming the metal chalice onto the table, the red wine spilled over, a red as angry as Kate’s hatred.
“They have taken her!” She shouted, glaring heatedly at the entire table.
“Then we shall get her back,” Gerard replied calmly, sipping from his own chalice. He sat at the head of the table smiling as though a feast was being given in his honour and he was only faintly surprised by it.
“How can you be so calm, father? My niece, your granddaughter, has been taken by the Trojan’s, and you sit there so calmly?” Kate raged. Her long blonde hair had been tied back with silver clips so that it fell in a wave of sunlight behind her.
“I am calm because my stupid and love-stricken granddaughter has just given us the war we have always wanted. This peace treaty was for your brother’s sake. He was the one who wanted peace. But now that his only child has been stolen, he will want her back. And Troy shall finally bend to our will,” the King grinned, waving his hand in dismissal of his own granddaughter.
“Will he go to war, then?” Kate asked, slightly weary. Chris was known for being kind and charismatic, he was a good General and tended towards peace rather than war, so she could not be so certain.
“He will. Allison is his only child, and since he will not remarry, she will remain his only child, so he must go to war. For her.”
“We’ll need help,” the Princess smirked.
“Then get it.”
Nodding, Kate rose gracefully knowing that her little pet Hale would need leashing once more and that the greatest war yet was about to occur.
~*~*~Time can be transcended~*~*~
“You need to be faster!” The Black Wolf shouted.
Rolling to the side, Erica threw herself at Isaac’s torso pushing him to the ground with her weight. In turn he rolled with her pushing her off and to the side, narrowly evading Cora who had come up behind him. Slamming the wooden sword to the ground, Cora missed her target and instead changed her course sweeping her feet under Erica’s and using her free hand to push herself back into a standing position.
Grinning widely, Erica flipped over the younger girl’s feet and grabbed at the fist which Boyd was sending her way. Sliding in-between the dark man’s legs, she pulled herself up behind him planting her own wooden sword against his back.
“Dead!” She giggled.
“And so are you!” Isaac grinned planting the tip of his own sword at the side of her neck.
“Good! But you all still need to work on your speed. Your enemy won’t hold still while you flip back and forth,” The Black Wolf instructed.
“Hey! Isn’t that an Argent ship?” Cora spoke, pointing off towards the sea beyond their training grounds.
“Not again,” Erica sighed. They had just returned from a battle not too long ago.
“Where to now, do you think?” Boyd asked coming to stand beside the youngest.
“Where ever they want to send me,” The Black Wolf sighed.
“She can’t hold onto you forever, can she?” Isaac asked, pawing at his left gauntlet lightly.
“Not forever, no. But for the time being. And there isn’t much I can do about it. If she calls, I have to answer.” Sighing sadly, The Black Wolf knew that his little pack would follow him regardless of where he was sent next. They were pack, which meant family. And this family always stuck together.
“Let’s just try to end it quickly,” Cora spoke with no energy in her voice. Wrapping an arm around her, The Black Wolf smiled sadly.
“Yes. Let’s.”