74Wow, two chapter in two days! This chapter was supposed to be posted in a few days but I couldn't control myself and decided to post it now. How are you? For those who celebrate Christmas, tell me did you had/are having a good one? I hope so, mine was good despite being very different this year due to the covid. I spent most of my time playing Assassin's Creed Valhalla, reading and watching a stream of Among Us, lmao. I don't have any pre-written chapters anymore so I don't know how long it will take me to update. Do you have ideas for what you would like to happen? If so, please tell me, it might help me to write faster. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, I definitely enjoyed writing it.
Also, if you're a fan of Harry Potter and Game of Thrones maybe check my new crossover story 'Solivagant'!
Chapter Warning: Mentions of blood and death.
NicoleR85: I'm so glad that you are ok too, and I really appreciate you being here since the beginning! What would you like to happen in this story? I'm curious.
jeskasaurus: Yes, it's heating up and I love to leave you guys on cliffhangers in the end of every chapter xD I hope you will like this one too!
Arianna Le Fay: I know! Poor Alessandra, when things seemed to be a bit better and she was finally a little happier with Achilles bad things had to happpen. Achilles will not let his cousins death unpunished!
musiluver26: Thank you for reading and for the review, hope you enjoy this chapter.
The night passed and Alessandra did not sleep. She stayed all night looking at the stars and the dark sky, thinking, reflecting... Cassandra had long ago left to go to her own room, probably to cry. The warrior princess now saw the morning light appear, the first rays of sunlight appeared on the horizon, showing more and more as they appeared in the sky almost timidly. Never has the sunrise looked so ugly.
She stood up and silently put on her armor skillfully, not sure what for. He wouldn't come for her, but for Hector, but she still put her with the intention of trying to get her brother to let her take his place. She put on the greaves, the bronze tunic and cuirass, and the protection for her forearms, and when she was ready she then braided her long hair.
In his room, Hector was also preparing with a heavy heart. Andromache slept sprawled on the bed after a night of love - that night he feared would be their last -, and his son Astyanax slept peacefully in his crib.
Far away, Achilles did the same.
Alessandra left her room, went to her brother's room, and knocked softly on the door, entering when she heard a calm 'come in'. She went to find Hector prepared, with the armor on, on his son's crib watching the baby's features while he slept. Walking silently and being careful not to wake her sister-in-law, Alessandra joined him.
"He needs you, brother."
"I know that I don't want to leave him." Pain hovered over Alessandra's heart with that simple thought.
"Let me fight Hector, I've never lost a battle... Ares won't let me lose today."
And as much as it could cost, Alessandra knew that she would kill Achilles if she had to. She knew she would kill him if it saved Hector, her brother, the one who protected her when she didn't know how to do it, the one who never reported her antics in her childhood, the one who always supported her and who fought and bled with her...
"I was the one who killed that boy."
"You thought it was him," Alessandra exclaimed softly, carefully running her finger over her nephew's soft skin, watching his small chest rise and fall slowly as he breathed in his sleep. Hector smiled slightly at the gesture, but the smile disappeared when he looked at his hands, surely imagining the moment when they brought the blade to Patroclus's throat and heart.
"It doesn't matter to him."
Alessandra wanted to scream, wanted to pull her hair out and break everything and everyone she saw in front of her. Finally, she took a deep breath and looked, her brother in the eye. "Hector, you were always there for me. I love you, you are my brother but don't ask me to stand still and see you on your way to your possible death. Let me take your place ... You know I'm not a beggar, I never was but I beg you, please! "
The brother ignored this, kissing his forehead gently.
"If something happens to me ..."
"Shut up, don't say that!"
"I will try to win, but I may end up dead today. Achilles is not like any other warrior, there is only someone who can compare and that is you-"
"For that very reason, let me fight for you." Alessandra countered, eyes closed as she heard the sound of Hector's breathing. As long as she heard that, it would mean that he was there with her... alive.
"Oh Alessandra, you know I can't. I am the Crown Prince, neither honor nor guilt will let me do that. I was the one who killed his cousin, and I have to face the consequences." He held her tightly by the shoulders, looking her seriously in the eye. "Now listen to me, I already showed Andromache the secret passage and I already asked her to take as many people as possible as she can if the worst happens. But I want you to promise me that you will keep her safe... her, my son, Cassandra, our father, Paris and even Helen…"
"Helen and Paris? This is happening because of them." The young woman hissed furiously.
"Perhaps, but they are family and if I am not protecting them, you will need to do it."
"Hector..."
"Promise me."
"I promise."
"I love you, little sister."
"And I love you, big brother."
And more words were not needed, as there was nothing more they could say. They embraced for a long time, with hearts beating wildly and good memories making them smile sadly. There they stayed until the time came…
The streets of Troy were deathly silent, the warm morning air was heavy in a way it had never been before. They met their father, Cassandra, Paris, and his beloved, high up on the city walls and waited with hundreds of other Trojans in nervous silence.
The sky was blue with no clouds, the sea was calm in the distance, and the land in front of them was as pale as ever. Heat waves could almost be seen coming out of the ground. Nothing and nobody could be seen for miles... until a small figure appeared on the horizon, becoming bigger and bigger as it approached.
The archers prepared to shoot, but Hector stopped them. Achilles was approaching more and more in a chariot drawn by two black horses. When he got to the gates he stopped, got off and the screams started…
"Hector! Hector! Hector!"
"Father…" The prince of Troy said, kneeling at his father's feet. "Forgive me for any offenses. I've served you as best as I could."
Priam kissed his son's forehead, with a heaviness in his heart. "May the gods be with you." And before the prince had a chance to leave, the king rose from the throne. "Hector, no father ever had a better son."
And it was true. Even the gods envied the king of Troy for having a son as honorable, courageous, kind and fighting as his heir was.
"Apollo guard you, my prince."
"You're the best man I know," Paris told his brother, receiving a hug from him.
"You're a prince of Troy, I know you'll make me proud," Hector replied.
Alessandra followed her brother rigidly, as they headed for the stairs Andromache and little Astyanax went up.
"Remember what I told you."
"You don't have to go, you don't," Andromache said, trying to convince her husband. But Hector was too stubborn and too honorable, and he knew his duty.
"Remember what I told you," Hector repeated.
The Crown Prince kissed his son and wife, hugged them as long as he could in the midst of the screams of his name that continued to come outside the walls, and finally let them go, going down the stairs with his sister warrior next to him.
The gate was opened while Alessandra watched her brother prepare, taking a shield and spear. Her stomach turned, her nails dug into the palms of her hands that now had bloody fingers and half-moon wounds on her skin. And without being able to control it, she left through the gate.
"Alessandra!"
But the woman ignored it and walked with determined steps to Achilles with the notion that she was being watched by her family and people on top of the walls. The blond man was not surprised to see her there, beside him. His expression was cold, his lips were pressed in a thin line and he never once looked at her.
"Don't do this..."
"Go away, princess, this is between me and your brother."
"Achilles..."
He turned his head slightly towards her before spitting at her feet. Alessandra's hand shook, wanting to take the sword and finish it there, at that moment. Achilles saw this movement and finally looked at her. "You spent the night with me, you made love to me, and you never once told me what was going to happen. I woke up near the pond the next morning and when I came back Patroclus was dead."
"Telling you would have been betrayal against my homeland and you know that, even if I wanted to I couldn't have told you anything." She knew that what she said was true, and he knew it too... but the grief and anger were too much for Achilles to be able to think rationally.
"Bring me Hector."
"He thought it was you, everyone thought. I tried to save him, I swear I did."
"I am aware of that."
There was silence before she broke it. "He is my brother."
"And Patroclus was my cousin, and now he is dead."
"I will fight with you."
That made Achilles smile coldly. "It's not you who I want."
Hector arrived at that moment, helmet on his head and spear and shield in hand. "That's enough Alessandra, go."
"Hector..."
"Remember what you promised me." Her brother said gently.
The brothers looked at each other for a mere second, but to what seemed years to them. Would they turn to see each other? Would they smile, laugh, fight, and have a good time again? Would Hector see his heir grow? Would he be blessed with more children?
"Go away, daughter of Troy..." Achilles teased maliciously, breaking the moment. "It's what you're good at, after all."
Alessandra never thought that she would feel such hatred for the man she had fallen in love with. She looked at him coldly, her eyes shining so red that it looked like blood... and then she turned to her brother. "Kill this invader."
With Achilles' eyes fixed on her back, she returned to the interior of Troy, went up the stairs to the walls, and joined Cassandra, who quietly took her hand.
"What was that?" Paris asked quietly.
"Nothing." She replied nonchalantly.
After a second the duel started. The two warriors moved at an absurd speed, one investing and the other defending, always looking for loopholes in their fighting position, always looking for an opportunity to put an end to it. Achilles hit Hector in the face with his elbow and he was quick to recover and make an attack that seemed to hit the Greek's chest plate. If he didn't have the armor, he would have a severe wound now. Hector charged again and Alessandra let go of her sister's hand and ran to the edge of the wall, trying to get a better look... It seemed that Hector had crossed Achilles' stomach with the sword, and without knowing why a knot formed in the throat of Princess of Troy.
It shouldn't, she knew it shouldn't. Achilles was there with the aim of killing her brother and a few minutes ago she wanted to kill him too...
Achilles turned and from the top of the walls, the Trojans were able to see that the sword had not hit him after all, but had been stuck in the shield. He charged at Hector who tripped on the ground.
"Get up, Hector, get up."
The tension was high, the breaths held… but Hector got up and fought again. Alessandra, however, had a bad feeling in her stomach and when she looked at her older sister's face she saw her with tears in her blue eyes and her face without blood. Cassandra returned his gaze, shaking her head sadly. And it was at that moment that the Warrior Princess knew but she didn't want to believe it.
"Ares, save him. Don't let my brother die." Alessandra whispered praying... Begging...
But it was all in vain, for Achilles made a series of movements almost too fast for the human eye to capture, and when they saw... a piece of spear he had sunk into Hector's shoulder, making him fall to his knees in pain.
Achilles' gaze met Alessandra's gaze, he downstairs and she on top of the wall, stunned… No, her look said. But Achilles ignored it and took the sword to her brother's chest through his armor, his flesh and heart.
Andromache gasped with a broken heart, Achilles walked away, and Hector's body fell to the floor.
There was no reaction time before Peleus' son tied a rope to Hector's feet, climbed up to the chariot again, and took one last look at Alessandra, before snapping the reins and the horses moved forward.
Achilles left with his heart pounding and his breathing fast... Patroclus had been avenged and now his dear cousin could rest in peace. But the warrior knew that when he left with the body of the fallen prince dragged behind him, tainted and disrespected, that Alessandra, the warrior princess who so intrigued him and with whom he fell in love, would never forgive him.
Alessandra trembled with fury, trembled with panic, and trembled with pain. Hearing the cry of the Trojans in the city who were mourning the death of their prince, they returned home. The royal family, however, remained silent and with empty expressions, trying not to convey weakness... when they arrived at the palace it was a different case.
Andromache, Cassandra, and Helen burst into tears. And Alessandra tried to restrain herself as much as she could, but when she saw Paris open his mouth to try to comfort his lover, the princess threw herself at him with a cry, her nails reaching for his face as if she were trying to gouge out his eyes. She knew that only then could she attack him, if she took the sword she would kill her brother at that moment. The screams grew louder, Priam and Cassandra trying to get her away from Paris. When they caught her, she threw her head forward in a final gesture of fury. The prince's nose quickly started to bleed and he was now with scratches close to his eyes.
"Why did you have to be so selfish? Don't you see the harm you and she have done to this family?! " Alessandra shouted.
"My daughter, stop." The king pleaded, tired.
"Alessandra…"
"He is dead because of you!" She interrupted.
"I know," Paris said, at last, defeated.
"It should have been you." Her voice was harsh, and her words found shocked silence. Paris's eyes widened, before sighing sadly.
"I know." He repeated it again.
"From this day on, I disown you, Paris! From this day, you are not my brother, you are not my family... You are nothing."
Furious, she separated herself from those who held her and returned to her room. She screamed in anger until her voice was hoarse, she dismantled the bed, kicked the wooden bathtub until it was broken, and almost pulled her hair out.
Finally, tired and she stopped, trying to suppress the tears.
"I never asked you for anything before Ares, I never asked you for anything since you blessed me... But today I asked you, today I begged you to help my brother and let him live, but now he is dead!" Alessandra said, kneeling alone in her empty room with broken glass around her. Bloodstained her hands after punching the walls, and after breaking everything that was within her reach. "Why don't you answer me now, oh mighty god of war!?" She disdained cruelly. "Hector is dead! He's dead and he won't come back! I don't want your blessing for anything! Just… I just want my brother back… "
But even with all her shouting, Ares did not appear.
Hector was dead, his body had been taken to the enemy camp and the princess could only imagine the vile things that Achilles could be allowing the Greeks to do to him.
Little Astyanax was crying loudly in the next room looking for his father, and she was able to hear Andromache trying to comfort him but also succumbing to cries of pain. And even surrounded by so many people in that city, Alessandra never felt so alone at that moment.
Later that night Priam returned with Briseis and Hector's body wrapped in a blanket. Alessandra wished she were blind so as not to have to see her brother's tainted body, bloody and with sand covering every part of his features.
His body was prepared for the funeral rites that would follow in a few moments.
Briseis was thin and pale with cuts and bruises on her face and dressed in a simple tunic. She hugged her family with empty eyes, and Alessandra and Cassandra took her to her room, where they bathed and dressed her, and also prepared themselves in black mourning clothes.
A pyre had been built in the center of Troy, women, and children were crying, men were whispering about the injustice and the stars seemed dim in the sky almost as if they had lost their reason for shining. Hector had been cleaned and dressed in white and gold clothes. There was a sad and chilling melody of a singer in the air.
Hector looked beautiful even in death, and two gold coins shone over his eyes in the torchlight.
She swallowed her tears, petted his dark hair, and kissed his cold forehead. "I will miss you, brother, but I will see you one day."
Alessandra, Priam, and Paris each took a torch and put the flame to the straw under Hector's body, watching the fire spread. It didn't take long for the flames to cover Hector, consuming him, purifying his flesh, and releasing his spirit that would meet the boatman and go to Elysium.
They stood there filled with sadness watching the flames dancing in the darkness of the night in shades of red, orange, and yellow, and feeling the heat on their skin.
Andromache broke into hysteria once more when they arrived at the palace and had to be taken away, needing the healers to give her something to calm her down. The sisters took Briseis in silence to her room and curled her up in bed.
Her gaze was fixed on the wall. "I loved him." Briseis did not need to explain. Alessandra knew who she was referring to, he had told her before. "My heart is broken."
"I know, darling, I know." Alessandra kissed her forehead, petted her hair while she cried, and the two sisters stayed with their cousin until she fell asleep and they had to return to their own rooms.
The next morning Briseis was found with a rope around her neck hanging in her bedroom, with a bench lying on the floor beneath her, and a broken-hearted expression on her swollen purple face. Alessandra's cry of pain and anger reverberated throughout the city, and that day the children of Troy wept once more.