Before they lived happily ever after,they didn't.This is the story of the time before..
Andra stood looking out of the windows of her room.The fire crackled in the huge stone hearth behind her,which almost took up the whole of one wall of the room.as the shadows danced and flickered in a way almost cheerful,Andra felt momentarily angry at the illusion.The Kingdom of Castalia had not seen cheer for a very long time,ever since the death of her mother.Juno had been a strong queen,some had said hard.But she had been just,and had done what had needed doing,regardless of consequences and costs.she had commanded respect and fear and had held together her country against invaders from without and treachery from within.Andra remembered her childhood,which had been spent with nurses and maids.she could remember the pride she felt for the mother who she had rarely seen and the fear.and the longing and resentment as well.she had loved her mother and revered her and hated her too.had her mother felt anything other than tepid affection for her.had she felt disdain for a daughter who would never equal her in beauty and courage and cunning?the last words her mother had said to her had not been of love or wisdom,but warning.."trust no one" she had said moments before she had lost consciousness,never to regain it again.the only other thing she had said had been a name,which she had called out repeatedly,in agitation ,in despair and at the very last ,in welcome.Hector.
who was Hector?what had he been to her?questions had assaulted her like spikes afterwards.she had never told Icarus.one never knew what Icarus would have made of it.or felt about it.instinct as well as caution had made her hold her tongue,untill she could find out more.she hadn't found answers in the eight months since her mother's death.it seemed unlikely that she ever would.she turned sharply at a sound behind her,and then relaxed as she recognised the tall,straight figure of her best friend and the head of her personal guard.Alexis crossed the room towards Andra and joined her at the window."still no sign of him?"she asked in her calm voice.Andra shook her head no.words were not needed to convey the sense of anxiety they both felt.Icarus,her brother and now the king, had not returned home.she knew where he must be and could only hope that once again she would not have to be mortified at the sight of the new king returning home,drunk,in the arms of some harlot
"He should never had hired Cameron.That man has done nothing but encourage him in debauchery"said Alexis bitingly.At the mention of his brother's man at arms,Andra shivered."Icarus says that he is brave and very skilled as an archer.And that his loyalty is certainly beyond question"she said.
"Icarus knows nothing about loyalty"Alexis said bluntly and immediately regretted it when she saw Andra's eyes cloud with grief.
She was about to pass of the comment as a joke,when the sound of horses came clattering to their ears.Both of them leaned out as one and saw the royal coach come to a shuddering halt in front the huge castle doors.Dismayed Andra watched a short heavily built man she recognised as Cameron help her brother out of the coach.Icarus was undoubtedly drunk.The lyrics of a bawdy song came floating in the air and Andra shrank back in embarrassment.Beside her Alexis gave a low chuckle and leaned out for a better look.Andra was just about to berate her friend for laughing when the amusement died out of Alexis' face.A shrill,unrefined voice had joined the song and in the bright light of the moon,they saw a woman clinging to the king's arm and giggling.Cameron appeared to be expostulating with Icarus.Icarus stood shaking his head,whether in disagreement or to clear it,Andra couldn't say.Suddenly,as if aware he was being watched,Icarus turned his head and looked directly at her window.
Alexis felt,rather than saw his eyes latch onto her.He must have recognised her ,she knew and stood still,looking right back at him,heedless of Andra's pleas to her to get back.Andra did not want the brother she loved to feel awkward or mortified being caught in an undignified and ridiculous scene.But Alexis who knew Icarus better than Andra did ,knew that for Icarus there would be no shame at being caught like this.Not for Icarus regret and mortification.The day Icarus had surrendered his soul to the demons he had so long fought to conquer,he had abandoned all pretenses.Now she watched without surprise,but with a little quiver of pain in her heart,as he sent her a long slow grin,his teeth flashing white against the dark of the night and pulled the woman close to him,crushing her mouth with his.Beside her Andra gave a little sob.Alexis stood,eyes dry and burning,till Icarus had finished kissing the woman.Then without a backward glance to either his inamorata or to her,dismissing them both as of no account,he stumbled back up the steps of the castle and was lost to sight.
Alexis turned back from the window and realised that Andra was looking at her sadly."Still,Alexis?" she whispered,her beautiful eyes bruised."Always" answered Alexis, as she turned and walked out of the room.
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