Chapter 2: To Troy
Hermione sat down in front of the palace's lake, her favorite spot. She always went there when she wanted to get away, to relax. She would sit down and spend a minimum of three hours reading. She had read countless books, but right now, her mother's journal rested on her arms. She was dressed in a simple sleeveless pearl-colored gown, for it was a typical hot day.
"Hermione! Hermione!" The familiar and annoying voice of Fleur, her half-sister, stirred Hermione from her thoughts.
"Have I not told you to avoid interrupting me when I am here?" She stood up, clearly upset.
Dressed in a violet gown, accompanied by a lilac mantel on top of her shoulders and her silver blonde hair running loosely to her waist, Fleur ran towards her half-sister, a pale pink colored mantel on hand.
"Quick! Put this on!" Fleur threw the mantel around Hermione's shoulders.
"What for?" As far as Hermione was concerned, she was not going anywhere.
"Just put it on," Fleur said, although it sounded more like a plea.
Hermione sighed in annoyance, but complied with her request. And right on time, her father, Menelaus made an entrance, followed by his brother, Agamemnon, and his brother's wife, Clytemnestra.
"Oh, here she is, Hermione." Menelaus walked towards his daughter.
"Ah yes, Hermia." Agamemnon took a step forward, taking Hermione's hand while Fleur took a step back.
"Hermione," Menelaus's daughter corrected, bowing politely. "Uncle."
To Hermione's displeasure, Agamemnon looked at her whole body frame before returning to the conversation.
"She looks about ready to ripen, brother," Agamemnon commented.
As a result, Hermione stepped out of his reach. She hated his visits for this exact same reason. He did not know how to say her name, but he apparently knew how to stare at her without any polite subtlety.
"Yes, well, I believe I have already discussed that with Molly," Menelaus responded, making Hermione flinch. Was that not Achilles's wife?
"And who is that?" Agamemnon pointed at Fleur.
"That is Fleur," Menelaus replied coldly.
"Ah yes, the Trojan's daughter. They do grow up fast, do they not?" Agamemnon sneered.
"Make yourself comfortable brother. Have a drink," Menelaus invited, before turning to look at Hermione. "Can I have a word?"
"Do I have a choice?" Hermione asked vaguely. Menelaus took her arm after instructing Fleur to go back inside the castle's walls.
****
"I believe you must have heard the rumors of Troy," he commented.
"Perhaps, but I have not paid attention to them as they are not my concern," Hermione replied.
"Well, they are now. Troy is giving me a hard time, since I believe the queen really has gone out of her mind."
"And?"
"I have to choose a successor to the throne."
"Maybe you should let the Trojans decide."
"Troy is mine."
"No. It is Agamemnon's and I still believe you should leave it alone. There has been enough blood spilled."
"Stop talking about that."
"It is true. Agamemnon left it in ruins, for what? Revenge? Mother is dead. What more do you want?" Hermione whispered furiously. She would never forgive her father for that.
"Stop it!"
"Leave it alone! They deserve some peace!"
"That diary is going to make you sick," Menelaus stated in disgust.
"Then again, it is the only thing I cherish from my mother."
"Helen chose it this way."
"No. You made it this way," Hermione whispered.
"Say what you like. Troy is still mine."
"Think as you wish. Your brother controls it just as he controls you. I want nothing to do with it."
"Well, that is certainly unfortunate, because I am sending you there."
"What?"
"You heard me. You will go to Troy and put things in order. Choose someone worthy of the throne. If you do not complete the task, you will take the throne yourself."
"Like hell I will."
"You forget who I am. I am the king and I can still command you."
"Why do you not send Agamemnon?"
"You will leave at dawn." Menelaus took his leave, clearly uninterested in his daughter's opinion.
Hermione just sighed angrily. This day just kept getting better and better.
****
"Can I go?" Fleur sat down at the edge of her half- sister's bed, where Hermione lay staring out the window.
"Go where?" Hermione did not even bother to look at her.
"To Troy?" This time, Hermione did turn her sight towards her blonde companion.
"You do not know what you are asking, Fleur. Troy literally hates us. My mother died there. What came back here was not mother. She was never the same after Troy. You want to see that? You know nothing! You know nothing except the safety of the palace because father cannot stand the mere sight of you."
She sighed, realizing what she had just said and looked at Fleur, whose face was lowered, covered in tears. She was obviously ashamed enough as it was, being reminded on a daily basis just by the looks of people that she was not the king's daughter. She did not need the real heir to the throne to remind her of that. So Hermione decided to go back to the topic.
"Why do you want to go?"
"Because I do not want to stay! Please Hermione, do not make me stay. Agamemnon is going to stay, I am sure of it. And Achilles's wife is bound to come any day. I will be left in the care of a silly maid and all alone in our room. Please let me go with you. Do you not want some company? I promise I will behave."
Hermione took a deep breath. Now that she thought about it, she did not want to go alone. She hardly knew Fleur and could barely tolerate her, but regardless, Fleur was not to blame for her father's and mother's mistakes. And to be left alone in a palace mostly crowded by men was simply not pleasant, especially when they looked at women as merely sexual objects.
"All right. You can come."
"I can? Oh thanks Hermione!" Fleur tried to hug her, but Hermione just gave her a thin smile.
"Go pack your things. We will leave at dawn. Now listen Fleur, one toe out of place and I will make Agamemnon go to Troy and bring you back and I guarantee you will not like that. Are we clear?"
"Certainly. I will pack then. Dawn it is. Thank you again." Fleur stood up.
"Bye."
"Sleep well!" Fleur hopped on her own bed.
"Mm-hmm," Hermione yawned. Her eyes were finally closing when her half-sister decided to bring up yet another subject.
"Hermione?"
"What now?"
"Is it true that you are to marry Achilles's son?"
Hermione fell from her bed in a thud, her tiredness suddenly wiped away.
"What did you say?"
****
"Well, of course! Did Menelaus not tell you?"
"Tell me what, Aunt Clytemnestra?" Hermione asked Agamemnon's wife.
"That you are to marry Ronald, son of Achilles. Your father wants a secure legacy." Clytemnestra smiled. She had practically raised Hermione after her mother had died.
"No wonder, since he will be the first to die," Hermione whispered. She was ready to kill him with her bare hands after the two pieces of information she had received in less than 24 hours.
"What was that dear?" Clytemnestra asked, but Hermione was already by her father's throne.
"What are you waiting for?" Menelaus whispered. She was supposed to have left already.
"I though my mother made it very clear on her last note that I would not be engaged to anybody. I would be able to wed freely," Hermione reminded him.
"Helen did not know anything about politics."
"She still wrote it."
"Ah yes, but since she is not in charge of the Spartan throne, I will make the decisions."
"I will not marry the heir of a bloodthirsty bastard!" Hermione shouted.
"Achilles was a fine man."
"He was a murderer!"
"The Trojans asked for it!"
"You will not change, will you?" Hermione put a red mantel over her shoulders just as Fleur appeared, dressed in a pale blue gown with a mauve colored mantel over her shoulders.
"Sorry for the delay. I am ready now." She smiled at Hermione.
"And where is she going?" Menelaus stood up.
"She is going with me," Hermione answered him coolly.
"Absolutely not!"
"I fail to see the problem. After all, she has always been a bother to you."
"She still is not-"
"I am taking her. End of story. Saddle the horses!" Hermione commanded as she exited the palace on the journey that would change her life…forever.
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