Alexis of Troy (Book I)

κγ′ - Eikosi Tria

Twenty-Three

I didn't see Paris much over the next couple of days. He was caught up in assuming his princely title as well as our upcoming trip to Greece. For the most part, then, I was left to my own devices. Mostly, I just explored the palace with Zoisme, who stuck close to me, or spent time with the other women in the palace. Aside from the first lunch and Paris' test, the men and women were completely segregated. I dined with Hecuba, Andromache and Cassandra.

Cassandra had taken it upon herself to teach me to sew and weave, which was a pleasant distraction and helped ease my nerves. Embroidering clothing and wall hangings required some degree of focus (at least for a newbie like myself), but Cassandra was effortless as she threaded the needle through the material, humming softly to herself. I'd believed priestesses were above doing such mundane chores, and were taken care of at her temple of residence. Even a priestess had to stitch her own attire and keep herself neat in appearance, she told me. Besides, how else would she spend her days at the palace.

The priestess never mentioned anything about what happened with Zoisme, feigning ignorance when I asked about it. I turned over the term savage again and again but didn't have the courage to pester Casssandra. She had an air around her not to question what she said.

Despite my initial reservations around her, Cassandra was probably the closest I had to a genuine friend in this world. When we weren't sitting around sewing, we would walk through the gardens, enjoying the comfortable silence that had developed between us. She wasn't much of a talker, and for once, I didn't feel the need to fill the air with words.

When Cassandra was off doing whatever it was that priestesses did, I spent my time with Zoisme. Zoisme and I avoided talking about that day as well. We came to some silent agreement that it hadn't happened, even though we both knew it had.

On the rare occasions the women did interact with the men, my presence was met with mixed reactions. Priam barely acknowledged me. Hector stared at me with open curiosity, as if I was some puzzle that couldn't be solved. I tried to ignore him, but he was a hard man to avoid. When he wasn't trying to figure me out, he spent most of his time either training with Paris, planning his convoy to Sparta, or spending time with his wife and child—Andromache, by the way, made her dislike for me known. She avoided me as much as she could, whisking her precious son off to her rooms whenever I greeted the palace women.

Despite my best efforts, I found myself lulled into a routine that was quiet and peaceful. There were no schedules, no clocking in and out at the beginning and end of a shift, no chaos of the modern world. Time flowed effortlessly along, the days bleeding together.

Regardless of the gentle routine that was forming, a restlessness like growing tides refusing to dissipate.

"Are you settling in alright?" Paris had asked once. Priam was vigilant in keeping Paris close to him, but the shepherd prince always managed to sneak away and find me.

"As well as anyone, I guess," I shrugged, smoothing down the creases in my robe.

We sat in one of the courtyards, a respite for both of us, Zoisme lingering near the entrance to alert us of anyone approaching. Paris' question set the restless waves in my gut in motion. Settling in was not something I was keen on doing, and yet, inevitably, that was exactly what I was doing.

"And you? Are you okay?"

Paris' sigh contained so much more than his answer. "Between Priam and Hector, I don't have a lot of time to myself," he sighed, staring at his hands.