THIS CHAPTER INCLUDES SEXUAL CONTENT. A LOT OF SEXUAL CONTENT. HEAVILY IMPLIED MENTIONS OF CHEATING. MENTIONS OF MURDER. MENTIONS OF KIDNAPPING. ALSO A MAJOR CHANGE FROM THE ORIGINAL.
I did a lot of research for this chapter also. :)
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Ariadnê smirked as the people of Ilion walked into the throne room seeing her seated upon the throne.
Aléxandros stood at her side alongside his brothers Deiphobus and Polites and Antiphus fanning her and Helénē with giant leaves. Andromákhē and Laodice brushed through their hair while Ankhísēs and Priamos massaged their feet.
Hekábē alongside Kassandra and Helenos had been chained to sit at the side of Ariadnê. Helenos had more freedom than them, but he had almost successfully felled her when she attacked his parents and siblings. He also knew too much, being able to see some of the plans that she was creating.
Kassandra was only there simply for the dislike that Ariadnê held for her. How dare she be considered one of the greatest loves of Apollôn when she spurned his affection? Not that her twin brother got off the hook either. She had made sure that Helenos knew just how fond she was of that affair. Kassandra could also see the things that she was planning, but who would believe the cursed girl over their mad conqueror.
And it had been incredibly hard to find magic draining chains for their mother. The queen did not go down without a fight.
She hummed as the courtiers in front of her gave her the reports for the day. There was still no word from Sparta for the return of Helénē nor was there any word from her family. Helenos had told her early on that the gods would interfere with that so she wasn't too surprised by that.
She wasn't even surprised by the fact that ships were reported to be on the way to the kingdom.
What she was surprised by was how beautiful Troïlos was as the prince walked into the room with his sister, Polyxena. She could see why the prince was regarded as a paragon of youthful male beauty. There was also the beauty shown with Tennes and Hemithea from Tenedos.
Helénē shifted on the seat beside her, and Ariadnê side-eyed her. The girl was frowning prettily, eyes shifting between Ariadnê and the princes and princesses.
The child of the sea could not help but to feel amused.
It had been to the surprise of absolutely no one that she had cracked and immediately started an affair with the child of the heavens. The pleasure she had gained from it had nearly made her dizzy especially when she caught sight of the envy that Aléxandros wore anytime he caught sight of the two afterwards.
It was his fault honestly. If he had really wanted either of them, he would have defeated her in battle.
And she highly doubted that he would have been able to show Helénē how to properly love a woman. The sounds that Ariadnê managed to pull out of the other girl could have brought even the gods to their knees.
But still— Ariadnê could be convinced to allow Troïlos into her bed. After all, she allowed Hektōr and Aineíās to share her bed countless times. (It was for that reason that she made Andromákhē brush the other girl's hair. She was not going to hurt Ariadnê just because her husband liked to love her. Not that it mattered because Hektōr called her his wife's name one time too many for her to keep sleeping with him.)
"When you left, did you see anything," she asked him.
Polyxena and Hemithea shook her head, but Troïlos gave the answer that she was looking for. "There were reports of ships being seen in the distance. They were a day out when we left."