Agarista of Troy: A Journey of War, Love, and Return

Chapter 5: Aeneia and Euxander

As our children grew, the weight of the past seemed to ease. Euxander became a strong, curious boy, his every question like an echo of the curiosity I had once felt as a child. He was fascinated by the stories of the gods and heroes, always asking me about Paris, Helen, and the great warriors of Troy.

"Mother," he asked one day as we sat beneath the olive trees, "was my grandfather a hero?"

I smiled, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead. "He was many things. A prince, a lover, a warrior. But most of all, he was a man who followed his heart."

Aeneia, quieter than her brother, was more reserved. She would sit beside me and watch as I told stories, her eyes full of thought, but she rarely asked questions. It wasn't until later that I realized she had been listening to everything, absorbing the legacy of Troy in a way Euxander never could. She would be the keeper of our history.

As they grew, I found myself telling them more about their heritage, not just the stories of the war, but of the lives behind the legends. They deserved to know where they came from.

But as the years passed, I knew that it was time. Time to return to Troy, the city of my birth. Time to confront the ghosts of my past.