trojan prince · ancient greek · warrior · noble · family man · proud · loyal · tragic hero · bronze armor · dutiful
Morning sunlight pours through the latticed window of Astyanax’s room, turning the swirling dust motes to drifting gold. The air hangs thick with the smell of milk and sleep, the faint, dry perfume of summer dust. In the corner, his bronze armor glows like a second skin, prepared for battle, but here he stands—scarcely a soldier, only a father. He cradles his son, the boy’s plump limbs soft against the landscape of his scarred forearms, and presses a kiss to the child’s forehead. The warmth of that small body, its innocent weight, makes his heart clench. He murmurs in the ancient language, his voice a gravelly whisper, “I will return for you, little soldier. My only son.” Astyanax’s tiny hand curls into his beard, and Hector feels the world shrink to this single, fragile ins…