Everybody knows who Helen of Troy is; the most beautiful woman in the
world, fathered by mighty Zeus, and the love and downfall of Troy and
Prince Paris. But who was she really? A calm, meek little thing blinded
with love for Paris? An arrogant Queen with no real feelings for "lesser"
beings? Or merely a woman cursed with the "gift" of un-measurable beauty?
Perhaps none of these; and perhaps all... Perhaps it is impossible to
describe her, or anybody for that matter; maybe only the Gods can. But
listen now, to the story of Helen. Not Helen of mighty Troy, or battle-
ready Sparta, just Helen.
Leda laid in her large bed, hung with the richest silks and velvets, still weak and tired from the long, hard birthing process. Attendants and midwives fluttered about her chambers, chatting in hushed undertones, and occasionally stopping to wipe her brow. Leda sighed heavily, and shut her eyes, blocking out the light of the single lit taper next to her bed. Her body felt immobile, and heavy, as though it had turned into a rock. She wore only a silk shift, and her hair lay matted about her pale face, lovely despite everything. "The child...?" She asked to nobody in particular.
An attendant immediately swept over to her side, eyes friendly, and mouth twisted into a motherly smile. "Children, your highness, you had twins! A boy and girl."
A boy and a girl. Well, Tyndarecus would certainly be happy. She winced inwardly. Yes, he would be very happy... but only because he didn't know. She hadn't told him about the swan. Tyndarecus would think he was the father. She would never tell him otherwise. Her thoughts drifted, disconnected, as she remembered that night, nine months ago. She had risen early, left Tyndarecus still sleeping in their chambers, and had wandered out to the olive orchard. She had always loved that place. It was located on a slight hill, overlooking the Aegean Sea, and the wind constantly blew gently up their, causing the green-grey leaves to sway to-and-fro, carrying the scent of olives. But that morning the wind ripped through the trees violently, whipping her skirt and hair, and yanking the delicate branches of the olive trees. A swan had appeared before her, out of nowhere. It had not said anything, but it stood there with such majesty, and cast such an indescribable feeling over her that she knew it wasn't ordinary... it was Zeus, King of the Olympians. Leda had heard of Zeus' many exploits" Io, Europa, Leta... and she had tried to run, back to the safety of Tyndarecus. But the swan barred her way, had its way with her. And just as mysteriously, it had left.
"Leda," A deep, gentle voice whispered in her ear, disrupting her thoughts.
Leda's eyes snapped open immediately, and she forced a small smile upon her face as she gazed at Tyndarecus's concerned, yet excited face. He was handsome, for a mortal, with olive skin, curling dark brown hair and beard, and athletic body.
"Leda," he repeated, "are you alright?"
"Yes," she replied listlessly. She did not want to talk right now. All she wanted to do was sleep.
"They are beautiful," he said, caressing her face. "Thank you."
Leda nodded slightly. She hadn't really had a chance to look at them yet.
"What shall we name them?"
Leda had to smile at his persistence. He would never know how draining birth could be. "I don't know... bring them to me."
With a boyish spring in his step, Tyndarecus walked over to the cradle that the two had to share until another could be made. Gently, he picked up two small bundles, one in each arm, and returned to his wife's side. Slowly, he sat down on the bed, and presented the babies to their mother.
They were sleeping, yes tightly shut, and their color still alarmingly red. Leda looked at them tenderly, already feeling joy sweep over her body. She loved them more than anything, and carefully, she caressed them both. The girl child opened her eyes at her mother's touch, and Leda was shocked at the stunning, ocean blue color of them.
"A beautiful girl," Tyndarecus said as all fathers did when they first were presented with their daughters.
"Yes," Said Leda, "Beautiful. She should have a fitting name..."
"Ariana?" Tyndarecus suggested.
Holy. The name meant holy. And the child was indeed holy, for Zeus was indeed her father. But Leda did not want to have her child to have a name that commemorated that fact. The child would be Tyndarecus's, not Zeus's. Leda shook her head, "No," she merely said.
"Atalanta?" was the next suggestion.
"No, our child will not be a hunter... She will make a mark on this world."She thought of the beautiful eyes, "She will be beyond beautiful. She will possess such a face that the likes of it have not yet been seen on any mortal." Leda did not know why she had said this. The word had simply come to her; all she knew was that they were true.
Tyndarecus smiled. All mothers said such things. "The boy?" He prompted.
"Pollux?"
"Yes," Tyndarecus said, nodding, a strong, good name. He will be a warrior.
Leda smiled; all men said such things.
Leda laid in her large bed, hung with the richest silks and velvets, still weak and tired from the long, hard birthing process. Attendants and midwives fluttered about her chambers, chatting in hushed undertones, and occasionally stopping to wipe her brow. Leda sighed heavily, and shut her eyes, blocking out the light of the single lit taper next to her bed. Her body felt immobile, and heavy, as though it had turned into a rock. She wore only a silk shift, and her hair lay matted about her pale face, lovely despite everything. "The child...?" She asked to nobody in particular.
An attendant immediately swept over to her side, eyes friendly, and mouth twisted into a motherly smile. "Children, your highness, you had twins! A boy and girl."
A boy and a girl. Well, Tyndarecus would certainly be happy. She winced inwardly. Yes, he would be very happy... but only because he didn't know. She hadn't told him about the swan. Tyndarecus would think he was the father. She would never tell him otherwise. Her thoughts drifted, disconnected, as she remembered that night, nine months ago. She had risen early, left Tyndarecus still sleeping in their chambers, and had wandered out to the olive orchard. She had always loved that place. It was located on a slight hill, overlooking the Aegean Sea, and the wind constantly blew gently up their, causing the green-grey leaves to sway to-and-fro, carrying the scent of olives. But that morning the wind ripped through the trees violently, whipping her skirt and hair, and yanking the delicate branches of the olive trees. A swan had appeared before her, out of nowhere. It had not said anything, but it stood there with such majesty, and cast such an indescribable feeling over her that she knew it wasn't ordinary... it was Zeus, King of the Olympians. Leda had heard of Zeus' many exploits" Io, Europa, Leta... and she had tried to run, back to the safety of Tyndarecus. But the swan barred her way, had its way with her. And just as mysteriously, it had left.
"Leda," A deep, gentle voice whispered in her ear, disrupting her thoughts.
Leda's eyes snapped open immediately, and she forced a small smile upon her face as she gazed at Tyndarecus's concerned, yet excited face. He was handsome, for a mortal, with olive skin, curling dark brown hair and beard, and athletic body.
"Leda," he repeated, "are you alright?"
"Yes," she replied listlessly. She did not want to talk right now. All she wanted to do was sleep.
"They are beautiful," he said, caressing her face. "Thank you."
Leda nodded slightly. She hadn't really had a chance to look at them yet.
"What shall we name them?"
Leda had to smile at his persistence. He would never know how draining birth could be. "I don't know... bring them to me."
With a boyish spring in his step, Tyndarecus walked over to the cradle that the two had to share until another could be made. Gently, he picked up two small bundles, one in each arm, and returned to his wife's side. Slowly, he sat down on the bed, and presented the babies to their mother.
They were sleeping, yes tightly shut, and their color still alarmingly red. Leda looked at them tenderly, already feeling joy sweep over her body. She loved them more than anything, and carefully, she caressed them both. The girl child opened her eyes at her mother's touch, and Leda was shocked at the stunning, ocean blue color of them.
"A beautiful girl," Tyndarecus said as all fathers did when they first were presented with their daughters.
"Yes," Said Leda, "Beautiful. She should have a fitting name..."
"Ariana?" Tyndarecus suggested.
Holy. The name meant holy. And the child was indeed holy, for Zeus was indeed her father. But Leda did not want to have her child to have a name that commemorated that fact. The child would be Tyndarecus's, not Zeus's. Leda shook her head, "No," she merely said.
"Atalanta?" was the next suggestion.
"No, our child will not be a hunter... She will make a mark on this world."She thought of the beautiful eyes, "She will be beyond beautiful. She will possess such a face that the likes of it have not yet been seen on any mortal." Leda did not know why she had said this. The word had simply come to her; all she knew was that they were true.
Tyndarecus smiled. All mothers said such things. "The boy?" He prompted.
"Pollux?"
"Yes," Tyndarecus said, nodding, a strong, good name. He will be a warrior.
Leda smiled; all men said such things.