Chapter 1:

"Larissa, it's good to see you again."

"Same to you, good King Priam. It's been too long." I said to the King of Troy as I was almost at the top of the stairs and when I got up there, he took me into his arms and kissed my covered cheeks.

"Welcome back to Troy, I trust you had a good journey?" Asked Hector, as he and Paris came up and greeted me the same way their father did. I was uneasy as Paris welcomed me, I didn't know how he felt about the whole thing…I, on the other hand, was relieved that I did not have to go through with it anymore.

I smiled at them. "Yes, I did. It's good to see my favourite neighbouring Princes again."

"And us our favourite neighbouring Princess!" Hector said and we all began walking into the palace.

When we were inside, the king, princes and I all sat down at his large stone table and I motioned for my guards to stay in the corner. "Bring us some wine, water and food—for us and her weary guards." Priam ordered one of his servants and then looked back at me. "Now, obviously you have heard the rumours about Helen of Sparta and Paris and I have invited you here to tell you the rumours are true. Your kingdom and mine have held a loose alliance for two decades and, if there is to be war between Greece and Troy, I would like to know if that alliance still stands?"

I chuckled after I had some bread. "First of all, I have known of Helen and Paris' love for a week now; my king and queen had some of their emissaries at Sparta while, you, Paris and Hector, were there and they told me of Paris and Helen's affair. Yes, I admit they were there to spy—on the Spartans, of course—but it was only by chance that they watched you. Second, we all know that Menelaus will go to Agamemnon and our armies will need to be prepared for the worst. I will send word in the morning for my parents to start marching Thessolonia's army to Troy." At that I popped a grape into my mouth and had some water from a beautiful golden goblet.

Priam looked relieved. "For such a young princess and Demigod, you are the certainly the wisest."

I was sent to Troy by my surrogate parents, the king and queen of Thessolonia, who could not go themselves as they, and all of their high counsel and high priests, contracted an unknown sickness. I doubt my parents would have come to Troy even if they were not sick; they claimed Priam had stolen my future as a princess of Troy because he let Paris and Helen marry. In a year's time, on my sixteenth birthday, I was to marry Paris and then Thessolonia and Troy would be united, but Paris fell in love with the Spartan queen and for that I could not blame him. Paris and I had always been friends, but our feelings never progressed and it was continuously clear that I was too young for him.

My real mother had other plans. I was the daughter of Aphrodite, Goddess of love, desire, beauty and other such things, as well as being patron God of Thessolonia. When I was born, I was given to the King and Queen by Aphrodite herself with the hope that I would be raised by the strict rules she had for me. She had warned my surrogate parents long ago that she saving me for a man of her choice and that I had to keep myself unmarried until she gave me a sign. Aphrodite commanded that no man was to see my face as soon as I became a woman and that I had to wear the colour of love: pink. So, when I first started bleeding, all the clothes I wore had to be pink and there was to be pink veil –just transparent enough to see out of—over my head at all times.

My parents were going to make me marry Paris, even though Aphrodite commanded them not to. I think she was the one who sabotaged my marriage to Paris and probably the one who gave them the sickness. All my life I followed my orders from my mother, Aphrodite, and never questioned her awesome power, but I was beginning to find this all too much to bear. I could not have friends and I could not get married like all the other girls in the kingdom. People were afraid.

"Thank you, Priam. I must say that I have always thought you a sage and honourable king and to hear you call me wise is a compliment I shall never forget." I said, smiling at him from beneath my jewelled veil.

The old king laughed. "Oh, must you flatter me? Come, Hector and Paris shall show you to your room." He said and waved to Hector and Paris who both swiftly got off their chairs and escorted me out of the room and my guards followed me out of the room with my belongings.

When we were out of earshot, Paris whispered to me: "Are you bitter, Larissa? About me and Helen?"

I sighed and told the truth. "To be honest I am not; we knew we were not right for each other and I am happy for you and Helen. I just wish my parents would understand that too."

Paris seemed happy about that answer and put his arm around my shoulder and gave me a quick embrace. I then turned to Hector to ask him some serious questions. "When do you think the Greeks will arrive at Troy?"

He raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "I have no idea; could be in a week or it could be tomorrow…the Greeks move fast. It only took us a few weeks to get back to Troy, so it should be soon."

I felt worry building up inside me. "So, they could invade when I'm here?"

Hector and Paris smiled down at me and Hector said reassuringly: "Do not fear, my fair-skinned princess; not only will Troy's high walls protect you, I will protect you as well. You have my word."

Paris looked offended, but he was playful. "Don't forget about me! Now you will have both princes of Troy protecting you."

"Great, I have two of Troy's bravest men being my private guards." I joked and then I placed my hand on Paris' elbow. "I'd like to meet Helen."

He nodded. "Whenever you are ready, I'll take you to her. Nothing would make me happier."

After a flight of stairs and many turns later, Hector and Paris dropped me off at my room and my guards at theirs and then I let my guards retire for the rest of the day. The room had a good sized bed, vanity, bath and terrace facing the beach and temple of Apollo. I walked out onto the terrace and for a few moments leaned against one of its cold, giant pillars while a slight breeze moved all around me.

Being in Troy was like a much needed breath of fresh air and I felt like I was free from the restraints of my homeland. I had to stay inside the palace almost all of life, so that's why I have an unnatural pale complexion.

Everything about me was different to everyone and, because people did not understand my situation, they made up rumours about me. The poets of my country made myths about me. Some say I am cursed and must keep my face covered or else the next man to see me will turn to stone, just like Medusa; that underneath the veil I am beautiful, others say that I am as ugly as a pig. I try my best to ignore those stories and just be patient till the man Aphrodite had me waiting for came along.

I unpacked a little, washed my face and read some poetry...a while went by and I became lonely and bored. I went out of my room and went to Paris' which was still the same after all these years.

"Paris, it is me; Larissa." I said as I knocked on the door and a few second later the door opened, but it was not Paris that opened it, but the most beautiful woman I had seen in my life.

The woman smiled and took my hand. "Sorry, Paris has gone to talk to Hector. My name is Helen. Paris has told me all about you, Larissa. Come in and we can talk."

I nodded and walked into the room and we both sat down on the bed. Helen looked like she remembered something and got up, locked the door and checked the balcony outside. "It's alright now; you can take off the veil."

"That's quite alright; you do not have to see me without my veil." I said, putting my hands together.

"Oh, come on take it off. I don't mind." She said smiling and I gave into her.

I carefully took off my tiara first and then pulled the veil down from my face. Helen gasped as she saw my face for the very first time. I clenched my teeth and I believed she thought I was ugly, so I was about to put my veil back on when she stopped me. "What are you doing, Larissa?"

I sighed sadly. "I am horrible; your reaction says it all."

Helen looked angry at me and scolded me. "You are horrible? Where did you get that notion from? Have you even looked into a mirror before or are we seeing different things?"

I paused and answered timidly. "I have not looked into a reflective surface without my veil since I was twelve."

"Why ever not?"

"Because underneath this veil I'm unsightly and I do not want to see myself."

Helen huffed in frustration. "You are most beautiful girl in all of Greece, Troy and Thessolonia! How could you have not known this?"

I calmed down a little. "Well, because you are! Helen, I know you cannot help but notice your beauty rises above all others, so just please admit that?"

"I was going to—though it would seem arrogant, but now I cannot; my beauty cannot rise above yours. Oh, if the men saw your face, how they would fight over you!" She laughed. I did not find it a laughing matter.

"Are you saying I am more beautiful than Helen of Sparta?" I asked, sceptically.

"Of Troy; it's Helen of Troy now and yes, I am saying that. I want to help you because, when you take off that veil and show the whole world who you are, everyone s going to think of you differently. Men are going to treat you like meat, fight over you constantly and even try to do many things to you that no woman should say aloud. Though men are the ones who you should be most careful of, it's the women who will attack you with their words; they are going to alienate you all the time and treat you like the dirt they walk on."

"You lived with that all your life? Is that what the future holds for me? My mother, Aphrodite, has cursed me!" I cried and then I did cry.

"Hush now! Do not waste your tears! Your mother is the Goddess of Love and Desire; she would not have cursed you if she gave you such an awe-inspiring gift! Aphrodite takes pride in beautiful things and you are one of them. She wouldn't have made you a beautiful Demigod if you couldn't handle it. My father is Zeus and your mother is Aphrodite…of course we'd be different than other people. We must stick together and, Larissa, I will help you in whatever way I can."

I was overcome by her words and embraced her. "Thank you very much, Helen. I shall try and be positive about this all."

"Good. Now, let's make you even more beautiful—well, if that's even possible!" She joked and took my hand and led me to her vanity. "You have high cheek bones, full lips and gorgeous eyes as well as a perfect figure to match…no wonder Aphrodite kept you hidden!"

I laughed and then she made me look into the mirror and I too gasped. "Is that… me?"

"Yes, aren't you happy you looked? I'll bring out your eyes the most and then your cheekbones and lips a little more subtly." Helen said as took some of her cosmetics and began to make me over. She showed me how to do it to myself and before I left her, she gave me some creams and cheek and eye dusts to keep.

I left her room feeling a little less lonely and a little more comfortable in my own skin.