Chapter Two:
One week later…
There was a soft knock on the door. Polyxena rolled over on the bed and looked at the solid wooden door without speaking. Her sister, Laodice, entered and Polyxena rolled over again.
"Polyxena! You will miss the wedding!"
Polyxena stared at her sister,
"I'm not going!"
"Father commands it and all the guests expect it…" Laodice insisted.
"Paris already has a wife," Polyxena said stubbornly.
(Flashback)
The moon was large and brilliant against the dark night sky that night. Polyxena quietly pushed the huge doors to the throne room open and leaned against the cool marble pillar. Scanning the room with her eyes, she started to see her brother Paris standing at the opposite end of the hall…staring at her.
"What do you want?" Polyxena asked.
Paris stepped forward casually in the moonlight,
"Merely to ask you what you think of my wife…?
Polyxena raised her eyebrows sarcastically,
"Your wife? Oh...you mean Oenone? She gave birth to your son less than a week ago…"
"I have told you…she only accepted me with her father's blessing…" Paris replied hotly.
"Is that not enough?" Polyxena demanded. Then, adopting a softer approach, she came forward and took Paris by the hand,
"Paris," she pleaded. "I beg you, take this Spartan woman away from our city. Go back to Oenone, help her to raise your son…only please do not continue on the path you have set yourself on."
Paris freed his hand from hers and looked at her,
"I think that the gods have decreed that my fate is to love Helen until the day I die… I cannot give her up…"
(End Flashback)
Polyxena remembered how she had loved Oenone as her own sister. She had always been far closer to her than any of her own sisters… No matter what anyone said, Polyxena would never acknowledge Helen…ever…
Laodice shrugged,
"Well, there's not much we can do about it."
Reluctantly, Polyxena sat up on the bed as Laodice crossed the floor to the other end of the room. After sorting through some of Polyxena's more formal outfits, she at last selected a light and wispy green dress with a silver girdle to hold it in place. She also took out a light but attractive silver circlet to match and entwined it into Polyxena's dark hair. When Polyxena had finished dressing, Laodice took a step backwards and surveyed her with pleasure. The silver circlet and green dress strikingly complemented Polyxena's dark auburn hair and emerald eyes.
"There," said Laodice.
Polyxena sighed. If it must be this way…if she must attend the wedding…she would at least make herself look presentable.