Chapter One
One day had passed. Makoto insisted she felt well enough to leave the bedchamber. Truthfully, it was the bed she couldn't stand. Polyxena's nurse had agreed that the young woman looked much better, so Makoto was officially released from bedrest. Before Makoto was presented to the King and Queen, Polyxena set to work creating Makoto into the wood nymph the girl insisted she was.
Off came Makoto's itchy bedgown, traded for a lovely dark beige, embroidered robe, or as Polyxena called it, chiton. She was glad there were maids to help drape the chiton for alone, Makoto knew she would be at a loss.
Down went her usual ponytail. Makoto was amazed at the fuss Polyxena and her maids created with just her hair. It was washed, combed, crimped, curled, and beribboned. Makoto had never spent more than five minutes fussing with her hair, let alone one whole hour!
Next, the maids brought out a tray of various little jars and pots. Before Makoto could say anything, something gooey was applied to her face, followed by a powder for her eyes, and a powder for her lips. She was then squirted with something she supposed was perfume. However, to Makoto's more modern preferences, the perfume smelled terribly bittersweet.
"Oh Makoto, you look so beautiful!" Polyxena exclaimed once she had finally finished, ending the arduous task by putting pretty little sandals on Makoto's feet. "Here, look for yourself."
Makoto had to squint to see herself in the small, polished bronze mirror. But even the slightly distorted form gave her a shock. She no longer looked like Kino Makoto, the tall, strong fighter from Japan! She had rarely seen herself without her typical ponytail, and she was impressed how sophisticated she looked with her new hairstyle. "Wow... this is amazing!"
"Wow? What does that mean?"
Blushing, Makoto forgot that even though she seemed to be speaking their language, she would still use words they didn't know. "Wow...well, it's a word that means...cool. No no! Not cool. Umm...." What would Ami say? She always explained things in a clear manner. "It's what you say when you're in awe..."
"Fascinating!"
"There! Instead of saying fascinating, say wow!"
Polyxena giggled. "I hope we will have more time for learning new words. Now we best hurry to the presentation chamber."
*************
"We shall all perish - oh how I weep for those not yet sacrificed!"
Makoto stared at the young woman, her eyes unnaturally wide, dark hair flying wildly around her face. The woman was beautiful, and also very possessed. She was standing against the courtyard wall, and Makoto hadn't even noticed her until she heard the loud voice suddenly call out. Her instincts made her tense up, ready to defend herself. But a small hand reached up to rest on her shoulder.
"That is my sister, Cassandra. She is...afflicted," Polyxena said, her voice heavy with sadness. "She will not harm you. Only depress you with words of unending doom."
Cassandra. The name sounded familiar to Makoto. Had she been in the movie? Yes, Makoto distinctly remembered that name. But her significance was still a mystery. If only Ami were here; she'd be able to explain anything. "Cassandra, why shall we all perish?" Perhaps just asking would solve it.
The woman stared at her; her wild eyes held a mixture of suspicion and hope. "I have foreseen the end of our beloved Troy. Our days are numbered. Even yours, sister," she stated, turning her gaze to Polyxena.
Polyxena rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Come Makoto, leave Cassandra to her mad rantings. We have better things to occupy our time with."
As Makoto turned to follow Polyxena, she felt Cassandra's hand grab her sleeve. Turning around, she saw the woman's eyes, temporarily calm. "You understand." It was a statement, not a question.
"Yes." Makoto then ran to catch up with Polyxena, afraid she would say something she shouldn't. She didn't look back, but she could feel Cassandra's eyes still watching her. Eyes that knew things no young woman her age should know.
"Has your sister always been that way?" Makoto asked as she trailed alongside of Polyxena.
"No, not always. Something happened...but please, let us talk of other things." Her voice was kind, but firm.
Fortunately before Makoto had a chance to say something else wrong, Polyxena stopped in front of her. They were before a large wooden door, armed by two gruff looking guards. "We've reached the audience chamber."
The guards bowed to the princess, and opened the doors. Makoto couldn't help but stare as she stepped into the vast room, filled with people from all classes chattering and moving about. Several started to bow to Polyxena, but stopped short as they saw Makoto. Soon, she began to hear whispers circulating, and knew they were directed towards her.
Polyxena led her to the front, and Makoto had to forcibly close her gaping mouth. There, seated before her, was Priam, the King of Troy, and his wife, Queen Hecuba. They were real! Oh if only Ami could see this!
"Father, Mother, this is Kino Makoto, the woman I found lying in the garden," Polyxena spoke, with a slight curtsy.
Makoto curtsied as well. She noticed the King did not look very friendly towards her, but the Queen had a warm smile on her face. "Your Highnesses, I thank you for making me welcome here."
Hecuba nodded, still smiling. Priam merely grunted, furrowing his brow.
"Makoto has recovered well. I have explained to her that she was found near the pond, and I took her in before asking permission from you. I apologize Father, Mother."
Priam grunted again. "She should be questioned. Daughter, this is not the time to be taking in strangers. We are at war, need I remind you?"
Polyxena nodded. "Yes Father, I am sorry, Father. But I don't believe Makoto is a spy."
Someone standing next to Priam snickered and said, "Those who aren't believed make the best spies my, dimwitted sister."
"Silence Helenus!" Queen Hecuba spoke for the first time. "Tell me child, who are your parents?"
Makoto bit her lip. How was she going to answer this? "I...I do not know, your Highness." It wasn't the bravest answer she had ever given, but it was a logical one.
"You are an orphan, then?" The Queen's tone was soft and gentle, much like her own Mother's voice used to sound.
This, at least, would not be a lie. "Yes, Highness. I am an orphan."
She answered the last question with such obvious emotion, even Priam relaxed his frown a little. "And where are you from?" He asked.
"I am from...from..."
Before Makoto could finish, she was interrupted by a loud chattering amongst the audience. People began to make way, and she saw a large, rather imposing figure approaching, dressed in the most beautiful armor she had ever seen. Polyxena noticed her staring. "That is my brother, Hector."
He came foreward, bowed slightly to his parents, and turned to glare at his sister and her strange companion. "Sister, I have learned what you have done. I have returned from the battlefield for your silly, womanly act of foolishness!"
Both Polyxena and Makoto winced at his tone. "Brother, please, she is not an enemy."
Pulling out a beautifully carved sword, Hector pointed it towards Makoto. "Where do you come from, woman? You have surely bewitched my sister."
Stunned, Makoto could only stare at the handsome, yet fearsome man looking at her with such hatred. "I...I am not from here," she stammered. If only she could transform! But no, that was left for a last resort. And she wasn't even sure she could transform. But now was not the time for trial and error.
"A Greek? A Spartan? Tell me witch, who do you spy for?" Hector's voice was deep, and drummed deep into her ears.
"I don't spy for anyone, sir! I'm not even from this world!" Oops. Makoto heard the sharp intakes of breath as she uttered those words. She hadn't meant to say that.
"Then tell us, woman, what world you are from!"
One day had passed. Makoto insisted she felt well enough to leave the bedchamber. Truthfully, it was the bed she couldn't stand. Polyxena's nurse had agreed that the young woman looked much better, so Makoto was officially released from bedrest. Before Makoto was presented to the King and Queen, Polyxena set to work creating Makoto into the wood nymph the girl insisted she was.
Off came Makoto's itchy bedgown, traded for a lovely dark beige, embroidered robe, or as Polyxena called it, chiton. She was glad there were maids to help drape the chiton for alone, Makoto knew she would be at a loss.
Down went her usual ponytail. Makoto was amazed at the fuss Polyxena and her maids created with just her hair. It was washed, combed, crimped, curled, and beribboned. Makoto had never spent more than five minutes fussing with her hair, let alone one whole hour!
Next, the maids brought out a tray of various little jars and pots. Before Makoto could say anything, something gooey was applied to her face, followed by a powder for her eyes, and a powder for her lips. She was then squirted with something she supposed was perfume. However, to Makoto's more modern preferences, the perfume smelled terribly bittersweet.
"Oh Makoto, you look so beautiful!" Polyxena exclaimed once she had finally finished, ending the arduous task by putting pretty little sandals on Makoto's feet. "Here, look for yourself."
Makoto had to squint to see herself in the small, polished bronze mirror. But even the slightly distorted form gave her a shock. She no longer looked like Kino Makoto, the tall, strong fighter from Japan! She had rarely seen herself without her typical ponytail, and she was impressed how sophisticated she looked with her new hairstyle. "Wow... this is amazing!"
"Wow? What does that mean?"
Blushing, Makoto forgot that even though she seemed to be speaking their language, she would still use words they didn't know. "Wow...well, it's a word that means...cool. No no! Not cool. Umm...." What would Ami say? She always explained things in a clear manner. "It's what you say when you're in awe..."
"Fascinating!"
"There! Instead of saying fascinating, say wow!"
Polyxena giggled. "I hope we will have more time for learning new words. Now we best hurry to the presentation chamber."
*************
"We shall all perish - oh how I weep for those not yet sacrificed!"
Makoto stared at the young woman, her eyes unnaturally wide, dark hair flying wildly around her face. The woman was beautiful, and also very possessed. She was standing against the courtyard wall, and Makoto hadn't even noticed her until she heard the loud voice suddenly call out. Her instincts made her tense up, ready to defend herself. But a small hand reached up to rest on her shoulder.
"That is my sister, Cassandra. She is...afflicted," Polyxena said, her voice heavy with sadness. "She will not harm you. Only depress you with words of unending doom."
Cassandra. The name sounded familiar to Makoto. Had she been in the movie? Yes, Makoto distinctly remembered that name. But her significance was still a mystery. If only Ami were here; she'd be able to explain anything. "Cassandra, why shall we all perish?" Perhaps just asking would solve it.
The woman stared at her; her wild eyes held a mixture of suspicion and hope. "I have foreseen the end of our beloved Troy. Our days are numbered. Even yours, sister," she stated, turning her gaze to Polyxena.
Polyxena rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Come Makoto, leave Cassandra to her mad rantings. We have better things to occupy our time with."
As Makoto turned to follow Polyxena, she felt Cassandra's hand grab her sleeve. Turning around, she saw the woman's eyes, temporarily calm. "You understand." It was a statement, not a question.
"Yes." Makoto then ran to catch up with Polyxena, afraid she would say something she shouldn't. She didn't look back, but she could feel Cassandra's eyes still watching her. Eyes that knew things no young woman her age should know.
"Has your sister always been that way?" Makoto asked as she trailed alongside of Polyxena.
"No, not always. Something happened...but please, let us talk of other things." Her voice was kind, but firm.
Fortunately before Makoto had a chance to say something else wrong, Polyxena stopped in front of her. They were before a large wooden door, armed by two gruff looking guards. "We've reached the audience chamber."
The guards bowed to the princess, and opened the doors. Makoto couldn't help but stare as she stepped into the vast room, filled with people from all classes chattering and moving about. Several started to bow to Polyxena, but stopped short as they saw Makoto. Soon, she began to hear whispers circulating, and knew they were directed towards her.
Polyxena led her to the front, and Makoto had to forcibly close her gaping mouth. There, seated before her, was Priam, the King of Troy, and his wife, Queen Hecuba. They were real! Oh if only Ami could see this!
"Father, Mother, this is Kino Makoto, the woman I found lying in the garden," Polyxena spoke, with a slight curtsy.
Makoto curtsied as well. She noticed the King did not look very friendly towards her, but the Queen had a warm smile on her face. "Your Highnesses, I thank you for making me welcome here."
Hecuba nodded, still smiling. Priam merely grunted, furrowing his brow.
"Makoto has recovered well. I have explained to her that she was found near the pond, and I took her in before asking permission from you. I apologize Father, Mother."
Priam grunted again. "She should be questioned. Daughter, this is not the time to be taking in strangers. We are at war, need I remind you?"
Polyxena nodded. "Yes Father, I am sorry, Father. But I don't believe Makoto is a spy."
Someone standing next to Priam snickered and said, "Those who aren't believed make the best spies my, dimwitted sister."
"Silence Helenus!" Queen Hecuba spoke for the first time. "Tell me child, who are your parents?"
Makoto bit her lip. How was she going to answer this? "I...I do not know, your Highness." It wasn't the bravest answer she had ever given, but it was a logical one.
"You are an orphan, then?" The Queen's tone was soft and gentle, much like her own Mother's voice used to sound.
This, at least, would not be a lie. "Yes, Highness. I am an orphan."
She answered the last question with such obvious emotion, even Priam relaxed his frown a little. "And where are you from?" He asked.
"I am from...from..."
Before Makoto could finish, she was interrupted by a loud chattering amongst the audience. People began to make way, and she saw a large, rather imposing figure approaching, dressed in the most beautiful armor she had ever seen. Polyxena noticed her staring. "That is my brother, Hector."
He came foreward, bowed slightly to his parents, and turned to glare at his sister and her strange companion. "Sister, I have learned what you have done. I have returned from the battlefield for your silly, womanly act of foolishness!"
Both Polyxena and Makoto winced at his tone. "Brother, please, she is not an enemy."
Pulling out a beautifully carved sword, Hector pointed it towards Makoto. "Where do you come from, woman? You have surely bewitched my sister."
Stunned, Makoto could only stare at the handsome, yet fearsome man looking at her with such hatred. "I...I am not from here," she stammered. If only she could transform! But no, that was left for a last resort. And she wasn't even sure she could transform. But now was not the time for trial and error.
"A Greek? A Spartan? Tell me witch, who do you spy for?" Hector's voice was deep, and drummed deep into her ears.
"I don't spy for anyone, sir! I'm not even from this world!" Oops. Makoto heard the sharp intakes of breath as she uttered those words. She hadn't meant to say that.
"Then tell us, woman, what world you are from!"