The sun beat down on my skin, and I felt like I would fall to the ground in a melted pile of skin if I stayed in it any longer. I wasn't in the mood for lunch, who could be. I stared over the railing at the wives hugging their husbands good-bye. Crying screams could be heard all over as wives begged their husbands not to leave. Little kids clutched onto their father's legs, weeping for the fact that they may never see him again. Hundreds of men walked down the dirt roads, headed towards the building where they would get their armour and swords. my eyes already swollen and pink from crying literally the whole day started to water again. Women from the streets looked up at me, screaming and cursing my name. Armed guards had to refrain them from throwing stuff at me, or trying to kill me. I backed away from the edge immediately, horrified at the amount of pain and greif I had caused. I turned around to find no one left in the room, and I was puzzled. Where could they have all gone to? I rushed in, my heart racing and my eyes searching frantically for Paris.
"Paris?" I called out running down the halls. I heard a sound from a room up ahead, and I hurried in the direction, praying to the gods that it was Paris. But when I turned the corner I found Andromache, sitting on the edge of a bed with her son in her arms weeping as she rocked him back and forth. I walked over slowly, taking a seat next to her.
"He left for the beach." A sniffled cry was let out and I wrapped my arm around her.
"He will return." I said leaning my head against her shoulder. I looked at the baby who was now squirming in the blanket, his arms reaching out and trying to grab ahold onto something. He was helpless.
"Helen." I heard Paris say and I looked up to see him at the door.
"Paris!" I called rushing over to him.
"I thought you were going to the beach...with Hector?" I ran my hands all over his face, just happy to be in standing with him, sure that he was away from harm. He shook his head and then looked up at Andromache who staring off into the distance, entranced by the tiny horsemen riding away. Suddenly a guard charged into the room, shaking us all from our trance-like state.
"My lord...the preistesses...they went to Apollo's temple...the Greek army is invading there!" The guard yelled frantically. Paris looked out at the sea.
"Briseis..." He said quietly, but loud enough for everyone in the room to understand him. He rushed out of the room.
"Paris!" I called after him, grabbing his arm and wishing for him to stay with me.
"Where are you going?"
"I must go find Briseis."
"But that is sure death!" I fumbled for my words, trying to convince him of his fate. If he went to Apollo's temple alone, he was doomed to die among the many other's...his blood pouring onto the scorching sand.
"I have to do something!" Paris cried out angrily.
"I cannot stay here with the women and await my cousin and my brother's fate!" I started crying, pleading for him not to leave my side. I continued to chase after him, even after he walked up to King Priam to request permission to leave.
"Father, Briseis and the other Preistesses are in Apollo's temple...where the Greek are taking over the beach right now. I request permission to go make sure she is alright." Priam looked over me, i stood sniffling and trying to hide my face from the king. He then looked back over at Paris and opened his mouth to speak, though the words did not come out as soon as he opened it.
"Paris......I know you wish to be among the soldiers...and men who are fighting for Troy...but you are too young and have not enough training to go amongst the dying men. Hector is out there...and if he finds Briseis, i trust he will make sure she is alright."
"But Father, I have every right to defend..." He was cut off immediately by Priam.
"I suggest you take your Princess and comfort her, it will be a long day in Troy for you." Paris nodded his head, not going to pressure his father any further for the moment. He gripped my arm (a little too tight might i add) and pulled me into our room. He started pacing around the room as I sat on the bed, wondering what he was contemplating in his mind.
"How could you do this to me?" He said out of pure fury throwing his arms in the air.
"Do what?" I said looking at him questionably, completely ignorant to what I had done to make him so infuriated.
"Keep me locked up here. Do you not think me strong enough to fight? If so...please tell me!" I shook my head, astonished he would think such things.
"No...no Paris i don't think that about you. I love you." I said standing up and walking towards him, not quite sure what it was he wanted to hear.
"The Greeks came here to kill you, and retrieve me. Going down to the beach is like gift-wrapping yourself to Menelaus. He will not stop until he finds you dead" I tried my best to comfort him, and explain to him why I didn't want him down there. But in the end it was his father who wouldn't let him, not I.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hours went by, but they seemed like years. Andromache would not come out of her room, and Paris sat in silence, waiting for his brother to return. Soon, out in the distance, tiny little men on horses could be made out returning to Troy's gates. Priam ordered for the men to be let in. Andromache, Paris, and myself rushed down to the footsteps of the palace, our eyes searching the men for Hector's familiar face.
"Hector!" We heard Andromache shout out, and for a second in time my stomach flopped. I couldn't inhale or exhale...and my body refused to move. I blinked my eyes a few times, staring blankly at where Andromache was headed to see Hector scoop her up in his arms. Paris quickly ran over, searching but not for his brother.
"Briseis! Did you find her?" He said looking around and behind the army.
"She was in Apollo's Temple." Hector's head fell towards the ground and he looked back up at Paris. i never knew Paris was so close with his cousin, but I was afraid for him of the news to come.
"A warrior by the name of Achilles killed the Priests in the temple. He desicrated Apollo's statue, and yet he was not struck down dead by the Gods. I am afraid, I did not find Briseis." Paris looked back at me, his eyes huge and brown. It was almost as if, he carried all of the world's misery in those two deep pupils. I looked up at the sky, praying to Zeus that all this would just end. All the pain, the torture, the death, I wanted it all to just end.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The sun was setting, as we made our way back into the palace. Dinner was replaced by a meeting for the princes, the king, the high preist, and the top commanders for the army. I sat in our room, laying warm and naked beneath the blankets, thinking about all that has happened in this short amount of time. Tears rolled off my cheeks, and I wiped them away with the edge of the blanket. The course woven threads scratched my soft rosey skin, and as I set it down i heard the door click. Paris slowly undressed, and then joined me in the bed. I turned over, so I would be facing him, and I looked up into his dark lonely eyes. Our legs rubbing each other slowly as I leaned forward and softly kissed his bottom lip.
"i'm sorry...my love" i whispered against his skin, his cold fingers delicately rubbing against my flesh.
"i am fighting Menelaus tomorrow." he said staring away, biting his lip afraid of what I would say. i was astonished, everyone in the palace knew what would become of him if he challenged Menelaus to a deul. i sat up quickly, the blanket falling of my body and paris' eyes soon trailed to my body instead of the wall.
"wh-wh-how?" i said stuttering as i moved a dark brown curl from in his face.
"the loser will burn before nightfall...and the winner will have you"
"I don't want you to fight for me Paris. I am already yours" I leaned forward, bringing his lips against mine...not ever wanting to let go. Our fingers slid against each other's sweaty body, and for that single moment I forgot all of my troubles. There was no war, no pain, no death...all there was, were our two bodies against each other, and our love.
"Paris?" I called out running down the halls. I heard a sound from a room up ahead, and I hurried in the direction, praying to the gods that it was Paris. But when I turned the corner I found Andromache, sitting on the edge of a bed with her son in her arms weeping as she rocked him back and forth. I walked over slowly, taking a seat next to her.
"He left for the beach." A sniffled cry was let out and I wrapped my arm around her.
"He will return." I said leaning my head against her shoulder. I looked at the baby who was now squirming in the blanket, his arms reaching out and trying to grab ahold onto something. He was helpless.
"Helen." I heard Paris say and I looked up to see him at the door.
"Paris!" I called rushing over to him.
"I thought you were going to the beach...with Hector?" I ran my hands all over his face, just happy to be in standing with him, sure that he was away from harm. He shook his head and then looked up at Andromache who staring off into the distance, entranced by the tiny horsemen riding away. Suddenly a guard charged into the room, shaking us all from our trance-like state.
"My lord...the preistesses...they went to Apollo's temple...the Greek army is invading there!" The guard yelled frantically. Paris looked out at the sea.
"Briseis..." He said quietly, but loud enough for everyone in the room to understand him. He rushed out of the room.
"Paris!" I called after him, grabbing his arm and wishing for him to stay with me.
"Where are you going?"
"I must go find Briseis."
"But that is sure death!" I fumbled for my words, trying to convince him of his fate. If he went to Apollo's temple alone, he was doomed to die among the many other's...his blood pouring onto the scorching sand.
"I have to do something!" Paris cried out angrily.
"I cannot stay here with the women and await my cousin and my brother's fate!" I started crying, pleading for him not to leave my side. I continued to chase after him, even after he walked up to King Priam to request permission to leave.
"Father, Briseis and the other Preistesses are in Apollo's temple...where the Greek are taking over the beach right now. I request permission to go make sure she is alright." Priam looked over me, i stood sniffling and trying to hide my face from the king. He then looked back over at Paris and opened his mouth to speak, though the words did not come out as soon as he opened it.
"Paris......I know you wish to be among the soldiers...and men who are fighting for Troy...but you are too young and have not enough training to go amongst the dying men. Hector is out there...and if he finds Briseis, i trust he will make sure she is alright."
"But Father, I have every right to defend..." He was cut off immediately by Priam.
"I suggest you take your Princess and comfort her, it will be a long day in Troy for you." Paris nodded his head, not going to pressure his father any further for the moment. He gripped my arm (a little too tight might i add) and pulled me into our room. He started pacing around the room as I sat on the bed, wondering what he was contemplating in his mind.
"How could you do this to me?" He said out of pure fury throwing his arms in the air.
"Do what?" I said looking at him questionably, completely ignorant to what I had done to make him so infuriated.
"Keep me locked up here. Do you not think me strong enough to fight? If so...please tell me!" I shook my head, astonished he would think such things.
"No...no Paris i don't think that about you. I love you." I said standing up and walking towards him, not quite sure what it was he wanted to hear.
"The Greeks came here to kill you, and retrieve me. Going down to the beach is like gift-wrapping yourself to Menelaus. He will not stop until he finds you dead" I tried my best to comfort him, and explain to him why I didn't want him down there. But in the end it was his father who wouldn't let him, not I.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hours went by, but they seemed like years. Andromache would not come out of her room, and Paris sat in silence, waiting for his brother to return. Soon, out in the distance, tiny little men on horses could be made out returning to Troy's gates. Priam ordered for the men to be let in. Andromache, Paris, and myself rushed down to the footsteps of the palace, our eyes searching the men for Hector's familiar face.
"Hector!" We heard Andromache shout out, and for a second in time my stomach flopped. I couldn't inhale or exhale...and my body refused to move. I blinked my eyes a few times, staring blankly at where Andromache was headed to see Hector scoop her up in his arms. Paris quickly ran over, searching but not for his brother.
"Briseis! Did you find her?" He said looking around and behind the army.
"She was in Apollo's Temple." Hector's head fell towards the ground and he looked back up at Paris. i never knew Paris was so close with his cousin, but I was afraid for him of the news to come.
"A warrior by the name of Achilles killed the Priests in the temple. He desicrated Apollo's statue, and yet he was not struck down dead by the Gods. I am afraid, I did not find Briseis." Paris looked back at me, his eyes huge and brown. It was almost as if, he carried all of the world's misery in those two deep pupils. I looked up at the sky, praying to Zeus that all this would just end. All the pain, the torture, the death, I wanted it all to just end.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The sun was setting, as we made our way back into the palace. Dinner was replaced by a meeting for the princes, the king, the high preist, and the top commanders for the army. I sat in our room, laying warm and naked beneath the blankets, thinking about all that has happened in this short amount of time. Tears rolled off my cheeks, and I wiped them away with the edge of the blanket. The course woven threads scratched my soft rosey skin, and as I set it down i heard the door click. Paris slowly undressed, and then joined me in the bed. I turned over, so I would be facing him, and I looked up into his dark lonely eyes. Our legs rubbing each other slowly as I leaned forward and softly kissed his bottom lip.
"i'm sorry...my love" i whispered against his skin, his cold fingers delicately rubbing against my flesh.
"i am fighting Menelaus tomorrow." he said staring away, biting his lip afraid of what I would say. i was astonished, everyone in the palace knew what would become of him if he challenged Menelaus to a deul. i sat up quickly, the blanket falling of my body and paris' eyes soon trailed to my body instead of the wall.
"wh-wh-how?" i said stuttering as i moved a dark brown curl from in his face.
"the loser will burn before nightfall...and the winner will have you"
"I don't want you to fight for me Paris. I am already yours" I leaned forward, bringing his lips against mine...not ever wanting to let go. Our fingers slid against each other's sweaty body, and for that single moment I forgot all of my troubles. There was no war, no pain, no death...all there was, were our two bodies against each other, and our love.