Apollo's chariot rose slowly into the sky leaving the moon to fade back
down into the horizon. A new morning was now being born to refresh people
from the night and make them leave the illusions of dream or nightmare
behind them until the next time the sun would set. It was quiet, despite
the fact that the night had been noisy at Paris' palace.
Andromache walked down the cool halls with Astyanax cradled in her arms. He had woken up early and had kept his mother up with him as well.
"What am I going to do with you? You wake up so early! What if you had woken up your father, he needs all the sleep he can get" She smiled and watched him as he played with his carved wooden horse, making it trot over Andromache's arm.
"I'm already awake" came a happy response from behind her. Hector had already wakened, but not on account of little Astyanax, "I can't sleep, there's something in the air that's unsettling, do you feel it too?"
She looked at her son, then at his father. They were so similar, every time she looked at him she thought of Hector. Perhaps Astyanax felt this in the air too.
"No, not really but I trust your judgment. Where are you going at such an hour in the morning?" She knew Hector would not let this feeling pass until he found out what had gone amiss.
"I'm going to check the stables and after I'm going to visit Paris, I was supposed to send a message to him from our father. Father wants him to attend the meeting with Menelaus, but I had been too busy to deliver it yesterday"
"I see" Andromache smiled, "don't be too long, your son misses you when you are gone, he asks for you"
"I'll make haste" he kissed Andromache and Astyanax goodbye for the morning and left quickly.
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The morning light now began to shine mercilessly though the windows in Paris' bedchamber. He awoke because the sun in his eyes began to bother him. For once he woke up tired and groggy.
Paris found himself sleeping on the floor; it was cold as was his skin from the breeze coming in from the balcony. It was peaceful, but soon he found himself with a splitting headache, it seems today peace would be far away from his grasp.
Helen was sleeping on the other side of the bedchamber on the couch. She had found that the farther she was away from him that night, the less quarreling they would get into. The rays seemed to magnify her beauty, but Paris didn't marvel at her for long when he heard a quiet knock on the door.
He got up and tiptoed soundlessly out of the room, trying not to disturb Helen's peace. Paris opened the large wooden door and got out to find Hector waiting for him on the other end of it.
"I didn't wake you did I?" Hector observed the state his brother was in. Paris' hair was in disarray; he was unusually pale and yet he had this unusual red tint in his face.
"Well, yes, but I was waking up anyways" His voice sounded hoarse, as if he had spent the whole night yelling.
"You slept in your armor? You look horrible, tell me, what has happened to you" Hector placed his hand on Paris' forehead like a worried mother would. He had fever, but why all of a sudden? He had been fine yesterday.
"I had an argument with Helen" That's all Paris wanted to say but he knew that Hector would now persist in getting all the truth out of him.
"No, don't give me that. You have fever, your voice is hoarse; you look like you have been through the river Styx. What is going on? Why are you ill all of a sudden?" Hector walked with Paris and sat down at a table on the other side of the hall.
"I slept on the floor last night and I woke up in a draft coming from the window" He continued, not giving in to his brother's piercing questions.
"Why in the name of the gods would you do such a thing? Don't you know you can get sick?" he shook his head as Paris coughed loudly, "never mind, I think you know that now. I wont ask anymore, I came here to tell you that father wants you to come stay by his side when Menelaus visits, but because of the state you're in, you might have to stay here"
"I can't. I must go, this is my business with Menelaus anyways," Pairs sounded desperate to get out of the palace.
"Suit yourself. Be stubborn, but heed my advice, if you feel ill don't go. It'll portray you as weak to him, I'll send mother to look after you. If she thinks you are unwell, you wont go. Understood?" He felt like he was the authority, even if he was nothing but a guest in his brother's palace.
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Helen woke up to the sounds of people talking, it was Paris and Hector outside the door she was sure of it. Words echoed in her head from the night, but it was interrupted as Paris and Hector walked into the room and made their way to the sofa where she was sitting.
"You'll have to excuse him my lady, he's ill. Let him lie down on the sofa" It was obvious that Hector was speaking on behalf of Paris, who wouldn't even give her a glance out of shame.
She didn't say a word, but listened as Hector continued to explain, "I'm sending for Hecuba to take care of him"
Helen hated Hecuba just as Hecuba hated her. She didn't want her around and she knew that if Hecuba ever got word of the fight she and Paris had, Hecuba's evil glances and nagging would never cease.
"That's alright, let me take care of him. There's no need to call the queen over here, I'm sure she's busy" Helen didn't want her here, even if that meant she would have to spend the whole day by herself with Paris. Perhaps they could talk and mend some of the pains they had caused each other the night before, but then again, it could cause more fighting.
"Fine. At the end of the day, I shall come to check up on you and him, he needs to go to a royal meeting, but if he's too ill to go tell me. Oh, one more thing, don't fight anymore"
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Priam sat on his throne and looked over to Hecuba, "He comes today. Paris must be ready to talk to Menelaus himself. I may have the final word in it but this is his problem, the war is my problem and the war only"
Hecuba shook her head, "His problems are your problems as well, and his problems are all of our problems now. I just hope he doesn't disgrace himself in front of the king of Greece"
They watched the entrance as a servant walked up to them and bowed, "Good morning your grace. I have news from Hector"
Hecuba's face lit up when she heard her son's name, "what news has he to bring us?"
"It's not good news, my lady" The boy turned his attention to Priam.
"He says that Paris has gotten ill over night and he might not be able to attend the meeting between you and Menelaus. Hector also said that he would send word if he is not to attend, but if you hear nothing from him by the time evening is born he will attend despite illness"
"What do you mean he can't attend?" Her eyes narrowed in anger at the news.
"I'm sorry, I'm just a messenger. Pardon me your Grace, may I have leave?" The boy seemed nervous now that Hecuba was angry.
"Yes. Go now" Disappointment seemed to ring in Priam's voice.
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It was quiet in the room and it had been for the most of the morning. Not a word was spoken between them. Perhaps this was her punishment for the argument she had caused. Guilt was settling in her mind, it was obvious because she showed it.
"How are you feeling? Are you still feverish?" She took the damp washcloth off his forehead and dipped it in the cool water once more. He felt warm all over, what a day to get sick, the day when you have important things to do.
He sighed, "Helen, I need to know something"
"Hmm?" She was willing to listen now that the rage and confusion in her had passed since that night.
"Do you love me? Tell me. If you don't, I'll give you back to Menelaus, he's coming tonight to father's Palace. If you want to leave tell me before evening"
Author's Note: suspense, suspense, and suspense!!! Mwahahaa!! Tell me, what do you think this time? Helen now has a chance to go back home and end this pointless war, it's in her favor, but will she leave? I would also like to say: Thank you to everybody who reviewed! This is really encouraging and as long as you review, I will type up more I promise!
.
Andromache walked down the cool halls with Astyanax cradled in her arms. He had woken up early and had kept his mother up with him as well.
"What am I going to do with you? You wake up so early! What if you had woken up your father, he needs all the sleep he can get" She smiled and watched him as he played with his carved wooden horse, making it trot over Andromache's arm.
"I'm already awake" came a happy response from behind her. Hector had already wakened, but not on account of little Astyanax, "I can't sleep, there's something in the air that's unsettling, do you feel it too?"
She looked at her son, then at his father. They were so similar, every time she looked at him she thought of Hector. Perhaps Astyanax felt this in the air too.
"No, not really but I trust your judgment. Where are you going at such an hour in the morning?" She knew Hector would not let this feeling pass until he found out what had gone amiss.
"I'm going to check the stables and after I'm going to visit Paris, I was supposed to send a message to him from our father. Father wants him to attend the meeting with Menelaus, but I had been too busy to deliver it yesterday"
"I see" Andromache smiled, "don't be too long, your son misses you when you are gone, he asks for you"
"I'll make haste" he kissed Andromache and Astyanax goodbye for the morning and left quickly.
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The morning light now began to shine mercilessly though the windows in Paris' bedchamber. He awoke because the sun in his eyes began to bother him. For once he woke up tired and groggy.
Paris found himself sleeping on the floor; it was cold as was his skin from the breeze coming in from the balcony. It was peaceful, but soon he found himself with a splitting headache, it seems today peace would be far away from his grasp.
Helen was sleeping on the other side of the bedchamber on the couch. She had found that the farther she was away from him that night, the less quarreling they would get into. The rays seemed to magnify her beauty, but Paris didn't marvel at her for long when he heard a quiet knock on the door.
He got up and tiptoed soundlessly out of the room, trying not to disturb Helen's peace. Paris opened the large wooden door and got out to find Hector waiting for him on the other end of it.
"I didn't wake you did I?" Hector observed the state his brother was in. Paris' hair was in disarray; he was unusually pale and yet he had this unusual red tint in his face.
"Well, yes, but I was waking up anyways" His voice sounded hoarse, as if he had spent the whole night yelling.
"You slept in your armor? You look horrible, tell me, what has happened to you" Hector placed his hand on Paris' forehead like a worried mother would. He had fever, but why all of a sudden? He had been fine yesterday.
"I had an argument with Helen" That's all Paris wanted to say but he knew that Hector would now persist in getting all the truth out of him.
"No, don't give me that. You have fever, your voice is hoarse; you look like you have been through the river Styx. What is going on? Why are you ill all of a sudden?" Hector walked with Paris and sat down at a table on the other side of the hall.
"I slept on the floor last night and I woke up in a draft coming from the window" He continued, not giving in to his brother's piercing questions.
"Why in the name of the gods would you do such a thing? Don't you know you can get sick?" he shook his head as Paris coughed loudly, "never mind, I think you know that now. I wont ask anymore, I came here to tell you that father wants you to come stay by his side when Menelaus visits, but because of the state you're in, you might have to stay here"
"I can't. I must go, this is my business with Menelaus anyways," Pairs sounded desperate to get out of the palace.
"Suit yourself. Be stubborn, but heed my advice, if you feel ill don't go. It'll portray you as weak to him, I'll send mother to look after you. If she thinks you are unwell, you wont go. Understood?" He felt like he was the authority, even if he was nothing but a guest in his brother's palace.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
Helen woke up to the sounds of people talking, it was Paris and Hector outside the door she was sure of it. Words echoed in her head from the night, but it was interrupted as Paris and Hector walked into the room and made their way to the sofa where she was sitting.
"You'll have to excuse him my lady, he's ill. Let him lie down on the sofa" It was obvious that Hector was speaking on behalf of Paris, who wouldn't even give her a glance out of shame.
She didn't say a word, but listened as Hector continued to explain, "I'm sending for Hecuba to take care of him"
Helen hated Hecuba just as Hecuba hated her. She didn't want her around and she knew that if Hecuba ever got word of the fight she and Paris had, Hecuba's evil glances and nagging would never cease.
"That's alright, let me take care of him. There's no need to call the queen over here, I'm sure she's busy" Helen didn't want her here, even if that meant she would have to spend the whole day by herself with Paris. Perhaps they could talk and mend some of the pains they had caused each other the night before, but then again, it could cause more fighting.
"Fine. At the end of the day, I shall come to check up on you and him, he needs to go to a royal meeting, but if he's too ill to go tell me. Oh, one more thing, don't fight anymore"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
Priam sat on his throne and looked over to Hecuba, "He comes today. Paris must be ready to talk to Menelaus himself. I may have the final word in it but this is his problem, the war is my problem and the war only"
Hecuba shook her head, "His problems are your problems as well, and his problems are all of our problems now. I just hope he doesn't disgrace himself in front of the king of Greece"
They watched the entrance as a servant walked up to them and bowed, "Good morning your grace. I have news from Hector"
Hecuba's face lit up when she heard her son's name, "what news has he to bring us?"
"It's not good news, my lady" The boy turned his attention to Priam.
"He says that Paris has gotten ill over night and he might not be able to attend the meeting between you and Menelaus. Hector also said that he would send word if he is not to attend, but if you hear nothing from him by the time evening is born he will attend despite illness"
"What do you mean he can't attend?" Her eyes narrowed in anger at the news.
"I'm sorry, I'm just a messenger. Pardon me your Grace, may I have leave?" The boy seemed nervous now that Hecuba was angry.
"Yes. Go now" Disappointment seemed to ring in Priam's voice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
It was quiet in the room and it had been for the most of the morning. Not a word was spoken between them. Perhaps this was her punishment for the argument she had caused. Guilt was settling in her mind, it was obvious because she showed it.
"How are you feeling? Are you still feverish?" She took the damp washcloth off his forehead and dipped it in the cool water once more. He felt warm all over, what a day to get sick, the day when you have important things to do.
He sighed, "Helen, I need to know something"
"Hmm?" She was willing to listen now that the rage and confusion in her had passed since that night.
"Do you love me? Tell me. If you don't, I'll give you back to Menelaus, he's coming tonight to father's Palace. If you want to leave tell me before evening"
Author's Note: suspense, suspense, and suspense!!! Mwahahaa!! Tell me, what do you think this time? Helen now has a chance to go back home and end this pointless war, it's in her favor, but will she leave? I would also like to say: Thank you to everybody who reviewed! This is really encouraging and as long as you review, I will type up more I promise!
.