Chapter 2: Paris' Sign of Grief
Paris woke up in the middle of the night when he heard his son crying. Another month had passed, but if there was one thing that Paris and Helen struggled with was not just the war, but with their son's crying during the night. "I better take care of him," she yawned. Paris grabbed her arm before she got further.
"No, Helen, you're going to sleep tonight, I'll take care of the boy," he insisted.
Helen sat back on the bed. "Are you sure?" She asked. Paris leaned forward and gave her a kiss.
"I'm sure, get some sleep, my love," he whispered.
Paris watched as his wife fell back to sleep before getting up. He walked over to the dresser and grabbed something off the dresser.
As he walked down the hall, his son's wails became clearer when he entered the nursery. He picked Hector up from his cradle and sat in the chair. "Look what I have for you, my son," he murmured. Paris smiled as his son's cries faltered when he held up a wooden horse. He remembered that when his brother was alive, Hector loved horses, so he made his son a horse and hoped that he loved horses as well. Hector's tiny hands reached up and grabbed the horse while cooing. "I can see that you like it," he murmured. Andromache watched her late husband's brother with a smile. She had came into the room because Attis woke up when Hector started crying.
"You're just like your brother. Except Hector made a lion for his son," Andromache commented.
"Well, my son's uncle loved horses when he was alive. Even though my son could never be like what his uncle ever was. However, I know that my son will see a great victory in Troy," Paris explained.
"Do you know that we're going to win this war?"
"Yes."
"What if we don't?"
"Then I'll find myself a coward like I was before."
Paris looked at Andromache to see her holding Attis. Attis was playing with the wooden lion that Hector made for him. Then a memory came back into his mind.
Flash Back
Paris stood next to Hector and watched as he carved the lion for his son. "Do you love me brother. Would you protect me against any enemy?" Paris asked. Hector looked at him.
"The last time you spoke to me like that you were ten and you stole father's horse. What have you done now?" Hector asked.
"I must show you something."
Paris opened the doors below deck and walked down the ladder. He stood next to Helen and watched as his brother came down the ladder. He turned and his eyes widened when Helen stood up and removed her hood. Paris watched as Hector stormed up the ladder.
"TURN AROUND TO SPARTA!" Hector ordered. Paris tried to stop him when Hector spun around and pushed him. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE!? Do you know how many years I father worked for peace?" Hector snapped. Paris was quiet for a second before answering.
"I love her," he answered.
Hector groaned at his words before glaring at him. "Its all a game to you isn't it? You roam from town to town bedding merchant's wives and temporal maids and you think you know something about love. What about your father's love? You spat on him when you brought her on this ship. What about the love for your country? ARE YOU GOING TO LET TROY BURN FOR THIS WOMAN!? I won't let you start a war for her," Hector roared.
"May I speak?" Paris demanded.
Hector didn't answer and Paris took it as a cue to answer him. "What you say is true. I've wronged you, I've wronged our father. If you want to take Helen back to Sparta so be it. But I go with her," Paris snapped.
"To Sparta they'll kill you," Hector growled.
"Then I'll die fighting," Paris answered.
Hector then looked at Paris with a look of disgust. "Oh and that sounds so heroic to you doesn't it? To die fighting. Tell me, little brother, have you ever killed a man?" He asked.
"No," Paris answered.
"Ever seen man die in combat?"
"No."
"I've killed men and I heard them die. I've watched them die and there's glorious about nothing poetic. If you can say you can die for love but you know nothing about dying and you know nothing about love."
"All the same, I go with. I won't ask you to fight my war."
"You already have."
End Flash Back
Andromache was putting Attis back down into his bed when she saw that Paris was deep in thought again. She walked over and sat next to Paris. "Paris, I know what you're thinking about," she murmured. Paris came out of his daze and stood up.
"If you know what I am thinking then tell me," he mumbled.
"You are thinking about the time that you had to reveal Helen to your brother. I know you still think of that day. Even if you did steal Menelaus' wife, your family still loves you. We still love you, Paris. No matter what. When Hector was angered by your decision, never meant that he would stop loving you. You were his brother. You're my brother, you're Priam's youngest son and child," Andromache explained.
"Hector never really acted that he still loved me until the day he was killed."
Paris smiled at his son as he slept with the wooden horse in his tiny hands. The moonlight seemed to make Hector shine as if he were the light of the gods. "I even made the gods angry with me," Paris pointed out. Andromache placed a hand on his shoulder. You may have made the gods upset with you, however, they'll still protect you, Helen, and Hector," she murmured. Paris felt a tear on his face and wiped it away. She looked at Paris to see that he was trying hard not to cry, to show that the death of his brother affected him more than they thought. It was only a few months ago that Hector was killed. Some people including her were still grieving. She placed a hand on his face.
"I know how it feels, Hector was my husband," she whispered.
Paris nodded and watched as she left the room. Paris walked out of the room and he found himself standing in the temple of Apollo. He couldn't pray and ask the gods for forgiveness, he didn't know if they would forgive him for what he did. However, instead of praying for his sake, he prayed for his brother's soul to rest in peace. He placed his face in his hands and wept over the death of his brother for the first time since it happened.
Helen woke up, but she didn't find her husband lying next to her. She stood up and lit a candle. She walked out of the room to find Paris.
She finally found him in the temple and walked over to him. "Paris," she murmured. Paris looked up and wiped the tears away.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you waiting so long," he mumbled.
She looked at him to see the tears glistening in his eyes. She didn't have to ask, she knew what he wept. "Paris, you don't need to stay strong like this. Your brother was killed by Achilles, the enemy, you have every right to cry," she whispered. Paris shook his head and turned from her.
"It's my fault that he's dead," he droned.
"He was protecting us."
"He wouldn't have to do that if this whole war didn't start."
He then looked at her. "Why in Apollo's name did you ever come with me? Why did you marry me?" He asked. Helen gave him a gentle smile and held onto his hand.
"Paris, I went with you because I love you and I married you because I love you. Menelaus may have been my husband, but he couldn't give me what I wanted and that was love. I was going to die unhappy and alone. That was until you came. I didn't understand why I was living, you came into my life and showed me that I am living to wait for you. Look, Paris, you may be upset about this whole war starting because of us, but I don't regret leaving Menelaus for you," she explained.
Paris looked at her to see the truthfulness in her eyes. "Do you regret anything that has happened between us?" She asked. He held onto her hands and shook his head.
"I don't regret anything about us. I just wished that I could've helped my brother," he answered.
"There was nothing you could have done."
Paris let the tears fall from his eyes again and let her pull him against her. They thought they were alone, however, Briseis was watching everything that was happening. She heard everything that they said. She was watching Paris cry against Helen. She didn't know what to do, she could see that he was deeply in love with Helen and that Helen was deep in love with her cousin. This whole started because Helen and Paris fell in love. "No one should be punished for falling in love," she murmured to herself. For she had fallen in love as well, with the man that had killed Hector, son of Priam. She got up and left the temple. Paris was done weeping before he and Helen left the temple to get some sleep.
AN: End of chapter 2, I hope you enjoyed it. It was hard for me to get it started.