Disclaimer: Only own Alana.

Chapter nine

Paris opened his eyes in the darkness, and looked at the girl laying next to him. Helen was deeply asleep, breathing slowly. It was amazing how had things happened. In the morning he would have to part, and the thought made him so sad that he had to stand up and walk to the window, where he stood, watching at the sea and letting the breeze refresh him.

He needed a plan, something that would keep him with Helen. Then, he remembered Alana, his father.. he still didn't know what was Alana doing there. But he didn't care. In that moment, he had to think about something. And he had a kind of good idea. With a smile, he turned around and saw her, waking up.

"Paris! What are you doing still here?" She asked, standing up quickly and walking towards him. Once there, he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I couldn't leave.. today is my last day here.." He saw the sadness on her eyes , and felt his hear breaking.

"Why do we have to talk about it?" She asked, refusing his arms and walking away from him.

"Because we need a plan, Helen. And I already have one" She looked at him, with a smile on her face. Paris sighed, wondering how would things work.. and how would Spartans accept that. He knew about the risks.. he knew Hector would kill him.. but he didn't care.

"Who is she?" Asked Helen, looking at him. "Why did you bring a servant with you?" Her blue eyes checked Paris, and she didn't like his reaction. He was hiding something.

"My brother insisted" Paris commented, looking at another place, avoiding her gaze.

"Don't lie to me..." She whispered, and he walked towards her .

"Helen.." He touched her face gently. "Why are you worried about her?"

"Because you don't want to tell me who is she.. and this hurts me" Paris had the strong need to tell her, but at the same time, he was sharing the secret between Alana and his father.. he couldn't betray him.

"I don't know her well, she's just a servant.. come here.." He tried to hug her, but she moved away.

"Don't lie to me, Paris. "She opened the door and ran in the halls. Paris followed her, but soon lost her shape in the distance.

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I woke up before the sun rose, and looked around , checking where I was. Then, I remembered. When I saw Hector, asleep, and heard the silence in the halls, I knew everything went well. I looked through the window, the horizon was becoming orange.. morning was coming.

I left the bed and walked carefully, looking for the exit. The door was locked, and the iron lock was too heavy, I couldn't open it. And before I was able to react, I noticed Hector's presence behind me.

"Don't ever do this again" I turned around when I heard his voice, he was holding his sword. I looked at it scared. He saw the fear in my eyes, and threw the weapon on the ground. "I won't hurt you, I just thought someone had come.." He explained, walking back. "We must think of something, Alana.. we'll leave before midday, and by then, the whole city will be looking for you. "

"And what do you want me to do? Hide?" I asked, nervously. I was perfectly aware of the danger around me. He sighed.

"Yes, you have to hide.. you have to leave now, go to the ships and wait there for us."

"What? To the ships?" I laughed, sarcastically. "And you think they won't check there?" My voice was shaking. Hector frowned. He opened the lock of the door and then stood next to me.

"Alana.. you're brave, and I'm sure you'll know what to do in case that something happened.. hide in the ships. If soldiers go there to check them.. then.. use your intelligence.."

"Are you crazy? Will you leave me like this, exposed to danger?" I was almost crying, and he put his hands on my shoulders.

"Calm down and trust me. This is the safest option for you.. can't you see that if you stay with us, they will take you? "I looked at his dark eyes, and somehow felt better.

"I suppose you're right.. "I murmured, and he removed his hands slowly, as if he was thinking. Then we kept silence for a while. I thought about my mission, I had to stop Paris.. but how could I stop him from a ship? I had failed.. everything was over, the war would begin in no time and it would be all my fault.. because I couldn't do anything to stop him. With a sigh, I looked for my bag, but I couldn't find it. "Oh, no.." The bag was in my other room. With the camera and everything, I couldn't leave it there!

"What's wrong?" Asked Hector, worried. I smiled, trying to look calmed.

"Nothing.. I'm leaving" I walked towards the door and I felt his hand on my arm.

"Take care, Alana.. I hope to see you in some hours" I nodded, in silence, feeling lost and lonely. I was about to say something, but Hector spoke first. "In the worst of cases, if we don't meet again.." I waited for his words, but he shook his head. "Forget it.. good luck" I gave him a last look, he was serious, looking at me. Then, I ran.

But I didn't go to the ship, as Hector had told me to do.. I needed to get my bag back, I couldn't leave the camera, my wallet.. everything.. I didn't want to imagine the kind of reaction that Spartans would have if they found all those modern objects. I looked around me, trying to find out where I was. Because I was lost, and time was running.

After some minutes, I stopped , leaning against a column, taking a deep breath and resting my legs, and I heard a female voice. A familiar voice to me. I walked carefully and listened.

"Don't insist, Athena, I won't wear this dress today! "Helen was arguing with her servant, who was patiently talking to her.

"But today the Trojans will leave, and you must look well for them.."

"Why did you have to remind me that they're leaving?" Helen was shouting, then crying. After some seconds in silence, the servant spoke again.

"The prince Paris talked to me this morning, when you left your room. He has a plan.. and you must listen to me.."

"Speak" Ordered Helen, in loud voice.

"You'll change clothes with me.. I'm wearing the servant's cloak, so you'll be able to cover your head. I'll stay here, inside your bed.. they will think you're still sleeping.. we have similar tone of voice.."

"This is risky.. is Paris sure about it?" Helen asked, with worried voice.

"He is.. and you must do what I said.. this morning, in one hour, you'll go to the ship, the big one, and wait for him inside. He made sure that his soldiers will be guarding it, so when you'll arrive there, they will let you pass. He told them that you would be wearing a cloak. Now, you'll go to my room, where this servant from Troy slept"

After listening to this conversation, an idea formed inside my head. A plan. Maybe, after all, there was still some hope for Troy. Maybe I was still on time to do something. I noticed that my room was in front of me, and came inside, waiting for Helen. My heart was beating so fast that it hurt. How would I do that? How? The door opened, and I saw her blonde head.

"You're here.." She said, as a greeting. Coming in, she observed me. "I'm leaving with you, so you better not say anything about this.." She ordered, while she undressed and changed her clothes. The image of her with Paris last night came to my head, and I felt a strange kind of anger, although I didn't know why. She was the reason of the war.. she was so selfish that she didn't care.. and Paris.. he was even more selfish than her.. I hated him. Yes, I was sure about that. I hated that arrogant prince that only thought about himself.

Helen wrapped her clothes and put them under the bed. Then, took the cloak and looked through the window. She tied her long blonde hair in a pony tail, and looked at me.

"Lead me to the ships "She said, walking towards me, and taking my arm. I didn't reply. I was supposed not to speak her tongue. Her blue eyes shone in anger. "I didn't remember you don't speak my tongue.. "Her voice was sharp. "But I must tell you that I don't believe you. I'm not stupid, I know they brought you here for some reasons.. reasons that Paris didn't want to tell me" Soon, a flash of happiness came. Paris hadn't told her anything, even if he was going to cause a war just because of her, he had kept a promise. But this happiness disappeared as soon as it came. "You will lead me there and you'll wait with me until they will come. "

I looked around, and saw my bag. I only had to pick it up and run.. but that was the right moment, my chance.. I had to do it.. but I still didn't know how. I saw her becoming dangerously inpatient. I had always imagined Helen of Troy as a sweet girl.. or this was the image they gave of her in movies.. but the reality was different.. a woman who made one thousand ships part couldn't be sweet. She was a strong woman with a fragile appearance.

"No" I replied, firmly, and the shock I saw on her face was so big.

"I knew it! You speak our tongue!" She murmured. "But.. why?" She asked.

"I know you're confused now, Helen" I realised about my mistake. She would tell everybody about me, she would start shouting for help.. but I was wrong. She just sat on the bed and stared at me in disbelief.

"I can't understand anything.. who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I can't give you answers because I even don't know myself." I had to think of something, and quickly. Time was running and my chances to arrive in the ship would be smaller if half of the palace was awake. Helen couldn't go to that ship. I had to go myself, covered with the cloak, pretending to be Helen. Soldiers would let me pass and nobody else would hurt me. And about Helen.. I had to put my clothes to her, and then leave her somewhere.. soldiers of Menelaus would think she was me, and they would get her.. yes, this was a good plan.. but how would I do it? I looked around, and saw that the wooden bed was falling apart. I touched a leg, and with all my forces, kicked it. The whole bed fell apart and I took the big stick .

"What are you doing?" Helen was amazed, she had fallen with the bed. I looked at her. Never before in my whole life ha I beaten someone.. but it was the only chance to stop the war, Paris and the whole thing. This was what Priam had asked for. "Reply me! What are you doing?"

With all my forces I beat on her head, and she feel on the ground. I barely could breath, wishing I hadn't killed her. I kneeled and checked her pulse.. she was alive. But she had a purple mark on her forehead.

"I'm sorry" I murmured, taking her clothes, dressing with them and putting mines on her. I covered her head with the cloak and took her under her arms. She didn't weigh too much, but I wasn't strong enough to carry her. I thought of a place, and remembered the place in the gardens where the soldiers had seen me. With a big effort I brought her there, and left her body under a tree, as if she was sleeping. Then, hurrying, went back to the room and covered my head with the cloak, making sure that my hair couldn't be seen. Fortunately, Helen was as tall as me, and our complexion similar. I took my bag and jumped through the window, running to the beach, breathless. I hoped that Paris and Hector wouldn't be too late. And I wondered how would they explain my absence.

A group of soldiers saw me, and they observed me carefully. One of them walked fast.

"Are you Helen?" He asked.

"I am" My reply convinced them, and let me pass through them, to the big ship, where I laid on my usual bed, unable to believe what had just happened.

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Hector and Paris met Menelaus and Agamemnon in the halls. The king checked the group, frowning.

"Where is the girl, your servant?" Hector knew they would be suspicious, so he took a deep breath, ready to lie.

"It seems she had an incident last night.. someone was running after her, and on her runaway, she fell from the rocks.. a servant told me so, but last night the waves were so strong that probably her body is already lost." Hector thought about Alana, wondering if she was well, and his worryness showed up in his eyes. Menelaus checked his expression and believed each and every word. Hector looked at Paris, who had become pale.

"Is it.. true?" He asked, shocked. Hector nodded and Paris looked at the ground. He felt so guilty. But then, remembered about Helen. If things had gone well, by then she was already inside the ship.

"I'm so sorry, Prince Hector.. "Agamemnon commented, giving a quick look at Menelaus. "I wonder who was running after her.. it's a big loss.." Hector wished to kill him in that moment.. that horrible man had sent his soldiers to look for Alana.. and they were pretending that nothing had happened.

"We must leave" Paris spoke, hurrying situation.

"Yes, we must.." Hector said, and both brothers walked to the main door, accompanied by the king and Agamemnon.

"This was a successful mission of peace, my best wishes to your father. Have a good journey, farewell"

Hector and Paris walked away from the palace, in silence. Once they were enough far away, Paris spoke, still in shock.

"What will our father say? Now that Alana is dead, what will happen? Did she finish the mission she had to finish?" Hector stared at him, knowing that Paris already had shared this secret with her.

"Not here, Paris. Don't speak until we'll be inside the ship" Hector's heart was beating so fast, he wished his plan had gone well. And Paris was too happy, too calmed.. he hadn't said goodbye to Helen, and it was suspicious. "Paris.." He began, and his younger brother looked at him. "What about Helen?"

"It could never work, right? It's over" Hector didn't believe it, he felt his brother was hiding something.

The ships showed up in front of them, in the beach. Both brothers expected to see someone inside.. but their expectations were so different. After looking at each other, they hurried inside the sea craft, followed by their soldiers.

"We're leaving!!" Hector shouted, and the ships moved. The journey had began.