Disclaimer: I only own Alana.
Back from holidays, but with 3 exams in 10 days, you won't hear from me again until 15th september. I hope you all had nice summer!
Chapter twenty
Life is like this. One day you wake up and everything looks different. Some people are lucky, some are not. You have to accept what is coming, no matter what. This is what I was telling to myself all the way to Sparta. My head didn't want to accept it, but it had happened. I was a prisoner.
All began when Paris kissed me. A moment I'll never forget.. a moment I would like to forget. When his lips left mines all I saw was the blonde head of Achilles over my face, and then.. darkness. The beat had been so fast, and blood was covering part of my head. I felt someone carrying me, going up, to a moving surface, probably a ship. And then, darkness again. Many hours had passed, but I knew perfectly well where I was going. Straight to my own death.
"She's waking up.." A woman's voice murmured, and I opened my eyes slowly. She smiled kindly, and I blinked. I recognised her. Briseis. What was she doing there? "No, no, lay down, you're still weak" She said, putting her hand on my shoulder, kneeling in front of the small bed.
"What has happened?" I asked, and she avoided my gaze. A sudden wave of energy came to my body, I felt the anger and desperation, and I sat down. "Briseis, what's going on?" When she looked up at me, I somehow knew the terrible truth.
"He had to do it.." Her lips were trembling.
"Who? Achilles?" I asked, although I knew the answer. "We're going to Sparta, right? To meet Helen"
"Yes.." Briseis was speechless.
"Why did you come? Why are you helping a monster like Achilles?" I asked, and she stood up with anger.
"He's not a monster, he's a good man!" Her reaction surprised me, and as I observed her, a new knowledge came to my head.
"You love him!" Her eyes showed surprise, and then fear. "Briseis, how can you..?"
"Don't ask me this, Alana. Because you don't know him. He's just helping his country , as you're helping mine. You're not so different"
"What? Are you saying that I'm like Achilles? Would I bring someone to a sure death? No, Briseis, you're wrong. You're blind" She looked at me again, and then started to cry.
"I didn't want him to do this.. I asked him not to do it.. "I observed her in silence. Then, a new fear came to me.
"Where's Paris?" She didn't move her head, and murmured a reply.
"He.. he's dead" I felt the blood freezing in my veins, and a dizziness invading my head. Tears didn't come, I was too shocked. Briseis cried more and more, and all I could do was.. to wish I was dead.
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Hector left the palace when he heard the cries. Someone was coming, running so fast. He waited in the gardens, and the servant reached him, breathless. Hector's eyes checked him. He was covered with blood, his hands were shaking.
"It's.. it's your brother, he's.." The servant fell on his knees, and Hector took his arm.
"What happened to Paris?" Shouted, and he saw the reply in the man's eyes. "Oh, no.. this can't be true.. tell me this can't be real.." He sat on the ground, looking at his hands. His brother was dead. How could that happen?
Andromache came walking, and when she saw the scene, she hurried, taking her husband's arm and forcing him to stand up. There were tears on his face, and he hugged her strongly, crying.
"Shhh, calm down, tell me what happened.." She said, looking at the servant, who was already leaving. Hector's eyes closed, he sighed.
"Paris is dead" Andromache felt her stomach jump, and then took a deep breath.
"When did it happen? How?" She asked, but Hector was too absent minded.
"I'll find it out.. I swear they will pay for this.. I swear.." In that moment they heard horses arriving in the city, the shouts of people. "Lets go, Hector" She took his hand and they both ran to the halls, where a crowd had been gathered. A greek soldier observed them from his horse.
"I bring news and a warning" He spoke, and people kept silence. "The news are that Achilles has finished a mission and he brought to Helen and Menelaus what they wanted" Hector looked at him with anger in his eyes. "More news are that the prince Paris has died and we took care of his body. And the warning.." He paused, looking at Andromache and Hector. "The warning is that you should forget about those incidents, Hector. Please, don't take actions. For the wellfare of this town" The soldier left, and Hector looked at Andromache, who was already crying.
"Is this the end of Troy?" He asked, feeling lost for the first time in his life.
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I didn't know how many time I spent in that ship. Since the news about Hector had reached my ears, I fell in a kind of shock, with high fever and strange dreams about the prince. During this time, Briseis came to the cabin to bring me water and some food, and she took care of me. One night Achilles was sitting next to my bed. I was too weak to talk to him, but when I saw the tears in his eyes, I couldn't help feeling a kind of sorrow for him.
One morning I woke up laying in a different bed, inside a small room. The big window let the sunlight come in, and I had to close my eyes. I felt a lot better, with enough forces to eat soemthing and walk around. But the shape of a visitor there called my attention. The blonde woman observed me as I was sitting on the bed. Helen looked as cold as ice.
"It's nice to see that you're recuperating, Alana" She said, with her beautiful and poisoned voice. "Maybe you thought we would never meet again?" She laughed lightly, and then shook her head. "Alana.. you must know one thing about me.. I never, and I mean never.. give up. Achilles made a great job, and he got the best reward for it . He's free to leave with her new wife. " I opened my eyes in surprise. She looked at me, as she walked around the room. "Yes, Alana, they married this morning .. he finished his misison and I gave him freedom. Because I already got what I wanted"
"Paris is dead" I said, with all the force I was able to gather, and the freezing look I got from her was enough for me as a small revenge. She walked towards me, and took my arm with rudeness.
"What are you saying?" She shouted, with anger. I looked into her blue eyes and repeated slowly.
"Paris is dead. Your dear Achilles killed him" She left her hand and stood up, shocked.
"You're lying" She said, shaking her head.
"Ask Briseis" My self confidence made her even more shocked. Tears were coming to her eyes, and her lips were shaking.
"All what I had expected.. after all what happened.. why?" She cried, and sat on a chair, covering her face with her hands. Sadness returned to me as well, and tears started to flow.
"Helen.. all what I can say is.."
"It's all your fault!!" She shouted, jumping, and taking my arms, trying to beat me. "If you had never appeared, why did you have to come? Why?" In that moment two servants came inside, covered with white uniforms, also their heads , which surprised me, and they took Helen outside, while I was trying to bear the pain from my new wounds , the ones she had caused with her hands. My arms were becoming purple in some places. I heard her screaming for a while, and then more servants came, to lead me to the bathroom.
"You'll be able to bath and change your clothes before.." The man covered with sheets said, avoiding my gaze.
"Before what?" I asked, although I didn't want to know the answer. I couldn't see his face, although he was taller than me. "Why are you wearing those uniforms? Why are you hiding?" I asked, but in that moment more of them came, those ones with faces uncovered. "What's going on here?" I asked again, and walked to the bath, where they locked me. "Hey! What are you doing?" I shouted, but I heard the male's voice behind the door.
"Shut up, take a bath and dress up." They left me alone, and I felt so angry. And scared. I didn't need more clues to know what was waiting for me. Helen would order to kill me. She hated me more than she could hate anybody else. Paris was dead, her life destroyed.. and my life destroyed. I wished I had never gone on that trip to Croatia. I wished I had never accepted Priam's challenge. I wished to be dead.
After bathing and dressing, I waited patiently inside the small room. Maybe one hour had passed when I heard steps outside. They unlocked the door and the same covered face looked at me.
"Come here, we don't have too many time" He said, and I frowned.
"You won't tell me what's going on?" I asked, but he just took my hand and led me through the halls. After some minutes, he opened a small door with a big kew and pushed me inside, locking the door again behind him. I felt terrified inside that room. No windows, darkness.. and with an unknown man, my head started to imagine all kind of horrible things. What if Helen had sent him there to torture me? Or even worse.. no, no, I had to think clear. He approached me and I ran to the opposite side. "Stay away from me, don't touch me" I said, my voice was shaking. He went on walking and I pushed him, but he took my arm and threw me to the ground.
"If you don't let me speak first, if oyu just behavie like a small stupid girl.." He began to say, and now his voice sounded so familiar to me. My heart started beating so fast.
"Who are you?" He didn't reply at first, stepping away, he removed the clothes from his head. It was too dark to get an image. And then..
"Alana.. I thought you would know better the man you love" Now he spoke with his real voice, and I jumped, shocked.
"Paris!!" I hugged him, breathless. "I thought you were dead! Everybody thought you were dead!" I looked at him, close, and he was smiling.
"Yes, I also thought I was dead.." He commented, and I frowned with curiosity.
"What do you mean?" I asked, and he took my hands.
"My cousin saved my life. If it wasn't for Briseis.."
"But how?" I asked again, but he hsook his head.
"It's a long story.. Achilles tried to kill me, and he became so crazy that he ran to the hsip without checking me first. I was pretending to be dead, but Briseis knew the truth.. she gave me a cloak and I was able to follow you inside the ship.. but it's a too long story, now we have to think of a plan. Helen won't let you be alive for a long time..we must escape from here" He looked around, and then put the clothes on again. "Do you trust me?" I nodded, nervous. "Then, follow me and do all what I'll do"
He opened the door again and we stepped in the halls, walking carefully. We crossed rooms, corridors.. the palace didn't seem to have an end. And then, finally, the last door. Paris looked at me with a strange expression in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Alana" He said, and my heart broke when I saw who was waiting for me there. Standing, like a marble statue, was Helen, with a cold smile on her lips. I had been betrayed. All the time I had spent in Troy, all the feelings I had developed.. everything had been a lie. A revenge from Paris and Helen. I was too shocked ot react, too scared to move. And too sad to go on living.
Paris walked towards Helen, they both looked at me. I fell on the ground, unable to keep myself standing any more. I looked at Paris, hoping to see a kind look, a shadow of love.. but I couldn't see anything. Helen took his hand, and then spoke.
"You have acted in a wrong way, girl. You played a trick on me, and I couldn't let you win this game.. when I saw Paris here this morning, I thought Icouldn't be happier, but.. I was wrong"
"What about Menelaus? He's your husband, how will you keep Paris with you?" I asked, although I heard my voice as if another person spoke. She smiled again.
"This time I'll go to Troy and nobody will stop us. Things will be like they always had to be" Paris smiled. So in the end, a war would take place. Nobody could stop history. All what I had done was for nothing. All what I had suffered, all what I had sacrificed.
"Alana.." Spoke Paris, looking at me. "Do you remember what I told you in the beach?" I frowned, and Helen looked at him.
"What do you mean?" She asked, and I was trying to remember his words, but my head didn't want to work.
"Alana.. we're alone in this part of the palace.. only the three of us. Nobody would hear us if something happened. Remeber what I said? "Forget about Helen" " Paris went on speaking.
"What are you saying?" Helen looked so confused. "Paris, are you crazy?"
"So.. I could perfectly take this.." Paris picked up a rope he had been hidding. "And this.." He took another cloth, and then looked at Helen. "Sorry, Helen" He beat on her, and she fainted. I thought I wouldn't be able to bear more surprises, but Paris always had a surprise left for me.
"I'm dreaming.. I must be dreaming.." I murmured, while Paris wrapped Helen and left her on a corner.
"Come on, it's our opportunity. I had to bring her here with the promise that I would bring you as well. There are not soldiers in this part of the palace, and there's a small ship waiting for us " His dark eyes shone.
"You can't imagine how I feel, Paris.." I said, still shocked.
"There's not time for this now, come on, we'll have many years in the future to talk" He took my hand, although thousands of questions were flying inside my head. The path was narrow, we ran hidden by bushes and trees.A strange feeling was invading me. A bad feeling. Paris was holding me, and I was holding his clothes. We ran, and ran.. I was holding him so tight that one of his bracelets broke, and when I was keeping it in my hand, it happened. The pain came. The strong pain that invaded my head.. The arrow crossed my chest..and Paris' gaze told me everything. I was dead.