Captivated
Chapter 18: The Real Golden Apple
A flicker of the future couldn't save the Cindered Sister...
-Frou Frou
No one could bear to see the flames turn Paris' body to ashes. But respect for their king and country told them not to miss this depressing event. Praim's hands trembled as he carried the torch to light the flames under his son. It didn't look like Paris anymore but a shell of the past. His skin has been kept fresh with the help of oils but it turned a tinge of blue. The lips that once kissed a thousand now were lifeless and turned cold from death. Before burning his son Praim bent to give his one last kiss to Paris. The king did not kiss his eldest before his cremation, but it was aberrant to not kiss Paris goodbye.
He whispered into Paris' ear as if the boy was merely sleeping. "Out of all the creations I made, you were my artwork." There wasn't an eye that didn't cry over the fate of this perfect youth.
The guards got to they nymph's grotto in time for her to save him. The jealousy in her swam through her pouring out bile of hatred; rejecting to help something that won't be hers. She was maddened with envy to not have Paris, so she wanted him dead. Eris couldn't do nothing but stand by watching the life dull in Paris' eyes. If she defied Zeus' rule to never mingle with him again, both of them would be lost.
The sad stricken soldiers carried away Paris' body, baring the weight of demise on their hearts. They bit their tongues not to whimper as the groans and questions of Paris dimmed to silence. Oenone's jealousy dissolved into guilt no later when the wails of Troy reached her sensitive ears. The cries crazed her into thinking that she killed the prince herself. In the end the natural beauty snipped her life by the edge of a dagger. All of this was twirled around Eris' finger for revenge.
Helen didn't beam with beauty today. She tired her hardest to smother every trace of her looks under folds of black from her clothes and red from her swollen eyes. For two days and nights she cried over her husband's death without stopping. The city who had long despised and hated them took pity on the two fair lovers. Innocent they were. Virgins to the extent of what love can bring.
After Paris' body lost its form, Helen went straight back to their rooms. Soon she would be moved from these lovely halls of Paris' house; bought by another husband of the family to live with him. But she didn't have the courage to look into that future. Helen didn't even make it to her bed before breaking down and cry. She was shocked that she was able to hear the rustle of a gown over her sobs.
The mortal looked up to find herself staring to a towering goddess. Her blue eyes sparkled with coming tears, and her blonde hair was hidden under a black scarf. Everything of her screamed mourning but that didn't conceal her beauty. Aphrodite knelt down to Helen helping her up.
"Child you must be strong. Hera and Athena won the war. Its over." Her voice lingered over defeat.
"As time comes you will return to your husband. He is the only man that will welcome you back now. But this is my last and final wish you must carry out before I leave you...Forever you will mourn Paris' death and never warm the bed of another man or love again." Her words flowed into Helen's being, surging through her blood, scratching into her mind before Helen forgot that it was an order but her own oath.
The goddess left her with nothing more to say. Helen sat down on her bed speechless of all that had just happened. She felt like all heat and died out of her, just like the flames of Paris' pyre that will soon diminish.
Eris couldn't see herself attending to Paris' funeral. Instead she waited on the steps of Mt. Olympus wearing her golden dress. It was the first Paris had seen me when he was alive. And it will be the first he will see me dead. Everything was the same from that night of the apples. Her gown, her hair, even she held a golden apple resting in the crook of her folded arms.
Aphrodite arrived back from meeting Helen. She was first furious at Eris until she came to realize Eris. Now they were good friends again.
"It is done." The fairest one whispered before continuing to climb the steps. Her footsteps trailed off into the distance and Eris watched the sun sink into the horizon. Bleeding the sky into its evening pink. Apollo was dragging the sun down into the ocean for preparation of the night and always headed back to Mt. Olympus at the same time.
When his chariot came into view, he stepped out to greet Eris tenderly.
"You look most captivating Eris." He said before kissing her checks tenderly.
"Thank you Apollo...I mean that for everything that you've done." Apollo nodded wearing his familiar grin.
He soon left Eris to see Aphrodite. When he left her side, Eris clutched her apple harder then ever.
"Hello stranger." She said in a suave way. A grin pricked her face when she finally saw the anticipating sight of Paris.
He was climbing down from the chariot, amazed by the scenery of the immortal realm. After his death Apollo made a deal with Hades to take a Greek farmer in place of Paris. He was more beautiful then ever, and the nightmare picture of his dying body vanished from her mind to replace now by his glowing figure.
The olive skin he wore when a mortal now forever will glistened with a bronze shine to it. Out of all the gods I have seen, no one would swoon any women or man more then this one will. She thought to herself.
He didn't say anything to his loved goddess. All questions he thought of on the way here, and all the worries of Troy and his loved ones disappeared into answers when he captured the sight of her golden beauty.
Paris held out his hand for Eris to take, and then led her up the stairs awaiting his new immortal life with Eris forever. He knew the fait of Troy was ruined now and it saddened him to know so. But he also could see the future of the Greeks, and the upcoming Romans that will soon bring Troy's revenge upon them. He secretly promised he would stop at nothing for them to succeed when the time comes. Yet that was so far away. But he could always whisper a dreadful secret to Agamemnon's wife about her daughter.
"Not even inside the buildings of Olympus and already you are scheming!" Eris caught Paris off guard now learning she can read his thoughts.
"All in good time my lady." He answered wearing a mischief smile. Someone of morals would read the treachery and pain he could possibly cause in the future. Lives would be at stake for his newness to his powers. But Eris wasn't a goddess of morals. She responded back smiling; gladly accepting Paris' newly found darker side.
He gripped Eris' hand tighter to his own. At first Paris' was scared he wasn't feeling guilt for leaving Helen and his father behind while he would walk above them. The absence of not breathing in and out took him aback also. Except when he came upon the vision of his golden love waiting for him, all trails of humanity took their last slip out of his mind.
Eris thought he was smiling of the new things he could do now. But it was the sight of her golden apple that made the god prince beam so and even chuckle. For it reminded him of that tiny thing that caused this affair to turn out like this, the source of all destruction and how much the goddesses wanted it. And he now realized that he was the golden apple to Eris, who will forever cradle and taste him forever.
-Fin-
Alright, I know that chapter was not so cleverly put together. But remember I'm on a self-driven deadline. I hope you all enjoyed my story. It's my Second fan fiction I've posted yet!!! Oh, I'm so happy. I would love to thank those that kept along the chapters by always posting a review. Thank you Shelli or Shells. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!! And those that didn't review for every chapter or at least 3 or 4, well then what are you waiting for! Review!!!!! By starting with this chapter and then followed by others of you choice.
I am now working on Untamable as the Ocean in POTC category, so look out for that. And already I have written Forbidden Gods and Wavering Love if you want to try and read those if you are in the mood. Thank you so much for reading!!!!!