Piercing cries of Trojans suddenly erupted in the city of Troy. It was almost as if terror was sweeping over the shores of Troy and was racing within the city, and every person it touched immediately began to scream hoarsely.
Women and children, with tears either filling or trickling from their terrified eyes, fled into the safety of the walls of Troy. The men that did not help the women and children instead raced to armory and immediately began to dress in battle armor.
Hector's eyes suddenly shot open. He rose from his bed quickly, as it was barely morning, and wrapped a sheet around bare his waist, then walked out to the balcony to see the cause of such noise. His eyes widened in shock, amazement and fear.
"What is it?" asked Andromache worriedly. She stepped out onto the balcony also, after being awoken by Hector's abrupt leap from their bed, and gasped.
Hundreds upon hundreds, if not a thousand, ships were sailing towards the beaches of Troy. Symbols representing different Kings of the Aegean were painted on the sails of these ships. And with each gust of wind they drew closer to their destination.
Without saying a word, Hector hurried into his chamber once more. He went to the stand that held his armor, and began to place piece by piece over his body.
Andromache stood out on the balcony for a few moments and stared at Hector, her eyes wide and scared. She composed herself greatly that morning; she wished to cry but contained the river of tears within her successfully. Andromache wanted nothing more than to beg Hector to remain in their chamber with her, where he was safe, but she knew he would never do that. Hector was a warrior, a warrior from birth and till death; therefore he would never abandon his country.
As Hector placed his helmet on his head, he turned to look at Andromache and slowly walked over to her. He embraced her tightly, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair, and then kissed her passionately before releasing her from his arms.
"I love you Andromache," he said.
"I love you too," she replied and smiled weakly. She then watched as Hector ran from their chamber and to the aid of his countrymen.
The high King Agamemnon smiled evilly from his ship as he looked upon the famous Troy and its glorious walls. He had never seen Troy before, and savored the drops of delight he gained in seeing it. Soon … soon it will be mine, he thought.
"Your wife awaits you," Agamemnon said to his brother, after marveling at the walls of Troy. He smiled with grim satisfaction when he saw the look of anger in his brother's eyes.
Menelaus nodded. He wanted Helen at his side once more, but he feared the Trojan Prince would not return her to him. If I do not get Helen, he thought angrily, I will bring Troy to the ground!
"When we arrive at Troy you will call for peace," said Agamemnon, "you will then speak with King Priam and ask for your wife to be returned to you."
Menelaus nodded once again, he and Agamemnon had spoke of this a dozen times since they had left Aulis, but he suddenly found a flaw in their plan. "Do you think King Priam will believe we come for peace when we have so many armies?"
Agamemnon frowned. "King Priam knows if Helen is not returned to you then you will wage war against him. He is a wise King, a little foolish perhaps, but he'll know to return Helen to you."
Menelaus swallowed deeply. He looked to the sparkling beaches of Troy and smiled inwardly. As a child he had dreamed of seeing Troy, he had never imagined seeing it when he was about to wage war against it.
A few minutes passed while Agamemnon and Menelaus looked at Troy and dwelled over past times. Agamemnon then called for his men to stop the ship by putting the anchor in the sea. Seeing the signal to stop sailing, every last ship dropped their anchors into the sea and their ships suddenly stopped.
On one small boat King Menelaus and King Odysseus of Ithaca, who was at first reluctant to join the armies against Troy, sailed to the beaches with a group of soldiers.
As soon as Menelaus and Odysseus had reached the beaches of Troy, they jumped from their boat – leaving the soldiers within it still – and onto the sand. Their sandals immediately sank into the wet sand, and water lapped over their sweating feet.
Prince Hector of Troy sat proudly on his horse in front of at least thirty soldiers – all on horseback. His eyes washed over Menelaus, and the man beside him, with disgust growing in them. He jumped down from his horse and slowly walked up to the two Kings.
Menelaus opened his mouth to speak, but Odysseus sensed that he would speak rashly and so spoke first.
"Prince Hector of Troy," greeted Odysseus, even though he had never seen the Prince before – Menelaus had told him who the man was. He looked awkwardly at Menelaus for a brief moment and then looked once more to Hector. "King Menelaus wishes to have his wife, Queen Helen of Sparta, returned to him. If Prince Paris returns Queen Helen to King Menelaus then we will return to our homes and no harm will come to your people."
Hector slowly gripped a hand over his sword by his side; he was ready to use it if needed. He thought for a few moments before speaking. "My father, King Priam, wishes to speak with you both. Follow me."
Horses were handed to King Menelaus and King Odysseus. Soldiers rode in front and behind them as they rode away from the shore and inside the walls of Troy.
Once again, King Priam sat in his hall with the Elders of Troy. He waited anxiously for the arrival of the two Kings and gripped onto the sides of his throne to stop from shaking vigorously.
The giant doors at the end of the hall suddenly burst open. Prince Hector leaded two men into the hall and took his place by his father, leaving King Menelaus and King Odysseus to stand in the center of the hall alone.
Priam surveyed both men before him with his eyes. He could instantly distinguish which man was the King of Sparta, and who was the King of Ithaca. He waited for one of them to speak, determined not to greet either of these men.
"Good King Priam," began Menelaus and his voice shook. He looked to Odysseus for support who urged him on with his eyes, "I come to Troy for the sole purpose of having my wife returned to me."
Priam smiled mockingly and rose to his feet. "Do not lie to me King Menelaus! You do not come to Troy only for your wife, which is merely an excuse. You come to Troy for war!"
"Return Helen to me!" growled Menelaus, his eyes narrowing in rage.
"Forgive my friend King Priam," pleaded Odysseus, wishing to intervene before Menelaus spoke again, "he is suffering from a severe blow to his heart after losing the woman he loves dearly. King Menelaus comes to Troy to have that his wife restored to him, no more."
"Why bring thousands of men to Troy if that is King Menelaus's soul purpose?" asked Hector angrily.
A flicker of a smile flashed across Odysseus's face, but he quickly disguised it as a look of confusion. "We bring thousands of men because we fear Queen Helen will not be returned to her husband."
The doors to the end of the hall suddenly slammed shut and all turned to see Paris marching to where the two Kings of the Aegean stood. Anger had swept over his once joyful face, and he gritted his teeth in rage.
"Helen will never be returned to you!" spat Paris when he drew closer to Menelaus.
Menelaus withdrew the sword by his side and pointed it at Paris. He stepped forward, smiling wickedly when he saw the fear on Paris's face. Hector and a number of other guards quickly ran to Paris's aid when they saw Menelaus withdraw his sword and direct it to Paris's throat.
Odysseus whispered into Menelaus's ear quickly and managed to persuade him to lower his sword.
"I will bring this city to the ground!" snarled Menelaus and pushed himself away from Odysseus.
"Please King Priam," said Odysseus quickly, "please forgive that outburst. If you intend to return Helen to her husband then do so at dawn tomorrow, if you do not …,"
Priam nodded, he knew exactly what would happen if Helen was not returned to King Menelaus. He called for guards to take both of the Kings out of the palace and to their ships.
Hector watched as Odysseus and Menelaus left, he was breathing heavily from hurrying to his brother's side in order to protect him. He spat down on the cold marble floor and stared angrily at his brother.
"That is what I think of you!" Hector growled to his brother, and pointed to the saliva on the floor. He then marched from the hall and to the walls of Troy where he finished the battle plan with the soldiers who were destined to fight the next day, and until they died.
The blazing sun rose high up into the sky on the morning after the Kings and their armies of the Aegean had sailed to Troy. The Kings woke before dawn and waited, even when they knew what would happen, for the Queen of Sparta and she did not come.
No soldiers from Troy brought word to the Kings that had already sailed onto the beaches and had begun to set up their camps. No one knew how long the war would last, or that it would result in only heartbreak and suffering to all, and that each of the Kings of the Aegean would regret what they had finished.
Menelaus slowly dressed into his battle attire with the help of a young boy that had followed his father to Troy. The King looked off from his ship, as his tents where still being prepared, and off to the city he wished to burn. He thought of Helen there, waiting for him to seek revenge, and smiled bitterly at the thought. He wanted her to feel pain, she deserved it after all she had done to him, but still he wanted her back by his side.
"Soldiers of the Aegean!" roared Agamemnon and stood onto his ship, and looked to the thousands of soldiers gathering beneath it. "We come to Troy for war! Let us have this city to the ground before nightfall and then we can return to our homes!"
The soldiers cheered in agreement, they desired to return to their homes after the long absence from them.
"Take no pity on any Trojan," continued Agamemnon, spitting the word 'Trojan', "let each of them feel the true weight of the Kings of the Aegean and their great armies!"
More cheers from the soldiers broke out and Menelaus turned away. He had always hated to see his brother invoke the brutality within each soldier's heart. He looked to the soldiers once more and saw them change from simple country men, to men thirsty to inhale the stench of blood.
The soldiers of Troy, dressed in their finest armor and prepared with their swords and shields that caught the light of the bright sun, began to leave the safety and comfort of the walls of Troy and march out in front of them. Generals on horseback commanded the obedient soldiers into line and then rode to the front of the lines.
The commander of Troy's army suddenly raced out from the walls of Troy and to the front of the lines where he stood in front of the other generals. The commander, the great Prince Hector of Troy, called to his fellow warriors.
"Trojans!" yelled Hector as he rode along the soldiers so they could all hear him. "All my life I've lived by a code, and the code is simple. Honour the Gods, love your woman, and defend your country!"
An outbreak of agreement, in the form of thunderous cries, broke out from the soldiers.
"Troy is mother to us all," continued Hector, "fight for her now!"
The soldiers roared in agreement once more and thrust their spears up into the air.
Hector took his place once more in front of his warriors. He adjusted his helmet so it was firmly on his head, and noticed how quickly he was breathing. He flexed his fingers and gripped tightly onto his sword. For a brief moment he looked up to the walls of Troy and saw his wife looking down on him, her face wasn't greatly visible from where he was but he could tell that she was smiling at him nonetheless.
Andromache stood on the walls of Troy. She clasped her hands onto the wall and scanned the soldiers for sight of her husband, and at last she saw him. She smiled nervously.
Hecuba was carefully walking up the steps to the wall, with a few of her handmaidens following her closely behind, and walked up to Andromache. She took her daughter-in-law in her arms and hugged her tightly.
"Hector will be safe," whispered Hecuba as she embraced Andromache.
"For how long though?" said Andromache, her voice slightly muffled as she pressed her head against Hecuba's robes.
Hecuba did not answer; there was nothing she could say to ease Andromache's pain. Hecuba had been in Andromache's position on more than one occasion when Priam had fought in battle, each time he did was like a knife had torn viciously at her heart. She led Andromache to her throne beside Priam, and then Hecuba sat on the other side of her husband.
A few minutes passed before Andromache saw Paris and Helen walking towards her, and taking their places next to her. She clasped her hands together and ignored Paris's glances towards her, she knew he wanted to speak with her but didn't care. Andromache had stopped caring for Paris when he brought war to those she loved.
Cries of war began throughout the beaches of Troy. The Greeks chanted loudly while marching to the gates of Troy, and the Trojans waited anxiously for battle. Nearly a thousand archers were scattered on the city's walls, all posed for battle from where they stood. Hundreds of Trojans, countrymen and women, stood on the walls also and watched the scene before them with fear.
Every last Trojan went silent as they heard the Greeks draw near; their thunderous war cries filled every ear. The sunlight caught every Greek shield and the Greeks appeared like Gods marching towards the gates of Troy.
Dozen's of women, whose relatives were Trojan soldiers, begin to moan loudly because they feared for their sons, fathers, husbands, brothers and other relatives. They peered over the walls of Troy and clung onto one another for emotional support.
The armies of the Aegean and their Kings suddenly halted, leaving a gap between them and the Trojan army. It was obvious how small the army of Troy was compared to the armies of all the Aegean.
On chariots, King Agamemnon and King Menelaus rode out to meet Prince Hector and General Glaucus – who rode into the middle of the gap between the armies. Menelaus instantly began to search the soldiers in the front line for Paris when he sees that the Prince is not riding with Hector.
Agamemnon smiled viciously when he saw the look of fear cross over Hector and Glaucus's faces. He steadied his horses and then passed them to his slave who stood beside him on the chariot. He stepped off the chariot and walked to where Hector and Glaucus now stood after dismounting their horses.
"You can save thousands of men dying Prince Hector, if your brother returns Queen Helen to my brother," said Agamemnon smugly. They all knew that even if Helen had been returned to Menelaus, it wouldn't have ended a war between Troy and Greece.
"Helen of Troy will not be returned to King Menelaus," said Glaucus, his voice sounding like nails on a chalkboard to Menelaus.
Menelaus's head shot up at the words: 'Helen of Troy'. He laughed sarcastically at the new title for his wife.
"Then you have sealed your fate!" snarled Agamemnon. He snatched the reins of his horses from his slave. Then Agamemnon snapped his whip across the backs of his brown stallions, causing Hector to grimace in disgust, and raced to the front line of his army, as did Menelaus.
Hector and Glaucus quickly mounted their horses once more and rode to the front lines of the Trojan army. Hector raised his sword into the air once he had had reached the front lines.
"FOR TROY!" he roared from the top of his lungs, pointing his sword high up into the air and then bringing it back down by his side.
"Troy!" yelled the soldiers in unison.
The Trojans suddenly charged at the Greeks and Hector led them on horseback. He saw the Greeks begin to charge towards him and slaughtered every man that crossed his path. His sword sliced the throats of men beneath him, a sharp and delicate cut to each of their throats.
A shower of arrows suddenly rained down upon the Greeks who cried aloud in pain as death took them to the underworld. The foul stench of blood began to fill the air and trickle through the once glittering sand. And on the walls of Troy the Trojans cried out for their loved ones, watching with their own eyes as relatives or friends fell to the ground and never rose again.
A/N: I had a lot to get into this chapter, so that's why I didn't show that Andromache and Hector made up – but they did. I was thrilled with the reviews, and that most of you wanted to slap Hector – it was what I was aiming for when I wrote it :) I also added dialogue from "Troy" because I couldn't resist! Please keep reviewing :)
Queen Arwen – I'm glad you wanted to slap Hector! Thank you for reviewing and I'm really glad you enjoyed the chapter :)
Donna Lynn – I've not yet decided how Hector and Helen's relationship will unfold, I know for certain that there will be no romance between them though. Thank you for the review :)
aLL aMeRIcAn gIRl 50 - If you look back to chapter 33, that was the last chapter we will see Oenone in for a while, basically Oenone and Paris left one another and Paris fell in love with Helen. Thank you for the review :)
Priestess of the Myrmidon – I'm glad you're enjoying the long chapters as there will be more of them. It's great that you're enjoying this, thank you, and thank you for the review :)
Idun03 – Helen is definitely the most popular person in Troy, other than the Greeks, and she will continue to, till the end I think. I'm really glad you enjoyed the last chapter and felt for Andromache, thank you and thank you for the review :)
Kelly – Thank you for reviewing and I'm really glad you enjoyed the last chapter :)
Kitera – I'm really glad you liked the last chapter, thanks! Thank you for reviewing for chapter 38&39 too :)