Disclaimer: I don't own anything affiliated with Troy; damn it all it's just not fair.

A/N: This technically is my first fanfiction on this site so bear with me. As the summery says I changed a few things but mostly it's the same. The war takes place over a year's time (not ten), Briseis is not a priestess and Helen is (in short) a really big bitch. So read the story and expect new updates…when there are new updates.

Chapter 1 - Introductions

Hector sighed his impatience at his brother as he stepped off of the ship. The prince had not spoken to his brother or Paris' lover since their discovery. Not that he wished to. Hector may be crown-prince but he held little power over his brothers and Paris was no exception.

'Hector I love her, and she loves me. You have found the love of your life. Do I not deserve the same opportunity at happiness?' His sibling's words rang over and over in his head. He loved Paris, like brothers must, but sometimes his brother's rash decisions had too much spur-of-the-moment thrill and too little thinking put behind them.

How kidnapping Helen ever stuck Paris as a good idea was far above Hector. 'Do you realize what disaster this will bring to Troy? You have seen the Greek army brother. And to top this all off, their general is the brother of your 'true loves' husband! You know they will not stand for this Paris.' He had thundered 'Are you even listening to me? Have you even started to see the flaw in you master plan? They will destroy our city and they will murder us all because of your lust.' Paris hadn't a reply to his brother's rant but simply put his arm around a weeping Helen's shoulders while Hector stormed back onto deck.

"Hector!" The prince spun around to see the sand dunes not far away. The voice belonged to the young woman waving wildly on the sand. He was surprised there was no greater welcoming party but this was enough. And honestly he didn't want to be receiving the entire court of Troy and his citizens today. Hector began to grin as she pulled the light, flowing fabric of her dress up to her knees and started to run towards the ships. The two men, evidentially, supposed to be guarding her broke into a run as well when they saw leaving.

Her hair, as black as a crow's wing, glittered in the sunlight as she approached. When she reached Hector she knelled for a moment before standing to turn and watch her protectors run in the shifting sands. The men each knelled then, embraced Hector for a moment before catching their breath.

"Pramadas, Melanon why don't you go and help the other soldiers unload the boats. I will see both of you later at the feast." Hector said graciously. Both men nodded and walked towards the shore. "Briseis you grow more and more lovely with every passing day."
Hector said kindly to the girl.

Her blue eyes sparkled "Hector you've been spending too much time with the Greeks, you're beginning to sound like one." She said in the Greek tongue Hector only barely knew. "By the way Andromanche should be here soon, along with a couple hundred nobles, admirers, soldiers." Hector groaned inwardly, this was exactly what he didn't want; A welcoming party.

As if on cue, multiple chariots appeared, holding fat aristocrats, high ranking soldiers, well-wishers, noblemen and women. In the center of all of the commotion was the Trojan Princess, as beautiful as the first day he met her.

Briseis turned back to Hector. "So where is Paris?" she said her voice suddenly icy "Did her return or is he pleasuring himself with Spartan whores as we speak?" It was no secret among the Trojan court that Briseis, although a friend of the royal family, held no special love for Paris.

Hector sighed, "A small bit of both I'm guessing." He said quietly. Briseis looked puzzled when Paris appeared at his brother's side. "And look who is here at last." Hector said his tone cold "I'll leave you two to talk things over." He walked away as Briseis' eyes narrowed like a hawk's spotting its prey.

Paris' shoulders dropped. "So he told you?"

"He told me enough," Briseis said spitting the words like venom "to know that you have no intention of marrying me. Not that I'm in any way surprised."

"Briseis, I could never have married you. We both knew that. You are just upset that I broke the engagement before you did."

'Exactly' she thought, even though she had no intention of telling him that. "Who is she Paris?"

"What? Aren't you angry with me?" he asked in disbelief. "I mean I thought you would be-" He caught himself in mid-sentence; he would just be giving her ideas. "Helen." He mumbled, face downwards.

"What?" She said shortly. "Helen. As in Helen of Sparta? The wife of Menelaus? The sister-in-law of Agamemnon? Do you have a sudden death wish?" Briseis was nothing if not intelligent. She knew of Helen, and of all of the Greeks of noble blood. She may have grown up among the Trojans but her ancestry was Greek through and through. This caused much mistrust among nobles about her intentions in Troy. Paris admired her strength but thought even nobility must be able to control their women. Even Hector could not control Briseis' temper.

"Paris." A woman's honeyed voice said from behind the prince. "I heard my name. Who is this?" Helen's eyes narrowed at the sight of Briseis.

"This is Briseis, a friend of my brothers. She is a noble in the Trojan court." He knew Helen would be jealous of any other women, not that she needed to be, but how far would it go?

"Hello." Briseis said warmly. "Welcome to Troy. I trust both of you will be in attendance at the feast tonight." Paris knew that voice; it was the one she used while feigning pleasantry used on him one too many times.

"A feast. I don't know if I will be welcome there." Helen responded "Surely not everyone will be as kind as you."

"Oh don't worry; you are a princess of Troy now. Everyone here will love you." The women's conversation went on in that vein for quite some time while Paris stood, hating every minute of it but knowing Helen needed friends. And Briseis was a powerful friend to have.

The festivities went on for hours and every man in the room was intoxicated with Helen's beauty, Hector noted. His father stood beaming at Paris the entire feast he, obviously, was happy to have such a fine woman as his daughter. Of course they were not married yet but, if the court decided Helen was to stay in Troy, the ceremony was to take place in a week's time.

Andromanche was speaking animatedly with Briseis, who seemed much happier than before. Hector's other brothers did not wish to speak with any one, but only to stare at the newest member of the royal family. Both his mother, Hecuba, and sister, Cassandra, were oddly removed. Well Cassandra always seemed oddly removed but seeing his mother so sullen disturbed him.

When one of his fathers more trusted noblemen came to celebrate the princes return Hector pulled him aside to speak with him. "How long has my mother been so morose?"

The servant frowned "Ever since you and My Lord Paris left for Greece. For days she didn't speak to anyone, not even My Lord the King. Shutting herself in her private quarters for weeks at a time. She had all of her food delivered to her and only recently did she return to court, but she always seems miserable now. There's no helping it, we've tried everything."

"I see. Go about your business." The slave left Hector to serve small cakes to Andromanche and her party of noblewomen. His wife looked radiant in a gown of blue with jewels shimmering in her dark hair. Her skin was tanned from days in the sun, playing with the young children of nobles or speaking with friends about gossip in the court.

Such a contrast to Helen, whose fair hair gleamed like the sun itself. The former queen of Sparta was wearing a gown of white with only gold ornaments. He recognized the earrings as those of his mothers. They must have been a gift, for his mother would never let her jewelry be borrowed. Her skin was not sun kissed like that of Andromanche or Briseis but like white linen. Her life as a Greek must have been very different for she did not speak to anyone except a few words to Paris or a question from Priam. Her face stayed stoic the entire feast and only when Paris asked her to retire did the corners of her mouth turn upwards.

Even when the beautiful Helen departed the party raged onwards with dancing, food and wine. Melanon and Pramadas (Elder brother and twin to Briseis) came to talk to the prince but they were so evidently drunk Briseis came to drag them away. "I am sorry." She said laughing "They're just idiots."

Hector laughed as she walked to the door and escorted them to their rooms in the city. She sought Hector out when she returned and they spoke of Paris and Helen.

"Do you think it was wise for him to bring her back?" Briseis asked her friend. Hector took a swig of wine form his golden goblet and shrugged.

"I cannot control his actions. No I do not think it was a well thought-out decision," Hector said slowly remembering Paris' words 'Do I not deserve the same opportunity at happiness?' "But it was his decision to make."

"Huh," Briseis made a sound of displeasure. "If it was his decision to make why will we have to pay for it?" She argued

"I don't know Briseis. Maybe the Greeks will forget about it. Menelaus can get a new wife."

She laughed for a minute. "You must be kidding me. You have had too much wine, prince. I'm Greek and I know that they will not forget about something as big as this." She dropped her shoulders and looked towards Paris. "Helen may not be the only reason for a war Hector. You have met the Greek commander have you not? Agamemnon only wishes to increase his own power. This is the perfect opportunity for a Greek attack. Even if Helen is returned to her husband, they will demand war." She shook her head slightly "Mark my words, they will come and they will have retribution, all reasons considered Menelaus pride being the least important."

They both sat in silence for a moment. "Let us not speak of such somber things. Go sleep and I will see you tomorrow." Hector said as he rose and exited, signifying that feast was over.

The noises of the hall were many and loud, for that matter. Hector sat between his father and his brother, Helenus, at the front of the hall. They were dressed in a dark blue unlike the sky and the sea but rather a rich indigo. The women of the court sat behind curtains that partially blocked them from view. Helen and Andromanche sat in the area sectioned off for royalty, beside the queen and her daughters. The other noblemen's wives sat as well, sitting behind husbands or (in Briseis' case) brothers.

Paris was on the other side of his father beside another of Hector's brothers, Deiphobus. The prince was tense; Paris never had been good under pressure, specifically speaking in front of his father's noblemen. Today was the Day of Judgment, where Helen's fate would be decided. Helen looked, once again, stoic. Her expression never changed it would seem.

The women were not allowed to move behind their gossamer curtain. But rather were simply there to hear the decisions of men and to stop untrue rumors concerning what goes on in the hall.

The aristocrats sat on seats cushions with the royal blue of Troy around a long, four-sided pool of water. Each of the columns portrayed one of the gods on the pantheon and at the doorway to the hall sat sculptures of each of the kings of Troy.

Hector sat in his chair at the front of the hall beside his father and listened to each of the arguments about Helen while secretly thinking about Briseis' words about the Greeks.

"Prince Hector do you not think that should Helen stay the people would be generally happier?" One of the noblemen asked.

Hector was caught off guard and everyone was staring at him. "Helen, though beautiful, enhances our city little more than any other of our princesses would. For that truly is all she ever could be. Should she marry my brother and stay in Troy she would beautify the city but do little else to it. I believe that Troy should give her back to Menelaus." Hector said confidentially.

Another man stood up to speak "But giving her back would show that we are weak and cannot control our own royalty. The Greeks will most certainly see this as a weakness." Almost every man nodded his agreement and it dawned on him. They did not want anything other than Helen's beauty in their city, these reasons were simply excuses.

Pramadas, Briseis' twin, stood to speak and everyone went silent. "Hector, do you think the Greeks will attack us if she continues living here as our princess? Are we in threat of war if she stays?"

"Yes, we will be in constant threat of war with Greece if she stays in Troy. For those who have seen the forces of Troy, or even heard the stories, would know that they are a formidable army." Hector said his impatience growing.

Priam silenced all speech with the raising of his hand. "Let Helen speak." The king said slowly, "She knows the Greeks greater than any other. Let her speak."

Helen rose awkwardly and her voice seemed lost for a moment. "They will come." She whispered, "They will destroy your city, Menelaus will have gone to his brother and they will be recruiting soldiers. Soldiers the likes of which you have never seen. All of the provinces of Greece will come to fight for me."

Paris shifted in his seat; for his future was also being decided. Priam spoke once again. "Let us take a vote. Those who think Helen should stay." There was no moments pause, no quiet muttering. It was unanimous, Helen stayed in Troy.

A/N: Review, do it! Even if you hated the story I really want to know. I'm almost done the second chapter so check for that soon.