Disclaimer: It's not mine. The characters belong to Homer and the movie rights belong to Wolfgang Peterson and Warner Bros.
SenatorSolo: Yeah, Menelaus is a greedy pig. But Helen's doing her best to get away from the b-tard. Now if only other people would stop getting in the way! Thanks for the lovely review!
Sara: I'm glad you liked it! I do try to make things interesting, lol. Hope you like the next installment.
Nevasaiel: Yay! An old KoH reviewer came to say hi. :D I'm sure someone else has written about this particular idea, lol. But thanks anyway! I'm so glad you've come along for the ride. I really enjoy writing for myself as well as the few special people who I know will give me some feedback. So keep reading!
Ch. 4: Helen's New Identity
Helen didn't know how she'd ever be able to see her Paris again now that Odysseus had found out about their affair. But at least Paris didn't know about the glitch in their carefully laid plan; he would still be returning to Sparta for her. No matter what happens, she thought grimly, somehow I'll find a way to be with him. She still had plenty of time to think of something.
As if that wasn't enough, Menelaus' manservant Darius was also complicating matters. Helen couldn't very well let him continue to serve her husband knowing that at any moment her secret could be exposed. And if she sent him away, Menelaus would wonder where his servant had gone, which could lead to trouble. At the moment, Odysseus was speaking to the traitorous Darius.
"I've already made arrangements for you to sail to Ithaca to serve my wife and I; we are your masters now."
"But King Menelaus will wonder where I'm gone," the servant protested. "You wouldn't want to risk his anger." Darius sneered at them, but nonetheless seemed intimidated by the Ithacan King and his bodyguard. Odysseus waved him off.
"I already asked your king for his permission. You are my gift from him, a token of his sincerity of peace," Odysseus explained lightly, but left no room for argument. "As long as you never breathe a word about Helen and Paris, you shall be treated well." Darius glared at Helen and said nothing. Odysseus sighed and signaled to his bodyguard.
"Take him away. Make sure you watch him until we are ready to leave tomorrow morning."
"Yes my king," answered the bodyguard, and dragged the squirming Darius out of their sight. Odysseus then glanced at Penelope and Helen, his expression vacant.
"Dear, you mustn't prevent Helen from leaving," pleaded Penelope. "What if it had been me who'd had to marry that horrible man and you met me and we fell in love?"
"But she's not you," Odysseus said gently. Then he turned to Helen. "It would be very difficult to fake your own death and then hide out in the city. The king has many eyes, and you are very recognizable. Would it be worth it? How do you know that your life would improve if you left with him?"
"Because he's the best thing that's ever happened to me," Helen firmly stated. "Paris loves me, and –"
"I wouldn't be so sure," Odysseus cautioned. "That young Trojan prince has promised the world to many women, and so far he's stayed faithful to none of them."
"But this time, he's changed." Helen defended him fiercely. "And so have I." Helen briefly explained how both of them had altered their outlook on life once they'd met each other.
"He showed me that I could be loved for just being me, not just for the way that I look. In turn, I helped him realize that he needed to grow up, and use his princely title to help others instead of leaving all of the responsibility to his father and older brother." Penelope's husband stared at her thoughtfully, scratching his chin.
"How far are you willing to go to be with him?"
"Whatever it takes," Helen bravely stated. "You cannot stop me; I will find Paris once he arrives." At that, Odysseus closed the door to his chambers. When he walked back over toward his wife and her cousin, his was smiling.
"I'm glad to hear that you are so determined about this, Helen. Now I know that my efforts to help you will not be in vain." What! He isn't going to prevent us from being together? But why? Poor Helen was more confused than ever. But Odysseus' wife was used to her husband's unconventional methods. Flabbergasted, Penelope screeched,
"Oh…you! You never were planning on stopping her from being with Paris, were you?" He shook his head vehemently.
"Of course not! But I couldn't approve of your plan in front of Darius, and besides – I had to make sure that you both truly loved each other before deciding to risk both of our lives to assist you." Helen threw her arms around him, caught up in the moment.
"Oh thank you so much," she whispered, touched that he would go out of his way to help her thwart Menelaus. "I don't mean to put your lives in danger, but I truly need your help. I'm sorry to ask for such a large favor, but I can't do this by myself…"
"I know," said Odysseus, simply. "There's no need for you to apologize." He looked at her kindly, and Helen knew that she had an excellent shot at finding true happiness with Paris now that she had both of her friends on her side.
"Oh!" said Penelope, just realizing something. "We can't leave for Ithaca tomorrow. Not now that Helen needs us here until Paris returns." Odysseus agreed.
"You're right. I suppose I'll just order the entire fleet, save for one ship, to sail for home without us. That way Darius will be long gone when you fake your death." Helen worried aloud,
"But how are we to convince Menelaus that I am truly gone without proof of my body?"
"I'll tell him that I saw you jump off your balcony into the sea below," Penelope offered. "Then I can burst out into hysterics about how depressed you'd been feeling lately but that I never thought you'd actually go through with a suicide."
"That's perfect," Helen breathed. "He'll never suspect anything coming from you, miss pure and innocent." Penelope winked in spite of herself.
"You know, I think I'm going to have fun with this."
"But you both have to act extremely distraught," Helen reminded them. "As if you would if I'd really died." They both assured her that acting wouldn't be a problem.
"If I may make a suggestion," Odysseus began and Helen motioned for him to continue, "It might be easier for you to hide out in the palace in plain sight than for you to hide in the city where who knows what may happen to you. At least in the palace you'd be well protected." Helen considered it.
"But how? Wouldn't people recognize me?"
"You might be surprised how many people wouldn't give you a second glance if you assumed the identity of a servant," Odysseus wisely pointed out. "That is if you don't mind living like a servant for a few weeks."
"No, that sounds brilliant!" Helen gushed. "I'll do it. But I'll need to become a completely different person in order to pull this off." The three of them started to brainstorm about Helen's new identity.
"Well, first you'll need a new name," said the ever practical Penelope. "How about Callista? That's what we were going to name Telemachus if he'd been born a girl."
"I like it," said Helen approvingly. "Hopefully Paris will too – after all, it's what he'll have to continue to call me even after we leave Sparta. His family can't find out who I really am. Hopefully they'll except that Paris will want to marry a Spartan servant girl. But whose servant will I be? The palace doesn't need anymore girls."
"I suppose it would be easiest if we hired you as our new nanny," said Odysseus. "We'll send Portia back to Ithaca tomorrow. Your new job will be to care for Telemachus each day, if you don't mind." Helen grinned happily.
"Will I mind! Are you kidding? I'd love to do it!"
"So it's settled then," said Odysseus. "Goodnight, Helen. Honey, I'm going to go take a bath before bed."
"Alright," answered Penelope. "I'm just going to give Helen some last minute instructions and then I'll join you." They shared a brief kiss and Odysseus departed.
Helen's heart gave a momentary pang at their show of affection, but she tried not to dwell on it. Stop it, Helen. You must focus on becoming this new person so I can leave with Paris. Missing him won't help your situation.
"Penelope," the young Spartan Queen began timidly. "I need to look as revolting as possible when I become this servant. Can you make me up to look ugly tomorrow?" Penelope laughed.
"I can try, but I'm afraid I won't succeed. But I can make you look more ordinary. First off, as soon as you've 'died', take the secret passageway through the women's quarters into my room. I'll have my servants and I dye your golden curls a dark brown and smudge dirt all over your face, giving the illusion that I found you begging for work in the marketplace."
"But will that be enough?" Helen fretted, wringing her hands. "What about my mannerisms; they might give me away. How can I hide them?"
"Well, first off you've got to slouch more. Don't carry yourself like a Queen anymore, and always look down at the floor. Servants don't make eye-contact. Try to act as if you don't exist," Penelope advised.
"And what about my voice? If Menelaus hears me…" Helen trailed off.
"Try not to talk at all if you can help it. But if you must speak, use a higher pitch than normal." Helen nodded.
"That's a good idea."
"Let's hear your new voice. Repeat after me," Penelope instructed. "Penelope is the sweetest cousin ever." Helen obeyed, using a slightly higher tone.
"That sounds fine, Helen. We're going to fool 'em all tomorrow!"
"I hope so," Helen smiled nervously. "Thanks, Penelope." She turned to go back to her sleeping chambers.
"You're welcome. Oh, and Helen?"
"Hmm?"
"You answer only to Callista now. Don't forget," she reminded her.
"Right. 'Night, Penelope."
Helen hugged her cousin one last time before hurrying back to the women's quarters to prepare for bed. Sleep was a long time coming for the Spartan Queen, even though she tried to distract herself from worrying about the next day's events with thoughts of her sweet prince. My dear Paris, wish me luck tomorrow. I love you so much; I wish you were here with me now, giving me some needed support. A single tear escaped from her eyes as Helen dwelled on her loneliness. Finally, she drifted off, with unsettling thoughts still fresh in her mind.
Meanwhile, in Troy
Paris has just managed to wrestle himself away from the crowds that had gathered to celebrate his and Hector's recent return. After what seemed like hours of conversing with his brother, father and his councilmen, the young prince was finally free to do what he wanted. And that was to catch up with his cousin, Briseis. The young Trojan woman had the same dark brown eyes as Paris and Hector, and she was very close to both of them.
"Come on, Paris; if you escort me back to the temple, we can talk then." Briseis was a virgin priestess of Apollo, and worked at the temple for most of the week.
"Sure, let's go." Paris offered her his arm and they set off for the temple
He had agreed to escort her because he needed someone to confide in, someone other than his brother. Briseis was a levelheaded young woman; surely she'd understand and support his decision to return for Helen once she heard about the Spartan Queen's terrible arranged marriage.
"So, tell me, cousin. What's the big secret?" She asked as they walked through the dusty streets toward the gates of Troy that led to the temple on the beach. Honestly, Briseis could be so perceptive sometimes it was scary. Paris sighed nervously.
"You must swear not to tell anyone what I'm about to tell you." After she promised to keep his secret, the young prince spilled his story.
"…So now I must find a way to convince father to let me return to Sparta or else I'll never see Helen again," he finished.
"Whew! That was a pretty big secret," she whistled, patting him on the back. "I feel honored that I'm the first one with whom you chose to share it." Paris rambled on,
"Briseis, I'm so afraid that something will happen that will prevent us from being together. So many things could go wrong…" He stared at her with deeply troubled eyes and she knew that Paris had indeed grown up during the long trip across the Aegean.
"You really care about her, don't you?" she said softly. Although it wasn't necessary, he nodded anyway. "Wow; I never thought I'd see the day when you found someone to settle down with." Paris groaned.
"Is it that hard to believe?" She raised her eyebrows at him. "Don't answer that." They chuckled.
"Seriously though, I'm very excited for you. You deserve someone as special as Helen sounds." Briseis stopped walking and gave him a congratulatory hug.
"Thank you," he told her, with a happy smile. "She really is a wonderful, funny, and caring woman. You should hear her laugh…" He gave Briseis a dreamy smile.
"You've got it bad, loverboy," she teased him, causing him to blush.
"I just hope that Hector doesn't think that I've lost my mind by falling in love with a married woman," Paris worried. "I don't want to disappoint him."
"Don't worry; I'll help you convince Hector that bringing her home is going to work out fine, especially since she's going to fake her own death." Briseis paused and looked at him intently. "You are going to tell him about Helen, aren't you?"
"Eventually, yes. I was hoping that it would be later rather than sooner."
"Paris!" Briseis playfully bopped him in the arm.
"What!" he said defensively. "I just wish that he'd believe that I just want to return to Sparta to help with the foreign exchange program. And I do! But he'll think that the only reason I volunteered for the job was so that I could bring Helen back."
"But isn't that the reason why you volunteered for the job?" teased Briseis, knowing it would incense him.
"Well, yes, but that's not the only reason! I want to head the program as well!" But then he saw her smirking and sighed. "Could you please come with me tomorrow when I try to explain all this to Hector?" He looked so upset that Briseis took pity on him.
"Sure. I'll go with you. But don't worry about it too much; Hector knows what it's like to be in love."
By now they'd reached the temple, and Paris bade his cousin a goodbye. But as he walked back towards the city, somehow he knew that Hector wouldn't be as accepting of Helen as Briseis thought. He thought about his love, and hoped that the plan was going well overseas. Please keep Helen safe, he prayed to whatever Gods might be listening. It's getting harder for me each day to live without her.
End Ch. 4