AN:: Is it so wrong that I want reviews?! Am I making my chapters too long? Too Short? Am I updating too slow?! sniff Iono... I'm just not feeling the love over here... REVIEW! And someone write me a summary of what they know so far.. Maybe I can attract readers that way!
Chapter 04: I wish that You Would Just leave.
"He's gone?" a voice echoed in Katri's head. Katri looked out to the horizon, the horses and royalty lost in the darkness and distance.
"Yes..." she murmured. " Yes... he's gone." She turned away, ignoring the shot of pain going through her chest.
"Do... Your majesty, do I have any more siblings?" Paris asked as lanterns lit their way back to the palace.
"Paris, I am your mother and shall be addressed as so," Hecuba said promptly. She smiled though at his curiosity. "But, yes, you do have a full sister and many other half siblings through your father. You and your brother, Hector, however are the chosen heirs so you are placed on a higher pedestal than they are."
At this, Paris frowned. Though he was always taught that the Royalty had the naturally highest rung in the social ladder, Maia had always taught him that this ladder is unimportant in their daily lives. Yet, with how Hecuba had described his siblings, who SHOULD have been his peers and equals, his brothers and sisters would be subordinates to him. He couldn't picture Katri being a lower being, which had to look to the ground in his presence. It was unnatural but a realization hit him. If this was true, then Katri WAS his subordinate. Paris bit his lip and steered the conversation to his comfort.
"My sister. What is her name?"
"Cassandra. She is our princess and highly sought after by suitors from other lands. Hector has enough trouble pushing away all of those not worthy of our princess. He should be glad to have your help in her protection," Hecuba smirked, peeking at her older son as she said this but Hector just stared ahead, his expression stony.
"Cassandra shall be surprised of what you have brought home from the market, Mother," Hector stated.
"But of course she'll act as if she knew all along, his identity," Hecuba laughed. Paris looked at both wondering at what they meant. "You see, my son, Cassandra proclaims herself a Seer. Preposterous but we indulge her though."
"If she IS a Seer, then why will you not believe her?" Paris asked naïvely.
"Because she proclaims such farfetched stories that our belief in them is hardly easy to give," Hector answered. "Speaking of farfetched stories..." Hector passed Paris a sneer and an ill-wishing gaze. "You'd fit in with her just marvelously, Paris."
"I hope so," Paris replied, not catching Hector's drift.
The palace was unbelievably vast. The stonewalls around the actual edifice must have been tens of feet thick and hundreds high. The walls were lined with torches lit by fragrant oil so that the whole estate was perfumed like a garden. Set on a cliff jutting from the Anatolia peninsula so that it was easy to protect from invaders, the palace was more of a little town itself, a brilliant spot in the Trojan landscape.
Paris was gaping the entire time as he rode through the narrow paths through the courtyards. There were drips and drops of groups of people scattered about the open area, most of them turning and subtly pointing at the peasant/shepherd boy riding on the one of the royalty's horses. Feeling the eyes, scrutinizing his every move and speculating about his possible identity, he quickly averted his own from his surroundings and looked down to the mane of his horse. For the hundredth time, he wished he had Katri there with her but he just sighed, accepting what he couldn't change. Hecuba, however, heard the sigh and interpreted semi-accurately.
"They stare for they are jealous, my son," Hecuba murmured softly. Her smile was reassuring... but Paris still felt detached.
"But must they stare so much?" Paris asked, annoyed. Hecuba chuckled under her breath and looked on.
The guards and servants were docile, you can say. They rushed to their sides when the three grand horses stopped at the foot of the stairs, hurrying to help their masters and mistress of their rides. Paris looked around him, feeling out of place in the grand surroundings as he walked around in his own hand woven wool and cotton clothing... Wait no. Scratch that. Katri did all the weaving in their household. Paris smiled. Knowing that Katri was there, in the sense that her fingers created what was touching his skin that very moment, created a sentimental smile on his face. He knew it was one of the most stupidest and cheesiest thoughts ever to be thought up but he couldn't help it. The smallest comfort was welcomed in his mind.
Hecuba raised her hand in an offering to her newfound son.
"Come, Paris," Hecuba said. "You shall enter your new home by my side as you should." Hector was behind them both, rolling his eyes at how disgusting he thought the situation to be.
They entered the palace, going through the grand foyer, through the mazes of halls and corridors and finally entering the main hall where the greatest number of aristocrats Paris had ever seen were gathered around two long tables parallel to the walls to the left and right. Across the hall was another smaller table. This time it was much smaller and in the middle was a man, snow-white hair brushing his shoulders and eyes, piercing and powerful though the rest of him was evidently weakened with time. His presence still radiated the power and charisma of what he was... a king of course, for he was Priam, king of Troy.
Paris' mind almost failed him... His breath caught at the realization of the moment. He was about to meet his father! His FATHER! He didn't whether or not to run to him or run away, terrified of how Priam would react to the news of a new son that he wouldn't have to watch grow up for he had missed 16 and a half years. They walked up and the crowd hushed. Priam looked up to his wife, expecting her to be hauling the market's mass products, instead only a boy followed her along with his son... The stranger though looked strangely familiar. Hecuba stepped ahead, leaning to her husband from cross the table.
"My darling husband, I have a bit of a surprise for you," Hecuba grinned. Her age seemed to fall away in her happiness and Priam was curious to what it could possibly be.
"What is it, my queen?" Priam asked. He tilted his head to look behind Hecuba.
"My king," Hecuba started regally, curtsying slightly. Her hands gestured gracefully to Paris and smiled. "May I present to you the long lost second prince of Troy, Paris..." The silence was deafening. Only Hecuba smiled in that room. Paris was shuffling uncomfortably. Priam fell back to his seat in shock. Hector was just rolling his eyes in disbelief. A girl to the king's right though snapped her head up in shock. Paris stood silently watching the horrified look in the girl's eyes before the trance was broken.
"Are... are you sure?" To see their king, stripped of his title, his humanity bare in the uncertain awe he held for the boy was startling to say the least. The royal guests were used to seeing Priam always self-assured and powerful. Now he was merely a man among them. "Paris?"
Hecuba merely smiled and gestured to the walls. Only now did Paris notice the niches of the walls. Nearest to him was a niche containing a marble statue of pure white hue. It was of Priam but in his younger days when he was yet a prince to his land. Yet as everyone looked from the boy to the statue, it seemed there was no difference at all. The resemblance between the marble and the real live boy among them was uncanny. The boy truly must have Priam's blood running though his veins. Priam recognized it as well. Paris watched as Priam went from his seat across the table and walked to a spot just arm's length in front of him.
"Paris?" Priam repeated. Shyly, Paris looked up to the man who fathered him.
"Yes?" As if responding to that name somehow confirmed that he in fact was Paris, Priam gave a strangled cry. He put his arms around Paris, softly sobbing.
"My son... Hestia has returned you to me!" The silent hall, at first, gave scattered applause. Everyone was still too bewildered to react but Priam let Paris go, showing that the alleged prince was just as overwhelmed.
My friends," Priam called, his eyes dotted with tell tale moisture at the corners, his hand still at Paris' shoulder. "A great miracle only the gods can achieve has come upon my court right before you very eyes." Murmuring steadily grew. Paris saw the curious stares, more respectful in the presence of the king. The girl, previously at Priam's right, was still looking at him with hostility. "Behold! I give you my second son, Paris, Prince of Troy." As they were taught, the hall erupted into welcoming cheers and applause. For the first time that night since leaving the cottage, Paris smiled and the feast resumed as before but now with reason to celebrate.
As the celebrations wore on, Paris was bombarded by welcomes and women, some interested only in pleasing the new blood, some interested in what marrying his blood can offer. It was growing tiresome, to say the least. It was much past midnight and only now did he see the girl with pretty but unwelcoming eyes, slip out almost unnoticed. Paris, however, followed.
Outside, he found the girl sitting at a stone bench overlooking the gardens. It was obvious through her deep breaths that she was suppressing some sort of anger.
"Excuse me," Paris called. The girl turned with the initial polite smile but when she realized her caller's identity, the kindness had all but disappeared.
"What are you doing here?" she snapped.
"Nothing really. Just following you." The girls started at his honest and decided to return the bluntness as well.
"Well, I suggest you cease if you have any intentions towards me. I don't think it would be highly acceptable."
Paris now looked at her with new confusion. "You believe I'm intent on courting you?"
"Why else would you follow?"
"I was wondering why you were to quick to shun me at my announcing...."
"I and every other person in that hall know my reasons."
"Well, I don't and I would like to know... and why would it unacceptable that I court you. I see nothing wrong with it."
"I'm not particularly found of incest..."
"Incest... what?" Paris began to realize the identity of the girl before him. "You...You must be."
"... Cassandra, Princess of Troy, and you're sister, if you are who you say you are."
"You're the alleged seer then...." Cassandra remained silent, turning away from the scathing words. "That still does not explain why you don't seem to want me here."
"I don't seem to want you away... I don't want you here."
"Why not?"
"You're not meant to be here! Do you not know the reason why you did not grow up here in the palace in the first place?"
"Something about a prophecy?"
"Yes... A prophecy unfulfilled, foretelling the destruction of Troy and YOUR hand the reason for its fall..."
"That's wrong. I would never let that happen. The Oracles are wrong."
"The Oracles are NEVER wrong. Are you so selfish as to let your city burn down to ashes? I wish that you would just leave.... Leave and let Troy be."
"I wish that YOU would just leave ME be. Can you not see that I would never let my city fall? As a prophetess, your skills are quite inaccurate."
"As a prophetess, I've never been wrong but never been believed."
"Then I won't be the first to break that tradition," Paris snapped bitterly.
Cassandra glared at her new brother and stomped away, angrily. Paris just sulked in the seat Cassandra vacated, wishing for the 101st time that night that Katri was there for his comfort.
AN:: About the first AN.. okay so I'm a review whore! so sue me!! I like to know if I suck! ANYWAYS. PLEASE REVIEW, YOU GUYS.. I AM ON MY KNEES BEGGING FOR YOUR REVIEWS.