AN: Thank you for the fine reviews, as usual! You guys always make my day. In addition, please, if you find something wrong with the chapter, please don't hesitate to point them out to me. I'm always trying to better myself and I'm a bit forgetful so if I don't finish a sentence or something doesn't make sense, tell me and I'll fix it as soon as I get the review. Thanks.
P.S. I recently read 'The Princess Bride' (the ABRIDGED version by William Goldman, mind you. The Morgenstern was a little too long winded for me but I have two months' holiday again so I might as well right?). Because the story is fresh in my memory, the beginning of the chapter might be reminiscent of how Buttercup's waiting for Westley changed her. But you know what? That's my tribute to that story. I love it a little too much AND I haven't even seen the movie!
My Immortal
By BluWine
Chapter 10: By the Life You Left Behind
Katriana had been busying herself as much as possible since Paris' leaving. She'd been working harder and harder on her little garden to the point that Briseis tried to visit as much as possible to drag her away from the sun and dirt. Briseis had taken Katri to the temples, the markets where they shopped all the stands. Even Andromache had begun to take a liking to Katriana and began to visit her regularly (though Katri still refused to visit the palace), sometimes just to get away from the fussy midwives and healers of the palace, and just to take a stroll down the markets with Briseis and Katri.
The benefits from being related to the royal family were that every merchant doted upon you and when news traveled that Katri was the girl the new prince had fallen for; social leeches took it upon themselves to latch on to her. That wasn't really so bad because by the end of the six months, Katri's cottage was filled with brilliant dresses given to her, and a woman had given her oils and perfumes for her hair.
Katri found herself thinking that now that Paris had announced his love to her, she should look more presentable to be beside the prince so, slowly, she started to care for herself more. Briseis and Andromache could only grin, sit back and watch as Katriana began to scrub at her skin, nick out the grime, wash her hair, and put on just a little bit of makeup. By the end of the six months, Katri looked like someone that lived a double life. As she worked, she would still look like the dirty little teenager that she was. Other times, when Briseis was with her, she would morph into someone that would fit into the most aristocratic parties, her hair pulled up in braids or buns, and a dress gracing her beautifully. In her mind, however, all the praises were worthless. Nothing would mean anything to her until Paris stepped off that boat and agreed with the crowds. Everything she'd done was hanging on a thread; precariously stretching with more time that Paris was away.
Well, six months have passed. Katriana was at her isolated cottage far off inland and didn't hear the trumpets sound when Paris and Hector's boats were docking at the port. In fact, she wouldn't even hear news of their return until a day after their arrival. Maybe it was better that she had that one last sun to enjoy, even under the impatience she felt for Paris' return... Yes... it was better off that Katriana had that day before the thread that she held onto so desperately snapped and she would shatter like glass....
Trumpets resounded at the beaches of Troy. Four long boats were coming in from the horizon and the telltale horse on the sails signaled the return of royalty. Paris and Hector were returning. Priam and Hecuba waited patiently at the precipice of the palace, looking out onto the docks, wondering which tiny head was their sons'. Priam looked on and recognized the woody brown of Hector's hair gracing his head, moving through the crowds. At first, it started on the boats along the blur that presented itself as Paris... Next to Paris was some person with beautiful long blond hair, previously hidden by a cloak. Even from the far distance, Priam could see that unfathomable beauty of this creature. As Hector stormed away from the couple, he could only wonder what on earth his youngest son had brought to them.
Hector was ahead of the nervous, but romantically occupied couple. He couldn't bear to watch two people fall so deeply into their blind lust that they forget everything around them and stop caring about those that they loved. Anyways, he was quite excited to finally see his fiancé. He wondered if she would look aglow when he saw her in all her maternal glory. He wasn't disappointed.
He passed the palace gates just a second before he caught sight of a woman standing halfway up the staircase to the palace. Her long, wavy brown hair brushed to the front and tickling the tops of a stomach enlarged and her breasts fuller and, gods, Hector had never seen anyone look more beautiful, especially as he knew that the reason for her glow was because of his son in her womb. Andromache slowly smiled and waited for Hector as he ran up to her, greeting his betrothed with a breath-stealing kiss.
"I have missed you, my love," Hector murmured, his arms around her. "How is our child faring?" His hand slithered to the fore and caressed the bulge of the seven-month-old child.
"Doing well. And his father?"
"Better..." Hector smiled. Andromache just grinned at him, kissing his nose slightly before her eyes traveled to the people behind him.
"Paris!" Andromache greeted. She cursed herself for not calling Katri over somehow. She knew that there was no way for Katri to know that Paris had arrived but her wishful smile faltered when her eyes traveled down Paris' arm and saw that he was clutching the hand of another woman... A startlingly beautiful woman, for that matter.
Hector read the look in his wife's eye as he stepped beside her, leaning near her ear to whisper, "Where is Katriana?"
"Not here... thank the gods," she murmured in return. Paris did not hear the exchange and went on to introduce the woman.
"Andromache, this is my beloved, Helen," Paris said, gesturing to the older dark-haired woman. "Helen, Andromache, Hector's soon-to-be-wife."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Helen said, in her soft-spoken voice. Andromache looked confused and bewildered, looking to Hector for an explanation.
What on earth? Whatever happened to Paris and Katriana?
Hector just shook his head, and gestured for her play along.
"I... And I... you, of course," Andromache said, her smile forced. "Paris, your father is eager to greet you." Paris nodded and escorted Helen with him on the way up the stairs to meet his parents.
Andromache looked at Hector as if nothing in the world made sense. "What happened?" Andromache snapped. Hector ignored her indignant outcry.
"How fare does Katriana, my love?" Hector asked.
"How fare does she?!! Let me tell you, that girl has been out of her mind crazy since you and Paris left! I've never seen anyone work so much just to keep her from thinking about him... She's been WAITING for him... What on earth happened, Hector?" Andromache snapped.
"I do not know... Truly, I do not," Hector shrugged. "When we left, Paris was smitten by Katri just as he was here, but the moment Helen appeared, it was as if the gods had something bigger for Paris.... He fell for the Queen of Sparta, and he has brought her here..."
"Queen of Sparta! Menelaus will burn us to the ground! Did they not think about what would be destroyed because of their foolishness?!"
"Obviously, they do not care," Hector said, woefully.
"Well, let me tell you something... I refuse to let Katri be one of the things destroyed by his stupidity... She deserves more than having her worst fear come true..." Andromache said furiously.
"Worst fear?" Hector asked.
"Her worst..." Andromache nodded. "The fear in which Paris returns to Troy but not to her... And the Fates have struck their most cruel hand today."
Priam looked at the hopeful look in his younger son's eyes. It was the second time in his lifetime that this boy had brought him to a decision where he was forced between his position as a doting father and his place as the King of Troy. Last time, he was almost frozen in the icy response his wife had given him for almost a year when he chose his city over his son. This time he looked at his wife, who was silently pleading him to choose his blood over his crown this time.
Hecuba felt joyous in the fact that Paris had chosen one of higher rank to be married to. She could tell that Helen was the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen and that served her purpose beside Paris perfectly. She had no reason to think about the political and military repercussions of what she was approving. All she cared for was that her son had the best; not riffraff picked off the sides of the streets.
The king had his own problems as he continued the silence that had overtaken the four people present. He knew a war would become but he knew it was inevitable anyways. Agamemnon was looking for a reason to strike Troy and take the Dardanelles. Helen was just another reason he could use to take up all of Greece into an uprising against the brilliant city of Troy.
This time he chose his son.
Paris was beautifully ecstatic when he led an equally happy Helen behind him to his chambers. When the doors were closed that night, he picked her up into his arms and carried her around in circles loving the joyous laugh coming from her perfect mouth.
"They loved you!" Paris said as they crashed onto the silken sheets of his bed. "And we made it! You are to stay with me!"
"They let me stay," Helen said kissing her savior, thoroughly. "Thank you so much..."
"For what?" Paris asked, as he began to kiss down her throat, his hands pulling away the silks of her dress.
"For believing that we could make it out alive... For loving me enough to risk it all," Helen said, trying to distract her self from the butterflies erupting in her stomach at each of his feathery kisses down her skin.
"You are beautiful enough to risk everything for, my love," Paris whispered into her neck. The comment seemed to faze Helen however. She froze in his arms and stopped responding to the kisses that, just two seconds ago, made her feel glorious. "What's wrong?"
"I'm tired," Helen said, her muscles still tense against his. Paris looked down at her suspiciously. "Please... I would love to spend the night here just as you wanted to but our travels have made me exhausted... Tomorrow... I promise." She pushed up to kiss away his frowns and when she retreated, she found that her flawless tactic failed to disappoint yet again. He was smiling at her dreamily.
"Tomorrow," Paris repeated, holding her to the promise.
Briseis spared no time in getting to Katriana when she heard about Paris and what he'd decided to bring into Troy. Andromache has sent off a hurried message to the temples the next morning and after asking for brief leave from the high priests at the temple of Apollo, Briseis was off with Acacius by her side again.
"I can't believe my stupid cousin... How could he do this to her?" Briseis hissed as Acacius just kept his face stony. He was another that had gotten to grow fond of Katriana since he was the guard that was always called on to escort either Andromache or Briseis to her cottage. Acacius found her to be pretty, kind and genuine. If her heart had not belonged to his charge, Paris, he would have unhesitatingly made his attempt at wooing her. Now all he hoped was that Katriana wouldn't take this too horribly.
He morosely laughed. Katriana would be heartbroken... I'd be more surprised if she doesn't break down at hearing the news The cottage was within sight now. Briseis bit her lip with worry as their horses stationed at the fence while Acacius just kept moving mechanically with a look of determination. Katriana opened the door and smiled. She had seen them coming a few moments ago.
"Briseis! Acacius!" She ran to meet them half way down the path. Her arms were thrown around Briseis and then Acacius. "Is he here yet? It's been six months! Can you believe it?! I'll be with Alexander again!" Katri linked her arm with Acacius as she led them to her house.
Acacius could only forcibly smile in return. Inside, he was struggling to say the words they'd come to say. Briseis looked up at Acacius, wondering how they could possibly break the news to Katri when she looked so excited to be seeing Paris at any day now. Forgive us, Acacius prayed silently. Forgive us, Katri. We wish we could only tell you something that would make your smile even more brilliant but we are bearer of ill news.
"Katri... Maybe you should sit down," Briseis murmured. Katri's expression froze and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"What? Why? Is something wrong?" Katri said her voice a deathly whisper.
We told you! We've told you not to hold onto that prince, the voices said. He would only break your heart and THIS is your proof.
You're wrong... Alexander is all right... He wouldn't. He asked me to wait for him!
Poor, naïve child. Listen and learn to how cruel the Fates are to those foolish enough to believe in a hope that was ill advised from the beginning.
Shut up!
"Is Alex... Where's Alexander?" She stepped back and fell onto the bench by the table, her finger gripping the edge of the wood.
"Alex... Alex is..."
"Is he hurt? Tell me! Is he lost? Is he? Is he dead?" Katri rambled, trying to break the dam that kept Briseis and Acacius' words. "For the gods' sake! Tell me!"
"Paris has returned," Briseis blurted out. Acacius dropped to Katri's side on the bench, taking her hands into his trying to relax the muscles that made her knuckles white with fear.
"What else?" Katri demanded. "You two are acting as if the dead were coming after us at any moment."
"Paris... Paris has returned... with someone..." Briseis continued.
"Someone? I don't understand..."
"Someone... Someone he claims to be his beloved... They announced their engagement last night..." Acacius sighed in defeat.
"What?" She snatched her hand away from Acacius and scoffed. "You're kidding..." She looked at Briseis who looked away sadly. "Tell me you're only jesting!" Acacius shook his head. "You're not... You're not joking..."
Katri sat, unmoving, her eyes looking out into a window looking to the back of her home. Her eyes traveled towards her memories... how long she'd known she was in love with her best friend... The countless times she felt her heart squeeze painfully when he eyes another girl... And how happy she was when he kissed her... And...
Katri looked down to her lap, hearing the silence as deafening. Tears escaped her eyes, unbidden and she wiped away the moisture hurriedly. Her mind began to talk to the same voices again.
Never speak of what happened again, my love.
Why not?
You didn't listen to me before... Listen to me now. Don't remind yourself of the pain he's caused you for he will not care... Not care to the point that he'll block out the memories. Hear me, child. I'm here for you. Listen to me. Listen to us.
Katri nodded, away the tears that were dripping from her eyes. Acacius reached out to wipe away her tears tenderly and wished that he would throttle the prince if he could possibly get away with it.
A knock came at the door.
Speak of the devil...
Katri's head snapped to the door and she stood up, her chin tilted to a defiant manner.
"Don't speak of it..." A knock came again and Paris' voice came calling her name. "Don't speak a word of me... and..." Her voice cracked at her resolve to follow the advice her mind told her. "Don't speak a word concerning what happened... between me and Alex."
Before Acacius could protest, Katri opened the door and for a moment, her resolve slipped when she saw Paris smiling at her. Acacius saw how Katri's eyes blatantly showed how betrayed she really felt but her eyes masked with ice again.
"Alex?" Katri said feinting shock and then grinning. "ALEX! You're back!"
"Katri!" Paris enveloped her into a tight embrace, swinging her around in the air as she laughed. Acacius swallowed the indignant outcry he felt and smiled as if nothing at all was wrong. "I missed you so much, Katriana!"
"I missed you too, you daft arse! What took so long?" Katri was set down and Paris dropped a kiss on her lips. I would have sparked some hope in Katri, except she realized that the kiss was exactly as it was before her Alex had revealed anything of a more affectionate nature to her. It was unrequited love all over again.
"You know the drill... Diplomatic meetings, traditional tours and culture classes," Paris said shrugging. He turned to Briseis and Acacius and he smiled at them in greeting. They nodded in acknowledgement but they just sat back on their respective seats, wanting to stay until Paris left so that they could be sure Katriana was all right.
"What else? That couldn't possible take SIX bloody months!" Katri teased but the two others in the room found that she was baiting him to confess.
"... Of course, there was all this business of falling in love..."
"Fall... Falling in love?" Katri choked. Paris grinned at her, not even recognizing the apprehension on Katri's' face when he made to reach for her.
"Fall in love... with the most beautiful woman there ever was..." Paris looked wistfully out the window, wishing he could have another glimpse of his love but Katri's shock drew him back to reality.
"The most beautiful? And her name would be?" Katri asked.
"Helen..." Paris smiled.
"No... You HAVE to be joking..." Katri scoffed. Briseis and Acacius looked at her in surprise. They thought that Katriana would take Paris' stupidity lying down. "You left me... Helen! Ha!... How in Hades did Menelaus let you have Helen?" She may have been isolated but she wasn't completely stupid. Katri learned about the Spartan royals during Andromache's visits.
"Menelaus?" Paris blushed under Katri's gazed and stammered for an answer. "he... Uh.. We.."
"You stole her?!" Katri cried out.
"I did NOT steal her!" Paris snapped at the accusation.
"Oh yes... Her HUSBAND just knows NOTHING about her whereabouts while you hid her identity as you put her in you boat?" Katri said sarcastically.
"She loves me! She was imprisoned in that primitive, militaristic country! Helen deserves more than that stupidity!" Paris yelled back, annoyed that he hadn't predicted Katri's scolding anger. He thought she would be happy for him.
"Unbelievable," she murmured. "Six months and all your values and ethics are forgotten."
"What?!" Paris said, insulted. Acacius leaned back in his chair and grinned. It seemed that Katriana could hold her own VERY well and he was enjoying Paris' discomfort.
"Six months gone, and everything my mother has taught you seems to have been tossed out of the window."
"Don't you DARE think that I would forget about mum!" Paris yelled. "How could you DARE say anything like that!"
"Mama NEVER taught you that it was all right to steal people's wives... Have you even thought about the consequences?! Think of the people who will die defending our city because of your bruising a KING'S ego. Menelaus and his brother will be on your arse in a month at the most! Gods.... His brother... Agamemnon has been biding his time trying to find a reason to strike us so THANK YOU VERY MUCH, Alex. You've given his reason on a silver platter. Obviously everything that was taught to you by the life you left behind was forgotten. Everything Mum's said about selflessness has completely bypassed your waste of a brain," Katri said.
"Why... You are telling ME to... You... You're jealous!" Paris said after a moment's silence. "Why in Hades are you jealous? That I've become something more than a poor peasant?" Briseis mouth dropped at the unashamed insult. "That I found someone I'm hopelessly in love with and loves me in return and you are sitting in a collapsing cottage cold and alone?" Acacius would have stepped up to Katri's defense but her own self-preservation got ahead of him.
No one even saw the blur of Katri's palm flying across Paris' face. They just heard the quick and echoing sound of the skin making contact with skin. Paris felt the sting of hand against his cheek. It stung for but a moment, then it numbed. He knew that later it would pain again and maybe even swell because he felt the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. He must have bitten himself at her hit. Paris looked back up at Katri and all he saw was hatred.
"While you saunter about the city... While IT collapses under Greek siege...While everyone looks up at you and thinks you a prince, just remember that the one person who has know you most and knows you best will see the poor peasant in YOU... Paris," she spat out. "And don't you dare speak to me EVER again about being in love... or Zeus help me... I will walk to the beaches myself, open the gates for Menelaus, Agamemnon and his army and watch as they rip you and your whore of a fiancé to pieces."
Paris just glared at her. He couldn't care less what she threatened. She wouldn't pull through with it...
"Now, if you would so kindly oblige? You no longer warrant an invitation in this house... Get out," Katri said, her eyes betraying tears of anger and hurt. Paris, happily, followed her request, stomping out and jumping onto the horse he'd came on.
Katriana slammed the door behind him and looked back at Acacius and Briseis.
"I'm sorry you had to witness that," Katri sniffed trying to keep a straight face but she her willpower collapsed when Acacius put his arms around her. "How can he... How can he even... To say that at all?! How could he?!"
"Shhh... I know, love..." Acacius murmured. Briseis stood up and hand on Katri's back as she sobbed into Acacius chest.
"It's almost as if... It's as if he... doesn't even... remember..." Katri sobbed.
Paris galloped away, furious, never even looking back nor regretting his words. Of all the people in Troy, he thought Katriana would understand. In the wind, riding with him, as fast as he was going... he thought he heard the scoffing laughter of a woman...
As usual, everyone! Thank you for your reviews! ANd all of these ideas on what's going on makes me so proud! I've got such smart reviewers! haha That or im REALLY not subtle at all. And more reviews would be nice.
War of the Roses = I know Katriana will be sad! I'm sorry! I hate having to hurt her!! And thank you for the review by the way and the compliments. =)
Jamy = Thank you for the birthday greeting. =) And I like how you are making some conclusions about what's REALLY going on. Hehe hidden plotline! And you think it's hard to read it when Paris is being such an arse?! Writing it is horrible too! Especially in this chappie!
Nevasaiel = haha... Paris has momentary wit! Yay! I loved the whole 'leaving with my own treasure' line. haha.
me = Yup... Helen is the root of all conflict isn't she? haha.
Maren L P = Personally, I were Hector, I would have thrown Helen overboard and bound and gagged Paris on teh way home. Done SOMETHING other than spoliing them!
Shells = Paris and Helen get married at Sparta in some secret wedding or something? You said wife and I was thrown off. WElsh in my story, at the moment he's only engaged. Marrying in a few days or something.
satrrynight = Thanks for the review. =curtsy= I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
babyg2988 = I'm glad I made someone happy! haha. And the wringing of Helen's neck is a very welcome activity. haha. And don't hurt your head now. And I'm terrified of what you'll do after you see how horrible Paris is in this chapter. hehe.
drummerchick1988 = DDR! Of course I play Dance Dance Revolution! I have it on PS2. Pad and everything! haha. I'm suck a video game obsessive. =P And I hope you liked this chapter.