At last the army stopped. And the Kings rode their chariots out.

Hector and Paris moved to meet them.

Agamemnon, Menelaus, Odysseus, and Ajax waited.

"You come here uninvited. Go back to your ships and go home," said Hector.

Agamemnon scoffed and waved his arm over his army. "Look around you, Hector. I brought all the warriors of Greece to your shores."

"You can still save Troy, Hector," said Menelaus.

"I have but two wishes. If you grant them, no more of your people need die," said Agamemnon. "First, you must give Helen back to my brother."

Paris stiffened.

"Second, Troy must submit to my command and fight for me whenever I call."

"They're too close to the walls," said Achilles. "The archers'll cut them down."

"You want me to look on your army and tremble." Hector scanned the army with hard eyes. "Well, I have seen them. I see 50,000 men brought here to fight for one man's greed and I see that that is not the life I wish to have. Nor do my men."

Agamemnon took a step forward. "Careful, my mercy has limits."

"What was he like?" asked Evangelia.

Helen looked at her. She hadn't been able to sit still and had come to the balcony. She stood a few feet away from Evangelia. "What?"

Evangelia looked at her. "Menaluas. What was he like?"

Helen turned her eyes back downward. At last she spoke. "Menelaus was a brave man. He fought for honor. And every day I was with him, I wanted to walk into the sea and drown."

Hector took a step forward as well and towered over Agamemnon's portly frame. "And I have seen the limits of your mercy."

Agamemnon took a small step back.

"And I will tell you now, no son of Troy will ever submit to a foreign ruler." Hector's eyes blazed. "Especially a tyrant and a dictator."

"Then I will tell you now that every son of Troy shall die."

"Wait. There's another way," said Paris. "If I fight you, Menelaus and win, you will leave Helen here and you will leave Troy."

Menelaus stepped forward. "Very well. I'll fight you." He brought his face close to Paris'. "You see those crows up there? They're never tasted prince before." He looked at Hector. "I am sorry it has come to this, Hector."

Hector touched Paris's arm. And Paris turned and followed Hector back to the horses.

Hector handed his brother his helmet. "Paris."

Paris looked at him as he put the helmet on. "Yes, brother?"

"Be careful."

Paris looked up at the balcony where he knew Helen was. "I will. I have too much to loose."

Ajax curled his lip as he watched Paris and Menelaus. "This is the prince of Troy? In Salamis, the women fight better."

Odysseus grinned, amused. "But they're not as pretty."

Both men's eyebrows raised when Paris punched Menelaus in the jaw and knocked him over.

"Not bad."

Evangelia's hands where shaking as she gripped the edge of the walltop. She had turned away from the scene below and gone to the other end of the balcony. She could see the sea from her place. She closed her eyes and longed for another time…a time that seemed like so many years ago but was only…seven months ago. Her and Paris…and Bresisi down at the beach with her Father. Evangelia almost groaned aloud. "He can't win. Menaluas will kill him. Then he'll be lost to me forever.." Suddenly, she heard Helen gasp.

She turned. Priam had come to his feet. She looked at Helen.

Helen was staring downward.

She ran across the balcony and looked over the edge…Just in time to see Paris throw his arms around Hector's ankle. Even from that far away she could see blood streaming down his leg and his face…it was covered in blood. She went cold. "Paris!"

Paris faintly heard a scream and turned.

Menelaus had come after him and his sword was raised.

Hector rested his hand on his brother's head.

Menelaus looked at Hector. "If he doesn't fight, Troy is doomed."

"Paris," said Hector quietly.

Paris clung to Hector's leg even tighter and shook his head. "No. No."

Hector looked at Menelaus. "The fight is over."

Menelaus raised his sword. "Get back, hector. I'll kill him at your feet, I don't care."

Hector looked at him for a long moment. "He's my brother."

Evangelia watched her Father grabbed his sword and shove it through Menelaus's body. She turned and ran.

Hector grabbed his brother and practically threw him on his horse. "Go!" He turned to his captains as he pulled on his helmet. "Form ranks!" He took one last look at the dead body of Menaluas.

At the sound of the gates opening and then closing, his eyes flew open. And he drew his sword.

"Father."

He looked up. It was Evangelia. "Where's Paris?"

She dismounted and handed the reigns of her horse to a man who was leading them away. "He's safe." She turned and faced the army. "Agamemnon wants the Trojan army to fight for him!" she shouted.

The Trojans roared angrily and shook their swords.

"Would any man here like to fight for Agamemnon?" shouted Evangelia.

"NO!"

Evangelia faced the charging Greek army. "For Troy!"

"TROY!"