Author's note: I have published several chapters in a very few days - make sure you have already read the previous ones!
OOO
This was going to be another sleepless night, thought Helenus.
Several months had passed since the day the Achaeans had tried their first attack on Troy. They had been unsuccessful so far, but they were never far away from the city.
Sometimes he wondered whether he should join them. What kind of a future did he have in Troy, after all? Artemis priest's housekeeper? Local laughing stock?
But if he joined the Achaeans, the Trojans would stop laughing.
And although something inside him tried to tell him otherwise, he didn't care for the city.
Yes, he should really leave and join the Achaeans, just like that. Maybe even tonight.
Oh, please. You think about leaving every single night but you never leave. You will never dare to join them.
He rolled over, covering his face with his hands.
Not only he didn't care for his city, he even wanted to betray it now. What kind of man - what kind of prince - would betray his own city?
Suddenly, he was distracted by a noise. At first he thought that there might be an animal outside. But then he realized that someone was throwing stones at the wall, very close to his window. Someone was trying to call him.
He stood and walked silently to the window, which was closed by a curtain and protected by bars.
"Who's there?" he hissed.
"Open the curtain" answered an unknown voice.
Now that was unusual.
"No, if you don't tell me who you are!"
There was a long silence and Helenus thought that the other would never answer the question.
"I am someone from the Achaean camp. I must speak to you" said the voice.
With shivering hands, Helenus opened the curtains. In the moonlight, he could see a man in his thirties.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I am Eudorus, Achilles' second in command" answered the stranger, coming closer.
"I don't think Achaeans are supposed to be in the city after sunset - or even before, for that matter" snorted Helenus.
"I needed to talk to you" said Eudorus conceitedly.
Helenus was now positively shivering.
"About what?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
"We mean no harm to the city. We just want to get back what has been taken from us. And we could use your help" went on Eudorus, his voice quieter now.
"I don't understand" replied Helenus.
"I think you understand perfectly" said the foreigner slowly, with a knowing smile.
Helenus swallowed. An Achaean warrior, visiting him on Achilles' orders in the middle of the night.
This was his occasion to finally join the Acheans. They even went looking for him!
But he had to pay attention. After all, he only had Eudorus' word. For all he knew, this might be an attempt at kidnapping him. He was the only prince who lived out of the royal palace, except for Cassandra. But Apollo's temple was right next to the palace. After all, the Achaeans had already kidnapped a member of his family before. Besides, how could he be sure that this man was really Achilles' second in command? He could as well be a pirate.
"No, I don't. What does your king want me to do, assuming that you really are his second in command?"
Eudorus was clearly expecting this question. He opened his cloak and showed him a golden medallion. This couldn't belong to a simple soldier.
"Achilles entrusted me with this precious object. Do you still think I am an impostor?"
"For all I know, you could be a pirate. Maybe you stole that medallion" observed Helenus.
"If I were a pirate, I would sell this medallion and not risk being caught and executed in a foreign city" Eudorus answered promptly.
Helenus had to admit that it made sense.
"You still haven't told me what your king wants me to do" he said.
"You know the city well. We need to know whether there is a way to enter the city in great number. The walls and the royal palace must have some weakness. There must be some way to reach the palace without being noticed. We need to know whether you have enough water and food"
So this was it. If he complied, he would betray his city. He would take revenge. It tasted almost sweet.
But he couldn't make up his mind.
He tried to buy some time.
"How should I know this? I am a priest, in case you haven't noticed. I have very little contact with my family" he answered.
"Oh, we are quite aware of that" replied Eudorus with a soft laugh.
Helenus froze.
"What does that mean? What are you aware of?"
"We know that your family doesn't appreciate you. But it would not be the same with us" whispered Eudorus in a mellow voice. "And if you help us, we will remember you when it will be time to give the city a new king"
Eudorus looked at him with a captivating smile. He was clearly convinced that he had struck a massive chord.
"Get out of my sight right now!" he said angrily, trying to keep his voice low.
The other looked at him with wide eyes.
"Be gone! Or I'll call the guards and have you killed!" Helenus hissed.
Eudorus complied hastily. Helenus closed the curtain and sat on his bed. He was shaking so much that his teeth clattered.
We know that your family doesn't appreciate you, the Achaean had said.
So the news that he was a renegade had crossed the sea and reached the Achaeans on the other side. It wasn't very hard to guess how.
They didn't trade with the Achaeans. It was very unusual to find one of them in the city, and never at the royal palace. How could the Achaeans even know that one of the king's sons was a priest of Artemis, let alone know what the royal family thought of him?
Well, it was quite easy. Before Helen's arrival, only one Achaean had been hosted by the king: Patroclus.
And during Hector's wedding banquet, the Achaean prince had mentioned the fact that he and Achilles were friends.
Patroclus had just told Achilles what he had heard at the palace. That Helenus was his family's disappointment, a renegade, ready to betray his city.
And that Helenus was ambitious, and that he wanted to be pitied.
Helenus snorted. It was obvious that the Achaeans had gotten their information from his own family. It was obvious because they had completely misunderstood him.
Eudorus had said that they would make him king. That was he last thing he would want! He wanted to be left alone, not to be the center of attention!
And what about Eudorus' promise that it would not be the same with them, that they would be nice to poor Helenus? Like he couldn't recognize manipulation!
He had been about to betray his family, his city. Including those who had done nothing wrong to him. Including those who had been really kind to him.
He had come so close to actually doing it. The very thought of it shocked him. If Eudorus hadn't said the wrong thing...
Helenus knew what he should have done. He should have cried for the guards and have the Achaean executed. And since he hadn't done it, he should at least go to Hector and tell him that an Achaean had managed to snuggle into the city.
But he already new that he wouldn't go to Hector. The whole city would find out that the Achaeans were looking for a spy and by sheer coincidence they had chosen Helenus.
Of course they had chosen Helenus. He was one of the city's weaknesses.
Helenus took his knife and looked at it.
Maybe now was the right moment. He had really touched his lowest point tonight.
When the sun rose, he was still looking at the knife.
With a sigh, he stood and put it away.
He just didn't dare to do it.