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Chapter 21

Anama dropped Helen at her door after they had dinner.

"Well, here you are." said Anama.

"Anama, I want to thank you for what you have done for me. No one has done anything that thoughtful before. You are a true friend."

"Just remember that I am always here for you. Whatever you need, please, tell me and I will try my hardest to do all I can."

Helen smiled and gave Anama a hug.

"Good night." said Helen.

"Good night."

Helen closed her door and Anama went in search of her husband. She went to their rooms and walked in.

The fire was lit and Hector sat on the edge of the bed. As she entered the room, Hector stood to his feet.

"There you are. I was so worried about you. Do you remember what I told you?"

Anama sighed. "Don't go anywhere without telling you and make sure I have a guard with me at all times. Hector, I was with Helen all afternoon. We walked the palace, ate dinner, and I took her back to her rooms. That is all. There was no need for a guard."

"Yes there is. Someone could easily enter the palace and take you without anyone knowing!"

"Hector please, calm down. Why are you so angry all of a sudden? What happened at the meeting?"

Hector sighed and sat down on the bed. Anama saw the turmoil in his eyes. She sat down next to him and grabbed his hand.

"What is wrong?" she whispered.

"Paris is to fight tomorrow." he said plainly.

"Paris? Why would he want to fight? Who is he fighting?" asked Anama.

"He is going to fight Menelaus for Helen."

"What! Paris can barely fight a soldier who is just learning how to fight. How could he possibly think he is going to win? The boy has no chance."

"Then he will die trying."

"Listen to you. You sound defeated. How can you let your only brother fight a man who will no doubt kill him in the first swing? Paris is not a fighter."

"What would you have me do?" asked Hector slightly annoyed.

"Talk him out of it. Tell him that this is not the way to win Helen. We don't need to fight Menelaus. Fifty thousand Greeks did not cross the sea just to watch your brother fight. You know this and so does everyone else. This is only a way to get Paris out of the way, and make you weaker so that they can take control of Troy."

"It is not that easy. Paris is set in his ways and he will not just sit there and wait for Menelaus to take Helen away from him and to watch his city burn!" yelled Hector.

"Yes but once Paris is dead, they will no doubt attack the wall and then you will subjected to fight! What happens if you don't make it out of this one? What happens if you bare the same fate as your brother? I can't lose you. If you died, I couldn't live." said Anama, tears forming in her eyes.

"Paris is fighting tomorrow, not me."

"That doesn't mean anything. You and I know that once Paris is taken care of, the Greeks will no doubt attack, and you will be there in the middle of the entire battle, and there is always that one chance that you could not make it."

"I am not going to die. I am going to live, to see my children as they grow, to see them marry off and have families of there own. I am going to be with you, until we grow old. There is nothing that is going to take that from me."

He raised his hand and cupped Anama's cheek as tears began falling freely from her eyes. Hector hugged her and stood there, with her in his arms, while the breeze from the night filtered its way throughout the room. Hector looked out into the night, and saw small orange lights off in the distance.

"I must see Paris." he said. He pulled away from Anama and gave her a kiss. Anama followed him to the door. As he walked off, Anama noticed a dark figure off to the right. She knew she shouldn't follow without a guard, but it would take to long for one to arrive.

She grabbed Hector's sword just in case and ran after the dark figure.

Anama took a different direction as to cut the dark figure off. She waited around the corner until the figure was within ten feet of her.

Anama jumped out and pointed the sword at the figure, stopping the person in their tracks.

"Who are you and what is your business." said Anama.

The figure stood there for a minute. It seemed as if they were trying to figure a way out of the situation.

Anama heard the figure sigh and remove the hood. There stood Helen, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Anama dropped her sword. "Helen?" she asked surprised.

"Anama." whispered Helen.

"What are you doing? I could have killed you!" she grabbed Helen into her arms.

"Please let me go!"

"No. Stop this." she embraced Helen into a hug as tears began streaming from her eyes.

"Sh." soothed Anama.

"I saw them burn. I saw them burning on the pyres. That's my fault." cried Helen as she pulled from Anama.

Anama only shook her head.

"It is. You know it is. All those widows. I still hear them screaming. There husbands died because I'm here. I'm going down to the ships." she turned and tried running but Anama grabbed her.

"No, you're not."

"I am giving myself back to Menelaus."

"It's too late for that. Do you think Agamemnon cares about his brother's marriage? This is about power. Not love."

"Paris is going to fight in the morning."

Anama nodded her head in understanding. "Yes, I know."

"Menelaus will kill him. I won't let that happen."

"Ugh, I am going to sound like my husband." said Anama quietly to herself. "It's his decision."

"No. I can't ask anyone to fight for me. I am no longer queen of Sparta."

Helen went to walk away but Anama got into her path.

"You are a princess of Troy now, just like me, and Paris needs you tonight."

Helen looked at Anama and gave her a small smile. Anama nodded to her and Helen went off in search of Paris.

Anama watched her go to Paris. She stood there for a moment, looking up into the stars, wondering what tomorrow would surely bring.

She grabbed Hector's sword and went back to there chambers to await Hector's return.