Fortunately this time I wrote the whole story in advance before posting. Not making the same mistakes twice and all that…

Went back and read all my reviews, and was touched by some of the ones I've received since I haven't been on here. I literally cried, it makes me really happy when people enjoy my writing.

On that note, please take this one with a pinch of salt. I didn't want to put in too many obscure characters, and it's kind of hard to bring and ancient war into the modern day with no divine intervention or anything. So it might seem like characters or plot points, or places are missing. Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter 2: In Which Paris Arrives at Troy House

Half-term was over, and students returned to Iliad College, some excited for the final half-term, some dreading the return to the classroom, and the majority relieved to be away from their decidedly distant parents.

"And this is Troy house," Hector announced, adding proudly, "only, Troy, Argos and Ithaca are coed* houses."

"And Ithaca barely counts as a house anyway," Diphobus put in, "It was just the music practice building until a few years ago. Troy is one of the oldest houses. Only the best families are here."

"Uhuh," Paris stared about at the pristine garden which led up to the front door of one of Iliad's oldest boarding houses, "If it's so old, how come it's coed?"

Hector and Diphobus exchanged glances nervously. Paris had been home a lot over the past few years with their parents, who had some slightly…old fashioned ideas. As usual, Hector took charge. He was sure that Paris just needed to adjust to a new place.

He explained, "because in Troy house we're progressive, modern. That's what sets us apart from somewhere like Crete House, which is all boys, or Cyclopes House," he shuddered.

Paris looked confused.

"We think the families in Cyclopes house might be a bit too old…" Hector said tactfully.

Paris raised his eyebrows. Incest? He mouthed.

Hector nodded covertly and the three brothers laughed.

The door of Troy house opened and an older boy came down the path. The impressive collection of badges on his pristine school blazer proclaimed him to be a prefect, a head of boarding house, and a member of both student council and the equestrian team.

"Hector!" He called, "Diphobus! How was your half term?"

"Good. Very good. Went to Turkey. Mum can't stand the autumn, finds it depressing," Diphobus swaggered over to shake hands. Only at a place like Iliad do you see teenagers shaking hands by way of greeting (that and thinking waistcoats are cool). Despite being the youngest of the three brothers, Diphobus had a worryingly high opinion of himself (to Hector's mind at least. It was going to be a struggle keeping both him and Paris in line for the next few weeks).

"And this must be your brother Paris," the older boy said, holding a hand out to Paris.

"Yes," Hector quickly made introductions. "Paris, this is Priam, head of Troy house. Priam, this is Paris. As you know he's come along to the old family spot."

"Nice to meet you," Priam shook hands with Paris with the air of a king greeting a new prince (say, one who has lived for years as a humble shepherd on mount Ida perhaps), "I'm surprised you didn't join earlier," he remarked, then saw Hector's panicked expression and added, "we're happy to have you here."

"Happy to be here," Paris flashed a winning smile. He was ridiculously good looking, even Hector couldn't fail to notice, "Hector has told me so many stories. Is it true Heracles stole the rowing team's flag from here?"

Priam laughed.

"Yes. Saw him do it with my own eyes. I was only a first year at the time of course, but it was a momentous occasion."

"Momentous indeed," Diphobus grinned, "maybe this will be the year we finally get revenge."

"Not with Achilles on the rowing team," Priam said, "did you hear what he did to that boy who insulted Neoptolomus?"

"His younger brother," he added in an aside to Paris, who looked confused, "I heard the boy ended up in hospital."

"I'm surprised Achilles is still here, if that's true," Hector said, looking shocked, "I don't think I believe that story."

"Then why did he never come back?" Diphobus shot back, "oh don't worry," he added, seeing Hector and Priam's astonished faces, "he wasn't dead! He was some scholarship boy. Didn't really have the backing to carry on."

"You need a reputation here," Priam explained wearily to Paris, "friends, connections. Make an enemy of someone like Achilles without anyone fighting your corner and you're done for, the whole school will be against you. They had a proper fight down by the boathouse and no one batted an eye. Rumor has it coach Poseidon was even there and didn't put a stop to it. I hope it won't always be that way."

"Easy for you to say, being from one of the oldest families here," Hector raised an eyebrow at Priam.

"Well, unlike Achilles, my mum isn't head of sixth form," Priam added hurriedly, "Dr Thetis has even got Headmaster Zeus in her pocket. Boy was just lucky he didn't insult Patroclus. Then I really would have been worried for his life."

Paris looked at Hector questioningly again.

"Achilles boyfriend," he explained.

"Oh!" Paris laughed, "he's gay?"

"Bisexual actually," Priam looked slightly disturbed by Paris' tone. Hector, embarrassed and apologetic, awkwardly tried to change the subject.

"How was your half term Priam?" He cut in, "I realise I forgot to ask."

Paris wandered behind as the others made their way up to Troy House, looking pensive. He hadn't been sure of what to expect, finally coming to Iliad. Hector had described it as some kind of paradise, putting stress on the opportunities available, the standard of the teaching and the state of the art facilities. Diphobus had said it was okay. They could get away with most things, but there weren't enough hot girls. Paris had taken both descriptions with a pinch of salt, and decided to make his own evaluation. Hector had been right about the buildings, Troy House was huge, the handsome old building extended with the addition of two more modern wings, stretching out behind the centre block. It was complete with a walled courtyard out the back, between the wings, in which students could enjoy the English weather in private. As they approached the imposing front door, Priam still chattering on, Paris stared up at it, wondering exactly what Troy House would think of him.

…

They had a party that night to celebrate the return to school. Mostly students from Troy House, but a few girls from Amazon house as well. Amazon was the only all-girls house at Iliad. Originally it had been the only girls house, but then the 'stay at home mum with PHD and small interior design business' trend had come along and every rich socialite wanted her daughter to go to boarding school. Paris eyed one stunning female athlete with impossibly long, impossibly blue braids, looking awed.

"Don't," Hector came up beside him, having seen the look on his brother's face. "She's Coach Ares' daughter, Penthesilea. If she didn't kill you, he would. Anyway, I thought you had a girlfriend."

"I wasn't doing anything!"

Hector raised his eyebrows and seemed about to argue, but then hurried off in the direction of Diphobus, who had just disappeared into the bathroom with a furtive expression. Hector was sure he'd seen him over at Lotus, the student led tuck shop (and therefore also thriving narcotics business) earlier that day.

Paris scanned the crowd and watched as a pretty blond girl broke away from her friends and headed into the kitchen. He followed.

"Hey."

She looked up, holding a glass of water in one hand, and smiled politely.

"Paris, right?"

"Yeah. Fancy a drink?"

"Already got one thanks."

"A proper drink."

"I'm underage."

"That's not stopping anyone else here."

"Can't have alcohol, brings me out in a rash." she sounded a bit desperate.

"Want to go somewhere private then?"

"I'm good thanks." she eyed the door.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not interested."

"Just as friends."

"I'm really ok thanks." She was starting to sound really desperate now.

"Why not?"

She had started to head for the door, but now she whipped round angrily.

"You give me bad vibes," she told him, "not least cause you haven't even asked my name and you're already trying to get in my pants."

"I'm sorry," he said smoothly, not denying her accusation, "I just thought you were really cute. What's your name?"

"Cassandra."

"Wait? The tarot card girl?"

She rolled her eyes, "oracle cards actually. You shouldn't use tarot if your under eighteen."

"And what do your tarot cards say about me?" His voice was light, teasing.

"That you're trouble." And with that she pushed past him and out of the room.

Paris gritted his teeth. He went to follow, but seeing Hector, hurriedly ducked back into the kitchen again.

…

They had reached the end of the party, where the festivities were barely limping on, and only a few people remained downstairs, reclined on the beanbags in the common room.

"So," Paris asked the room at large, "house rivalries?"

Antenor, an Upper Sixth and a friend of Priam's, answered him.

"There's a bit of a rivalry between Mycenae and Troy House. They're the biggest boarding houses, and lots of the families are quite important. Then there was this whole thing with Heracles," he rolled his eyes, "Mycenae think Heracles was some kind of hero. He's like their god. Anyway, he was in this rowing race against Troy House and he got hurt and couldn't row anymore. It wasn't a big deal, he still got his rugby scholarship to Oxford, but Mycenae are convinced it was some kind of sabotage after the incident when Heracles broke in to Troy House. As if that was even possible! Anyway, Argos think Heracles is god too, because there was this other guy, Perseus. He was Heracles grandfather or uncle or something, and he was the one who founded Mycenae House after he left. But he was in Argos House. So Argos House is obsessed with Heracles too. Apparently it makes sense to someone."

"It's all a bit ridiculous," Priam sighed, looking apologetic. Paris couldn't imagine being like Priam. How could he not enjoy a bit of drama?

"So before Mycenae was started, it was just Argos and Troy House?" Paris asked.

"Argos, Crete and Troy," Priam told him, "there were three. Then Cyclopes House started sometime. I think it was originally for the teachers' children. Anyway, there's this rumour that they're all related somehow. They're a bit…strange."

A few sniggers.

"Anyway," Priam went on hurriedly, "Amazon House was started when the school became co-educational. And Ithaca House has only been around for about five years or so, lots of people here still remember when it wasn't a boarding house. There were too many pupils coming in."

"School got too crowded," Diphobus leaned back, eyes half closed, "too many scholarship kids," he sneered.

Hector looked uncomfortable, "There's not really much house rivalry here though," he said, "Pretty much all of the rowing and rugby teams are in Argos or Mycenae House so we can't compete in sports. I think it's just that people are friends with the people in their own boarding houses, so we don't know the others very well."

"I don't know," Priam said thoughtfully, "I think it just bubbles under the surface. No one actually does anything, but there's this sort of unwritten rule that you don't make friends with people from certain houses. And things get a bit heated during inter house competitions sometimes."

"I guess there's no one like Heracles stirring up inter house war," Antenor said, sounding relieved.

"Shame," Paris muttered, not sure if anyone could hear him or not, "a bit of interhouse war would be fun."

*coed is short for coeducational, meaning there's both boys and girls in the same house. They will normally have separate halves though, with alarmed doors etc.