Paris (Troy) / Reader
It was a beautiful night; there was no wind and the silver moon was just rising above the mountains that looked like they had been painted to the horizon. It was early summer and the nights were still a bit chilly sometimes, but not tonight and therefore you had left your private chamber and headed to the beach that was located right next to the palace where you were living. You loved nights like these because it was so silent and for a moment you were able to imagine that you were the only person alive in the whole world, just you, the stars and the sea. The thought was comforting and sad at the same time. It was comforting because your life was very hectic usually and you were always being followed around which had lately started to annoy you greatly. However, thinking that you were the only person in the world made you sad as well; you liked the people that usually accompanied you and to imagine your life without them felt… well, strange at least, although lately you had started to feel lonely even in the crowd… which made you feel even lonelier when you were being surrounded by servants, guards and other people living in the court.
You walked down the steep hill that eventually ended to cliffs and sea. It was dark but you had walked here many times so you knew where the path was. You knew exactly which rocks were safe to step on and which ones would roll down if you placed your weight on them. It was not the first time that you were sneaking away from the palace, oh no, you had done this countless times and learned by trial and error. Yes, you had almost fallen many times, more than you could even remember but fortunately you had never gotten badly injured. You found support from the bushes and small pine trees that grew on the hill.
You lived on the island of Thassos which was actually also called “the emerald” because the island was covered by bushes, pines and olive trees as well as aromatic plans such as chamomile and oregano. The landscape was decorated with mountains and the soil was volcanic, which was basically the reason why the island was covered with vegetation. The island was not very large; only about twenty four kilometers in length and about twenty kilometers in width but you did not really mind since you had everything you needed right there, close by. Besides you loved the sea, the turquoise water that was teeming with various fishes and other sea-creatures. The island was known for its gold mines and it was also an important source of white marble which made Thassos an important trading partner in the ancient Greece.
The night was indeed beautiful… however tonight you were not alone; there was a strange boat in the harbor a bit further away. You recognized it because the large, white sail basically glowed in the pale moonlight, but then again, there was nothing strange about the island being visited by strangers, it was quite normal actually and therefore you decided not to think about it any further. You just wanted to get down to the beach of white sand and maybe take a late-night-swim in the cool water. Suddenly you saw someone, a man in armor, walking by the cliffs about fifteen meters below you and then falling into the sea before you were able to warn him about the loose rocks. You picked up your pace and ran down to the cliffs, hoping to see the person rising to the surface but after a moment of waiting you realized that he was not going to surface by himself. You groaned and tightened the belt of your chiton –dress before jumping from the cliffs into the sea. You knew these shores by heart and had jumped down many times, never to save someone else though.
The man was lucky; he had avoided hitting the rocks when he had fallen off the cliff but his armor was too heavy and therefore he was unable to swim to the surface by himself, besides he was not a great swimmer since he had not been living by the sea like you did. The man tried to open the metal buckles of his armor but the deeper he sank despite his best efforts to kick back and stop the sinking, he started to panic and therefore was unable to free himself from the armor. He sank to the bottom of the sea, ending about five meters below the surface, and during his last moments of consciousness he looked up and saw you diving to him, your dress flowing eerily in the clear water and your hair glimmering in the moonlight… like you had been a mythical creature. A siren of the sea or maybe a goddess, Aphrodite herself.
You managed to get to the man even though you were barely able to see him. For your luck the sea was not deep at this spot and therefore it had been easy to dive to him. You found the buckles of his armor and opened them, removed the heavy piece of clothing and wrapped your arm around him. You filled your lungs with air when you reached to the surface and after resting for a moment with the unconscious man floating next to you, swam to the shore. The man was much taller and larger than you and this size difference made the swim a struggle. Fortunately however you were a very skilled swimmer and therefore were able to drag the man to the sandy beach nearby the cliffs.
You turned the man on his back immediately and wiped the hair off his face to see any signs of life. The man was still, too still and you couldn’t hear him breathing, not from afar at least and therefore you lowered yourself very close to his mouth to hear if he was breathing. You could hear nothing, nothing besides the gentle sound of the waves rushing ashore and the silence made you feel anxious. You cursed half aloud and pulled the man’s chin down, pressed your mouth against it after filling your lungs with air and then forced the air into his lungs. You repeated this many times until the man suddenly started to cough. You helped him on his side so he was able to empty his lungs from the seawater.
- Breathe. you said and helped the man to lay on his back again. Finally you noticed that the man was very handsome; he had brown curly hair, fair features and his physique was flawless… that was what you were able to make out in the darkness anyway. You had never seen him before and therefore you deduced that he was a merchant who had sailed here on the strange boat that you had seen a bit earlier.
The man opened his eyes and stared at you with a mesmerized expression on his face as he mumbled something about sirens. He coughed violently every once in a while but he always returned to stare at you with the fascinated look on his face. You were very beautiful; you had soulful eyes that were framed with long lashes and even the smallest amount of light made your eyes sparkle like they had been precious gemstones. You had full lips and delicate features, long hair and your physique resembled the physique of a goddess; feminine yet strong. You after all were living in the late Bronze Age which would be later called as the age of heroes and heroines. The man tried to talk and ask who you were but you told the man to concentrate on the breathing. Suddenly you heard some other man calling someone, the man you had saved most likely. The caller was nearby and therefore you stood up immediately and ran into the sea to hide. You swam behind the rocks and stayed there spying on the caller who now noticed the man you had saved laying on the beach.
- Brother! the caller exclaimed with a deeply concerned and shocked tone. The man you had saved sat up and spoke with a weak, yet admiring tone
- A beautiful siren… Hector… there was a-
- Calm down, little brother. Hector said and chuckled relieved. Hector offered his hand to his little brother and pulled him up. Hector asked his brother about the armor and the brother commented that it was most likely in the bottom of the sea now. Hector chuckled a little and then stated that he would order a servant to get it tomorrow but now it was time to get back to the camp and get some rest.
You waited until the two men left and then swam back ashore, sneaked back into the palace unnoticed and went to bed after changing your soaked dress into a light nightgown. You lay down and stared at the ceiling as the pale moonlight poured in from the large windows. You did not know who the man had been and what had he been doing on the cliffs, so close to the palace. Was he a spy? Had he tried to climb up to the palace and kill the king? Surely not… or maybe he had come to kidnap the princess. You had heard stories and knew that it sometimes happened. Whoever the man had been, he had been handsome… a living image of a god and he had had a soft yet deep voice. You couldn’t stop thinking about the stranger and when you finally fell asleep, you had a dream about him… about you pressing your mouth on his but this time to kiss him… he sinking his fingers into your long, wavy hair and rolling you on your back on the warm, soft sand.
- What happened, little brother? Hector asked when they reached the camp. He told his servant to dive the armor immediately when the sun rose because it was made of leather and decorated with silver which made it very precious and therefore it couldn’t just be left behind. Hector had earlier told his brother not to wander off because they were visiting a foreign kingdom and even though there were friendly relations between them and the people of the island of Thassos, it was not smart to behave like one owned the land. No, the most important thing in the relations between two lands was to be respectful at all times… except on the battlefield. However, Paris was not so good at following one’s instructions or… well, rules in general.
- I fell into the sea, brother. the little brother replied with a calm, yet a bit embarrassed tone, sighed and explained that he had been unable to remove the armor and therefore he had passed out. “I woke up on the shore” he added and smiled a little as he recalled your gorgeous face. He had seen many beautiful women but no one before had ever caught his attention, captured his soul the way you had. You had been ethereal, inhumanly attractive which made him convinced that you were either a siren or a goddess who had felt pity for a mere mortal and saved his life. Hector rolled his eyes and asked “How-“ but his little brother did not let him finish his question.
- I am not sure. the little brother mumbled and then exclaimed “It must be the siren!” with a fascinated and deeply adoring voice. He remembered seeing you diving to him, just before he had passed out from the lack of air.
- Siren? Hector asked with a strong disbelief in his voice. He knew the stories about the sirens that lured the sailors to the rocks, to their doom, but since he had never seen one, he was not sure if he believed the stories to be true.
- Yes. Beautiful and enchanting. I have never seen such rare beauty before. the little brother answered and sat down on the pile of pillows and carpets that had been laid on the ground into the tent.
- You must have been dreaming, little brother. Your mind is playing tricks on you. Hector said and poured his brother a glass of wine. “No!” the brother exclaimed and shifted his gaze to Hector.
- There was a… siren… but instead of claiming my life she saved me from drowning. the brother continued as he stared Hector with widened eyes, a serious expression decorating his handsome features.
- That does not sound like a siren. Hector commented and poured himself a glass of wine after handing the first glass to his little brother.
- That is true. the little brother chuckled. Yes, he knew the stories all too well and surely sirens were incapable of pity and mercy. It meant that the beautiful creature had been a woman. “Whoever she was, I will make her my wife if I’ll ever meet her again” he continued with an assertive voice and emptied the glass with one long gulp. Then he lay down on the pillows and let himself fall asleep. He had dreams about you, vivid dreams… dreams that changed his attraction into love and by the sunrise he had fallen in love with you, deeply and passionately… even though he did not know you.
The next day you woke up quite early. You ate some breakfast and decided to take a stroll in the palace garden, hoping that you would run into the stranger again. It was almost noon when you saw an entourage of ten men walking towards the palace. The men were wearing fine, silver-decorated armors and armbands, they were tall and muscular, walking with firm steps by the garden accompanied by the palace guards. It was a sight that made you gasp silently… even though you had gotten used to seeing men in fine clothes.
You decided to wait for a moment, hiding, or not really hiding… just staying unseen in the garden and then to follow the visitors into the throne hall where they were surely headed. You took a deep breath, left the garden and walked into the palace. You walked swiftly yet gracefully along the corridors and signaled the guards not to announce you when you entered the hall. You stayed a bit further away, deliberately standing behind a marble column while you listened to the conversation. After a moment you stepped out from your hiding place and walked with assertive steps to your father who was sitting on the throne.
You recognized the man you had saved just last night standing next to the similar-looking but clearly older man in their fancy armors in front of their guards, facing the king. You had heard them telling your father that they had sailed from Troy to bring a warning that if your father did not drop the price of gold, the Trojans would have no other choice than to attack the island of Thassos. Your father was an old man and during the recent years he had gotten greedy which had put a lot of bad blood in the relations between your father’s kingdom and its trading partners, Troy for example.
- I did not believe the rumors to be true. Hector said with an assertive and slightly mocking tone. His voice echoed in the hall and you felt that it was the right moment to join the conversation. “What rumors?” your father, the king, asked and scoffed.
- That the once wise king Herakleides has lost his mind as well as his decency! Hector exclaimed. No one had yet seen you walking behind them. The rudeness of the visitors made you angry, even though you knew that they had a point, but still they had no right to talk to the king like that, not even if they were from the mighty realm of Troy.
- That is quite enough. you said as you walked towards the men, passed them and took your place on the right side of the king.
- You come here, wearing armor like you had sailed to war…. you spoke with a calm, yet firm and slightly cold tone, took a quick glance at the man you had saved as he stared at you with his big, brown eyes and a mesmerized look on his face. “…and still you expect us to negotiate with you” you continued and shifted your gaze from the man to Hector.
- We’ll give you a day, King Herakleides, and then we’ll sail back to Troy to gather our army. Hector spoke to the king, bowed at you as a greeting, looked directly into your eyes and added “Unless you’ll come to your senses.” It was almost like a request directed to you to talk with your father and to reason with him so the war could be avoided. You stared firmly back at Hector and bowed your head slowly as a sign that you would try.
Hector and his little brother bowed and left the throne hall almost instantly after that; the negotiations were over and the terms had been laid out and therefore there was nothing left to be said. You couldn’t help noticing that the man you had saved had clearly recognized you. Actually when he and his brother, Hector, were walking towards the main entrance, the man you had saved took a quick, fascinated glance over his shoulder at you as he followed his brother out from the hall. You nodded your head a little as a sign of mutual recognition and then focused your attention to your father. You had to reason with the king so the war could be avoided.
- That was her! the little brother exclaimed as soon as they had left the palace.
- Who? Hector asked with a confused tone, although it was quite obvious that he was not really interested in anything that his little brother had to say because the negotiations with the king had not gone the way he had hoped them to and the old king was so arrogant that he rather had a war instead of fair trading agreements… It was not like the Trojans would have wanted the gold for free! Oh no, they just wanted a fair price, that was all.
- The siren that saved my life! the little brother exclaimed and smiled widely. “I must talk with her!” he added. “Paris!” Hector exclaimed, grabbed Paris’ arm and stopped him.
- If King Herakleides does not change his mind about the terms of our trading agreements, your savior becomes your enemy. Hector continued and shook his head. This was classic Paris; falling in love recklessly without caring about the consequences or politics. He was naïve that way, only twenty five years old and much more interested in women than the matters of the kingdom of Troy. For the fortune of the Trojans Paris had a big brother, Hector, who was more responsible and therefore he would become a great king someday.
- I do not care! I shall marry her if she’ll have me. Paris stated firmly. He was a playboy, a player who conquered women easily but he had never felt like this… He had never wanted to marry any of his conquests… but you… there was something about you… something that made him feel defenseless and naked in front of you… and if you rejected him, it would surely break his heart, which was something that had never happened before because he had been always the heartbreaker. “No!” Hector groaned, shook his head and started to walk forward again. Paris followed him and cursed silently his fate; to meet the woman of his dreams and then be told that he couldn’t have you, although Paris could always disobey his brother’s will and kidnap you anyway. The brothers of Troy walked silently to their camp and then suddenly Hector said “Or… Maybe you should.”
- Yes! You must charm and marry this woman. Hector continued after a long pondering. Paris looked at him with a surprised look that carried deep confusion, speechless from his brother’s sudden change of heart. “There are other ways to conquer lands than through sword and shield” Hector explained and congratulated him silently for coming up with the way to avoid the war. The men generally speaking were hungry for war, for the glorious battles that would be subjects of great songs and stories for thousand years but Hector was a married man, a father of a small child, and therefore he rather lived in peace than risked to die in a meaningless war… a war over gold. However, even though he did not want war, he had his orders which meant that there would be an attack if the king of Thassos did not come to his senses.
- I cannot use her, brother! Paris exclaimed. “Wouldn’t be the first woman” Hector scoffed and rolled his eyes. “She saved my life” Paris continued with a defensive tone as he kept replaying the events of the previous night in his mind. “Besides, she is the fairest woman I have ever laid my eyes on” he added with an involuntary smile on his face. Hector had seen Paris in love many times but he had never seemed so sincere… and hopeless almost.
Paris was not a bad person; he had always been free-spirited which came out as kind of carelessness, he was in love with the idea of love and that made him a bit impatient and he made decisions based on his ever-changing feelings… with his heart instead of thinking everything through with his head. Paris reminded Hector sometimes of a child who got a new toy, got immediately immensely excited, played with it and then got bored equally fast… but this time there was something different about him… or maybe Hector was only imagining it. Maybe Paris thought that he was in love with you, yes, “thought” because Hector was rather sure that Paris didn’t even know what real love felt like, but the little brother would get over you as soon as he would see someone more beautiful… or more flirtatious; you had not flirted with Paris which was very rare behavior for a young woman and therefore it had impressed Hector.
You stayed with your father and watched the visitors of Troy walking out from the throne hall. You knew that you had to try to change your father’s mind and prevent the war because even though you had never witnessed a war during the twenty two years of your life you had heard terrible stories about great battles that killed soldiers, heroes and civilians all alike. You knew that there were people who glorified war but you saw them only as something that tore families apart and left deep scars to the society. You were more interested in high culture and getting to know the people of the strange, distant lands; for example Egypt in the south where the pharaohs ruled, the Hittite empire in the east and the strange military state of Sparta in the west, beyond the Aegean Sea.
- Father, we have doubled the price of gold during the past two years! you stated with a slightly frustrated tone and folded your arms. “We are losing allies and making enemies” you added and shook your head. You had waited the visitors to leave because you knew that questioning the king in front of the possible enemy would have been unacceptable.
- I do not care, daughter! The gold comes from this land, the land that has belonged to our bloodline for centuries. the king stated with a voice that was equally firm and carried an undertone of irritation. He clearly did not like to be questioned, which of course was quite typical for a king.
- Gold is just gold. Friendships are more important. you commented and scoffed disapprovingly. In your opinion you were living in the paradise although in all fairness, you had never left the small island but you had heard stories about distant deserts where there was nothing but sand as far as the eye could see! You on the other hand were living in the land of plenty, in the middle of olive trees and the turquoise sea that never ran out of fish. Sure gold was precious and valuable but you did not want to take a risk of your home island being seized just because your father had overpriced gold.
- You dare to disagree with me, (Y/N)? the king asked and called the servant to bring him some wine. “May I remind you that these lands will be one day yours” he spoke and stood up. Your father was an old man already, he had been sick during the past few years and therefore he never stood up when there were people watching so no one would see the way his feet had become shaky and even his posture wasn’t as it had once been. Yes, your father was getting closer to the end of his life and he was right when he stated that you would rule the island of Thassos someday, soon most likely. You were about to step closer to support your father but he rejected your gesture and continued
- The gold is the most important thing we have and I am willing to fight for it-
- You wouldn’t have to fight for it if the price and terms were more reasonable. you stated with a calm, yet slightly bitter tone.
- …for the wealth of my house. you father continued, talking over you and ignoring your point entirely.
- What about your people? you asked, or more like pleaded.
- What about them? he asked and scoffed. The king had lost his sympathies towards the people as he had gotten weaker and older. He had once been wise and strong but nowadays he was more interested in gold and building a great fortune instead.
- Would you really spill blood for gold? you asked and gestured the servant to leave you and your father alone after she had brought the king the wine he had requested. “Yes” the king said and took a sip of the wine.
- Then the rumors might be true after all. you sighed with a disappointed tone.
- Get out! your father shouted. He did not like the way you had gotten more comfortable with firing insults at him… or that was how he saw it, you questioning his better judgment and disagreeing with him about the decisions that he made.
You groaned and stormed out from the throne hall, walked along the corridors and headed towards the harbor as soon as you had left the palace. Your personal guard followed you silently, keeping his distance at all times but still making sure that no harm came to you. You after all were the next ruler of the kingdom and if you died it surely plunge the realm into a chaos. It was not an ideal situation for the land to be ruled by a woman but then again you knew everyone and everyone knew you and therefore the people knew that you were wise and strong despite your young age and the fact that you were a woman.
- I must speak with your leaders. you demanded firmly as you were stopped by the Trojan guards at the camp.
- Who are you? the guard asked as he sized you up, taking a long look from your head to toes. You were wearing a gorgeous white chiton that was decorated with golden buckles on your shoulders and your hair was decorated with a simple crown made of olive tree branches. You perfected your posture and cleared your throat before replying
- I am the daughter of King Herakleides, (Y/N)-
- Let her pass. Hector said with a firm tone as he walked out from the tent.
- Thank you. you said and bowed a little as you passed the guard. You ordered your guard to stay behind and followed Hector into the royal tent where Paris was standing with a dreamy smile on his face.
- Do you bring good news? Hector asked with an assertive, yet secretly hopeful tone.
- I’m afraid, no. I tried to reason with my father but he is an old, foolish man. you stated and watched Hector gesturing Paris to get his things and leave the tent because the camp was going to be taken down soon now that there was nothing left to say.
- Then, I’m afraid, we are enemies. Hector said with an apologetic, yet distant tone, turned around and walked out from the tent. You followed him out and watched him keenly as he signaled his men to take down the camp but just as he was about to walk to the small rowing boat, you shouted “Wait!” with a desperate voice. Hector stopped but did not turn around to look at you, which made you feel quite small and worthless.
- I am begging you not to attack. you pleaded with a desperate voice. You knew that Hector and his brother, who clearly was not the one in charge, most likely had orders but still you were hoping that if you just beseeched and appealed to their sense of reason and humanity, the Trojan princes would sail back to Troy to wait until the king of Thassos would die and you would step to the throne. Things would be different then. All this you explained to Hector but instead of succeeding in winning him over he just stated “We have our orders” and continued bossing around his guards. However what you did not know was that Hector cursed silently that your father had not left him any other choice. Hector’s orders were clear; bring good news to the Trojan king, Priam, or sail back to collect an army that would force the king Herakleides to surrender his gold mines to the Trojan rule.
- I understand that but I am asking you to spare the lives of my people… you said, took a deep breath and then continued by saying “…the lives of your people too.” Hector stopped and dropped his head. He did not want the war, oh no, he just wanted to get back to his wife as well as his newborn baby, that was all.
- There is no point to kill for gold. Gold does not grow and feed people. you stated and noticed subtle hesitation in Hector’s expression which made you suspect that he did not want the war either.
- No, but we need gold for trading with other lands. There is nothing you can say to stop this. Hector said and shook his head.
- I’ll do anything. you stated after a moment of silence. “Anything?” Hector asked curiously. He remembered his plan B immediately, the one that concerned his little brother, Paris, who was pretty much willing to marry you anyway, and you… since you wanted to stop the pending war from happening.
- To avoid bloodshed? you asked and scoffed. “Yes, of course!” you exclaimed instantly.
- Interesting. Hector commented with a smirk. “Is there a way?” you asked with a tone that was a mixture of curiosity, suspicion and light fear… the fear was caused by the smirk which made you feel uncomfortable because you did not quite know what it meant.
- Paris, little brother! Hector shouted. Paris heard his name being called and after making sure that his armor was fine and his hair in order he walked out from the tent. Hector gestured him to join the conversation and presented him by saying “This is Paris, my little brother, the prince of Troy.” You shifted your gaze from Hector to Paris and bowed a little bit.
- I believe you have met already. Hector smirked.
- Yes. I am glad to see you doing well. you said to Paris. He had looked like a god as he had been laying on the sand, with wet hair and his strong chest bare but now he looked even more handsome and you scolded yourself silently for not realizing that he was in fact a prince.
- Yes, all thanks to you. Paris replied and bowed a little with a small, slightly shy smile on his face.
- You said you would do anything, is that correct? Hector asked as soon as his brother had stopped talking. “Yes” you replied and focused your attention on Hector again.
- Marry my little brother. Hector suggested. You could see a blush appearing on Paris’ cheeks which made it quite apparent that you had heard right.
- Excuse me? you asked anyway with a somewhat puzzled tone.
- You are the only child of the king, correct? Hector asked. You nodded as a response but you were still quite baffled from such random suggestion. Hector noticed that you failed to see the logic behind his proposal.
- It means that this kingdom will soon be yours. he continued.
- Yes. My father was not blessed with a son, so there is no one else to rule this land when my father has moved on to the afterlife. you stated and then tried to assure Hector that as soon as you were the queen of the land you would restore the terms and the price of gold to what it had been earlier. You would do that and more; you would do everything in your power to renew the friendly ties that connected your home island Thassos to the kingdom of Troy. “All I’m asking for is a little bit of patience” you pleaded and hoped that Hector would hear the sincerity in your voice and that would be enough to convince him not to bring war upon your home. You even asked Paris for assurance that at least he believed you, which of course he did, but unfortunately he was not the one making the decisions.
- If you married the prince of Troy, there would be no reason attack. Hector stated with a firm yet friendly tone. You went silent instantly, right after asking Paris if this was his plan. He however shook his head, hoping that you wouldn’t get angry at him.
- The rule would simply shift from your father to you and from you to Paris. Hector spoke and glanced at his little brother who exclaimed “What?” with a deeply confused tone. Paris had never dreamed about ruling a country because there were so many responsibilities and taking care of them all would restrict his easy life too much. He knew that for him being a loyal husband would be a task great enough and now Hector was basically pushing him to be a king! “Excuse me?” you asked with a scoff; not only was Hector arranging a marriage between you and his brother but also shifting the rule of your home under the Trojan prince! That was outrageous!
- No one would get hurt, countless lives would be saved. Hector explained and then added “My brother adores you anyway.”
- Your brother doesn’t know me. you stated, feeling sorry for Paris as well because it was quite obvious that even he was not happy with the plan.
- Apparently he does not care about such details. Hector chuckled and patted Paris on his back. Paris made a silent “Hm” –sound and shifted his gaze from Hector to the horizon that was getting cloudy from nearing storm clouds.
- I feel that I know your heart. Paris stated because the silence was growing longer and shifted his gaze to you. You smiled at him but there was an undertone of sadness in your voice. You shifted your gaze from Paris to the clouds and listened to the sound of the seagulls shouting in the distance. Yes, there was going to be a storm later today.
- You saved my little brother’s life even though he is not one of your people. Hector spoke to make his point known. “He could have been an enemy” he added when you focused your attention to him once more.
- I did not know who he was. you commented casually.
- Oh, would you left him to drown if you had known? Hector asked curiously. Paris stayed silent and hoped that his impression of you had not been wrong; in his eyes you were someone brave and kind, a person who jumped after a stranger without caring about his origins, just to save his life. Therefore he hoped that you would say
- No. you replied firmly.
- No? Hector asked curiously.
- I saved your brother because it was the right thing to do. you explained and took a deep breath. “I know that my actions could be considered as treason” you continued and then added with a barely audible tone “…especially now that you have declared a war against my father.” Hector cleared his throat and stated firmly
- Yes, he knows our terms. He could have avoided this-
- But his quarrel isn’t mine. you said and interrupted Hector. Then you got back to the original subject; to explain why you had saved a stranger despite the fact that he could have been an enemy;
- I know that if I had left your brother to drown it would have haunted me for the rest of my days. you explained and shifted your gaze to the horizon again. Now there was a distant rumbling sound… a thunder… somewhere over the mainland of Greece. Your thoughts were interrupted when Paris stated that it was going to rain soon. Yes, the storm clouds were approaching very quickly which meant that there was no point for the Trojans to sail home today, which was a relief… it meant that you had a bit more time to sort this out.
- Besides, I rather take a punishment for a treason that lasts for a lifetime than be judged in Hades and sentenced to suffer for an eternity in Tartarus. you commented with a deeply thoughtful voice.
- If you’ll marry me, I shall love you until the end of time. Paris stated instantly with a sincere expression on his face. “I shall never want any other” he added and took your hands because his impression of you had been correct and it meant that you were just as beautiful on the inside as you were on the outside. However you pulled your hands away as an involuntary reaction. Yes, you had heard stories about Paris, the prince of Troy and to be entirely honest, the reputation was not flattering, especially from the female perspective.
- I am aware of my reputation… and the reputation is well-deserved… but if you’ll be mine… I shall need no one else. Paris spoke with a sincere tone. Hector left the conversation because he had to talk with the guards about the approaching storm. You were being left alone with Paris, to stand with him in silence, which was something that you had not expected. You had not pictured Paris quite like this; so shy and sincere. Paris kept staring at the horizon, sometimes secretly glancing at you and trying to come up with things to say. He did not want to sound too pushy or to make you feel uncomfortable with overflowing flattery, which was what he usually used to charm women.
- I remember you kissed me. he said suddenly to break the silence.
- I did not kiss you. you stated immediately and laughed a little because you felt somewhat awkward talking about it. “I tried to force air into your lungs-“ you continued but Paris interrupted you by saying “A kiss of life” with an admiring tone.
- I could feel Hades, the God of Death, reaching out for me. Paris spoke with a slightly terrified or sorrowful voice as he stared into the distance. “But then you… the mesmerizing siren… brought me back from the darkness” he continued and turned to look at you. You kept staring at the horizon, listening to the sound of seagulls and thunder.
- I have never seen anyone so beautiful. Paris stated shyly. You took a quick glance at the young prince standing next to you and rubbed your bare arms as a chilly wind blew from the sea. Still you said nothing.
- You could give a kiss of life to your people, whom you clearly love very deeply. Paris stated and released the clasps that held his cape on his shoulders. He took it off and put in on your shoulders instead. You felt warmer instantly and the kind gesture made you feel slightly better.
- If I’ll marry you, your brother will not attack my home, yes? you asked with an almost inaudible tone, still staring at the approaching storm clouds that shadowed the horizon, making the nature tense up, almost like every living thing had been waiting for the storm to strike. Then the sunlight got blocked by the clouds that brought such great winds with them that the crown of olive tree branches got blown away from your head and you struggled to keep the cape on your shoulders. Paris stepped a bit closer, placed his hands on your upper arms and sighed “You have my word.”
The feeling of having Paris’ strong arms holding you was strangely comforting and the warmth that radiated from his body lured you to accept the proposal without thinking about it any further. Your thoughts were interrupted when a lightning hit a tree further away on the mountains and as an involuntary reaction you stepped away from Paris, gave him his cape back and told him that he, his brother and their companions were welcome to the palace. Then you left the harbor with your personal guard, hoping that you would get back to the palace before it started to rain.
Could you sacrifice your life as the ruler of your home island and be a mere queen? Could you marry a stranger? How valuable were the lives of your people to you? Were they more valuable than your own life, your future? Was Paris, knowing his reputation, the man that you wanted to get involved with?