Paris
My heart broke into a million pieces, like a broken puzzle. The weight of my father's death, the king pressed heavily on my soul. I couldn't shake the feeling that it was, in many ways, my fault. As I stood by, I watched Hector rise to the throne. He was strong, intelligent, and unquestionably worthy of the role.
My ears pick up Hector's barking. "I want Achilles' head." The man walks back and forth like a madman.
"It doesn't prove that Agamemnon killed Dad just because his men claim it is true. "They are evil, you know this."
"And what do you think happened?"
The more I stare at him, the more I feel annoyed at his inability to connect the dots.
"Agamemnon, maybe?"
"Achilles took our cousin away, you don't think he would kill our father as well?"
"I don't know, but neither do you."
He eyes me. "Someone has to pay."
"You're right, but now is not the time for revenge."
"We attack tonight, He yells from his throne.
"I don't think that's wise."
"Paris, I am not asking your opinion." His Face was red, red as the blood that would spill from the Myrmidons.
I bow before the king, my brother, my heart racing with a sea of emotions. Anxiety, fear, and a weight of feelings I can no longer contain. Within me, my brain is filled with tension, and all I can think about is the cost of this relentless war. So many have already fallen, their lives sacrificed over power. I wish for peace and to see an end to this loss of life.
Helen's hands glide across my back, sending a shiver down to my toes. Within flaming orange fire inside my soul, she is my igniter, the warmth that helps me keep going.
"Please, Paris, don't leave with the army." Her voice trembles with fear, piercing through the conflict in my heart. I feel the weight of her words, but the truth is heavy. My brother is king, and his commands are my new orders. I have to follow him, and I will even to death.
"I'll be back," I promise, though doubt lingers in my head.
"He's sending men to their deaths," she replies, anguish written on her features.
"I know," I whisper, the reality settling like a stone in my chest.
"Then don't go. I'm pregnant."
The ground shifts beneath me. A father? The realization is a hard pill to swallow, and an urgent need to survive settles within me. I need to protect my family. I need to be there for them. I place my hand on her belly, feeling the life growing within her. Her fingers wrap around mine, and I sense the connection between all three of us, which is love.