Paris
The smell of burnt flesh filled my nose; it was awful. The city was being burned down along with the people in it, and my heart was pounding in my chest. I managed to save many people, and I felt proud, except I couldn't find Briseis anywhere. I could feel myself beginning to panic. I knew she was a war trophy to Agamemnon, and I also knew she was carrying a prince of Troy. Well, I still considered her baby a prince.
As I search frantically for anyone still alive, an unsettling emptiness fills my heart, making me feel nauseous. These are my people, and they're being slaughtered like animals as if their lives hold no value at all. The weight of grief presses down on me, and I know I must meet Helen. Thankfully, Astyanax and Andromache were with her; I managed to get them to safety. But my brother's whereabouts remain a mystery that drives me. I had to persuade Andromache to leave; she was devastated at the thought of going on without Hector. My desire to be reunited with my loved ones grows stronger with every passing second.
"Prince Paris," I grip my bow tighter; it was definitely my protection.
"Odysseus," I recognized that voice anywhere. I knew he was deemed a decent man by many, and I prayed I could reason with him.
"I see your circumstances aren't ideal," he says, looking around.
"I must admit, this day could have gone much better."
He gently laughs.
"Under different circumstances, I would have invited you to a feast and shown you a walk through the garden."
"I have to kill you, Paris." I can see the pain in his eyes.
"You don't have to. We can both let each other pass. I can't do anything to change what happened. Troy has fallen. My people are dead, and my home is destroyed. All I have left is the love for Troy in my heart."
He surveys the area. His face was pale, and his lips broke into a frown.
"This war is over, Odysseus."
He looks at the ground for a moment, and I know he values my life. His hands shake; he is nervous.
"I was never here." As he steps aside, I realize that no one else will have to die.
I walked toward the castle, where a guard lay in a pool of blood, a silent testament to the violence that had taken place. These brave men had stood watch over my family since I had fled through the halls wrapped only in a cloth. They deserved a proper burial. Every soul who lost their life deserved that honor.
As I crept closer, I caught whispers in the halls, and among them, I recognized the voice of Briseis. The weight of my mission pressed heavily on my shoulders; I needed to catch them off guard. With courage coursing through me, I decided to take a longer, more discreet path to reach the source of the voices. I turned left, bow drawn and ready, adrenaline surging as I prepared to face whatever lay ahead.