Alexis of Troy (Book I)

γ′ - Triah

THREE

I had the worst luck of anyone. Out of all the people in the world who, I'm sure, were making wishes at the exact same time, Zeus decided to pick me. And he plopped me right in the middle of what I'd assumed was a legend, but oh, no, it turned out not to be a legend. And the icing on the cake? I literally met one of the most integral characters... people?... to the Trojan War. And I kicked a stone at him.

Paris, Prince of Troy, stood in front of me with a look of concern as my chest heaved. I braced myself for the inevitable crash of the world around us. Was it even going to come crashing down? I hadn't let Athena get to the rules before I trudged off, so I had no idea what would happen if I meddled in things. Meddle isn't the right word. Stumbled. If I stumbled into things. Oh, now even my storytelling skills are spiralling.

"Are you alright?" he asked, taking a step closer.

I raised my hands and staggered out of his reach. "I think I'm going to be sick," I wheezed. "I-I need to not be here right now."

"Alexis," he said, but I was already hightailing it out of there. "Alexis, wait!"

Sobs bubbled up my chest and caught in my throat as I hurried away from him. I had no idea where I was going but anywhere was better than with Paris. A horrible thought bounced into my head. Zeus was probably sitting on his throne on Mount Olympus, laughing his ass off because I was having a panic attack.

I didn't get very far before I tired. Between the sobs, panicking, and the abrupt exercise, I collapsed onto my knees. I looked over the ocean and wiped my sticky cheeks of tears. I wanted nothing more than to be back home, bundled under my heavy, fluffy blanket with a cup of tea while I watched the big, pristine snowflakes fall. It was safer than here, in this strange, ancient world.

"Screw you, Zeus!" I screamed, startling a flock of seagulls. "And screw you, Athena, for abandoning me!"

Where was she anyway? I thought she wanted to help me, but clearly, she didn't care enough.

"Be careful when cursing the gods. They are vengeful."

Paris approached slowly as if I were a rabid animal. Granted, I felt like a rabid animal, so he was right to be cautious. I rolled my eyes with a sigh, too exhausted to care about him or anything.

"It's a little late for that."

I stared at the ocean again and, as the waves surged forward and retreated, they chipped away at my panic piece by piece. My throat felt thick with caught sobs, and my eyes stung from the salty tears, but it had felt good to let it out.

"Have you ever felt so out of place and alone?"

I wasn't expecting an answer from Paris, but he shrugged anyway and wrapped his arms over his knees. It was clear why he was portrayed as a coward. He was around my age, but he seemed too soft and gentle. Hardly the warrior type. He carried himself regally, but he'd been raised humbly.

"I've never really felt like I belonged anywhere," he admitted. "Sometimes I think that my father isn't actually my own father... we don't even look that much alike. I suppose my answer to your question is, yes, I understand."

He gave me a small smile that held so much warmth I felt the corners of my own lips turn upwards in response. He was not at all how I'd expected. My views on him had been twisted because of what he'd done to Troy and Sparta, and Homer hadn't given him much depth otherwise.

We lapsed into a comfortable silence, both of us staring out at the drifting waters. The sun hung low in the sky, and for a moment, I worried about where I was going to sleep for the night. I doubted sleeping outside near the beach was a smart idea. And I wasn't about to go anywhere with Paris, not with the threat of messing with the timeline looming over my head. I was guaranteed to mess things up even more at this rate, but right now, he provided a surprising comfort, and comfort was something I desperately needed.