Alexis of Troy (Book I)

κ′θ′ - Eikosi Eneah

Twenty-Nine

When I'd long lost track of time and my body sagged under the weight of sleep, Zoisme's voice wafted through the dark, tugging me into consciousness. I had taken to rubbing the little acorn Dryope gave me. The little nut was so small and simple, yet it had become something of a worry stone.

"Is it true what they said?" she whispered.

"What did they say?" I shot back, though I already had an inkling I knew.

"That you were kissing Master Paris," Zoisme replied in a flat voice.

Silence filled the space between us. For a long while, the gentle rocking of the boat, the creaking groans of the wooden hull grew from white noise to oppressive. The small space was confining and I was suddenly crawling out of my skin. An urge to escape was strong, to run away from the conversation that was being presented to me.

I stared at my lap, though I couldn't make out my fingers, let alone the acorn. I'd long since grown used to the dark that encompassed us. At first it was terrifying—I'm pretty sure a rat scampered across my foot—but then my thoughts wandered, and I found it the perfect for thinking. Now it added an extra protection from Zoisme.

"We didn't kiss," I sighed, resting my head against the wall. "Paris literally only kissed me on the forehead. Hardly counts as anything."

"That doesn't matter. It is an indecent act for an unmarried woman to be seen with a man, let alone a prince of Ilios. You're already not in good standing with the anax and queen. And now that you are a fugitive, if you are caught, you will suffer the consequences."

"They wanted me to marry him," I protested. The dark was suddenly suffocating. "I can't marry him, Zoisme."

"Yet, you are infatuated with him."

The statement hung in the air like a hot ray of sunlight. She had said it so matter-of-factly that it knocked me off balance. "Why would you say that?"

From within the dark came the ruffle of fine material and a soft sigh. "It is as obvious as the infatuation Paris has for you. You would make a fine match, Alexis, and it would not be so bad to be a princess of Troy. You could do a lot worse."

"I can't marry him."

"Why not?" Her question made me hesitate a second too long for her liking. She sighed again and I imagined her staring at the far wall, her face twisted in deep thought. "If you really cannot marry him, think of your reputation. You will be seen as a harlot chasing after a prince. You spurn marriage and you ruin your chances at a decent life."

I bit back a snarky response. I didn't care about my reputation. It wasn't like I was sticking around forever. "I don't intend on sticking around for long. That's why we're here, hiding on a ship that will take us to Greece. There I will find what I need to take me home." And if Zeus insists on being difficult, I knew how to force him.

Zoisme must have read my thoughts. "If it's not for your reputation, think of Paris. He is allowed to have fun, but if he shows interest in someone, it should be within his class."

Paris did have a lot more to lose than I did in this world, even though men were allowed to sleep around. Blending in was proving not to be my strong suit, which meant I was a target for speculation. And, because I was associated with Paris, people would probably be making assumptions about him as well. He was a nobleman, and I was, well, just Alexis.

"You're right," I sighed, "and I don't intend on stringing him along. I just need to get to Greece and then you won't have to worry about me and our reputations."