Alexis of Troy (Book I)

λ -Trianda

Thirty

"What were you thinking?"

Paris, Zoisme and I stood before Hector as he paced back and forth with angry strides. He had darkened under his day in the sun, his carefully manicured beard sparkling with perspiration and spray from the sea. He wore an outfit similar to Paris', though it somehow managed to avoid the same creases. I wondered if Paris threw himself into helping around the ship while Hector observed from a princely perch. In any case, he looked more formidable standing on the deck of the ship than he did in the glorious halls of the palace.

"This is by far the most idiotic thing that you could have done," Hector continued, each word hitting like darts. "I knew you were a fool, Paris, but going against our father's wishes? And to make me complicit! I should have left you in Troy."

I clasped my hands together to stop the nervous fidgeting as the older Trojan prince grumbled and cursed at us and to himself. Around us, the crew busied themselves, preparing to dock for the night, though they lingered too long on a chore hoping to catch as much of the conversation as they could.

The sun was nothing more than a shimmering warmth against the cold blue of night. The island loomed closer and closer, the waves propelling us towards it with urgency.

The island itself was a tiny speck compared to the greater islands, though appeared to have decent protection. A single, giant peak cut through the fabric of the sky, and a thinly sparse forest line its base. Paris had told me that the island was a Trojan landing spot when travelling. They had a sacrificial pyre and a clearing perfect for camping. They would make offerings to both Hermes and Poseidon for safe travels. They had done so prior to leaving Troy and intended to keep in good graces with both the gods every time we stopped.

For now, however, we had to deal with Hector, who looked ready to murder all of us if we said the wrong thing.

"Brother, there are reasons she must go to Greece," Paris stressed. "I could not leave her with the king and queen—"

"You brought her along without any regard for this trip," Hector spat. "Women have no place in politics."

Paris shot me a warning look to stay silent as he approached his brother. Hector glowered with the might of a god. I had to remember that I stood in the presence of a Trojan warrior. He may not be directly descended from gods, but he was blessed by them. Apollo, in particular, was fond of the Trojans. Heroes who were blessed by the gods were rewarded with hero perks. Strength, speed, and so forth. Hector was no exception.

"Hector, she is already on board and we are too far from Troy to turn back," Paris pressed. "Whatever her intentions are in Greece are her own. I will take responsibility for her and the consequences."

"You, take responsibility?" Hector scoffed and shook his head. "This is reckless and irresponsible, Paris. It would be wise to throw her overboard. Perhaps Poseidon will honour the sacrifice."

I felt the colour leech out of my face and the ship tilted. My fear confirmed: Hector meant to get rid of me by offering me to the sea.

"You will not touch her," Paris snapped. He placed himself between me and his bear-like brother. Even though Hector could squash Paris without any effort, Paris stared down Hector without an ounce of fear. "She is my responsibility, and mine alone. And she will finish this journey to Greece."

Silence engulfed the ship, save for the fluttering masts. A seagull screamed ahead, circling our ship before darting towards the island. The crew had abandoned any discretion and watched, eager for any form of conflict.

Hector's knuckles cracked as he clenched them into fists that were double the size of mine. Then he stormed closer to his brother, his face twisted in anger.

"She will be your charge, no matter what happens. I will not step in should things go awry," he growled. "You are alone in this decision, brother." The last word oozed with venom and I shivered. Hector pulled away from Paris and spun on his heel.

"Get back to work," Hector barked, storming away.

I sagged against the railing, the fragility of my stomach and the anxiety taking all my energy as they bled out of me. "That went better than I thought."

Paris sighed and crossed his arms. "You must keep your wits about you. Hector is determined to have this trip go smoothly. He may say you're my responsibility, but I don't doubt he'll try something given the chance." He must have seen the tension sprawled across my face for his look softened and he placed a hand against my cheek. "I will not let anything happen to you. I give you my word."

I managed a meek smile, but Paris was already turning away, going off to do whatever he could to help. I stared at the hem of my gown and chewed a hole through my cheek as Zoisme stepped into Paris' place.

"Would you like anything to eat or drink?" she asked. I shook my head, even though my stomach was eating itself from the minimal amount of food it had.

"I think it'll be better once we're on land," I said, turning to face the island.

It had grown significantly the closer we got to it. Shadows leached out of the treeline, seeping into the white, sandy shore. Despite the ominous darkness that descended upon the island, I was comforted by the fact that we wouldn't be sailing at night.

"Selene has awoken and rides across the sky in her chariot," Zoisme said, following my own gaze. "She is ever watchful... a bit of a gossip, though."

Another goddess watching my every move then. There was no hiding from them, not really. I sighed and rested my arms on the railing. A chilling sea breeze pushed away the hot, humid air as the stars blinked on one by one. The ship drifted into shallow water and some of the crew prepared a smaller boat to use to bring us ashore. I turned to watch the crew scurry about and found Paris breaking through the scramble.

"Are you ready?" he asked with an excited smile.

For him, even docking on an island was more exciting than his whole life combined. I nodded as the ship jolted forward onto the sand. We skidded to a halt and then it was done. I released a shaky breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and followed Paris towards the plank being lowered to the ground.

"Ladies first," he said, dipping his head.

Clutching the fine material of my dress, I descended, my legs trembling. We'd been rocking on uneven waters for so many hours that the sudden stillness was a shock. The second my sandaled feet sunk into the still warm sand, my legs turned to jelly. A pair of arms stopped me from falling. Paris had been right behind me. He kept one arm around my shoulders and guided me further ashore while the crew hurried along behind carrying the necessary camping supplies.

The shepherd prince set me down under one of the low hanging trees. The inky black of night was thicker on shore and I couldn't see his beautiful features flushed with adventure. But his excitement clung to everything like fresh dew. I still felt the unsteady sway of the sea in my bones, but sitting helped. Already my stomach was starting to settle and the lurking hunger chewed through the remaining bouts of seasickness. Of course, the sickness would return in the morning, but for now I had the chance to catch my bearings.

"Thanks," I said, looking around.

"I'll have a tent set up for you immediately so you can rest," Paris said, turning away. I grabbed his hand quickly, holding him in place.

"I mean it. Thank you." I squeezed his hand. "You've risked everything to help me... I can't imagine it's easy to stand up to your family like that."

Paris crouched down in front of me and leaned in close enough so I could see the warmth in his sparkling eyes. "It is alright, I do not fear them. They will see the success I have in Sparta and will forget about this rebellious act."

If only I could tell him what his acts of rebellion meant for his kingdom.