Helen, Bitch of Troy (Historical Smackdown Rd. 4)

Part III

Part III

Return Home

    "Helen, has this not gone on long enough?" Julia pleaded. "Why do you have to wed Deiphobus when you barely know him? Can we just go home and finally put an end to this war?"

    Helen shook her head and replied, "I could feel him, Zeus. Everyday, I feel his presence grow stronger. He will come for me. I know it."

    "Helen, it has been ten years passed," Julia reminded her, desperately. "Do you not think if Zeus was planning to come for you, he would have by now?"

    "Time is different to the gods," Helen said. "He will come for me. I know it. My mortal father cannot be the only father I know."

    Just outside the castle, both girls heard the people cry out.

    "Achilles is dead!" the people stammered in celebration. "Troy will win!"

    Julia's heart dropped, as she whispered, "It cannot be."

    "Hector has slain him!" the shouts continued. "Troy is victorious!"

    "Wow," Helen commented as she prepared to greet the heroic prince. "I knew Hector was quite the skilled fighter but I never expected that." She paused to look at her maid. "Are you alright, Julia?"

    "Yes," Julia answered quickly as she felt a sudden light-headedness. She may have only met Achilles that one night, but it had impacted her. The thought that she would never see him again dazed her.

    Upon Hector's return, Julia was the first to greet him with Helen behind her. King Priam remained back for formalities, but still held bitter feelings towards his son.

    "Is it true?" Julia asked of him. "Have you really slain the great Achilles?"

    Hector looked at her and shook his head before announcing, "It was not Achilles I slew, but a man dressed in his armor. I have learned that the man I killed was a dear friend to Achilles. The great warrior, himself, challenges me on this day." He looks his father, the king, in the eye and adds, "I am truly sorry for my failure, Father."

    Without a word, the king merely nods and leaves the room.

    Later that very same day, Achilles arrived just as Hector said for the challenge. The king sat in the very same spot where he watched his son die. His face read no emotion. Helen sat beside him with her new husband, and Hector's wife sat on the other side of the king. Julia stood off to the side against the front of the balcony to watch.

    Julia had mixed feelings about this fight. Hector was a great symbol of bravery and honor for the Trojans and she herself had grown quite found of him. She did not want him to die. Yet, at the same time, feelings she could not identify, told her she did not want Achilles to die either.

    At first, the fight appeared to be an even match as both warriors showed remarkable strength against the other. Hector, however, was the first to lose blood. After each strike, Achilles seemed to grow more strength. Julia did not once see Hector actually draw blood from Achilles. For a moment, she thought she saw the Trojan prince's sword go into Achilles's heel, but she could not be certain. The great Greek warrior took his final blow by wiping his sword across Hector's chest and the prince fell to the ground, dead. Achilles then tied a rope around the slain prince's ankles and limped onto his chariot and dragged Hector's body away, victorious.

***

    That night Julia rode with the grief-stricken king to where Achilles camped. King Priam was quite struck having to watch yet another son die right before his eyes and this despair only strengthened when he could not even give his son a proper send-off. Many feared that this agony would drive him mad.