War Inside My Head // Achilles (CURRENTLY EDITING)

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"Father, this is Helen" Paris said, presenting the woman behind him. I sighed and played with Hector's baby.

"Helen? Helen of Sparta?" Father asked, his eyes swiftly gazed the both of us as Paris shook his head softly.

"Helen of Troy" Paris corrected. I looked at Hector who also looked at me. I shook my head lightly before kissing the baby's cheek making him smile.

"Briseis!" I called as I spotted the young maiden who was also wearing a white gown with jewels on her brown curly hair. I hugged her tightly before smiling.

"I missed you!" She said, smiling sweetly at me.

"I missed you too!"

"Beloved cousin, your beauty grows with each new moon" Paris said and kissed her cheek. Hector does the same and we all looked at our blushing cousin.

"A servant of Apollo now?" Hector asked as he touched her gown, observing the all-white gown.

"The young men of Troy were devastated when she chose the virgin robes"

"Uncle" She said as her cheeks turned bright red. Father laughed and kissed the girl's forehead. I chuckled and threw an arm around her before whispering in her ear. "Men are disgusting"

"I'm pretty sure not all of them are, cousin." She said naively. Her round innocent eyes wide as she looked at me, "Well, you're luck if you find one that isn't." I said making her giggle. I watched her in awe as she gracefully walked to Andromache. My attention turned to the servant who was holding a tray that held four gold goblets entered the hall and handed them to my father who gave us one cup each.

"I thank the gods for your safe return" Father said as he smiled warmly at the three of us. I smiled back to him and together, we all raised our cups before we spilled a few drops of wine as a sacrifice to the gods.

"For the gods!" Father, Hector, Paris and I said in unison before gulping down the wine until its last drop.

After supper, Father stood by an archway as he looked over his sleeping city. Hector sat at a table while I leaned back on a big post while playing with my hair, waiting for what Father has to say about Paris.

"It's the will of the gods. Everything is in their hands" Father said monotonously. "But I'm surprised you two let him bring her."

"If I'd let him fight Menelaus for her, you'd be burning a son's body instead of welcoming a daughter." Hector said, his voice laced with anger. I knew well that Hector was frustrated because as much as he wanted to stop Paris, he couldn't do anything to stop him from following after Helen.

"We could send peace envoys to Menelaus" Father suggested and I shook my head, completely disagreeing with what Father has just said.

"We all know Menelaus. The envoy's head would be gone by the time he gets to the gate" I said turning a bit to face them and crossed my arms in front of my chest.

"What would you have me do?" Father asked me, his eyes searching my eyes for answers. I frowned and shrugged nonchalantly before turning to Hector, squinting my eyes to tell him that he should answer the question.

"Put her on a ship and send her home."

"Women have always loved Paris and he's loved them back" Father said. "But this is different. Something has changed in him. If we send her back to Menelaus, he'll follow"

I nodded in agreement. "This is the first time he ever said those words to us, brother"

I joined my Father and hugged him affectionately by his side. He kissed the top of my head and sighed. I watched the city as Hector joined us and observed the city where we grew up to.

"This is my country. These are my countrymen. I don't want to see them suffer so my brother can have his prize" Hector said and clenched his jaw, the fire from the post showed illuminated his face, showing how determined Hector was in preventing a war from breaking in.

"It's not just the Spartans coming after her." I said and lifted my head from Father's shoulder to look at him and my brother.

"By now Menelaus has gone to Agamemnon, and we all know that Agamemnon's wanted to destroy us for years. Once we're out of the way he controls the seas."

"Enemies have been attacking us for centuries. Our walls still stand" Father assured but I shook my head.

"No, Father. We won't win this war, I can feel it" I said before looking away.

"Apollo watches over us. Even Agamemnon is no match for the gods" Father said confidently as he looked at the sky.

"How many battalions does the Sun God command?" Hector asked. Father turned to him and looked at him seriously.

"Don't mock the gods" Father warned. I yawned and turned to my Father.

"I'm gonna retire for the night" I said. Father kissed my head and Hector kissed my temple before I headed towards my room. I changed in my sleeping gown and opened my balcony to see the whole city.

As long as I'm alive, I will never stop fighting for this city.