Status: Updated on random occasions
I Walked With Giants
Homecoming
The sea expanded to the horizon before sweeping back to the beach and its clean white sand. The beach morphed into a grassless plain made of dried dirt and buried rocks. The city of Troy rose from this barren land like an oasis. Troy, the greatest city east of the Aegean Sea. Troy, home to the greatest archers the world had ever seen. Troy, home to Prince Hector; one of the best warriors the world had ever seen. Troy, my home.
As I looked out at the calm Aegean, the familiar loneliness that had left when I went to sleep the previous night regained its place in my stomach. It had been almost a month since my older brother Hector set out for his diplomatic trip to the Greek city-state of Sparta. My younger brother Paris went on the trip too, but I didn't miss him as much as I did Hector. He was one of the only men in my life who treated me as his equal. Hector was my best friend.
Even though the sea was more than a mile from the city I could see it from my balcony in the royal palace which was the highest point in all of Troy. At the edge of my view, partially built on the beach, was the Temple of Apollo, the patron god of Troy. The large gold statue that was placed on the steps glimmered in the morning sunlight. I stood there, leaning on the edge of the balcony, staring out into the distance when a sound threatened to rid me of my loneliness. The sound of heavy bells filled the air. The ringing of the bells, which were placed on the wall above the Scaean Gate, the only gate leading into the city, meant a ship had been spotted on the horizon.
It took another two hours for the passengers of a single ship to reach the gates. In that time a parade had been arranged and spectators had started to gather along the main street which lead up to the palace. During that time I got ready for the pain of being in the public eye. I adorned a clean peplos; a tubular shaped piece of wool cloth that gathered at the waist and the bottom near the ankles. The cloth on the upper part was brought underneath the left arm and clipped together on the right shoulder using a golden pin. The dress was white except for five stripes of blue near the bottom. My sandals matched the color of the numerous pieces of gold jewelry I put on. I finished by weaving my long dark hair into a loose knot and applying a few decorative pieces.
I left my spacious room and headed for the great hall. I could hear the crowd cheering which told me my brothers were already through the gate. I picked up my pace just enough so I wasn't running. "Alexus!" I turned at my name too see Andromache and young Astryanax. Andromache was dressed in a similar fashion since she was the wife of Hector, who had yet to see his newborn son Astryanax. Paris had yet to choose which of the hundreds of women gushing after him he wanted to marry. As for me, my father, King Priam, had received many requests for my hand in marriage but I had refused them all. And since I was now at the old age of 17, I was worried my father would force me into an unwanted marriage.
I walked with my brother's family to the great hall where my father and the royals and other people of importance were already gathered. I took my proper place; I stood next to the others as not to reduce my father's importance for he got to stand in the open air, at the top of steps which lead up to the hall. King Priam was old; he'd been ruler of Troy for some time now, since his father's death. And when our father died, Hector would take the throne with Andromache at his side. Priam was a good king, maybe even a great one. He just wasn't a great father; not to me anyways.
Hector led the small group up the many steps to the place where my father stood proudly. He was taller than me by a few inches and his hair, though the same color as mine, had more of a curl to it. Paris followed closely behind him. Paris was shorter and less athletic but his face and hair slightly resembled his older brother. Both men were dressed in full armor but even though there was no threat of a battle I could see a tension in Hector's shoulder. I then watched with a mixture of confusion and a little envy as a woman, the same age as Paris, greet my father. Her hair was almost the same color as her gold jewelry. I could tell by the way she carried herself that she was royalty. I instantly became uncomfortable.
As I looked out at the calm Aegean, the familiar loneliness that had left when I went to sleep the previous night regained its place in my stomach. It had been almost a month since my older brother Hector set out for his diplomatic trip to the Greek city-state of Sparta. My younger brother Paris went on the trip too, but I didn't miss him as much as I did Hector. He was one of the only men in my life who treated me as his equal. Hector was my best friend.
Even though the sea was more than a mile from the city I could see it from my balcony in the royal palace which was the highest point in all of Troy. At the edge of my view, partially built on the beach, was the Temple of Apollo, the patron god of Troy. The large gold statue that was placed on the steps glimmered in the morning sunlight. I stood there, leaning on the edge of the balcony, staring out into the distance when a sound threatened to rid me of my loneliness. The sound of heavy bells filled the air. The ringing of the bells, which were placed on the wall above the Scaean Gate, the only gate leading into the city, meant a ship had been spotted on the horizon.
It took another two hours for the passengers of a single ship to reach the gates. In that time a parade had been arranged and spectators had started to gather along the main street which lead up to the palace. During that time I got ready for the pain of being in the public eye. I adorned a clean peplos; a tubular shaped piece of wool cloth that gathered at the waist and the bottom near the ankles. The cloth on the upper part was brought underneath the left arm and clipped together on the right shoulder using a golden pin. The dress was white except for five stripes of blue near the bottom. My sandals matched the color of the numerous pieces of gold jewelry I put on. I finished by weaving my long dark hair into a loose knot and applying a few decorative pieces.
I left my spacious room and headed for the great hall. I could hear the crowd cheering which told me my brothers were already through the gate. I picked up my pace just enough so I wasn't running. "Alexus!" I turned at my name too see Andromache and young Astryanax. Andromache was dressed in a similar fashion since she was the wife of Hector, who had yet to see his newborn son Astryanax. Paris had yet to choose which of the hundreds of women gushing after him he wanted to marry. As for me, my father, King Priam, had received many requests for my hand in marriage but I had refused them all. And since I was now at the old age of 17, I was worried my father would force me into an unwanted marriage.
I walked with my brother's family to the great hall where my father and the royals and other people of importance were already gathered. I took my proper place; I stood next to the others as not to reduce my father's importance for he got to stand in the open air, at the top of steps which lead up to the hall. King Priam was old; he'd been ruler of Troy for some time now, since his father's death. And when our father died, Hector would take the throne with Andromache at his side. Priam was a good king, maybe even a great one. He just wasn't a great father; not to me anyways.
Hector led the small group up the many steps to the place where my father stood proudly. He was taller than me by a few inches and his hair, though the same color as mine, had more of a curl to it. Paris followed closely behind him. Paris was shorter and less athletic but his face and hair slightly resembled his older brother. Both men were dressed in full armor but even though there was no threat of a battle I could see a tension in Hector's shoulder. I then watched with a mixture of confusion and a little envy as a woman, the same age as Paris, greet my father. Her hair was almost the same color as her gold jewelry. I could tell by the way she carried herself that she was royalty. I instantly became uncomfortable.