Beautiful War

Prologue

I watched from my balcony as the Mycenaean fleet was sailing into our harbor. No doubt the princes; Menelaus and Agamemnon were on one of those ships, coming to claim their prizes. The setting sun made the ships look like small shadows on the water. We had been waiting two weeks for the princes' arrival to Sparta. Their messenger arrived long before they did telling us of the impending arrival. And so we could only wait for their arrival with both anticipation and tension. Now that they have, in just two days time. I would be married to the prince Menelaus, a man twice my age. His 30 to my ten and five. Until two years ago, it was never my fate to marry such a man. I was not destined to marry Menelaus, and become queen of Sparta. I wanted to spend my days hunting and fighting like a true Spartan woman. That all changed when my eldest brother Castor was killed in a bout of plague that stole many from Sparta; which also included my mother, the queen Leda. Now my father, the old king Tyndareus has decreed that my oldest sister Clytemnestra and I wed the two Mycenaean princes to bring peace between our two city states and to ensure that a man would sit on the Spartan throne, for a woman. Even a royal one could not sit on the throne as sole ruler to Sparta. Though I was just as capable of ruling as any man.

"You look as if you are about to throw yourself off this balcony and into the sea below," Pollux said behind me. I turned and met Pollux's deep blue eyes. My mother, queen Leda was blessed with four strong healthy children. Two sets of twins. Castor and Pollux were born first, followed by myself and my sister Clytemnestra. But Pollux and I were so different from our twin siblings in our looks and demeanors. Both Pollux and I had hair the color gold, he had his cut short. Mine was long and it hung down in curls to my waist. I often had it in a braid when I trained. We both had the bluest eyes, so blue it was as if people were looking into the Aegean sea itself. We both were compared to the marble statues that were placed through out the palace, as if we ourselves were perfection. We had caught the eye of both men and women alike. Though both of us were never interested. We were young and wished to see more of the world before we married and had children. In contrast both Castor and Clytemnestra had hair as black as midnight, both kept their long and it was wavy compared to our curls. Their eyes were a dark green, they were handsome in their own right, taking after our father. But they did not compare to Pollux and I. Which led many to believe that Pollux and I were not children of King Tyndareus. That we were children of the great god Zues himself. King of the gods and the maker of man. Yet those were just rumors, everyone knew that my parents were quite fond of one another. They honored their wedding vows. So these were nothing but rumors. Clytemnestra had grown to resent me as we grew up. More men flocked to Sparta for my hand rather then her hand, but I sent them all away. I had no interest in marriage. That was until my brother died. Pollux denied the crown, he wished to serve in the army and bring glory to our family. That left me as the oldest daughter, being that Clytemenstra was borning just ten minutes after me. Clytemenstra was more suited to the role of queen then I was. She spent her time in her chambers with her handmaidens sewing and gossiping. While I spent my time with my brothers, training and learning skills such as archery and swordplay. Even learned the art of politics from Castor, he often said I had an eye for politics. But my father would never allow me, a woman, to sit on the Spartan throne alone. He also changed after we lost both mother and Castor during the plague. He became cruel and distant. Taking his anger out on the nobility around us. And now he has sold my sister and I. Sold us to the two worst men in all of Greece. Sons of Atrius, the man who stole the throne of Mycenae.

"Is it that obvious Pollux? Clytemnestra may sit back and accept her fate and marry Agamemnon. But I do not, I will not sit back and just marry Menelaus. I am just as capable of ruling Spartaas he is. I can fight and lead the army into battle, I can barter with the rulers of other city states," I replied. I was angry at my father, angry at the gods who took Castor away from us. Pollux who was still in his armor, his cloak around his shoulders sighed. Pollux had become the general of the Spartan army at my age, he was a skilled warrior and archer. Though he could never beat me in archery. My specialty was archery. I could hit a moving target from several leagues away.