troy: menelaus's Amazone queen

safina P.O.V

Squealing I rush towards the Sands. Lica yapping at my heels like a hound from hell. The laughter bubbles in my throat as he chases the waters edge as if to protect his mistress from the frothy, salty water.

We play for a while, til the sun starts to set and the air begins to chill. It's been six months since we attended the funeral of Helen of sparta. My heart ached for the king. His face held a thousand sorrows. His gaze never reached to anyone's face.

But back home, the worries and burdens melted away. The memory all but forgotten. A tall dark figure stands at the top of the sand dune. I shield my eyes from the setting glare of the sun. My brother stands tall and proud.

I wave at first but confusion fills my expression. His face looked as if set in stone. I walk calm towards him my heart racing. My father had been ill for quite some time. Was my brother about to tell me of his passing? His last hour maybe?

I reach him and he places my hand on his arm. He steers me towards his horse away from the sea. Nesecular stands like a giant against our frames. His dark black hide gleams in the sunlight. His snow white mane, shakes to and fro as he tosses back his glorious, strong head.

Velourtas helps me sit upon nescular's back. Climbing up behind me. He digs in his heels and races back to the palace. My blood thrum's in my veins. Racing around making my heart race, almost as fast as nescular.

We leap of the beasts back and run towards my father's quarters. Flinging back the silks. I stare at the frail, greying man. Laid nearly dead in his bed. I was used to seeing the great, hulking frame of my father. Larger then life, he normally stood out from the crowd.

My father was always a gentle giant. His giant form always made people nervous, made his enemies tremble with fear. But for the people that knew him. They knew he could never hurt another soul. Not really. He was always patient, gentle, soft spoken when required and most of all a good king and an even better father.

He was my mentor, my father, my confidant, my role model, my best friend. He was everything. I remembered when I was scared, he'd sit on my bed, stroke my hair and sing soft lullabies to lull me back to sleep. He'd fight all the imaginary monsters and tell epic stories of knights, dragons and princesses. Love, action, danger, sadness and pride. He taught me lessons from those stories of his.

Seeing him on his death bed brought fresh tears to my eyes. I didn't want him to go. I wanted hint to leap from his bed and insist in it all being a horrible joke. I would then chase him with my silk slipper and try to beat his head.

But the reality was, he would not. He could not. And this frail, old deathly man was now the man I had come to call father. I approach the bed. Hand outstretched he reaches for me. Rasping he whispers "safina..... come my darling. I need to tell you... this... now." He erupts into a coughing fit.

His coughs rack his body and I know that his time had nearly come. I let the tears stream down my face. I squeeze his hand encouragingly. Continuing he rasps again "I don't want to worry about you after I'm gone..... so.... I have set you up in a marriage.... to king menelaus. He will care for you. Look after you while I'm no longer on this earth. He will come for you upon word of my death."

I gap at him. My brother squeezes my forarm. I glance at him in shock. I softly reply "but father.....his wife has not long been buried... what if he does not love me? I want to marry for love... just as you did!" He smiles at me. It's strained with pain.

Patting my hand he croak "I trust you will both fall in love. It feels as though this is part of the gods plans. This is right my saffron. He will love you... how could he not?" He breathes in deeply. The sound making his bones rattle.

I hug him tightly. My head resting on his chest. His heart beat dully under my ear. At last he breathes his last, my heart feeling as tho it is being ripped apart. I close my eyes, Bury my face into his chest and sob. I empty my body of its emotions. The emptiness leaving me drained. I cannot quite place who took me away but I felt the darkness wash over me and I fall into a deep slumber.