A Deadly Beauty

Chapter 4 - Oh Styx.

HEY eveyone! Sorry for the super late update. My life is full of craziness right now. But anyway, here is the next chapter, and i hope that you enjoy!

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6 Years Later

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I’d been married for six years when he came.  But let me back up.

I did love Menelaus, truly. Or at least I had a tremendous amount of respect for him. He was a wonderful king and an amazing warrior. He had given me a beautiful daughter nine months after our wedding.

But I was…bored. When I married I decided to be the perfect wife for Menelaus, and the perfect queen for my people. I wanted my parents to be proud of me. I knew that I had been a headstrong, willful child. I had run all over the palace with my hair in tangles, my shift covered in mud, terrorizing the servants. But when father told me that I had to pick a husband, that all changed.

Every night I let the servant give me a bath scented with rose oil, and I brushed my luminous golden hair until it shone. I started wearing the beautiful dresses that my father loved to give me, and I never soiled them.

And I never stopped. I kept up the perfect charade of the impeccable lady. But I hated it. I wanted to go back to riding my horse through the woods and shooting squirrels with my bow. But I became pregnant soon after I married Menelaus, and he told me that I couldn’t ride in my condition. Then after Hermione was born I just did not have enough time.

By the time we had been married six years I had fallen into a daily routine of bathing, looking in on Hermione and her nurse, and spending the rest of the day weaving in the throne room, while Menelaus attended to the people of Sparta.

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It was a day like any other. I sat in my corner, weaving a beautiful blend of purple and gold thread for a cloak for Menelaus, when I heard my husband calling to me as he came in from the hunting expedition that he had been on.

“Darling! We have a visitor! He says that he is from Troy!” Mmmm, a visitor, how exciting, I thought sarcastically. It’s probably just some old man here to talk politics with Menelaus. Bleh. And that’s when I saw him. The most beautiful man that I had ever laid eyes on. And when his eyes met mine I knew that I would do anything for him.

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I stared down at those pitiful mortals, smiling maliciously.

“Thank you dear,” I said to Cupid my darling son, “That is perfect. Now she will do whatever he asks of her.” It had been a long wait. Helen had been just a child of fourteen when I had promised her to Paris. Not nearly ready. But now, six years later, she was a woman of twenty, in her prime, but bored out of her mind with that fool Menelaus. Yes, I had watched as she struggled to be the perfect wife, but how inside she long for something adventurous and exciting.

“But Mother dear, aren’t you afraid of what Menelaus might do? He does have the support of the whole of Greece. And he does love her very much.”

“Silly boy, I am Aphrodite. The goddess of love! Don’t worry, everything will go my way.

 It always does.”

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My breath whistled out in a long whoosh. He was the most stunning person that I had ever laid eyes on. I closed my eyes, trying to compose myself. It did not help.

“Helen, my love! Come and meet out guest!” Menelaus called to me.

‘O Styx,’ I thought, ‘I am never going to be able to talk coherently to that man.’ But I collected myself and strode over to where they were standing.

“My lady, I am Prince Paris of Troy. It is a pleasure to meet you,” he said, leaning down to press his soft lips flirtatiously on my hand. He looked up at me through his lashes with his stunning turquoise eyes. My heart nearly stopped. And I could feel heat rush to my cheeks, filling them with color.

“T-t-thank you,” I managed to stutter out after a few moments of losing myself into the deep blueness of his eyes. “It is a pleasure to meet you as well.” He smirked, as if knowing this already.

“I must say my lady, I have heard many reports of your beauty, and I had considered most of them to be exaggerated, but I find that they do not do your magnificence justice.” I glanced at Menelaus, nervous at Paris’ flattery. But he beamed with pride.

“Yes, isn’t she the most beautiful creature you’ve ever seen?” You must meet our daughter. She promises to be a great beauty just like her mother. Helen, why don’t you send a servant to fetch her? She is old enough to eat with us I think.” I nodded brightly, grateful for the chance for escape the burning eyes. I could feel them on me still as I turned and left the two men to get better acquainted.

I walked away quickly, and then stopped as soon as I was out of sight. Gasping, I let myself sink to the floor. What was happening to me? I couldn’t feel like this. I had a family for Zeus’ sake. But strangely, I a burning passion when Paris touched me. No, I would think of him no more. I would focus on Hermione, and my weaving until he left.

Gathering myself I lifted myself shakily from the floor and continued on to the nursery.

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Hermione sat playing on the floor with a wooden horse that one of the servants had carved for her. I worried that she had inherited my willful stubbornness, and her father’s fiery spirit, along with his flaming hair. I had no doubt that she was the best part of my life. And I was happy to see her already taking an interest in horses and the outdoors, as I had.

“Momma!” she squeaked, flying over and throwing herself into my arms.

“Hello darling,” I smiled down at her. “How was your day? Did you do everything that Nurse told you to?” She nodded her head furiously.

“Oh yes, Momma! Nurse said that I was so good that we could go and see the horses tomorrow!” I laughed at her eagerness.

“Good girl. Now, how would you like to have dinner with Papa and I?” Again she nodded her head, grinning widely. “Well then, let’s get you into your new dress, and then you can watch Momma get ready.”  She jumped up and clapped her hands, full of excitement.

“Okay!”

Once I had Hermione into her dress, (which was not an easy process) I took her to my room and began to get ready myself. As much as I denied it, I found that I was putting extra effort into my toiletries. I wanted to look stunning tonight, although I did not allow myself to dwell on the reason why.

When I had finished, I grasped Hermione’s hand and led her towards the throne room, my heart jumping erratically in my chest.

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Yay! Four chapters! I would like to thank eveyone who has read this so far, and i just want to know that whenever I see a new view, vote, or comment I grin super widely, and basically start giggling like a crazy person. It definitely means a lot to me. So thank you guys! Vote or comment if you liked it!