The real story of Helen after the very long Trojan war
Dec 16, 2021 13:35:50 GMT -6
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Post by 123anon987 on Dec 16, 2021 13:35:50 GMT -6
Dont read this yet
agingwomen.freeforums.net/thread/1491/helen-troy-middle-aged why Helen would actually be middle aged.
"after ten years" www.librarything.com/work/23421
www.deviantart.com/cs-lewis/art/For-the-C-S-Lewis-club-34737350
Include the young egypt helen part
archiveofourown.org/works/17840006/chapters/74510862
Alas for my troubles! Can it be that her beauty has blunted their swords?
The Trojan war was a mythical story of the most beautiful woman in the world and her rescue. But it was written down 300 years after the events took place. Some details were changed to make the story more appealing: the characters never change throughout the story, making it easy to forget that it actually took place over a 20 year time period. This is the true story of Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, throughout the long and hard-fought Trojan war.
Paris was just a young shepard minding his life, bathing in a hot spring. The 3 goddesses Hera, Aphrodite and Athena suddenly appeared before him, naked. "Hello young mortal, we are in competition for this golden apple, to be given to the fairest goddess. Decide which of us is the most beautiful of the goddesses and the apples rightful owner, mortal man." Hera proclaimed in her godly voice. She tossed him the gold apple. The problem was, they were all of heavenly, immortal beauty. They were each perfect. "I can't decide." the young man said. "You all are of the most fantastic beauty imaginable.". "Well then," said Athena, "Were you to call me the fairest goddess,
I would bestow upon you great wisdom, and the skills of the greatest soldiers to ever live in Greece." "I," went Hera, "Would grant you immense power, all of Anatolia would be under your command." "Hmm" went Paris. "But I," went Aphrodite, "Would give you the gift of love. Love of the most beautiful woman alive in the known world." A mirror of some sort opened before Paris, and he saw her.
Deep blue, almost purple eyes, like worlds unto their own. Divine, glowing white skin, veiled in parts by a translucent robe. Her breasts underneath the veil were heavenly white spheres, perky and pointing up and out with the pink tips of maidenhood. Lush gold hair flowed down to her navel. The perfect hips, waist and figure of a fertile young woman. She looked little less then the naked Goddesses before him.
Paris was stunned. "She is... beautiful..."
"The most beautiful mortal woman in the world, young Paris."
"I will take her, the gift of love. Aphrodite is the fairest."
Hera and Pallas Athena each gabe a scowl, but vanished instantly. "Paris, in just a few years time, you will go to Helen, currently wife of King Menelaus in Sparta, and then she will be your woman. On my word as a Goddess." At this, Aphrodite as well vanished. In the next few years, Paris would discover he was actually the prince of Troy, being hid as a shepard. For it had been prophesied at his birth that this boy would bring the downfall of Troy, and so his parents had hid him to save their kingdom.
Helen of Sparta was, to no ones doubt, the most beautiful woman in the world. Courtesy of her father being the God Zeus, her looks were super-human, and had reached the peak age of her womanly beauty at 27. Her husband, the mighty Spartan king Menelaus, had come victorious over the scores of suitors she had once she reached marriageable age. But all those suitors had solemnly promised that they would use all means at their disposal to defend Helen's marriage to her rightfully chosen husband, as much as they might grumble about losing. And so Helen was the most beautiful woman in the world, happily married to the fiercest warrior and mightiest king in the world, raising their 9 year old daughter together in peace.
White and rounded, despite their immense size, they actually curved upwards somehow, to the origin of her heaven-sent beauty
Her husband Menelaus was away when a recently crowned prince named Paris came to Sparta on a diplomatic mission. She went to the gate to meet with the prince, when suddenly Cupid struck her from above with a love arrow, keeping the promise of Aphrodite. She saw prince Paris enter, and immediately swooned in love. With Helen in deep infatuation, she did not resist Paris stealing her from her husband and child, loading much of the kingdoms treasure onto a boat with her and sailing into the night. The most beautiful woman in the world had been stolen from right under the Greek's noses.
Helen knew it was wrong to abandon her good, dutiful husband Menelaus, and her young daughter they had together. But Paris was incredibly handsome, and near her age, unlike her plain middle aged Menelaus. Though she tried to resist and stay faithful to Menelaus, she simply found herself taken over with passion when she saw him. "This must be what it is like for the men who see me." She thought.
The lovers stopped on the isle of Kranai for the evening, ready to sail to Troy tomorrow. Handsome young Paris wooed Helen with his lyre, and, despite knowing what she did was wrong, she dropped her robe and stood with naked but for a girdle in front of him. Her pale heavenly skin shone, and her eyes, as deep and blue as the sea, beckoned him. Squeezed the firm porcelain orbs on her chest, each with so ever a delicate pink tip. From those, Paris traced his fingers down her smooth tight stomach, sending tingles lower and lower. He grabbed her strong young buttocks, so large and protruding, pulled her in, and she let the girdle fall.
It was morning, and he played with Helen's shining golden hair in the sunlit fingers of dawn. Paris knew that, without a doubt, that had been the best love-making ever. No man except Menelaus had had such an amazing experience or bedded such a spectacular woman in human history.
Every king and prince in Greece had courted Helen. And every one had sworn an oath to uphold her marriage to king Menelaus, no matter what. And so, for the beautiful Helen, Menelaus called Greece to war.
But Hera, who had lost the competition as fairest of the Gods, had wrath which time could not cool. And so, she sent a great storm to the ship's of Paris, knocking them off course. They made land in Egypt, and Hera devised a trap for the young man. Taking a cloud, she shaped it into a woman in exact likeness of gorgeous Helen, identical in its near-divine beauty. This being, the Eidolon, had tried to substitute itself for the real Helen. And though stunningly beautiful and seductive, Paris saw through this imitation. For it was not Helen in mind and action. It behaved unnaturally, like it was acting how a book would describe a conversation, or happiness, or seduction, rather than how a person really did such things. And so, Paris just barely managed to depart Egypt with the person that was certainly the real Helen, of flesh and blood. The Eidolon waited in Egypt, never being told otherwise. It went about an ordinary life, and could bide its time like that indefinitely, until Hera commanded otherwise.
Paris's arrival in Troy came with a great celebration, for the couples marriage, and simply for the glory of having stolen the most beautiful woman in the world from those Greeks. "Wow! She really is the most beautiful woman in the world!"
"Beauty, terrible beauty"
"Can I look?"
The Trojan prince Hector however, was less impressed; "I don't see why we're making up such a fuss over this woman. Sure, she's the most beautiful of all no doubt, but she's already 27 years old, and in some years time she'll go past her prime like all women do, even those of partial divine heritage like herself. All except the Godesses who dwell atop mount Olympus fade in beauty. It would be wiser just to take a fairly beautiful one of 16 years. She would last longer, and we wouldn't start a war over it."
"Oh stop it Hector, she is THE most beautiful woman in the world. Even the Gods call her so."
"Now all Trojans can say we have the most beautiful woman in the world, and even better, stole it from the arms of those dirty Greeks."
"Yeah, you're just jealous she's not in your bed!"
"Suit yourselves, but mark my words. Her beauty will fade just like any mortal, and 10 to 20 years from now she won't be launching as many ships."
Helen didn't wear make up, she didn't need it. But she had decided to adorn herself today, with necklaces and earrings and shiny baubles. Her husband had been stressed lately, and she wanted Paris to know how much effort she put into pleasing him. She entered the room, arms down in an innocent and vulnerable manner. All facing her direction stared in awe for a few seconds, before remembering their place.
With his back turned, Paris, prince of Troy, poured over the maps.
"So, this army is fed by the large food stores of the city here" he pointed " if we burn and pillage it with these troops, their army will starve, and they will surrender."
Helen leaned in behind him
"Oh but my lord, many of the innocent people will starve, and many children would die in you burning the city."
"Yes Helen, but that is how war goes."
"Oh, well, maybe" she squished her bosom into his arm, firm and full. "you could spare this city, and attack the enemy head on. They only modestly outnumber us. And the army of Troy IS great."
She gave him great doe eyes, almost like a child's.
He sat down on a nearby couch with a sigh, and she sat beside him. "Well, it would be difficult but, ah" he snuggled her head onto his manly chest and caressed her arms, tight and lean. "Oh Helen, for you, I might do anything."
Ah, he warmed her heart. So gentle, so handsome, so caring. She was infatuated. She could lie here forever. Time passed as he lovingly rubbed all parts of her divine female form. Helen soaked in the affection. But, she must attend to her duties of the household.
"I'll see you at dinner tonight my husband"
"I look forward to it." He gave her a solid smack on the bum as she left, sending her giggling out.
When she had left, she remembered what that Hector had said, that she was still a mortal despite her divine parentage, and that a woman's beauty was one of the first victims of mortality. Helen was 29, and that was starting to get up there in years. An ordinary woman at her age would have little chance of being married to a man under normal circumstances. Would she still be able to launch many hundreds of ships in say 20 years from now? In 20 years, would men still fight and die in the thousands for her? No matter, her husband would rescue her soon. She was the most beautiful woman in the world, and there was no object in the whole world men would rather go to war over than her.
Two years after Helen had been stolen by wicked Paris, the kings and lords of Greece gathered in Aulis, ready to make war against the Trojans for the sake of lovely Helen. After a due sacrifice to Apollo for fair weather, a snake darted into a nearby tree, in which there was a nest; in front of tbe Greek's, it devoured eight sparrow chicks whole, and after consuming the mother bird, which made nine, the serpent turned to stone. Wise prophet Calchas said that this sign was given to them by the will of Zeus, and he inferred from it that Troy was destined to be taken in a period of ten years. And so they made ready to sail against Troy. Agamemnon, brother of poor Menelaus, was in command of the whole army, and Achilles was admiral, being at this point just a young lad of fifteen years old, his life not yet even properly started.
Every kingdom, city and tribe in all of Greece had put in for this occasion. Most sent anywhere from thirty to sixty ships. The Athenians, Argive, Sparta, the Locrians, the Cretians, the Aetolians, Telemonion Ajax and Tlepolemus son of Hercules himself; all from the lowliest petty landlord to the mightiest kings and heroes had joined. The sum total came to 1013 ships, greater than any Greek fleet ever before or since. All for Helen, as all the kings and noblemen who had gazed upon her had no doubts about whether this war was worthwhile. She was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman in the world, and they would wage war to the ends of the earth to continue gazing upon her divine beauty.
Helen had become homesick at this point. Though Paris was wonderfully handsome, and musical and well kept, she missed her daughter, and her real husband. Menelaus had always been good to her. As faithful and mighty a man any woman could ask for. And her daughter! She had completely abandoned her own child! And for what? Just to lay in a sweet-tongued young man's bed? What kind of a woman was she? She may be the best of all woman in beauty, but she was a failure as a mother or wife. Why had she come here in the first place? It seemed likely the gods might be meddling in this. Regardless, she now secretly yearned for her true husband to rescue her.
"Lord Paris and fair Helen! Just a few weeks ago, the Greeks made sail to sack our city. They count greater than 1000 ships among their fleet! I am certain it is no boast, as all Greece has mobilized."
"Then we shall meet them; Troy will not be insulted by Greeks. And I shall not leave the bedside of the most gorgeous woman in existence, not while I breathe. Our walls are thick, and 1000 ships being as they may, the Greeks likely bluff. All of Greece will not keep the will to fight for multiple years."
"Actually, my Prince, the Greeks have come to believe, by word of a very reliable oracle of theirs, that Troy will fall after exactly 10 years of siege, no more or less."
"Ten years? This brings me even more confidence. All of Greece will not fight like cornered animals for ten whole years. By 5 years, the Greek siege men will be a token force, and easily driven out. Thank you, my loyal servant"
Ten years. It would take ten whole years for her to be rescued, and it had already taken 2 just for them to assemble an army. She would still be the most beautiful, surely, after 10 years. Helen thought of her mother, Leda. Not divinely so like Helen, but beautiful nonetheless, beautiful enough for mighty Zeus to take interest in her. Thinking back, when Helen had been old enough for marriage, her mother had still been pretty. A smooth, delicate face, with bright eyes. But not beautiful anymore, not like the young maidens looking for marriage. Her mother had been a mature beauty, some grey strands in her hair, some wrinkling amd dullness unlike the glowing faces of young maidens, and when without her robe, her bosom had a minor hang to it from the nursing of Helen and her many siblings, a bit like that of a female goat. She was certainly far past wooing men, or being a muse for statues.
Helen wondered if she would age like that, and what would happen to her if she did. Would she still be the fairest when she was 39 years old?
Could a woman still be the fairest at the over-ripe age of 39? Unfortunately for Helen, that question wouldn't be answered, for fate choose to compound her fears.
The Greeks were at sea, and well en route to Troy. Finally, the mighty fleet of 1000 ships hit land. They immediately pillaged the countryside. But it was Telephus, another son of Hercules, who ruled this kingdom, Mysia, not Troy. Protecting his people and land, he met them in battle. King Telephus himself killed many, among them the Greek champion Thersander. At this, Achilles, the admiral now just 16, managed to pierce the thigh of king Telephus. Eventually realizing their mistake after a few years of wasted men, time and effort, the Greeks left Mysia for Greece, to resupply, re-arm, and regroup, to fight the real Troy and rescue beautiful Helen.
But even then, fortune was unkind, for a mighty storm happened then which scattered the ships and generals all across Greece, this way and that. It took many months simply to find each other there after, and finally prepare, to finally sack the vile city of Troy.
"Good news prince Paris; the Greeks have been greatly waylaid. The fools sailed to the wrong kingdom, wasting their spears on the wrong walls. It might be years until they are ready to sail for Troy again.
Taking off the veil that she regularly used to hide her stunning beauty, Helen stared into the mirror. "Oh, the most beautiful woman in the world. I started this war. I launched all those ships. There is no end to compliments and praise of men. For better or worse, this is what beauty is." She drew her slender fingers along her heavenly face...except what was that!? Lines like that of age marked her eyes. "A wrinkle" she said slowly, nodding without comprehending it. Small crow's feet, enclosing her deep, vivid blue eyes. Marring her pristine, beautiful face. Only 32 years old, and the most beautiful woman in the world, the face which had caused an immense war and the launching of a thousand ships--was aging. Fading. LOSING its beauty. "I have ... wrinkles" she said at last. Oh Gods Menelaus, if you dont get here soon, there might not be any prize left waiting for you." She muttered to the sea. Her husband was out there, coming to rescue her. He had better come soon.
agingwomen.freeforums.net/thread/1491/helen-troy-middle-aged why Helen would actually be middle aged.
"after ten years" www.librarything.com/work/23421
www.deviantart.com/cs-lewis/art/For-the-C-S-Lewis-club-34737350
Include the young egypt helen part
archiveofourown.org/works/17840006/chapters/74510862
Alas for my troubles! Can it be that her beauty has blunted their swords?
The Trojan war was a mythical story of the most beautiful woman in the world and her rescue. But it was written down 300 years after the events took place. Some details were changed to make the story more appealing: the characters never change throughout the story, making it easy to forget that it actually took place over a 20 year time period. This is the true story of Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, throughout the long and hard-fought Trojan war.
Paris was just a young shepard minding his life, bathing in a hot spring. The 3 goddesses Hera, Aphrodite and Athena suddenly appeared before him, naked. "Hello young mortal, we are in competition for this golden apple, to be given to the fairest goddess. Decide which of us is the most beautiful of the goddesses and the apples rightful owner, mortal man." Hera proclaimed in her godly voice. She tossed him the gold apple. The problem was, they were all of heavenly, immortal beauty. They were each perfect. "I can't decide." the young man said. "You all are of the most fantastic beauty imaginable.". "Well then," said Athena, "Were you to call me the fairest goddess,
I would bestow upon you great wisdom, and the skills of the greatest soldiers to ever live in Greece." "I," went Hera, "Would grant you immense power, all of Anatolia would be under your command." "Hmm" went Paris. "But I," went Aphrodite, "Would give you the gift of love. Love of the most beautiful woman alive in the known world." A mirror of some sort opened before Paris, and he saw her.
Deep blue, almost purple eyes, like worlds unto their own. Divine, glowing white skin, veiled in parts by a translucent robe. Her breasts underneath the veil were heavenly white spheres, perky and pointing up and out with the pink tips of maidenhood. Lush gold hair flowed down to her navel. The perfect hips, waist and figure of a fertile young woman. She looked little less then the naked Goddesses before him.
Paris was stunned. "She is... beautiful..."
"The most beautiful mortal woman in the world, young Paris."
"I will take her, the gift of love. Aphrodite is the fairest."
Hera and Pallas Athena each gabe a scowl, but vanished instantly. "Paris, in just a few years time, you will go to Helen, currently wife of King Menelaus in Sparta, and then she will be your woman. On my word as a Goddess." At this, Aphrodite as well vanished. In the next few years, Paris would discover he was actually the prince of Troy, being hid as a shepard. For it had been prophesied at his birth that this boy would bring the downfall of Troy, and so his parents had hid him to save their kingdom.
Helen of Sparta was, to no ones doubt, the most beautiful woman in the world. Courtesy of her father being the God Zeus, her looks were super-human, and had reached the peak age of her womanly beauty at 27. Her husband, the mighty Spartan king Menelaus, had come victorious over the scores of suitors she had once she reached marriageable age. But all those suitors had solemnly promised that they would use all means at their disposal to defend Helen's marriage to her rightfully chosen husband, as much as they might grumble about losing. And so Helen was the most beautiful woman in the world, happily married to the fiercest warrior and mightiest king in the world, raising their 9 year old daughter together in peace.
White and rounded, despite their immense size, they actually curved upwards somehow, to the origin of her heaven-sent beauty
Her husband Menelaus was away when a recently crowned prince named Paris came to Sparta on a diplomatic mission. She went to the gate to meet with the prince, when suddenly Cupid struck her from above with a love arrow, keeping the promise of Aphrodite. She saw prince Paris enter, and immediately swooned in love. With Helen in deep infatuation, she did not resist Paris stealing her from her husband and child, loading much of the kingdoms treasure onto a boat with her and sailing into the night. The most beautiful woman in the world had been stolen from right under the Greek's noses.
Helen knew it was wrong to abandon her good, dutiful husband Menelaus, and her young daughter they had together. But Paris was incredibly handsome, and near her age, unlike her plain middle aged Menelaus. Though she tried to resist and stay faithful to Menelaus, she simply found herself taken over with passion when she saw him. "This must be what it is like for the men who see me." She thought.
The lovers stopped on the isle of Kranai for the evening, ready to sail to Troy tomorrow. Handsome young Paris wooed Helen with his lyre, and, despite knowing what she did was wrong, she dropped her robe and stood with naked but for a girdle in front of him. Her pale heavenly skin shone, and her eyes, as deep and blue as the sea, beckoned him. Squeezed the firm porcelain orbs on her chest, each with so ever a delicate pink tip. From those, Paris traced his fingers down her smooth tight stomach, sending tingles lower and lower. He grabbed her strong young buttocks, so large and protruding, pulled her in, and she let the girdle fall.
It was morning, and he played with Helen's shining golden hair in the sunlit fingers of dawn. Paris knew that, without a doubt, that had been the best love-making ever. No man except Menelaus had had such an amazing experience or bedded such a spectacular woman in human history.
Every king and prince in Greece had courted Helen. And every one had sworn an oath to uphold her marriage to king Menelaus, no matter what. And so, for the beautiful Helen, Menelaus called Greece to war.
But Hera, who had lost the competition as fairest of the Gods, had wrath which time could not cool. And so, she sent a great storm to the ship's of Paris, knocking them off course. They made land in Egypt, and Hera devised a trap for the young man. Taking a cloud, she shaped it into a woman in exact likeness of gorgeous Helen, identical in its near-divine beauty. This being, the Eidolon, had tried to substitute itself for the real Helen. And though stunningly beautiful and seductive, Paris saw through this imitation. For it was not Helen in mind and action. It behaved unnaturally, like it was acting how a book would describe a conversation, or happiness, or seduction, rather than how a person really did such things. And so, Paris just barely managed to depart Egypt with the person that was certainly the real Helen, of flesh and blood. The Eidolon waited in Egypt, never being told otherwise. It went about an ordinary life, and could bide its time like that indefinitely, until Hera commanded otherwise.
Paris's arrival in Troy came with a great celebration, for the couples marriage, and simply for the glory of having stolen the most beautiful woman in the world from those Greeks. "Wow! She really is the most beautiful woman in the world!"
"Beauty, terrible beauty"
"Can I look?"
The Trojan prince Hector however, was less impressed; "I don't see why we're making up such a fuss over this woman. Sure, she's the most beautiful of all no doubt, but she's already 27 years old, and in some years time she'll go past her prime like all women do, even those of partial divine heritage like herself. All except the Godesses who dwell atop mount Olympus fade in beauty. It would be wiser just to take a fairly beautiful one of 16 years. She would last longer, and we wouldn't start a war over it."
"Oh stop it Hector, she is THE most beautiful woman in the world. Even the Gods call her so."
"Now all Trojans can say we have the most beautiful woman in the world, and even better, stole it from the arms of those dirty Greeks."
"Yeah, you're just jealous she's not in your bed!"
"Suit yourselves, but mark my words. Her beauty will fade just like any mortal, and 10 to 20 years from now she won't be launching as many ships."
Helen didn't wear make up, she didn't need it. But she had decided to adorn herself today, with necklaces and earrings and shiny baubles. Her husband had been stressed lately, and she wanted Paris to know how much effort she put into pleasing him. She entered the room, arms down in an innocent and vulnerable manner. All facing her direction stared in awe for a few seconds, before remembering their place.
With his back turned, Paris, prince of Troy, poured over the maps.
"So, this army is fed by the large food stores of the city here" he pointed " if we burn and pillage it with these troops, their army will starve, and they will surrender."
Helen leaned in behind him
"Oh but my lord, many of the innocent people will starve, and many children would die in you burning the city."
"Yes Helen, but that is how war goes."
"Oh, well, maybe" she squished her bosom into his arm, firm and full. "you could spare this city, and attack the enemy head on. They only modestly outnumber us. And the army of Troy IS great."
She gave him great doe eyes, almost like a child's.
He sat down on a nearby couch with a sigh, and she sat beside him. "Well, it would be difficult but, ah" he snuggled her head onto his manly chest and caressed her arms, tight and lean. "Oh Helen, for you, I might do anything."
Ah, he warmed her heart. So gentle, so handsome, so caring. She was infatuated. She could lie here forever. Time passed as he lovingly rubbed all parts of her divine female form. Helen soaked in the affection. But, she must attend to her duties of the household.
"I'll see you at dinner tonight my husband"
"I look forward to it." He gave her a solid smack on the bum as she left, sending her giggling out.
When she had left, she remembered what that Hector had said, that she was still a mortal despite her divine parentage, and that a woman's beauty was one of the first victims of mortality. Helen was 29, and that was starting to get up there in years. An ordinary woman at her age would have little chance of being married to a man under normal circumstances. Would she still be able to launch many hundreds of ships in say 20 years from now? In 20 years, would men still fight and die in the thousands for her? No matter, her husband would rescue her soon. She was the most beautiful woman in the world, and there was no object in the whole world men would rather go to war over than her.
Two years after Helen had been stolen by wicked Paris, the kings and lords of Greece gathered in Aulis, ready to make war against the Trojans for the sake of lovely Helen. After a due sacrifice to Apollo for fair weather, a snake darted into a nearby tree, in which there was a nest; in front of tbe Greek's, it devoured eight sparrow chicks whole, and after consuming the mother bird, which made nine, the serpent turned to stone. Wise prophet Calchas said that this sign was given to them by the will of Zeus, and he inferred from it that Troy was destined to be taken in a period of ten years. And so they made ready to sail against Troy. Agamemnon, brother of poor Menelaus, was in command of the whole army, and Achilles was admiral, being at this point just a young lad of fifteen years old, his life not yet even properly started.
Every kingdom, city and tribe in all of Greece had put in for this occasion. Most sent anywhere from thirty to sixty ships. The Athenians, Argive, Sparta, the Locrians, the Cretians, the Aetolians, Telemonion Ajax and Tlepolemus son of Hercules himself; all from the lowliest petty landlord to the mightiest kings and heroes had joined. The sum total came to 1013 ships, greater than any Greek fleet ever before or since. All for Helen, as all the kings and noblemen who had gazed upon her had no doubts about whether this war was worthwhile. She was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman in the world, and they would wage war to the ends of the earth to continue gazing upon her divine beauty.
Helen had become homesick at this point. Though Paris was wonderfully handsome, and musical and well kept, she missed her daughter, and her real husband. Menelaus had always been good to her. As faithful and mighty a man any woman could ask for. And her daughter! She had completely abandoned her own child! And for what? Just to lay in a sweet-tongued young man's bed? What kind of a woman was she? She may be the best of all woman in beauty, but she was a failure as a mother or wife. Why had she come here in the first place? It seemed likely the gods might be meddling in this. Regardless, she now secretly yearned for her true husband to rescue her.
"Lord Paris and fair Helen! Just a few weeks ago, the Greeks made sail to sack our city. They count greater than 1000 ships among their fleet! I am certain it is no boast, as all Greece has mobilized."
"Then we shall meet them; Troy will not be insulted by Greeks. And I shall not leave the bedside of the most gorgeous woman in existence, not while I breathe. Our walls are thick, and 1000 ships being as they may, the Greeks likely bluff. All of Greece will not keep the will to fight for multiple years."
"Actually, my Prince, the Greeks have come to believe, by word of a very reliable oracle of theirs, that Troy will fall after exactly 10 years of siege, no more or less."
"Ten years? This brings me even more confidence. All of Greece will not fight like cornered animals for ten whole years. By 5 years, the Greek siege men will be a token force, and easily driven out. Thank you, my loyal servant"
Ten years. It would take ten whole years for her to be rescued, and it had already taken 2 just for them to assemble an army. She would still be the most beautiful, surely, after 10 years. Helen thought of her mother, Leda. Not divinely so like Helen, but beautiful nonetheless, beautiful enough for mighty Zeus to take interest in her. Thinking back, when Helen had been old enough for marriage, her mother had still been pretty. A smooth, delicate face, with bright eyes. But not beautiful anymore, not like the young maidens looking for marriage. Her mother had been a mature beauty, some grey strands in her hair, some wrinkling amd dullness unlike the glowing faces of young maidens, and when without her robe, her bosom had a minor hang to it from the nursing of Helen and her many siblings, a bit like that of a female goat. She was certainly far past wooing men, or being a muse for statues.
Helen wondered if she would age like that, and what would happen to her if she did. Would she still be the fairest when she was 39 years old?
Could a woman still be the fairest at the over-ripe age of 39? Unfortunately for Helen, that question wouldn't be answered, for fate choose to compound her fears.
The Greeks were at sea, and well en route to Troy. Finally, the mighty fleet of 1000 ships hit land. They immediately pillaged the countryside. But it was Telephus, another son of Hercules, who ruled this kingdom, Mysia, not Troy. Protecting his people and land, he met them in battle. King Telephus himself killed many, among them the Greek champion Thersander. At this, Achilles, the admiral now just 16, managed to pierce the thigh of king Telephus. Eventually realizing their mistake after a few years of wasted men, time and effort, the Greeks left Mysia for Greece, to resupply, re-arm, and regroup, to fight the real Troy and rescue beautiful Helen.
But even then, fortune was unkind, for a mighty storm happened then which scattered the ships and generals all across Greece, this way and that. It took many months simply to find each other there after, and finally prepare, to finally sack the vile city of Troy.
"Good news prince Paris; the Greeks have been greatly waylaid. The fools sailed to the wrong kingdom, wasting their spears on the wrong walls. It might be years until they are ready to sail for Troy again.
Taking off the veil that she regularly used to hide her stunning beauty, Helen stared into the mirror. "Oh, the most beautiful woman in the world. I started this war. I launched all those ships. There is no end to compliments and praise of men. For better or worse, this is what beauty is." She drew her slender fingers along her heavenly face...except what was that!? Lines like that of age marked her eyes. "A wrinkle" she said slowly, nodding without comprehending it. Small crow's feet, enclosing her deep, vivid blue eyes. Marring her pristine, beautiful face. Only 32 years old, and the most beautiful woman in the world, the face which had caused an immense war and the launching of a thousand ships--was aging. Fading. LOSING its beauty. "I have ... wrinkles" she said at last. Oh Gods Menelaus, if you dont get here soon, there might not be any prize left waiting for you." She muttered to the sea. Her husband was out there, coming to rescue her. He had better come soon.