Author’s Note:

The below story gives more background on my previous rendition of The Judgment of Paris. It is a dialog between Paris and his first wife, Oenone. In order for the month before The Judgment to make sense, you have to know a bit about Oenone. In mythology, she was a mountain nymph who lived on Mount Ida, and Paris' first wife. She learned the art of prophecy from Rhea/Cybele, and also had mastered the herbal arts. In our time line, Paris left her to marry Helen. When Paris was dying from an arrow wound, he returned to her for healing. She scorned him, and kicked him out. Oenone died by jumping on the funeral pyre that the other shepherds erected for Paris after he died. As the original story goes, she was the only one who truly loved Paris.

***

It was around 2AM. Oenone bolted awake with a start, blood streaming from her eyes. A single drop hit Paris’ cheek, and he sat up immediately. He recognized the feel of blood, and know what it meaned. A true prophecy was about to be said.

Paris, with the casual grace of someone who had done this many times, reached for an old cloth that was once white, but now stained a deep brown. He took the cloth, and moving from the bottom to the top, gently wiped the blood from Oenone’s face. He then removed his shirt, and pulled her in for a gentle embrace.

After a moment, Oenone started crying, and through her tears, repeated “I’m sorry,” and “Please don’t go,” over and over again. Paris quietly and gently rocked her back and forth, and after several minutes, she fell silent.

Paris gave it another minute or so before speaking. “Oni, honey, I’m not going anywhere; where would I go and why?”

This caused Oenone to burst into tears again and fall back into Paris’s arms, softly hitting his chest over and over again.

Once she stopped crying and hitting, Paris gently pulled her out, just enough so he could look in her eyes.“Oni, core of my heart, what did you see? What’s wrong?”

Oenone looked at Paris deeply with her almond eyes. “Dearest, please swear to me that you will never go to Sparta.”

Paris sighed. “Is this about how I shouldn’t eat pork? I know that one of my possible fates is food poisoning by swine, and that Sparta has the best roast boar. I can refrain from eating it if I end up having to go there.”

Oenone barely held back another river of tears. “That isn’t it. It’s...just…something’s going to happen soon. And…you could die.”

Paris nodded sadly. “I see. I hope you are wrong. This life is a good one, and I wouldn’t want you to be a widow.”

Oenone looked at him with a mix of sadness and frustration. “Paris, you don’t get it. Troycould die.”

Paris’ eyes went wide. “Oni. Please. I swear by all of the Gods that I love you, and I am not leaving. Tell me everything you know. If the people of Troy are in danger, we have a duty to prevent it no matter what the cost.”

“You swear that you won’t leave me?”

“Oni, the only way I will ever leave you is in a wooden box. Tell me what you saw, I’m begging you.”

Oenone nodded. “In one month, Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera will meet you in a clearing not far from here, over something, I couldn’t see what it was, other than it was very shiny and gold. They will ask you to pick which one of them is the most beautiful. Hera will offer conquest, Athena skill at war, and Aphrodite will offer you…the most beautiful woman in the world.”

Paris interrupted, smiling wide, “Oh, than the problem’s solved. I’ll choose Aphrodite, and go home to the most beautiful woman in the world. We’ll need three extra place settings, and to remind Pisti that he’s not a lap dog...though it might be funny to see him sprawl across all of our guests.”

Oenone sighed. “Honey, I know you think I’m the most beautiful woman in the world, but everyone else thinks it’s Helen of Sparta. You are fated to choose her, and...and...” Oenone started breaking down again with a heaving, sobbing cry.

Instead of holding her, Paris stared, brow furrowed and lips hard. Oenone cried for a brief time, before looking up as if confused. “Dearest...what is it?”

“Oni, are you done? Because I will have you know, that I have no intention of leaving you for some Spartan tart! You are my wife and I love you, even though I’m really, really neglected.” Paris punctuated the last three words by thumping the triple reinforced bronze shod bed. “Besides, that would never work. I’m not of noble birth.”

Oenone stared at the rag in her hand, and spoke quietly, “That’s the other thing. You actually are noble. You are the son of Priam and a prince of Troy. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. You could have lived in splendor, and not like this.”

Paris laughed. “Oni, honey, sweetie. Is this what all this is about? You think I want to leave you to go live in some castle with Helen?” Paris scoffed. “That is silly. I am content with my life here. I have you, a decent house, enough food, I can get out and roam, and I am even able to spend a bit of time in the city to learn from the priests there. Why would I leave all of this to be cooped up in some drafty stone thing to be pestered all day about problems, and end the day with some woman, who though she may be pretty, is not my Oni? So, praise and love to Aphrodite, but what are the other options again?”

Oenone stared at Paris in amazement, wiped her eyes one last time, and spoke. “Hera will offer to make you ruler of Europe and Asia, and Athena will offer you wisdom and skill at war.”

Paris nods, and frowns a bit. “Impressive, very impressive. Ruling Europe and Asia is right out, of course. Power like that rarely ends well. However, being wise and skilled at war sounds great. I’ll choose that. Maybe I can go on a campaign or two, be the man that everyone else goes to for life advice, it’ll be great.”

Oenone shakes her head, “That’s the problem. If you chose skill at war, Aphrodite and Hera will turn against you, and their rage will destroy Troy. If you chose Hera, Aphrodite and Athena will be the executioners. Don’t you see? The only constant in this, is the rage of the Gods.”

Paris nodded. “I see.”

He then fell silent, deep in thought. He got up, put his shirt back on, and paced back and forth, muttering "no" from time to time, and occasionally asking Oenone some small question.

She knew what he was doing. Based on the information he was given, he was constructing scenarios in his head, and having Oenone fill in the gaps to see how they all played out. It made Her uncomfortable. It was almost like the magic of prophecy, but not magical.

After about an hour, Paris paced a little faster. His mind raced from scenario and scenario, and he became visibly more frustrated with each answer he received. After a few more minutes, Paris went to a cabinet, got the jar labelled, ‘Big Problem Tea,’ and made himself a mug full.

He grabbed one of the rough wooden chairs, brought it over to the bed, sat down, and looked at Oenone. “Honey...I think I have it figured out. Like most stories involving the Gods, I don’t think you are going to like it. At all.”

Oenone stared at him intensely.

“You forgot a choice when you told me the options of the judgement, I’m afraid. There is a fourth one, and that is this. The Goddesses could get a judgement that none of them like. You said it yourself. The only constant in this scenario, is the rage of the Gods. We could use their rage to prevent a great tragedy.”

“Paris, you have gone mad. If all three of the Goddesses become enraged, they could….”

Oenone caught her breath as the outline of Paris’ plan dawned on her. “Paris, honey, my sun and moon, no. You can’t do this, you won’t do this. I won’t allow it. We have to figure out another way.”

Paris shook his head sadly. “I’ve spent an hour going over every single possibility, and there is only one way that this ends without Troy becoming a pile of scorched rocks and ash. I will go to my father and explain to him what is happening. He is a good and pious man, so it should be possible. Once I convince him, the day before the judgment, I will have him secretly abdicate the throne in favor of me.

"I will wear the thinnest crown possible, and hide it in my hair so that the goddesses won’t suspect anything. That shouldn’t be hard, as they will be focused on whatever this gold thing is, and appearing as beautiful as possible. I will figure out a way to award the apple to all three goddesses, therefore enraging them. I will have given them weapons that they can use, and in their rage, they will kill me on the spot.

"I will technically be the King of Troy. That means that when they kill me…"

Oenone interrupted. “They kill Troy. The land is the king. The king is the land. The prophecy will be fulfilled, and a decision you made will cause Troy to be destroyed.”

Oenone reached for him and pulled him to bed. They cried themselves to sleep, knowing in their hearts that this would be one of the last nights they would spend together.