"Today is an important day" Menelaus had told her. He had also said that royal visitors would be coming all the way from Troy and being Menelaus, he wanted to impress his guests. A feast was to be held in the honor of their guests and many amusements would take place. And of course, the king of Laconia would want to proudly parade his beautiful wife and so on her husband's request Helen had to spend hours preparing for the feast and wear her most beautiful gown to accentuate her features.
She was sat on her throne, beside her husband, waiting for the guests to arrive. Helen quite enjoyed parties and was curious to hear knews of the far away Troy. Yet she was also quite anxious as she knew what Menelaus could be like when he had too much wine and how irritating it was to have him parade her like a prize horse, like something he possessed, owned. He knew full well how much Helen hated such behaviour yet he did not care.
Finally, the grand doors opened to the Hall and the rosey light of the setting sun flooded in. As the doors closed and the light dimmed, she could better see the two men standing in front of her. Both were beautiful to look at, strong and tall and muscular and regal. She stood up with her husband, holding his hand in hers as Menelaus announced: "Welcome to Sparta, Hector and Paris, princes of Troy." He kept on speaking for a while but Helen did not listen, she stayed quiet and smiled, as she was expected to do. To smile and look pretty. As her husband spoke, her eyes were fixated on the younger of the two princes, whom she found intriguing, though she did not know why. As Menelaus finally stopped speaking, she sat back down, and turned her gaze.
