HELEN: The Wine Dark Sea

"Yes, it's much too soon since we freed her from Theseus's fortress to bother her with thoughts of marriage. Now you'll have to begin again to impress her. Another horse, perhaps?"

Menelaus snorted. "I fear the gift of every horse I own might not be enough to touch her heart."

"Then you'll have to win every contest. You ride well, can you run?"

"I'm a fast runner, throw a spear well and can easily wrestle a man to the ground. I can do it all."

"Ajax may come," Castor warned.

Menelaus yanked his horse to a halt. "Ajax? He's great-sized and strong, but not every contest requires his brute strength."

"True. Patroclus should enter too. He's a handsome lad. Odysseus, the king of Ithica, is sure to compete, and he's known for his cunning as well as his prowess in battle."

Menelaus gave a frustrated cry, "Am I known for anything at all?"

Castor had to laugh at his lack of insight. "Yes, your wealth, and it may be all you need. Our father will select Helen's husband, and while he might ask for her preference, it doesn't mean he'll grant it."

"Then I should have been riding with Tyndareus rather than Helen." Menelaus left Castor on the path and cut his own way toward home. There wasn't a man alive who wouldn't want Helen, but he didn't care how bruised and bloody he got, he was going to win her for his own.

* * *

Once reassured there would be no regrettable consequences from Theseus's assault on his daughter, Tyndareus called Helen into the megaron one afternoon. The painted griffins flanking his high-backed throne appeared to be smiling as they looked down on him. "Come, sit upon my lap as you always have."

They were alone in the ornately decorated room, and she slid upon his knee and looped her arms around his neck. "I already know what you wish to say."

He smoothed her curls away from her face. "Why don't you say it for me then?"

"You and Mother want a fine husband for me, and because men love to fight and race, there must be a competition like the one you held for Clytemnestra."

"Yes, and many of the same men may enter. They'll come from all over Greece, not only because they love to compete, but because they want you, Helen. You're a famed beauty and a rare prize."

Embarrassed, she shrugged off the effusive compliment. "I've never felt it, nor seen it."

He rested his forehead against hers and drew in a deep breath. "You must have heard rumors about your birth, perhaps a whisper or two about lord Zeus."

"If I heard his name linked with mine, I gave it no credence. You're my father."

He leaned back to study her expression. "I've raised you with love, child, and while your mother waited years to tell me, Zeus, the king of the gods, is your true father. He gave you a magical beauty others see even if it escapes you."

Dismayed she'd been shielded from such a significant fact; she gripped his tunic with a tight fist. "Then shouldn't my choice of husband be Zeus's concern rather than yours? Will he send a god from Mount Olympus to woo me?"

He sighed at the notion. "I've never seen Zeus walking among us and can't predict what he might do."

His comment prompted the vivid memory of a remarkable childhood encounter. "Years ago, I may have met him in the almond grove. He was tall, fair and very handsome with wavy hair and a beard that seemed to glow. His eyes were as green as mine. He gave me a pomegranate, and when I turned away to look for Castor and Pollux, he disappeared. He'd made me promise not to tell anyone we'd met, but didn't reveal his name. I kept the secret, but I doubt it matters now."

Amazement widened her father's eyes, and he squeezed her tight. "You saw him only once?"

"Yes, on one sunny morning, but never again. If I'd known he might be Zeus, I'd have asked to see his winged horses and to ride in his golden chariot."

"Let's keep this story to ourselves, Helen. If Zeus blessed you with a visit, he must be very pleased with you."

"Whoever he was, he was kind and friendly, but he should have given me his name. I would have paid closer attention."

He laughed and hugged her. "The gods love to play with our lives, that's why we pray to them and make sacrifices to keep them happy and unconcerned about us. Now I began this conversation meaning only to tell you it's time to marry. You needn't worry we'll force you to wed a man you can't admire. You've seen the men who've come here for feasts and festivals. Do you have any favorites?"

She waited a long moment to mention a name. "Menelaus has always been attentive, but I fear I've insulted him."

"How?"