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Vol. 8 : Helen

"Aphrodite, I give you the apple," said Paris without taking his eyes off the image of Helen.

Aphrodite took it with a laugh.

"Hera, your husband was right," she said. "This young man was the perfect judge."

Hera gave her a look of pure hatred.

"Fool," she said to Paris, "You will regret the day you chose this whore."

Athena and Hera stormed away.

Paris did not notice them go.

"Tell me more about Helen," he asked Aphrodite.

"She was the daughter of Leda," she said. "Leda was beautiful, too beautiful perhaps, because Zeus saw her and wanted her, even though she was already married.

"To hide himself from his jealous wife, Zeus turned himself into a beautiful swan. He swam down the river to where Leda was bathing and made love to her.

"What was unusual in this case was that later, because Zeus had taken the shape of a swan, Leda laid an egg. And out of that egg came Helen."

"She was born from an egg?" asked Paris.

"Yes, although she does not like to admit it. Helen was the most beautiful girl in the world, and even when she was very young, people wanted her.

"When she was around ten years old, Theseus abducted her. Theseus used to be a brave and noble hero, the man who killed the Minotaur. But he has changed since those days. Now he is just a dirty old man, and he raped poor Helen.

"Helen was rescued, but not before a great number of people had been killed. She is married to the king of Sparta now, King Menelaus."

"She is already married," Paris said, disappointed.

Aphrodite laughed.

"Does it matter?" she asked with a naughty smile. "I am the goddess of love. I will find a way to get Helen for you, and with your beauty, I do not think it will very hard. But first we must go to Troy."