Troy Page #7

HECTOR:

He has a good grip.

ANDROMACHE:

He's just like his father. He even

hates peas.

While this reunion is going on, Paris embraces his father,

PRIAM (70), king of Troy. Priam is a regal-looking man

with a shock of white hair and sharp blue eyes. He adores

Paris.

PARIS:

Father, this -- is Helen.

Helen bows her head, paying respect.

PRIAM:

Helen? Helen of Sparta?

Both Helen and Priam now look at Paris.

PARIS:

Helen of Troy.

If Priam is disturbed by this revelation, his face doesn't

betray it. He leans forward and kisses the former queen

on both cheeks. Helen didn't know what to expect -- she's

flustered and gratified at the same time.

PRIAM:

I've heard rumors of your beauty.

For once, the gossips were right.

Welcome.

HELEN:

Thank you, good king.

PRIAM:

Come, you must be tired.

He leads them up the stairs and into the palace.

36.

29A INT. ENTRANCE HALL (PALACE OF TROY) 29A

BRISEIS, a seventeen-year-old girl with an aristocratic

demeanor, wearing the white robes of a temple acolyte,

approaches the royal family. Paris smiles when he sees

her.

PARIS:

Briseis! Beloved cousin, your

beauty grows with each new moon.

Briseis, cheeks flushing, dips her knees in deference.

Hector approaches her now, arms open. Briseis's face

lights up. She hugs the eldest prince. Hector kisses the

top of her head.

HECTOR:

Did you miss me, little swan?

Briseis nods. Hector pinches the sleeve of her robe.

HECTOR:

A servant of Apollo now?

PRIAM:

The young men of Troy were

devastated when she chose the

virgin robes.

Briseis' cheeks turn bright red.

BRISEIS:

Uncle.

Priam laughs and kisses the girl's forehead. He takes

three goblets of wine from a SERVANT holding a silver

platter and hands them to Hector and Paris, keeping one

for himself.

PRIAM:

I thank the gods for your safe

return.

The king and the princes spill a few drops of wine.

PRIAM, HECTOR AND PARIS

For the gods!

They drain their goblets.

30 INT. PRIAM'S MEETING HALL - DAY 30

The camera glides down the long hall, past tall columns

and marmoreal depictions of the Olympians.

(CONTINUED)

37.

30 CONTINUED:
30

At the far end of the hall, Priam stands by an open

archway looking over the city. Hector sits at a table

that could seat fifty men.

PRIAM:

It's the will of the gods.

Everything is in their hands.

(beat)

But I'm surprised you let him bring

her.

HECTOR:

If I'd let him fight Menelaus for

her, you'd be burning a son's body

instead of welcoming a daughter.

Priam closes his eyes at these words.

PRIAM:

We could send peace envoys to

Menelaus.

HECTOR:

You know Menelaus. He'd spear your

envoys' heads to his gate.

PRIAM:

What would you have me do?

HECTOR:

Put her on a ship and send her

home.

Priam thinks for a moment, staring out at his city.

PRIAM:

Women have always loved Paris and

he's loved them back.

(beat)

But this is different. Something

has changed in him. If we send her

back to Menelaus, he'll follow.

Hector stands and joins his father in the archway. He

gestures outside. The city of Troy teems with life, the

CITIZENS going about their business.

HECTOR:

This is my country. These are my

countrymen. I don't want to see

them suffer so my brother can have

his prize.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

38.

30 CONTINUED:
(2) 30

HECTOR (CONT'D)

(beat)

It's not just the Spartans coming

after her. By now Menelaus has

gone to Agamemnon, and Agamemnon's

wanted to destroy us for years.

Once we're out of the way he

controls the seas.

PRIAM:

Enemies have been attacking us for

centuries. Our walls still stand.

HECTOR:

Father.

(beat)

We can't win this war.

PRIAM:

Apollo watches over us. Even

Agamemnon is no match for the gods.

HECTOR:

How many battalions does the Sun

God command?

PRIAM:

Don't mock the gods.

Hector opens his mouth to argue but holds his tongue.

PRIAM:

When you were very young you came

down with scarlet fever.

Hector nods impatiently. He's heard this story before.

PRIAM:

Your little hands were so hot. The

healer said you wouldn't last the

night. I went down to Apollo's

temple and I prayed until the sun

came up.

(beat)

That walk back to the palace was

the longest of my life. But I went

into your mother's room and you

were sleeping in her arms. The

fever had broken.

(beat)

I promised that day to dedicate my

life to the gods. I will not break

my promise.

(CONTINUED)

39.

30 CONTINUED:
(3) 30

Hector takes a deep breath. He knows Priam has decided.

PRIAM:

For thirty years I've worked for

peace. Thirty years.

(beat)

Paris is a fool sometimes. I know

that. But I'll fight a thousand

wars before letting him die.

Hector looks past the city to the sea.

empty now, but he knows what's coming.

The waters are

HECTOR:

Forgive me, father.

be the one fighting.

But you won't

He bows and leaves the old king alone in the great hall.

32 INT. PARIS'S BEDCHAMBER - NIGHT 32

Paris paces about the room.

looking out to the dark sea.

hair.

Helen stands in the archway

The wind blows through her

HELEN:

They're coming for me.

(beat)

The wind is bringing them closer.

Paris stops pacing and stares at her.

PARIS:

What if we left? Tonight, right

now, what if we went down to the

stables, took two horses and left.

Ride east, keep riding -And

go where?

HELEN:

PARIS:

Away from here. I could hunt deer,

rabbit. I could feed us.

HELEN:

This is your home -PARIS

You left your home for me.

(CONTINUED)

40.

32 CONTINUED:
32

HELEN:

Sparta was never my home. My

parents sent me there when I was

sixteen to marry Menelaus, but it

was never my home.

Paris, excited with his new-hatched plan, barely listens.

PARIS:

We'll live off the land. No more

palaces for us, no more servants.

We don't need any of that.

HELEN:

And your family?

PARIS:

We'd be protecting my family! If

we're not here there's no need for

a war.

HELEN:

Menelaus won't give up. He'll

track us to the end of the world.

PARIS:

He doesn't know these lands. I do.

We can lose ourselves in a day.

Helen stands and kisses him on the lips.

HELEN:

You don't know Menelaus. You don't

know his brother. They'll burn

every house in Troy to find us.

They'll never believe we've left -and

even if they do, they'll burn

Troy for spite.

Paris considers her words and finally nods.

PARIS:

Then I'll make it easy for him to

find me. I'll walk right up to him

and tell him you're mine.

Helen wraps her arms around Paris and rests her chin on

his shoulder.

HELEN:

You're very young, my love.

(CONTINUED)

41.

32 CONTINUED:
(2) 32

PARIS:

We're the same age!

HELEN:

You're younger than I ever was.

33 EXT. TROY - DAWN 33

The sun rises above Troy and the Trojan countryside.

33A IN THE MAIN SQUARE 33A

dozens of SUPPLICANTS kneel before the statue of Poseidon

and lay down their offerings: bundles of flowers; small

carvings; goatskins filled with wine.

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