Hermione has been thrown out by her father Menelaus, king of Sparta, and sent to stay with her uncle Agamemnon at Mycaenae. Menelaus is angry. Hermione's mother Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, has eloped with Paris, the young prince of Troy, and at present Menelaus can't even bear to see his daughter. The journey to Mycaenae brings both joy and sadness to Hermione. She meets a boy with a mop of yellow hair and a lop-sided smile, who also has a famous parent. But tragedy is building. Agamemnon and Menelaus plan to make war on Troy. Menelaus aims to win back his wife; and Agamemnon wants to attain Troy's gold. However, Agamemnon has offended a powerful goddess and there will be a price to pay - one more terrible than Hermione could ever have imagined...