Briseis gingerly rested her hand on her abdomen. Ever since she had been taken from Apollo's temple a year ago, she had felt nothing but hate for her captors, especially their leader, Achilles. But now that she had a child growing in her belly, she had started to feel something else in her heart, a kind of fluttering feeling – one of the kinds where you feel as if you don't weigh anything at all. She felt as if she could float around all the time without being dragged down to the ground by gravity. She could only put it down to love. LOVE! Sure, she had love for her child. She could already feel the bond growing between them. But how dare she feel love for HIM. She had been kidnapped from her beloved temple after watching her fellow priests being killed right before her eyes and forced into a Greek king's bed. She felt bile rising up her throat at the mere thought of it. How could this happen? Wasn't Apollo meant to be watching over her? After all, she had been one of his priestess', even going to the extent to worship him several hours at a time. Briseis suddenly felt hot tears prick her eyes. She hated herself for beginning to start to fell what love felt like. But did it have to be with her people's most hated enemy! She was so angry that she wanted to just throw herself off the nearby cliffs. But then she thought of her future child. No. she wouldn't kill herself. She wanted this baby badly. If Achilles didn't want a child then he could go get stuffed! She wasn't going to let it die. It was her child and hers alone!
From the tent opening, she watched Achilles and his men make their way through the camp. Briseis suddenly felt fear gripping her heart. What would Achilles think about the child inside her? Did he even want children? What would happen if he didn't want any? She then seemed to gain control again. Who cares if Achilles didn't want children! The voice in her head answered that last statement for her. "I do", it seemed to say. She went to sit down and await her master's return.