A/N: this is half-movie-verse, half-book-verse, but it starts where the movie left off...with achilles lying in the temple, and briseis and paris running for the tunnel. it's what happens (or what should have happened) to them as they run. briseis's pov.
and yes, i know i should be working on tmmdts, but i had to get this out of my system. it's been driving me crazy that they left us hanging like that! besides, it's ok, because achilles and eomer are one and the same. yup. they both look like brad pitt. sad, isn't it? and briseis and lothiriel resemble each other as well.
::disclaimer:: if you sue me, you'll only get the shirt off a demented highschooler's back. i don't own troy, i don't own brad pitt, i don't own achilles, i don't own hector (unfortunately) (even though he has almost nothing whatsoever to do with this fanfic). they all belong to wolfgang peterson, jennifer aniston, and homer, respectively. now, enjoy the story.....
Chapter I
I ran only because Paris forced me. I did not know where we were going, only that we were leaving Achilles behind. Fresh tears coursed from my eyes at the thought of my beloved falling at the hands of my cousin. Why had he done it? Was it for Hector? Was it for me? Or--and this was what I believed to be the truth--was it for himself, his glory? I had heard of the "battle" between my cousin and Menelaus. Achilles had told me of it.
Ai, Achilles! Sorrow filled my entire being as I ran. He had been so kind to me in the days of my captivity. He was all that had kept me alive, both literally and figuratively. Were it not for him, I doubt that I would ever have been returned to my family. Not that I had really wanted to go, but my uncle would not have understood if I had not left. In a way, I wish that Achilles had not let me go, for he would be at my side now, and we would be living in his home in Pthia. Together, as one.
I was lost in these thoughts when I heard a whooshing sound and then a cry from Paris in front of me. I looked up at my cousin to see an arrow protruding from his back. Everything that happened next occurred in slow motion. Paris jolted back as a second arrow hit him, this time, ironically, in the ankle. He turned and looked at me. "Run!" he said, but I didn't. I reeled back and forth on my feet, laughing hysterically as he was hit a third time. "Run, Briseis! Escape while you still can!"
I shook my head. "I cannot leave him."
"Briseis!" He looked into my eyes. "I need you to escape! Give my love to Helen, tell her I am sorry. You must do this for me."
"No. I cannot. I must not leave him."
"I beg you, Briseis, go! Leave me behind. Tell Helen--tell her I love her, and I will never forget her. Tell her, Briseis, that she will always be mine." And with that, my cousin closed his eyes and breathed no more.
I let go of his hand and collapsed on the ground next to him, sobbing. I did not cry for him or for his beloved Helen. I cried instead for myself and for my beloved Achilles, lying on the floor of the temple of Apollo. I cried for my city, which was once the greatest and fairest city in all the world. I cried for Hector and Andromache and Priam and Hecuba. But I could not cry for my cousin and his lover. They had brought so much pain with their love. They were the ones that killed Achilles, killed Hector, killed Priam. They were the ones that destroyed the city, and I could not find it in my heart to forgive them.
Suddenly, I felt a man's arms around me. "Achilles?" I whispered.
"Nay, fair Briseis, it is only Odysseus. I have not seen Achilles since we opened the gates."
"The temple," I whispered. "That is where I last saw him. The temple. Paris--he shot him," I choked. "He wouldn't stop. Not even after I screamed and begged him to. He wouldn't stop." I put my arms around Odysseus's neck and cried into his chest. "He wouldn't stop."
"Shhh, my lady. We will find Achilles. For now, I will take you outside the gates to a place where you can rest safely, alright?" I think I must have nodded, because he picked me up and carried me to his own tent. "You will be safe in here. No one will bother you. See? I have posted a guard to protect you." Odysseus set me down on the bed and left. I soon drifted off into sleep, tortured with horrible dreams.
I awoke to the sounds of men breaking camp. I opened my eyes to see the roof of a tent, and for a moment, I believed that the days since Hector's death had all been a horrible nightmare and that I had never left Achilles's side after all. I sat up and soon knew that it was no dream, but a living nightmare. Odysseus was sitting on a small stool watching me.
"He is dead, then?" I asked.
He nodded slowly. "Your cousin was killed by Philoctetes's arrow."
"I do not care. What I meant was, is Achilles truly gone?" I watched Odysseus carefully, searching for the truth in his eyes.
He took a deep breath. "I am sorry. We found him lying in the temple with an arrow in his ankle. Dead." He leaned back on his stool. "We burn the bodies today."
"I will be there to pay my respects," I answered, detached. There was nothing left to say, so Odysseus excused himself, leaving me bereft.
After I sent a silent prayer to Hades to guide Achilles's soul, I stood and dressed myself in a robe Odysseus had left for me. I washed my face in the basin and exited the tent. It had been moved closer to the city, though I don't know why. The stench of death and burning permeated the air. I looked around at the soldiers, and then I saw a curious sight. Huddled in a small circle were several women from the city. I made my way over to them and gasped. Hecuba was among them!
"My queen," I said quietly.
"Briseis! How dare you address me as such! You whore! I despise you! You are the one who has brought us this terrible indignity. You and that evil man you call your lover. I know what you did with him. You disgraced the name of Apollo, you whore, sharing a bed with that murderer. I hate you. Never speak to me again!" I stood in shock for a moment, surprised at the enmity in my aunt's voice. At last, I overcame it and brought myself up as regally as I could.
"Madam, you are much mistaken. I had nothing to do with the destruction of our beloved city. In fact, it was your son who brought the war to our shores along with his prize, the queen of Sparta." I walked away, filled with the knowledge that I had nowhere to go. I could not join what was left of my people even if I wanted to. They all believed I had brought this upon them. And yet, I could not very well stay with the Greeks, for the only one I had trusted was to be laid to rest before the day ended. I had no one and nothing. I was more alone than Princess Cassandra had ever been.
and yes, i know i should be working on tmmdts, but i had to get this out of my system. it's been driving me crazy that they left us hanging like that! besides, it's ok, because achilles and eomer are one and the same. yup. they both look like brad pitt. sad, isn't it? and briseis and lothiriel resemble each other as well.
::disclaimer:: if you sue me, you'll only get the shirt off a demented highschooler's back. i don't own troy, i don't own brad pitt, i don't own achilles, i don't own hector (unfortunately) (even though he has almost nothing whatsoever to do with this fanfic). they all belong to wolfgang peterson, jennifer aniston, and homer, respectively. now, enjoy the story.....
Chapter I
I ran only because Paris forced me. I did not know where we were going, only that we were leaving Achilles behind. Fresh tears coursed from my eyes at the thought of my beloved falling at the hands of my cousin. Why had he done it? Was it for Hector? Was it for me? Or--and this was what I believed to be the truth--was it for himself, his glory? I had heard of the "battle" between my cousin and Menelaus. Achilles had told me of it.
Ai, Achilles! Sorrow filled my entire being as I ran. He had been so kind to me in the days of my captivity. He was all that had kept me alive, both literally and figuratively. Were it not for him, I doubt that I would ever have been returned to my family. Not that I had really wanted to go, but my uncle would not have understood if I had not left. In a way, I wish that Achilles had not let me go, for he would be at my side now, and we would be living in his home in Pthia. Together, as one.
I was lost in these thoughts when I heard a whooshing sound and then a cry from Paris in front of me. I looked up at my cousin to see an arrow protruding from his back. Everything that happened next occurred in slow motion. Paris jolted back as a second arrow hit him, this time, ironically, in the ankle. He turned and looked at me. "Run!" he said, but I didn't. I reeled back and forth on my feet, laughing hysterically as he was hit a third time. "Run, Briseis! Escape while you still can!"
I shook my head. "I cannot leave him."
"Briseis!" He looked into my eyes. "I need you to escape! Give my love to Helen, tell her I am sorry. You must do this for me."
"No. I cannot. I must not leave him."
"I beg you, Briseis, go! Leave me behind. Tell Helen--tell her I love her, and I will never forget her. Tell her, Briseis, that she will always be mine." And with that, my cousin closed his eyes and breathed no more.
I let go of his hand and collapsed on the ground next to him, sobbing. I did not cry for him or for his beloved Helen. I cried instead for myself and for my beloved Achilles, lying on the floor of the temple of Apollo. I cried for my city, which was once the greatest and fairest city in all the world. I cried for Hector and Andromache and Priam and Hecuba. But I could not cry for my cousin and his lover. They had brought so much pain with their love. They were the ones that killed Achilles, killed Hector, killed Priam. They were the ones that destroyed the city, and I could not find it in my heart to forgive them.
Suddenly, I felt a man's arms around me. "Achilles?" I whispered.
"Nay, fair Briseis, it is only Odysseus. I have not seen Achilles since we opened the gates."
"The temple," I whispered. "That is where I last saw him. The temple. Paris--he shot him," I choked. "He wouldn't stop. Not even after I screamed and begged him to. He wouldn't stop." I put my arms around Odysseus's neck and cried into his chest. "He wouldn't stop."
"Shhh, my lady. We will find Achilles. For now, I will take you outside the gates to a place where you can rest safely, alright?" I think I must have nodded, because he picked me up and carried me to his own tent. "You will be safe in here. No one will bother you. See? I have posted a guard to protect you." Odysseus set me down on the bed and left. I soon drifted off into sleep, tortured with horrible dreams.
I awoke to the sounds of men breaking camp. I opened my eyes to see the roof of a tent, and for a moment, I believed that the days since Hector's death had all been a horrible nightmare and that I had never left Achilles's side after all. I sat up and soon knew that it was no dream, but a living nightmare. Odysseus was sitting on a small stool watching me.
"He is dead, then?" I asked.
He nodded slowly. "Your cousin was killed by Philoctetes's arrow."
"I do not care. What I meant was, is Achilles truly gone?" I watched Odysseus carefully, searching for the truth in his eyes.
He took a deep breath. "I am sorry. We found him lying in the temple with an arrow in his ankle. Dead." He leaned back on his stool. "We burn the bodies today."
"I will be there to pay my respects," I answered, detached. There was nothing left to say, so Odysseus excused himself, leaving me bereft.
After I sent a silent prayer to Hades to guide Achilles's soul, I stood and dressed myself in a robe Odysseus had left for me. I washed my face in the basin and exited the tent. It had been moved closer to the city, though I don't know why. The stench of death and burning permeated the air. I looked around at the soldiers, and then I saw a curious sight. Huddled in a small circle were several women from the city. I made my way over to them and gasped. Hecuba was among them!
"My queen," I said quietly.
"Briseis! How dare you address me as such! You whore! I despise you! You are the one who has brought us this terrible indignity. You and that evil man you call your lover. I know what you did with him. You disgraced the name of Apollo, you whore, sharing a bed with that murderer. I hate you. Never speak to me again!" I stood in shock for a moment, surprised at the enmity in my aunt's voice. At last, I overcame it and brought myself up as regally as I could.
"Madam, you are much mistaken. I had nothing to do with the destruction of our beloved city. In fact, it was your son who brought the war to our shores along with his prize, the queen of Sparta." I walked away, filled with the knowledge that I had nowhere to go. I could not join what was left of my people even if I wanted to. They all believed I had brought this upon them. And yet, I could not very well stay with the Greeks, for the only one I had trusted was to be laid to rest before the day ended. I had no one and nothing. I was more alone than Princess Cassandra had ever been.