Arsinoë

by Scottie86

The story of Arsinoë, wife of Paris and princess of Troy, as she is taken from the temple with Briseis and given to a certain young Greek.

2. Chapter 2

The sun gave way to the stars and only then did he come to her. She had long since finished the fish and was just chewing on the last olive. When he walked through the tent door, she rose to her feet.

"I'm sorry," she told him at once. "I should never have opened the trunk, nor touched the lyre. I didn't mean to offend." But to her surprise, Patroclus shook his head.

"No, I should not have reacted the way I did. It's just, seeing someone touching that lyre hit a nerve. It belonged to my mother, you see. She died two years ago."

"I didn't know," Arsinoë said softly. "You have my sympathies."

He nodded in acknowledgement. "No one has touched it since then. And to come in and see you playing it, well, I didn't like it at first."

"At first?" She echoed.

Patroclus took the lyre out of the trunk and sat down on the bed. "When I calmed down, I remembered something about her. She delighted not only in playing, but in listening as well. She would be happy to hear it being played again." Slowly, he reached out his hand and held out the lyre for Arsinoë to take. Taking it from him, she held it in her lap.

"Will you play it for me?"

Biting her lip, she nodded and moved into the position used for playing. She thought about the song she would play for him, and settled on a ballad of Orpheus and his journey to Hades to rescue his love, Eurydice. As she began to play, Patroclus stretched out on his bed and closed his eyes. Letting the music drift over him, he smiled as he heard Arsinoë hum along with the lyre. When the song came to a finish, Patroclus didn't say anything for he was startled by the sound of applause from the doorway. They both looked up to see Odysseus standing in the doorway clapping.

"Very lovely," he told her.

"Thank you," Arsinoë said.

"I was just walking by when I heard music. I thought that perhaps Euterpe had wandered into our camp." Arsinoë smiled and blushed, for Euterpe was the Muse of music. "Patroclus, perhaps you would be so kind as to let me borrow the young lady's talents for the evening. To play for the men."

He instantly saw a look of worry come across Patroclus' face and he tried to reassure him. "It's just my men, and Achilles'. And I think they would enjoy hearing music such as yours," he turned to Arsinoë with a small smile.

"I don't mind," she whispered to Patroclus. "If it's alright with you, that is." Patroclus stood from the bed and Arsinoë got to her feet. "It's alright," he agreed. "But I'm coming with you."

Odysseus hid a grin. "Of course."

They followed the king of Ithica out of the tent and into the night air. There was a large group of men sitting around a fire, many Arsinoë recognized as Myrmidons. The rest she gathered were from Ithica. "Men," Odysseus called out. The men stopped their chatter and looked at him. "Tonight, this lovely young lady has graciously agreed to play the lyre for you lot of swine."

The men laughed and Odysseus ushered her to an empty spot near the fire. Gulping back her fear, she knelt on the sand and held the lyre. Looking to her right, she saw Patroclus move to stand close to her. That made her feel better, knowing that he was close by. Smiling to herself, she chose to play a lively tune about Pan and his wild romps in the forests. The men madly applauded her when she finished and she grinned despite her nervousness.

"Will you sing the lyrics next time?" Eudorus asked her. Arsinoë shook her head and absentmindedly plucked a string. "No, it would take away from the music, I can assure you."

"No," some of the men argued. "How could that be, when you weave such magic on that lyre?" She laughed at the complement but refused to sing. "I have the singing voice of crow," she told them all. "When my sisters and I would perform for our family, it was Berenice that had talent in singing."

"Sisters?" One of the men cried. "Are they around here too?" Arsinoë giggled but she heard Patrolcus grumble. Shooting him a smile, she picked up the lyre and played them a song from Phocaea. It went along with a court dance, and when she told them that, more than one man got up and tried to dance along with it. Even Patroclus couldn't help but laugh as he watched them, and he took a goblet of wine when it was offered to him. Soon one of the Myrmidons brought out a set of pipes and one more had a flute and Arsinoë put the lyre back in the tent, worried that one of them would take it on a drunken whim. With her hands now free she took wine when someone handed her a glass and took a sip, amazed at how well this group of Greeks was treating a captive. The wine she had been given was not diluted with water, she noticed, as it always had been in both Phocaea and Troy, and by the time she finished her second glass, Arsinoë found herself rather light-headed. She turned to Patroclus, but he was already looking at her. His eyes looked a little glassy, and Arsinoë cocked her head to the side.

"Are you drunk?" She accused. He had already drank so much more than she had. He nodded and grinned, causing Arsinoë to chuckle. He continued to stare at her and she felt her face grow hot under Patroclus' gaze.

"You're staring at me."

"You're pretty," he told her with half a shrug. At once her amber eyes went wide and she stared down at the sand. There was laughter from the men sitting close to them, Odysseus included. "Patroclus," one of the younger men cried. "I had no idea you were such a romantic!" This brought about another wave of laughs and Arsinoë felt her face burn.

"Stop," Eudorus said. He was one of the few men who were sober. "You're embarrassing the poor girl." Arsinoë sent him a look of gratitude and smiled sheepishly. The other mens' laughter and comments were indeed embarrassing.

"I'm fine," she muttered. There was more laughter and boistrous yelling from a camp a little ways away. "Agamemnon's men," one of Odysseus' men noted scornfully. "They'll be happier now that they have the girl."

This peaked Arsinoë's attentions and she looked up. "What did you say?"

"The girl that that pig of a king took from Achilles. He gave her to his men." Arsinoë gasped and turned to Patroclus. "He took her?" She hadn't had any idea. She stood up and the men stared at her. "And you were all just going to sit here and let them defile her?"

Without warning, she took off towards Agamemnon's camp and she heard footsteps behind her. 'Good,' she thought to herself. She could see through the tents that littered Agamemnon's camp, and Arsinoë could see Briseis being passed around by his men. Crying out, she would have ran forward but she felt a hand on her arm, halting her.

"Are you mad?" Odysseus demanded. Behind the king was Patroclus and Eudorus, and she glared at them. But hearing some of the Greeks cry out, they all turned back to see what had happened. Achilles had appeared from nowhere and attacked the men that were holding Briseis and Arsinoë felt her stomach unclench. She watched as Achilles swung Briseis gently into his arms and walked away from Agamemnon's men. He passed the small group on his way back, and Arsinoë was able to stroke her cousin's arm as they went by. For a moment nobody moved, and Arsinoë felt eyes on her back. She turned to see Agamemnon's men leering at her, and she allowed Odysseus to pull her back to their camp.

"Here," the king barked, passing her to Patroclus. "Take her back to your tent. Before Agamemnon's men decide that they want her as recompense."

Patroclus nodded and took ahold of her arm, leading her back inside the tent. "You little fool!" He let go of her arm and she stumbled. "Do you have any idea of the danger you could have put yourself in? Do you know what they would have done to you if you had made it into their camp?"

Arsinoë shook her head.

"And what could you have done anyways?"

"I don't know," she answered. "But I had to do something! No one else was, they were all just sitting around doing nothing."

"You could have gotten yourself killed or worse!"

"I'm just your Trojan captive," Arsinoë snapped. "What do you care if I get taken by another Greek?"

"Because you are mine!" He thundered. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled Arsinoë against him, glaring down at her. "You're mine," Patroclus repeated, quietly fierce. She could only stare back at him, her mouth falling open, before his lips crashed down upon hers. The kiss was intense, and it didn't stop until Arsinoë felt the need to breathe. Breaking apart, she panted slightly and took a step away from him, giving the tiniest shake of her head. When she did that, his hands fell to his sides and he sighed regretfully. Arsinoë could see the hurt in his eyes and she felt a stab of guilt. She didn't like the way she was feeling at the moment. Her emotions felt like they had been thrown around and had landed in a heap on the ground. How could she explain how she felt to him? Looking at Patroclus, Arsinoë felt a jolt go through her. Seeing him stand there in nothing more than a leather kilt and tunic, she came to a conclusion.

For all her life, Arsinoë had been the obedient daughter; the docile little wife. Well, she had been happier in the last two days as a captive with Patroclus, than she had been in the last eleven months in Troy with Paris. Making up her mind, she stepped up to him. Standing before the Greek, she reached up tentatively and put her hand on his chest. With a small gasp, she marveled at the hardness of his muscles as she moved her hand down to his abdomen.

Biting her lip, she found his eyes and saw that they had gone dark with lust. He grabbed her by the shoulders once again and Arsinoë would have sqealed but his lips were quickly on hers, and he cut her off. His lips felt hot on her own. She felt his tounge on her mouth and it sent a rush of warmth down her body. Breaking apart, Arsinoë panted as he pushed her backwards towards the bed. Letting out a little laugh as she lay down, Arsinoë grinned as Patroclus straddled her and kissed her again.

She opened her mouth and his tongue darted in like a snake to meet hers, with both of them fighting for dominence. He broke away from her and ripped off his tunic, and Arsinoë's hands ran down his back, his muscles cool to the touch. He grabbed her gown with both hands and pulled it to her waist and up over her head. Arsinoë lay naked under him and Patroclus' eyes took in the sight of her. He put his hands on either side of her abdomen and he gripped her tight as he bent down to kiss her again. Her hands found their way down to his kilt and she tried to untie it, but her fingers were unable to loosen the knot.

"Here," Patroclus chuckled as he sat back up and untied the knot himself. Arsinoë's eyes widened when she saw Patroclus in his entirety. She let out a quiet moan as he reached up and cupped a bare breast with one of his hands. The other reached for the back of her neck and he pulled her up slightly to kiss her again. Arsinoë bucked her hips upward and a shiver of pleasure ran down her spine as his hand moved away from her breast and down her stomach, coming to a stop at her entrance. Grinning like a fox, Patroclus inserted a finger into her and then another when she moaned and thrust up to meet his hand. She began to pant and her hands were clutching at the blanket on either side of her.

"Oh, please," she wimpered. "Patroclus..." She broke of as she let out another moan and the Greek couldn't take another moment of it. Without warning, he put a hand on her shoulder and entered her, causing Arsinoë to cry out in a mix of pain and pleasure. She dug her nails into his back as he began to thrust in and out of her; in and out, and in and out, and Arsinoë closed her eyes in pleasure as he assulted her neck with his mouth. She cried out with disappointment when he withrew from her, but Patroclus just laughed and flipped her roughly around onto her stomach. This was a new position for Arsinoë and she was unsure of what he wanted her to do. But Patroclus just pushed her legs farther apart and entered her from behind. She gasped as he filled her completely, but he didn't stop to let her get adjusted. He just continued to thrust, and Arsinoë clenched her teeth as Patroclus grunted and pulled her up so that she was on her knees and elbows. He ran a hand down her spine and gripped her hips as he continued. Arsinoë cried out with pleasure everytime he came into her and the grip on her hips became tighter as he came closer to climax. He reached around and squeezed a breast as his other hand remained on her hip. He cursed suddenly, and cried out as his release came in full force. He leaned forward and kissed her shoulder, tasting the sweat on her skin. Pulling out of her once he was soft, Arsinoë flipped back over, panting.

Afterwards, they lay together on their backs, allowing the cool ocean breeze to waft over their sweaty bodies.

"I didn't know it could be that way," she whispered. Raising his eyebrows, Patroclus turned onto his side and propped himself up with an elbow. "You weren't a..." "A virgin?" She questioned. "No. I was a wife once, remember? No, I just mean...well, it's never felt so...so good! By the Gods, nothing has ever felt like that before in my life!" Patroclus couldn't help but smile.

"With Paris, it was never very pleasant. It was always quick, and then he would get up and leave. But then again he was just doing his duty, trying to get a child off of me. Thank the Gods that never happened," she said quietly. He reached a hand over and stroked her cheek. "I hope it was pleasant for you this time." Arsinoë nodded and grinned saucily. "Oh, yes, very. You...you felt better."

"Better?" He laughed. "Yes, better. You're bigger than he is, you know." This caught Patroclus by surprise. "I am?" "Yes," Arsinoë answered nonchalantly. "It felt as if you filled me up; he never did."

Patroclus grinned as she praised him. He would have to remember that for the next time the men traded stories. Arsinoë turned away from him and Patroclus put an arm around her stomach and pulled her close. "I want you to sleep here from now on," he told her, meaning in the bed.

"Alright," Arsinoë agreed quickly. She wasn't about to argue. There was a long moment of silence and Arsinoë felt her eyelids grow heavy.

"Well, goodnight," she said to him, closing her eyes. "Goodnight."

When he awoke, his hands reached for her in the bed, but he felt only an empty space. Opening his eyes, Patroclus was surprised to see that she was not in bed beside him. Sitting up, he saw her leaning against the doorway staring out at something. She was already dressed. Patroclus got out of the bed and hastily tied on the kilt he had been wearing the night before. He walked towards her, but Arsinoë didn't seem to hear him approach. He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. She smiled when Patroclus kissed her neck but she didn't lean into him.

"What are you looking at?" He asked her, trying to see what held her attentions so. "The ocean," was Arsinoë's response.

"Why?"

"Because it reminds me of home, before I came to Troy. And my sisters." Patroclus didn't understand. "How does the ocean remind you of your family?" She turned to face him and she wore a sad, far away look.

"My sisters and I, nearly everyday, would go down to a little beach just beyond the palace and have a sea bath. It would be just the three of us, and a small group of attendants who swam out before us to discourage sharks from getting too close. The day before I left for Troy, we three spent almost all day in the ocean." She sighed and turned her gaze back to the Aegean. "I miss them." Patroclus released her from his grip and walked over to pour himself a glass of water.

"What were their names?" He asked.

"Berenice and Tryphaena. Tryphaena was the eldest of us sisters, Berenice was the youngest. We also had two brothers. Philadelphus is older than all of us. He would be almost twenty-four by now." She grinned suddenly, though Patroclus didn't see it. "And little Felix. He was the baby. He's..." Arsinoë stopped to think. "Seven." She turned to him once again and he was glad to see her eyes were no longer as sad.

"Do you have any siblings?" Patroclus shook his head and he took a sip of water. "No, I was the only child. My mother was expecting another child, though, when she died." Arsinoë walked from the doorway to the bed and sat down.

"How did she die?" "Fever," Patroclus answered. "She and my father both. I was sent to live with Achilles and his mother."

"And you are close with him?" She asked. Patroclus nodded. "As close as brothers." Arsinoë smiled. They sat in silence for a moment before Arsinoë thought of something. "Patroclus, I was wondering, is there any way I could get something else to wear?" He turned to her and laughed quietly, but nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank-you. You know, I've never worn a gown for longer than a day." "Ever?" "Well, of course I wore it again at another time, but I always had a nice little maid to wash my gowns for me when I was done with them." She half smiled at her own shallowness.

"Have you eaten anything?" Patroclus asked her, changing the subject. She shook her head. "I'm not hungry," she told him. He stood up and nodded.

"I have to go see Eudorus this morning. I'll be back later, alright?" Arsinoë could only nod as he started to walk out of the tent. But after a second thought, he turned and walked back to her and cupped her face with his hands, planting a soft kiss on her mouth before leaving. She sat still before allowing herself a giggle. She felt as if she were a common girl, falling in love with a boy for the very first time. She crawled back under the blanket and was unable to keep a grin off of her face.

*************

"What are you doing?"

Arsinoë whirled around to see Patroclus standing in the doorway. He looked down at her, and then looked around the tent. He had only been gone a couple of hours, and his tent looked like a disaster. Seeing his armor and weapons strewn about, he shot her a look with a raised eyebrow.

She put down the dagger she was holding and grinned sheepishly. "I was feeling useless just sitting her, so I decided to polish your armor. And sharpen your weapons." Closing the tent flaps, he walked inside and laughed at her.

"Do you even know what you're doing?"

"Well, not at first. But I remembered the things my brother used to tell me when he polished his armor, and it worked. See?" She picked up his breastplate and showed it to him, and the metal did indeed look cleaner and more polished.

"It looks better," he told her as he put it back on the stand. "I was going to put it all back when I was finished with the weapons." Turning back to her, Patroclus saw the look she wore on her face; she was proud of her work and she wanted his approval.

"It looks good. Thank you." Her face broke out into a smile, and she picked up the dagger and began to sharpen it again.

"No, put that down."

Arsinoë did as she was told and put the dagger back in its sheath, and Patroclus threw something at her. Catching it, she unwrapped a bundle of cloth. A long tunic of dark blue fabric was in her hands, and she fingered it gently. It was a man's tunic, and she thought that it would never have been a fabric she would have chosen for a gown, but that was before, when she had been a spoiled princess. Now she couldn't have been happier if it had been cloth of gold. Patroclus wached her face as she held the tunic and it made him want to smile. It was the best he could do in a camp full of soldiers, but she was looking at it as if it were a gift from the gods.

"Thank-you so much," she said. He walked over to one of his chests and pulled out one of his tunics. "Here, put this on under your dress." She took it when he gave it to her, giving him the blue tunic. "Why?" She questioned. He shook his head, not telling her anything. "Just do it." Making a noise of frustration, she turned away and unclasped the top half of her dress. Patroclus watched as the burgundy fabric pooled at her waist and her black hair fell down to meet it. He had the urge to run his hands through her hair and he wanted his mouth all over her bronze back.

Blinking, the spell was broken when she put on his tunic and pulled up her dress. She turned around with a questioning look on her face.

"Why am I wearing this?"

He grinned and grabbed her hand. "You'll see. Come on." He pulled her along and Arsinoë had no choice but to follow Patroclus outside.

"Oh!" She exclaimed. Standing outside the tent was a horse. A large black stallion, larger than any of the horses Arsinoë would have ridden. "It's Achilles'," he told her. "I'm borrowing it for the day." He grabbed the horse's reins and hoisted himself up onto the horse's back. "Could you pass me that?" He pointed to a bundle on the ground and Arsinoë lifted it up to him. "Can you get up? Or do you need help?" He asked her. "No, I don't need help," she answered, looking around. "Aha!" She spotted a chair and dragged it over, stepping onto it and jumping sideways onto the horse.

"Where are we going?" She asked him when she was upright on the horse's back. Patroclus kicked the horse into a trot and Arsinoë wrapped her arms tight around his waist.

"You'll see," he repeated. Once they got past the Myrmidon's camp, he clicked his tongue and kicked the horse into a canter and Arsinoë let out a whoop of laughter. She had always loved riding, and riding fast. She felt the wind in her hair as the horse moved from a canter into a gallop and she squeezed his waist even tighter. They rode for what must have been hours to get away from the Greek ships and Patroclus led the horse into a small cove that was isolated by jagged rocks. Patroclus brought the horse to a stop and handed the bundle to Arsinoë before he slid off. Taking it, he placed it on the ground and held out his arms to help Arsinoë off. Grinning as she stood in his arms, she looked around.

"Why are we here?" Patroclus let her go and tied the horse to a stray bush. "Well, you were telling me about how much you loved the ocean this morning, so I decided to plan a little outing." He unwrapped the bundle and pulled out a small carafe of wine, a basket of figs, grapes and dates, a loaf of bread and several strips of dried goat meat.

"That should be fine for awhile," he said, putting all of the food on the now spread out piece of cloth, and he took off his tunic. "Care to join me?" Laughing, Arsinoë realized to point of wearing Patroclus' tunic and she stripped off her burgundy dress, the white garment falling to her knees. Kicking off her sandals, she raced down the beach and dove into the water. She came up from underwater and pushed the hair out of her eyes. She scanned the beach but couldn't see Patroclus, and yelped suddenly when she felt something pinch her leg. Crossing her arms she waited until he joined her above the sea. He laughed as he wiped the water from his eyes.

"That hurt," she cried, pushing him. He fell backwards, back underwater and Arsinoë laughed. Sputtering, he came at her and she shrieked, swimming away. She swam until her feet could not touch the ground, and she floated on her back, sighing with pleasure. "Are you sure that the birds aren't going to get into the food?" She called.

"No, I'm sure it will all be alright," came the reply. She heard splashing coming towards her and opened her eyes. Patroclus was swimming her way and she stopped floating on her back; instead she started to swim on the spot. "I don't know, sea birds are very smart. Smart enough to break into one little basket." He rolled his eyes good naturedly and grabbed her hand under the water. Smirking, she pulled away and dove under the water, her strong swimmer's legs kicking, taking her away from him and further out to sea. Coming up for air, she saw that Patroclus was still in the same spot.

"Come out here," she called to him.

"I..." She heard him hesitate. "You come back here."

"Why?"

He didn't answer, so Arsinoë gave up and swam back to him.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I just didn't feel like swimming all the way out there," he told her. Arsinoë wasn't sure she believed him. "Were you afraid of swimming out to me?" She asked. Patroclus scoffed at her, but she could see a blush rise on his face. "You were!" He turned his head to glare at her but Arsinoë paid no attention.

"Are you saying the great Patroclus, cousin to Achilles himself, is afraid of deep water?" She laughed good naturedly, but he only scowled. "I just don't like the idea of being so far from the shore that you can't get back. If you want to swim right into Poseidon's arms, then so be it. But I'm going to stay where he can't so easily drag me down." Arsinoë relented with her teasing, and they chose instead to swim around closer to shore for a time before getting out off the water. When they walked back to their things, they saw that birds had gotten into the basket and had taken all the meat.

"Those little bastards," he swore. Beside him, Arsinoë failed to stifle a giggle. He turned to her and saw that she wore a smug expression on her face.

"Don't even say it," Patroclus warned.

"I told you," she said sweetly, ignoring his warning. He nudged her with his elbow and and pushed her away with a grin. Laughing, she helped him scare away the remaining birds and they sat down on the square of cloth. Patoclus uncorked the jug of wine and took a gulp. He offered it to Arsinoë and she took it, although she did not drink as deep as he had. She passed it back to him and fell backwards onto the cloth, letting her eyes close as the fierce sun beated down on her.

"Here," Patroclus said, placing the small basket of fruit in between them. With her eyes still closed, Arsinoë felt around and finally grabbed onto it. She took a handful of grapes and popped them in her mouth one by one. He took the loaf of bread and ripped it in two, taking bites from his half in between sips of wine.

"I'm going to end up looking like a peasant girl who toils under the sun all day," Arsinoë said awhile later from her position on the sand. She eventually sat up and took the jug from the ground. Sipping it, she glanced at Patroclus out of the corner of her eye.

"Does it make you upset," she asked, "to have to sit around while all the other Greeks fight?" She watched as he bit a fig in half, the juice running down his chin. She saw the sudden image of herself leaning over and licking the sweet liquid from his skin. Mentally shaking the image out of her head, she took a bite of bread.

"Yes," he answered. "Achilles brought me here to fight, but now he orders me to stay in the camp. I'm forced to stand and watch while other men get the glory."

"Glory?" Arsinoë repeated. "Is it that important to you?"

Patroclus looked over at her. "For a warrior, that's all there is. Achilles told me that. Glory and reputation. Making sure that people will hear your name long after you're dead."

Arsinoë didn't say anything, nor could she. She knew nothing about being a warrior, and she knew no one would remember her name once she was gone.

"Does that mean you're unhappy now?" He raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "Unhappy here with you?" He grinned. "Never." He swung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her back so they were both laying down. She laughed and rolled onto her side, and reached up and planted a kiss on Patroclus' lips. He smiled softly and ran his hands through her dark hair. The sound of the sea and the feeling of his fingers in her hair nearly put Arsinoë to sleep, but she suddenly she felt his hand on her hip and the now dry tunic was pushed up to her waist.

"Patroclus," she said slowly. She opened her eyes and saw him staring down at her with a wicked grin. "Here?" She questioned. "Now?"

Patroclus rolled Arsinoë on to her back and leaned over her. "Are you so naive to think people only do it at night, in their beds?"

"Well no, but.."

She was cut off by a kiss so full of passion that it was enought to rouse her from her narcosis. She reached up and ran her hands down his back, and he pulled off Arsinoë's tunic and threw it a little ways away. Patroclus moved away from her lips and sucked on the skin where her neck met her shoulders, and he found that she tasted salty from the ocean. He threw Arsinoë a smirk and moved lower, drawing a line with his tongue in between her breasts. Cupping one in his hand, Patroclus moved his free hand down and entered her with two fingers. Gasping, Arsinoë tried to sit up but was pushed back by his strong arm. She hastily untied his kilt and let out a moan as he sent shivers of pleasure up her body with his fingers. Withdrawing his hand, Patroclus positioned himself above her and thrust in, trying to be as gentle as possible. But Arsinoë let out a long, slow moan and Patrocus was unable to hold himself back; without warning, he began to thrust hard and fast. Arsinoë wrapped her legs around his waist and lifted her head up to kiss him, biting his lower lip as she pulled away. Patroclus grunted as she dug her nails into his back and he bit down on her shoulder.

"Oh, Zeus," she moaned. He grabbed a handful of hair from the back of her head and pulled, making Arsinoë arch her back slightly. With her throat exposed, Patroclus licked from her collarbone to her mouth, kissing her deep as he reached his climax. Panting, he fell foward onto her with his eyes closed and didn't move. "Patroclus," Arsinoë said, her voice husky. "I cannot breathe." He laughed, his eyes still closed, and rolled off of her. He pulled her into his arms, both of them covered in a layer of sweat. As they lay together under the now setting sun, Arsinoë felt her heartbeat return to normal and she curled into him. "Patroclus," she whispered. "Shouldn't we be gettng back? The sun is starting to set, and Apollo will take it from the sky altogether soon enough."

Groaning, he untangled himself from her arms and stood up. "I suppose you're right. Come on," he said, pulling her up to her feet. She picked up the discarded tunic and threw it in next to the carafe and the baskets of food. She put on her burgundy dress and sat down to put her sandals on. She watched as Patroclus wrapped up the cloth and folded it back into a bundle like it had been before. He hadn't bothered to get dressed and Arsinoë was able to admire his well-toned backside as he moved around the beach. When he turned back to her, he spotted her staring at him and he laughed. She blushed and ran over to where the horse stood nibbling on a shrub. When he joined her, Patroclus was dressed and had the bundle under his arm. "Get on," he told her, offering his hands to help her up. Arsinoë put her foot into his cupped palms and let herself be pushed up onto the horse's back, taking the bundle from Patroclus. He swung his leg over the horse's hindquarters and sat behind Arsinoë, letting her hold onto the bundle as he reached around her and held onto the reins. As they began their ride back to the camp, Arsinoë couldn't make the smile vanish from her face.

'This has been an utterly perfect day,' she thought to herself. The sun set as they were riding, and the stars came out quickly. By the time they got back to the ships, the fires had already been lit and the men had already broken out the wine. The Myrmidons began cat-calling when they rode into camp, and Patroclus just scowled at them. Arsinoë slid off the horse and walked into the tent, while Patroclus went to return his cousin's horse. Arsinoë didn't wait for him to come back, she just took off her dress and threw it to the ground, crawling into his bed naked. She felt like she had never been so tired in her life, but the day she had had was worth it. She didn't know how long she was in bed by herself, but just as she was drifting off to sleep, she felt Patroclus slid into bed next to her.

"I'm sorry I took so long," he told her. "The men wanted me to drink with them. What's this?" He had just discovered that she wasn't wearing anything. When he put his arms around her, she rolled over and put her hand on his chest.

"I never want to wear that dress again," she told him sleepily. "You can burn it tomorrow." He yawned, slightly drunk from his short time with the Myrmidons. He kissed her forehead and quickly joined Arsinoë under the spell of Hypnos. He awoke the next morning to see Achilles standing over his bed. Sitting up in shock, he was careful not to wake Arsinoë as he shifted his weight and stood up from the bed. He tied on a kilt and followed his cousin outside.

"It seems I have taught you something, after all," Achilles quipped with a bemused expression. "Very funny," Patroclus mumbled. "Are you telling me you aren't enjoying the same thing with your captive?"

"Is she still just your captive?" Achilles shot back. Patroclus didn't answer, instead asking, "Have you changed your mind about the Myrmidons fighting in the war?" Achilles shook his head. "No, cousin. I haven't." Patroclus pushed his lips together in sudden anger. "Why not?" He demanded. "You have your priestess back, so why are you still refusing to fight?"

"You still don't understand, do you?" He asked. He shook his head as if he found the whole thing disappointing. "But that isn't why I came to you. Briseis keeps asking me to let her see your little friend. I've forgotten her name. But bring her to my tent when she wakes up." He didn't say anything further, he just turned around and went back into his own tent. Patroclus stood in the sand for a moment, before letting out an aggravated breath and walking back inside.

Arsinoë was just waking up when he walked through the tent flaps. She reached her arms above her head and stretched, making the blanket slip down slightly. "Good morning," she mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep. Patroclus leaned over her and kissed her.

"Good morning." Arsinoë sat up as he reached over and passed her the blue tunic.

"Here, put this on." She did as she was told and got out of the bed. "Come on," Patroclus grabbed her hand and led her out of the tent.

"Where are we going?"

"Achilles came to talk to me this morning," he told her. "And he told me I could bring you to see her, what's-her-name."

"Briseis?" Arsinoë dropped his hand and stopped walking. "I can see Briseis?" He nodded. "Oh, thank you!" She launched herself into his arms hand hugged him. For a moment he didn't move, but Patroclus recovered and put his arms around her in return. For a moment they just stood in an embrace, until Patroclus cleared his throat and broke away.

"Come on," he said suddenly, pulling her along. He took her to Achilles' tent where Briseis sat waiting. Upon seeing the younger woman, Briseis ran towards her and they embraced. "Oh, I've been so worried about you!" Briseis put her hands on Arsinoë's cheeks and tears pooled in both of their eyes.

"And I about you. Have you been well treated?" She looked Briseis up and down, noticing her new gown of green cloth. Briseis nodded and took her to sit down on Achilles' leather couch.

Neither of them heard Patroclus leave.

"Yes," she answered. "Achilles has treated me very well. He..." She wasn't sure she should tell Arsinoë what she had been through. "He rescued me from Agamemnon's men." To her great surprise, Arsinoë just nodded.

"I know."

"You knew?" Arsinoë nodded. "Yes. I was there. I saw it, and I saw him bring you in here." Briseis blushed slightly and Arsinoë tilted her head.

"Are you in love with him?"

"What?!" Briseis' eyes went wide and her mouth fell open.

"Very undignified for a princess," Arsinoë said quietly.

"What...what makes you say that?"

Arsinoë smiled. "You have the same look on your face that one of my sisters did when she fell in love with a stable boy." For a long moment Briseis didn't say anything. "It isn't love...not yet. But I think it could be."

She looked at the younger woman. "Do you think I'm terrible?" She asked suddenly. "He's a Greek; he came here to destroy my country. Is it awful that I feel this way?" Arsinoë just shook her head. "No. It's not terrible. It isn't something you can help. Does he feel the same way?" Her question was awarded with a brilliant smile from Briseis. "Yes, yes, I think so. Arsinoë, he is so...tender with me. Gentle. Not at all like I believed he would be."

"Then, I am glad for you," was all Arsinoë said. Briseis was releived that her cousin seemed to approve.

"But what about you?" She asked. "You look very well. I trust Patroclus has been treating you well?"

Arsinoë nodded. "He has. I was afraid of him at first, obviously. But he has been kind to me. He has seemed very..." She paused to think of the right word. "Protective of me since I was given to him. I like him." Suddenly her heart began beating rapidly and she blushed. "By the gods, Briseis, I think I am falling in love with him," she burst out.

Her cousin's gaze was kind and full of understanding. She knew what Arsinoë went through because of Paris and Helen, and if she was happy here with Achilles' cousin, then the one-time priestess couldn't be happier. "And what does he feel?"

Arsinoë smiled a cheeky smile. "He's shown me how he feels. A couple of times, now," she giggled. Briseis laughed with her.

"Yesterday," the younger girl said, "He took me to a secluded area of beach, hours away from here. Simply because I had told him how much I loved the sea. He had everything, wine and food. And then we...well, you can imagine. It was the happiest day I've had in...a long time. I never thought that I would ever fall in love, to be honest."

Briseis furrowed her brow. "Never? How sad." Arsinoë nodded. "Well, marriages for royalty aren't about love. My sister Tryphaena, as I said, fell in love with one of our young stablehands. But she could never be with him. Instead, she was sent to marry a prince on the island of Samos just after I left for Troy. And after everything that has happened with Paris, well, that just made me certain of it. But now..."

"But now that you found Patroclus," Briseis broke in, "You aren't so certain." Arsinoë smiled and looked down at her hands. "Yes, exactly. I...I'm glad that I was stolen from the temple. However queer a thought it is, it's true." Briseis could only nod. She rose from the leather couch and held out a hand to the younger woman. "Come," she said to Arsinoë. "Let's not stay in this dark tent. Let us walk along the shore as we talk." Arsinoë rose but gave Briseis a wary look.

"Are you sure that it's safe? Won't Agamemnon's men try and take you back? Or me?" But Briseis shook her head. "Not now. Now everyone knows that I...belong to Achilles. They would have to be mad to try and take either of us."

Arsinoë hesitated but trusted her cousin's reasoning. They exited the tent and made their way down to the water, both of them lifting the bottoms of their tunics and wading out into the ocean. They spent a few happy hours on the beach, chatting like they used to when they both lived in the palace, before the sun began to set and they made their way back to the Myrmidon's camp. Briseis bid her goodbye and walked back to Achilles' tent, while Arsinoë intended to look for a jug of water at the large man-made well.

"Oh, blast," she cursed when the last of the jugs were just out of her reach. "Here," came a voice from behind her. Odysseus reached out a long arm and took a red clay jug from off of it's hook and handed it down to the young princess.

"Thank-you, your Majesty," she smiled. "Not a problem, young Arsinoë. It's good to know that someone is taking good care of Achilles' cousin. I'm glad to see that Patroclus has found such a devoted..." The king of Ithica trailed off for a moment. "Friend in this country." She looked up at Odysseus and spied mischievousness in his eyes.

'By the Gods, he knows too?' She thought to herself.

"Or is there another word I should be using?" He asked. "Lover, perhaps?"

Her face burned with embarassment and she longed to be out of the king's sight. He threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, off with you, Arsinoë. I am only teasing." She tried to smile as politely as she could and turned away, hurrying back to Patroclus' tent. But she could hear his good natured chuckling as she ran from him.

She entered the tent just in time to see Patroclus guzzle down in a goblet of wine. She put down the pitcher of water she had been carrying and walked over to him. "Patroclus?" She asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. "What's the matter?" He pushed his lips together and Arsinoë could practically feel the anger rolling off of him. He took another sip and glared at her. "We're leaving!" He shrugged off her hand and stood up. He ran his fingers through his blond hair while Arsinoë stood in shock.

"Leaving?" She repeated. "Why?"

"Ask Achilles," he spat out. He poured himself more wine and paced the tent. "We came here to fight, and now we're just going to sail home? He's acting like a fool!"

"Why?" Patroclus reached a hand out and flung his armor stand to the ground. It landed with a dull crashing sound and Arsinoë flinched slightly. "Oh, only the Gods know."

"When?" She asked. She could not believe what she was hearing. The fierce Myrmidons were just going to sail away? "Tomorrow," was the response. Arsinoë lowered herself onto the bed and watched Patroclus. The way he was pacing reminded her of the lions that her family had in their private zoo.

"And what will happen to me after you leave?" Her question made Patroclus turn around and stare at her. "I...I don't know."

Arsinoë dug her fingernails into her palms. "Will I have to return to Troy?" Fear gripped her heart. "Or will Agamemnon take me, the way he tried to take Briseis?" Arsinoë rose and took deep breaths for fear of hyperventilating.

"No."

She turned back to him and saw that the anger in his eyes had turned into something else. "I won't let him take you," he told her. He took her into his arms and she inhaled the scent of his tunic. "But what can you do?" She asked, the panic coming into her voice. "Once you and the Myrmidons are gone, there won't be anyone to stop him." The tears came into her eyes before she could try and stop them. He could feel her chest heaving against his own and he stroked the back of her head.

"Come with me," he said impulsively. She pulled away from him and her mouth fell open. "Patroclus, are you serious?" He looked into Arsinoë's golden eyes and felt a tug in his chest.

He did want her with him, he realized.

"Yes, I'm serious. If I'm being forced to leave this war, I want you to come with me. To Phtia." She opened her mouth, but found that she couldn't get the words out. He felt a smile pull at the corners of his mouth and he kissed her lightly.

"Would you come with me? All the way back to Greece?" Arsinoë laughed and nodded, a tear falling from her eye. One of relief and happiness. "I would go anywhere, as long as it was with you," she told him. He wiped away the tear that was rolling down her cheek and she kissed his thumb as it passed by her lips. Shooting him a coy look, Arsinoë led him over to the bed and he grinned as she laid him down and covered him with her body.

************************

They awoke to screaming. The sounds of men crying out in fear and panic seemed to echo throughout the tent. They both sat up and Patroclus got out of the bed, throwing on a long tunic.

"Stay here," he told Arsinoë, who was clutching a sheet to her chest. She nodded, struck dumb with fear. He grabbed his sword from the armor stand and left the tent for the beach, looking for answers in all the confusion. Arsinoë scrambled from the bed and put on her tunic. She could see men through the tent flaps running past, rushing to get to the unknown threat and defeat it. She stood in the middle of the tent unable to calm herself down.

Fear gripped every inch of her; fear that the Trojans were attacking and that they would find her and take her back to Troy. Her legs were numb and when she tried to take a step, Arsinoë fell to the ground. She crawled over to the corner and sat with her knees pulled up tight to her chest. Reaching over, she grabbed a fur pelt and covered herself with it. She hoped that if the Trojans were to sack the beach, she would be well hidden.

'But hiding didn't work the first time,' she thought. Gradually the cries died down, and but her heart beat did not. 'Where is Patroclus?!' It was the only thought that was in her mind, and the longer she was alone in the tent, the more worried she became. She sat, digging her fingernails into her palms, when he rushed back into the tent with excitment written all over his face. He was wearing armor, armor that wasn't his. Arsinoë was frantic.

"What's going on?!" She threw the pelt off of her and stood up, rushing to him. "The Trojans are attacking!" He told her. "They shot flamming arrow onto the sand, and nobody thought what they could be for, until Hector had his army release balls of oil soaked straw. The Trojans will follow once the fire has done its job. I think you should be safe," he added in an almost off-handed way.

"You think?!" She shrieked. She let out a sob and he grabbed her hand and sat her down on the bed. "You'll be alright," he reassured her. "The fire isn't spreading in this direction, and the Trojan army isn't attacking yet. They won't even attack the camp. It will be on the beach."

She took deep breaths and calmed down a little. "Why do you look so happy? Why are you wearing armor?" She demanded. "I had an idea!" He announced. "What is it?" Arsinoë asked. There was suddenly a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"I've taken his armor." She stared blankly at him, uncomprehending.

"Who's?"

"Achilles'! I've taken his armor and I'm going to pretend to be him. I'm going to lead the Myrmidons into battle!" From the look on his face, it was clear he expected her to be happy he had come up with such a clever plan. But her confused expression quickly turned to one of horror and she stood up.

"What? Why?" Patroclus looked baffled that she would even ask him that.

"Because I came to Troy to fight in a war, not sit on the beach while everyone else does the fighting, and gets all the glory."

"That's all you care about?" She asked. "Glory?"

"What else is there?" He retorted. Arsinoë felt a chill run down her spine, and there was tightness around her heart. What would happen to her if something hapened to him? She didn't know what she would do if anything happened to Patroclus.

"I don't think you should do it," she said in a rush. In a flash, the excitment was gone from his face and in its place was annoyance. "And why is that?"

"What if something happens to you?" He brushed away her words with a wave of his hand. "Nothing will happen to me," he said with certainty. "Achilles has taught me everything he knows about fighting. I will be untouchable." Arsinoë shook her head, trying to form a proper sentance. "But...but what if you happen upon Hector? Hector is an amazing warrior, the best in Troy."

"And you think I'm not good enough to match up against him?" She bit her lips, not wanting to lie, but unable to say anything that wouldn't offend him or his pride.

"No," she told him honestly. His eyes narrowed and he scowled. "I'm not saying it to be cruel. I just don't want you to go through with it, Patroclus. You have no idea how scared I would be for you. Waiting in here while you were fighting out there? And as Achilles? He would be a target for Hector, and you know it. I just..." She stopped speaking when she felt a lump forming in her throat. She stared at the roof and blinked rapidly, trying to hide the tears and she didn't see his face soften. Sniffing, she jumped when she felt his hands on her arms and he drew her close.

"Please don't go."

"You don't have to worry," he whispered into her hair. "Nothing is going to happen to me. I'll come back a hero, you'll see. I'll be fine." He kissed her hard on the lips and put his helmet on. Achilles' helmet. As he walked out, Arsione had to admit that he looked exactly like Achilles. He would fool the Myrmidons. Even if some of them were suspicious, she assumed they would dismiss it once the battle began. She had to do something. She couldn't just sit back and let Patroclus go through with his plan. Arsinoë didn't care how much Achilles had taught him about war and fighting, she couldn't risk him coming up against Hector. Making her way to the door, she looked out and saw that the camp was in chaos and that Patroclus was no where in sight.

She cried out with a mixture of fear and frustration, Whirling around in the tent, Arsinoë felt a sense of helplessness fall over her. What could she do? Who could she go to? Of course! Achilles! She had to find Achilles and tell him of this foolishness. Running out of the tent, she dodged soldiers hurrying towards the rest of the army and no one paid her any attention as she ran through the camp. She ran into Achilles' tent and was relieved to see her him sitting with her cousin, seemingly untroubled by the impending battle. "Briseis!" The older woman looked up in surprise and ran over to her. "What are you doing running around the camp right now? You could have been hurt!"

Arsinoë shook her head."It isn't me you need to worry about," she told them, looking to Achilles. "Arsinoë? What's the matter?" "It's..." Panting, Arsinoë wasn't completely sure she wanted to tell anyone. Patrolcus had told her of his plan because he trusted her, and here she was about to betray his trust. 'But it's for his own safety,' she reasoned with herself. She just hoped he would forgive her. "It's Patroclus. He...came to me just now, dressed in your armor. He has led the Myrmidons into battle."

Achilles rose and met Arsinoë in the middle of the tent. "What?"

Licking her lips, Arsinoë told him. "He took your armor and was able to fool the men into thinking that he was you. Then he rallied them and led them into battle. They just left." She finished with a worried sigh and Achilles glared at her. He scowled and left the tent without a word.

Arsinoë glanced at Briseis before running out after him. Dodging running soldiers, she saw the warlord coming out of Patroclus' tent with his cousin's sword in his hand. Arsinoë's heart lurched and she realized that he was going after the Myrmidons. 'Without any armor?' She thought. She could hear Briseis' voice calling her back into the tent, but she ignored it and ran after Achilles as the light of pre-dawn approached. He didn't seem to see her, or he just didn't care whether she followed him or not. Either way, he didn't turn around and tell her to go back to the camp. So she continued to follow him until they reached the Greek army. The pair made it to the edge of the battlefield and looking past the Greeks, she saw the Trojans and her heart nearly stopped. It seemed that Troy had emptied itself of soldiers, and they were all on the beach to prove it. She had been a Trojan, and still she felt fear as she saw and heard Hector, for it could only be Hector, bang his spear against his shield as the Trojan army marched towards the Greeks. The sound of spear on shield was nearly deafening, and the thick black smoke from the fires made her eyes sting, but still Arsinoë kept up to Achilles. Achilles had stopped as he reached the outer ranks of unorganised men and Arsinoë stopped with him. She spotted Odysseus in the front ranks, but there was no sign of the Myrmidons.

"Where are they?" Arsinoë asked quietly. Achilles did not hear her, or if he did he didn't bother to answer. Then gradually, there was the sound of cheering coming for their left. A group of men in very recognizable armor ran past the rest of the Greek army, all of them cheering when they saw the group, and she knew it was Patroclus leading Achilles' men to the front. How could it be anyone but the Myrmidons? She saw Hector standing with his generals and she saw his eyes zero in on them. The Prince of Troy gave a war cry and the Trojan army charged. For a split second her mind went back to when she had watched the battle with the Myrmidons, standing on that little cliff. She had though of the ocean during a storm and two great waves crashing together.

Arsinoë realized that it would be nothing like the ocean.

Her heart felt like it was pounding out of her chest. They were all running fast now, Trojan and Greek, moving closer and closer together until they came together in a clash of spears and shields, the screaming already beginning as men were cut down in the cool morning air. She couldn't tell which army was winning and which was losing, but the one thing she did see was death. Already, bodies littered the beach of Troy and it was barely past morning's first light. She could easily tell the difference between the Greeks' armor and the Trojans', and Arsinoë quickly found Hector in the crowd of soldiers. She saw him fight and weave his way through the Greeks, and Arsinoë knew that he was trying to get to the Myrmidons. Farther down the line, her eyes finally found the Myrmidons, and she saw the flash of Achilles' shield. 'Patroclus,' she thought to herself as she tried to separate her relief and her fear. She watched as he, too, made his way towards Hector, killing men with his cousin's sword as if it were the most natural thing in the world. From the corner of her eye, she saw Achilles take a step. She made the move to run where he ran, but he turned to her.

"Go back to the camp," he ordered her. "Go and wait with Briseis."

"No."

He threatened to make her, but Arsinoë still refused. "You can drag me back to camp, but it would just cost you time." She thought Achilles would hit her, that's how angry he looked, but he just glared down at her. "Stay here!" He growled, and set off at a run. Arsinoë waited for one tense moment before sprinting after him.

'May the Gods protect me,' she thought, as she ran through the first group of fighting men.

Duck. That's all she would have to do. Try and stay as low to the ground as possible, and dodge a few sword thrusts. Easier said than done, but it was all she could remember of what her brother had told her.

She was going to die on this beach. She was a fool, a mad fool and she knew it. What was she thinking running through a beach full of soldiers? Trained men, who would skewer her without a second thought because she was out on the battlefield, in their way, all to try and protect a man who might not need protecting. Even if she came upon Hector, what could she do? Yell to him over the deafening sound of the men; run up to him and shout stop?

Ahead of her, she saw Achilles run in a straight line towards the Myrmidons, cutting men down with Patroclus' sword and leaving a trail of dead men for Arsinoë to jump over. But instead of being able to run through the trail of men, she was knocked to the ground by a Trojan and she was just barely able to roll out of the way of his sword thrust. Grabbing onto a stray shield, she crawled as fast as she could to where she had last seen Achilles, who was still running and getting farther and farther away.

"Aahh!" She cried out in pain as a sword sliced the back of her thigh. She turned and looked up to see a Greek she had never seen before standing over her with a grin, sword poised to kill.

"So the Trojans send their little whores out to fight for them, eh? Perhaps I'll take you for myself, what do you think of that?" He continued to grin at her until a Trojan soldier ran him through.

The man fell beside her and the Trojan moved on, but Arsinoë was paralysed with fear. She felt something wet run down her leg, and she was surprised to see not blood, but urine pooling on the sand.

With quick, sharp breaths, she forced herself to stand up and move forward. The cut on her leg wasn't terribly deep, but she was limping as she tried to run forward to where both Greek and Trojan soldiers had formed a circle. She pushed her way to the front of the crowd and her breath was caught in her throat. Her lungs burned but she couldn't see Achilles anywhere. Pushing her way past soldiers, she came upon Hector and 'Achilles' facing off inside a man-made circle with men standing aorund them. The two men were circling each other like bucks after the same rut before Hector struck first, thrusting at 'Achilles' with his sword. Arsinoë squeezed her way throught the crowd of cheering men and, even though she was on the Greeks' side of the circle, began crying out to Hector.

"Hector! Hector! Stop!" But her former brother-in-law couldn't hear her. She felt a hand grip her tightly on her upper arm, and Arsinoë looked over to see Eudorus staring at her with horror. "Arsinoë?! What in the name of the gods are you doing here?"

"That isn't Achilles," she cried at once. "It's not him, it's Patroclus!"

His face was the picture of shock and he looked at the two men fighting, gasping when he saw the real Achilles burst through the crowd of men. At once the Greeks stopped cheering and Patroclus' focus was broken. He turned and spotted his cousin, and he felt his sword hand tremble slightly. Hector, however, was no so easily distracted, and when 'Achilles' lowered his shield, he struck. He thrust out with his sword just as Patroclus leapt backwards, and the tip of the prince's sword caught the flesh of his opponent's throat. The Trojans were silent as they saw Hector wound the great Achilles.

"No!" Achilles cry rang out through the crowd. He pushed past the Greeks and ran to where his cousin had fallen in the sand, gently taking off the helmet.

The soldiers were still.

Hector's chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath. He took off his helmet and watched the boy he thought had been Achilles struggle for air as the warlord tried to stop the bleeding. The two sides of soldiers stood still, not knowing what to do. Arsinoë felt her heart stop.

"By the Gods," she whispered.

Eudorus tried to hold on to her, but she slipped out of his grip and ran for Patroclus. From the silent men all around Hector, came a voice that he knew all too well.

"Patroclus!"

As if from a dream, Hector saw Arsinoë ran through the crowd and fell to Patroclus' side. "Arsinoë?" Odessyus questioned from the crowd. "Patroclus!" She cried out, ignoring everybody else. Achilles' hand was on the younger man's throat, applying pressure to stop the blood flow; it was something Arsinoë had learned from the healers in Phocaea. Hector and the rest of the Trojans watched in awe as they saw Troy's youngest princess take the Greek's hand in her own and begin to cry.

"Arsinoë?" Hector threw off his helmet to the ground and walked over to her. He watched as the boy on the ground squeezed his sister's hand and wimpered. "Sshhh," she said to him, trying to get him to remain calm. Patroclus tried to say her name, but his mouth was filling with blood. His own blood. From his mouth came a wet gurgle as blood flowed onto the sand. "You have to get him to a doctor," she told Achilles through her tears, but he didn't seem to hear her. "Arsinoë!" She looked up from Patroclus and saw Hector staring down at her.

"I thought you were dead!"

She could only shake her head as she turned her eyes back to the man laying on the ground. Hector was amazed. He heard Patroclus cry out weakly and saw him reach out for Arsinoë. He thought that little Arsinoë was dead, and yet here she was. He motioned to two soldiers.

"Take her back tot he city," he ordered. The two Trojans acted quickly and grabbed the kneeling girl from the sand. They pulled her backwards towards the Trojan army, but she tried to dig her heels into the ground. "No! Let go of me!" She cried. She fought them and tried to break away, but they were much stronger then she was. "Hector, no! Achilles!" Her voice called out to him for help, but he did not hear her; he was concentrating on one thing only and that was his cousin.

Odysseus watched as the girl was dragged back and engulfed by Tojans, and he could still hear her cries for them to release her. None of the Greeks stepped forward to stop the abduction, they didn't even seem aware that it had just happened. Everyone was focused on Achilles and Patroclus. He saw a chariot take off towards Troy, and she saw that Arsinoë had to be restrained by one of the men. He could have tried to stop them, but although he felt pity for the girl, he knew he wouldn't have succeded. Once the cries had gotten too far away to hear, Hector took a step forward, but he stopped when he heard Achilles' voice.

"If he dies, Prince, I'm going to cut out your heart."

Hector was silent as Achilles called out for his Myrmidons, and they picked up Patroclus' body and hurriedly began their way back to camp. Achilles led the way as Hector made his way to Odysseus.

"Enough for one day," the Trojan prince told the king of Ithica. Odysseus nodded his head in agreement. "Back to the ships," he called out.

"It was his cousin," he told Hector, who's shoulders slumped at the news.

"I don't think she wanted to go," he said to Hector, speaking of Arsinoë. Hector took a step closer and growled. "If nothing else has come from this day, then at least I can say that I was able to rescue my sister and return her safely back to the city."

"Your sister?" Odysseus echoed quietly. "Yes," Hector admitted. "She was Paris' wife. Before Helen came," he finished diplomatically.

"She didn't need rescuing, Prince Hector," he told the younger man.

"Oh no?" Hector asked, sarcasm dripping from the two little words.

"No. There was nothing to be rescued from."

"What do you mean?" Hector questioned, sensing something in the other man's voice that wasn't quite right.

"What I mean is, Arsinoë was given to Patroclus as a captive, but she quickly became more to him than that. He loves her, whether he knows it or not. He did all he could to keep her safe from Agamemnon's men. She was safe in our camp. And happy."

"Happy?" Hector echoed, wondering how truthful this king was being. "With a Greek?"

"Yes. I saw her almost everyday, and everyday I saw her, she looked happier then the last." Odysseus tapped his helmet. "Use your head, Prince. Why else would a girl risk death on a battlfield? She was trying to stop him from fighting you, I gather." He frowned suddenly. "You say she was your brother's wife?" Hector nodded and the king thought of his own beloved Penelope. "Then I would have to say any woman who's husband has treated her thus deserves to be happy. Even if it is with a Greek." Without another word, Odysseus spun around and made his way back to the ships.

"By the Gods," he whispered. "What have I done?" Standing in his spot for a moment, he turned back to his army. "Back to the city," he told them, moving away from the battlefield. He looked at Glaucus, his eyes filled with regret. He may have just slain a boy today, and that hit his heart hard. And now, if Odysseus was telling the truth, taking Arsinoë may have been the very worse thing he could have done to her.