Disclaimer: I do not own anything. At all.
I stood and looked at my sister for a few moments. I shook my head in frustration and began to walk.
"Where are you planning on going?" she asked acidly. I put my hand up to block her face and words.
"Rhoadnathe, enough. I do not wish to hear whatever you feel like saying. There's is more important things happening."
"I realize that sister. And you just left the room of the person that caused this."
I stared at my younger sister in anger. Could anyone see past Helen's Spartan heritage to the fact she made our brother happy? Did no one else think there could be more to this woman? I started to walk again. This time Rhodanthe grabbed my arm as I walked past her. As I still stared ahead she began to speak.
"You are not worth more than a common street-walker. You know that don't you? You know that is why you will not speak to me." she whispered. I kept my icy glare forward.
"Let go."
"Say I'm right, sister." she cooed with malice.
"Let. Go." I gritted through me teeth. With that she smirked and released her grip on my arm. I began walking again as she stood before Helen's chamber with a sly grin on her face. I sped away as quickly as I could and made my way back to my chambers. I swung open my doors and crawled on to bed, and the only thing to block out the noise outside was the sounds of my tears
I awoke some time later to someone shaking my arm. Surprised, I looked over and found Andromache standing over me her hands on my arm. She looked calmer than earlier, perhaps a little less tense.
"Hector will return soon. He wishes to speak to all of us."
Hector. Hearing my older brother's name made me sit up. If Hector was coming, Kyros would surely be joining him not soon after. Did their return mean the battling was over? Was it done?
"Is it finished?" I whispered to my sister-in-law. Andromache sighed and tilted her head.
"I hope so. Quickly now, your father has been pacing for hours." She beckoned me off the bed and we walked together out of my chamber.
As we walked I looked over at Andromache. She looked lost in her own world and I could only imagine what she was thinking, Andromache bore no love for Greece, well one Greek in particular. Only a few years before, Andromache's father and brothers were slain by the warrior Achilles. One man took away her family. I wondered if she was worried if Achilles had made this voyage here to Troy. Almost impulsively, I put my arm around her.
"Hector will have all the answers." I said reassuringly. She didn't look at me, merely nodded as if to humor me. When we entered the great hall her eyes darted to the front of the room to where my brother was standing talking to a few men. He was talking with much emotion to few of the men up front. I saw my father sitting on his throne. He had a frown on his face. He watched Hector explaining things. His eyes moved to the back where Andromache, myself and a few of my sisters were walking in. He motioned us to come forward. Clasping his arm on Hector's should he smiled slightly.
"You may begin, my son." he said to Hector. My brother nodded shortly and began to speak.
"Brothers and sisters, I come to you today as more than a brother. I come to you as the general of the Trojan army. Our nation is under attack. Our beaches are taken, our temple sacked. But we are not fully taken. Our walls still stand strong. I am here today t implore no one ever ventures out of the palace. I mean nowhere. Not even into the rest of the city. We stand strong still, but we must take pre-caution still." Hector spoke gravelly looking around at the Trojan faces.
"They'll never take our walls" cried a councilman.
"They'll never take us Trojans." cried another one.
Hector looked grave at that last remark. Clearing his throat, he spoke again.
"I also stand before you heartbroken. The temple was desecrated and sacked. I fear that..
Don't say it brother. Don't say it.
"I fear Briseis may have been killed." he said shortly.
My sisters all began to wail at once. Macaria wept into Andromache's arms as the latter looked up with tear filled eyes at my brother. Hector's dark eyes began to brim with tears as he nodded sadly.
"Tonight we will celebrate our victory over the Greeks and t celebrate Briseis' life. May she cross the River Styx in peace." my father said standing up.
Victory? What victory? Men lined our beaches and my cousin was dead? How do claim victory? Surely, we would win this war. But not today. We needed another day to prove our worth. I dared not say these things aloud. Though I did see Hector frown when Father said we claimed victory.
"That is all we have for the ladies. Now we speak of how to banish the remainder of these Greeks." my father said dismissing us with a flick of his hand. I stayed rooted to my spot. What have the archers? Where was Kyros?
Hector turned to talk to the councilmen, a few who watched me curiously wondering why a girl was trying to listen to political matters.
"Hector!" I called.
My older brother looked up and looked sad. He gave me a small smile though.
"The archers are returning soon." he said quietly.
I nodded gratefully. I bowed to him and my father. I whispered a small thanks to them. I sped from the room before tears could consume me again.
Briseis was dead.
My father could focus on nothing but this present war.
Hector feared the worst.
These were the only things I knew right now. I also knew I could fix none of these.
I returned back to my room and I found Kyros had not returned yet. I sniffled and shuffled around the room. I picked up the hem of my skirt and forced myself to go my balcony overlooking the ocean. I wanted to see it. I wanted see what remained. When I walked across the marble, I gazed on my shores. There were so many boats. I couldn't imagine how these Greeks managed to fit on the sands. I looked more and clutched my stomach in disgust. The grotesque sight that I say was the amount of blood that drenched the sands. Huge spaces of red encircled boats and tents. I could see men lifting up lifeless bodies and begin piling them onto carts, and sending them away for burning. I shook my head. Foolish men to come upon our shores. We would have victory soon. I knew it. I just hated that it came at the price of my cousin's life.
I bowed my head at the thought of Briseis. I wished her a pleasant afterlife and prayed someone would at least give her coins for fare for the boatman. I doubted that, but I prayed for that. I prayed this war would end soon. Father sounded hopeful, though Hector looked perplex. I'm sure Paris had no opinion what so ever.
Paris. Where was my twin? I had not seen him at all today, not at the meeting nor at Helen's. Where could he be? I gave a last look over my shore and shook my head in anger. I wanted my family around me right now. I wanted my husband. I wanted my twin. I wanted Cassandra and be with me right now. I wanted Briseis. I just wanted my family.
As if on cue, my door opened and walked in a very tired (and dirty) Kyros. I looked at him with hungry eyes and he gazed back looking a mixture of exhaustion and relief. I rushed to him as he slumped over on the bed and began to take off his leg armor. I couldn't help but wrap my arms around him. I felt him stop taking his armor off and bring his arms around me. We stayed in that position for a long time. After a few minutes, he rubbed my shoulder.
"And how your day?' he asked with a playful grin on his face. I began to smile when Briseis's face flashed though my mind and all the frustration I had felt today spilled out and I began to cry again. Startled, Kyros threw his arms around me again.
"My dear, I am so sorry. I meant no harm!" he apologized rocking me slowly.
"It's Briseis..she's dead." I choked out. I hiccupped and buried myself into his shoulder. He sobbed for a little more as he patted my head. He whispered "shh" over and over and I began to calm down again, but I felt an ache in my heart, and I didn't know how to fix that.