With her Eyes blinking at the newly arisen sun, Arianna awoke in a soft but strange bed. Her side felt as though it had been set on fire and it took her a few moments to remember.

The fight with Achilles, being taken into troy by hector, the bleakness of the unconscious world. Arianna lay still for a while, just staring up at the swathes of gossamer above the bed. Swinging her legs tenderly out of the covers she padded barefoot towards a bowl of water, fresh and cool.

Dipping her hands into the water she bathed her arms and face before gently examining the wound and its dressings.

Looking around the unfamiliar room, she glimpsed a folded dress, a beautiful blue, edged with white and gold braided straps, slipping the draped fabric over her head she sighed at the softness and smiled to herself as she saw that the length caused the dress to swirl an inch from the floor, where as her own only reached her knees.

Making her way out of the door and along the polished stone corridor, Arianna came to a large room, curiosity over came her and she entered. Another set of bed chambers, more lavishly decorated but there was something slightly distasteful about it.

'Arianna? I am glad to see you are awake' a voice said behind her and Arianna's eyes narrowed at the sound, turning to face the owner of the voice she saw the young woman, maybe a season or two younger than Arianna herself, long sandy coloured hair braided at the front, tall and extremely pretty.

'Helen' Arianna nodded in acknowledgement of the woman. 'I am sorry, are these your chambers?'

Helen nodded, she smiled but there was weariness in her eyes, every time she had met Arianna it had been at the Ithacan king's palace, she was everything Helen wanted to be, confident, assured, loved, in all truth she scared Helen, with her strength and fierce temper hidden behind that beautiful face. 'Would you like to eat?'

Shaking her head Arianna smiled softly, having seen the barely concealed fear in the other woman's eyes. 'I wish to apologize Helen, I was wrong, I made assumptions'

Helens eyes furrowed 'I...' she trailed off

'I thought you were spoilt, selfish and you were doing this as your latest rebellion against Menelaus, but I understand now the lengths people go to be with the one they love'

Helen was shocked. Arianna, admitting she was wrong and phrasing it in such a way it was almost like an apology. 'Thank you Arianna, I am sorry for everything I have put you through, I didn't think this would escalate like this' she said bitterly.

Arianna smiled winningly 'you don't happen to know where they put my sword do you?'

Helen laughed in light relief ' I do, prince hector keeps it with his own, in the grand chambers'

'Thank you, show me the way?' Arianna asked

'Of course'

The two women walked side by side down the long corridors, Arianna gritted her teeth in pain at each step and prayed it was not much further. Luckily, her prayers were answered and Helen stopped beside a large ornate door, she tapped hesitantly on the door waiting for a reply.

'Come' a deep voice boomed from within, Helen motioned for Arianna to go in, shaking her head when Arianna questioned her.

'I cannot bear to go in there, all those Trojan soldiers, I just know they blame me' she blinked away tears; Arianna placed a hesitant hand on her shoulder and squeezed it sympathetically.

Leaving Helen, she pushed the door open, careful not to put too much pressure on her wounds, and stepped into the large main chamber.

Arianna held back a gasp; the walls were lined with weapons, shields, spears, armor, hundreds of pieces of lethal weaponry, lining the gilded walls. Her eyes were scanning the walls in awe when a voice interrupted her 'so this is Arianna'

Her eyes swiveled to a large heavy set man with graying hair and beard. She raised her eyebrows and cocked her head slightly. 'Yes I am Arianna, who are you? Or do you just like to hear women's names?'

The man chuckled 'she's feisty; no wonder the Greeks let her fight'

Arianna sighed impatiently 'Am I invisible? Or do you just like to refer to people in the third person?'

The man stuttered but the king, seated at his throne laughed throatily 'come, let me look at you' he said to Arianna, she stepped around the large man and knelt before the king painfully.

He tilted her head up to meet his gaze and his kind eyes reminded her of hector. 'You are very beautiful Arianna, very beautiful indeed'

A slight blush crept across her cheeks and the king smiled 'you do not believe so?'

'There is more to life than beauty' she said quietly the king smiled and nodded.

'That is true, what have you come for Arianna?' he motioned to the room

'I came for my sword, or at the very least to check it is okay, it was a gift from my br...' she trailed off, the dull ache in her chest worsened as she thought of Achilles.

The old king nodded in understanding and looked up at the graying man whom Arianna had insulted earlier 'Glaokus, the lady's sword'

Glaokus nodded and reached for a sword wrapped in a deep green cloth, its gilded hilt reflected the sun and Arianna sighed in relief. She accepted it gracefully and after inspecting it fully she slipped it back into the cloth and handed it to Glaokus. 'Keep her safe' she warned. Glaokus nodded, respectful of the way she had handled the sword so carefully.

Turning back to the king she curtsied low, kissing his hand ' we shall speak again Arianna' he mused

Arianna smiled fully, showing her teeth, a rare smile that only succeeded in making her beauty even more striking. She quickly left the room; Helen had gone, so making her way back through the string of corridors she found herself back at hectors chambers.

Finding a seat on the outer wall of the terrace she looked out over the battlefields, blood dried on the already saturated sand, the bodies of the fallen cleared, but the haunting memories still roamed the soiled earth.

Her eyes strayed further out, to the Greek camp, she thought of her brother, probable seething with rage at her, she thought of Patroclus, she hoped he was well, she would always love her baby cousin, her thoughts of Odysseus making strategies and placating both Achilles and Agamemnon, before he thoughts landed with Eudorus.

Her oldest and dearest friend, she had told him they would always be there for each other, until the day they died, and she had betrayed her word. A tear slipped over her cheek and ran down her face. She felt soft but strong hands slip around her waist but she didn't fight, resisting her instincts and just leaned into the broad chest.

'Good afternoon my love, how are you feeling?' hector breathed kissing her shoulder, breathing in her scent, feeling, for the first time since the war started, happy.

'I am fine just sore, im sorry I would have come to find you, only I got distracted'

Hector laughed gently, before noticing the tear that ran the length of her face, 'oh my Arianna, what is wrong?'

'It is nothing' but she turned in his arms and buried her head in his neck

He rubbed her back soothingly, kissing her hair, relishing the feel of her in his arms. 'Do you wish to go back?' he asked, the thought making his heart wrench painfully.

She raised her head and said with such ferociousness he was astounded 'no! Of course not! I want to be here with you hector'

Unsure how to respond he pulled her close, his lips searching hers, they stay clung to each other for a few moments before breaking away. Hector brushed his thumb against her plump bottom lip, resting his forehead against hers.

'I want you Arianna' he whispered, before she could react he slipped his arms under her knees and back, sweeping her into his arms, pressing his lips against hers, he carried her softly to the bed.

As the prince held Arianna ravishing her with kisses, her thoughts were far from the Greek camp, or its inhabitants.