Chapter 12: 12 Days Later
I went to my window to look at the Greek ships but sat up straighter when I saw nothing, only a few bodies and a giant wooden structure. I was confused for a moment then gasped, remembering my vision. The final stage. I hurried to the throne room, finding someone already speaking to Priam and the other royals about it.
I let out a small shriek when Apollo, another cousin of mine as well as Artemis' twin brother, suddenly appeared beside me. He handed me a small vial and smirked when I looked at him puzzled. "You will know what to do with this when the time comes, dear cousin. Guard it with your immortal life and always keep it close to your person. Now, I need my twin's bow," he answered my silent questions. I teleported the both of us to my room and quickly tossed him the bow. He thanked me in return and kissed my brow before teleporting to Olympus.
The King and the prince, along with a small group of others, set out to see what had happened at the beach, only to come back with a wooden horse. They brought it to Poseidon's temple, believing it was a gift to my father. The civilians gathered around and celebrated throughout the day, merrily expressing their winning of the war. So they thought. I stood, staring directly at the head of the horse with a terrible feeling in my gut. I sighed and bowed my head at it, knowing what would happen soon.
"The Trojans are foolish. Now they are as good as dead," I whispered as night fell, sadly shaking my head. I wrapped my arms around myself and hurried to my chambers, looking back only once. I avoided the drunk and unconscious guards and people and slammed my door behind me.
I threw on a dark purple gown, slipping on some sandals, as I watched Grecian men crawl out of the wooden horse in the dead of night. I sprinted out of my room to save Andromache and her child. I would not watch those two die. Out of all the royals, she was my favorite by far.
After that, I ran through the halls towards Apollo's temple in Priam's garden. Thankfully it had not yet been touched by the flames. All the other temples were in ruins. I could hear people crying out in terror but I blocked it out and knelt down to pray. "Apollo, please, answer me. Cousin, what will I use that vial for? Where is Achilles? Please watch over the both of us and ask the others to do the-" I pleaded, but was cut off when I was suddenly pulled by the hair.
"Too late for prayers, priestess," Agamemnon said with an evil grin, grabbing my chin roughly. "I almost lost this war because of your little romance," he hissed then pulled out a dagger. "Should I cut your pretty little neck now?" He asked, resting the dagger on my neck. "Or shall I make you my slave in Mycanae? A Trojan priestess scrubbing my floors," he whispered with a smirk.
He pressed the blade harder into my neck and my eyes widened horrified when I felt it break skin. He gasped and pulled away slightly when her saw the trail of golden blood. "A goddess. You were never a priestess at all, were you? Achilles kept you hidden, right under our noses!" Agamemnon spat in my face.
While his grip was loosened, I twisted the knife in his hand and made him stab himself in the neck. The same trick Achilles used when saving me from the iron. Agamemnon fell to his knees and I ripped the dagger out, trying to run when he fell. The two soldiers quickly caught me. "Hold her!" One of them shouted at the other as he readied to impale me. I struggled to get away.
I gasped when the soldier was decapitated and the other let me fall to the ground, trying to get out his sword. "Come with me," Achilles ordered, helping me off the ground after he stabbed the last one. I watched Paris ready his arrow and aim at my lover in the distance. "No!" I shouted, but it was too late. I was always too late. It shot through his heel and Achilles threw his head back in pain.
"Achilles!" I screamed, horrified. My lover stood up and swung his sword, still trying to defend me. "Stop!" I yelled at Paris as he moved closer but the prince wouldn't listen. He shot another arrow into Achilles' ribcage. Achilles stumbled back a bit then ripped it out. Paris shot again and again, but Achilles kept limping forward. Everyone could tell he was fading.
"Paris! Don't!" I yelled to the young prince. Paris shot one last arrow and Achilles fell to the ground, ripping the arrows out. I knelled beside him and let him grab my face in his hands. I could feel his strength fading as his eyes unfocused. "It's all right. It's all right," he whispered softly, tracing my face gently. He grabbed a lock of my hair and smelled it. I smiled, letting silent tears run down my face, messing up the kohl around my eyes. He laid his forehead against mine with a content sigh, running his fingers through a section of my hair.
Then he pulled away. I looked into his eyes and trailed my fingertips down his cheeks. "You gave me peace in a lifetime of war," he said, smiling slightly. I pressed my lips to his, pulling the vial out of the folds of my gown. "Here, drink," I ordered quietly, lifting it to his lips. I knew what it was now, liquified ambrosia*. When he was burned, his spirit would be released and take form again in Olympus, becoming a god and live by my side forever.
"My lady, we must go," Paris told me. I ignored him. "Go. You must," Achilles said sadly. "No, I will not leave you to die alone," I replied sternly. "Troy is falling. Go," he said more forcefully. I only shook my head and held him lightly in my arms, not wanting to hurt him more.
"We must go. I know a way out," Paris offered, turning nervously to the doors, hearing more Greeks. "Then go. You have done enough here, prince of Troy. Protect Helen and Andromache. I will stay here," I told him with a glare. I turned back to Achilles and watched a tear slide down his cheek.
"I will never leave you," I whispered then kissed him again. Paris watched us for another moment then ran off as the soldiers started rushing in. I cried over my lover's body and laid his head on my lap after he fell to his side, finally dead. Soldiers slowly surrounded us, seeing the fallen warrior and his woman lover holding him close. Odysseus stepped forward and took him from me.
By morning, they had a pyre set up and Achilles' body laying on it. Odysseus placed a golden coin on each of my lover's eyes then took the torch and set the pyre aflame. "Find peace, my brother," I heard Odysseus whisper and I let a few tears escape, remembering Achilles' words. I listened to Odysseus' thoughts and felt the tears fall harder.
'If they ever tell my story, let them say I walked with giants. Men rise and fall like the winter wheat, but these names will never die. Let them say I lived in the time of Hector, breaker of horses. Let them say I lived in the time of Achilles.'
A gold light flashed around the body in the fire and I knew it was time to go. I teleported to the main hall of Mount Olympus and cried out happily and threw myself into the figure's arms. We kissed passionately and then I rested my head on Achilles' chest. I was finally home and my savior, my soulmate, my everything, stood by my side. Where he would stay for the rest of eternity.
END.
FIN.
Desire, the fire is all in you
The passion and action
You take me through
I'm living it, I'm loving it
This is where the dreams come alive
A shooting star in the night
Para simpre
Viva los heroes
To all the heroes, the rush of emotions
Hitting us high and low, Ah ay ah let's go
To all the heroes, we celebrate our nations
Letting the whole world know, Ah ay ah let's go
To all the heroes
Emotions are rushing out of control
A notion touching my body and soul
Can't fight it, can't hide it
Everything I'm feeling inside
Reflects the gold in your eyes
To all the heroes... Nikes gia panta
Vivan los heroes, the rush of emotions
Hitting us high and low, Ah ay ah let's go
Vivan los heroes, we celebrate our nations
Letting the whole world know, Ah ay ah let's go
Vivan los heroes
Para simpre
Vivan los heroes
Vivan los heroes, the rush of emotions
Hitting us high and low, Ah ay ah let's go
Vivan los heroes, we celebrate our nations
Letting the whole world know, Ah ay ah let's go
Vivan los heroes
To all the heroes, the rush of emotions
Hitting us high and low, Ah ay ah let's go
To all the heroes, we celebrate our nations
Letting the whole world know, Ah ay ah let's go
To all the heroes.
{"Heroes" - Helena Paparizou}
*Yes, that's supposedly how you change someone into a God. Except not the burning part, I made that up. I found that bit of the ambrosia thing in this book called Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton on pg. 104.
A/N: YES! It's finished! Don't worry, there will be a SEQUEL! (Percy Jackson movie version) It will more than likely be up by tomorrow. WHO LIKES HOW I MADE ARIANNA STAY WITH ACHILLES IN THE END? XD Ugh, I just can't STAND when Breseis leaves him! I want to cuss her out every time I see that! (What sucks more is that there's a girl who looks almost exactly like her at my school *winces*) BYE AND PLEASE REVIEW! HAVE A NICE DAY XP
