"By the Gods, what miracle is this?" Priam exclaimed as I entered the dining hall and my cheeks burned "dear Ismena, you look as much a princess as any of my daughters this evening"
Truthfully, I had no idea what had gotten into me that afternoon so I could only smile and thank him for the compliment. After the announcement that the king would be holding a banquet that evening to celebrate the end of the war, I had gone to my rooms to prepare, deciding to don my formal best for what I suspected would be the last dinner I would ever have with the royal family.
After setting out a blue and silver gown, a set of star shaped silver hairpins, and the silver and lapis lazuli jewelry given to me by my late mother, I requested that the maids pour me a bath, to which I added several drops of a cinnamon and sandalwood oil mixture. Inhaling deeply, I soaked in the tub for a while before scrubbing myself clean then wet my hair and wove it into a tight braid to ensure the tresses would be wavy when I undid it later. Once dried and dressed, I applied a thin layer of kohl to my eyelids then swiped tinted oil onto my lips before the maid came to do my hair.
With my hair done, makeup on, and clad in a gown that was far more elaborate than my usual attire, I did indeed look different but the stares I received on the way to the dining hall made me wonder just how many people had ever seen me in full formal dress.
The king was clearly pleased, though, and my cousin, who looked stunning herself, beamed proudly at me as I took my seat beside Cassandra and across from Briseis. "Polyxena is looking after Astyanax tonight, as we all wanted you to be here for the dancing" she told me and I groaned.
"Oh gods help me, why wasn't I warned that there would be dancing involved? I cannot dance for the life of me" I protested and Briseis laughed but Cassandra merely gave a bland smile then leaned in closer "I was not terribly excited about it either but it is our last banquet so we'd might as well enjoy it" she whispered.
Of course, she knew and had seen through my attempt to appear cheerful for the sake of all involved. She, too, was dressed in the prettiest of her gowns and wearing an expression of forced gaiety. "I am sure all of the women at this table are wonderful dancers" Paris remarked before taking a drink of his wine and he met my amused gaze for a moment before turning to his father, who was watching our interaction rather closely.
"Unfortunately for you, the type of dance you like best isn't appropriate to perform in public so we'll never know" Briseis muttered under her breath, her eyes darting toward her cousin, and I couldn't help but laugh.
As it turned out, Paris was the first to ask me to dance once the musicians started playing and I accepted, to the surprise of everyone present. "The world must be about to end" I heard one of the nobles remark as the prince's left hand settled on the small of my back, the right hand taking my left in proper dance position.
Contrary to my earlier protest, I was able to dance decently enough - though nowhere near as gracefully as my cousin and Cassandra could – and matched Paris' movements as he guided me around the dancing area, carefully avoiding other couples. He, however, seemed less concerned about the dance than he was with watching me and I wondered about Polyxena's earlier words, that I was special to him.
"My father is right. You look almost queenly, Ismena" he said softly and, for a reason I could not name, I told him what Zeus had said to me in the garden "I was recently told by a wise old priest that I would make a fine queen someday so I thought tonight would be a good time to start acting like it. As for how long that will last, who knows?". Paris' expression became anguished and he swallowed hard "Hektor showed you the way out, did he not?" he asked, his voice a near whisper and I nodded.
"Good. Because he had me promise that I would ensure you, your cousin, and Astyanax were the first ones out if the walls were breached"
I stared at him, both unable to comprehend and unsure of whether I really wanted to know why Hektor would ask him to ensure I escaped. Before I could get the question out, despite my better judgment, the music changed and he led me back to my seat. With a parting look filled with affection, he thanked me for the dance and turned to offer his hand to Cassandra, who was clearly at a loss for words at his sudden change of heart regarding her. When she glanced at me, her eyes wide and questioning, I merely gave her a small smile and nodded encouragingly.
After dancing with the king and the military general, I spent most of the evening talking to Briseis and my cousin but avoided wine altogether as I did not wish for my reflexes to be dulled if my suspicions regarding the wooden horse proved to be correct.
When I returned to my room much later, I immediately changed into the traveling gown I had prepared and pulled the pins from my hair then tied it back from my face to keep it from getting in the way.
While saying my prayers, a vision came to me and I retrieved a small bottle of oil with a wood stopper from my bathroom then placed it beside the bag. Once everything was in order, or as much in order as ti could be, I lit a candle then extinguished the torch so that my room was mostly dark.
My muscles were tight with anxiety and my heart was pounding madly in my chest so, after tossing and turning for a long while, I gave up trying to sleep and got out of bed. Then, suddenly, I froze and listened carefully. There was a series of muffled thumps outside followed by the clank of metal and a familiar sound normally only heard at sunrise. The gates were opening. I practically flew to my door then threw it open "EVERYONE WAKE UP AND ARM YOURSELVES! THE ENEMY IS HERE AND OUR WALLS HAVE BEEN BREACHED!" I hollered at the top of my lungs, just as a scream sounded from outside the palace somewhere, and the strong smell of smoke assailed my nose.
The sack of Troy had begun.
Reeling around, I grabbed the bag with the supplies then fastened my bow and quiver to my back and grabbed the oil bottle. In a last, desperate attempt, I breathed farewell to the room that had become my sanctuary and held so many kind memories, then threw the lit candle onto my bed. The linens caught fire and I bolted into the hallway. Outside my room, the entire city sounded as though it had descended into chaos, I could hear women and children screaming, the crackle of fire, the clanking of metal on metal and the cries of wounded men.
The first enemy soldier came at me seemingly from nowhere. He was larger and stronger but I was faster and more agile and I easily dodged his sword, launching myself up and stabbing him in the face through the gap in his helmet with my hunting knife. Warm blood dripped onto my hands but I wiped them on my dress with a grimace of disgust before kicking him aside and moving on. "Go! Get downstairs!"I hollered, upon seeing my cousin and Helen then, further down the hall, I saw Paris pull his knife out of another Greek soldier and shove him away "Paris! Get them to the door!".
"Briseis is not in her room" my cousin called over her shoulder and my blood turned to ice then where in Hades is she at this hour?! I wondered.
"I will find her" I hollered back and, ignoring Paris' alarmed voice shouting my name, ran towards Cassandra's room. Perhaps Briseis had gone to retrieve her cousin upon hearing the commotion outside. I pounded on the door only to have it swing open under my fist and I swiftly ducked inside "Cassandra, we have to -" my voice died and I stopped instantly as my gaze landed on my dearest friend.
Cassandra lay motionless upon her bed, her pale face streaked with tears, dark eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. She was dressed in the plain white and blue dress of a temple priestess, the sleeves of which were stained bright crimson with the blood from the gashes on her slender wrists and arms. She was not breathing and her skin was cold when I touched the side of her neck, checking for a pulse I would not find. A soft choking noise left my throat but I barely registered any sound at all. I looked at the small lamp that still burned, at the little room that had become her prison, and tears stung my eyes. I had promised that I would not forget her and I hadn't. However, she had not promised me that she would stay and, deep inside, I understood why she had ended her life. That did not make losing her any less painful.
I pried two coins from the lining of my dress and placed them on her eyes, murmuring the funerary prayers, asking the boatman to ferry her across and the gods to forgive her and protect her on her journey to the underworld. I then took the lamp and cast it onto the bed where it ignited her linens and, once I could not longer see her body through the flames, I turned and ran. I had to find Briseis.
The entire city looked to be burning when I emerged from the palace and panic flooded my veins, making me practically sprint towards the city shrine of Apollo. That was the only place I could see her going, aside from the escape tunnel, but though there were many bodies in the shrine, none belonged to my friend I only hope she hasn't been carried off again. The next several moments were a blur and I found myself having to draw my bow and knives again and again to kill men who were after me while, at the same time, trying to spot people I knew and trying not to slip on the blood that stained the ground. "Damn you, Priam,"I cursed under my breath as I downed another enemy soldier with an arrow through the neck "I know you disliked Paris but you couldn't listen to him just that once?!"
I never did manage to find Briseis but who I did find was a complete surprise. Looking over both shoulders as I ran out into the square outside the temple, I forgot to look down and very nearly tripped on the fallen warrior, who opened his eyes and stared up at me with the same look I had seen on my dying mother six years before. To my dying day, I would never know how he recognized me because my linen dress torn in several places and covered in blood, my hair was an absolute disaster, and my skin was coated in a fine layer of sweat and soot from the ever burning fires. "You should not be here" he said and I almost rolled my eyes thank you so much for stating the obvious
"Neither should you" I pointed out just as bluntly as I regained my balance then a thought occurred to me "where is Briseis?"
A very slight smile pulled at his lips and his chest rattled tellingly as he breathed in. He did not have long to live "she is safe...you know who I am" was his hoarse reply.
"Yes, Achilles, I am the only one she told of you and I thank you for saving her from Agamemnon's men. That was noble of you"
"It is most noble thing I have ever done" he stated then grimaced "you must go now or they will capture you. Please, do not speak to her of my death, Ismena of Troy"
"I swear I will not. May you find peace until we meet again, Achilles. For I, too, have the blood of many men on my hands" I admitted honestly. Not as many as he did and I had killed mostly in self defense but it was still the truth. I could not tell if he nodded or if it was a death spasm but his eyes closed and, with one final sigh, he was still.
I then broke into a run and kept running but could hear men yelling in some dialect of Greek - right where I had to go to get to the passageway that led to the cellar.
Gods help me I thought, fear striking through my heart. I could not be found here, not with my countrymen lying dead around me while my beloved city burned, and not another living soul in sight. There were indeed fates worse than death, especially for a female captive. Anger and resolve swelled up within my mind and I scowled as I turned and ran up the steep steps to the watch posts and pathways atop the walls, coughing into my elbow as my lungs struggled to cope with the thick smoke. If they wanted me, they would have to chase me down. Below and behind me I could hear soldiers yelling to each other. But they weren't Trojan and I prayed that my cousin, her son, Paris, and Briseis were safely away because I would not be joining them. It looked like I would be joining Cassandra instead.
I fought and killed the soldier who hurled himself at me when I reached the top of the walls then ran to the highest point, where I found myself trapped between two oncoming groups of three enemy men. One that had been behind me and the other oncoming. Making a split second decision, I hoisted myself up onto the outer edge of the wall and looked out over the forest I had run through on so many occasions. Feeling somewhat dizzy from inhaling so much smoke, I looked towards the temple of Artemis that now lay empty and whispered a prayer for my temple sisters and Althea, who had surely been slain or had taken their own lives just as Cassandra had.
Finally, I looked up at the sky and said "your wife, son, and brother are safe, Hektor. I shall see you soon. Mother, I am coming".
I carefully turned around then pulled the bottle of oil from my bodice and hurled it at the torch carried by the closest group of men "go to Hades" I spat coldly as the bottle broke, splattering the men and ground with oil that instantaneously burst into flame.
"Please forgive me, divine Artemis" I prayed aloud, mournfully glancing up at the heavens once more, before throwing the bag with the blanket over the edge. I would not be needing it anymore.
With one last deep breath and tears streaming down my cheeks, I bent my knees and jumped backwards off the wall.