Chapter 25
Briseis POV
I woke up early in the morning to hear a round of thunderous cheering. I peered out of my window and gasped at what I saw. Standing taller than three men was a wooden horse tied together with rope. Tall and black, it was an intimidating sight to see. I quickly dressed and made myself presentable before going out to find Paris or my Uncle. I weaved my way through the crowd, their cheers echoing through my ears as I passed. I finally reached the horse and rested my hand on its leg. There was something about it that I could not place.
"Briseis!" I turned quickly as I heard my Uncle call my name. His arms were spread and his face was one of joy. I embraced him and saw how happy he was.
"Look at the mighty Greeks now! Fleeing across the sea liked the whipped dogs that they are. The horse shall stand forevermore as a reminder of our victory over the King of Kings" My Uncle smiled so much that his face looked split into two pieces. I smiled back at him even though my chest had tightened around my heart so hard that I felt as if I would die from the pain. I quickly pushed through the crowd, not caring how unladylike it was, as I ran to the palace. I ran and I ran until I rounded a corner and ran into somebody. Finally stopping, I looked at who I had run into and stopped when I saw Helen.
"What is wrong, Briseis?" she asked me quietly. I looked down and said nothing to my cousin. I should have hated her right then, because she was the one who had brought Achilles to Troy and had allowed me to know him. But I couldn't hate her. Achilles had shown me a world that I had thought I would never see, and had shown me all that I could be. I stood near Helen silently, lost in my thoughts until she wrapped her arms around me. I stiffened in her embrace for a moment before letting myself go and began weeping in her arms.
"He left. He left me and now I'll never see him again" I managed to say in between sobs as Helen tried to comfort me. She kissed my forehead and drew me to look at her. She gently wiped away one of my tears and smiled at me sadly.
"I am so sorry, Briseis, I brought you this misery. If I hadn't left Sparta then Achilles wouldn't have left Greece. But now you must act as though he was nothing but a captor to you. Even as your breaks over and over again when you think of him." Her eyes looked away from me and I felt a moment of pity for her. Yes she was happy with Paris, but she hated watching all the men fight and die for her. And now she believed that she had hurt me. I embraced her again and we stood in the hall for some moments, one weeping while the other tried to comfort. Eventually we moved into Helen's rooms to sit as our feet grew tired, and still I stayed just a few hours more. After a long time I finally pulled away and wiped my tears from my still watery eyes. Helen squeezed my shoulders slightly and I looked back at her.
"We should probably get ready for the feast your Uncle is having. You need to appear as though he means nothing to you, even when your heart breaks as you say the words" I looked at her quickly before nodding and going on my way in preparation. I looked out one of the windows and saw that it had started to get dark; I must have stayed longer than I meant. I smiled feebly at people as I passed, occasionally waving off their concerns when they asked how I fared. I entered my chambers without any difficulty and leaned against the door as I collected myself. Helen was right; I couldn't arouse people's suspicions by mourning over Achilles. But my heart broke at the thought of pretending that he was nothing to me. I sighed and walked towards my cupboard. Since I had become a priestess, I had given away many of my robes in favor of the white ones a virgin was supposed to wear. I rifled through my gowns until I came across what I was looking for. It was the dress that Uncle Priam had given me shortly before I had become a priestess, one that I could not bear to give away. It was a light gown colored dark blue with gold stitched around the hem and with the slashes in the sleeves it showed some flesh, but not enough to raise an eyebrow. I carefully put it on and did my hair, adjusting to the feel of a comb again. I picked up a piece of bronze and looked at it, receiving only a partial reflection in response. I sighed and brushed my hand against the necklace Achilles had given me, it was going to be a long night indeed. I left my room quietly and went to find Helen, the only one I could trust to stop me giving myself away. She looked perfect as always, with not a hair nor thread out of place. I sat beside her once we had entered the hall and tried to engage my family in conversation. It was a vain attempt, as the sickness I had been feeling since Hector's death coursed through my stomach. I breathed out and put a hand over my stomach hoping it would calm the churning in my stomach. Helen noticed my discomfort and raised an eyebrow. I quickly put her mind at ease before leaving the hall for some fresh air. The streets were quiet and deserted with many Trojans inside to shield themselves from the cold. I made my way to the horse and put my hand to the wood. There was something about it that seemed very calming. In that moment I realized why I had been so sick lately. It wasn't because of grief and it wasn't anything to do with all the food I'd been eating. It was something else entirely.