Chapter 7: Mycenae I

Posted: August 5, 2021

A/N: I have no excuse for not posting. Thank you for patience, and I have full intention of finishing this story. FYI chapter not beta'd.

Agamemnon, King of Mycenae and King of Kings.

Menelaus, King of Sparta, brother to the King of Kings.

Nestor, King of Pylos, most trusted advisor to Agamemnon.

Zarina repeated these names over and over again as Kojo had advised her. She of course knew who they were, she was Grecian after all. Luckily, living in Phthia offered a cloud of protection from the recent warring politicism. Agamemnon seemed to be power-hungry as he forced all the Grecian Kingdoms under his dictatorship.

Kojo had corrected her on multiple occasions, 'not a dictatorship, it is his Zeus-given right to take over lesser kingdoms and unite them as he saw fit.'

Zarina disagreed, heavily. If Agamemnon ever tried to do the same to Phthia, she would have led the revolt herself, perhaps she would even let Achilles join, if they ever decided to speak to each other again. Phthians loved their freedom. But fortunately enough, they were too small of an island and not influential enough for Agamemnon to even think about dominating.

Achilles..

Back when Zarina was boarding the ship, a small part of her heart hoped that he would figure out she was leaving Phthia. Alas, Zarina knew that was impossible. She made sure of it.

After Korinna had told her she should leave, as hurtful as it was to hear, she knew it was true. Zarina made her plans to leave Phthia in the easiest way she knew how. In secret. She told no one. Not her servants, not Patroclus, not Korinna and least of all Achilles. She had all but driven them away due to her inner turmoil. The pain, the hurt, the death of her father, the betrayal of Achilles, her rejection of Achilles, being dishonest with herself and not knowing how to acknowledge or deal with her feelings.

Ever since her father died, it seemed as if she lost all her purpose in life, she didn't know who she was. Zarina was born Grecian, but no one regarded her as such. The only thing she knew how to do was fight. She wanted to fight, the very thing she was good at, but there was nowhere to insert herself. Even though she was an honorary Myrmidon (third in command as Achilles entitled her) she still could not venture into battles with them. Imagine the Myrmidons with a woman in their upper ranks? 'Cut-throat Phthian army' or 'Laughing stock of Greece'? Zarina gleaned towards the latter, and would rather die than to be the cause.

If Zarina was honest with herself, she did not even wish to fight in the depths of a war. What she truly craved was one on one combat. That is where true skill was demanded. War and battle was just a mess of blood and bones. Soldiers hoping and praying that the Gods favoured them enough not to lose a limb, or worse, their lives.

Thank Zeus for Kojo, he had taken the time to help her realize what she wanted out of life. She needed a purpose or a goal. Not to just live and die in Phthia, hoping one day to join her Myrmidons and wage war. No, she must forge her own path and find her own way to fulfill her own desires. But Kojo said:

'You don't have to do this by yourself, I will help you, from one Asante to another' he had smiled his eye-catching Cheshire grin, 'Even if you are only half Asante'.

Kojo grinned like a Cheshire cat, just like her father used to. Although, the joy from the smile when he spoke about the Asante Kingdom never seemed to quite reach his eyes. At times, when Zarina's faced elsewhere, she could feel Kojo's lingering gaze. The fine hairs on her neck would rise, and all the cheerful feelings from his catlike grin were forgotten.

Maybe that's just how Asante men are.

But she did not have much experience with men other than Achilles, Patroclus and the Myrmidons. And none of the Myrmidons dare look at her with anything other than platonicism. Zarina suspected that Achilles was a culprit in the matter.

Achilles with all his jealous rage was not around to scare off the lingering stares of other men. Navigating the affairs of unrequited love and loin would now be Zarina's job solely.

She would much rather fight off a lion.

The golden warrior in her mind was in essence a vehement lion. Always poetically direct and efficient with his fighting stance.

Zarina had already fought with that vehement lion on multiple occasions.

She bore the emotional scars to prove it.

A/N:

I would really appreciate it if you could take the time to review. Its been a very long time since I've posted and would love to hear from some old and new readers.

Stay safe!