Author's Note: This fanfic was actually based on a true plotline. Yes,
Thetis did learn of an oracle where Achilles was going to die after he
killed Hector in the Trojan War. Yes, Thetis did disguise him as a daughter
of king Lycomedes. Yes, Achilles was disguised under the name Pyrrha. Yes,
Achilles did have a crush on a girl named Deidamia. Yes, Deidamia did have
a son with him, named Pyrrhus (He had 2 names, his more popular one was
Neoptolemus). Yes, Neoptolemus really was an evil (censored) The only
fictional stuff I made up was the details about what really happened.
Achilles fidgeted as his mother was pinning a brooch to his right shoulder in the palace of Lycomedes.
"Mother! This is ridiculous!"
Thetis frowned at her 9-year-old son. "Achilles, my only son, remember what I told you. It is prophesied that if you join the Trojan War, you would die as soon as you kill a certain rival by the name of Hector."
When Thetis finished placing the brooch on his shoulder, Achilles turned around and glared at his mother. "What makes you think that I would want to join the Trojan War in the first place? Even if I did, I just won't kill somebody by the name of Hector. You don't have to resolve to-," Achilles couldn't even finish the sentence to describe his condition. "To this." Achilles waved his hand to direct Thetis' attention to her son's dress.
Thetis smiled and grabbed her son's hand. "I want you to stay completely safe." She half led him, half dragged him into a room, where Lycomedes greeted both her and Achilles.
Lycomedes greeted Thetis with open arms and a great grin on his face "Thetis, my dear friend, what can I do you for?"
"Seventeen gold coins and a trunk filled with gowns." Achilles whispered to himself as he stood next to his mother, frowning. Unfortunately Thetis heard him and pinched his arm. "Ouch!"
Thetis then turned to Lycomedes. "I would like for my son, Achilles, to be disguised as one of your daughters so he would be protected from the Trojan War."
Lycomedes grinned. "Yes, of course. I shall even keep it a secret from my daughters. Now come along with me, Achilles." Lycomedes said.
Achilles stood there, shocked. "But how long will it be before I can be myself again?"
"Until the Trojan War has ended." King Lycomedes said.
"But that could take years!" Achilles shouted. "It hasn't even started, and I don't even see a chance of it starting!"
"Good, the longer it is until the war, the longer you live." Thetis snapped. She turned to King Lycomedes. "Perhaps we should give him a more feminine name? How about-" she paused. "How about Pyrrha?"
"Ah, yes. Come along, Pyrrha." Lycomedes said. Given no choice, Achilles had to follow the king to meet his daughters. Seven girls were in the room, standing from oldest to youngest.
Lycomedes put his hands on Achilles' shoulder. "Girls, this is your illegitimate sister, Achi-I mean, Pyrrha. I would like one of you to show her around the palace and treat her fairly. Would any of you like this task of helping?"
The older 2 looked at each other and stared back at Achilles, but the younger four eagerly wanted to be assigned this task. Lycomedes looked at the younger four, and made his choice. "Deidamia, why don't you go with Achilles, since you are the oldest of these four."
The girl, who looked just slightly older than Achilles, eagerly clapped her hands together in glee. "Yes father!" she said, and the other girls quickly ran off, playing.
Princess Deidamia motioned Achilles along. She walked off, with Achilles clumsily stumbling behind her, tripping over the dress that he was not at all use to wearing. This isn't too bad, Achilles thought. He couldn't help but notice how Princess Deidamia was incredibly pretty, and he felt his stomach churn nervously when he watched her. I've become a lesbian. Achilles thought, following the girl.
Deidamia quickly grabbed Achilles by the hand and brought him to the garden, where the other six girls were playing a game of throwing and catching a large ball. "Play with us," Deidamia said, while the other girls ran around, giggling. The girls threw the ball to each other. As they played, Achilles learned a little bit about each girl, though he was especially interested in Deidamia.
The girls chattered and giggled as they threw the ball, throwing and catching, full of mirth. After playing for a while, a servant walked up to the girls and scolded them for getting their clothes dirty, and had them wash off.
The girls, including Achilles, got clean gowns from the servants, and they followed the oldest to bathe. Achilles expected small wooden tubs in separate rooms. Unfortunately, it was a small pond outside, filled by a nearby spring that was guarded by the walls of the palace. The seven true daughters of Lycomedes immediately stripped down and dove into the cold water and began spreading olive oil on their arms and legs, scrapping the oil off to clean themselves.
Achilles stood by the side, wondering what to do as the second youngest girl, Ganeia, turned and saw him standing by himself. "Pyrrha, come on in, the water is fine."
Achilles took off 2 sandals, and only dipped his legs into the water. "I'll just clean off here." He said, blushing a deep red and turned his head to avoid seeing the princesses bathing. He quickly took a jar of olive oil, rubbed it on his legs, and scraped it off using one of the scrapers handed to him. He then washed the visible parts of his arms, hoping the girls wouldn't notice that he was still fully clothed and only his feet were in the water.
Unfortunately, hope isn't the same thing as reality, and Achilles learned this as the seven pairs of arms pulled him into the water.
And so began the 6 years that Achilles spent with the daughters of Lycomedes.
Achilles fidgeted as his mother was pinning a brooch to his right shoulder in the palace of Lycomedes.
"Mother! This is ridiculous!"
Thetis frowned at her 9-year-old son. "Achilles, my only son, remember what I told you. It is prophesied that if you join the Trojan War, you would die as soon as you kill a certain rival by the name of Hector."
When Thetis finished placing the brooch on his shoulder, Achilles turned around and glared at his mother. "What makes you think that I would want to join the Trojan War in the first place? Even if I did, I just won't kill somebody by the name of Hector. You don't have to resolve to-," Achilles couldn't even finish the sentence to describe his condition. "To this." Achilles waved his hand to direct Thetis' attention to her son's dress.
Thetis smiled and grabbed her son's hand. "I want you to stay completely safe." She half led him, half dragged him into a room, where Lycomedes greeted both her and Achilles.
Lycomedes greeted Thetis with open arms and a great grin on his face "Thetis, my dear friend, what can I do you for?"
"Seventeen gold coins and a trunk filled with gowns." Achilles whispered to himself as he stood next to his mother, frowning. Unfortunately Thetis heard him and pinched his arm. "Ouch!"
Thetis then turned to Lycomedes. "I would like for my son, Achilles, to be disguised as one of your daughters so he would be protected from the Trojan War."
Lycomedes grinned. "Yes, of course. I shall even keep it a secret from my daughters. Now come along with me, Achilles." Lycomedes said.
Achilles stood there, shocked. "But how long will it be before I can be myself again?"
"Until the Trojan War has ended." King Lycomedes said.
"But that could take years!" Achilles shouted. "It hasn't even started, and I don't even see a chance of it starting!"
"Good, the longer it is until the war, the longer you live." Thetis snapped. She turned to King Lycomedes. "Perhaps we should give him a more feminine name? How about-" she paused. "How about Pyrrha?"
"Ah, yes. Come along, Pyrrha." Lycomedes said. Given no choice, Achilles had to follow the king to meet his daughters. Seven girls were in the room, standing from oldest to youngest.
Lycomedes put his hands on Achilles' shoulder. "Girls, this is your illegitimate sister, Achi-I mean, Pyrrha. I would like one of you to show her around the palace and treat her fairly. Would any of you like this task of helping?"
The older 2 looked at each other and stared back at Achilles, but the younger four eagerly wanted to be assigned this task. Lycomedes looked at the younger four, and made his choice. "Deidamia, why don't you go with Achilles, since you are the oldest of these four."
The girl, who looked just slightly older than Achilles, eagerly clapped her hands together in glee. "Yes father!" she said, and the other girls quickly ran off, playing.
Princess Deidamia motioned Achilles along. She walked off, with Achilles clumsily stumbling behind her, tripping over the dress that he was not at all use to wearing. This isn't too bad, Achilles thought. He couldn't help but notice how Princess Deidamia was incredibly pretty, and he felt his stomach churn nervously when he watched her. I've become a lesbian. Achilles thought, following the girl.
Deidamia quickly grabbed Achilles by the hand and brought him to the garden, where the other six girls were playing a game of throwing and catching a large ball. "Play with us," Deidamia said, while the other girls ran around, giggling. The girls threw the ball to each other. As they played, Achilles learned a little bit about each girl, though he was especially interested in Deidamia.
The girls chattered and giggled as they threw the ball, throwing and catching, full of mirth. After playing for a while, a servant walked up to the girls and scolded them for getting their clothes dirty, and had them wash off.
The girls, including Achilles, got clean gowns from the servants, and they followed the oldest to bathe. Achilles expected small wooden tubs in separate rooms. Unfortunately, it was a small pond outside, filled by a nearby spring that was guarded by the walls of the palace. The seven true daughters of Lycomedes immediately stripped down and dove into the cold water and began spreading olive oil on their arms and legs, scrapping the oil off to clean themselves.
Achilles stood by the side, wondering what to do as the second youngest girl, Ganeia, turned and saw him standing by himself. "Pyrrha, come on in, the water is fine."
Achilles took off 2 sandals, and only dipped his legs into the water. "I'll just clean off here." He said, blushing a deep red and turned his head to avoid seeing the princesses bathing. He quickly took a jar of olive oil, rubbed it on his legs, and scraped it off using one of the scrapers handed to him. He then washed the visible parts of his arms, hoping the girls wouldn't notice that he was still fully clothed and only his feet were in the water.
Unfortunately, hope isn't the same thing as reality, and Achilles learned this as the seven pairs of arms pulled him into the water.
And so began the 6 years that Achilles spent with the daughters of Lycomedes.