A/N: Excuse my mythology skills, but a lot of things related to time
contradict each other. Can somebody please tell me how Eris threw the
golden apple at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, but the war didn't start
until Achilles, their son, was a young man? Shouldn't it have started
within a year? I found it rather confusing. Same as the thing about
Neoptolemus being old enough to fight; shouldn't he have been about nine
years old when it ended? Anyway, I'll try to make this fanfic work out.
Chapter 3
A long time had past since Achilles first came to the palace. Four years, in fact. Now Achilles was a teenage boy, still disguised as a girl. Achilles had finally gotten used to being a girl in the palace. He learned to work at the loom, work on embroidery, and many other feminine things that many men from Ancient times would have considered atrocious.
Since the past four years, there were many changes. The oldest two daughters of Lycomedes had gotten married off to noble minor princes who lived in Peloponnesia. The daughters of Lycomedes got along better with him, though they did not bond in a sisterly way and it was clear that they never would. It was only Hippomedia, the youngest sister that had gotten along with him; though she annoyed him so much he would rather have had none of them get attached to him.
As his mother had recently told him, Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world was married to a man named Menelaus. Helen had more than 50 suitors, that is, if you counted only the ones of royal blood. The suitors had included kings and princes from many parts of Europe. They included powerful kings such as Agamemnon, Odysseus, Ajax, and Diomedes. Thetis warned that this had something to do with the Trojan War and Achilles had to endure another one of her lectures about not joining it.
"Princess Pyrrha," A voice said beside him. Achilles turned around and saw and elderly servant woman standing next to him. "Your bath is ready."
"Thank you Lathra," Achilles said, and he walked into his private room. There was a small gray room with a small wooden tub of hot water, which the servants had boiled. He got out a small jar of olive oil and a pair of scrapers from the drawers and sat down in the warm water. It was then that Hippomedia, the youngest (and most annoying) of Deidamia's sisters had run into the room.
"Pyrrha!" The girl called, running up to her. Achilles quickly snapped his head up from the side of the tub he was relaxing on. He quickly bent his legs to hide his body and glared at the girl.
"What are you doing in here!" Achilles yelled at her. "This is my private domain, if you remember what our father had said."
Hippomedia didn't apologize but stood gasping for air. "But it's Ganeia. She was climbing a tree and she- she slipped."
Achilles was ready to bolt up, but realized he was sitting naked in a tub of water. "What happened?"
"I don't know, but she cried something awful and kept clutching her elbow. It was bleeding." Hippomedia said, trying to recall the events that took place.
"Run to tell her that I'll be right there." Achilles said, quickly scraping the oil off his arm. As Hippomedia ran off, Achilles jumped out of the tub, grabbed the tunic, and ran out of the room barefoot, pinning his brooches onto the tunic as he ran.
When Achilles ran out of the room, he saw Ganeia sitting cross-legged on the floor, crying softly. She was clutching onto her elbow, which was bleeding. Deidamia and Hippomedia were crouched next to her. Achilles ran up and squatted next to Ganeia. "Show me your arm." He demanded.
Sobbing, Ganeia showed her arm. It was a deep cut along her elbow. Achilles quickly picked the young girl up and carried her into the palace in a quick run. Being a demigod, this was very easy for him, though Hippomedia and Deidamia watched him in awe.
He carried Ganeia to the kitchen, where Halia, the cook, was standing. Achilles ordered the cook to get a pot of hot water, and the cook obeyed. Achilles then grabbed part of his tunic and tore off a strip, dipped it into the water. He blew on it gently to cool it; and then wrapped it around Ganeia's arm. Ganeia let out a small yelp as he did this, while Deidamia held her tightly.
"Ganeia, move your arm around. Besides the cut, does it hurt in any way?" Achilles asked with concern. Ganeia moved her arm and shook her head. Achilles relaxed. "It's all right, she did not break anything."
Deidamia studied him. "How did you learn how to do this?" She demanded.
"Oh, I studied with Chiron the centaur for a year, but he dismissed me after the year was over because he thought did not obey him and my temper was too quick." Achilles answered without thinking.
"You studied with Chiron? But I thought only boys studied with him!"
Achilles quickly realized his mistake. "I-I was the first girl to study with him."
"Why?"
Achilles couldn't say that the reason he was allowed to go was because his mother was Thetis. "He thought I had potential." He lied.
Deidamia gave a very un-ladylike snort. "You, potential." She said with a giggle. She gave Ganeia a gentle nudge, and the two younger sisters of Deidamia ran off, leaving Deidamia alone with Achilles.
"Everyone has potential." Achilles said, continuing the conversation. "You just have to put your mind to something and do it. Everyone has to be good at something, no matter how ridiculous his or her talent is. One can be good at fighting with a sword, while another can be good at guessing how many strands of hair some one has on their head and get it right."
Deidamia smiled at him. "I doubt if I have a potential."
"Oh really? I have a different answer than that. You have the potential of making people feel bad about themselves."
Deidamia gave Achilles a playful shove. "Pyrrha, I doubt that I have ever made anybody feel bad about him or herself."
"Yes, you have made me feel awfully about myself these past four years." Achilles pointed out, surprising himself by saying his feelings out loud.
Deidamia paused and then glanced at Achilles, surprised. "Oh, Pyrrha, I am so very sorry." She held up her right hand. "I swear by the River Styx that I shall never do anything awful to you ever again, my dear sister." Deidamia quickly turned and gave Achilles a hug. When Achilles felt her breasts against his chest, he quickly took a step back, and felt an unfamiliar burning in his loins.
"It's all right," he said, blushing. Deidamia then studied him and giggled. "Pyrrha, you are only wearing a simple white tunic."
Achilles looked down at himself. When Hippomedia ran to him, he had quickly put on the undergarment and dashed out, following her. It was supposed to be all right for a young child, but Lycomedes had Achilles pretend to be a developed girl by thirteen, and a simple undergarment was not appropriate. He turned beet red and quickly ran back to his bathing room while Deidamia laughed in mirth behind him.
When Achilles got back into his private bathroom, he thought of putting on the rest of his clothing but decided against it. He removed his tunic, and climbed back into the water, which had cooled drastically. He leaned back into the water, closed his eyes, and fantasized about Deidamia.
*End of Chapter 3*
Chapter 3
A long time had past since Achilles first came to the palace. Four years, in fact. Now Achilles was a teenage boy, still disguised as a girl. Achilles had finally gotten used to being a girl in the palace. He learned to work at the loom, work on embroidery, and many other feminine things that many men from Ancient times would have considered atrocious.
Since the past four years, there were many changes. The oldest two daughters of Lycomedes had gotten married off to noble minor princes who lived in Peloponnesia. The daughters of Lycomedes got along better with him, though they did not bond in a sisterly way and it was clear that they never would. It was only Hippomedia, the youngest sister that had gotten along with him; though she annoyed him so much he would rather have had none of them get attached to him.
As his mother had recently told him, Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world was married to a man named Menelaus. Helen had more than 50 suitors, that is, if you counted only the ones of royal blood. The suitors had included kings and princes from many parts of Europe. They included powerful kings such as Agamemnon, Odysseus, Ajax, and Diomedes. Thetis warned that this had something to do with the Trojan War and Achilles had to endure another one of her lectures about not joining it.
"Princess Pyrrha," A voice said beside him. Achilles turned around and saw and elderly servant woman standing next to him. "Your bath is ready."
"Thank you Lathra," Achilles said, and he walked into his private room. There was a small gray room with a small wooden tub of hot water, which the servants had boiled. He got out a small jar of olive oil and a pair of scrapers from the drawers and sat down in the warm water. It was then that Hippomedia, the youngest (and most annoying) of Deidamia's sisters had run into the room.
"Pyrrha!" The girl called, running up to her. Achilles quickly snapped his head up from the side of the tub he was relaxing on. He quickly bent his legs to hide his body and glared at the girl.
"What are you doing in here!" Achilles yelled at her. "This is my private domain, if you remember what our father had said."
Hippomedia didn't apologize but stood gasping for air. "But it's Ganeia. She was climbing a tree and she- she slipped."
Achilles was ready to bolt up, but realized he was sitting naked in a tub of water. "What happened?"
"I don't know, but she cried something awful and kept clutching her elbow. It was bleeding." Hippomedia said, trying to recall the events that took place.
"Run to tell her that I'll be right there." Achilles said, quickly scraping the oil off his arm. As Hippomedia ran off, Achilles jumped out of the tub, grabbed the tunic, and ran out of the room barefoot, pinning his brooches onto the tunic as he ran.
When Achilles ran out of the room, he saw Ganeia sitting cross-legged on the floor, crying softly. She was clutching onto her elbow, which was bleeding. Deidamia and Hippomedia were crouched next to her. Achilles ran up and squatted next to Ganeia. "Show me your arm." He demanded.
Sobbing, Ganeia showed her arm. It was a deep cut along her elbow. Achilles quickly picked the young girl up and carried her into the palace in a quick run. Being a demigod, this was very easy for him, though Hippomedia and Deidamia watched him in awe.
He carried Ganeia to the kitchen, where Halia, the cook, was standing. Achilles ordered the cook to get a pot of hot water, and the cook obeyed. Achilles then grabbed part of his tunic and tore off a strip, dipped it into the water. He blew on it gently to cool it; and then wrapped it around Ganeia's arm. Ganeia let out a small yelp as he did this, while Deidamia held her tightly.
"Ganeia, move your arm around. Besides the cut, does it hurt in any way?" Achilles asked with concern. Ganeia moved her arm and shook her head. Achilles relaxed. "It's all right, she did not break anything."
Deidamia studied him. "How did you learn how to do this?" She demanded.
"Oh, I studied with Chiron the centaur for a year, but he dismissed me after the year was over because he thought did not obey him and my temper was too quick." Achilles answered without thinking.
"You studied with Chiron? But I thought only boys studied with him!"
Achilles quickly realized his mistake. "I-I was the first girl to study with him."
"Why?"
Achilles couldn't say that the reason he was allowed to go was because his mother was Thetis. "He thought I had potential." He lied.
Deidamia gave a very un-ladylike snort. "You, potential." She said with a giggle. She gave Ganeia a gentle nudge, and the two younger sisters of Deidamia ran off, leaving Deidamia alone with Achilles.
"Everyone has potential." Achilles said, continuing the conversation. "You just have to put your mind to something and do it. Everyone has to be good at something, no matter how ridiculous his or her talent is. One can be good at fighting with a sword, while another can be good at guessing how many strands of hair some one has on their head and get it right."
Deidamia smiled at him. "I doubt if I have a potential."
"Oh really? I have a different answer than that. You have the potential of making people feel bad about themselves."
Deidamia gave Achilles a playful shove. "Pyrrha, I doubt that I have ever made anybody feel bad about him or herself."
"Yes, you have made me feel awfully about myself these past four years." Achilles pointed out, surprising himself by saying his feelings out loud.
Deidamia paused and then glanced at Achilles, surprised. "Oh, Pyrrha, I am so very sorry." She held up her right hand. "I swear by the River Styx that I shall never do anything awful to you ever again, my dear sister." Deidamia quickly turned and gave Achilles a hug. When Achilles felt her breasts against his chest, he quickly took a step back, and felt an unfamiliar burning in his loins.
"It's all right," he said, blushing. Deidamia then studied him and giggled. "Pyrrha, you are only wearing a simple white tunic."
Achilles looked down at himself. When Hippomedia ran to him, he had quickly put on the undergarment and dashed out, following her. It was supposed to be all right for a young child, but Lycomedes had Achilles pretend to be a developed girl by thirteen, and a simple undergarment was not appropriate. He turned beet red and quickly ran back to his bathing room while Deidamia laughed in mirth behind him.
When Achilles got back into his private bathroom, he thought of putting on the rest of his clothing but decided against it. He removed his tunic, and climbed back into the water, which had cooled drastically. He leaned back into the water, closed his eyes, and fantasized about Deidamia.
*End of Chapter 3*