Chapter Two
One month later, Bria stood on the balcony of the palace, looking out over the city of Troy. Andromache stood beside her, practically bobbing up and down in anticipation. "Calm down, Andromache. They are nearly here," she said to her friend, laughter in her eyes. After a month's negotiations with the Spartans, Prince Hector and Prince Paris had managed to secure peace between the two city-states. Bria smiled as she watched their procession through the city, eagerly anticipating meeting the two much-loved princes. As she watched the King greet his sons, however, a small frown came over Bria's face. Who is that woman? she wondered. Priam greeted her with a kiss, and the elder of the two, Hector, stepped past his father and into his wife's arms. Bria watched, a few paces away, as Hector admired his beautiful son and embraced his wife. Paris stepped to the pair a moment later to greet his sister-in-law, and Andromache drew them toward Briseis. "Brothers," she said, smiling happily, "may I present Lady Briseis of Vinyamar, in the north. She arrived with the wizard Incanus and has decided to remain." Hector smiled. "You are most welcome in our fair city, my lady." He bowed, and she nodded her head with a smile. "I am sure it has been made ever fairer by the light of the fair ladies who grace it," Paris interjected, grasping Bria's hands and kissing them. Bria smiled tolerantly, and said, "Perhaps you could introduce us to your lady, Prince Paris." She gazed over at the blonde woman, who stood slightly apart from the rest of the company. "She seems to be a little lost." Paris gazed over at the lady and gave a dazed grin. Bria shared an amused look with Andromache. He looks like a lovesick puppy, she thought. The woman stepped to the group and smiled shyly, as if unsure of her welcome. Andromache smiled back in welcome. Paris placed his hand on her shoulder and stated proudly, "Princess Andromache and Lady Briseis, I would like to present Helen, Princess of Troy." Helen smiled again, hesitantly, and Andromache returned it. "Welcome, my new sister," she said warmly. Bria gazed into Helen's eyes. If Helen was truly the Queen of Sparta, then all hell had just broken loose. I may be new to Grecian affairs, but I do know that you do not steal a King's wife without risking your neck, and the necks of everyone you know, she thought. She looked out over Troy, thinking regretfully of the war that would doubtlessly arrive soon. Then her gaze returned to Helen, who met her eyes sadly. She knows, Bria thought. She watched how Paris and Helen looked at each other, Paris defiant and Helen sad but determined. Perhaps the risk is worth it.
A new day dawned over the sands of Tory. Bria stood on her balcony, gazing out over the beaches to the sea. She would go to the temple, then. If this Poseidon is some version of Lord Ulmo, perhaps...By the Valar, I have to try...She strode back inside and snatched her shawl from the chair where she'd tossed it. Stepping outside, she hadn't made it down the corridor before a voice hailed her. "Briseis! Wait!" Bria turned and saw Helen hurrying to catch up to her. She stopped, smiling. She had become close friends with the older girl over the past few weeks. She smiled. "Good morning, sister." Helen smiled softly in return. "Where are you going?" she asked. Bria sighed. "To the temple...Just to get out for a while." Tears formed in Helen's eyes. "I am so sorry. All of this is my fault...If I had not followed Paris, your beautiful home would not be in danger." She turned away. Briseis placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, turning her back to face her. "Answer me one thing." She looked into Helen's eyes. "Do you love him?" Helen met Bria's silver gaze without a thought. "I would die for him." Bria smiled. "Then you should have no regrets." She got an angry glint in her eye. "Agamemnon uses you as a means to an end. Even if you had not left with Paris, he would have found a reason to attack us." Helen nodded. "Would you like company at the temple?" Bria smiled. "Go to your husband, sister," she teased. "I'm sure you will have much more fun." Helen grinned, then sobered. "Thank you...sister. For understanding." Bria nodded. No more words needed to be spoken.
Bria stared up at the altar in Poseidon's temple. The priest upon it had sacrificed a goat to his god. Disgusted, Bria turned to the entrance of the temple, where she gasped at what she saw. A huge ship with dark sails had reached the Trojan shoreline. "Ulmo, hir nen ilye, tiro hinwaith. Saes..." she murmured. Ulmo, lord of all waters, protect these people. Please...She got no farther when the first black-armored soldier catapulted into the temple. Bria's eyes hardened. The priestesses tugged her farther into the temple. "My lady," one girl cried pitifully. "You must hide!" These brutes will not take away all I have come to hold dear, Briseis thought. I'll hide, but I will not cower. The girls pulled her into a small chamber in the back of the temple. This must have been the priest's quarters, for golden furnishings and trinkets abounded. A scimitar with an ornate golden handle caught Bria's eye. As running footsteps echoed through the temple growing louder by the second, Bria snatched the scimitar and stepped to the door. Ignoring the priestesses' cries, she pushed it open surprising the first soldier with a swift slash across the throat. As more soldiers poured into the corridor, Bria smiled mirthlessly. These bastards had taken on far more than they could chew. We'll see who will cower, she thought angrily.
One month later, Bria stood on the balcony of the palace, looking out over the city of Troy. Andromache stood beside her, practically bobbing up and down in anticipation. "Calm down, Andromache. They are nearly here," she said to her friend, laughter in her eyes. After a month's negotiations with the Spartans, Prince Hector and Prince Paris had managed to secure peace between the two city-states. Bria smiled as she watched their procession through the city, eagerly anticipating meeting the two much-loved princes. As she watched the King greet his sons, however, a small frown came over Bria's face. Who is that woman? she wondered. Priam greeted her with a kiss, and the elder of the two, Hector, stepped past his father and into his wife's arms. Bria watched, a few paces away, as Hector admired his beautiful son and embraced his wife. Paris stepped to the pair a moment later to greet his sister-in-law, and Andromache drew them toward Briseis. "Brothers," she said, smiling happily, "may I present Lady Briseis of Vinyamar, in the north. She arrived with the wizard Incanus and has decided to remain." Hector smiled. "You are most welcome in our fair city, my lady." He bowed, and she nodded her head with a smile. "I am sure it has been made ever fairer by the light of the fair ladies who grace it," Paris interjected, grasping Bria's hands and kissing them. Bria smiled tolerantly, and said, "Perhaps you could introduce us to your lady, Prince Paris." She gazed over at the blonde woman, who stood slightly apart from the rest of the company. "She seems to be a little lost." Paris gazed over at the lady and gave a dazed grin. Bria shared an amused look with Andromache. He looks like a lovesick puppy, she thought. The woman stepped to the group and smiled shyly, as if unsure of her welcome. Andromache smiled back in welcome. Paris placed his hand on her shoulder and stated proudly, "Princess Andromache and Lady Briseis, I would like to present Helen, Princess of Troy." Helen smiled again, hesitantly, and Andromache returned it. "Welcome, my new sister," she said warmly. Bria gazed into Helen's eyes. If Helen was truly the Queen of Sparta, then all hell had just broken loose. I may be new to Grecian affairs, but I do know that you do not steal a King's wife without risking your neck, and the necks of everyone you know, she thought. She looked out over Troy, thinking regretfully of the war that would doubtlessly arrive soon. Then her gaze returned to Helen, who met her eyes sadly. She knows, Bria thought. She watched how Paris and Helen looked at each other, Paris defiant and Helen sad but determined. Perhaps the risk is worth it.
A new day dawned over the sands of Tory. Bria stood on her balcony, gazing out over the beaches to the sea. She would go to the temple, then. If this Poseidon is some version of Lord Ulmo, perhaps...By the Valar, I have to try...She strode back inside and snatched her shawl from the chair where she'd tossed it. Stepping outside, she hadn't made it down the corridor before a voice hailed her. "Briseis! Wait!" Bria turned and saw Helen hurrying to catch up to her. She stopped, smiling. She had become close friends with the older girl over the past few weeks. She smiled. "Good morning, sister." Helen smiled softly in return. "Where are you going?" she asked. Bria sighed. "To the temple...Just to get out for a while." Tears formed in Helen's eyes. "I am so sorry. All of this is my fault...If I had not followed Paris, your beautiful home would not be in danger." She turned away. Briseis placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, turning her back to face her. "Answer me one thing." She looked into Helen's eyes. "Do you love him?" Helen met Bria's silver gaze without a thought. "I would die for him." Bria smiled. "Then you should have no regrets." She got an angry glint in her eye. "Agamemnon uses you as a means to an end. Even if you had not left with Paris, he would have found a reason to attack us." Helen nodded. "Would you like company at the temple?" Bria smiled. "Go to your husband, sister," she teased. "I'm sure you will have much more fun." Helen grinned, then sobered. "Thank you...sister. For understanding." Bria nodded. No more words needed to be spoken.
Bria stared up at the altar in Poseidon's temple. The priest upon it had sacrificed a goat to his god. Disgusted, Bria turned to the entrance of the temple, where she gasped at what she saw. A huge ship with dark sails had reached the Trojan shoreline. "Ulmo, hir nen ilye, tiro hinwaith. Saes..." she murmured. Ulmo, lord of all waters, protect these people. Please...She got no farther when the first black-armored soldier catapulted into the temple. Bria's eyes hardened. The priestesses tugged her farther into the temple. "My lady," one girl cried pitifully. "You must hide!" These brutes will not take away all I have come to hold dear, Briseis thought. I'll hide, but I will not cower. The girls pulled her into a small chamber in the back of the temple. This must have been the priest's quarters, for golden furnishings and trinkets abounded. A scimitar with an ornate golden handle caught Bria's eye. As running footsteps echoed through the temple growing louder by the second, Bria snatched the scimitar and stepped to the door. Ignoring the priestesses' cries, she pushed it open surprising the first soldier with a swift slash across the throat. As more soldiers poured into the corridor, Bria smiled mirthlessly. These bastards had taken on far more than they could chew. We'll see who will cower, she thought angrily.