A/N: i have changed ch. 4 slightly...i didn't do anything too drastic...just altered the dream and changed the time frame slightly, so you may want to go back and reread it.
yes, diomedes is based on the character in the iliad that hurts both aphrodite and ares. i haven't mentioned that aspect of him because i'm trying to stick with the gods-are-present-in-name-only attitude of the movie. he is a king in this, but a minor one, which is why he was chosen to be briseis's body-guard. i also read somewhere that he did try to defeat troilus in battle because he was loved briseis. i would assume that she felt the same, but i don't know for sure. and that is where i got the premise for the romance.
btw, the romance happens fast for a reason...one that you'll learn in this chapter. so read on!
::disclaimer:: if i sang you a song, it would be about how i wish i had my own personal bodyguard named diomedes. unfortunately, i cannot sing that well (unless there's a good song on the radio), and so i shall not. btw, i don't own any of this. not even diomedes. ::sigh::
Chapter V
We left for Argos and Pthia soon after my first night in the tent of Diomedes. "Just wait, my love," he said. "Soon we will stand on the shores of a city blessed by Hera, Queen of the Gods."
I said nothing, but though of my own city, once blessed by bright Apollo, now lying in ruins. That, and vomited. It was strange: I had never gotten seasick before; at least, not like this. Of course, I also did not sail quite so much. At last, I was so miserable that Diomedes decided to stop in a port city so I might recover some of my strength. It was when the sickness did not subside that I noticed something else: my monthly cycles had ceased. I was pregnant.
I was both over-joyed and horrified. Over-joyed because I was to have a child fathered by a man I loved. Horrified because I did not know whether that man was Diomedes or Achilles. Secretly, I hoped it was Achilles, for I would have many years to be with Diomedes and to bear him children.
In either case, I had to tell Diomedes. I was frightened about doing that for some reason. He would not care, I told myself. He had known what happened between myself and Achilles before I'd even met him--indeed, probably the entire Greek army knew. He would not leave me here to fend for myself. And yet, I was frightened out of my wits. What if it had all been a front? What if he didn't really love me? What if he secretly hated Achilles? He might kill me! I petrified myself with the possibilities, each idea more horrible and less likely than those before. At last, I decided that no matter what, he would find out, and it would be better for him to do what he would with me before we left the island.
I made my way to the docks, where Diomedes stood, supervising the restocking of the ships. He greeted me cordially, saying, "Are you feeling well enough to travel again, my love?"
"Yes," I answered, though in my mind I screamed no. "Diomedes, I have something of utmost importance to tell you. Alone."
He must have heard the pleading and fear in my voice, for he paused a moment before replying. "Give me but a moment, sweet, and I will be with you." I nodded and seated myself on a barrel. Diomedes spoke with his head captain, Evander, and then made his way to me. "Now what is it, love?"
A tear fell down my face. 'Hera give me strength,' I thought. "Diomedes," I whispered, "I'm with child."
"Truly?" he exclaimed. I nodded, miserable. He ran a hand through his hair--an act Hector also had done when he was bewildered. He turned to me. "But what is wrong?"
I looked down at my hands. "I--I do not know who the father is," I said quietly. "I am not sure if it is you or Achilles."
Diomedes laughed and stood up, taking my hands. "Does it matter?" he asked, pulling me up.
I smiled weakly. "But what will we say his heritage is? He cannot have two fathers. And what if the child ::is:: Achilles's? He could not inherit Argos from a man who is not his father. And if the child is yours? He could not rightfully rule--" I would have continued, but Diomedes silenced me with a kiss.
"Hush, my darling," he said. "First, we will say the child belongs to the prettiest and wisest princess of Troy."
"But those titles belong to Helen and Andromache," I protested.
He shook his head. "Helen was not a true princess of Troy," he said, "and Andromache was no princess, but a goddess among women." He continued, "I would rather the son of Achilles inherit my lands than the son of my first wife. But to settle the issue so you are at peace with yourself, we will go to Pthia and see Thetis, Achilles's mother. She will know if the child you carry belongs to her son or not."
"She will know whose son he is?" I asked, slightly incredulous. I knew she was a nymph, but I did not know that they had such powers.
Diomedes laughed again. "Thetis will know, but why do you refer to the child as 'he'? You might be carrying a little girl with stars for eyes and a smile brighter than Apollo's."
"But don't you want a son?"
"Briseis, are you safe?" I nodded. "Is the child safe?" I nodded again. He smiled. "Then I am happy, and want no more."
A/N (again): sorry twice-over for the shortness of the chapter and the length that it took for me to write it. i wrote it on vacation, but did not type it up until today. never fear, the story should pick up from here.
yes, diomedes is based on the character in the iliad that hurts both aphrodite and ares. i haven't mentioned that aspect of him because i'm trying to stick with the gods-are-present-in-name-only attitude of the movie. he is a king in this, but a minor one, which is why he was chosen to be briseis's body-guard. i also read somewhere that he did try to defeat troilus in battle because he was loved briseis. i would assume that she felt the same, but i don't know for sure. and that is where i got the premise for the romance.
btw, the romance happens fast for a reason...one that you'll learn in this chapter. so read on!
::disclaimer:: if i sang you a song, it would be about how i wish i had my own personal bodyguard named diomedes. unfortunately, i cannot sing that well (unless there's a good song on the radio), and so i shall not. btw, i don't own any of this. not even diomedes. ::sigh::
Chapter V
We left for Argos and Pthia soon after my first night in the tent of Diomedes. "Just wait, my love," he said. "Soon we will stand on the shores of a city blessed by Hera, Queen of the Gods."
I said nothing, but though of my own city, once blessed by bright Apollo, now lying in ruins. That, and vomited. It was strange: I had never gotten seasick before; at least, not like this. Of course, I also did not sail quite so much. At last, I was so miserable that Diomedes decided to stop in a port city so I might recover some of my strength. It was when the sickness did not subside that I noticed something else: my monthly cycles had ceased. I was pregnant.
I was both over-joyed and horrified. Over-joyed because I was to have a child fathered by a man I loved. Horrified because I did not know whether that man was Diomedes or Achilles. Secretly, I hoped it was Achilles, for I would have many years to be with Diomedes and to bear him children.
In either case, I had to tell Diomedes. I was frightened about doing that for some reason. He would not care, I told myself. He had known what happened between myself and Achilles before I'd even met him--indeed, probably the entire Greek army knew. He would not leave me here to fend for myself. And yet, I was frightened out of my wits. What if it had all been a front? What if he didn't really love me? What if he secretly hated Achilles? He might kill me! I petrified myself with the possibilities, each idea more horrible and less likely than those before. At last, I decided that no matter what, he would find out, and it would be better for him to do what he would with me before we left the island.
I made my way to the docks, where Diomedes stood, supervising the restocking of the ships. He greeted me cordially, saying, "Are you feeling well enough to travel again, my love?"
"Yes," I answered, though in my mind I screamed no. "Diomedes, I have something of utmost importance to tell you. Alone."
He must have heard the pleading and fear in my voice, for he paused a moment before replying. "Give me but a moment, sweet, and I will be with you." I nodded and seated myself on a barrel. Diomedes spoke with his head captain, Evander, and then made his way to me. "Now what is it, love?"
A tear fell down my face. 'Hera give me strength,' I thought. "Diomedes," I whispered, "I'm with child."
"Truly?" he exclaimed. I nodded, miserable. He ran a hand through his hair--an act Hector also had done when he was bewildered. He turned to me. "But what is wrong?"
I looked down at my hands. "I--I do not know who the father is," I said quietly. "I am not sure if it is you or Achilles."
Diomedes laughed and stood up, taking my hands. "Does it matter?" he asked, pulling me up.
I smiled weakly. "But what will we say his heritage is? He cannot have two fathers. And what if the child ::is:: Achilles's? He could not inherit Argos from a man who is not his father. And if the child is yours? He could not rightfully rule--" I would have continued, but Diomedes silenced me with a kiss.
"Hush, my darling," he said. "First, we will say the child belongs to the prettiest and wisest princess of Troy."
"But those titles belong to Helen and Andromache," I protested.
He shook his head. "Helen was not a true princess of Troy," he said, "and Andromache was no princess, but a goddess among women." He continued, "I would rather the son of Achilles inherit my lands than the son of my first wife. But to settle the issue so you are at peace with yourself, we will go to Pthia and see Thetis, Achilles's mother. She will know if the child you carry belongs to her son or not."
"She will know whose son he is?" I asked, slightly incredulous. I knew she was a nymph, but I did not know that they had such powers.
Diomedes laughed again. "Thetis will know, but why do you refer to the child as 'he'? You might be carrying a little girl with stars for eyes and a smile brighter than Apollo's."
"But don't you want a son?"
"Briseis, are you safe?" I nodded. "Is the child safe?" I nodded again. He smiled. "Then I am happy, and want no more."
A/N (again): sorry twice-over for the shortness of the chapter and the length that it took for me to write it. i wrote it on vacation, but did not type it up until today. never fear, the story should pick up from here.