Briseis knelt before the King, looking elegant and beautiful in her priestess's robes. She felt however, as clumsy as an ox, in her delicate surrounds. She would have been more comfortable on a battlefield in her armour. Though she knew her Uncle would be in no frame of mind to negotiate if she turned up in armour and blatantly showed her disrespect.

"You must let me do this, for Troy," she pleaded.

"You know my thoughts on the matter. Your Father was wrong to raise his daughter in such a way, to fill your head with such nonsense! You forget your place young Briseis. It is most certainly NOT on a battlefield with the men of Troy. Your place my dear as much as you despise it, is in the temple of Apollo,"

"Uncle, you will allow me to go or I will disobey you. This is the path I must tread I fell it in my very soul," Briseis felt her anger rising, why must he be so difficult!

The King sighed deeply; he knew it was no use arguing with Briseis. She was as stubborn as his brother had been. He was using all his control over her to hold her from the battlefield. That was all he could hope for; he had a weakness for his brother's only child and she new it well!

"You may go, but remember Briseis, this is an assassination, not your own personal battle!"

"Thank you, Uncle,"

With this she jumped up, her robes flowing gracefully around her body, and threw her arms around his neck. The King stiffened at first with shock, but then held his niece close.

"Keep safe my precious niece," he begged.

"Hector and you may finalize details as you see fit. No doubt he is in on this scheme,"

Briseis smiled and walked out of the room her stomach buzzing with anticipation.

Briseis met Hector for lunch in the gardens. The table was spread with a luxurious meal and Hector's son played on the floor near his feet. Briseis scoped up her cousin and cradled him close, she whispered words of love in his ear and planted a kiss on his delicate head. Briseis was surprised at her Uncles permission, she would not have disobeyed her Uncle, she had only hoped her bluff would pay off. Hector reached for Astyanax and handed him to the nanny.

"Hector, what plan do you have for me?"

"You shall work in the temple like usual, Achilles' men will not be able to resist such a target, the temple is a sign of our dedication of the sun god and they will want to show the gods they care naught for them. You will be taken back to the camp by Achilles' men there you will assassinate him and any one of importance, you should happen to discover,"

"That was not my agreement with Uncle! He gave permission for Achilles death only,"

"In war, chances do not present themselves readily, kill who ever you can but do not risk yourself, I could not bear that"

"Are you certain that Achilles' men will take me, and not just kill me in the temple?"

"I have only hope, you must be brave cousin, it is for Troy, for my son and for my wife, kill this monster,"

"Fear not cousin, my blade will be sharp and my eye keen, Achilles will be dead with in a month!"

"Look, The horizon, where did they find such an army, sails as far as the eye can see. Apollo help us! You must hurry Briseis, you must be in the temple when they arrive,"

Briseis sat slumped against a large stone pillar shivering with fear. They killed the priests. How could they? May Apollo's wrath be swift and vengeful! She resented their commanding ways but still she respected them as men of the gods. Hector had told her that Achilles' men had no respect for gods, but she had not expected this blood was slowly pooling by her feet and she inched away with disgust.

"Over there, we will take her back for the men, they could use some fun!" yelled a gruff looking solider with a long jagged scar down his left arm.

Briseis screamed as she was roughly thrown over the soldiers shoulder and carried back to the camp. The sun was scorching Briseis' back as they crossed the expansive beach. Briseis was almost relived when they reached the camp. Then she felt her confidence dwindle as she saw the number of Greek tents on the beach, Troy was in serious trouble. Of course she had know that from the moment Hector told her the Greeks were coming but it slapped her with a renewed sting. She felt her resolve strengthen.

Briseis gasped as she was thrown to the floor. An elder solider, grabbed her and licked her neck. She shuddered in disgust but forced herself to stay seated when every thing in her body was screaming at her to attack this man, with all her might.

"Who's a pretty one then?" he grunted in a lustful tone.

The solider with the scar pulled Briseis to her feet and drew her close to his body, the stench was almost unbearable and Briseis felt herself gagging.

"Nay, you old dog I shall have her first,"

Briseis kicked out at the soldiers a received a swift punch in the face, blood streaming out of her cut lip. Briseis felt her rage boiling, she could kill this man in an instant, stay calm she told herself follow the plan. Briseis allowed tears of frustration to prick in her eyes, and began to whimper for dramatic effect.

Briseis looked up as a new figure approached, shoulder length blond hair, sculpted muscles and armour stained with a battles blood, the blood of her people. She felt her stomach clench with anger.

"Do not lay a hand on her again, she is mine," Achilles ordered.

The men grunted in an unhappy manner and slowly moved of to a near by campfire. Briseis felt her heart flip as she looked up at him. The killer, the murder, the monster, the legend. She had been successful; she would woo him and then steal his life from him. She had not expected him to be so handsome.

Achilles scoped Briseis up in his arms and took her to his tent.