Hi guys! Oh.. yes, nora17, what's happening is predictable.

See how much you've guessed is correct! ;)


Chapter 23

Briseis heard it. The water was splashing! Yet it seemed so faint, so quiet...

Someone was wiping her face, the cool and damp washcloth made contact with her cheeks, and it caused her exhausted and weak eyelids to flutter open.

The vision was quite blurry, but Briseis knew that it was a girl.

'You're awake at last!' The girl exclaimed, and clapped her hands. Briseis focused a bit, and looked at the girl. She had untidy, yet straight red hair, and green eyes. She had freckles; they splattered on the bridge of her nose chaotically. Her face was a bit round. Briseis could not say the girl was pretty, but she was quite attractive in her own sort of way, which was quite odd.

The girl waved her hands in front of Briseis eyes, who was dazing a moment before. 'Hello!'

Briseis sat up a bit, and smiled at her. The girl said, 'My name is Cleo! I am the youngest princess of Eretria!' She paused for a moment, letting the information sank into Briseis heart. Briseis nodded at her, and Cleo continued, 'My brother, Acoetes, found you drifting in the seawater near the cliff of Phthia. Are you from Phthia? You are very beautiful.'

Phthia? Why was I drifting in the seawater near the cliff of Phthia?

'I am not from Phthia. I live in Troy.' Briseis answered, and smiled at the friendly girl. She was only about 14 years of age. Very young. 'My name is Briseis.'

'Briseis! Princess Briseis of Troy!' Cleo exclaimed.

'How do you know that I'm a princess?' Briseis asked curiously, and Cleo told her that she had heard of her.

'You are from Troy.' Cleo said, 'so why are you in Phthia?' she inquired.

Briseis frowned and shook her head. 'I have no idea. I should be in Troy, together with cousins Hector, Paris and Chryseis.' Briseis searched through her memories. She had been in the temple of Apollo, and was brought to a tent in the Greek's camp, and she slept... when she woke again, Cleo was already in front of her. 'This is a mystery,' Cleo said, feeling interested in Briseis' history.

'Why are you taking care of me?' Briseis asked out of the blue. 'Shouldn't it be your servants and maids taking care of me?'

'I like to take care of you myself. I have nothing to do.' Cleo said. Indeed, she was very young, and teenagers were always bored, even though they had their own companions. Andromache had once told her that she was very lonely when she was young, maybe this little princess was also lonely.

The door opened suddenly, and in walked a young man, about twenty years old. He had also, unruly red hair and green eyes. This must be Cleo's brother, Briseis realized, as the man had the same eyes as Cleo's. But Cleo's brother seemed to be more attractive than Cleo was herself. He was quite attractive, and well built. Very tall, Briseis thought, as tall as... who? Briseis did not remember someone as tall as this red haired man in front of her. Yet, just a few moments before, she seemed to have some idea...

'Brother!' Cleo exclaimed, 'The girl is awake! Her name is Briseis! Princess Briseis of Troy!' Cleo said excitedly. 'We have Princess Briseis here!'

'I can see for myself that the girl is awake.' The man said. It was very likely that he was Acoetes. He turned to Briseis, and asked her courteously, 'I am Acoetes. You are Briseis? Princess of Troy?'

'Yes,' Briseis replied.

'So why are you in Phthia? You are floating on the sea when I found you.' Acoetes asked, concerned.

Briseis shook her head again. Everything seemed so blurred... before she opened her eyes, she should be in the beach of Troy, which was now the Greek's camp. But why was she in Phthia?

'Please rest for some time.' Acoetes told her kindly. 'I would escort you back to Troy when you are fully recovered.'

Briseis thanked him, and Acoetes left the room. The moment the door closed, Cleo started questioning Briseis again. 'You will leave soon? I don't want you to. You can stay here and we can be friends!' Cleo suggested. 'I will not let you leave. Even if I have to kill again.'

Kill again? Briseis asked silently. The girl did not seem to be kidding. She looked very serious.

'Friends don't need to stay together all the time,' Briseis explained, wanting the young girl to understand. 'They are in each other's heart.'

Cleo pouted. 'I don't see why you should go back. I want you to be with me. By the way, I believe my brother doesn't want you to leave.' She said convincingly, wanting to persuade Briseis to stay.

'Why do you say so? He seemed to be... quite repulsive towards me.' Briseis said.

Cleo opened her mouth and laughed out loud. She loomed towards Briseis, and whispered into her ear, 'perhaps you don't know. After my brother had saved you, and you were on the deck, he stared at you so hard that his eyes were popping out.' Cleo giggled, and continued, 'I was there, and I saw it myself. We were on our way back to Eretria, after the peace treaty with a city in Pelion.' She paused, and handed Briseis a cup of water. 'I was not permitted to go at first. But I killed some of the crew secretly, and sneaked into the ship, and revealed myself after the ship had sailed.' She giggled again. 'Am I clever?'

Briseis frowned at the young girl. 'Cleo, you are still very young. You should not kill anyone...' Cleo moped a bit, 'They got into my way.' She paused for a moment, looking at Briseis' reactions. Briseis just looked at her, so Cleo continued, 'Anyway. When we were back in the palace, I mean here, brother always comes into your bedroom to look after you. No! Not look after, but look at you.' Cleo said, proud of her own observation. 'He always comes to ask if you are awake or not. You have been sleeping for 4 days.'

'Oh... I've been like this for four days?' Briseis asked, surprised.

Cleo nodded, asked Briseis if she wanted to go for a walk or not. Of course, Briseis said yes. After all, she had not stretched for 4 days...

After two weeks, Briseis fully recovered. Acoetes did as he had promised, and escorted her back to Troy. Cleo had come along too. She had tried to use the trick she used last time, but was discovered by one of the crew. But after lots and lots of begging and crying, she was permitted to go with Acoetes.

Briseis started to like Acoetes. He was very kind to her. Very gentle. He cared for her a lot, and always asked her if she was feeling alright. He gave her gifts, such as bracelets and necklaces, but Briseis always refused. He had already saved her life, how could she accept his gifts? He would be a good husband, but Briseis would not marry. She was the priest of Apollo after all, and she had to keep her chastity to herself.

For 3 days they sailed, and they arrived at an island. The island was small, and according to Acoetes, it was a kingdom, ruled by one of his father's friends. And according to him, this kingdom was Chios. They would be staying in the palace of Chios for 5 days, to check the ship and to rest.

Briseis' room was on the west side of the palace, quite far from Acoetes and Cleo's ones, which were in the south wing.

They had been in the palace for 2 days, when something happened. Fate had decided for her, to meet her lover again.

..........................................

After Achilles went back to the palace, there was a envoy from some kingdom asked to see him, to discuss on matters of allying. Achilles was in a very bad mood, and threw a tantrum on that envoy, and forced him to leave. It was very hard to control his anger when he knew his only love had died.

He went back to his bedroom, and lay on the bed. The large bed seemed so empty without Briseis. He'd rather the girl leave him than dying, which would mean leaving him forever. He tried to control his tears, but the first time in his life since he remembered, he cried. He never cried, but he liked the feeling. It was like pouring out the pain and bitter in his heart. He had laid there like that for a moment, feeling a bit better, until he thought of his lover again. She was beautiful, attractive, cheerful, charming, gentle, kind... anything he could think of. She was perfect. Maybe she was too perfect for him. Pain and grief, which he had just poured out, came rushing back into his heart again when he thought of Briseis.

He had thought of going to Troy to find Briseis, but reality told him not to. It would only make him suffer the pain of loss of his lover even more, although he was already feeling woe and miserable. I can go to war again, and gain I can gain my glory... Achilles had this idea, but it was nothing comparing to the love of Briseis. Going back to the Trojan War would also remind him of the girl, he had met her there after all. And he wanted to get over it as soon as possible.

He had searched the sea, and he did not find Briseis. He had already asked his mother Thetis and other sea nymphs to help, but they could not find her too.

13 days afterwards, the same envoy that he had forced out of his palace came back. He, bringing the message from a kingdom called Chios, declared war on Phthia. Achilles accepted the declaration, and he knew it was natural. He had insulted the country, and a war started, just like how the Trojan War had started when Paris brought Helen back to Troy.

So he led the Myrmidons to a war again, after a week, they started their sailing towards east, and arrived 5 days later, at the little island called Chios. He could fight again, now he had no worries about Briseis crying and mourning for his death in war or such...


Achilles is going to meet Briseis again!!!

By the way, CaDedra... Yup, Deidamia was one of Achilles' lover in true life...

They were married, before Achilles left for the Trojan War, and they did have a son...

Anyway, Review! Thanks ;)