Glad to know you like my story!

Too sad, I've to end it soon. But I promise to make a sequel.

Just don't worry. :)


Chapter 31

Time passed quickly, Briseis and Achilles had stood there for a few hours already.

Briseis had calmed down a lot after Achilles had hugged her in his arms. She felt more peaceful and safer, and soon, the fear of her was forgotten. She had been hearing his heartbeat for a longtime, as her head had been resting on his chest. They had enjoyed the moment between them.

'Achilles...' Briseis suddenly said, her voice muffled in Achilles' chest. Achilles did not understand why Briseis was so frightened, but he was quite sure that it was something she had remembered. He knew she had calmed down, as her breath was a lot slower and steadier.

'Yes?' Achilles asked softly, as though he would frighten the girl again.

Briseis did not say anything. She had been itching to ask him about their relationship before she had lost her memories, but the words could not come out. How should she begin with? 'Were we lovers?' No... it is too blunt... Briseis sighed. It was too difficult to start. No, she decided not to ask him. At least not now... Maybe she could remember more of it. Many of her memories had been coming back to her these few days, and maybe she could remember all of it very soon. Besides, she could ask him later if she could not remember.

So, as quietly as Achilles had been, she said, 'Thank you,' in a very grateful voice.

'Are you tired?'

Briseis nodded a bit, but they still stood there in each other's embrace. 'You must be,' Achilles said, smiling a bit although Briseis could not see his smile. He pulled away, and lifted Briseis up.

'Hey!' Briseis yelled, 'what are you doing?'

'I thought you are too tired to go to sleep.' Achilles said ingenuously while he was walking towards Briseis' bed. Briseis smiled and glanced upwards to look at Achilles. He looked downwards to her too, and their eyes met. He sat on her bed, but not putting her down. They were still looking at each other's eyes silently. 'Do you remember what we were doing yesterday when I was sitting here, you in my arms?' Achilles asked silently. He had been dying to ask Briseis this question. He smiled when a shade of crimson crept up to Briseis' fair cheeks.

Briseis blinked, and opened her mouth, 'I... I-' She stuttered.

He put her down onto her bed at last. 'Why were you pretending that you were asleep?' He inquired softly. Briseis could not speak. How does he know? She stared at him with her huge watery eyes, unable to open her mouth.

After gaping at Achilles for a moment, Briseis gained back her senses and managed to babble out, 'I... was afraid that I don't know how...to respond...'

Achilles lay on the bed also. He looked at Briseis. She was still blushing deeply, and she had averted her eyes from him shyly. She looked so adorable and lovable. He reached out and brushed a few strands of her hair out of her face gently. 'Are you afraid of me?' he asked affably.

'Are you afraid?' Achilles asked her.

Briseis held her head high, and said, 'Should I be?'

Eudorus entered the tent at this moment, easing Briseis' nervous and bring the words, 'My lord, King Agamemnon is summoning you.'

'He can wait.' Achilles stated plainly, 'You fought well today, Eudorus.' Briseis noticed that all the way he was talking, he still stared at her...

Eudorus smiled kindly at Briseis, and with the last words of 'Thank you, my lord.' He left the tent.

'Why are you here? I'm sure you are not coming for Helen the Fair Cheeks. You are not fighting for Agamemnon, the High King.'

'What do men want? I'm sure you know.' Achilles said, suddenly looking upwards, 'I just want more....There is no need to be afraid as long as you stay in my tent, Briseis. You're the only Trojan that can hear me saying this.' With this he stood, grabbed his sword and headed for the entrance of the tent. But before he reached the flaps, he turned, and smiled faintly at Briseis. 'You have my word.'

Briseis' eyes widened. She had been his captive before... 'Briseis?' Achilles asked again. Briseis shook her head vigorously.

'Can I ask you a question?' Briseis said timidly.

'Ask.'

'Were we lovers?' Briseis said looking up at Achilles, a bit worriedly, a bit expectantly.

'I think you know the answer.' Achilles said inaudibly.

So, it was like she had thought of... They had been lovers. Briseis wanted ask Achilles if there was anything more than kissing between the two, but she did not know how to start. What if there was not? What would Achilles thought of her then? Briseis hesitated.

'May I kiss you?' Achilles asked absentmindedly, drawing her attention away from the words that were threatening to come out of her mouth. He had leaned a bit closer, and Briseis could feel his breath on her face. What should she do? Surely she wanted to kiss him too. However, she had devoted herself to Apollo... but she had broken her oath long ago, so as she remembered. Achilles moved his face closer to hers ever so slowly, and she stopped breathing, scared and exhilarated to find out what he would do next. Their noses touched, and he nuzzled against her. Briseis closed her eyes slowly. She felt her heart beat so fast that she thought it would burst. At first all she could think about were his lips on hers. They were soft and capable, and for the first few moments she just lay there motionless and let him kiss her before she kissed back. Achilles' kiss was affectionate and gentle and not demanding.

Someone knocked the door when Achilles had just shifted on top of Briseis, wanting to deepen the kiss. They broke off abruptly, and Achilles went to open the door. It was Eudorus.

'Sorry, my lord,' Eudorus said quietly. He had been waiting for him outside the room for so some time already, but he could wait; however, the prince of Dodona was not a patient man. 'The prince of Dodona had been waiting for you.' Achilles frowned. He had just got Briseis into a kiss, and was disturbed already. It seemed like that every time when he had a chance to get close to Briseis, there were some kings or princes visiting him. He nodded to Eudorus. 'I will come very soon.'

He closed the door, and looked at Briseis. She laid there, her eyes staring at thin air. The dress that she was wearing suited her much, it was pure white, and it hugged her curves. Yet she looked so pure and innocent, and it seemed like that nothing could compare to her naivety. 'Briseis,' he said softly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful moment of her. She looked at him and smiled coyly. 'Can you meet me at the courtyard tonight?'

She nodded, and Achilles walked out to see the prince of Dodona, leaving Briseis laying there, drowned in her own thoughts.

The kiss made her felt so blissful. And now, even she had to accept the fact that she had not been faithful to Apollo, she wanted to stay with Achilles so much. She wanted to remember. She really wanted to know about the love between them before. She could not wait for the night coming; she would ask Achilles to tell her about their history. She closed her eyes, and ran through her mind, trying her best to remember something. Just a bit of something was enough. She just wanted to know more.

She was sure they had a much more romantic time before she lost her memories than she had had these few months. She wanted to remember something that could be more romantic than Achilles giving her the rose, or that pillow fight they had before. She wanted to find out more about their history, she wanted to know if the love story Achilles had told her was the love story between them.

The cliff! She suddenly thought. One glance towards it had made her remember that she had fallen from the cliff. It might help a lot if she went to the cliff.

So Briseis jumped off from the bed, and grabbed her cloak. She was going to the cliff. Before she left, she glanced at the necklace on the table. She went back to grab it, and put it on. She walked through the corridors quietly, and into the courtyard. The flowers were blooming, and she enjoyed the scent of them. Before she exited the gates of the palace, she saw a bush of red rose. She leaned close to smell them, and to her surprise, found that one of them was missing. The stem had been cut off—by Achilles.

She jumped up a bit in amusement, and ran out of the gates. The rose bush had given her a great encouragement to find out their history herself instead of asking Achilles to tell her tonight.


Okay, okay. I know the chapter's short, but I can't think of anything to write.

I promise you a longer chapter next time.

Please, review!!!