Chapter 4 edited version! (Thanks to Ahijawa for reminding me about the house. It has been changed.)
Also, thanks to Firien Inuyasha for great suggestions, rry for spelling mistakes, and everyone else who have reviewed the story!! (Shall thank all my story's reviewers a lot a lot of times...)
Changes made to the chapter again!
----------------------------
The rest of the journey went rather uneventful, and Briseis came above deck sometimes, to take in the fresh air and feel the cool breeze. Several doubts were creeping in on her, and she lost her appetite for most meals.
In the evening, about an hour before they reached Pthia, Achilles approached Briseis, who was at the back of the ship. (A/N:I can't remember what that area of ship is called.) "Tell me, what has been disturbing you lately?" he asked.
"Nothing."
"Is that all you ever say?" Achilles asked. He seemed to be commanding Briseis to speak, as though interrogating a suspect. He thought Briseis had been rather odd, for keeping to herself the past few hours ever since she awoke.
"No." Briseis would not say anything further. She could not even understand why she herself was not telling him. She gave a small cry of alarm as Achilles grasped her wrists and turned her around. Briseis tried to free herself, feeling her hands turn numb and cold from Achilles' strong grip. "Please!" Briseis cried, not knowing that she was already sobbing. "You will know it when the time comes. Besides, you don't even tell me what's on your mind!" Her hands were in agony, and she pushed against Achilles, in an effort to free herself. She felt like a captive again, and negative thoughts were beginning to form in her mind.
"My Lord?" a crew member called out from the other end of the ship. Achilles harshly let go, and Briseis fell to the ground, her hands barely supporting her from all the shaking. She placed a trembling hand over her womb. It hurt a little. She was pregnant. She did not dare to confirm it, until now. Somehow, she was unwilling to tell, after thinking of all the women who might have ever bore him a child. Why would this one matter, when women flung themselves at Achilles so willingly back home? She knew her behaviour changes were just effects of pregnancy, since she had seen Andromache, her cousin-in-law, when she had Astyanax in her womb. Very quietly, she sobbed, and got up slowly, going below deck again.
Her hands were still trembling, and she stared at them. Falling in love with a strong man was dangerous, especially an arrogant one. Especially if he was Achilles.
Achilles entered the small compartment, but Briseis gave no attention to his entrance. "Do they hurt?" Achilles asked, reaching out for Briseis' wrists. She jerked her hands away, suddenly afraid of this man before her. She could not fathom what he might do next. "I'm sorry."
"You shouldn't be." Briseis replied. She looked at the bruises on her wrists. They stood out significantly from the rest of her fair skin.
After some silence, Briseis said, "It is not that I do not want to tell you, but... I don't know. I've been having doubts lately." She turned her gaze to Achilles. "I think I'm with your child. But when I think of all the women back at your home and all the women who bear you children, then I thought, why would my child even matter, when you have already abandoned the rest?" She looked back down at her knees, feeling Achilles stroke her hands.
"I will not abandon you, and our child." Achilles replied very firmly. He ran his fingers through Briseis' hair, then said, "What sets you apart from the other women I have met, is that you taught me exactly what true love was. It was not constantly making love into the night, but to long to see you safe and sound, happy, and just to have my heart ache so for you. That is why I love you."
"You do not usually speak such words." Briseis said. Achilles gave her a genuine smile, then leaned in and brushed his lips against hers.
The couple spent a few moments like that, until Eudorus announced that they were home. Achilles pulled Briseis to her feet, and led her out the compartment. A ladder was let down, and the people slowly descended, one by one. A group had already gathered, and were wondering why Achilles was home so early. Nevertheless, women smiled and waved at Achilles. Most of them were thinking that their chance had come. To them, Briseis was just another girl whom Achilles would throw aside when he was done with her.
The women here are very beautiful. I wonder how many has gone to bed with the great Achilles before?, Briseis thought to herself, feeling a little jealous. She look at her beloved. He was not paying attention to the gleeful cries of the women. He is used to it, Briseis told herself. Achilles tightened his grip on Briseis' hand, as though comforting her that his heart would not change.
They made their way to the largest house in the city, and Briseis let out a tiny gasp as she saw the huge building in front of her. It looked magnificent. And it dawned on Briseis suddenly that it was not called a 'house', but a PALACE. She wondered how the interior might look like, imagining it to be cold and huge. Instead, she was greeted by warm tones of orange from the walls, and she smiled. It was a perfect house. Palace, she reminded herself.
"Mother?" Achilles called out.
A woman came out from one of the rooms, and widened her eyes at the sight of Achilles. Her hair was a grayish-brown, and her face was embraced by the texture of years of hard work. She placed both hands on either side of Achilles' cheek. "Why are you home, Achiiles? Were you not at Troy?" the woman, Thetis, asked. She let her eyes wander over her son's face, missing him already after just a few weeks. He was very precious to her.
"I was, but I have now returned. What is the state of Troy now, I am not certain." Achilles replied. He then brought Briseis forward, continuing, "Mother, this is Briseis."
"Briseis?" Thetis inquired. She surveyed Briseis, who kept her eyes away from Thetis, not confident of what she might think of her. After all, Thetis was one of the people who supported the war... But Briseis finally looked up at Thetis, confident. I did no wrong, I will not be looked down upon, she thought to herself. Thetis gave Briseis a light smile, and Briseis relaxed a little. Thetis then looked at her son, and said, "We need to talk."
Also, thanks to Firien Inuyasha for great suggestions, rry for spelling mistakes, and everyone else who have reviewed the story!! (Shall thank all my story's reviewers a lot a lot of times...)
Changes made to the chapter again!
----------------------------
The rest of the journey went rather uneventful, and Briseis came above deck sometimes, to take in the fresh air and feel the cool breeze. Several doubts were creeping in on her, and she lost her appetite for most meals.
In the evening, about an hour before they reached Pthia, Achilles approached Briseis, who was at the back of the ship. (A/N:I can't remember what that area of ship is called.) "Tell me, what has been disturbing you lately?" he asked.
"Nothing."
"Is that all you ever say?" Achilles asked. He seemed to be commanding Briseis to speak, as though interrogating a suspect. He thought Briseis had been rather odd, for keeping to herself the past few hours ever since she awoke.
"No." Briseis would not say anything further. She could not even understand why she herself was not telling him. She gave a small cry of alarm as Achilles grasped her wrists and turned her around. Briseis tried to free herself, feeling her hands turn numb and cold from Achilles' strong grip. "Please!" Briseis cried, not knowing that she was already sobbing. "You will know it when the time comes. Besides, you don't even tell me what's on your mind!" Her hands were in agony, and she pushed against Achilles, in an effort to free herself. She felt like a captive again, and negative thoughts were beginning to form in her mind.
"My Lord?" a crew member called out from the other end of the ship. Achilles harshly let go, and Briseis fell to the ground, her hands barely supporting her from all the shaking. She placed a trembling hand over her womb. It hurt a little. She was pregnant. She did not dare to confirm it, until now. Somehow, she was unwilling to tell, after thinking of all the women who might have ever bore him a child. Why would this one matter, when women flung themselves at Achilles so willingly back home? She knew her behaviour changes were just effects of pregnancy, since she had seen Andromache, her cousin-in-law, when she had Astyanax in her womb. Very quietly, she sobbed, and got up slowly, going below deck again.
Her hands were still trembling, and she stared at them. Falling in love with a strong man was dangerous, especially an arrogant one. Especially if he was Achilles.
Achilles entered the small compartment, but Briseis gave no attention to his entrance. "Do they hurt?" Achilles asked, reaching out for Briseis' wrists. She jerked her hands away, suddenly afraid of this man before her. She could not fathom what he might do next. "I'm sorry."
"You shouldn't be." Briseis replied. She looked at the bruises on her wrists. They stood out significantly from the rest of her fair skin.
After some silence, Briseis said, "It is not that I do not want to tell you, but... I don't know. I've been having doubts lately." She turned her gaze to Achilles. "I think I'm with your child. But when I think of all the women back at your home and all the women who bear you children, then I thought, why would my child even matter, when you have already abandoned the rest?" She looked back down at her knees, feeling Achilles stroke her hands.
"I will not abandon you, and our child." Achilles replied very firmly. He ran his fingers through Briseis' hair, then said, "What sets you apart from the other women I have met, is that you taught me exactly what true love was. It was not constantly making love into the night, but to long to see you safe and sound, happy, and just to have my heart ache so for you. That is why I love you."
"You do not usually speak such words." Briseis said. Achilles gave her a genuine smile, then leaned in and brushed his lips against hers.
The couple spent a few moments like that, until Eudorus announced that they were home. Achilles pulled Briseis to her feet, and led her out the compartment. A ladder was let down, and the people slowly descended, one by one. A group had already gathered, and were wondering why Achilles was home so early. Nevertheless, women smiled and waved at Achilles. Most of them were thinking that their chance had come. To them, Briseis was just another girl whom Achilles would throw aside when he was done with her.
The women here are very beautiful. I wonder how many has gone to bed with the great Achilles before?, Briseis thought to herself, feeling a little jealous. She look at her beloved. He was not paying attention to the gleeful cries of the women. He is used to it, Briseis told herself. Achilles tightened his grip on Briseis' hand, as though comforting her that his heart would not change.
They made their way to the largest house in the city, and Briseis let out a tiny gasp as she saw the huge building in front of her. It looked magnificent. And it dawned on Briseis suddenly that it was not called a 'house', but a PALACE. She wondered how the interior might look like, imagining it to be cold and huge. Instead, she was greeted by warm tones of orange from the walls, and she smiled. It was a perfect house. Palace, she reminded herself.
"Mother?" Achilles called out.
A woman came out from one of the rooms, and widened her eyes at the sight of Achilles. Her hair was a grayish-brown, and her face was embraced by the texture of years of hard work. She placed both hands on either side of Achilles' cheek. "Why are you home, Achiiles? Were you not at Troy?" the woman, Thetis, asked. She let her eyes wander over her son's face, missing him already after just a few weeks. He was very precious to her.
"I was, but I have now returned. What is the state of Troy now, I am not certain." Achilles replied. He then brought Briseis forward, continuing, "Mother, this is Briseis."
"Briseis?" Thetis inquired. She surveyed Briseis, who kept her eyes away from Thetis, not confident of what she might think of her. After all, Thetis was one of the people who supported the war... But Briseis finally looked up at Thetis, confident. I did no wrong, I will not be looked down upon, she thought to herself. Thetis gave Briseis a light smile, and Briseis relaxed a little. Thetis then looked at her son, and said, "We need to talk."