Briseis watched as Achilles and Thetis ascended the stairs. She stood where she was, still not moving, and surveying her surroundings. She went over to a wall, feeling its texture. It was rather smooth, and she let her eyes trail the height of it. She still missed Troy. To her, even though the setting of the palace was warm and inviting, she could not help but feel that this place offered no peace for her.
She opened the large doors on her own, the hinges creaking a little because of the weight of the doors. Outside, there were several people in the market, and a few citizens strolling in front of the palace. As she opened the door, the people stared at her. They were looking oddly at her rather untidy look -- she had not yet washed herself and change her clothes. She ignored the stares, and strolled out of the palace, the doors closing after her. She jumped and looked back. It was probably the palace guards, she thought.
She wandered outside very slowly, not entering the lively market, for she felt that she was not ready to trust anyone here yet. Instead, she steered away from the market, and headed for a pleasant looking lake to the East. She gently lifted her dress a little, and dipped both her feet into the water. The lake was located rather far from the urban settlement, and here, Briseis found her peace and quiet. She smiled to herself.
She let her dress down, not bothering if the hem was soaked. She bent down and looked beneath the water. There were seashells, and they were very pretty under the water. She felt around her neck for her necklace, remembering that Achilles had given it to her. Very slowly, she sat down in the water and began to collect the seashells.
Back at the palace, both mother and son were sitting in a room, Achilles folding his arms. "You came back, because of that woman?"
"Yes. Why? Do you find fault with her?" Achilles asked.
"No, she is lovely. At least for now I think she is. She has confidence that matches yours, I saw it in her eyes. It is no wonder you gave your heart to her." Thetis answered. "But, my son, have you ever considered if you had not come back because of her, you might have had your name etched in history?"
Achilles looked away.
One seashell.
"I know." Achilles replied. "But I love her. I did not totally leave Troy unmarked in the scene. I killed Prince Hector, in front of the Trojans. Though...he was Briseis' cousin. There will be another chance."
"But not a chance as great as this." Thetis cut in.
Two seashells.
Achilles remained silent again. "I would rather my children remember my name. Mother, I did not always remain on the battlefield. There were occasions when I stayed behind, simply viewing the poor fools who throw themselves recklessly at the Trojans. Odysseus was the one who formulated the intelligent plot, not I. I gain no credit in the attack, and so it would deem fit to return with Briseis." Achilles then explained.
It was now Thetis' turn to remain silent.
Three seashells.
"Does the love of a woman matter so much to you?" Thetis asked. "Women throw themselves as you every day, you cast them aside every other day as well. Is Briseis worth the trouble of losing your fame?"
She watched as her finger started to bleed...
Achilles seemed rather angered at his mother's words, for once. "It is my right to love!" he shouted, getting abruptly up from the chair. He then put a hand to his left temple, and gently said, "Sorry, mother. I was too ill-tempered. I do not wish to speak of this matter now, for I am weary from the traveling I have done." Thetis nodded, respecting her son's decision. My son knows what he's doing, Thetis assured herself.
Briseis looked at her finger. The fourth seashell had cut her left index finger. She had picked up a rather sharp-edged seashell, and frowned. She continued staring and staring, noticing the blood slowly trailing down her finger. It reminded her of the little games her cousin Hector used to play with her when they were young. They both would pretend to be warriors in the wild, tracking down the trail of the enemy, and defending their country. There was always this river in the little forest behind the great city of Troy, and Briseis and Hector would sometimes rest there for a drink, or Briseis would wash her finger wounds in the water. Occasionally, Paris would appear suddenly and scare them, making them think that a real enemy had come. Hector had always taken care of her like she was a real sister. Briseis sighed again at the memory, and then washed her wound in the lake.
Very quietly, Achilles appeared behind Briseis, and as Briseis stood up unstably, she moved backwards and hit Achilles, then let out a short scream as she used to when Paris appeared to scare her. For a moment, she thought that Paris was there and they were young once more. But it was all an illusion. She slipped and fell into the water from the shock.
Achilles was alarmed and quickly got her into a sitting position, looking out for any blood in the water, hoping that there wasn't a miscarriage. The other children may not have mattered, but this one did.
"Are you hurt?" Achilles asked, though in his voice he still did not express his worry.
"You should not have appeared suddenly behind me!" Briseis exclaimed, still breathing fast from the shock. "Hitting your body was like clashing against a metal wall." she then muttered.
"What were you doing in the water?" Achilles asked.
"Nothing." Briseis replied. She noticed that he had now changed into casual clothing, not the armour he always wore anymore. "I was just...looking for seashells."
"My mother always did that when I was young. That was where this necklace came from." Achilles said, brushing his finger across the necklace. "Come, we'll get you washed and changed." He helped Briseis up, leading her back towards the palace.
"I don't remember the way back to the lake." Briseis suddenly said.
"I'll bring you there everyday, till you are familiar with the route." Achilles replied.
"You're not that free everyday, are you?"
"No."
She opened the large doors on her own, the hinges creaking a little because of the weight of the doors. Outside, there were several people in the market, and a few citizens strolling in front of the palace. As she opened the door, the people stared at her. They were looking oddly at her rather untidy look -- she had not yet washed herself and change her clothes. She ignored the stares, and strolled out of the palace, the doors closing after her. She jumped and looked back. It was probably the palace guards, she thought.
She wandered outside very slowly, not entering the lively market, for she felt that she was not ready to trust anyone here yet. Instead, she steered away from the market, and headed for a pleasant looking lake to the East. She gently lifted her dress a little, and dipped both her feet into the water. The lake was located rather far from the urban settlement, and here, Briseis found her peace and quiet. She smiled to herself.
She let her dress down, not bothering if the hem was soaked. She bent down and looked beneath the water. There were seashells, and they were very pretty under the water. She felt around her neck for her necklace, remembering that Achilles had given it to her. Very slowly, she sat down in the water and began to collect the seashells.
Back at the palace, both mother and son were sitting in a room, Achilles folding his arms. "You came back, because of that woman?"
"Yes. Why? Do you find fault with her?" Achilles asked.
"No, she is lovely. At least for now I think she is. She has confidence that matches yours, I saw it in her eyes. It is no wonder you gave your heart to her." Thetis answered. "But, my son, have you ever considered if you had not come back because of her, you might have had your name etched in history?"
Achilles looked away.
One seashell.
"I know." Achilles replied. "But I love her. I did not totally leave Troy unmarked in the scene. I killed Prince Hector, in front of the Trojans. Though...he was Briseis' cousin. There will be another chance."
"But not a chance as great as this." Thetis cut in.
Two seashells.
Achilles remained silent again. "I would rather my children remember my name. Mother, I did not always remain on the battlefield. There were occasions when I stayed behind, simply viewing the poor fools who throw themselves recklessly at the Trojans. Odysseus was the one who formulated the intelligent plot, not I. I gain no credit in the attack, and so it would deem fit to return with Briseis." Achilles then explained.
It was now Thetis' turn to remain silent.
Three seashells.
"Does the love of a woman matter so much to you?" Thetis asked. "Women throw themselves as you every day, you cast them aside every other day as well. Is Briseis worth the trouble of losing your fame?"
She watched as her finger started to bleed...
Achilles seemed rather angered at his mother's words, for once. "It is my right to love!" he shouted, getting abruptly up from the chair. He then put a hand to his left temple, and gently said, "Sorry, mother. I was too ill-tempered. I do not wish to speak of this matter now, for I am weary from the traveling I have done." Thetis nodded, respecting her son's decision. My son knows what he's doing, Thetis assured herself.
Briseis looked at her finger. The fourth seashell had cut her left index finger. She had picked up a rather sharp-edged seashell, and frowned. She continued staring and staring, noticing the blood slowly trailing down her finger. It reminded her of the little games her cousin Hector used to play with her when they were young. They both would pretend to be warriors in the wild, tracking down the trail of the enemy, and defending their country. There was always this river in the little forest behind the great city of Troy, and Briseis and Hector would sometimes rest there for a drink, or Briseis would wash her finger wounds in the water. Occasionally, Paris would appear suddenly and scare them, making them think that a real enemy had come. Hector had always taken care of her like she was a real sister. Briseis sighed again at the memory, and then washed her wound in the lake.
Very quietly, Achilles appeared behind Briseis, and as Briseis stood up unstably, she moved backwards and hit Achilles, then let out a short scream as she used to when Paris appeared to scare her. For a moment, she thought that Paris was there and they were young once more. But it was all an illusion. She slipped and fell into the water from the shock.
Achilles was alarmed and quickly got her into a sitting position, looking out for any blood in the water, hoping that there wasn't a miscarriage. The other children may not have mattered, but this one did.
"Are you hurt?" Achilles asked, though in his voice he still did not express his worry.
"You should not have appeared suddenly behind me!" Briseis exclaimed, still breathing fast from the shock. "Hitting your body was like clashing against a metal wall." she then muttered.
"What were you doing in the water?" Achilles asked.
"Nothing." Briseis replied. She noticed that he had now changed into casual clothing, not the armour he always wore anymore. "I was just...looking for seashells."
"My mother always did that when I was young. That was where this necklace came from." Achilles said, brushing his finger across the necklace. "Come, we'll get you washed and changed." He helped Briseis up, leading her back towards the palace.
"I don't remember the way back to the lake." Briseis suddenly said.
"I'll bring you there everyday, till you are familiar with the route." Achilles replied.
"You're not that free everyday, are you?"
"No."