The great doors opened again, and Briseis and Achilles stepped inside. "Come, I will show you to our room." Achilles led the way, going up the stairs. Briseis felt very small in the huge palace. True, she was used to high-ceilinged buildings at Troy, but this was very much different. She felt unwelcomed.
Briseis tried hard to remember the route to the bedroom. Left, left, right, left, straight, staircase... She frowned. Nevertheless, she mentioned nothing about it to Achilles. An oak door opened, and beyond it was a huge room. Briseis slowly walked in and asked in a whisper, "Our room?"
"Yes."
She heard the door close behind, and Achilles stood there, folding his arms, watching Briseis survey the room. He went up behind Briseis, and put his arms around her waist. "And I thought you'd have been used to living in large bedrooms in Troy." He stroked Briseis' hair and Briseis hit him playfully in the stomach.
There came a knock on the door, and Achilles let go of Briseis, heading to open the door. There was Thetis in the doorway, looking very solemn. "Princess Aretha is here. She seeks an audience with us. King Leander is here as well. You know why they come." Thetis said. She then turned to Briseis and said, "Come, child, make yourself presentable. Achilles, leave us alone for a moment."
Achilles walked out.
Thetis made for the closet, and searched through the wardrobe for some clothes. "Ah, there!" Thetis exclaimed, drawing out a navy blue dress. "This will fit nicely. Now, you go get a nice bath, tell me when you are done."
Briseis did as she was told. She had changed into the dress Thetis had chosen. They fit Briseis comfortably, the bottom pooling at her feet. Thetis sat Briseis down on a chair in front of the dressing table, and combed her hair. "Thank you, my Lady." Briseis said.
"'My Lady', Briseis?" Thetis asked. "You should start calling me Mother as well. Just like Achilles does."Briseis looked at Thetis through the mirror, and blushed slightly.
"Mother," Briseis began. "I am pregnant with Achilles' child."
"I am sure the child would make a fine little grandchild." Thetis replied, then clipped the top back of Briseis' hair with a silver clip. "There."
Briseis looked at herself in the mirror. She thanked Thetis again, and followed her out the door. Achilles stood in the doorway, leaning against the opposite wall. He was wearing rather casual clothing, and probably only took a bath. He did not seem keen at all to meet King Leander and Princess Aretha.
As they made their way down the hallway, Briseis asked, "Why are they here, Achilles?"
"We have signed an agreement of peace between our countries, and so we do get visits from them occasionally. I have never met Princess Aretha. She is perhaps one of the many children that he has had back home." Achilles answered.
Briseis wondered how Aretha looked like. Was she a friendly person? Before she knew it, they were already walking into the guest room. King Leander stood up and shook his hands with the three. Briseis looked around the guest room. There seemed to be no sight of the princess.
"Good day, and welcome to our country, King Leander." Thetis greeted. "If I may ask, where is your fair little princess?"
"She just went into the washroom for a moment. She will come out soon. I am very glad for your hospitality, and will be happy to stay for a week in this fair country of yours." King Leander replied rather happily.
At that moment, the door to the washroom opened, and out came a girl with jet black curly hair. She had fair skin, and wore robes of white. Upon her head was a crown of stars, and her eyes were of blue. She gracefully walked over to Thetis, Achilles and Briseis, and bowed.
Briseis thought her beauty shone so bright the Gods would have smiled down upon her. She smiled at the princess, but surprisingly, she did not smile back at her. Aretha was showing an attitude as though Briseis was but a slave. Briseis frowned at the thought. Back home, in Troy, no one did look down upon her, and even Helen and Andromache, or the people in the streets smiled at her as she walked past.
Her train of thought was broken off when Thetis smiled and said, "Come, we shall sit and chat, not stand and burden ourselves." The five all took their seats, and Briseis took hers beside Achilles on the sofa.
"Are the slaves allowed to sit with the royal in your country? You certainly are very gracious, my Lady Thetis!" Aretha said, her voice sounding sweet and rich.
Thetis gave a confused look, then realised that Aretha was talking about Briseis. "Oh no, my dear princess, she is not a slave." Thetis replied. "She is my daughter-in-law."
Aretha shot Briseis a glare as Thetis and King Leander started chatting. Briseis frowned, and leaned back in the sofa, looking away. A week.
Briseis let her thoughts wander off, until she heard Leander spoke words that caused a pain in her heart. "You know, my fair Thetis," he said, "I was wondering if..."
"Yes?"
"That we could have an arranged marriage with your son. Aretha would make a fine wife." Leander ended.
Thetis looked alarmed. She did not want to offend King Leander and start a war, but she would say 'no' to such things. Even if Aretha looked lovely, and was a sweet child, Aretha could not match to the character of Briseis. "I beg your pardon, my dear Leander?" she asked.
"You heard me." King Leander replied.
"I did mention that Briseis is my daughter-in-law, did I not?" Thetis asked.
"I thought it was just a joking comment." King Leander said. "They are not married, are they? I have not heard of their wedding."
"No, but they are going to. Besides, she bears my grandchild." Thetis answered.
"Well then they have not been exactly engaged. My child is a virgin maiden, Thetis. She would make a fine wife. She is refined and polite. They are a match." King Leander said. "Besides... Your son has had many children with different women I suppose. Were they not just as cast away as this one will be?"
"Excuse me." Briseis said aloud, and got up, heading for the door. She let her anger get the better of her. She pushed the heavy doors once more and went out into the open. She wandered aimlessly around, walking very briskly. The nerve! How could they say that of her? How could that arrogant King insult her virginity? Was she not a virgin too until Achilles took her? She kicked at the stone on the ground, and continued walking, then breaking into a run. A week?
King Leander's words rang inside her head. Were they not just as cast away as this one will be? Briseis started to cry, afraid of her choice to come. She wished Andromache was here. She wished Hector was here. Paris. Helen. Priam. Anyone from Troy!
She stopped when she saw a familiar figure crossing her path. She regretted what she wished for.
Briseis tried hard to remember the route to the bedroom. Left, left, right, left, straight, staircase... She frowned. Nevertheless, she mentioned nothing about it to Achilles. An oak door opened, and beyond it was a huge room. Briseis slowly walked in and asked in a whisper, "Our room?"
"Yes."
She heard the door close behind, and Achilles stood there, folding his arms, watching Briseis survey the room. He went up behind Briseis, and put his arms around her waist. "And I thought you'd have been used to living in large bedrooms in Troy." He stroked Briseis' hair and Briseis hit him playfully in the stomach.
There came a knock on the door, and Achilles let go of Briseis, heading to open the door. There was Thetis in the doorway, looking very solemn. "Princess Aretha is here. She seeks an audience with us. King Leander is here as well. You know why they come." Thetis said. She then turned to Briseis and said, "Come, child, make yourself presentable. Achilles, leave us alone for a moment."
Achilles walked out.
Thetis made for the closet, and searched through the wardrobe for some clothes. "Ah, there!" Thetis exclaimed, drawing out a navy blue dress. "This will fit nicely. Now, you go get a nice bath, tell me when you are done."
Briseis did as she was told. She had changed into the dress Thetis had chosen. They fit Briseis comfortably, the bottom pooling at her feet. Thetis sat Briseis down on a chair in front of the dressing table, and combed her hair. "Thank you, my Lady." Briseis said.
"'My Lady', Briseis?" Thetis asked. "You should start calling me Mother as well. Just like Achilles does."Briseis looked at Thetis through the mirror, and blushed slightly.
"Mother," Briseis began. "I am pregnant with Achilles' child."
"I am sure the child would make a fine little grandchild." Thetis replied, then clipped the top back of Briseis' hair with a silver clip. "There."
Briseis looked at herself in the mirror. She thanked Thetis again, and followed her out the door. Achilles stood in the doorway, leaning against the opposite wall. He was wearing rather casual clothing, and probably only took a bath. He did not seem keen at all to meet King Leander and Princess Aretha.
As they made their way down the hallway, Briseis asked, "Why are they here, Achilles?"
"We have signed an agreement of peace between our countries, and so we do get visits from them occasionally. I have never met Princess Aretha. She is perhaps one of the many children that he has had back home." Achilles answered.
Briseis wondered how Aretha looked like. Was she a friendly person? Before she knew it, they were already walking into the guest room. King Leander stood up and shook his hands with the three. Briseis looked around the guest room. There seemed to be no sight of the princess.
"Good day, and welcome to our country, King Leander." Thetis greeted. "If I may ask, where is your fair little princess?"
"She just went into the washroom for a moment. She will come out soon. I am very glad for your hospitality, and will be happy to stay for a week in this fair country of yours." King Leander replied rather happily.
At that moment, the door to the washroom opened, and out came a girl with jet black curly hair. She had fair skin, and wore robes of white. Upon her head was a crown of stars, and her eyes were of blue. She gracefully walked over to Thetis, Achilles and Briseis, and bowed.
Briseis thought her beauty shone so bright the Gods would have smiled down upon her. She smiled at the princess, but surprisingly, she did not smile back at her. Aretha was showing an attitude as though Briseis was but a slave. Briseis frowned at the thought. Back home, in Troy, no one did look down upon her, and even Helen and Andromache, or the people in the streets smiled at her as she walked past.
Her train of thought was broken off when Thetis smiled and said, "Come, we shall sit and chat, not stand and burden ourselves." The five all took their seats, and Briseis took hers beside Achilles on the sofa.
"Are the slaves allowed to sit with the royal in your country? You certainly are very gracious, my Lady Thetis!" Aretha said, her voice sounding sweet and rich.
Thetis gave a confused look, then realised that Aretha was talking about Briseis. "Oh no, my dear princess, she is not a slave." Thetis replied. "She is my daughter-in-law."
Aretha shot Briseis a glare as Thetis and King Leander started chatting. Briseis frowned, and leaned back in the sofa, looking away. A week.
Briseis let her thoughts wander off, until she heard Leander spoke words that caused a pain in her heart. "You know, my fair Thetis," he said, "I was wondering if..."
"Yes?"
"That we could have an arranged marriage with your son. Aretha would make a fine wife." Leander ended.
Thetis looked alarmed. She did not want to offend King Leander and start a war, but she would say 'no' to such things. Even if Aretha looked lovely, and was a sweet child, Aretha could not match to the character of Briseis. "I beg your pardon, my dear Leander?" she asked.
"You heard me." King Leander replied.
"I did mention that Briseis is my daughter-in-law, did I not?" Thetis asked.
"I thought it was just a joking comment." King Leander said. "They are not married, are they? I have not heard of their wedding."
"No, but they are going to. Besides, she bears my grandchild." Thetis answered.
"Well then they have not been exactly engaged. My child is a virgin maiden, Thetis. She would make a fine wife. She is refined and polite. They are a match." King Leander said. "Besides... Your son has had many children with different women I suppose. Were they not just as cast away as this one will be?"
"Excuse me." Briseis said aloud, and got up, heading for the door. She let her anger get the better of her. She pushed the heavy doors once more and went out into the open. She wandered aimlessly around, walking very briskly. The nerve! How could they say that of her? How could that arrogant King insult her virginity? Was she not a virgin too until Achilles took her? She kicked at the stone on the ground, and continued walking, then breaking into a run. A week?
King Leander's words rang inside her head. Were they not just as cast away as this one will be? Briseis started to cry, afraid of her choice to come. She wished Andromache was here. She wished Hector was here. Paris. Helen. Priam. Anyone from Troy!
She stopped when she saw a familiar figure crossing her path. She regretted what she wished for.