Chapter 9
(the Aretha plot a kind of silly, but I had to add in something to the tension...)
And I just realised Neoptolemus was the only son of Achilles!!
Aretha looked around in the fifth floor hallway. There was no one around. Good, she thought. She did not want anyone to see her plot. Very slowly, she climbed and sat on a window sill.
She knew Achilles would pass this way. This window would not be missed. She had to marry Achilles no matter what. Briseis would not thwart her plan. "He was supposed to be mine." she said quietly to herself.
As she heard him approaching, she deliberately let out a scream, and kicked herself off the window, leaving her hand to grip the window sill, to prevent herself from falling.
Achilles looked out the window, and Aretha shouted for help. He very much wanted to leave. He knew Aretha did it on purpose. Her silly games. From the first time he had met Aretha, he detested her, for she was nothing more than a snobby rich girl who had a fancy title. He was irritated with her movie, but gritting his teeth, he showed courtesy as a host, and roughly pulled Aretha up.
As he brought Aretha up, Aretha pulled herself towards Achilles, and forced herself onto his lips.
Achilles pushed Aretha away, and by accident, his teeth bit onto Aretha's neck. He calmly walked away and said coldly, "I do not fall for such seduction, Princess. I am immune to it." He then disappeared behind two large doors.
Aretha walked along the corridor on the fifth floor. He WILL be mine. There is no end to this!
---
Briseis walked back to the palace with Ariadne, eagerly anticipating a rest. "Have you not thought of getting married?" Briseis asked Ariadne.
"No. I am very bothered about the survival of my mother and siblings. Thinking about the rest scares me. Besides, I am bound to this duty of serving the royal family. I cannot choose to marry." Ariadne replied, sounding a little bitter.
Briseis pondered on this. I was a virgin priestess, I chose to be. I was not supposed to do it, but I gave in to Achilles. A lot of other similar thoughts ran through her mind, and she soon realised she was on the third floor of the castle.
Neoptolemus came jogging towards Briseis, and said, "Andromache wishes to see you, my lady."
Briseis nodded. "Bring me to her." Ariadne took Briseis' possessions, and brought them over to Briseis' room.
As Briseis followed Neoptolemus, silence surrounded them. She found nothing to ask Neoptomelus, though there was an urge to ask about Andromache.
Pushing past the door, Briseis watched as Neoptomelus closed the door, leaving the two women alone inside. No one spoke. The silence was deafening. "Would you not speak? Have you naught to tell me?" Andromache asked, her voice sounding weaker than before.
Briseis continued to stand there. Her lips felt stuck together, dry. When she did pull them apart, there seemed to be a feel of tearing flesh. "Are you angry with me, Andromache?" she asked quietly. Silence. "I am sorry. I could not stop myself."
"Come, Briseis." Andromache gestured to the seat beside her on the soft bed.
I won't blame you if you wish to hit me... Briseis thought to herself. When the blow she had been waiting for did not come, she blurted out her thoughts. "Will you not hit me?" She then muttered an apology.
To Briseis' surprise, Andromache lightly laughed. "You've always been like that, blurting out your thoughts." Andromache said.
"You are not angry?" Briseis asked hopefully.
"Should I be?"
"I suppose yes." Briseis answered.
"Well but I am not." Andromache replied. "I do not think bearing hatred for each other helps the situation. Briseis, you must watch yourself. Your rashness can get you into serious trouble. Do not jump to conclusions."
Briseis looked at Andromache, wondering why she suddenly mentioned this. She changed the subject. "Are you alright here?"
"Oh, you mean to ask about Neoptolemus?" Andromache asked. Briseis nodded. Andromache took Briseis' hand. Briseis noticed that Andromache's fingers seemed even thinner than ever, and her face lost the usually rosy cheeks on a determined face. What replaced it was a look of sorrow and longing. "He did nothing to me. But he seemed rather gentle, other than his inherited arrogance from his father. I know not of his intentions. I wish to go free, but I have nowhere to go. Hector is dead. So is Astyanax." Andromache lightly sniffed, wiping her tears away.
After a moment, Andromache managed a smile and said, "At least you are safe. You should go, Briseis."
"But-"
"I will be fine."
Briseis reluctantly left the room, and walked slowly down the corridor, lit by many torches placed against the orange walls. She hugged her own waist, feeling cold. It was not the coldness of her surroundings -- the many torches assured that. She was afraid. Afraid of being alone, afraid of her fate. She could no longer find inner peace. Conflicting thoughts haunted her mind.
It was not until Briseis saw the shadow of another that she stopped suddenly, and looked up. Aretha. Briseis gave her an irritated look, for she was very tired after pondering so much for the day. There was no wish to entertain this woman.
"Achilles is mine. He will be mine." Aretha said quietly.
"Is that so?" Briseis asked, unamused. She seems so pampered that she is a little childish.
Aretha pushed back her hair, to reveal where Achilles had unintentionally bitten. "He bit me. Isn't that a sign of affection?"
"Oh?" Briseis asked. She surveyed the scar on Aretha's neck. It did resemble Achilles' teeth marks, but Briseis ignored the fact. "Well, perhaps you have gotten another man to bite you, just to try your desperate hand at separating me and Achilles. It seems to me that he hasn't bitten you hard enough. Pity." Briseis walked away, but Aretha grabbed her wrist and turned her around.
Briseis felt a sudden blow on her cheek, and then fresh blood coursed down from a cut on the upper lip. She did not want a fight. The baby must not be risked, even if that meant bottling up her anger. Instead, she freed her hand roughly, and walked silently away.
After locking the bedroom door, Briseis looked around. She was alone, and it made her long for Achilles' nearness. I am too soft, Briseis scolded herself, he is busy, I should not be selfish. She slowly put a hand to her own neck, and felt for the scar that still had not disappeared completely. The same pattern. It's just a coincidence.
---
When Achilles returned to their bedroom, he found Briseis asleep on the bed, and walked towards her quietly. He noticed a cut on her upper lip, untreated, unwashed. Very lightly, he shook Briseis awake, and Briseis sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"Who did this?" Achilles asked, lifting Briseis' chin.
Briseis looked away. "I did it myself." she lied. She wanted very much to tell him the truth, but she knew his temper -- he would get back at Aretha. She waited to see what Achilles would say.
"Next time you lie," Achilles said, lifting Briseis' hand, "consider all the details. You don't have sharp fingernails." Briseis was annoyed by her mistake. "It was Aretha, wasn't it?" Briseis silently nodded.
"Please, do not go for revenge!" Briseis exclaimed, holding Achilles' wrist when he stood up from the bed.
"Not yet." Achilles replied, and went into the bathroom.
He returned with a clean towel, and a basin of water. "I seem to be always doing this for you." He dipped the towel into the basin. "Why do you not want me to take revenge?"
Briseis winced as the towel touched her wound. "Because you said you were born fr killing. It scares me so. I do not want any unpleasant spark to go off between the kingdoms. I have witnessed the Trojan War, and it is painful to watch my homeland fall. Surely, the people of Phtia feel that way too?"
"You are a thoughtful priestess. Very well, I shall respect your decision. You had better stay away from Aretha. If she does anything worse to hurt you, I cannot give you my word that I will not harm her." Achilles replied.
"I am no priestess." Briseis said, her voice trembling, remembering her dream. "From the day you took me, I no longer was a priestess." She mentioned nothing of the bite, for she decided that it was not necessary.
That night was a peaceful one. The trees danced a little in the night breeze. The birds returned to their little nests. The lights in the houses slowly went out one by one.
Achilles awoke. There was a knife across his throat.
(the Aretha plot a kind of silly, but I had to add in something to the tension...)
And I just realised Neoptolemus was the only son of Achilles!!
Aretha looked around in the fifth floor hallway. There was no one around. Good, she thought. She did not want anyone to see her plot. Very slowly, she climbed and sat on a window sill.
She knew Achilles would pass this way. This window would not be missed. She had to marry Achilles no matter what. Briseis would not thwart her plan. "He was supposed to be mine." she said quietly to herself.
As she heard him approaching, she deliberately let out a scream, and kicked herself off the window, leaving her hand to grip the window sill, to prevent herself from falling.
Achilles looked out the window, and Aretha shouted for help. He very much wanted to leave. He knew Aretha did it on purpose. Her silly games. From the first time he had met Aretha, he detested her, for she was nothing more than a snobby rich girl who had a fancy title. He was irritated with her movie, but gritting his teeth, he showed courtesy as a host, and roughly pulled Aretha up.
As he brought Aretha up, Aretha pulled herself towards Achilles, and forced herself onto his lips.
Achilles pushed Aretha away, and by accident, his teeth bit onto Aretha's neck. He calmly walked away and said coldly, "I do not fall for such seduction, Princess. I am immune to it." He then disappeared behind two large doors.
Aretha walked along the corridor on the fifth floor. He WILL be mine. There is no end to this!
---
Briseis walked back to the palace with Ariadne, eagerly anticipating a rest. "Have you not thought of getting married?" Briseis asked Ariadne.
"No. I am very bothered about the survival of my mother and siblings. Thinking about the rest scares me. Besides, I am bound to this duty of serving the royal family. I cannot choose to marry." Ariadne replied, sounding a little bitter.
Briseis pondered on this. I was a virgin priestess, I chose to be. I was not supposed to do it, but I gave in to Achilles. A lot of other similar thoughts ran through her mind, and she soon realised she was on the third floor of the castle.
Neoptolemus came jogging towards Briseis, and said, "Andromache wishes to see you, my lady."
Briseis nodded. "Bring me to her." Ariadne took Briseis' possessions, and brought them over to Briseis' room.
As Briseis followed Neoptolemus, silence surrounded them. She found nothing to ask Neoptomelus, though there was an urge to ask about Andromache.
Pushing past the door, Briseis watched as Neoptomelus closed the door, leaving the two women alone inside. No one spoke. The silence was deafening. "Would you not speak? Have you naught to tell me?" Andromache asked, her voice sounding weaker than before.
Briseis continued to stand there. Her lips felt stuck together, dry. When she did pull them apart, there seemed to be a feel of tearing flesh. "Are you angry with me, Andromache?" she asked quietly. Silence. "I am sorry. I could not stop myself."
"Come, Briseis." Andromache gestured to the seat beside her on the soft bed.
I won't blame you if you wish to hit me... Briseis thought to herself. When the blow she had been waiting for did not come, she blurted out her thoughts. "Will you not hit me?" She then muttered an apology.
To Briseis' surprise, Andromache lightly laughed. "You've always been like that, blurting out your thoughts." Andromache said.
"You are not angry?" Briseis asked hopefully.
"Should I be?"
"I suppose yes." Briseis answered.
"Well but I am not." Andromache replied. "I do not think bearing hatred for each other helps the situation. Briseis, you must watch yourself. Your rashness can get you into serious trouble. Do not jump to conclusions."
Briseis looked at Andromache, wondering why she suddenly mentioned this. She changed the subject. "Are you alright here?"
"Oh, you mean to ask about Neoptolemus?" Andromache asked. Briseis nodded. Andromache took Briseis' hand. Briseis noticed that Andromache's fingers seemed even thinner than ever, and her face lost the usually rosy cheeks on a determined face. What replaced it was a look of sorrow and longing. "He did nothing to me. But he seemed rather gentle, other than his inherited arrogance from his father. I know not of his intentions. I wish to go free, but I have nowhere to go. Hector is dead. So is Astyanax." Andromache lightly sniffed, wiping her tears away.
After a moment, Andromache managed a smile and said, "At least you are safe. You should go, Briseis."
"But-"
"I will be fine."
Briseis reluctantly left the room, and walked slowly down the corridor, lit by many torches placed against the orange walls. She hugged her own waist, feeling cold. It was not the coldness of her surroundings -- the many torches assured that. She was afraid. Afraid of being alone, afraid of her fate. She could no longer find inner peace. Conflicting thoughts haunted her mind.
It was not until Briseis saw the shadow of another that she stopped suddenly, and looked up. Aretha. Briseis gave her an irritated look, for she was very tired after pondering so much for the day. There was no wish to entertain this woman.
"Achilles is mine. He will be mine." Aretha said quietly.
"Is that so?" Briseis asked, unamused. She seems so pampered that she is a little childish.
Aretha pushed back her hair, to reveal where Achilles had unintentionally bitten. "He bit me. Isn't that a sign of affection?"
"Oh?" Briseis asked. She surveyed the scar on Aretha's neck. It did resemble Achilles' teeth marks, but Briseis ignored the fact. "Well, perhaps you have gotten another man to bite you, just to try your desperate hand at separating me and Achilles. It seems to me that he hasn't bitten you hard enough. Pity." Briseis walked away, but Aretha grabbed her wrist and turned her around.
Briseis felt a sudden blow on her cheek, and then fresh blood coursed down from a cut on the upper lip. She did not want a fight. The baby must not be risked, even if that meant bottling up her anger. Instead, she freed her hand roughly, and walked silently away.
After locking the bedroom door, Briseis looked around. She was alone, and it made her long for Achilles' nearness. I am too soft, Briseis scolded herself, he is busy, I should not be selfish. She slowly put a hand to her own neck, and felt for the scar that still had not disappeared completely. The same pattern. It's just a coincidence.
---
When Achilles returned to their bedroom, he found Briseis asleep on the bed, and walked towards her quietly. He noticed a cut on her upper lip, untreated, unwashed. Very lightly, he shook Briseis awake, and Briseis sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"Who did this?" Achilles asked, lifting Briseis' chin.
Briseis looked away. "I did it myself." she lied. She wanted very much to tell him the truth, but she knew his temper -- he would get back at Aretha. She waited to see what Achilles would say.
"Next time you lie," Achilles said, lifting Briseis' hand, "consider all the details. You don't have sharp fingernails." Briseis was annoyed by her mistake. "It was Aretha, wasn't it?" Briseis silently nodded.
"Please, do not go for revenge!" Briseis exclaimed, holding Achilles' wrist when he stood up from the bed.
"Not yet." Achilles replied, and went into the bathroom.
He returned with a clean towel, and a basin of water. "I seem to be always doing this for you." He dipped the towel into the basin. "Why do you not want me to take revenge?"
Briseis winced as the towel touched her wound. "Because you said you were born fr killing. It scares me so. I do not want any unpleasant spark to go off between the kingdoms. I have witnessed the Trojan War, and it is painful to watch my homeland fall. Surely, the people of Phtia feel that way too?"
"You are a thoughtful priestess. Very well, I shall respect your decision. You had better stay away from Aretha. If she does anything worse to hurt you, I cannot give you my word that I will not harm her." Achilles replied.
"I am no priestess." Briseis said, her voice trembling, remembering her dream. "From the day you took me, I no longer was a priestess." She mentioned nothing of the bite, for she decided that it was not necessary.
That night was a peaceful one. The trees danced a little in the night breeze. The birds returned to their little nests. The lights in the houses slowly went out one by one.
Achilles awoke. There was a knife across his throat.