Chapter 13
Achilles retired from his fruitless search. He gazed out at the lake, running a hand through his golden hair. Stop it, Achilles, you're being WEAK. She's just a woman... But Achilles knew in his heart that it was not true. He loved Briseis. Though he was weak. He still remained rather calm on the outside.
As he bent down to reach for the water, he noticed an object half buried under the sand. Uncovering it, he held it up, and then tightened his hold. It was the seashell necklace that Briseis had dropped while she was attacked. "Briseis!" Achilles called out.
--
Briseis walked on, her feet blistering. They were traveling on rough ground, mingled with stone and the heat from the Sun. In her rashness to run out, she had not worn any shoes. No one spoke on the journey. Afternoon came, and Briseis looked up to find seven horses lined up in a row, tied to seven trees.
Briseis was pushed from behind, as she was put on the first horse. Sh watched the other soldiers mount, and another one (supposedly their leader) mounting behind the horse she was on.
They went at a rather quick pace, and though Hector did let Briseis ride a horse before, she had only rode once, and was not used to the odd feeling. She was having a headache from not eating anything since that evening, but did not dare to voice it out. It would be useless anyway. She was a captive -- they would never be kind to her.
Her legs had bruises when they finally stopped under a shelter of trees before the sun set. She leaned against the tree, her hands still bound with the rough texture of rope. The men were starting a small fire. Briseis saw them retrieving a large sack, from which they removed some food.
Briseis watched the sun set behind trees at the other end, and smiled to herself. It was bitter, yet sweet. Bitter, for the mess she had gotten into. Sweet, for the memories that the sunset brought her.
"Here," the leader of the soldiers came over, unbinding Briseis' hands. She moved her hands in front of her, painfully, and saw the red lines of her torn skin. She looked up at the captain, unsure of what to make of this man.
The leader passed her some bread. It was hard, but Briseis felt contented. Was it poison? But the queen wanted her back alive, therefore she concluded that it was safe to eat.
"My name is Sanders." the man said, watching Briseis eat.
Briseis managed to tear her dry lips apart, but hesitated for a moment before she replied, "Briseis."
Sanders passed her an extra goblet, with clear water from the river nearby. Briseis drank it, feeling the moisture on her lips. "Why did you tell me your name?" Briseis asked. "Who you are is no concern of mine."
Sanders shrugged. "Perhaps I simply want to show kindness. I have two daughters at home, both of whom have shown me the power of kindness. But that is of no concern of yours too, I suppose."
"Why am I wanted?" Briseis questioned.
"I do not know. We just follow orders. The king is not around, and I heard that the queen is very worried for his return." Sanders answered.
Achilles. I miss Achilles. Briseis closed her eyes, but the image of Achilles and Aretha still stayed in her mind.
"Is anything the matter?" Sanders asked, noticing the pained look on Briseis' face.
"Nay, nothing. It is just a family matter." Briseis answered.
"Perhaps you would like to speak out your thoughts before we start our journey again." Sanders suggested.
Briseis looked at Sanders. "It is a quarrel with my...husband. I found him with another woman."
To her surprise, Sanders laughed. "Well, that was what happened between me and my wife ten years ago. I was not guilty of that then, but my pregnant wife thought I had abandoned her for another woman. It just turned out to be a misunderstanding. Did you hear your husband's explanation?"
"But they do lie, don't they?" Briseis asked.
"It is up to you to feel whether your husband can be trusted." Sanders replied. He soon got up and ordered the other soldiers to set off again.
"I apologize, but I must bind your hands again." Sanders said, holding up rope.
--
Achilles returned to the palace, clutching the necklace in his right hand. Aretha was emerging from the dining hall, and then spotted Achilles. She looked at him as if nothing had happened, and that she did no wrong, walking towards the palace doors. King Leander emerged with Thetis shortly later.
Achilles looked at Aretha in his usual, calm way, but inside, he was boiling. He struck a blow across Aretha's face. "That is for striking my wife."
Aretha looked at Achilles, a line of blood trailing down her cheek. "You..."
"What did you just do, Achilles?!" King Leander exclaimed. "You hit my daughter!"
"Ask your daughter what she did." Achilles replied coldly, restraining himself from hitting him as well.
"My daughter claims that you have taken her last night." King Leander said furiously.
"I have not. She has taken away my wife!" Achilles held up the pearl necklace. "If you'd please, take better charge of your daughter. I don't suppose your kingdom produces such brats?"
King Leander glared at Achilles, his blood boiling, and resolved to hit Achilles, but Achilles dodged the blow easily. "I do not care, but you WILL take in my daughter as your first wife! Since you have taken her last night, you shall marry her!" King Leander shouted.
Achilles noticed how much he acted like Agamemnon. "If you choose to believe your daughter, I have no objections. But I will not marry her. Since you mentioned that, I did take Briseis first, did I not? What has your daughter's purity got to do with me? I am no liar. I am not made for women to push around, not a fancy prince to fawn over. I was born for war."
"War?" King Leander replied. "Perhaps you would want a war to strike your country. You have no love for your own homeland?"
"War? I did not start it. You threw your daughter here, not me. You have no right to say that you love your country, if you are sending your men into doom." Achilles retorted, returning to his chambers. He cared not even if he knew he had angered King Leander greatly. The previous king was a good one, but perhaps it would be ruined in the hands of Leander.
I do not care for war now. What is a war? A foolish way of kings to throw away lives. Though...The thirst for fame and glory still lies hidden inside me somewhere. Wherever you are, Briseis, I will follow you.
Achilles retired from his fruitless search. He gazed out at the lake, running a hand through his golden hair. Stop it, Achilles, you're being WEAK. She's just a woman... But Achilles knew in his heart that it was not true. He loved Briseis. Though he was weak. He still remained rather calm on the outside.
As he bent down to reach for the water, he noticed an object half buried under the sand. Uncovering it, he held it up, and then tightened his hold. It was the seashell necklace that Briseis had dropped while she was attacked. "Briseis!" Achilles called out.
--
Briseis walked on, her feet blistering. They were traveling on rough ground, mingled with stone and the heat from the Sun. In her rashness to run out, she had not worn any shoes. No one spoke on the journey. Afternoon came, and Briseis looked up to find seven horses lined up in a row, tied to seven trees.
Briseis was pushed from behind, as she was put on the first horse. Sh watched the other soldiers mount, and another one (supposedly their leader) mounting behind the horse she was on.
They went at a rather quick pace, and though Hector did let Briseis ride a horse before, she had only rode once, and was not used to the odd feeling. She was having a headache from not eating anything since that evening, but did not dare to voice it out. It would be useless anyway. She was a captive -- they would never be kind to her.
Her legs had bruises when they finally stopped under a shelter of trees before the sun set. She leaned against the tree, her hands still bound with the rough texture of rope. The men were starting a small fire. Briseis saw them retrieving a large sack, from which they removed some food.
Briseis watched the sun set behind trees at the other end, and smiled to herself. It was bitter, yet sweet. Bitter, for the mess she had gotten into. Sweet, for the memories that the sunset brought her.
"Here," the leader of the soldiers came over, unbinding Briseis' hands. She moved her hands in front of her, painfully, and saw the red lines of her torn skin. She looked up at the captain, unsure of what to make of this man.
The leader passed her some bread. It was hard, but Briseis felt contented. Was it poison? But the queen wanted her back alive, therefore she concluded that it was safe to eat.
"My name is Sanders." the man said, watching Briseis eat.
Briseis managed to tear her dry lips apart, but hesitated for a moment before she replied, "Briseis."
Sanders passed her an extra goblet, with clear water from the river nearby. Briseis drank it, feeling the moisture on her lips. "Why did you tell me your name?" Briseis asked. "Who you are is no concern of mine."
Sanders shrugged. "Perhaps I simply want to show kindness. I have two daughters at home, both of whom have shown me the power of kindness. But that is of no concern of yours too, I suppose."
"Why am I wanted?" Briseis questioned.
"I do not know. We just follow orders. The king is not around, and I heard that the queen is very worried for his return." Sanders answered.
Achilles. I miss Achilles. Briseis closed her eyes, but the image of Achilles and Aretha still stayed in her mind.
"Is anything the matter?" Sanders asked, noticing the pained look on Briseis' face.
"Nay, nothing. It is just a family matter." Briseis answered.
"Perhaps you would like to speak out your thoughts before we start our journey again." Sanders suggested.
Briseis looked at Sanders. "It is a quarrel with my...husband. I found him with another woman."
To her surprise, Sanders laughed. "Well, that was what happened between me and my wife ten years ago. I was not guilty of that then, but my pregnant wife thought I had abandoned her for another woman. It just turned out to be a misunderstanding. Did you hear your husband's explanation?"
"But they do lie, don't they?" Briseis asked.
"It is up to you to feel whether your husband can be trusted." Sanders replied. He soon got up and ordered the other soldiers to set off again.
"I apologize, but I must bind your hands again." Sanders said, holding up rope.
--
Achilles returned to the palace, clutching the necklace in his right hand. Aretha was emerging from the dining hall, and then spotted Achilles. She looked at him as if nothing had happened, and that she did no wrong, walking towards the palace doors. King Leander emerged with Thetis shortly later.
Achilles looked at Aretha in his usual, calm way, but inside, he was boiling. He struck a blow across Aretha's face. "That is for striking my wife."
Aretha looked at Achilles, a line of blood trailing down her cheek. "You..."
"What did you just do, Achilles?!" King Leander exclaimed. "You hit my daughter!"
"Ask your daughter what she did." Achilles replied coldly, restraining himself from hitting him as well.
"My daughter claims that you have taken her last night." King Leander said furiously.
"I have not. She has taken away my wife!" Achilles held up the pearl necklace. "If you'd please, take better charge of your daughter. I don't suppose your kingdom produces such brats?"
King Leander glared at Achilles, his blood boiling, and resolved to hit Achilles, but Achilles dodged the blow easily. "I do not care, but you WILL take in my daughter as your first wife! Since you have taken her last night, you shall marry her!" King Leander shouted.
Achilles noticed how much he acted like Agamemnon. "If you choose to believe your daughter, I have no objections. But I will not marry her. Since you mentioned that, I did take Briseis first, did I not? What has your daughter's purity got to do with me? I am no liar. I am not made for women to push around, not a fancy prince to fawn over. I was born for war."
"War?" King Leander replied. "Perhaps you would want a war to strike your country. You have no love for your own homeland?"
"War? I did not start it. You threw your daughter here, not me. You have no right to say that you love your country, if you are sending your men into doom." Achilles retorted, returning to his chambers. He cared not even if he knew he had angered King Leander greatly. The previous king was a good one, but perhaps it would be ruined in the hands of Leander.
I do not care for war now. What is a war? A foolish way of kings to throw away lives. Though...The thirst for fame and glory still lies hidden inside me somewhere. Wherever you are, Briseis, I will follow you.