Oh, what an exhausting day. I've to update now, or never.

School is starting tomorrow.


Chapter 4

It was in Mount Olympus. Aphrodite was leaning on a red comfortable couch. Ares, the God of War and Battle had just left her house, and she was alone. It was eighteen days since she went to the mortal word, and she wondered if her baby daughter had grown into a beautiful lady already. A day in the immortal world represented a year in the mortal world after all. She wondered if the baby had any men chasing after her. Oh, of course she has, she is the daughter of the God of Beauty herself... Aphrodite giggled a bit, and rested her head on a cushion when someone knocked the door. Who would it be? She had not made any appointments with any Gods today, except for Ares... And it was not likely that the person would be her husband. He had promised her that he would work late when he proposed. This was the reason Aphrodite promised the marriage.

She sat up and left the couch at a snail's pace, and walked towards the door. It was Echo, a very kind hearted wood nymph with an extremely beautiful voice. Aphrodite sometimes would come all the way from Mount Olympus to her cave just to listen to her stories. There were always a lot of gossips going between the two.

'My dearest Echo!' Aphrodite exclaimed. 'How glad you come to visit me.'

'I miss our gossips,' Echo said with her sweet and sing-song voice.

Aphrodite smiled at the nymph, and led her into her house. Once the two settled a bit, they began to gossip nonstop. Their gossip let to Ares, the new lover of Aphrodite. When the God of War and Battle was being talked about, the topic of the Trojan War was raised. Aphrodite smiled, and gave her wood nymph friend to see the golden apple, which had the words 'To the Fairest' carved on it. The Goddess told the nymph that it was presented to her by Paris, the youngest prince of Troy, one of the most beautiful of all men. He had chosen to give it to her among the three goddesses: Hera, Athene, and Aphrodite herself.

'Oh,' Echo said, 'Paris is a fine young man. But if you ask me who is the most beautiful of all young men, I would say he is Achilles, the leader of the Myrmidons in the army of Greece, the young prince of Phthia.' Aphrodite frowned a bit, 'Young prince of Phthia? Do you mean that beloved son of Thetis the Silver Feet, given by that mortal Peleus?' Echo grinned and nodded. 'Well, I can't deny that Paris is very good-looking, but I do think I like Achilles' better. He looks manlier to me.' Aphrodite raised her eyebrow. 'More attractive than Paris? This is someone I have to take a look at.'

The two looked down at the well, and the surface slowly formed an image of Achilles. He was resting his head on his right hand and his elbow on his knee. He was sitting on a bed, and was staring at something attentively. 'Oh... He is really very handsome.' Aphrodite said delightedly.

The two immortals talked for a while about the young man, and their topic changed into beautiful young women. Echo opened her mouth instantly to talk, 'If you ask me about beautiful young women, no one will be prettier than Helen, the beautiful wife of Paris. She is the one who caused the Trojan War.'

Aphrodite shook her head. There would be one certain lady that was even more beautiful than Helen. The girl was her daughter. Who would ever know about her daughter's beauty when no one had ever seen her face? Echo frowned a bit, puzzled by the smug smile plastered on Aphrodite's face. 'Oh, I have nearly forgotten. Of course, Aphrodite, my dearest friend. You are the most beautiful of all mortals and immortals.'

'Well, that's a positive answer. But we have been talking about mortal women. There is one girl who has never been discovered her beauty by anyone.' Aphrodite said, self-satisfied. Aphrodite looked into the well again, and it slowly showed her daughter. She was wearing a veil, and Aphrodite was pleased that the priest Briseus was doing what he was told. She observed the girl. Her features did look so much alike with Aphrodite herself, but she had inherited the colour of her father's eyes and hair. 'Who's this girl?' Echo asked curiously, drawing Aphrodite's attention.

'She's my daughter.' Aphrodite whispered to Echo. 'Your daughter? When have you had a daughter?'

'Don't tell anyone.' Aphrodite giggled. 'She's Hermes' daughter.'

Echo gasped, and looked into the well too. The girl was far more beautiful than Helen the fair cheeks. She looked up at Aphrodite mischievously. 'Why is she wearing a veil? Wear is she now?'

Aphrodite told the nymph about not letting anyone see her face. 'I don't want my daughter to be in danger of being raped by men. I must find her a beautiful and caring husband myself. Oh, yes. Maybe that child of Thetis. He is good-looking enough to be my son-in-law.' They looked into the well again and it zoomed out a bit to look at the surroundings of the girl Briseis. She was in a tent, and she was tidying the things up. On the middle was a bed, and on it sat the young man they had just looked at a few seconds ago. He was staring at her movements, never taking his eyes off her.

The two ladies laughed. 'He seems to be very interested in your daughter already.' Echo managed to choke out the words between her lovely laughter. 'What man can resist the beauty of her?' Aphrodite remarked. Aphrodite suddenly frowned. 'What is my daughter doing? Tidying up his things?' she said fumingly. She demanded that she must knew what had happened, and the well showed the goddess about what had happened in those eighteen years of her daughter and she was enraged by her daughter's situation.

However, Echo was smiling sweetly, and said, 'Oh, how romantic it will be if Thetis' son fall in love with your daughter, who is his slave now. I wonder what will happen.' The idea hit Aphrodite, and she smiled and replied, 'Why haven't I thought of this kind of romance before?' They laughed and talked for a few more minutes, and Echo bade Aphrodite farewell and left her home.

Once Echo had left, Aphrodite called for her son Eros.

'Good day, mother,' Eros greeted as he flew towards his gorgeous mother.

'Tell me, how is my daughter-in-law?' Aphrodite asked leisurely and leaned back on her couch. 'Psyche is very fine, mother. She praised your beauty and your wonderful deeds a lot.' Eros said courteously. 'Good.' Aphrodite smiled contentedly at her son, looked into the well, and said to him. 'Look at that young man down there?'

'Yes. What do you want me to do with him?' Eros asked. Aphrodite then pointed at her daughter. 'Recognize your sister?' Aphrodite asked, and Eros nodded. He knew every lover of his mother, and of course, he knew that he had a sister. 'Make that young man to fall in love with her.'

Eros started to fly away to perform his job, when Aphrodite stopped him and said, 'Don't use those arrows you have.' She jumped of her couch, and reached for a bottle of potion in her cupboard. 'Dip one of your plain arrows into this, and made that young man fall in love with your sister slowly.' Eros started off again, when Aphrodite reminded, 'You don't need to make your sister fall in love so quickly. I don't want her to devote herself to the young man so soon.'

After her son had disappeared in front of her, Aphrodite smiled at her own little project, pleased with herself.

'You seem to be very young,' Achilles said. 'How old are you?'

'Eighteen.' Briseis answered him frostily. Why was this man so curious about her?

Briseis had avoided talking to Achilles in the past ten days as much as she could, and she succeeded, as Achilles was busy in battle in the past few days. But today, the High King had decided to let his soldiers to rest for a week, so Achilles stayed in the tent. He had not done anything impolite or offending to her; he let her to sleep in his bed, and he on the floor instead. He was treating her quite kindly, he gave her dresses (Briseis did not know how he came by them), but mostly, Briseis would refuse to accept them. Well, sometimes he did lose his temper towards her, but he would apologize to her when he saw her tear-flooded eyes.

Sometimes Briseis would even wonder if she was still his slave or not, as he treated her this way. She did still help him to do his things, but Achilles would thank her when he came back from war. He would still sue her to remove her veil, but if she refused, he would not ask her anymore that day.

Briseis felt very uncomfortable as Achilles' eyes followed her movements. Why can't he get something for himself to do? Like talking with his fellow Myrmidons... Briseis buffed a bit, and walked towards the washbasin of Achilles. He had already washed his face, and Briseis held the basin in her arms and walked out of the tent to pour the water away. She exhaled. At least she was going to have a piece of mind for a few minutes.

It had rained as soon as she left the tent, and she sulked. What was she going to do? She did not want to enter the tent so soon... Maybe she could stay in the rain for a while. The sand was wet by the rainwater, and it was quite uncomfortable to walk on it. But Briseis did not care. She just wanted to escape from her master for just a few minutes. His questions were drawing her insane.

And to her surprise, Briseis had stayed in the rain for a few hours, just standing at the entrance of the tent, not going in. She had been thinking about her cousins and dead parents when Achilles suddenly emerged from his tent.

'Briseis!' he said, delighted, 'I thought you have wandered off to somewhere else in the camp and lost your way. Thank god that you are here!' Achilles grabbed Briseis hand, and pulled her into the tent.

Briseis followed Achilles back to his tent reluctantly. How can I manage him in the following week? Briseis thought bitterly.

Once Briseis entered the tent, she regretted that she had stayed in the rain for so long. Her dress was sticking to her body, and it was very cold. The most the worry her was her veil, it was made of very thin cloth, and it was completely soaked now. It stuck to her face, and she was quite sure that her features were shown. Briseis covered her body, as she was afraid that her master would look at her. But she had to cover her face also... Briseis turned her back to Achilles, trying to solve the problem.

'Are you cold?' Achilles asked, and Briseis nodded a bit.

Achilles threw her a clean and dry dress that he had brought her a few days ago, which Briseis refused to wear. Well, she had to put it on now anyway. Briseis frowned again when she realized that she could not change in front of Achilles. 'Milord...'

'Yes, Briseis?' Achilles replied.

'I... need to change...' Briseis said timidly as she turned towards Achilles. She hoped that Achilles would not make fun of her.

However, her wish was not granted. 'What are you waiting for then?' Achilles said in fake lascivious.

Briseis lowered her head a bit and pouted. She was not quite aware that her veil was still sticking to her face, and Achilles had noticed her pout. 'No need to pout, gorgeous. I promise not to look, okay?'

'Thank you.' Briseis said, and squeezed out the water from her veil at once. It was a bit better, and Briseis changed. She found another piece of cloth, and used it as her veil temporally, while she let her original one dried.

'Have you finished?' Achilles asked.

'Yes.' Briseis replied as Achilles opened his eyes again.

'Yes?' Achilles said, looking at the girl. 'We have nothing to do. It's raining outside.' He said, smiling, while Briseis winced inwardly. 'Let's talk.'


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