Chapter 6: Going Home

Briseis stood on the ship that was going to lead her home. She was eager to see her beloved cousins and uncle once again. She couldn't wait to feel safe behind the Trojan walls once again, to feel her cousins and uncle's embraces when she entered the kingdom. However, she was ignoring the pain in her heart, she was ignoring the fact that she loved Achilles. She sighed happily and pulled out the medallion that revealed herself as the Jewel of Troy.

Achilles was watching Briseis with sad eyes. He loved her with all his heart and soul, but he knew that she refused to love him back because of her family. He knew that she wanted to be with her family and refused to love him because of that fact. He sighed and looked out over the ocean. He loved her, he knew he was destined to love this woman, but he also knew that destiny was taking them apart. He prayed to the gods that he would be able to see her again. Achilles walked down the stairs and stood next to Briseis. "The water is beautiful, isn't it?" He questioned.

"Yes, the last time I was going across the ocean was when I was taken from Troy to become a slave," she replied.

She then looked at him with a gentle smile. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Why are you thanking me now?" He asked.

"I am thanking you because you freed me from an awful life and gave me a new one," she replied.

Achilles smiled to see a glow in her eyes that he never saw before. "You're welcome, Jewel of Troy," he murmured. He then left and Briseis looked out over the ocean once again.

That night, her first night on the ship, she crawled into her bed and fell asleep, dreaming of her family.

(Flash Back)

Ten Years Ago

Ten-year-old Briseis was running around the kingdom and hid behind a pillar. Paris ran into the room searching for his cousin. "I'm going to find you, cousin," he teased. Briseis held back a giggle so he wouldn't find her. In her hand was a wooden sword that Priam gave her for her birthday. Paris held his own wooden sword. "You can't hide forever," he taunted. She then jumped out in front of him and he blocked her attack. "I always fall for that trick," he groaned.

"I'm more skilled than you," she laughed.

"Are you really? Is that so?" He questioned.

She nodded before their play fight continued. She then got him on the floor. "I win," she announced triumphantly. Briseis offered a hand to him, but instead of using her hand to help him up, he pulled her down with him. She shrieked when she landed on her cousin. They rolled on the ground before they found themselves in the gardens looking up into the sky. "Paris," she whispered.

"Yeah," he answered.

"Will we be close like this forever?"

Paris looked at his cousin with a small grin. "We'll always be close like this, Briseis, I promise," he vowed.

"Promise, promise?" She asked.

"Promise, promise," he answered.

He kissed her cheek before helping her up from the ground.

Eight Years Ago

Briseis wondered around the kingdom when she found Hector in the library again. "Hector, what are you reading about now?" She asked.

"I'm studying, my tutor is already mad at me that I'm not studying the gods," he replied.

She sat on the table and looked at the book. "Boring," she yawned.

"I didn't say you could stay here and watch me study, go play with Paris," he sighed irritably.

"I don't want to play with Paris," she groaned.

"I can't play right now."

She then plucked the book from his hands. "Now you can," she giggled. She then ran out of the library before Hector grabbed her.

"GIVE THAT BACK!" He yelled.

"NO!" She retorted.

They were running around the gardens and she climbed up a tree. Hector was looking for her and sighed. "I hate it when she does that," he sighed. She had the book hidden in the tree and she jumped on him.

"GOT YOU!" She exclaimed.

Hector landed on the grass with Briseis on him. "Don't you ever get tired playing with me?" He asked. She shook her head before kissing his cheek. "Please give me back my book. I promise that once I'm done studying we'll play," he remarked. She got up and climbed back up into the tree and gave Hector his book back. "Thank you," he acknowledged. He kissed her cheek before sitting down and started to study.

Seven Years Ago

Briseis was sitting in her bedroom reading a book when there was a knock on her door. "Come in," she answered. She looked up and saw Priam enter the room. "Uncle, is there something wrong?" She asked. Priam smiled and shook his head.

"Nothing is wrong, my niece. I just came to see what you were doing," he replied.

He sat on the edge of the bed and saw the book that she was reading. "Uncle," she murmured.

"Yes," he answered.

"I know this question is silly, but why am I the Jewel of Troy?" She asked.

Priam smiled and stroked her hair. "You're the Jewel of Troy because you're as beautiful as a jewel, our people love you, and we love you. You're the jewel of our hearts. That's why you are the Jewel of Troy," he replied.

Briseis smiled and then he snapped a pendant around her neck. She looked at it to see that it was a blue gem shaped like a star. "It's beautiful, uncle," she whispered.

"I thought you would think that. Good night, Briseis," he whispered.

He kissed her forehead before getting up from the bed. "Good night, uncle," she yawned. She then fell asleep with a smile on her face.

(End Flash Backs)

Briseis woke up and got up. She brushed her hair out and pulled on a dress. She looked in the mirror and saw the pendant winking back at her in the sunlight. She opened the door and walked outside.

Days passed and they finally arrived at Troy. Her eagerness began to control her, but she calmed herself. They brought two horses out from underneath the ship as the ship stopped at the beach. Achilles helped Briseis onto her horse and got onto his. They rode off towards the walls, but Achilles had to make an excuse so no one could recognize her. He had her face covered with a veil so no one could see her face.

As they arrived at the walls, soldiers called down to him. "I HAVE BROUGHT A GIFT TO THE KING OF TROY! PLEASE OPEN YOUR DOORS!" Achilles called. The doors opened and Achilles and Briseis entered the city.

When they climbed the stairs, the doors opened to the throne room. Briseis' heart was pounding when she saw Priam, Hector, Andromache, and Paris sitting in their seats, looking at Achilles. "Welcome to Troy, young soldier. I am King Priam, these are my sons, Prince Hector and Prince Paris, and this is my eldest son's wife, Andromache. What gift do you bring?" Priam asked.

"This is no ordinary gift, my lord," Achilles replied.

He removed the veil from Briseis' face and Paris stood up in amazement. "Briseis?" He asked. He walked closer to her. "Is it really you?" He asked. She removed the pendant to show that it was she. "Briseis!" He gasped. He hugged her tight with happiness in his heart. He picked her off the floor and spun her around. Priam and Hector quickly walked over to her and hugged her as well. Briseis gladly hugged her uncle and cousins with tearful eyes. Priam looked at Achilles and walked over to him.

"You have brought my niece home after she disappeared three years ago. How can we ever repay you?" He asked.

Achilles held his hand up to the king. "I need nothing for you to repay. I already had my reward and that was to see the smile on your niece's face," Achilles replied.

"Where did you find her? We searched for almost a year," Paris pointed out.

"I was invited to one of King Agamemnon's banquets. He had many of his slave dancers to make his close friends and other people he knew happy. I was given a slave to enjoy for the night, I had no intention of doing such thing to any woman. I had removed the veil from her face and saw that it was the girl you were searching for. Apparently Agamemnon had her locked up so you couldn't find her. I had to buy her from the evil king and I had vowed to bring her home and I did," Achilles explained.

They thanked him again before they embraced Briseis again. Achilles began to leave before Briseis went after him. "ACHILLES!" She called. He stopped and looked at her. "Must you leave so soon?" She asked.

"I must, my place is with my people just like how your place is with yours. This is goodbye, my lady," he replied.

He kissed the back of her hand and touched her face. "Goodbye," he repeated. Then he left. Briseis stood on the steps watching Achilles leave with sad eyes. She went back inside to be with the family she longed to see again.