Chapter Eleven

The Greeks were losing. My heart had been weakened by Briseis. This was my one chance to seal my fate, the way I wanted it to be.

Odysseus thought otherwise.

He was planning to siege the Walls of Troy once and for all.

Achilles

"I am in love," I said to Odysseus. "I truly think that I am in love."

I winced to hear what he had to say. He chuckled warmly. "Every man that has walked this earth must fall in love sometime in his life. I was wondering when Eros would pinch your heart with his magic potion. Finally it has happened to Achilles! Tell me now, who is it?"

I wasn't sure if I was to tell him this. If I told him that I loved a Trojan girl, what would he think?

"She is Briseis, priestess of the Temple of Troy. She serves Apollo, their patron god-"
I paused. Odysseus turned nonchalant. Of course, I wouldn't have expected him to be happy for me, exactly. She was still the Greeks' enemy, although not mine.

"She is beautiful. I love her, Odysseus. Is there a problem to love a woman? Women, who are not involved in war at all…who stay pure and innocent and sweet their whole lives. The moment I saw her face, I knew it…I felt as if I were chastened, changed. The part of me that was missing was fulfilled. I felt weakened by her presence, but somehow I grew stronger."

"You remind me of my wife, Penelope." Odysseus looked down for a moment. "But do you think it is righteous, Achilles, to leave the Greek lines for her? You have fought alongside us for this long, why leave now?"

"I have chosen my fate. I won't let some oracle tell me a damn prophecy about my destiny. My destiny is my own; I alone can control it. I will not fight for the Greeks any longer." I sounded bitter, which shocked Odysseus.

"Be calm. I don't know what it is with you and destiny…but even before you were born, at your parents' wedding, there was chaos. Because of the golden apple, Paris chose Aphrodite as the fairest, which led to the kidnapping of Helen, and this war. You were bred on chaos, Achilles. That is how you shall live and that is how you are to die."

I shook my head. Odysseus grew stern. I recalled the histories he had told me on my journey to Aulis, yet, I didn't believe that my destiny was set out for me. My destiny was with Briseis.

"I desire peace. I do not want to spend the rest of my life fighting for glory. I am tired, Odysseus. I do not care if people speak my name for the next thousand years and all the ages of the world still to come. I want to rest now. Please, can you do me a favor?"

Odysseus didn't look up.

"Please, hear me. I want you to surrender. Retreat as soon as you can. I…I need you to do this for me."

"Traitor!"

"You will do it, won't you? I need for Briseis to be safe."
"No. I will remain loyal to my country, unlike you."

"I fought under no flag in the first place! I don't even know who I am! That is why I have made the decision to become neutral. I stand on no one's side."

"You will rue the day you said that, Achilles. Why are you throwing away your fame? Your immortality? Do you have any idea how many people wish to live forever?"
"That isn't important. I have Briseis. If you even dare to hurt her, I will kill you." Odysseus let out a sigh of exasperation. "I never knew that Achilles would ever say that."
"Then you do not know me."

With that, Odysseus stomped, dumbfounded, to the Greek tents. I went the opposite way. I never looked back.

Helen

They say that my Paris is not doing better. It makes me anguished to see him suffer on his bed. I can do nothing to help him, which is worse. All the time he mutters nonsense gibberish under his breath as if he has fallen under a spell.

All morning I held his hand. When he woke up, he said,
"Oenone…please, take me to Oenone."

"Who is it, sweetheart?"

"She can cure me. Take her to me, my love."

And so four men carried him on a wooden stretcher. I didn't know who Oenone was, nor did I care to know, as long as she made Paris feel better.

I hear that she is magician, a witch with magical powers of some sort. I hear that she has miraculous healing powers. Nymph. Doctor. Sorceress. She is a woman of mystery.