A/N: About the Hector's concubine part that I mentioned earlier everyone shall see. If you don't read the Author's Notes this chapter will make absolutely NO sense. This has a flashback part so be aware. I know some people think that they won't miss anything if they don't read what I write here but they are wrong. WRONG! Again before I start the chapter THE FIRST PART IS A FLASHBACK!
Chapter Nine – Strong enough?
"Hector come on," Briseis commanded the young prince. "What is it?" He avoided her gaze sheepishly. "I told you that I wanted to show you something today, I reminded you a hundred thousand times."
"I know, I would come with you if I could but my father wants me to...he needs me...I need to pick a bride."
Briseis' expression stayed the same. "So?"
"Aren't you...feeling anything?" He had expected her to do something, anything, when he told her.
She shrugged. "We're both going to get married someday. So who are you considering? No one stupid, please I cannot stand people who are stupid, or play stupid to get people to like them more. Gods I hate them." She balled her fist to illustrate how much she hated them, whoever 'they' were.
"Wait you're coming with me?" He asked dumbfounded. "Don't you have anything better to do?"
"Yes and no. I am coming with you but I was convinced that we'd be going to the ocean so I denied any other invitation. So really it's your fault that I am unoccupied, so I demand to take up your time." She said regally, and finally both of them broke into laughter.
"You never answered me." She commented as they walked towards the main palace. "Who are you considering?"
He ran a hand through his dark hair as a sign of frustration. "No one, I haven't thought about it that much. The worst of it is I'm expected to marry a princess, and if I can't find a princess I'll have to marry a Lady of the court."
Briseis gasped mockingly and Hector pushed her lightly, forcing her into a nearby plot of flowers. "Hey is that any way to treat a Lady?" She asked, feigning offence.
"Since when did you become a Lady?" He laughed.
"Since I found it could work to my advantage." She sighed. "Or since I found out that men would kill for my betrothal because of my title."
"What?" He stared at her; the laughter had been strained from his voice. "What men?"
'Oh yes you are not the only one whose been looking for a next of kin. Men have, quite literally, been lining up. And most of them are old men." She made a face and Hector was overcome with a fresh bout of laughter.
"Hector...and Briseis?" Priam exclaimed when his son entered the hall. "I was not expecting you dear child." He had always held a soft spot for his oldest friend's daughter.
"My apologies, Hector and I had made plans they were...killed so I had nothing to and Hector suggested I come with him here so..." She smiled charmingly. The prince let her lies pass, she had told greater untruths and he had never been punished.
The king, prince and noblewoman sat in the hall for what seemed like an eternity. Legions of the King's advisors had ducked in and out of the hall. Always coming back with new candidates; all of whom would be overjoyed to marry a strong warrior like Hector.
"What about the Thessalonians? Do they not have a daughter?" Briseis was sitting sideways on an old wooden chair. Priam shook his head, despairingly. "The Spartans? Ithacans? Thebans?"
"No, none of them have a daughter suitable-" Priam said, seemingly close to tears.
"But they do have daughters." Hector cut in eagerly.
"Yes," The King said slowly. "Some of them do have daughters but-"
"But I am tired of sitting here. Who have daughters?" He demanded from his father.
"The Thebans have seven sons and a daughter."
"Andromanche, she came here a few years ago." Briseis provided. "She's the same age as Paris; she's quite the talker actually. Her brothers are quite protective of her; if you do marry her you'll have to get past them first. Likes to ride, likes to sing, loves children, doesn't love arranged marriages." She finished. "Well then she's not an option."
"Why not Briseis? You seem to like her well enough, why is she not an option." Hector was quickly losing his patience.
"Because she wants to fall in love." Briseis shook her head. "She's obsessed with the idea that someone will come up, sweep her off of her feet and ride off into the sunset. She's delusional Hector. That is why she is not an option."
Over the next weeks Priam bombarded Hector with offers, every time receiving the same answer. When the royal family left for Briseis' palace in the country. The King consulted his most trusted advisor; although Hecuba was against making her son marry against his will she knew that it was his only choice.
"He has rejected every woman I have suggested." Priam raged. "He will marry by the end of this year or I will..." He couldn't find an ending for his empty threat.
His wife stood and walked over to the balcony. "You sent amnesties to Thebe saying that Hector had shown interest in their daughter?" Priam nodded and went to join Hecuba by the window. "Good, so if we cannot find a suitable bride we will always have the Thebans." She gazed at her son outside with Briseis and Paris. "Or we could marry him somewhere closer to Troy." she suggested softly.
"What is that supposed to mea-"The king stopped mid-sentence and looked to the ground. "You cannot possibly mean that...Briseis?"
"Yes, it's obvious she cares about Hector and he cares about her. Look at them." Hector sat behind Briseis on a prized black gelding. One of his arms linked around her waist, their bodies almost entwined in the saddle. "She's young, beautiful, comes from a good family, she's discarded all of her suitors. They're perfect for each other," They regarded the couple once more. Hector was whispering something into her ear, after a moment they bother broke out into laughter.
"Hytamen!" Priam called his servant from his post outside the door.
"Yes my Lord." The servant said with a stately bow.
"Get me Melanon, we have something to discuss." Hecuba smiled at her husband; her parents had made a good match for her. Now she had done the same for her child.
"Married?" The word hung in the air between Briseis and her eldest brother. "Married to Hector? You are kidding right?" Her face was pale and in a temporary state of shock. Melanon had said that the king and queen were telling Hector, that there would be a feast in their honour that night.
She shook her head, not able to believe her siblings words. "I can't marry Hector."
"Why not?" Melanon asked sharply. "You rejected all of the other suitors; you two are obviously fond of each other. You would never have married for love Briseis, none of us will. The stories mother told us when we were children; how they always ended with the man and woman living happily in a palace in some far away land. They were only stories; nothing is ever that simple when it comes to marriage."
"How do you expect me to marry some one I have known practically my entire life?" Her voice echoed in the otherwise empty hall. "How do you think it feels Melanon?" She yelled at her brother. Before he had an opportunity to answer she stormed off.
"Briseis come back, Briseis." His shoulders dropped as she stomped off into one of her secret passages. He knew that she could stay hidden for as long as she wanted.
Briseis knew there was only one place no one would ever look for her; she winded her way through the secret passages before finally reaching the chestnut door. She rapped her knuckles twice on the large door, when no one answered she entered uninvited. Normally she would have taken the route by way of the guest chambers but since the king and queen were staying there she had to take the long course. The passageway was always empty; knocking had simply been a precaution. She kept her hand on the stone wall and continued in the dark.
When she reached the hidden door she was almost crying. "Stay strong." She told herself as she opened the door. As always the roof of the villa was deserted. She walked unsteadily over to the side that faced the ocean.
"Hello." A voice came from the shadows; Briseis screamed and took a step back. Hector's face was recognizable even in the darkness, "What are you doing up here?"
"I could ask you the same question." She snapped back venomously.
He sighed and grabbed her wrist, pulling her down to sit beside him. "You know I didn't suggest this, my father must have thought of it on his own."
"Your father has a sick mind." Hector raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm sorry; it's just that...I could never marry you."
"Well it looks like you'll have to." He began stare at her and added softly. "Anyways it isn't all bad."
"What good could come of this marriage?" She asked bitterly. His agitation lessened,
"As and example I can do this whenever I like." He answered softly touching Briseis' chin and kissing her lightly. Neither of them had noticed the small Theban figure at the palace gates, but she most certainly had noticed them.
After Briseis had made the long, tiresome climb to the top of the stairs she looked around. Helen smiled at her for an instant before giving her full attentions back to the horizon. Cassandra and Hecuba were absent, as was expected; today was the first real battle, watching sons of Troy be slaughtered at the command of a ruthless king was not something she would be involved in, Briseis herself had earlier admitted in her mind that had she not given her word to Andromanche she would have never returned to the observing pavilion.
She picked Pramadas out of the line of Apollonian Guards; he was calm and casual on the back of his chestnut brown stallion. She walked over to the edge of the wall and looked down at him; he took off his helmet and mock bowed to her. She turned her view towards Melanon, who was now speaking in hushed tones to Hector. Her brother nodded twice and called four soldiers over, he spoke to them quickly and they rode off.
As though he knew she was watching him he looked towards his sister and saluted quickly, she did the same. This was something father had taught them, a wordless greeting as it were. She smiled and laughed quietly at her kin.
"Briseis!" A cry came form behind her. She turned swiftly to find Andromanche standing at the peak of the staircase. "I was worried you would not return," She rushed into the noble's unsuspecting arms. "I cannot believe you came again, I can't believe I did." The princess said, half laughing half in tears.
The thundering of horse's hooves in the distance sent a shiver of dread down Briseis back. "Andromanche why don't you sit." The princess nodded and took her place next to the king, still taking deep deliberate breaths. Briseis stood next to her, her hand entwined with that of Andromanche's. Hector's wife was gripping her so hard that the princess' hands had gone white.
"Don't worry." Briseis whispered, more to reassure herself than any other. "He'll be fine." The warriors of Greece were even more astonishing at such close range. The tales her father had told her so many nights ago were in no compare to that which rode closer to the gates of Troy. She strained her eyes to look for the myrmidons; the legendary warriors were in most all of the stories concerning the Greeks.
The horses below quickly became restless as the mass of soldiers approached. Briseis' could almost feel her heart pounding inside her chest. 'Men would die today.' She thought to herself. 'Trojan men would die because of the woman sitting, protected, on the gates of Troy.' She wanted to hate Helen at that moment but the look of utter hopelessness on the princess' face made her redirect her hatred. Helen would lose as much in this war as any other would; at this point they were all on level ground.
"In times of war," Priam's voice was throaty with emotion. "There can be no allegiances, other than to those in your own mind." Briseis stood beside her friend, a look of shock masking her face. Priam had quoted her father, the King of Troy the man whose title had everyone's allegiance.
The Grecian troops halted and a legion of chariots came forth towards Hector and Paris, Andromanche gripped Briseis' hand harder and she grimaced through the pain. The Greek and Trojan royals spoke quickly ending in unsuccessful negotiations, the armies began to battle and Briseis felt herself go weak. She suddenly realized that she had not drawn breath since the Greek Kings had come forward.
She closed her eyes, unwilling to witness the massacre of life below her. She could almost taste the salt in her unreal tears as she sorted through her memories of her brothers. Cariaxis and Balcamen chasing after girls in the market, Brisantho taking his first steps, Melanon teaching her archery, and the endless flow of moments she had shared with her twin. It was as though he was already lost to her, his fighting in this war would bring his death; she could the feel the fear already coursing through her body.
Never had she felt such fright in her life. Never this sense of undeniable terror that seemed to be dominating her entire self, she had never felt so helpless to her own destiny as in this moment. Her thoughts were spinning out of Briseis' control, she drew a deep breath and her body hit the floor with a fittingly dull thump.
"If she had fainted wouldn't she have woken by now?" Priam roared at the physician.
The small man cowered under his king. "Yes we know she has not fainted." He sighed. "It is an affliction; she will recover soon, there is nothing we can do." Priam banged his fist down onto the wooden table.
"That's not good enough!" He bellowed; Hecuba put her arm around her husband.
"You heard him, Briseis will recover." Her head spun around to the cowering doctor. "Won't she?" The man nodded. "We have alerted her brothers they are coming. She is a strong girl." She smiled chastely and Priam's shoulders relaxed slightly.
"Briseis." Melanon's strong voice rang through the hallways. The doors burst open with a furious warrior, he ran to the side of his sister. "By the Gods." He whispered. "What happened to her?" He demanded.
"She collapsed on the wall," A more heavily built doctor provided. "We would tend to her but there is nothing wrong with her, on the outside that is, we think that it was a worry that caused her to collapse as such. It happens to many women." he finished knowledgably.
Melanon's breathing became more deliberate. "My sister was no ordinary woman." He shouted. "She has been in much more worrisome times and this has never happened before."
A soft moan came from the table where Briseis lay. Everyone's attention snapped towards her, "Melanon?" She said, still dazed. She tried to sit up but clutched her head in pain. "Why is everyone yelling? Where am I?" She asked feebly.
"Briseis you collapsed on the platform," She moaned again, probably more in embarrassment than pain. "You relax here; Pramadas and the rest are coming as soon as they can."
"Did we win the battle?" She asked quietly.
"Barely, the Greeks retreated just before Hector was about to call a withdrawal of his own." She smiled at him through a grimace.
"That's wonderful," And she laughed. "They'll never stop teasing me about this. Me, the great Briseis, fainting like a common woman." She sighed and sat up as the remaining members of her family entered.
"Briseis are you okay; we were so worried about you." Pramadas rushed over and embraced her tightly. "We came as soon as we could."
"I'm fine really I am." She insisted and tried to stand up but was pushed back down by every one of her siblings. "Thank you for the concern but there is nothing wrong with me." Her voice was growing louder.
"You need to rest, Briseis." Melanon said commandingly. There was way to argue against that voice, it was the one that brought a lump to even the strong sibling's throat; it was the voice that had died with their father nine years ago.
A/N: I know I've been mentioning their father a lot lately and I don't know why. Even if I wanted to tell you I couldn't. That's the truth, I don't know why but I feel like writing a lot lately, very puzzling. Hehehe puzzling. Yeah I'm a loser, anyways I am going to write Briseis capture in the next chapter I swear I will. Scout's honour (BTW: I was never a scout)