A/N: I am sooooooo excited about this chapter. I haven't been able to sleep for a while so I'm writing this running on little sleep and less food (there's nothing to eat around my house (well there's plenty to eat just nothing I want)). Anyways I am going to keep my promise to you by writing the capture scene and I am so pumped about it (I just drank a pot of coffee so that may explain some of it).
Chapter ten - Enter Chaos
Hector knocked the sword out of Pramadas' hand and smiled wryly at his friend. His opponent smiled back a in the midst the prince's victorious state he feigned to lunge towards the stairs and Hector lunged that way as well while Pramadas recovered his wooden sword and held it to the Prince's neck.
"I win." He said with a mischievous glint in his eye. He leaned on the false sword and looked towards the stairs. "Well look who it is." He pointed at Briseis, who was leaning on the wall unceremoniously, chaffing the back of a beautiful ebony dress. "You look beautiful most beloved sister." He said pleasingly and sprung at Hector again, the prince effortlessly deflected the attack.
"You forgot to mention that you have no other sisters to compete against me for the title." She replied her voice dripping with sarcasm. "And thank you." She smirked at him like she did when she was winning their battle of wits. Briseis sat on the cold stone surface next to the sparring men. A small crowd of nobles had already begun to gather around the fighters, betting between themselves on who would come out the victor.
It was a great clear morning in the gardens a sliver of the dazzling Aegean could be seen through the trees and flowers. The city's high walls blocked from view the horrific sight of the battle that had taken place only days prior. The Greeks had not attacked the city in days, leaving many Trojans apprehensive and wary. King Priam had called court every day since the last combat, consulting his advisors unmercifully.
"Who do you think will win?" A voice asked from over her shoulder. Paris stood in the crowd, eyes never ceasing their examination of the mock-battle.
"I honestly could not tell you." She refastened a fallen silver hoop in her ear. "On the one hand, Hector is the elder thus most would assume he would know more about war. But on the other hand Pramadas has the advantage because he's unpredictable, he can see what Hector is going to do next but it is not the other way around." He raised his dark eyebrows at her imprecise answer, she stared him in the eye. "In other words I wouldn't bet on the outcome."
He sat down beside her on the bench and studied the fight closer. Briseis wasn't the only one who noticed how closely he monitored her movements, when she shook her head at a bad attack he would watch more intently. She didn't sit at the sidelines for all of her brother's training and learn nothing; she could call any weak hit, even when the sparring did not have her full attention.
For example when Paris began to speak and she turned towards him she could still frown when it looked like defeat for either battler.
"So from what I hear you aren't too happy about being excluded from the court." He commented with a smile.
"Of course I'm not, none of the women are." She brushed a dark strand of hair off of her bare arm. "It does not make sense that we should not be there."
"I'm not sure I agree. I was never certain it made any sense for you to be there in the first place." He stayed calm as the crowd's noises dimmed slightly, the people nearby listening keenly to the conversation. "You didn't help in any of the decisions for Troy, you sat there for hours some times day after day and you can tell me that you were not bored out of your mind."
She shrugged her attention turning completely away from the sparring and towards Paris. "Why would I have been? I wish to know what you decide for the country I must live in." She kept rein on her temper, was Paris just being annoying or did he want to make her angry?
"Really?" He continued to stay calm as several people turned their attentions to the Briseis and the prince. "Well I cannot control how you think but my comment still stands; women do very little when they are in court."
"Most of the time I would agree with you but if I remember correctly Helen stayed in Troy because of her own witness. Were it not for that I'm sure she would no longer be here." She countered smoothly; her practice of remembrance was a useful tool when used at the right time.
Cheers from behind them signified that the sparring was over. Noblemen's sons walked past Paris saying things like 'I can almost hear the gold in my money pouch' and 'That's twenty obels…my prince' and executing mock bows.
The Prince paid them no attention though. He attempted to conceal his anger at the mention of Helen but failed. "And if I remember correctly when you were younger seduction was your means of getting what you wished to have."
She smiled coyly and batted her eyelashes in false playfulness before adopting a much colder expression. "And that is still your only means of getting whatever it is. And anyways, by whatever means necessary, I simply use the tools I have."
Pramadas appeared suddenly at the front of the crowd, his eyebrows were arched and his eyes alert; like a hound that sensed danger. Hector emerged from the mass beside him and adopted a look of sheer boredom.
"Paris if you don't mind-" She tried to stand up and walk away- as she frequently told herself to do before she could no longer hold her tongue and she lost control of situations- but the prince stood as well. "Are you trying to be difficult?" She asked rhetorically.
"As a matter of fact yes." He shot back. "Where do you have to be anyways? It seemed earlier that you were in no rush."
A whisper followed by the sudden giggling of a group of women invaded the silence after Paris spoke. "Earlier? Do you mean when I was falling asleep speaking with noblewomen or when Helen interrogated me on how she should keep her hair today?" She crossed her arms in impatience.
"Neither, I meant when you were speaking with Lord Nalamen's son, I heard he's looking for a wife. Do you wish it could be you?"
"Hardly," She barked "And for why we were speaking, he was searching for the staircase that leads towards the wall."
"Wait but there a thousand people who could tell him that." Paris said feigning ignorance. "Why exactly would he ask you?"
"You're a man," She said, her voice straining drenched with implication. "Why don't you tell me?" He was speechless at her blatant attack at his former womanizing life. "Short of words, well then I'll tell you. He asked me because he wanted to stare at my chest. Is that what you were looking for?" She asked vindictively. "You should be glad that Helen does not endure such discomforting circumstances." Her words were laced with malice and pleasure in watching Paris sputter.
"What do you mean by that?" He demanded.
"You think that the so proclaimed 'King of seduction' would be able to better understand a woman's words." She leaned towards him, eyes twinkling with cruelly. "I mean that when you don't sleep at night it is not uncommon to hear...noises of a less that pure nature, usually coming from the apartments you share with Helen. Probably every night, I really don't' remember." She stood straight again. "I could be wrong, but I doubt it."
He bellowed something incomprehensible and started at Briseis. Pramadas unsheathed his sword ready to attack the prince just as Hector held his brother back. "Whore," Paris shouted. "Filthy, Greek, traitorous whore!" Time stood still for the moment and Paris' words echoed in the silent garden. His chest heaved, unaware of his fault.
"What?" The voice that came out of her mouth was loud or strident as everyone expected but hushed and accusing all the same. "What did you call me?" Her voice began to rise; his face went white as Paris realized his mistake but she gave him no time to respond and rushed up the stairs towards the palace, the crowd parting for her as she hurried off.
The whispering of the crowd was almost deafening and Pramadas sighed angrily. "That was well played Prince." He said his voice tainted with disdain.
"Briseis I'm sure he did not mean it." Andromanche chased the noblewoman around he chambers. "You know how Paris can be, I'm certain that he did not know what he was saying." She pleaded
"Of yes, I'm certain that calling me a harlot and a traitor was just a slip of the tongue," Andromanche smiled hopefully and Briseis shook her head. Serving women hurried around them gathering dresses ad jewelry. "No I don't want you to pack that I'll be wearing that." She grabbed a gown the same shade as her eyes and disappeared behind a curtain, coming out in a few moments wearing the blue dress. She deserted her earrings into the box of jewelry and replaced them with a pair of silver ones drenched with small blue stones. Her necklace was replaced with a fan of the same silver pattern littered with indigo gems.
"Where exactly do you plan on going?" Andromanche abandoned the begging approach and adopted another. "There is no where for you to escape to this time. Paris will be in the city, you cannot escape him here, the towns are crawling with Greeks and your palace is-" Her eyes widened, "No you can't go there Briseis. There is no way you would ever come back alive."
She sighed and waved the maids out of the room. "Maybe I don't want to, I'm leaving tonight Andromanche." She walked over to the balcony and rested her hands on the ledge.
"Briseis," A shout came from outside the room and the door burst open.
"Hector, Hector she says she's going back to her palace. You can't let her; you must stop her from going." Andromanche wept into her husbands shoulder.
"Andromanche I want to be alone with Briseis now," He said quietly. She nodded and escorted herself out, taking one last look at her friend before the door closed. He walked over to her side.
"I suppose you're going to try and talk me out of it." Her palms were cold against the stone and her eyes were misted, gazing at the white villa.
"Normally I would. Normally I would do anything to keep you here but what Paris did...what my brother did was horrible, that doesn't make your leaving towards an almost certain death acceptable I just want you to know, that you will always have friends in Troy."
She still gazed out at her palace. "I know that, I'm not going to be here for the birth of your child," She smiled into the distance. "Give Andromanche my blessing. She's a strong woman; I wish you only the best."
"If you have made up your mind I know better than any other to try and influence you." He kissed her forehead lightly. "And only the best to you, Briseis." He added quietly and exited the chambers
She tilted her head towards one side, glancing at the Greek camps. There was her future, not in Troy, not in a palace, not with her family and friends as much as she wished the last was true. "I am here for a reason, I intend to make you proud father; once and for all." She said bitterly to herself.
"You're telling me you haven't already?" Pramadas voice was a welcome relief from the echoing silences in her own mind. Her brother was leaning against the door as though nothing was wrong at all. "He was more proud of you than he was of me." He walked over to his sister.
"You're going to try and dissuade me as well?" She spat out rubbing her hands together, the cold of the stone balcony had finally chilled her body. He took her hands in his and slowly shook his head. The sorrow in his eyes made her heart ache but she knew that she had to leave. "You'll tell everyone what happened won't you?" He nodded. "And take care of Cartanye, he's not doing too well in his studies, and Balcamen has this strange glint in his eyes when he talks to Melanon, I think he's planning something, and Praxiam hasn't been eating I don't want him to get sick so you should-" He held a finger to her lips.
"I've seen you take care of them for their entire lives; I think I can handle it for..." His voice faded as he realized that he did not know how long his sister would be gone. "Take care of yourself Briseis." He whispered and embraced her tightly.
She choked back tears as she clung to him, if this was to be her last memory of him she did not want to be weeping like a child. He smoothed her dark hair. "I had hoped you would never leave me but I always knew you would."
She buried her head in his chest and cried quietly while they stood in silence, cosmetics staining his clothes and the faint flicker of Greek campfires twinkling in the distance.
Throughout his childhood Pramadas had seen the palace as a symbol of freedom, where he could do anything he wanted and often did. Where he and his brothers could play games and chase after girls, where Briseis would sit reading to her siblings in her dramatic voice. Where she would speak about the ways of the world without the taint of experience, she was the one person in the world who could accept silence not as awkward but as relaxed.
The white palace was spotless in the first light of day, Briseis and a small band of servants who had volunteered to accompany her stood in silence at the gates, never had Pramadas been away from his twin without some reassurance of when they would return. Now it was as though his heart was being ripped in two, he wanted to stay with her and protect his sister from all foes but he also wished to comply with her wishes.
When they had arrived Briseis had taken him aside. 'Pramadas, I know it seems like I'm going to and early grave but I promise you I know what I'm doing. Don't try and change my plans.' She had smiled at him and turned away, back to the crowd unloading her things. There was nothing for him to do but go back to the palace with the others, there was no way Briseis would come back with him and he wasn't up to trying.
The walls of Troy were menacing as he approached, no longer did he think of gating others out but as trapping himself in. Briseis had made the city amazing, with her covert passages and clandestine alcoves, but now she was gone. His younger brothers had been up all night waiting for his and Melanon's return, hoping that Briseis would be with them but their faces showed exhaustion and his elder brother ordered them all to rest.
"Pramadas," Melanon's voice was world-weary and his face showed age. "You should get some sleep, there's nothing we can do for her now." He whispered to his brother. "She made her decision we have to honour it." He embraced his brother warmly. "Rest and we will speak later."
Pramadas wanted to do anything but rest although he knew that Melanon was right, she was beyond their reach now. He climbed the stairs, his footfalls slow and deliberate. His chambers were empty with the knowledge that his twin was not across the hall to him, waiting to hear his complaints about battles and the princes.
She had never been too busy to stop and listen to his belligerences even though she usually had a thousand things to do. He was still thinking about her when he almost missed the sheet of paper on his bed. There was no mistaking Briseis handwriting, her flourishing letters that had written him too many secret letters in the years past.
'Pramadas, I know that this is not how you planned things to happen and I wish they could have turned out differently. It would seem like I am simply running from my problems when I am really running towards them. The gods control our lives; they decide whether or not we fall in love, get married, see our children grow tall. I know, however, that you will see all of these things; you will marry a beautiful woman and have many wonderful children and, in turn, watch them on their wedding day. I have a different destiny though, I was never meant to be someone's wife, never to walk two steps behind a Lord of the court. My heart breaks even though you still are so close to me; we have shared many years together, many circumstances that I could never forget. That first day of battle when you rode off into the distance I felt as though every step your horse took away form me was one more reason for me to throw myself off the great walls of Troy on which I stood. You were never simply a brother; you were my greatest friend, the one who would protect me from every enemy in the world, the soothing voice in my head when I was angry, the one who could cradle me in your arms in the middle of the night and never judge or criticize me. If there was a way to stay close to you for all of eternity, to never have to defend myself from the critics in the world, I surely would give all of the lives in Troy to have that life. But there is no way, not simple resolution to all of my problems. Some day I hope you can understand why I have done this and find it in your heart to forgive me. I can feel it in my body that we will never see each other again so may this be my final farewell to you, never forget my life for I will never forget yours. Farewell dear brother, your beloved sister Briseis.
It had been a month since Patroclus had first seen the earliest light ignite in the white palace on the cliff. It had been said among the men in camp that Briseis herself was in residence there but until four days ago he had dismissed them simply as rumors. A serving woman in the palace had stole away in the night and spoke the secrets of the palace to the warlord. The young soldier could hardly believe that a woman had evaded the palace; supposedly one of the most strong-held buildings in or outside of Troy and Briseis allegedly hired only the most loyal servants.
The spy had been a short woman barely older than Patroclus, though she acted like she the Greeks were a stain on her serving-woman's dress. Her dark hair had been pulled back behind her head and strands of the unclean mane had escaped their restraints. Achilles spy was not the most beautiful woman he had ever met, but she evidently had a gift with languages, so expressed when she cursed the guards in at least four different tongues.
'There is a passage outside the main gate. Briseis thinks only she and Prince Hector know of it,' the woman had laughed derisively. "I found out about it when I saw her disappear two nights ago, to walk around the palace. She's always been like that, everyone thinks she's so intelligent but she really isn't.' Her voice had been filled with venom, obviously taking pleasure in informing about her mistress.
They had taken a secret passage in; there was no escape for Briseis and the women of the palace. Eudorus led the attack in his master's stead, a group of women could not overpower the myrmidons thus it was of no use for Achilles to come. The burly man opened the door and the soldiers flooded silently out of the tunnel. A small woman was the first to encounter the Greeks,
"I'd try your very hardest not to scream." A soldier held his sword to her neck. "Where are the apartments of your Lady?" The woman trembled with fear and looked too terrified to speak. "Where?" He repeated.
"I-I don't know." She shook with fear.
His sword went closer to her throat. "Up the two flights of stairs, the only closed door in the hallway." She ousted quickly. The man smiled and his blade cut into her flesh. The woman's body fell to the floor, her blood staining the polished stone floor.
They filed up the stairs, not meeting another servant on their way. The hallways were adorned richly; the wealth of this family had not been distorted in the stories. If the rumors of the Lady's beauty were correct as well it was truly a fine day. Patroclus pushed open the door and found no one. "The woman lied to us." He commented quietly.
"No she didn't." One of the soldiers said with a smirk, they went silent. The noises of water lapping on the stone was unmistakable, the men grinned maliciously. Patroclus once again opened the door and several women screamed, grabbing cloths to cover themselves. The myrmidons entered the room quickly thinking of seeing the infamous Briseis naked bathing. They were met with an equally pleasing scene and ginned wider at the unclothed women.
"Which one of you is Lady Briseis?" Eudorus asked after a moment of silence. Not one of them answered. "One of you must be Briseis."
"I am," A voice came from behind a curtain and a woman appeared from behind a curtain, fully clothed and smiling. She fastened a silver necklace overtop of her collarbone. "And you must be the myrmidons. As lovely houseguests as you have been would you please give my servants time to dress?" The men stood in shock at her beauty, cascades of dark hair fell around her shoulders. The gown clung to her curvaceous body and her face was the picture of unmarred perfection.
"Of course." Eudorus managed to stutter and, with much willpower, the men tore their eyes away from Briseis. She cut her way through the crowd of soldiers and walked into her chambers, sitting on a dark colored chair with her legs tucked beneath her regally. "Who do these other rooms belong to?" He asked the Lady boldly.
She met his stiff gaze with one of her own. "My brothers, feel free to look at them there's little you would find interesting." She watched as the men invaded her own apartments. "And even less in my own rooms, unless you have a fondness for gowns, makeup and Egyptian perfume." Her voice was cool and calm, strange for a woman whose very being was on the edge of a knife.
It was surreal that she was here to Patroclus, the woman whose beauty was legend and whose intelligence had even more of a reputation. Her face remained composed as the men threw her belongings around as though they were toys. Her eyes were beautiful shade of blue that matched her robe; her mane of dark hair was in damp disarray. He knew better than to stare at her but he couldn't help it.
"Are we leaving soon?" Her even voice cut through the silence in his mind. He didn't answer immediately because he didn't know. Her face was honest, not full of malice as the tales had told him; not savoring in his speechlessness. "Should I go and see if they have finished dressing?" He nodded at her noiselessly; she stood and walked over to the door knocking loudly twice.
There was no response; the room had gone quiet as they watched her. She yelled words in a language Patroclus did not understand and opened the door. The women inside were gathered in a circle. Briseis crossed her arms in front of her chest and began to yell in the unidentified language.
"I never knew she spoke Thracian." One man whispered behind Patroclus, "She's saying 'How dare you try and leave me here, if I had known you all were such cowards I never would have hired you. I gave you the chance to stay in Troy and you rejected it, and now you would all betray me' Strong words." The warrior commented.
"We would never betray you 'Lady' Briseis." A woman said mockingly, he recognized the voice it was that of Achilles informant. "Well not after I already did." Some of the women gasped and they all started to whisper. "Aren't you going to do anything about it?" The traitorous woman walked to stand in front of Briseis. She was dwarfed by the Lady and her arrogance began to fade as she saw Briseis smile.
"About what?" Her voice stayed cool. "What you have done is unforgivable but there is nothing I can do to change the past. You will receive no special treatment from these men and if you even thought you would you truly are more of a fool than when I first met you." Patroclus began to see how her reputation for cruelty was formed; she didn't care about things that did not presently concern her. Her gaze was untainted by greed and that let her see clearly into the outcome of events.
"You're kidding me aren't you? I led these men into your home and you don't even care? You aren't troubled that your loyal servants will be taken captive? That your life has finally come to an end?" The woman sneered at her.
"Your treachery doesn't run deep, my home would have been invaded if you had not told them I was here, these servants knew they were being led towards their own death and yet they still came and my life has not yet come to an end, I am very sorry to say." Her words were sharp, meant to sting the recipient.
The same derisive laugh came from the woman's throat. "You're more of a moron than I thought, I mean truly-" The sound of Briseis hand striking the woman's cheek was harsh and cruel.
"Insult me again and should pray to the Gods that you would live to see the next dawn." She whispered threateningly, her features were set in stiff anger. The woman's chest heaved with rage at the warning.
"How dare you." She moved to attack the Lady but she was too quick, backing into the wall and retrieving a dagger from a table.
"Think very carefully." She said, pressing the blade to the traitor's pale throat. "That's what I thought." She set the weapon back onto the wooden surface.
"The sun is rising; we should head back to camp." Eudorus said loudly, stopping the women form continuing. The captives followed the myrmidons out of the room in silence. Briseis was about to follow them when Patroclus caught her arm.
"Excuse the bluntness... Lady Briseis, why did you let that woman get away with betraying you. Well it isn't as though you forgave her but if it were me, I would have-" She stopped him mid-sentence
"You're right I forgave no one, the Gods will punish her in ways both of us could only imagine." Her anger had settled and she was calm once again, a thin smile lit up her face and she exited the room soon followed by the confused youth.
A/N: I bet you can't guess what happens next chapter, I dare you to guess. I was so sad when I wrote the letter to Pramadas, I got the idea from a book I'm reading and I almost cried when I read that part (when I read it for the first time I was in English class too so I looked like the biggest loser ever). But anyways keep reading because I promise to throw in more twists as the fic progresses. Oh and VEGAN, happy Andrew? (You guys wouldn't get that and if you did I'd be very VERY worried)