Look another chapter! Double postings!

It was night time at camp. Achilles had gone to sleep and Briseis sat there wondering what to do. She sat there looking up at the opening of the tent at the stairs. She remembered this was the night that Achilles made love to her for the first time. All she had to do was hold a knife to his neck. She got up and picked up the knife. She looked at herself in the reflection of the blade. Her face was badly cut and beaten. She lowered the knife and looked back at him sleeping. Events she had tried to prevent had happened regardless. She would never reach Troy unless Achilles released her. Agamemnon still took her from Achilles' tent and he refused to fight. Was there no way for her to alter things? She wondered. She walked over to and sat on the bed next to Achilles. She watched him as he slept.

"Why are you staring at me?" he asked with his eyes closed

She gasped as she realized that he was well aware of her presence.

"Do not stare at me" he commanded

Briseis dropped the knife onto the floor. The sound made Achilles open his eyes and look at her. He reached over to her and grabbed onto her arms.

"You hesitated", and with that he flipped her onto her back and began reaching down at her torn dress, "Never hesitate"

Briseis said nothing, she was in his arms again and he was pulling her gown up. She was helpless against him as always. She could not deny him. She could feel the tension in the air, as she felt his hard body on hers. His lips claimed hers and she embraced him. She felt his arm slide under her shoulder, she felt his other hand reach down and part her legs. Her hands reached up and held onto him. She wanted him, she had always wanted him. She could feel his almost animal nature, his urgency to be inside her. She let out a slight moan as he prepared to enter her. And as he began to enter her, he watched her. He felt her body squirm under his, he felt her accept him, and then he felt the barrier that separated him from her. He knew that she had not been touched by a man yet.

He saw a tear escape, as her lips parted trying to say something. He was inside her. He wiped the tear away with his thumb and gently rocked inside her. Their bodies melted into each other and after the sweat cooled off their bodies, Achilles looked at Briseis who lay beneath him. Her eyes looked up at him, her cheeks flushed red, she reached up and played with the braid in his hair again. He leaned down and kissed her again.

In the morning Achilles awoke and put on a blue robe. He poured himself some wine in a goblet and sat down and watched her sleep. She did not have anymore nightmares and seemed at peace. His eyes looked at her legs and followed them up to her hips which were covered by the black blanket. He wanted to reach out to her and have a repeat of last night but Eurodus appeared.

"Milord"

Achilles motioned for silence as he did not want to wake her. He got up and walked outside.

Brisies stirred a bit, mostly for the cold as the blanket did not cover her entire body. She groggily awoke to find herself naked in his bed. She looked around and realized he was not there and quickly covered herself up. She rolled over and felt the soreness in her body. It was just like last time. She lay there wondering what to do. Would Achilles love her? Would he love her the way she wanted to be? Or be cast aside?

Achilles entered the tent and smiled.

"I see you're awake" Achilles said as he sat down on the bed, "Drink?" he handed her the goblet

Briseis took a sip and then handed it back to him.

"Do you Greeks drink wine all day and night?" Briseis asked as she held the blanket up to cover herself

"What are you doing? It is not if I haven't seen all of you"

Briseis began to turn bright red and looked down. Achilles lifted her face up.

"Do not be ashamed. You are a beautiful woman"

Achilles kissed her again. Her arms reached up and wrapped around him, letting the blanket fall.

Hours later Achilles lay in bed with Briseis. Neither one of them had left the tent yet, nor intended to. Achilles held her closer.

"Am I still your captive?" she asked

"You are my guest"

"In Troy, guests can come and go as they please"

"You should go then"

"Would you leave this war behind?"

"Would you leave Troy?"

Briseis hesitated again, but she looked up at him and answered.

"Yes, I'd go anywhere with you"

Achilles smiled as he kissed her again.

"Where is your armor?" she asked

Achilles seemed perplexed by her question, he didn't know why she wanted to know, but he answered her.

"Its with Patroclus. He's cleaning it"

"He's going to wear it into battle. You must stop him"

"Where do you get these things from?"

"Please Achilles, just get your armor. I have not ask anything of you except this"

"You are a madwoman. But I expect you to be here when I get back" Achilles said as he got out of bed. Briseis's eyes did not look away as his naked form stood before her and put on a robe.

"Hurry back" Briseis cooed

Achilles turned around and crawled back onto the bed and kissed her. He cupped her face and deepened the kiss. Briseis pushed him away.

"Go on already"

Achilles walked out of the tent and went to Patroclus's tent.

"Cousin are you awake?" Achilles called out as he approached the tent.

There was no answer so Achilles walked in and found that his cousin was wearing his armor.

"Is there a reason why you're wearing my armor?" Achilles asked

"I was going to join them in battle today"

"I gave the order not to fight"

"Does it not bother you that Greeks are dying?"

"Cousin, do not wear my armor pretending to be me! You may not survive long enough on the battlefield. There are those that would go after you thinking it was me"

"So let them, you trained me. Why can I not fight?"

"Because this war is for greed and power, there is no reason for it. And we are leaving"

"No! I want to stay and fight"

"Somebody has to loose"

"You would let your own pride and battle with Agamemnon cause the slaughter of our countrymen?"

"Cousin do not fight me on this. We are leaving! And take off my armor! NOW!" Achilles roared

"It's because of her isn't it?"

"Do not say another word about her"

"She's changing you, and you don't even see it"

"Take off my armor!"

"She's a Trojan! She will kill you when you least suspect it"

"She already has, you know nothing of these matters"

"You always said love was an illusion, and look at you now cousin"

"Silence!"

Patroclus removed the helmet and placed it on the table. He then began to take the rest of the armor off. Achilles was angry at his cousin. He picked up his armor and started to leave the tent when he stopped.

"Cousin, never pretend to be me again. And never question my reasons again. Understood?"

"Yes"

"One day you will understand" Achilles walked out of his tent and headed back to his own.

"We do not fight today." Achilles announced as he walked through the camp.

He entered his tent and found Brisies laying in bed looking up at the sky through the opening of the tent. He dropped his armor onto the ground near the bed and walked to her.

"You found it" Briseis said as she sat up

"Yes, apparently my cousin decided to dress up as me" Achilles said as he sat back down on the bed

"But you stopped him" Brisies said as she placed her hand on his arm

"How did you know he would pretend to me be?"

"I just do."

"Tell me how"

"I told you, and you called me a madwoman. I altered the Fate's Loom. I tried to change the fates of those around me. But it doesn't seem to be working"

"What was so horrible that you had to alter the loom?"

"I saw you die, I saw my cousin die, I saw your cousin die, and I saw myself die"

"Death is part of life. It is something that we cannot change"

"I went to Hades to get you back, and he let me take you with me, but it didn't matter, because my cousin tried to kill you, he tried to kill you, after I begged him not to. And he killed me instead" Briseis started to cry

Achilles held her in his arms as she cried. He stroked her hair and tried to calm her down.

"I am not dead, I am still here. My cousin is still alive and angry with me. And you are very much alive"

Achilles kissed her gently tasting the salt of her tears on her lips. He pushed her back down on the bed and claimed her once more.