Briseis gasped at the sight of the ships. In her heart she knew that it was her cousins looking for her. The only thing that did not make sense to her is why they would look now, over a year later. Perhaps they had come to seek revenge for Hector's death. She knew that Paris would make a stupid, irrational decision as to fight Achilles. Quickly she turned to Achilles.
"Please, whatever you do, do not harm my cousins. There has been enough bloodshed to fill a lifetime. Promise me," she begged.
"Do not worry. I do not intend to harm your family. I just merely wish to see what they are doing here on my homeland," he replied calmly.
By that time, the baby had fallen asleep in his mother's arms. Gingerly, she laid him in his crib and followed Achilles down the halls of their palace. They walked across the beach towards the ships. People were getting off of them. Instantly, Briseis recognized her cousins, Paris, Helen, and Andromache. Her cousins recognized her as well as Paris came running to greet his favorite cousin.
"Briseis!" he exclaimed in excitement as he embraced his cousin. "We have been searching for you all across the ocean."
"I've been here," Briseis replied, breaking their embrace.
"With this monster?" Paris asked.
"He is not a monster, he is my husband," she sternly said.
"How could you marry such a man?" Andromache asked in disgust, holding an infant in her arms and a young toddler by her side.
"Andromache, when did you have another child?" Briseis asked.
"It was Hector's last gift to me. Now I have two pieces of him with me always, our son and our daughter. Her name is Zuri," Andromache replied with tears brimming from her eyes.
"I see. Well, please, just come inside and allow me to explain. Dear cousins, I beg of you. For my sake, please come into our home," Briseis begged.
Achilles stood solemnly behind his wife, knowing that this would be a bittersweet reunion of family. He had never really dealt with this kind of emotional family gathering, so he did not know what to do other than stand there.
Paris, Helen, and Andromache quickly exchanged glances before nodding in agreement to go inside the home of their cousin. Briseis turned around and was wrapped in Achilles's arms as they walked toward their home with her cousins following. It was a quiet journey back to the palace as no one really knew what to say under the circumstances. The sandy beach ended at the edge of the courtyard of the palace. They all entered the palace doors and were greeted by servants who would attend their every need. Once inside, Briseis turned to her cousins.
"I think that we should discuss things over dinner tonight. Until then, Paris and Helen can stay in this room on my right. Andromache, you and your children may stay in the room on my left. If you need anything at all, send someone to find me. The dining hall is straight down this passage until you reach the end and it's on the left. Make yourselves at home. I promise everything will be explained at dinner."
Briseis turned back around and walked down the hall with Achilles to their own room. Helen and Paris went into their room. Paris was fuming in anger that his cousin would betray their family. He threw his over clothing on the bed and stood bare-chested, pacing the room.
"This is unacceptable! How could she run off with a man like that? That man killed my brother in cold blood!" he ranted.
"Darling, she fell in love. Do you not remember that I left my husband, Menalaus, for our love?" Helen asked tenderly as she placed her soft hands on his bare chest.
"Helen, it's not the same. He killed Hector!" Paris yelled.
"Hector killed his cousin, Patroclus! Did you not also want to avenge your brother's death? Why shouldn't he want to avenge his cousin's? My love, we do not choose the ones we love. The gods know better. Briseis was meant for Achilles and he was meant for her," she said in an attempt to calm her lover.
Paris's breathing evened and calmed as Helen's words soothed his thoughts. Though he was angry with his cousin, he could never hate her. They had grown up together in the palace of Troy. In his heart he knew Helen was right about love. Of all the women he could have fallen in love with, he fell for Helen who happened to be another man's wife. He had started a war for her.
"Helen, I just am so confused. I don not want to spit on my brother's memory by allowing this," he tried to explain.
"I do not think that Hector would condemn you for forgiveness. You know as well as I that he wanted to see an end to the bloodshed. If you make peace with Achilles, it would end all the fighting. Agamemnon and Menalaus are gone, so there is no one else to make war. Just try to let them explain things. Perhaps there is something we do not know about our dear cousin or something that happened to her," Helen suggested.
"Perhaps," Paris replied as he began redressing himself for dinner.
In their own room, Achilles and Briseis were having their own conversation about the current situation. Briseis was sitting on their bed, tense with worry. All of her nerves were screaming throughout her entire body. In the pit of her stomach, an ever increasing sickening feeling kept rising. Achilles, sensing his wife's stressed condition, sat on the side of their bed next to her and began massaging her shoulders to ease her anxiety.
"How do you always know exactly what I need when I need it the most?" she asked as she laid her head back on his strong arms.
"Call it a husband's intuition," he said chuckling as he kissed her forehead.
"How are we going to handle this? I never expected my cousins to find me all the way out here. All I wanted was to live a quiet life here with you, raising our children," she said, but stopped. Suddenly she started blushing.
"You said 'children.' We only have one child," Achilles said, raising one eyebrow in curiousity.
"Well, I was going to wait and tell you until the right time, but I guess my big mouth ended that surprise. I'm with child again," she replied bashfully as she turned around to face him.
"You are?" he asked in excitement. Briseis nodded her head. "Oh, that is wonderful! We're going to have another child. When did you know?"
"A few days ago. I kept waking up ill and feeling the same way I did before I found out that Alex was going to be born. I checked with the midwife and she agreed that I am with child. That is the reason why I asked you yesterday about having another child. I was curious what you would think of the idea of having another one," she explained.
"Oh, well I didn't realize that you were already with child. I think we should have waited a little longer, but I am still glad that we are having another one," Achilles said.
Achilles was overjoyed with the thought of another child. However, another thought quickly plagued his mind.
"Are you sure that it is alright for you to be having another child so soon after Alex?" he asked.
"I already asked the midwife and she said I would be fine. All I have to do is take things easy for a while until it is near time for the baby to be born," Briseis reassured her husband.
"I do not think that your cousins arriving and causing commotion is a relaxing thing for you or the baby," Achilles said, stating his concerns.
"Do not worry so much. Hopefully at the end of dinner, the matter will be solved and peace will be made. It would help things so much if you offered to make peace with Paris and perhaps say something to Andromache. After all, she was Hector's wife. Now she cares for their children alone. Do it for me and our unborn baby," Briseis implored.
"Only for you," he said, kissing her lips gently.
"You are quite possibly the most wonderful man I've ever known in my entire life," she said, kissing him back. "Come, we must ready for dinner. I want my cousins to meet our son as well. I love you."
"I love you as well," he replied as they readied themselves for dinner.
A/N: Sorry it took me so long for this chapter. I was in the hospital for a while having my gallbladder removed, so be nice. Leave more reviews and I will write more faster.