Chapter Two

A week had passed since Hector and Paris had come home, and life in Troy went on as it usually did. Until those dreadful sails had appeared on the crystal blue horizon.

The Trojan soldiers on the high towers rang the warning gongs and the people of the city immediately started to run around frantically. As soon as Prince Hector heard the gongs he hurriedly went to gather his army to prepare for the battle he knew would come.

When the ships had hit the beach, it was clear from the start that the Greeks would win this battle. The first Trojans to make it to the beach were easily slaughtered, and Hector realized his army would have no choice but to retreat. The retreat was called and whatever Trojans that were alive recoiled back to their high walls.

Meanwhile, Briseis, who was in the temple, had heard the battle cries from outside and hid underneath a wooden table with the two other priests, praying to Apollo that they would make it out alive.

Briseis' heart was beating a mile a minute, and for a moment she thought that it would explode in her chest, when she heard the Greeks coming into the temple. She closed her eyes tight and prayed as hard as she could.

She heard the soldiers rummaging through all of the treasures in the temple, and she silently hoped Apollo would strike these thieves down for stealing from his temple.

"Look at all this gold! We will be rich men after this, boys!" She heard one of the men say joyously. The other men cheered, and grabbed whatever they could find. They continued to talk amongst themselves, and Briseis almost thought they would not notice her and the priests…but she was wrong.

"Hey… I think we have company!" One of the men said pointing to the three figures curled up underneath a small table in the corner. All at once the men turned to look at what he was talking about. The soldier overturned the table and the three of them were exposed. Briseis couldn't help the tears that were steadily falling down her face as she thought about meeting her death.

"Well look what we have here! Trojan priests, and a priestess!" the same man said, and the soldiers pulled them up.

"Please, I beg of you don't kill me! Please!" One of the priests begged, but to no avail as he was quickly killed, as was the other one. Briseis closed her eyes and waited for the lethal blow that she knew would come. When she felt nothing, she slowly opened her eyes, to see all of the men looking at her. It was when she saw the look in her eyes, was when she realized they were going to do something much worse to her than killing her.

"Well isn't she pretty!" One of the men remarked as he tried to lift up her robe.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled slapping his grimy hand away.

"You Trojan bitch!" he yelled slapping her to ground, as the other men laughed at her cries. She felt the men roughly pick her up, and it was then that she wished had been as lucky as the priests.

"What should we do with her?" One soldier who looked like he really needed to take a bath asked the rest of the men.

"I'll have her first!" One man said all too eagerly, pushing the other men aside..

"You're not the leader, who says you can have her first?" Another man challenged.

"Achilles will have her first!" A soldier with blue eyes suddenly cut in, and the other men all seemed to agree. "Take her to his hut and bind her."

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Briseis stared at the floor wondering what she had done to anger Apollo so and why he had let her become a captive, as she sat in the warrior named Achilles' hut. She couldn't help but be scared thinking of what would happen to her.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she looked up and saw two men, one of whom was the soldier with blue eyes from before. She didn't even hear what they were saying because her heart was beating so loud in her chest. 'Apollo please protect me' she prayed silently to herself, closing her eyes. She looked up again and the soldier from before was gone, leaving who she assumed was Achilles. She looked away and continued to stare at the floor. Until she heard his deep voice speak.

"What's your name?" he asked. Briseis turned to look at him, and noticed he wasn't looking back at her, but he was undressing. Briseis turned back around, she refused to talk to this killer who had no doubt murdered her countrymen.

"Did you not hear me?" He asked her a bit annoyed, walking over to the washbowl.

"You killed Apollo's priests!" she snapped.

"I've killed men in five countries, never a priest." Achilles said, splashing water on his face.

"Well then your men did!" she scowled at him "The sun god will have his vengeance."

"What's he waiting for?" he asked indifferently.

"The right time to strike!" she assured him.

"His priests are dead, and his acolyte's a captive. I think your God is afraid of me…" he stated arrogantly.

"Afraid?" Briseis said incredulously. "Apollo is master of the sun! He fears nothing!"

"Then where is he!" he shot back his blue eyes piercing through her.

"You're nothing but a killer!" She yelled disgusted by him. "You wouldn't know anything about the Gods!"

He laughed and splashed water on her. "I know more about the Gods than your priests do…I've seen them." He bragged, as Briseis rolled her eyes.

He tied some cloth around his waste and slowly walked over to her. She hesitantly looked up at him, and she hated to admit it but she realized if it had been under different circumstance she would've thought he was really sexy. His crystal blue eyes, and his golden blonde hair, and his body! He looked like a God! But Briseis hardly noticed, because all she could think of was what a monster he was when she saw blood all over his hard body, most definitely Trojan blood.

She noticed him staring at her, and it was really starting to unnerve her. 'What is he looking at?" she thought.

For the first time since Achilles had walked into the hut he had realized how truly striking this girl was. 'Pretty girl…' he thought to himself as he took in her long silky hair that was a bit messed up from the rough day he knew she had undoubtedly had, her deep almond eyes, and her perfect pink lips. And in his mind he couldn't help but imagine what was under that robe.

"You're royalty aren't you?" He stated more than asked. "You've spent years talking down to men." He said as he leaned down and picked up a handful of her soft locks and brought it up to his face to smell it. Briseis looked at him strangely and he smirked as he dropped her hair and stood up straight again.

"You must be royalty." He paused to look at her. "What's your name?" He asked her again. He became a little annoyed when she didn't answer him. "Even the servants of Apollo have names." He said bending down to untie her wrists. She looked at him suspiciously, wondering why he had decided to untie her.

"Briseis," she said looking at him, while rubbing her sore wrists.

"Are you afraid Briseis?" he asked, staring at her pretty face.

"Should I be?" She asked him honestly. Achilles said nothing as his intense eyes bore into her. "What do you want here in Troy? You didn't come for the Spartan queen."

"I want what all men want… I just want it more," he told her.

Briseis looked up and saw that the soldier with the blue eyes had poked his head into the hut.

"My lord, Agamemnon requests your presence," he told him, as Achilles continued to stare at Briseis. "The kings are gathering to celebrate the victory." Achilles turned to look at the soldier.

"Eudorus, you fought well today," he complimented him, and could see a faint smile his face as he bowed his head and left. There was silence for a few minutes until Achilles spoke.

"You don't need to fear me girl, you're the only Trojan who can say that," he said as he got up and turned around to go get a drink from his jug of water.

"Well then, what is it you want from me? Let me go, I have no reason for being here." Briseis said to him, her eyes pleading. Achilles turned around and gave her a devilish smile. He walked back over to her and leaned down so his face was close her hers.

"Not until I've gotten to know you better…" he whispered, looking at her suggestively. Briseis shuddered, disgusted by his presence. She narrowed her eyes and with all her courage, she spit right in his face. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the hit that she knew would come, but to her surprise she heard a deep chuckle instead. She opened her eyes hesitantly and saw him wipe his face of with his index finger.

"You have courage Briseis… I could kill you, you know," he said looking intently at her.

"That's the least of my worries," she said boldly. He chuckled again, and got up and started to put on his black breastplate. "You laugh, but I have courage enough to kill you!"

When Achilles heard her say that, he turned around and looked at her unbelievingly; his eyebrows raised on his forehead. She dared to threaten his life? The great Achilles? Not even the bravest of warriors were spirited enough to do that. This girl was unlike anyone Achilles had ever met.

"Do you know who I am girl?" He asked her expectantly, folding his arms over his broad chest.

"Do I care who you are?" Briseis mocked him, rolling her eyes. Achilles huffed, amazed at this girl's strong spirit. He decided he should go before she got too bold.

"I will be back, Briseis. If you leave this hut, I assure you that the men will most definitely have their way with you." He warned her, putting on his brown sandals. "But if you stay, I give you my word that I will protect you." And with that promise he left.

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