Chapter Three

Achilles left Briseis in his hut and made his way to Agamemnon's tent. The whole way there he couldn't help but think about her. She was different from anyone he had ever met in his war-filled life, and he knew that he would truly enjoy her company.

He entered the tent and was disgusted when he saw all of the kings of Greece basically bowing down to Agamemnon. Achilles hated Agamemnon with a burning passion. He thought the man was an arrogant fool who had no right to be a king of Greece, and he couldn't wait for the day he would see Agamemnon fall.

Achilles stood up tall making his presence known. Agamemnon immediately noticed him standing there and dismissed all of the other kings.

The Greek king of Ithaca, Odysseus, walked casually up to Achilles.

"War is young men dying and old men talking. You know this, ignore the politics," he said with a warm smile, patting him on his upper arm.

The two men were silent for a moment, as they stared each other down in an intense gaze; until Achilles walked up and spoke.

"Apparently you won some great victory," Achilles mocked him, with a sly smirk. But it didn't faze Agamemnon.

"Ah, perhaps you didn't notice. The Trojan beach belonged to Priam in the morning. It belongs to Agamemnon in the afternoon!" Agamemnon boasted.

"You can have the beach, I didn't come here for sand," Achilles said, as he started pacing.

"No… you came here because you want your name to last through the ages," he said knowingly. He paused for a second before continuing on. "A great victory was won today, but that victory was not yours. Kings did not kneel to Achilles. Kings did not pay homage to Achilles!"

"Well perhaps the kings were too far behind to see… the soldiers won the battle-"

"History remembers kings! Not soldiers" Agamemnon interjected loudly. "Tomorrow we'll batter down the gates of Troy."

"Careful king of kings, first you need the victory." Agamemnon narrowed his eyes at him, really getting annoyed with him.

"Your men sacked the temple of Apollo, yes?"

"You want gold? Take it; it's my gift to honor your courage. Take what you wish." Achilles saw a devious smile creep on to Agamemnon's wrinkled face.

"I already have…" Achilles narrowed his eyes at him, not understanding what he meant. Agamemnon called two of his guards in, and Achilles turned around and he was immediately infuriated when he saw a bruised and beaten Briseis trying to free herself from the men's grasps. "The spoils of war," Agamemnon chuckled.

"No argument with you brothers, but if you don't release her you will never see home again. Decide!" He roared as his hand went for his sword.

"Guards!" Agamemnon yelled as about five guards came rushing into the tent. Briseis looked around frantically at all of the madness, she would not let another life be taken today, and especially not over her. She decided she had to do something, for she knew Achilles would most definitely kill these men.

"STOP!" she shouted desperately, breaking free of the men's hold on her. She looked at all of the shocked faces of the men. "Too many men have died today." She directed her next comment towards Achilles. "If killing is your only talent, that's your curse. I don't want anyone dying for me." Briseis said bitterly.

Everyone watched as Achilles, sword still in position, just stood still thinking about Briseis' words. After a moment of contemplation he dropped his sword. Agamemnon let out an astonished chuckle.

"Mighty Achilles! Silenced, by a slave girl!" Agamemnon smirked, as he walked over to her. He was obviously enjoying seeing Achilles so livid.

"She's not a slave, you swine," Achilles stated lowly, his anger apparent in his cerulean eyes.

"Tonight… I'll have her give me a bath. And then…. who knows," he smiled smugly at Achilles, who could hardly contain his temper.

"You sack of wine!" he growled, wishing he could do something. He took his sword and pointed it directly at the evil old king. "Before my time is done, I will look down on your corpse and smile," Achilles promised him with a grizzly earnestness, before storming out of the tent.

-

It was the next night and Achilles was sitting on his furs in his hut, still infuriated over yesterday's events. He couldn't believe Agamemnon would take Briseis from him, she was his, damnit! She was his company to keep, not Agamemnon's! He knew Agamemnon only did it to prove a point and Achilles hated that he couldn't do anything.

For some reason even though Achilles was mad that his pride was hurt, he was even more mad that Briseis was taken from him. Even though he had only known her for maybe an hour, he knew that he wanted to hear more of what she had to say, and he knew that she was no ordinary girl. And not to mention Achilles knew he really wouldn't mind looking at her.

He closed his eyes and tried to imagine her long cascading dark hair that pooled over her slender shoulders. Achilles didn't know what her body looked like, but his imagination was definitely running wild. Achilles groaned in frustration at himself. She was just a stupid Trojan girl! So why was he acting like he had never seen a beautiful woman before?

Achilles was baffled by his thoughts, and he knew he needed the touch of a woman to get rid of his aggravation. He got up and left his hut, to go look for some whore to ease his thoughts.

-

It was much later that night, and Briseis had found herself alone, balled up in a corner in Agamemnon's chambers, waiting for him to come in. 'What a day from Hades this has been!' she thought grimly to herself, as she thought of all the bad stuff that she had endured in just one day… and it was all because of Paris! 'Damn you Paris! If you just hadn't brought that whore to Troy,' she thought bitterly.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Agamemnon enter. She looked up and she almost vomited when she saw that he had no shirt on, just a big fat chest filled with thick gray and brown hair. Briseis had to control the bile that was rising up the back of her throat. She curled herself up in a tighter ball trying to get as small as she could, hoping he wouldn't see her, but unfortunately he did.

"Get up," he ordered. But Briseis looked at him defiantly, as she remained sitting. Agamemnon looked at her wide-eyed shocked that she would openly defy him. "Did you not hear me girl? Stand before your king!" he commanded.

"You are not my king," Briseis growled in a low voice.

"What did you say Trojan!" His voice booming as he pulled her up by her hair. Briseis cried out from the sharp pain, but she forced back the tears that she felt coming; she would not to let this monster see her cry. "I am you're king, you Trojan whore!"

"King Priam is my king. You are nothing but a sorry excuse for royalty, and I pity anyone who is forced to serve you." As soon as she said those words, Agamemnon laid a thunderous slap on her face, which split the side of her bottom lip open and caused her to fall hard onto the cold floor.

"Say that again girl and I will make sure you will never see another sunrise again…" he threatened. After a short tense pause he spoke again. "Soon Troy will be mine, and King Priam will bow down to me! Agamemnon! I will break down Troy's high walls and Troy will be nothing but a memory!" He exclaimed, and narrowed his eyes at her. "And we'll see if you remember who's your king then girl!" He said throwing her on the bed onto her back.

When Briseis realized what he was trying to do to her she hastily tried to back away from him; crawling backwards on the bed.

"Where are you going priestess?" He asked smiling menacingly, as she accidentally fell backwards off of the large bed. "Won't you come join me, for some… fun?" He asked laughing heartily to himself.

"I would rather die a thousand deaths than feel your flesh against mine," she spat at him as Agamemnon snarled.

"That, my pretty, can be arranged…. Guards!" He called, and in a matter of seconds his two main guards appeared.

"Take this bitch out of my sight; do with her as you wish!" He said with a wave of his hand. Briseis looked at the wicked smiles on the men's faces, and she knew she had to do something, quick.

She looked around frantically for anything that she could use as a weapon, and saw a pretty hard golden vase on a table next to her. She quickly picked it up and bashed one of the guards on the head as hard as she could, and he fell down unconscious with a loud thud. The other soldier looked down at him and then back to Briseis, before quickly grabbing her throat and starting to strangle her before she could hit him also. So she did the only thing she could; she kneed him right in the groin. He immediately let her go; crouching down in pain as his hands flew down to his throbbing man hood.

Briseis watched him collapse in pain and hurriedly ran past him and almost made it out of the room, but Agamemnon grabbed her arm harshly.

"Not so fast Tro-" he started to say, but Briseis remembered she was still holding the vase, and quickly swung it at his head as hard as she could. She watched his large form fall hard on the floor, and Briseis dropped the vase and stood there not exactly knowing what to do. She stood completely still trying to listen if anyone had heard anything and would come to investigate. The only noise that could be heard was her beating heart, as she licked her bleeding bottom lip. After a couple of minutes when no one came, Briseis let out a long breath.

She looked around, checking to see if there was any other way of escape, besides the one that led to the hallway where there would most likely be Greek guards. But of course Briseis could not find any. So she walked as quietly as she could and pushed the curtain from the opening of the room and peeked out into the hallway.

She hastily ducked her head back into the room when she saw two Greek soldiers; one was fast asleep slouched on the floor, but the other one was very much awake. She slowly took in deep breaths trying to think of what she should do. She couldn't stay in here, and she couldn't very well just waltz right up to the soldiers… or could she?

Briseis froze as her mind started racing with frantic ideas. After a couple of minutes she smiled and thanked Apollo as she suddenly thought of what to do. She went over and bent down to one of the unconscious soldiers and cautiously and as silently as she could, she slowly took his dagger from his side and hid it within the long sleeves of her robe.

She stood back up and walked back over to the curtain that lead to the hallway. She took a deep breath, pulled back the curtain and walked tentatively out into the hallway toward the soldier, who had yet to notice her.

"My lord…" Briseis called out to him and bowed her head showing him, she wanted no trouble. The soldier looked up, and a confused look came across his gruff features.

"What are you doing out here? Are you not supposed to be with King Agamemnon?" the soldier asked, as the other one still was still snoring lightly.

"Your king grew tired of me, and sent me out here to please you, my lord," She said slowly raising her head to look at him to see if he would buy her story; Briseis' heart sank as he looked at her skeptically.

"He sent you out here? For me?" he asked her his face full of doubt, and Briseis slowly nodded her head. "I think I will go ask my king myself…" he said as he pushed her out of the way. When his back was turned to her, Briseis, noticing her small window of opportunity, slid the dagger down to her hand and swiftly and firmly plunged the dagger into the soldier's back.

She watched as she saw his stance falter as he let out a painful moan. She quickly removed the dagger from his back and before stabbing him again she whispered a barely audible "forgive me," as she delivered the fatal blow to the back of his neck. She watched as his dying body slowly collapsed, and she waited a second as she watched to make sure he was dead. Briseis never felt as low as she did at that moment, but she tried to comfort herself 'he would've done the same to you' she thought, and this comforted her.

She gradually turned her head to look at the other shoulder, who was to her relief still pleasantly sleeping. She tiptoed down the hallway and passed the other kings rooms, until she saw the opening that led out to the sandy shore. Briseis looked up and smiled, for she was never as happy to see the beautiful star filled sky as she was that night. Briseis felt the warm sand beneath her petite feet as she hesitantly stepped out of the Kings' tent. She looked around at the vast Greek camp. Tears came to her as she was rushed with emotion as she saw the beautiful shores of her homeland taken over by a foreign invader.

Luckily most of soldiers were in their tents, and all was basically still at this time of the night.

Briseis dried her tears and forced her emotions under control, as her eyes darted around making sure there were no lingering soldiers. She saw none in her immediate vision, and she ran and hid behind the next tent. She looked around and checked to see if there were any soldiers; when she saw none she darted to the next tent and hid behind that one. She did this a couple of more times, before she sighed realized that if she stopped and checked for soldiers at every tent she wouldn't reach the gates of Troy until late morning.

Briseis' heart stopped when she suddenly heard the voices of two soldiers walking not too far from her. She held her breath and sunk down as low as she could, trying to hide behind a tent. She let out a long breath; when she heard their voices start to fade as the soldiers kept on walking. She quietly thanked Apollo, and got up preparing to run to the next tent. As she looked around for another soldiers that wanted to pop up, she failed to notice the soldier that was standing right behind her.