I awoke to an empty bed again, feeling cold. When I rolled over, I saw Achilles standing at the water basin in his tent, washing his face. The sun was shining brightly through the tent flaps and I knew that it was nearly the afternoon. Silently, I reached over to the side of the bed where my tunic had been discarded the night before. I slipped it over my head and put it on before getting out of bed. Seeing that I was awake, he walked over to me and embraced me. I breathed in his scent as I just stood there in his arms. When he let go, he took my hand gently and lead me outside where some of his men were sitting around a fire cooking some fish they had caught earlier in the day. He sat on a wide rock next to Eudorus, his second in command, and I took my seat next to him. A tray of fruit was passed around to Achilles and myself. I took some and began eating, realizing how hungry I truly was. None of the men seemed to mind my presence in their circle and some even seemed pleased that their leader was in such a good mood. All the Myrmidons seemed at ease today for some reason. Even Achilles's cousin, Patroclus, who was usually in a foul mood because he was not allowed to fight, was laughing and making jokes with the other men. I knew it was because they were going to leave this camp tonight and entrer Troy with a new alliance.
During the hottest part of the day, all the men retreated to their tents. Achilles and I went to his. He ordered a huge basin of cool water be brought to his tent. When it arrived, he insisted that I take a cool bath to clean myself off. I did not argue and sat down in the basin, allowing the cold water to rush over my skin. As I layed in the basin, he did something I did not expect. He took a cloth and began tending to my wounds. When I looked at him with question in my eyes, he simply kissed my forehead and kept running the cloth over my body.
"What will happen once we are in Troy?" I was curious as I stood up from the basin and he wrapped one of his robes around me, picking me up into his arms.
He carried me over to the bed and sat down next to me. "Your family will know that you are safe. They believe that you are dead and have since the attack on the Temple."
"And what will happen..." I started to ask, but he placed his lips against mine in a soft kiss.
"Do not worry for the future, Briseis. Just sleep for now. I'll stay by your side."
I nodded and curled up next to him, my back against the warmth of his stomach. He wrapped his arm around my waist and held me close. It did not take long for me to fall asleep with him right next to me. While sleeping, I had a dream of a life far different than the one I was living now. I was wearing a blue silk dress while walking along the beach. As I was walking, a little girl came into view and she was running towards me. She looked no more than three-years-old with golden curls falling down to her shoulders and a pink dress on. Just as she got close enough, I swept her into my arms and noticed she had piercing blue eyes. She buried her head into my shoulders and giggled as I kissed her cheek. I held her close. I could feel the emotions running through my heart as I held that child in my arms. Without asking, I knew the child was mine. My daughter. Her father was Achilles. I knew in my heart because of her eyes. They were the same startling color and carried the same effect of piercing your soul with gentleness.
When I woke, Achilles was whispering in my ear that it was time to leave. Night had fallen in the Greek camp and the Myrmidons were about to take their flight to Troy. Achilles gathered his armor and sword while I got up. He took my hand and lead me out of the tent into the night. The men were already around his tent and ready to leave. We quickly made our way across the beach to the walls of Troy without being seen by any other Greek. As we found the hole in the east wall, it was as I remembered it from years before. Paris, Hector, and I put a piece of driftwood in front of it to keep it our secret. It was just big enough to fit one man through at a time. Achilles went first and I followed after, holding his hand. One by one, each Myrmidon made it through the wall of Troy without a sound being made. Once we were inside, the Trojan guard knew we were to be coming and allowed us to pass. As soon as we arrived at the palace, we were lead inside. Only Achilles, myself, and Eudorus were allowed to pass into the throne room where Uncle Priam, Hector, and Paris would be. Just as we walked in, my kinsmen recognized me right away.
"Briseis?" Uncle Priam stood from his throne, tears glistening in his eyes.
Achilles let go of my hand to allow me to greet my relatives. My uncle drew me into a soft hug, with soft tears streaming down my face and his.
"We thought you were dead." He looked me in my eyes with so much relief.
"No Uncle, I am not. Achilles kept me safe from harm." I glanced back at Achilles with a soft look in my eyes.
Priam let go of my hands and stepped forward towards Achilles. "I do not know how to thank you for keeping our Briseis safe."
"You are most welcome, King Priam of Troy." His voice was formal and respectful, something my Uncle highly valued in young men.
While Priam spoke with Achilles, Hector and Paris took turns hugging me and welcoming me home. As I hugged my cousins, I could not help but keep looking at Achilles. He spoke to my Uncle with reverence, which showed that he really did respect Priam as a king. This was something I had not seen in Achilles as he normally despised most kings as filthy pigs. But this reverence was a good sign.
After I was welcomed home, Priam sent me to find Helen and Andromache so that I might clean up and get some rest. I nodded and left the room, my eyes on Achilles the entire way out and his locked with my own. As I walked the halls of my childhood home, I felt somehow different. This place was such a place of my innocence, where I used to spend hours chasing my cousins around and learning how to weave flowers into wreaths. Now I was no longer a child, I was a woman now. The pit of my stomach sank as I walked closer to where Andromache and Helen were. They would know of my broken vows the moment I stepped into the room. How they would react, I was not sure of. I prayed that perhaps they would understand as women who have loved a man with all of their hearts. As I walked into the room, Andromache was playing with little Astyanax on her lap while Helen was weaving something. Both women were wrapped up in their conversation and did not notice me come in. Astyanax clapped his hands loudly and pointed towards me.
"Bri!" He cried out my nickname in excitement.
Andromache looked up to see me standing there. Instantly, she picked up her son and walked over to me, drawing me into a fierce hug. I buried my face in her hair and began to cry softly. When I looked her in the eyes, she was crying as well. I took my cousin, Astyanax, into my arms and held him close to me. He kept giggling excitedly to have me hold him and I could not help but smile with him. Helen silently crept closer to us. Though I barely knew her before the Temple was attacked and I was taken, she drew me into a hug as well. Astyanax was still in my arms and began to whimper because he was not the center of attention. I turned my face to him and calmed him down. Andromache took him back and kissed his forehead.
"We thought you were gone." Andromache allowed her tears to freely fall. "When they said that the Temple of Apollo was raided, none of the priests survived."
"I was kept safe in the Greek camp by the Myrmidons. Achilles made sure no harm came to me and even threatened Agamemnon because he took me away."
"Achilles?" Helen's voice betrayed her curiousity.
"Yes, Achilles has taken care of me." A few tears escaped my eyes and fell down my cheeks.
Andromache handed her son to Helen just as I felt myself crumple to the ground. She caught me and drew me close to her, rocking me back and forth as I cried. As I cried, she kissed the top of my head like my mother used to when I was a child to comfort me. So much had happened to me in the last few days that I really had not had time to take everything in until now. I was taken from the Temple of Apollo by Greek soldiers, placed in Achilles's tent, taken to Agamemnon and taunted by him, then thrown to his men like a dog. That's when Achilles rescued me, brought me back to his tent, and attempted to care for my wounds. In those few hours, he showed me he knew more about the gods than he implied. That night was the night I had forsaken my vows to Apollo and given myself to Achilles. Now I was truly taking everything in for the first time and it was overwhelming. The one thing I was sure of was that I had fallen in love with Achilles. I did not know how to explain it, but I had to. Through my sobs, I began to tell my cousins what had happened to me. Both Helen and Andromache listened patiently and even shed a few tears for me and what I had gone through. When I got to the night I put a knife to Achilles's throat, I stumbled through my words.
"I...I...I could not kill him. There was something inside of me that could not do it." A few more tears fell for I knew what I was about to say would make them ashamed of me. "I have forsaken my vow to Apollo and not by force. I chose to give myself to Achilles..."
Before I could finish my sentence, Helen finished it for me. "...because you love him."
I looked at Helen and Andromache, who did not look back at me with shame or hate in their eyes, but understanding of wiser women who knew what love was. They understood what it was like to fall in love with a man. Helen especially understood what it was like to fall in love with a man forbidden to her. She, above all women, could understand my plight and sympathize with how I was feeling at the moment. Andromache held me on the floor as I stopped crying. She took my face in her hands and looked at me with the love of a sister.
"We cannot choose who we fall in love with; that is for the gods to decide. Briseis, he kept you safe when all other warriors would have just taken you without a second thought."
"But what about my vows to Apollo?" I was full of fear and uncertainty.
"The only people who knew of your vows were your family and the priests. The priests have all been killed and your family can understand." Andromache spoke with wisdom.
"And Apollo? He will surely be angry with me and wish to inact his revenge."
"Pray to his sister, Artemis, and surely she will calm his rage by making him see that you were meant to love Achilles, a warrior like himself. And to Aphrodite as well to aid Artemis in calming Apollo." Helen's advice was wise.
I nodded. After calming down, Helen and Andromache had a bath prepared for me. I sat in the warm water, allowing myself to be pampered by the servants as they washed my hair with lavender oils and treated my wounds with herbs. While I sat in the water, I thought of Achilles. He was most likely still in council with my cousins and uncle, discussing plans for attacking the Greeks. I would not see him until the morning, which saddened me greatly because I knew I would have to sleep alone. After my bath, I changed into my sleeping robe and went to my room. It was still the same as before I left it. As I crawled into bed, I pulled something out of my robe that I had brought with me. It was the tunic he had given me to wear. I held it close to me as I curled up to sleep. His scent still lingered in the rough fabric and that was comforting enough to send me into sleep.
The sun had already risen when I woke the next day. I stretched out in my bed, finding that Achilles's tunic was still firmly in my grip. A knock at the door pulled me out of my bed and I bid the visitor enter. The door opened to reveal my servant, Lyra, carrying a dress and sandals for me to wear. Lyra was almost eighteen years old and had been my servant for nearly two years before I chose the be a servant of Apollo. She placed the dress and sandals on my bed and I thanked her as she bowed and left. I walked over to the dress to get ready for the day when I noticed that it was the same color as Achilles's eyes, the same beautiful blue. I smiled as I pulled off my robe and put the dress on. It fit perfectly with a gold tie around my waist. I decided to let my hair be loose today as I slipped on my sandals and went out the door.
Curiously no one was in the great hall when I came in, so I picked up an apple to eat and walked outside into the gardens. It was my favorite place in Troy to come because of the beauty of each flower and all the different colors. There was a small statue of Aphrodite in the center. When I came to it, I knelt down and prayed that she be able to quiet Apollo's wrath towards me for breaking my vow. I poured my heart out to the goddess of how I loved Achilles. Once I had finished, I left my offering: a small, white lily, to represent the beauty of the goddess. I left the statue and continued my walk through the gardens until I found a spot overlooking the city and leaned on the short white wall surrounding the gardens. After a while, I felt another presence behind me. I turned around the see Achilles standing there.
"You should not wander alone."
"Troy is my home and I know it better than any other place. No one comes down this far into the gardens except the servants who tend the flowers."
"That is a shame. It's rather pleasant out here." He drew closer to me.
"This is my favorite spot because I can see the entire city from here." I turned around to face my beloved home.
He joined me at the wall, placing his arm around my waist. "Troy is far grander than I imagined it to be. Most port cities tend to be strictly business places, but here-there is life."
"My Uncle has always prided himself on the people of Troy, not the riches." I smiled.
"He is a far better king than Agamemnon. Priam cares for the people of this city and his family." Achilles looked in my eyes.
I shyed away. "How was the war council last night?"
"Successful. Your cousins, Hector and Paris, as well as your Uncle were eagar to hear my ideas for attack."
"I am glad."
"They also wished to hear on another matter, which I truthfully told them."
My heart sank. "What matter was that?"
"Something I cannot discuss at the moment. Your Uncle does wish to speak with you right away in the throne room. That is why I came to find you. I am to escort you there."
I nodded and allowed him to lead the way from the gardens. With every step closer to the throne room, I felt my heart race in my chest. I feared that it might burst at any second. Achilles held my hand the entire way there, which was a slight comfort. When we reached the throne room, he stopped in front of the doors and let go of my hand. I knew that he could not go in with me at this moment and that I must endure whatever lay inside for me alone. He kissed my forehead and promised to wait outside for me. I opened the door and found the room empty, except for my Uncle's throne where he sat waiting for me. He beckoned me forward and I came towards him slowly, like a child about to be scolded. I bowed respectfully to him and sat in a chair before him.
"My child," he began, his voice calm and reassuring. "I have heard of what passed in the Greek camp between you and Achilles. He spoke to me last night."
"Yes, Uncle. It is true that I have broken my vow to Apollo."
He paused for a long while before saying anything else and seemed to be deep in thought, pondering what he would say next. Finally he said, "Love is a gift from the gods. Something we mortals cannot control, nor choose when it happens or who we love."
I nodded, tears streaming down my face.
"Do you love Achilles, child?"
"Yes, I do. With all of my heart, Uncle."
"He asked me last night for your hand in marriage. Now I may give him my consent because I can see that you truly do love him."
"He wants to marry...me?" I could barely get the words out of my mouth.
"Yes child, he does."
I stood up from my chair and approached my uncle, kissing him on the cheek softly and thanking him. He dismissed me and I ran down the center of the throne room to the door. As I threw it open, Achilles was right outside waiting for me. It took one look for him to pull me into a passionate kiss. I felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. My family approved of my love for this man, even if I did break my vows to Apollo. He was now fighting for Troy and he loved me. My fears had been resolved and I was happy for the first time in a long while. Upon breaking our kiss, he pressed his forehead against mine, running his fingers through my thick, chocolate curls. I held him with all the might I had inside my tiny body, never wanting to let go.
"You want to marry me?" I finally asked after a few minutes of just being held by him.
"Yes I do."
"Why me?"
"Because no other woman has ever been able to captivate me like you do Briseis. You challenge me without a second thought and you are strong."
"I love you." These were the only words that I could speak, yet they seemed appropriate.
"I love you too." So much relief came from his utterance of those words to me.
For a while we remained there, just holding one another. I felt so safe and warm in his arms, like nothing in the world could touch me. The warrior had let down his guard and let me in. Now we were going to be bonded forever. When my heart rate returned to normal, we set out to tour Troy, hand-in-hand. I showed him all the places of my childhood: the stables, the great hall, the market, and we went back to the gardens where we sat for a while. I laughed and smiled as we shared more stories from our childhoods. He told me of when he had used Patroclus to steal an apple from the market. Patroclus was only two-years-old at the time, so he cried as a diversion for Achilles to grab the apple. Needless to say, it worked until they were caught by his mother, Thetis and forced to return the apple. I laughed at the thought of Achilles returning the apple, ashamed and embarrassed. When it came my turn to share a story, I told him of when Paris was ten-years-old and stole Uncle Priam's horse. I was six at the time and thought it was the most humorous thing until Paris rode by so quickly it knocked me off my feet into a puddle of water. Achilles smiled at the story.
"Briseis," he said, his tone serious.
"Yes."
"I am a warrior. You know this. There is still a war to be fought in the morning. We assault at first light with the plan your cousins and I have thought of."
I looked down at the ground. "I know."
"That is why I have asked your uncle that we be married tonight, if that is alright with you." He brought his hand under my chin and brought my eyes back to his.
I nodded, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Yes, tonight. I want to marry you tonight."
He took me into his arms. "Then we must go prepare. Your family knows of this and will be there."
We left the gardens and went back inside the palace. Andromache and Helen were already in my room waiting for me. They went to work, having a bath drawn for me and rinsing my hair with special oils made of roses. After my bath, they put a robe on me and dried my hair before putting on my white dress with gold hems. Once I was dressed, they took care of my hair, twisting the curls and pinning them back with diamond pins. While they were getting me ready, they told me how fortunate I was to marry someone I loved instead of an arranged marriage. I knew they were right. Arranged marriages rarely ended up in love. Hector and Andromache were fortunate to fall in love after they were married. I could not imagine my cousin with any other woman because Andromache made him so happy. And Paris had become a man because of Helen. Now I had fallen in love with the man who could save my country and he returned my feelings. I could not believe that I would be married in less than an hour's time. While my cousins worked, I sat still, taking every moment in as I could. Tonight I could share my bed with my husband. Achilles was going to be my husband. A sensation of complete happiness settled within my heart coupled with worry. Tomorrow morning the war would continue with a Trojan assault on the Greeks. I knew I would not survive if I were to lose Achilles during the battle, though I knew he was the most skilled warrior, I still worried.
I pushed my worry aside when my cousins had finished their work and I was ready. Outside the door, Hector was waiting to escort me to the great hall as he was my eldest cousin. Helen and Andromache wandered ahead of us to take their places. Hector took my arm and lead me down the corridors and I remembered times in our childhood when he would chase myself and Paris down these corridors, trying to scold us for something foolish we had done. I smiled at the memory of my childhood in Troy because it was a happy time in my life for I was never denied the simple pleasures of being a child. My Uncle Priam allowed us free reign of the palace to wander and explore to our hearts' contentment. Yet, we always seemed to find trouble or it would find us. Hector was always getting us out of trouble with his quick thinking and persuasive tongue. Now he was escorting me to be married.
"I am so proud of you, cousin." His words were sincere and heartfelt.
"Thank you Hector. Those words mean everything coming from you." I hugged his arm and felt comforted by his presence.
"Achilles truly is a great man and will make you happy." He almost seemed to choke on his words and I knew how hard this was for him.
"Hector, you know that just because I am getting married, that does not mean that we will no longer be cousins. We are family and nothing changes that."
"I know. It will be hard to not have you in Troy all the time after this war ends. Paris and I shall miss your bright, smiling face and sharp tongue." He smiled.
"I thought you always thought my words were too harsh for my own good." I teased him.
"Oh, they always have been. Achilles will have his hands full with you." He chuckled as I smacked his arm.
We finally reached the doors to the great hall and paused. "This is it." I sighed.
He bent down and kissed my cheek. "I have always thought of you as a sister Briseis. I love you like a younger sister."
"I love you as well."
The doors were opened and I was escorted in and down the center of the room to the front where Achilles was waiting for me. He was wearing his armor, which was clean and shining. The only people gathered in the hall were those of my family and a few select servants of the household, including Lyra and some of the elder women who cared for me as a child. All had tears brimming in their eyes as I made it to the front and Achilles took my hands gently into his own. Hector took his place next to his wife and brother. All my cousins looked on with great joy as my uncle addressed the crowd who had gathered there.
"Tonight we celebrate the coming together of two people. Achilles of Phtia and Briseis of Troy. I pray that the gods bless this union with many children and a happy life." He held our hands together with his own.
Achilles looked me in the eyes and smiled. "I henceforth take you, Briseis, as my wife."
He leaned forward and kissed my lips gently. Everyone bursted into applause as the formal ceremony was done. Now it was time for the feast to celebrate. I sat between my husband and Andromache as we ate, drank, and conversed with one another as family should. My eyes could hardly believe that all of this was coming true and that I was married. Achilles held my hand softly under the table and it made me smile slightly. Thoughout the feast, he leaned over and whispered small endearments into my ear, though no one else noticed as they were wrapped in feasting and drinking. The feast continued for a while longer, but Achilles and I were allowed to excuse ourselves for the evening. He escorted me out of the great hall and down the corridors to my room. Once we were alone in my room, he pulled me into a passionate kiss that we both had been longing for. Everything had been prepared for our arrival during the feast by other servants of the household. I smiled as we broke apart our kiss and saw the splendor of the room, but he soon captured my lips in a softer kiss once more as he picked me up into his arms and walked towards the bed. He set me down on the bed, still not breaking our kiss. I had never felt so safe as I did in that moment. Soon, all my worry was forgotten as I lay with my husband.
A/N: Ok...really long chapter here. Thanks to my reviewers so far who have encouraged me to continue. Please leave more reviews and I shall keep writing.