Arli's POV

When Achilles was outside that is when I started to break; I turned on my side and covered my face with my hands. I started to cry silently and shake in utter disbelief in what had just happened. He tried to kiss me—no, he did kiss me and I had not put up a fight about it. At least it was only a kiss, he could have done much worse.

I wanted my fathers; I wanted to feel safe again. I wanted Paris to stroke my hair and I wanted to feel Hector's embrace, but, most of all, I wanted to be rescued.

I buried my face deeper into my hands and let a small sob escape my lips. My eyes felt like they were burning from the tears so I closed my eyes and eventually, against my will, I fell asleep. When I fell asleep, everything was peaceful; I was not in the hut of Achilles, I was in my own palace with Hector, Paris and Andromache. I missed them so much.

Achilles' POV

I was reflecting when Eudorus came over to me. He was a good man, loyal, obedient, trustworthy and brave; he was a man you would want as your second in command.

"My lord, Agamemnon has requested your presence," he said, trying to keep his eyes to the ground as he spoke.

I gave a small chuckle. "More like demanded, I bet. I will be ready in a few moments," I said and went back into the hut.

I slowed my footsteps once I saw Arlina sleeping on the furs. She actually looked peaceful, like no worries could touch her. I walked towards my wooden chest and slowly opened it, in case of creaks, and I pulled out a tough, black leather breastplate. I watched Arlina as I put it on and walked over to her sleeping body. I silently crouched down on my haunches next to her and just spent a few moments watching her sleep; Agamemnon could wait. I reached out and touched her forehead. As I did, she let out a small moan and moved her head a little…I liked it. I decided it was time to leave, so I got up and walked out of the hut and stopped only to talk to Eudorus on the way.

"Make sure she does not leave," I said, and started walking to Agamemnon's tent. I wondered what the old fool was going to say to me. He would not congratulate me—that was for certain—and I bet he would act like he was the one fighting and that he was the one who took the beach of Troy.

I entered Agamemnon's tent and stood at the back while other kings and men gave the King of Kings some gifts. I looked over at Odysseus and he gave me a small smirk, as if to say 'this is idiotic' and I returned the smirk.

Once Agamemnon finished receiving a vessel from an old councilman he looked up and saw me and his expression became sour. "Leave us," he commanded and everyone left the tent, except a few guards.

I looked at him straight in the eyes. "Apparently, you won some great victory."

He smiled like a well fed wolf. "Perhaps you did not notice. The Trojan beach belonged to Priam in the morning… It belongs to Agamemnon in the afternoon."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Have the beach; I did not come here for sand."

His smile faded. "No, you came here because you want your name to last through the ages," he paused and I could see him trying to find something else today. "A great victory was won today."

This man was such an arrogant bastard. "But that victory is not yours," I scolded him.

Agamemnon frowned and raised his voice. "Kings did not kneel to Achilles; kings did not pay homage to Achilles."

"Perhaps the kings were too far behind to see the soldiers won the battle," I countered back at him, keeping my anger to myself.

As I kept my anger inside myself, Agamemnon let his out. "History remembers kings not soldiers! Tomorrow, we will batter down the gates of Troy; I will build monuments on every island of Greece, I will carve 'Agamemnon' into every stone!"

I gave the King a devious smile. "Be careful, king of kings. First, you need the victory."

Agamemnon rose out of his seat with anger, but then almost immediately sat back down with a triumphant smirk. "Your men sacked the temple of Apollo, yes?" he said, but his voice was too sweet; something was wrong.

I frowned and sighed; he wanted treasure, did he? "You want gold? Take it; it is my gift to honour your courage. Take what you wish."

His smile grew wider. "I already have," he paused and called out to his men, I did not know what he meant, but then it hit me. "Aphareus, Haemon!"

It was Arlina and she was restrained by two guards, each holding one of her arms, but she not was struggling against them, she was limp and unconscious.

"The spoils of war," Agamemnon declared and looked more victorious than ever.

I looked at Arlina and I knew I had to protect her, so I unsheathed my sword. "No argument with you, brothers, but if you do not release her you will never see home again…decide!" I said, and swung my sword in the air.

"They do not obey your orders, Achilles, they obey mine," Agamemnon said, rising from his seat.

"Well, if I kill them now, they will not be obeying anyone's orders ever again. Now release her or I will kill you both…" I told the guards and motioned towards the guard to my left. "Starting with you."

At that the two soldiers brought forth Arlina to me and I sheathed my sword and held her in my arms, one arm under her knees and the other supporting her back. I turned to Agamemnon and glared at him with my nostrils flaring.

"If you ever try to take her from me again, I will not hesitate to kill you and, because of this, my Myrmidons and I will not fight for you until I decide the Trojans have taken enough Greek blood!" I shouted and stormed out of the tent, and walked back to my hut with every Greek soldier's eyes on me and Arlina. I could almost hear their wicked and disturbing thoughts, but I managed to keep my temper under control.

I saw Eudorus outside my hut; he was sitting on a bench with his head in his hands and when he saw me approaching he stood up and looked at me, guilt all over his face. I gave him a stern look, but nothing more as I bent down and carefully walked into my hut with Arlina. I kneeled down beside the furs and delicately placed her down. For a few moments I just watched her; I watched the rise and fall of her chest, the random movements of her legs and her slightly parted lips, the ones which I was so tempted to kiss and I almost did, but I remembered Eudorus, so I kissed her warm forehead instead.

I saw Eudorus kneeling in the sand waiting for me. "Eudorus, I told you to make sure she did not leave the hut. Agamemnon could have had her by now, but luckily, I was there to help her. If she was your daughter, how would you feel right now, knowing that she could have ravaged and beaten, all because one man could not do what he was told?" I asked, and let him speak.

"I would feel terrible, my Lord. I would want to kill the man who let me down," he said with his head hung low.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Eudorus, I would never kill you, but you must explain yourself."

"My Lord, while I was standing guard outside your hut, right here, two of Agamemnon's guards approached me and tried to order me to let them in your hut. I told them no, but before I knew it, two other guards had gone around the back of the hut, found her and took her while she was sleeping. They must have been cowards, since they knocked her out cold from behind," Eudorus told me quickly.

I nodded. "Yes, they are cowards, Eudorus and, for that, I cannot blame you. Tomorrow, we will not be fighting and we will not fight in this war again until Agamemnon apologises. Spread the word to the other Myrmidons and Patroclus. Do not disturb me except for meals."

"Yes, my Lord. Thank you, my Lord," Eudorus said quickly, and briskly walked away.

I sighed and walked back into the hut. I glanced down at Arlina, who had not even moved, and took off my breastplate. I poured myself a goblet of wine and sat down near Arlina's feet. I saw that her tunic was resting up at the tops of her thighs; her long legs were completely exposed. I almost spat out the wine in my mouth when I felt myself go hard. I put the goblet down and covered myself with my hands from over the kilt. For a moment, I closed my eyes and thought of other things, like cutting off men's heads, only then did I regain control of my body.

I looked back at Arlina and thought about kissing her and I imagined bedding her. I imagined her breasts against my chest, our bodies moving as one, her cries of my name and tasting every part of her skin.

I sat watching her sleep for about half an hour and then some, until Patroclus barged through the door. "Cousin, I need to speak with you," he announced.

"Shh! Do not wake her!" I whispered angrily, and motioned him outside with me.

Patroclus frowned. "Who is that?"

Then I frowned. "Do not worry about her; just tell me what is wrong?"

"We are not fighting tomorrow?" He asked like it was an obvious question.

"No, we are not."

His eyes widened in frustration. "Why?"

I sighed. "Because Agamemnon—the King of Kings—has no honour and, fighting for a man with no honour, does not do the world any good."

Patroclus smirked. "So, in other words, he insulted you?"

I smiled, he knew me so well. "Yes, he did, and worse; he stole from me."

"What did he steal?"

"He stole something I recently…found," I said, and chuckled.

Patroclus groaned. "He stole the girl that you stole, Cousin? She is trouble, why do you keep her here still?!"

"I honestly do not know. I just know I want her and I will keep her with me for however long I want her," I told him, getting defensive.

"So after your done bedding her, will we fight?" he asked impatiently.

I struck my forehead. "It is not about bedding her, Patroclus. Just go, we will fight when we fight and that is that. Do not disturb me again unless it is a matter of life and death," I said and walked back into my hut.

I spent the next few hours watching Arlina, then she woke up about an hour before dinner…