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Arli's POV

Slowly, slowly, I opened my eyes, to what I thought was all just a bad dream. I realised in horror that it was not. I sat up and saw Achilles staring at me and I gave a half smile.

"How I so wanted this to be a dream," I told him and yawned. "Well, what happened, why was I asleep for so long? I started sleeping in the early afternoon, now it is twilight."

Achilles gave a sigh. "You were not really asleep; you were knocked unconscious by two of Agamemnon's guards. Agamemnon ordered something to be taken from me, and they found you, but I intervened. Now my Myrmidons and I will not be fighting for some time."

I took a moment to take in what he said. "So you saved me?" I asked, and he nodded. "But why?"

"He stole you from me; I was just taking you back," he said, and smiled.

I nodded grimly. "I thank you, dear Achilles, but now I have to leave. You have to release me or my fathers will hunt you down and, for some reason, I would not wish to see you get hurt after what you have done for me."

Achilles eyes narrowed. "'Fathers'?"

"You caught me there," I said, clicking my tongue. "I have two fathers: Hector and Paris. You see, my mother and Paris were only twelve years of age when I was born. Paris loved my mother and was heartbroken when she died just a few moments after my birth. Hector did not think Paris was able to take care of me properly, so he raised me instead. I still love Paris just as much as Hector, so they are both my fathers."

"I see now. Well, I am sorry, Princess, but I cannot let you leave. You are leverage in this war and if the Greeks ever needed leverage, then we would need you," he said, simply.

"I do not believe that. How could I be leverage? My father is not dumb enough to even think that I am more important than Troy."

Achilles smirked. "Yes, and which father is that?"

I clenched my teeth together and stood up. "Do not mock my family, soldier. You know that I was talking about Hector."

"Yes, because Paris, I am told, is more of a lover than a fighter," he snorted.

I could not take it anymore. "That is enough! How dare you throw something so personal back in my face?" I yelled, and paused to breathe. "Achilles, if you choose to mock me again, I will cut off your manhood."

"Very well, it seems I cannot mock you ever again. Princess," he said, walking over to me. "You can either be a guest in my hut, or you can be a prisoner. I would much prefer you be a guest, but that is entirely up to you."

I sighed. "Why could not I be a guest who can come and go freely?"

Achilles frowned, but then almost immediately brightened. "That is not a bad solution. I will make you a pact: I will let you visit your family for a few minutes at night, but then you have to come back here with me."

"What makes you think I would not run away?" I asked…what had gotten into him?

"Well, you would not run away, because if you did, I would have a reason to kill your family. I would resume fighting immediately; every Trojan I would slaughter would be a slaughter made in your name; and, when the Greeks have taken the city, I will find you again, but this time, you would have no family for me to give you back to for a few minutes a night. I could win this war all by myself, but I won't," he told me and I knew he was telling me the truth, and this truth made me shiver.

I exhaled shakily. "Why do you not? You could be praised and worshiped; you would be a hero to the Greeks."

"Because king Agamemnon has no honour; this whole war will have no honour and I will not fight in a war that has no meaning. Now will you be my guest—that gets to visit her family—or my prisoner, who will get nothing?"

"What would I have to do to be your 'guest'? I know that being your guest means I have give as much as take. Tell me, what I have to do?" I asked, biting my lip.

He looked at me in the eyes. "You would have to stop fighting me like this and treating me as your enemy."

I gasped. "But—" I began to say, but Achilles cut me off.

"Either you take it, Princess, or you leave it."

I felt panicked, my head spun and he was asking me to make a decision right at that moment, but I could not. Instead, I looked up at him and calmly said: "I will not fight you if you swear that you shall not touch me in a manner that is inappropriate."

He smiled cheekily. "That I cannot swear to. I will, however, swear that I will not take the privilege of what would be your future husband's."

I sighed, already feeling homesick. "Then you have a deal."

"Good," he said, and we shook hands.

"Well, I would like to visit my family now, so we should leave soon before the light—"

"No," he interrupted, taking my hand in his. "Not yet, later tonight I will take you over to them. It is too soon for you to be leaving me right now."

"But you said—"

"I never said anything about when I would take you over to them. I simply said, 'at night'."

"You bastard," I whispered, in shock. "I need to see them…"

I had to stop mid-sentence since my eyes were welling with tears. I had never left home before without Paris and Hector with me, and now, here I was alone with a stranger. Achilles saw my tears and leaned over to me, his arms open wide.

"Do not…" I started to say, but I let him hold me all the same.

"You are freezing, Arlina," he said, his hands rubbing my arms.

Without consulting my mind, my arms reached around his middle, embracing him back. I loved the contact I had with him; his arms were protective and had a tightness around me that I craved. My cheek rested against shoulder and his chin rested in the crook of my neck.

"Thank you, Achilles," I said after a minute of the embrace, and I pushed myself back from him.

Achilles' POV

When she was in my arms, I felt alive and complete; for the first time in my life I felt my soul move inside of me. I knew right then that she belonged with me.

"Thank you, Achilles," she whispered to me, and pulled away and, as she did, I felt empty and every feeling I felt before was gone.

"Arlina…" I whispered to her, still lingering on her scent, my eyes transfixed on hers.

She looked slightly shocked. "Sorry…I—I do not know what came over me."

"Do not be sorry, it is fine," I said, and looked out the hut's window. "Is this darkness usual for Troy?"

She walked over to the window and looked out. "Only when death has grazed the land."