"Arlina…Arlina," Priam cooed, waking me just as the sun had appeared on the horizon. "The Greeks have left."

I immediately sat up, the news jolting life into me. "They could not possibly have left—Agamemnon could not possibly have left!"

Priam nodded determinedly. "Their ships have left our shore and there are Greek bodies lying on the beach. My eyes and ears say that they have died from plague…and left us a gift."

"Nonsense," I said, getting up to look out from the balcony. Priam was right, though he should not have been. "But how could this be? It must be some ploy of theirs to lure us down there."

"Well," Priam said, turning away and heading out of my room. "I am going down to the beach with some of my counsel and Paris to put this speculation to rest. If you wish to join me, you may."

Once he left the room, I hurriedly put a simple blue dress on before joining Priam once more in the hallway. Paris joined Priam's small procession at the gates, where he protectively linked his arm with mine. Paris and I rode in his chariot together down to the beach while Priam and his counsellors followed close behind.

"I do not like this, Arli," Paris said, looking at a Greek body covered in spots. "Do not come too close!"

"I will not, Paris, have no fear for me," I replied, stepping around the body, and then my attention turned to the gigantic wooden horse right in front of me. "Why leave such a 'gift', Paris?"

Paris sighed. "If it is a gift, that is."

Before I could even agree with my father, Priam had arrived next to us. "Look at this magnificent horse!"

"It is plague," one of his counsellors said, inspecting the body. "The Gods have been angered by them."

"By their presence here," added another. "Slaying Trojans, the patrons of Apollo, has led to their downfall."

"And they have tried to make amends by gifting this horse to Poseidon for their safe return to Greece."

Priam nodded in agreement. "Then this shall be brought before the temple of Poseidon in Troy."

"No, Father!" Paris exclaimed, pushing past counsellors to get to Priam. "The Greeks have brought us nothing but pain. We must burn it. Let them die at sea."

Priam frowned. "This is intended as a gift to Poseidon. If He does not have it, we will incur His wrath."

"Paris is right, my King," I said, waving my hand at the monstrosity. "If we bring it inside the gates, we could harm our own people by bringing them sickness."

"You, a woman, dare disagree with King Priam?" asked the counsellor who hated me the most, now taking his one opportunity to belittle me. "Just because you have taken control of Troy's army does not mean you can take control of the entire kingdom, Princess!"

Just before Paris could defend me, Priam took a hold of his shoulder and addressed us all. "We shall bring the horse into the city for Poseidon. That is final."

"But, King Pri—!" I yelled, but a sharp pain in my lower stomach stopped me from continuing.

Paris saw the fluid escape from between my legs and took hold of me. "Arlina, we must get you back now."

He helped me into his chariot, instructing me to hold on tightly, and we hurried back to Troy.

"Arlina, stay here," Paris said, laying me on my bed. "I will fetch the midwife."

"But the horse—" I said, trying to get up.

"Pay no mind to it anymore. It is out of our control now," he replied before he left me…

My heart froze when I saw Arli. Odysseus, knowing of our union, quickly placed a firm hand on my forearm, reminding me that I could do nothing for her until we were inside the city walls and that I could not risk our position being compromised. I took his hand in my own, glaring while I held it, letting him know that if anything happened to her during the attack, I would have revenge. But all I could do was wait…

"It has been hours!" I screamed at the midwife, wiping away the large bead of sweat that had fallen into my eye.

"And it will take more hours until the baby is ready to come out," she replied, raising her eyebrow all the while giving me a stern look. "It is your first child, Princess Arlina, when you have your second the birthing process will be shorter."

"For goodness sake, woman, the sun has already set," I said, falling back onto my bed. "Troy could be in danger and I am stuck here fulfilling the duty of a woman. How the gods must laugh!"

Her eyes pierced mine. "There will be no blasphemy here, Princess. No mortal is above the gods, even royalty. And you should not worry so; the Greeks have left. No one has seen them and their ships are far gone."

The doors to my room opened and Paris walked in with Helen. "How is my daughter?"

"She has a long way to go yet. I shall be back soon," she said, walking past Paris.

I sat up as Paris sat on my bed. "Father, what has been going on today?"

"They brought the horse outside Poseidon's temple, and everyone has been celebrating the Greek's retreat."

"Have they retreated, Paris?"

He turned away, shaking his head. "I sent a scout to search beyond the cove, but he has not yet returned. Nothing is as it seems, Arli."

"I pray the scout returns soon, or else we know he has met an ill fate," I said, just before a strong pain emitted from my womb. "Oh! I want soldiers stationed just inside the gates and lookouts on the walls."

"It is of no use, Arli; Priam has sent them home to their families and most are now drunk anyway."

My eyes went wide. "What?! The old fool, the old fool! This is just like Agamemnon to trick our idealistic King. Paris, what can we do now?"

He gripped my shoulders. "I do not know."

More helpless hours passed and the city began to quieten, all the while I lay waiting in pain for my child to arrive…..

"Now!" Odysseus whispered, and I, along with five other men, opened the exits of the horse.

Once I had slid down the makeshift rope, I knew I only had a small amount of time to find Arli before the rest of the Greek forces invaded. To the left and right of me the Trojans who had fallen asleep under the stars were being quietly slaughtered along with a few stray soldiers. Odysseus was already at the gate by the time I had run up the hill towards the palace….

"Push, Princess!"

"I am pushing, witch!" I screamed back at her through clenched teeth.

The midwife smiled for a brief moment. "I can see a head. One more push, biggest you can."

Helen, who had been drawn to the window, rushed back in panic. "The Greek soldiers are inside Troy! They are burning everything!"

"No!" I screamed, cursing my vulnerable state. "The horse!"

"The Greeks will have to wait," the midwife replied calmly, and then I screeched the most unnatural sound, but my own sound was almost immediately taken over by that of a baby.

"It is a girl, Princess," the midwife said, cleaning my child, but then she stopped and quickly handed the baby to Helen. "Continue cleaning her…there is another."

"Another what?" I asked, but then I felt it within me.

"Push!" She coached, and I followed her instruction. "I can see its head! Two more big ones!"

Suddenly the doors burst open and Achilles was in my room. He was sweaty and out of breath, and he stared at me, the midwife and the child in Helen's arms. For a moment I forgot about my physical pain and we were all quiet, not knowing what was going to happen next. Any hate or fear I had for him melted away since we both knew that tonight meant we had to fight together for survival.

"I am too late, then?" Achilles asked, breaking the silence while also trying to keep me calm by not mentioning the situation outside.

"Not for this one!" The midwife said, and turned her attention back to me. "One more, one more!"

Achilles rushed over to my side to hold my hand and kiss my head while I delivered another child into the world.

"A boy, Princess," the midwife cooed, cleaning him briefly and then handing him to me. "Now you have one of each."

"She is beautiful," Helen said, smiling as she handed Achilles his daughter. "Golden eyes, just like her mother."

"Both of them do," I said, staring into the eyes of my son, but then I turned to Achilles. "What should we do now?"

Paris burst into the room, running over to us, but halted when he laid eyes on Achilles. "You! You do not belong here; you were in the horse like the rest of the Greeks!"

"It would have happened if I was or was not in the horse!" Achilles replied, standing up to face Paris. "I came straight here to save Arli and my children. If we do not get out of Troy in time, at least the Greeks will not hurt my family if I am with them; they have a chance with me."

"I do not trust you!" Paris yelled defiantly.

"Paris, please," I said, trying to stand but my energy was depleted. "We will not get out of Troy without him."

"Yes, we can," Paris insisted. "There is a way out of the city that Hector had told to Andromache."

"And you think she is in a condition to walk?" The midwife chimed in. "And, forgive me, Prince, but you most certainly do not have the muscle it will take to carry the Princess."

"Thank you!" Achilles said to the midwife. "Please, get my wife out of these soaked robes."

The midwife nodded and fetched a clean dress and cloak for me to wear while Paris turned his back.

Achilles handed our son to the midwife after she had dressed me while Helen kept hold of our daughter. "Carry them and stay close to me," he commanded and then turned his attention to me; picking me up and carrying me in his arms. "We must leave now. There can be no more time arguing or your lives will come to an end. Prince, lead the way to this escape route."

Paris, although still distrusting of Achilles, knew the urgency of our situation and led us out of the room.

It seemed as if all civilization was coming to an end judging by the manner in which people, servants and nobility alike, were exiting the city. As soon as we had left the palace, the Greeks were upon us.

"This way, quick!" Paris said, darting ahead with Helen into a passage way.

But our movements had drawn the attention of three Greek soldiers who were now following us. Achilles tried to move fast with me, but he could not risk falling with me in his arms or the midwife not being able to keep up, so in an exceptionally dark area of the passage, he leant me against the wall and ordered the midwife to stay with me while Paris and Helen waited up ahead.

The three Greek soldiers wandered near us and before they could defend themselves, Achilles attacked, killing two of them.

"Achilles?" A voice from the darkness asked.

A nearby house had at that moment been set on fire, and the flames illuminated the passage, revealing the identity of the voice. It was the third Greek soldier, but this soldier was, in fact, the King of Ithaca.

"Odysseus!" Achilles said, sheathing his sword. "Please, old friend, go back the way you came."

King Odysseus looked over Achilles' shoulder at me and my baby. "You are leaving?"

"I am weary of battle," my husband replied.

"You and your family would be unharmed if you came back; you know no one would dare."

Achilles shook his head. "That life is not for me anymore. It is better if they think I have died."

"They will not believe that," he smirked.

"Convince them. Goodbye, my friend," Achilles finished and wrapped his arms around the King.

Odysseus nodded. "Goodbye…and good luck."

Again I was lifted into my husband's arms and, along with my midwife, caught up to Helen and Paris, who continued leading us to escape. When we came to an area behind the stables, Paris stopped.

"Through here," he said, motioning to a tunnel. "This will lead us to the river, which we must follow further. Andromache and Astyanax have already gone through."

"Achilles," I whispered, looking up from his chest. "I am far too heavy to carry all that way."

He gave me a warm smile. "Yours is a weight that I would gladly carry forever."

Paris went into the tunnel first, then Helen, Achilles and I, and finally the midwife.

Troy was gone forever, nothing could change that fact…but we could always start anew…