A/n: I AM SO SORRY! I should've updated sooner but I was really busy with exams and a whole load of st. So I'm gonna try really hard to make this chapter good. Now I don't have a clue to whether the correct spelling of mermadons is that or something else. If you know then tell me and I'll fix it. Thankyou.

Disclaimer: yeah I only own the plot stuff.

The Beautiful Secret of Troy

A dull ache in her head brought Alena back to consciousness. She slowly opened her eyes, afraid of what she would find. Patroclus. He was watching her and he smiled when she opened her eyes. He almost seemed worried for her. She didn't smile back, she tried to move but her arms were bound behind her. She glanced at her feet, they were bound too. Slowly she lifted her eyes to meet his. Their eyes locked, their gaze becoming intense. Slowly she began to speak.

"you... you... liar. You tricked me." she said in a murmur.

"I'll have to ask for your forgiveness. If we hadn't dispersed the crowd, Agamemnon would've been informed of it. That's not the best thing to happen."

"so he doesn't know? The reputation of the Mermadons is saved, is it? You could've been valiant and bold and let me escape when you could and now you can't because I'm presuming that Achilles has forbidden it. Am I right?"

Patroclus looked uncomfortably down at his feet and fiddled with the hem of his robe. Fear grew within Alena. What was going on that he didn't want her to know about?

"What has happened...? Patroclus?"

he lifted his gaze back to hers, glad that the ropes were strong.

"It seems Agamemnon did find out about our little disagreement. He thought it was Achilles though so he sent his guards to find him, after they had Achilles they were to find 'the woman'... it was just their luck that Achilles and A woman were in the same tent. He has them up in his quarters just now. I'm sorry it had to be this way Melena."

She looked completely deflated, pain etched in every detail of her fair face. Patroclus wondered why Melena cared for the girl Briseis so much. He felt the temptation rise within him to console her, to be of some help. He couldn't, it wasn't the way of the Mermadons. They were towers of strength and women were nothing to them. Then again maybe Patroclus was different, he could tell her everything would be alright, to have faith. Her strangled whisper brought him back to reality. She was staring up at him earnestly.

"you have to let me go to her. You don't understand. She's... well... a Princess of Troy. I'm her maidservant. Like her soldier in disguise. I need to return her to Troy. I can handle the guards, I just need weapons and for you to untie me. Please. Patroclus, I'm the only one who can help."

"I'm sorry but I can't. You are wounded. Your leg, I can fix it with some stitches but you were knocked out cold. And they have both been gone since mid-afternoon and well now..."

he walked to the tents entrance and pulled the partitioners apart. Tears welled up in her eyes. It was deep into the night. The moon hung low over the Aegean. Patroclus closed the entrance and went to her. Silently, he washed the wound on her leg preparing it for healing. He realised how close he was to this woman. Although it was only so he could help her, she was letting him see her thigh and touch it. It usually didn't seem like much to Patroclus, as soon as he mentioned Achilles he would find a woman's toga on the floor and the woman on top of him.

This was different.

He knew how uptight Trojan women were and yet she was letting him touch her tenderly. He tried to put the thought from his mind. It's a wound! Of course you have to touch it tenderly, you'd hurt her otherwise!

He finished stitching her back together and looked at her face. She was still staring at the wall. Abandoning all thoughts of the Mermadons, he instinctively wiped the tears from her face.

"it will be alright. Not even Agamemnon would stand up to Achilles. She'll be back in the morning. Sleep now."

"I fear I shan't sleep until I know she's alright."

Patroclus went to a small table with a jug of wine and two goblets. He poured the wine and gave a goblet to her. She drank deeply from it whilst Patroclus cradled his. She smiled up at him then promptly passed out, spilling wine down herself.

Sighing, he went over to her and sat her upright. He picked up the glass and wandered back to the table. He put the goblets down and slowly reached over to a pocket in the wall and deposited a small bottle.

He turned to look at her.

"I knew you'd have trouble sleeping otherwise. Sorry but at least it herbs and not poison."

--

Patroclus woke up early in the morning. The sun had only just risen and there was a chill in the air. He made his way over to Achilles tent to see if he had returned. The sound of smashing ceramic confirmed his thoughts. Tentatively he looked in to see Achilles complaining to himself about the "king of Greece" Patroclus cleared his throat.

"Patroclus you can come in" Achilles said without glancing round

"cousin what has happened? What angers you so?"

trembling with Rage Achilles turned to his younger cousin and explained how Agamemnon had taken her and she is now his toy. He was angered because Agamemnon had taken away the purity of a priestess. Patroclus held his tongue when he heard this. He knew it was nothing to do with being a priestess as just yesterday he sacked the temple of Apollo. However he held his tongue and continued to look concerned.

Achilles ran out of steam and asked Patroclus to go. So he did. Patroclus returned to his tent and checked on Melena.

Her gentle breathing made her look like a goddess. Her gentle curls, her soft features, Patroclus couldn't deny her beauty yet he wanted to. He knew problems would arise if he were to fall for her. The sun filtered through the entrance and danced on her face. He unbound her legs and loosened her wrist ropes. But he knew she wouldn't escape unless she was like putty. He went over to his bed and lifted the parchment and quill that had been left for him. He sneaked another glance at her face and smiled, put the quill to parchment and began to write.

A.n: ok it was shorter than I hoped it would be but I'm going to put another chapter up soon with a lot of her views on Patroclus. So yeah please review and I'll get on with the next chapter.

xxxx