Achilles
Briseis sleeps peacefully in my bed. Since the king's passing, she's been distant.
I feel lost and confused about what the right choice is for her. I'm unsure if I should send her back to Troy, where she would definitely have more protection. I know Hector is coming for me, but my only fear is for her safety.
I can hear my men getting rowdy. I know something is happening. They are banging their swords, and the sound of marching feet fills the air. I walk over to the chest in front of my bed and begin putting on my armor. The weight of the metal is nothing compared to my fear for Briseis.
"Achilles," she says, sitting up, rubbing her eyes.
"Stay here, no matter what you hear."
"Please, not like this," she whispers, her voice trembling as I catch the gleam of unshed tears in her eyes. Stepping closer to the bed, I feel a surge of concern. I moved myself so she could see me clearly, my finger hovering gently in front of her lips. "There will be no more tears," I say softly, my tone firm but reassuring.
"There will be none of that. We'll face this together." When I speak, I see her face soften, the warmth of my presence removing her fear.
"This war should be over. You know nobody wins," she whispers.
She is right. Menelaus is dead, and he will never get his wife back. What is this war even about now?
"If I die, you would run back to Troy. My men will not protect you."
"Achilles, please don't fight. It wasn't you who killed the king. I will explain everything to Hector."
"Please, just stay here," I tell her, with nervousness lacing my voice as I gaze into her eyes.
****
We wait for the Trojans, and I can see that my men are nervous. Many of them have children and wives. They all have a lot to lose, and it broke my heart.
"Achilles, you can come with me willingly and be our prisoner, or you can fight to the death," Hector tells me when they finally appear.
"I have done nothing wrong."
"You killed a king."
"Those are the words of Agamemnon's men, the very ones who have been fighting you for months, not my men."
"And you have Briseis as a prisoner."
"Briseis is my guest, and she can leave if she wants to."
I watch as Hector leaps off his horse, boots thudding against the ground as he casts his gloves aside in a defiant gesture. The challenge is clear. He seeks a fight. But with Briseis standing in my chambers, the last thing I want is blood on my hands.
"There's no need for a fight," I call out, my voice steady. "Our enemy is Agamemnon."
"Is Achilles frightened?" Hector taunts, his eyes gleaming with cockiness.
"Scared? No. Just feeling merciful today," I reply, keeping my tone light, though the tension is thicker than Helen's thighs. I laugh at myself, wondering what pair would think of my joke.
Suddenly, a scoff breaks through the air. Fuck Agamemnon, his laughter dripping with sarcasm. He strides in, a self-satisfied smirk plastered across his stupid face. I can see the arrogance radiating from him, and it disgusts me.
"Did you think I'd miss this?" he sneers, revealing his yellow-stained teeth.
In that moment, Briseis speaks up, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "Achilles didn't kill King Priam; it was Agamemnon." Her words are steady and strong. Her face was like stone, and her eyes cut through all the men. I glance at her, deeply impressed by her bravery, but pissed she left my chamber.