What if the best of Greeks were two people? What if Achilles had a twin sister? How will his relationship with Patroclus change and how will it affect his life?Expect this to be a little different than tsoa bc I am Greek and I know the story better...
After talking we went inside again from the back enterance. We were just discussing how I knew nothing of our father's stories. The ones, as Achilles informed me, he had a habit of telling the boys after dinner. It was probably because my mother's justified hatred for my father that I knew nothing of him. "So you have heard nothing? Not even that he knew Hercules?" he asked surprised. I nodded in disagreement. "Well, get ready to be showered with stories after dinner then" I laughed at that. "Excuse me, I must leave now, I have some,business to attend to" he suddenly said. I could see he had no business, he simply wanted to spend time with Patroclus before we left. I understood their relationship has been shaken since their encounter at the beach. I wanted my brother to be happy but I couldn't ignore the promise I had made to my mother. He wanted Achilles to stay away from Patroclus, she believed he made him week. She believed all mortals had that effect on us, which sounds weird since, in truth, we were mortals too.
"Oh, I was hoping we could train together. I know you always train alone, afraid you might harm someone as so do I." I proposed "I believe it would be great for the both of us to duel with an equal"
"That would have been wonderful Alcippe but I trully have some important maters to sort out before we leave"be tried to explain.
"Of course, I understand" I didn't want to push the situation any further.
"I will see you at dinner then" "At diner then" He left quite hurriedly which showed that in fact he had no business to attend. I was again escorted by a servant a different one this time. This infuriated me, my mother was right. I might have the strength and the fighting abilities of a man but in this palace they will never treat me as an equal. Like every other girl I can never go somewhere alone. I would have to be escorted by my brother or a servant. There were a cupple hours left before dinner and I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I had no friends here. I could visit my mother but I wouldn't want to give her the satisfaction of learning she was right. I could go back to my room but the thought of it seemed utterly boring. Another choice I had was to spend some time in the gynaikon.
A/N:gynaikon, the women’s quarters of the house located on an upper floor. The gynaikon was where women engaged in spinning thread and weaving.
But that was no such place for me, I had no idea how to spin thread, I didn't have to learn since my destiny was to become a warrior I focused on my physical education. It seemed to be the less tedious option though, so that is why I chose it. We walked to the upper floors of the palace where the woman left when we were finally at the gynaikon. There were ladies of the court, making hand-woven textiles. Most of them has earned their positions because their husbands each owned a seat at my father's council. Others, well, let's just say had the privilege of having the favour of the king. "My princess" one of then greeted me. Slightly bowing. The time I spent here she gladly gave a tour of the creations she and the rest of the ladies had made. She then taught me the basics of spinning and weaving. I had the chance to talk with other ladies as well. I must admit, it wasn't as much of a dreadful experience as I though. But I would never trade my life with this, I had the mind and spirit of a warrior those things were not for me. When the time came I was summoned for dinner, I thanked them and left. Dinner was set in the great hall and unlike lunch it wasn't limited to family it was like every night, there were the foster boys talking loudly with my brother. But all he could look at was Patroclus. I went and sat beside Achilles. He smiled and so did I. Dinner was fish along with bread and olives. We mosly ate in silence. My and Achilles exchanged a few words about tomorrow but that was all. I was wearing a long white dress, with a golden belt made of small figures of the sun and moon, golden earings and a minimal golden crown. Soon most of the boys left and there was only me Achilles, Patroclus and a few others. My father was sitting on the throne and us around him, the room was dark, the only light coming from the lit candles and the moon. My father had began recounting the stories he would tell of his youth. "Father, Achilles told me you were acquainted with Hercules" "I was. My and my brother helped him in many of his quests. We also participated in the quest for the golden fleece alongside Jason" I looked at him mouth wide open in aw. "You have a brother, father?" It was somehow the only question that came to mind. "Tellamon, he is the king of Salamis. Haven't seen him in years though" there was a certain melancholy in his dark eyes. "Anyway, - my father changed the subject-, how about I tell you all about the time when Pthia was created, my dear?" he talked for a long period of time and I listened. He might not have been the best person but he was a good father and the stories of his adventurous past didn't seem to end. It was quite difficult for me to concentrate though as Achilles and Patroclus were sort of playing. It was like my brother was tormenting him but he for sure didn't look tormented. "Achilles, would you stop tormenting our Scopus?" My father spoke. "You sister is trying to listen" "Excuse me father" he said but really didn't do anything, Patroclus pretended to be tormented but with not much success. I rolled my eyes. My father shared many other stories. Including the one of how he ended up here and who his father was. My grandfather, was the king of Aegina, a small island near Athens. And his wife was Edneis. I had heard about her before from my mother. Edneis is a forest nymph, that which I know from my mother is that she didn't want to marry either. Not the man she was given to at least. The time quickly passesed and it was time for us to leave and go to our chambers. We needed sleep, the trip to Pelion that we had the following day was long. Our father said goodnight to us and Patroclus-the other boys had already left-We then departed. I was escorted by Kleodore to my room. "Did you enjoy your day here,my princess?" she aksed, kindly. "Did my father order you to ask me?" I asked her knowingly. "His grace took great care for the preparations regarding your return. The whole palace stuff was occupied the last few days. You've been gone a very long time, he wanted the palace to feel like home" she explained. "Well you may tell him that it was all quite wonderful"
I asked her about her life, she seemed like a kind person and it wouldn't hurt for me to a have a friend in this palace. To my surprise, she wasn't much older than me, she was only twenty. Her husband was a soldier in my father's army and she had a seven year old son who because she and her husband were busy woking was one of my father's foster boys. She sees him though, once in a while. She then helped pack my things for tomorrow. Then I asked her to sit in my bed with me. "I wouldn't dare my princess.." "I give you my permission" She told me that she was born a servant and that she wished from a better future for her son. She insisted on leaving a little while after that though. Reminding me that I need to sleep for my upcoming trip tomorrow. When she left I put on my sleep-wear silk dress and layed on my bed. Tomorrow would be a new beginning. In Pelion I wouldn't be Thetis daughter, like I was in the sea, or a princess like I am here. I would just be Alcippe, a girl. A student of Master Chiron. Preparing for the battles to come. Perhaps I could also built a closer bond with my brother. Besides, this might be a chance for him to forget Patroclus, although he was happy with him.......
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A look on Alcippe's outfit on her first day in Pthia because it is ICONIC
