I was one of the first to know, but even then it was too late. The cry wasn't raised until the gates had been opened and the city flooded with Greeks, eager for the slaughter. They were burning, looting, and murdering their way to the palace.
I ran first to my uncle's room, but he was not there. "Uncle!" I cried as I ran through the palace, frantic to find my family and calling their names. "Paris! Andromache!" People were running in all directions, screaming in fright, calling for their loved ones, or just fleeing for their lives. I turned a corner. "Paris!"
I was nearly run over by my uncle's white stallion as it raced through the chaos, confused and just as frightened as I. I leaned against a pillar and gasped for breath as it passed me, then returned to my search. "Uncle Priam!"
I passed a window that looked out over the city. Gods preserve us! The temples were burning, people were screaming, and Greek soldiers were nearly to the base of the palace steps. "Andromache! Paris where are you?"
The throne room. Perhaps my uncle was there. I ran until I thought I could run no longer and my throat burned from screaming the names of my family. I heard fighting ahead. I called again. "Paris! Paris!" I couldn't get to the throne room, for the battle was raging just outside the door.
I felt like a lost child. Where was my family? I turned then to my last sanctuary. I ran to the gardens, where small shrines had been built to the gods in little alcoves all around the wall. I fled down the grassy path and threw myself at the feet of Apollo. I knelt there, rocking like a frightened child and prayed as I had never prayed before. I prayed that I would find my family and that there would be some way to escape. I prayed that he would be stronger than Fate. A terrible voice interrupted me and I gasped.
"Too late for prayer, Priestess." King Agamemnon hissed in my ear then roughly grabbed a fistful of my hair and he hauled me to my feet. When I was standing, I tried to pry his hand away. He suddenly let go and grabbed my neck and chin, not cutting off my air, but immobilizing me as he lifted up, forcing me to stand on tiptoe. "I almost lost this war because of your little romance."
No one but Paris knew of the nightmare I'd had the night before. No one but Paris knew that I now carried a dagger up my sleeve. I dropped my hands straight down at my sides, letting its hilt fall into my hand. I carefully adjusted my grip.
"You will be my slave in Mycenae." He growled. "A Trojan priestess scrubbing my floors." I angled the dagger as he -bless the gods- turned me around, forcing me away from the statues of Apollo, and my back to his guards. "And at night," He was smiling evilly at me.
He thought that I was the same spoiled princess that he had first seen, but I was not. He had known a child. Now he was threatening a woman. I didn't let him finish telling me what he would do to me and it was gratifying to see the look of terror that crossed his face as my blade plunged to its hilt into his neck. He tried to catch my hand, but it was too late. When he fell to his knees, I slipped away from him and tried to run.
One of the guards grabbed me by the back of the neck as I passed and shoved me to my knees in the grass. When the other guard was ready, he jerked me to my feet and shoved me to his partner. I struggled. I was no longer weak, I would die fighting.
"Hold her." He was poised to plunge his sword into my body, but he never got to. A golden warrior with black leather armor sliced the soldier's throat. The one holding me threw me down and tried to attack my rescuer. He died quickly.
I looked up into the eyes of my beloved. "Come with me." He said, gently lifting me to my feet.
I smiled. My eyes slipped past him and my heart stopped. "No-o-o-o!"
Paris' arrow flew amiss and instead of hitting Achilles in the back, it pierced his heel. My beloved fell to his knees, nearly dropping me. His head was thrown back in pain, and he was struggling to draw in breath, as if he'd been hit in the lung.
"Paris!" I cried.
Achilles moved to defend me from this new threat, but my cousin was quicker. He drew another arrow and fired.
I couldn't move, just scream. "No!" He wasn't listening to my screams and this one flew true, burying its head in Achilles' ribs. My golden warrior pulled it out as Paris fitted another arrow to the string. I watched, stunned as my beloved stalked forward, another arrow hitting him in nearly the same place. "Stop! Please!" I screamed to Paris, but he didn't hear me. Another arrow found its mark. I regained my feet and ran toward my cousin, still pleading. "Paris, don't!"
A third arrow was now sticking out of my golden warrior and he was stumbling. He fell to his knees and jerked the arrows from his body. I realized that he was dying and that the only way to make Paris listen was to shield my beloved from him. I ran and knelt before Achilles.
He was breathing heavily and his eyes were threatening to glaze over, but he cupped his hands around my face and struggled to meet my eyes. I found that my tears had returned as they flooded down my cheeks and the lump in my throat threatened to choke me. He brushed my hair back from my face and cupped it again. "It's all right." He gasped. "It's all right."
I shook my head. I knew that he was dying. If he died too; if I lost everything, it would not be all right. He lifted a lock of my hair to his face to smell the scented oils one last time, then held me close to him. I began to sob against his armored chest.
He drew back from me to look into my eyes. "You gave me peace..." He struggled to gain his breath so that he could finish. "In a lifetime of war." He kissed me then. I never wanted it to end. I never wanted him to release me from his embrace.
"Briseis, come." Paris pleaded, interrupting us.
"Go." Achilles insisted. I shook my head again. I wasn't going to leave him again. "You must!" he gasped.
"No."
"Troy is falling. Go."
"No," I whispered again and leaned into him, burying my face into his shoulder, trying to memorize his smell, for that was all I would have of him once I let go.
"We must go!" Paris was pleading again. "I know a way out."
I saw Achilles' eyes when my cousin said this. They brightened for a moment and he cupped my face again, forcing me to look into those hypnotic blue eyes again. "It's all right." He repeated. "Go." I leaned in for one last kiss.
"Briseis, come." My cousin was holding out his hand.
"Go." Achilles said again and gently pushed me away. I stiffly regained my feet, but didn't move to follow my cousin.
He rushed to grab my hand and started to lead me away. He must have been afraid that I would try to turn back, for he changed hands, and slipped the other around my waist, so that he could hold me close to him as he lead me along with him, no matter if I struggled or not. I didn't. I was too numb. I didn't think that I would ever feel again.
Paris led me through a labyrinth of secret tunnels and we met up with the group that had left before us. Andromache embraced me and helped me along as we followed the river toward Mount Ida. But my heart was lying broken in the ruined palace garden, where my beloved Achilles fell. I lived and he died. Part of me died with him, but I was left to face the rest of my life without him.
Cruel Fate... Cruel, cruel Fate.
