What if Patroclus never died? Briseis and Achilles have the chance to live their lives together

Briseis and Achilles deserved better.

"Am I still your captive?" Briseis and Achilles facing each other and pressed chest to chest, and his fingers caressing her arm.

"You're my guest…" He replied coyly.

"In Troy, guests can leave whenever they want." Achilles looked at her – her eyes showed no intention of wanting to leave him.

"You should leave then." Briseis sighed. She should, but she doesn't want to. Being with Achilles made her feel alive; worthy of being more than royalty or a temple priestess. He was not dumb nor stupid, but he was wise, smart and unbelievably handsome.

"Would you leave this all behind?" She asked quietly. He stared deep into her eyes with his beautiful baby blue eyes.

"Would you leave Troy?" Briseis sighed and rested her hand on his chest.

Achilles slept peacefully beside Briseis, whom was having trouble sleeping. The same question that he asked her was replying in her mind. She knew returning to Troy would cause gossip to spread like wildfire around the city – sympathy for her capture by the horrible Greeks. She was wrong about the Greeks… or at least Achilles and his Myrmidons who treated her with kindness and respect.

Despite being warned by Achilles, many of the men were friendly and often spent some of their free time with her sharing stories of war, family, love, but also protected her fiercely. In return, Briseis would spend her time preparing meals, washing and mending their clothes, and tending to minor wounds. Eudorus grew fond of Briseis – he thought she was very independent, strong-willed, and intelligent for someone at the age of 22. He also noticed his lord seemed peaceful and less cold with her in his presence.

Briseis gently lifted Achilles arm draped over her chest and wriggled out of legs that were keeping her from leaving. She quickly dressed in her grey robe that was discarded earlier and walked out of the tent. She walked to the edge of the beach and sat watching the waves under the moonlight.

"My lady, is everything alright?" Briseis turned her head to see Eudorus standing behind her. She smiled and pat the spot beside her.

"Everything is fine, Eudorus. I was just doing some thinking."

"May I ask what is keeping you up at this time of night?" Briseis bit her bottom lips unsure of what to say to him. He was genuinely curious and wanted to help.

"Do you think returning Troy would make me happy?" Eudorus looked at the young innocent girl with sympathy. His wife and children made him happy, and luckily they were also from Pthia, but for this young girl sitting beside her, her choice was between her family and her lover.

"I'm sorry my lady, but I don't think I can answer that for you because that is something you must ask yourself. Would you be happy leaving Achilles for the rest of your life, to a family who may see and despise the change in you since you were captured?" Briseis looked at the man thoughtfully. He was right. Would she be happy leaving the man she loved for her family who would treat her as a victim?

"My heart is telling me that leaving Achilles would result in never-ending pain and sadness, but my head is telling me that family is family; and that family will love you regardless of what has happened to their loved ones." Briseis said strongly. Eudorus nodded in understanding, and opted to give her one piece of advice.

"If I could offer you one advice, my lady?"

"Of course. You have no boundaries in how you speak with me, Eudorus."

"Whatever you choose, there is a sacrifice to be made. The only thing you must understand is, you have to live with that sacrifice. I know that love and the heart is always the biggest sacrifice one makes."

"I love my family, but it is because of my cousin Paris and his love affair with the Queen of Sparta, that Troy is vulnerable. Hector is only one man that can lead this army, and he is a good man who doesn't deserve this mess from the choices Paris and my uncle has made."

"My lady, I have an unsettling feeling that something may happen tonight." Briseis looked at Eudorus with alarm, then heard the sound of armours and weapons.

"Speak quickly, before we are too late to stop it." Briseis stood up quickly and walked back to camp.

"Patroclus was angry with Lord Achilles and I fear that he may do something drastic, which includes a potential attack on an unprepared Troy." She followed Eudorus to where a sea of soldiers were readying their armour and weapons. She pulled Eudorus close to her.

"Find Patroclus now. I'll deal with the soldiers and go wake Achilles to deal with his cousin." Eudorus bowed and hastily scurried away.

"Stop!" She shouted with her arms in the air, "I believe Achilles commanded you to stand down. What is the meaning of this?" Briseis remained calm and did now display any anger to the soldiers.

"We saw my lord dressed in his armour prepared to leave for Troy." A soldier spoke up. Briseis narrowed her eyes and looked at the men. 'Men' she muttered under her breath.

"Why would he tell you stand down then go and fight? That's stupid." She rolled her eyes, "go back to your tents and duties before Achilles finds out and punishes you all." The soldiers sighed with relief and quickly did what they were told. Briseis grinned with satisfaction and quickly made her way to Achilles tent. She kneeled and gently shook her lover's shoulder.

"Achilles…" She cooed. Achilles groaned and turned his head, slowly opening his eyes to see Briseis's beautiful eyes.

"Are you ready for another round? I know I am…" Achilles purred.

"Not now I'm afraid. You need come outside, something has happened." Achilles immediately got out of bed, dressed and walked out of his tent with Briseis following closely behind him. At that moment, Eudorus hauled Patroclus over and threw him onto the ground in front of Achilles feet.

"What is the meaning of this?" Achilles asked coolly. Eudorus looked at Briseis nervously who nodded at him (not noticing that Achilles saw their interaction).

"Patroclus was dressed in your armour and welded your weapons prepared to go and attack Troy." Achilles looked at his first-commander then looked down at his cousin wearing his armour.

"Is this true, Patroclus?" The silence answered Achilles question. Achilles was about to slap some sense into the boy, but was beaten by Briseis who slapped the back of his head.

"What is the matter with you, Pat? Do you want to die or something? Hector would've killed you without hesitation thinking you were your cousin." Briseis scolded him while Patroclus rubbed the back of his throbbing head. Eudorus and Achilles looked at the fiery woman in shock. She stood there with her hands on her hips and glared at Patroclus.

"You going to Troy and killing Hector would mean nothing to Agamemnon. He will always want more and that is to see the fall of Troy. He wouldn't even care if you died fighting for his cause. What is with men and the desire for another man's blood?" She said exasperatedly with her hands waving in the air. She stormed into the tent and laid in bed under the fur. Achilles looked at his cousin.

"I guess I don't need to hit you for you to learn your lesson. Violate my command once again, and you'll remain in Pthia with my mother and never set foot in war for the rest of your life. Well done, Eudorus." Achilles simply said then went back into his tent. He quickly rid of himself of his clothes and lowered himself on top of Briseis who looked up at him with those innocent, brown eyes.

"I must say, you handled that extremely well. How did you know what would happen?"

"Eudorus and I were talking by the water and he told me his suspicions about Patroclus after witnessing the two of you arguing." Achilles looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What were the two of you talking about so late at night?"

"You asked me whether I would leave Troy. I couldn't sleep since you asked me that. I asked Eudorus for some advice and guidance because he has a wealth of knowledge." Achilles said nothing, only looked at her for more information. Briseis breathed shakily and weaved her fingers through his blonde hair.

"My love for you is something that I am not willing to sacrifice no matter how much I love my family nor Troy. I don't think I would have the strength to live the rest of my life without you in it. I love you Achilles." Briseis confessed her love for the warrior tearfully. Achilles looked at her with pride and love.

"Oh Briseis of Troy, you've brought me peace in a lifetime of war. Tomorrow at dawn, we are leaving Troy and returning to Pthia. This was never our war to begin with. I want to bring you with me – to our new home, to be my wife, and to be the mother of my children." Briseis knew that this was as close as to getting an 'I love you' from warrior and she was overjoyed.

"I would be honoured to be your wife and the mother of your children." Briseis tilted her head to capture his lips and pulled him closer to her. His hands roamed the length of her body down to the hem of her dress and pealed the dress off without breaking their kiss.

They looked at each other intensely as Achilles expert touch made her skin tingles, and immediately he made endless love to her. This was love.

When dawn came, the Trojan beach was empty – gone were the Myrmidons, gone were Achilles and Briseis, and Agamemnon and his men were not pleased.

Two years later

"My love, where are you?" Achilles walked into his home unable to find his pregnant wife and young boy.

"I'm in the nursery with Caedmon." He followed the voice upstairs and saw his wife sitting in the rocking chair, rocking their son to sleep. He smiled at the sight and bent down to kiss his son on the forehead and his wife on the lips.

"And how is the little one you are carrying?"

"The baby is doing just fine. She was kicking up a storm. I think she missed you today." Briseis stood up and gently put her son in his crib to sleep. They walked out together holding hands down to the gardens.

"King Odysseus informs me that Agamemnon has been killed in his sleep. They suspect it to be a servant, who has vanished." Briseis looked at her husband smiling.

"His people will no longer be under his tyrant ruling. This is a good thing."

"My lord, my lady. You have been requested in the throne room." Briseis's handmaiden, Flora spoke from a distance. The husband and wife stood up together and looked at the sweet, young girl.

"Who has asked for us?" The three of them walked together towards the throne room.

"They claim to be the king and queen of Troy." Achilles used his thumb to rub the back of Briseis's hand as he felt her tense up. They arrived in the throne room together to see their audience.

"Leave us." Achilles ordered and he and his wife took their place on their rightful throne. All the servants and council members left the throne room, but the guards at the doors and by their thrones remained. Briseis kept her eyes locked on her cousin and his wife, Andromache and her young son, but no Hector or Priam. Too shock at their presence to speak, Achilles spoke up for his wife.

"I thought the people of Troy would have fallen along with Troy." Achilles said coolly. Briseis turned to glare at her husband.

"Hello Paris, Helen, and Andromache. What can we do for you?" Briseis said calmly. Her cousins looked at her curiously, unsure why she was speaking so formally.

"Cousin, what are you doing here in Pthia? With this man nonetheless." Paris pointed at Achilles with a look of distain and hatred. Achilles looked amused.

"Why, he is my husband of course. Where else would I be?"

"Husband!?" The three of them shouted simultaneously. Andromache did not look so surprised, knowing how independent Briseis was, and her choice to marry Achilles would've been done out of her heart, not force or misguidance.

"Yes, my husband. Now, tell me why you are here in our city? I'm sure you didn't come all this way to find me."

"Actually, we did. We travelled from Thebe as the people of Troy slowly rebuild there. We have been looking for you since Troy fell. I'm sorry it took us this long to find you." Briseis rolled her eyes at Paris's words.

"You're so full of lies Paris. You should never lie to your own family, it's unbecoming of you as a man."

"He is not lying, Briseis. We all have been trying to find you, and when we arrived at Thebe, we had enough resources to find you. However, we struggled to get any answers from any of Thebe's allies till the king of Ithaca told us." Helen spoke up.

"I'm going to kill that man." Achilles muttered.

"Oh please, if you wanted to find me, the first place you would have looked for would have been the Greek camps. So, you came and you saw. What are you going to do now? Take me home?" Briseis narrowed her eyes at Paris.

"Of course. You are here with the man that killed our soldiers means that you are in danger and I refuse to allow you to stay here any longer, husband or not." Paris spoke confidently. Andromache took a step back, and Achilles noted that she was not involved with Paris's plan to bring his cousin back.

"Allow me!?" Briseis cried standing up, "how dare you come into my home and speak to me like that. I am not yours to command and every decision I make, I make alone. You have no right to speak to me like that. I may be your cousin, but I am a queen to my people." She shouted at them. Achilles rested his hand on his wife's arm and squeezed her gently to calm her down.

Helen was about to speak, but Briseis wasn't finished.

"Guards! Escort them back to their ship. I will not tolerate them any longer." She ordered the guards, then looked at Andromache sadly.

"Andromache, you are most welcome to Ithaca at any time. Please write to me. I do miss you." Briseis stepped forward and gave Andromache a hug and whispered in her ear. Then looked down at her nephew and kissed him on the forehead. Achilles nodded at the guards and they left the throne room with their visitors immediately. Briseis waddled over towards her husband and straddled his lap. Achilles smiled and cradled her face in his large hands.

"I love you too much and I never want to leave you for Thebe and my cousins ever." Briseis pecked his lips.

"I love you too much to ever let you go."

"You know, my hormones into over drive, and my feet is too sore too go to our bedroom." Briseis said coyly with seduction and mischief in her eyes, as her hand reached under his toga and stroked his hardening manhood. Achilles's eyes matched his wife and gripped her waist tighter.

"Oh really?" Achilles smirked and lifted Briseis's wife from her thigh and pushed aside her underwear and pushed himself into her, making her moan.

The things these two get up to when they're alone…but they were Achilles and Briseis. They were in love, they were husband and wife, and they were parents to their young son and unborn child.

This was the happy ending that they deserved.

I hope you enjoyed this :) I'm open to one-shot requests - just shoot me a DM or leave a comment below ! I would love to hear your thoughts.

xox Caz