Hey, this is my first fanfic, so sorry if it sounds inexperienced. I didn't read the Iliad so the story isn't gonna be based off that. I LOVE the movie, but not everything is gonna be based off of the movie either. So RR.
Oh, and if you must flame, please don't be rude and obnoxious about it, thanks!
And also, I don't own anyone in Troy blah, blah, blah…
-
Chapter One
For Briseis it would be just a normal day in the great city of Troy. She would wake up, say her prayers and make her way to the temple of the sun God Apollo, where she would spend the rest of her day serving him until the moon was in the sky.
Briseis was a devoted priestess, who took the Gods seriously and had decided to dedicate her life to serving Apollo. She was a beautiful girl, and all of her family loved her and respected her. For Briseis was not only a stunning beauty, but she was remarkably wise for a girl of only 20. In fact it was not uncommon for her two older cousins Paris or Hector to come to her quarters to ask for her advice on some matter that was troubling them.
She missed her cousins dearly and prayed to Poseidon for their safe journey home from the Greek city of Sparta across the Aegean Sea. They were set to come home today and she couldn't wait. They had gone to Sparta to ensure peace between the two cities. You see, Paris and Hector were the sons of King Priam and the crowned princes of Troy, which also made Briseis royalty. Briseis' parents had died when she was barely a toddler, and she had essentially no memory of them whatsoever, so she looked at her uncle to be her father, and her cousins to be her brothers.
It was mid morning with the sun high in the sky, and Briseis was in her bedroom getting ready to walk down to the temple. She had just taken her bath and her servant, Irisa, dried her off and was helping her put on her blue and white virgin robe.
"It's a beautiful morning my lady, not a cloud in the sky," Irisa commented looking out at the clear blue sky as she tied Briseis robe in the back. Briseis turned her head to look over to see out side her large open windows.
"Yes, I see it is. Apollo has blessed us with a beautiful day," Briseis said smiling as she walked over to her balcony. She looked down at all the hustle and bustle of the busy city. Briseis loved her home; she loved everything about it; from the way the waves of the Aegean crashed upon the sandy shores of the beautiful beach to the way it smelled after it had just rained after a long dry season. Yes, Briseis loved Troy and she knew that deep down in her heart she could live no place else.
Briseis smiled to herself and left her balcony and walked over to her golden vanity. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and studied her face. She supposed she was pretty… in her own way. She looked at her long russet wavy hair that matched her radiant brown eyes set against her slightly tanned skin, and sighed. Briseis was happy with herself but she had always wished she was one of those beautiful sun kissed beauties, like the ones that lived in Greece, with honey blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes. 'Oh well…' Briseis thought to herself as she picked up a golden hair clip and arranged it in her hair. Her thoughts were interrupted when there was a soft knock on her wooden door.
"Who is it?" She asked, still looking in the mirror, running her hands through her long brown curls.
"It is me, my lady," Briseis heard another one of her young handmaiden that she recognized to be Adara say through the door. Briseis took one last look at herself and left the mirror and went to unlock and open the door.
"My lady, King Priam wished for me to tell you that Prince Hector and Prince Paris have arrived." As soon as Adara finished, a bright smile immediately spread across Briseis' lips, as she picked up the bottom of her robe and ran past Adara, down the hall and down the steps. She got to the entrance room of the palace in record time, and Paris was the first one she saw.
"Paris!" she screeched happily as she ran into his arms.
"Briseis!" They hugged and he let go and looked at her. "Beloved cousin, your beauty grows with each new moon." Briseis smiled and blushed. She noticed her uncle and Hector out of the corner of her eye, and turned to smile at her older cousin.
"Briseis..." Hector smiled embracing her. "A servant of Apollo now" He asked noticing her robe.
"The young men of Troy were devastated when Briseis chose the virgin robe" Priam stated proudly looking at his beautiful niece.
Briseis smiled and blushed at the compliment, happy to have her much-loved cousins home. She turned and noticed a very beautiful young woman with golden blonde hair, whom she had never seen before, standing a little bit behind Paris. Paris noticed her looking and grabbed Helen's hand bringing her forward to meet Briseis.
"Cousin, this is Helen," Paris said looking at Briseis "And Helen, this is my dear cousin Briseis." Helen smiled at her, while Briseis looked at her warily. As soon as she had heard the girl's name and saw how beautiful she was, she new it had to be Helen of Sparta, wife of King Menelaus. But why was she here to Troy? Why was she here with Paris? Well Briseis was smart enough to guess that question, but still all sorts of things were running through Briseis' mind as she looked between Helen and Paris, and she knew she had to have a word with Paris.
-
It was dusk and Briseis was on her way back to the palace after spending the day praying in Apollo's temple. She had spent her day praying for her country and Paris' protection, because she knew that Helen would surely bring trouble.
When she was inside the palace she made her way to Paris' quarters instead of her own, and knocked on his door. A few seconds later, to Briseis' surprise Helen answered the door, instead of Paris.
"Hello Briseis," Helen greeted her with a friendly smile.
"Excuse me but I wish to speak with Paris," Briseis said looking behind Helen, further into the room seeing Paris coming up behind Helen. "Paris would you like to take a walk with me in the gardens?" she asked. Paris nodded in return, and told Helen he would be back soon before joining his cousin.
They made their way down the steps and into the beautiful gardens outside beside the palace.
"I know what it is that you want to speak with me about…" Paris trailed off looking at her.
"Paris… do you know what you have done?" Briseis asked him sharply. "You have brought damnation on your city! The Gods will curse us, for this!" she scolded him; her piercing brown eyes could have burned a hole through him.
"But I love her, Briseis! There is nothing for me to do. The Gods will not curse us, cousin, for it is the Gods that have brought us together!" Paris reasoned.
"I hope what you say is true, for I have spent all of today praying to Apollo on this matter, and I am scared for you Paris. I am scared for you, and I am scared for our people. What will you do if a war is started over this girl? Or shall I say when a war is started? What will you do then?" Briseis cried, so angry with her foolish cousin. Paris stared at the ground, not knowing what to say. Briseis took two deep breaths to calm herself before she spoke again.
"Did Hector know of this?" Paris kept his head down and shook his head no, shamefully. Briseis let out a breath of air and realized maybe she shouldn't have yelled at her cousin, but how could he have been so selfish? She brought her hands to his face and lifted it up so she could look at him. She was shocked when she saw unshed tears brewing in his deep brown eyes. Her heart went out to him, and she brought him into her for a warm embrace and rubbed his back. Paris was still such a little boy, who at times needed to be comforted.
"Why do you cry?" she asked him in a soft whisper, suddenly feeling bad for being so harsh to him. He let go of her to look into her eyes.
"I cry because what you say is true, all of it. I know I can't live without Helen, but I also can't live with knowing that I would be responsible for the death of my countrymen." Paris confessed. "Briseis, what should I do?" he asked, urgently needing her guidance. "You're a priestess of Apollo… I have faith that you know what to do," he said desperately.
"There is nothing for you to do. What's done is done. We must leave it up to the Gods now cousin. Troy is a servant of Apollo, I have faith he will watch over us," she tried to assure him… also trying to assure herself as well.
Hey thanks for reading chapter one! Did you like it or not? Review please!