Agamemnon's attack ~ Chapter Eighteen

Agamemnon attacks the city of Phthia and not everyone will make it out alive...

Chapter Eighteen ~ In the time of Achilles

Agamemnon's ship, Greece, 1191 BC

Nestor stood waiting before the tent of Agamemnon, the scroll enclosed with Achilles defiance tucked beneath his arm.

A slave boy had been sent in just moments before to announce that Nestor had returned from his negotiations with Achilles. Now there was nothing left but for Nestor to face Agamemnon.

He had thought of not returning, to let the gossip spread until it reached the ears of his king. Though he was no coward, what man would willingly bear ill news to a king known for his love of warfare?

Silently, Nestor pushed aside the tent flaps and stepped inside. He found Agamemnon in high spirits, there was no doubt of his confidence in his most trusted advisor.

Not until his eyes fell upon Nestor.

"Well?" Agamemnon asked, bringing a goblet of wine to his lips.

"Achilles will not hand over Phthia, nor its surrounding territories, and his Myrmidons will not fight for you."

The goblet of wine fell with a clang onto the ship's deck, and red wine poured out onto the wood like blood from a wound. Agamemnon stood from his throne, his face contorted with anger.

"How dare he! How dare they treat me in such a manner!"

"There is more," Nestor spoke quietly, his voice only just being heard over Agamemnon's.

Agamemnon stopped, his eyes ablaze and hands tightly balled up into fists.

"Oh is there?" Agamemnon snarled, raising his eyebrows in question and slowly moving towards Nestor.

"Achilles will fight for you-" Agamemnon froze "-but he will fight alone."

"I trusted you to get Phthia for me after you advised against an attack on the city, now you have made me look a fool." Agamemnon moved to stand before Nestor, his anger now having calmed, but still there nonetheless.

"I wanted to bring good news, my king, but Achilles, he is a man who fights for no flag, who listens to no one, he could not be persuaded otherwise."

"If I cannot persuade him to hand over Phthia and for him and his Myrmidons to fight for me, I must use the hand of force. I made my deal clear, now I must also make it clear what punishment comes with denying a King." Agamemnon smiled devilishly and went back to sit upon his throne.

"You will take Phthia to war?"

"Oh no, the time for negotiations and war has passed. I will attack and take the city by force. Then the boy will have no choice but to agree to my terms. And he will, Nestor, he will."

Chuckling with glee, Agamemnon began to leave the tent, only to pause and turn to Nestor.

"As for you, you can relinquish all the titles and benefits befitting a kings advisor-" His lips turned up into a sneer "-you will no longer give me counsel, nor call yourself 'royal advisor', you are now no one. You can return to your lands in Pylos, though perhaps I shall take those from you too in recompense for your failure."

Nestor knew that the only way to persuade Agamemnon of his loyalty was to give him one last piece of information that would give him power over Achilles. This was his last chance to keep his position as a royal advisor.

"My king-" He lowered himself to his knees, bowing his head "-there is more I have not told you. I have information that will give you leverage over Achilles."

Agamemnon's eyes darkened with delight and he moved to stand before Nestor, placing a meaty hand on his shoulder.

"Go on."

"There is a girl, close to his family, I believe she will be of use to you." Nestor glanced up, hoping the revelation had had an effect on Agamemnon.

It had.

He laughed like a child discovering a secret that no one else knew.

"She lives in the hills, I have a man, Dymas, who has his quarrels with her father. So long as he receives his justice he will lead us directly to her."

"Nestor, I underestimated you. This is precisely what I need. I have found Achilles weakness!"

In the city of Phthia Aedia stood watching the Myrmidon soldiers prepare for an attack, her eyes passing over men who had trained to fight their entire lives, this was what they lived for. There was no fear in their eyes, only worry for their families.

All of the citizens had been ordered to return to the safety of their homes, to barricade all windows and doors and ready themselves to protect their families.

The city streets had since fallen silent and empty.

Eudoras, Achilles' second in command and oldest friend, spotted Aedia and hastily made for her.

"My lady, it is not safe for you to be here. An attack on the city is imminent."

"I know, and I shall return to my home as soon as I am able to see Patroclus." She replied defiantly, despite the look in Eudoras' eyes.

"I do not think that is wise." Eudoras shook his head, his eyes wordlessly pleading with her to leave.

"Eudoras." From behind him, Achilles appeared, already in his distinctive golden armour and ready to fight.

"My lord-" He said with a low bow. "-I was just trying to tell-"

As if already knowing what he was going to say, Achilles raised his hand.

"Patroclus has been eager to see Aedia, she will be seen safely home after. Come, we need to talk." Achilles led Eudoras away and from behind them, Patroclus stepped forward.

"Aedia." He reached for her, and she for him. Wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his.

Pulling her to him he looked down longingly into her eyes.

"You shouldn't be here-" He began, but she was quick to silence him, pressing a finger to his lips.

"I wanted to see you before I went back to my father." Patroclus smiled briefly then frowned.

"Do you still have the dagger I gave you?" She nodded, moving his hand from her waist down to her thigh to which the dagger was strapped.

"I want you to use it, do not hesitate, not for anything."

Aedia cupped his face in her hands and leaned up, lightly brushing her lips against his.

"I will not be in any danger. Perhaps you will find me waiting for you in the stables." He groaned, tilted his head down and kissed her, giving her thigh a sharp squeeze in response.

"Maybe you won't make it to the stables." He replied, his mouth turning sensually at the corners. Smiling, she gave him a playful shove and stepped backwards out of his reach.

The city's warning bell broke her from his spell.

She spun to face the turret where armed lookouts swung the heavy bell back and forth, sending out a resounding dong that echoed throughout the city.

It was a warning to all who heard it that Agamemnon was on his way and a reminder that not everyone would survive the night.

Patroclus reached her in a matter of seconds, taking her hand and leading her to the cart, helping her up into the seat before swiftly moving around the cart and climbing on himself, taking the reins in his hands and urging the Oxen forwards.

They passed the Myrmidons who had now sprung into action, taking up their positions, hiding behind large columns and down darkened alleyways. Ready to take Agamemnon's men by surprise.

Aedia's eyes remained on the sea as the cart climbed the hill, watching as warships drew closer to the beaches.

"Do you think we can beat them?" Aedia spoke softly, though Patroclus heard her, turning his head hesitantly to look at her.

"Yes, we have Achilles and the Myrmidons, if there was ever going to be anyone who could beat them it would be him." Patroclus replied truthfully, his eyes holding no hint of a lie within them when Aedia, at last, met his eyes.

"And if we do not? What will become of Phthia...of us?" Patroclus did not answer her and instead looked away, his eyes fixed on the path ahead, his jaw tightly clenched. He was worried too.

When they finally reached her father's house, Aedia hopped down from the cart, taking Patroclus' hand as they stepped inside, being met by Adonia and Helios. And when her father's eyes fell upon them, she was glad of his hand being in hers; strong and sure.

"Where have you been?!" Helios stepped forward, eyeing Patroclus' and Aedia's conjoined hands.

"I wanted to see Patroclus before the attack, please do not blame him, he did not know that I was still in town." Aedia pleaded her father, feeling Patroclus' grip on her hand tighten.

Helios slowly nodded, still angry but now having to focus on their safety.

"The slaves have all been brought to the house to protect us should Agamemnon's men come this far up into the hills. We have nailed shut all of the windows and the back door. All that is left is to wait and be on the lookout for any soldiers who come near the house."

Adonia crossed the hallway as Aedia made for her, outstretching her arms to bring her into a hug.

"I am so glad you are ok, I was so worried for you when I heard the warning bells start to ring." Adonia whispered into Aedia's ear.

It was then that Helios's gaze fell to Patroclus.

"Thank you for bringing her to me safely, I am indebted to you." Helios moved towards Patroclus, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it, before turning away from him to face the slaves waiting in an apprehensive silence in the corner of the room.

Helios's slaves were skilled farm workers, strong and good with the scythe but none of them were soldiers. For some, this would be the first time they had even held a sword. As Helios began to give out orders to the slaves, Aedia took Patroclus' hand and led him into the atrium.

"You must return to Thetis and make sure she is safe-" Aedia began, but Patroclus cut her off.

"No, I will stay with you, she has Achilles' best Myrmidons to keep her safe while you only have farm workers. I would not be able to live with myself if anything were to happen to you." He moved closer to her, cupping her cheek in his hand and forcing her to meet his eyes.

"You will not sway me, Patroclus, Achilles would not forgive you if he learned that you were not there to protect her. She is his mother and a valuable hostage for Agamemnon should he need to force Achilles into submission."

Patroclus defiantly shook his head and brought her into his arms, his hands falling to her waist as hers went to his chest.

"I am not leaving you. You need me here as much as you might deny it."

"Please, do this for me. I will be fine, Agamemnon's men will never come this far out of the town and besides, what would they want from me? I am but a farmers daughter, they have nothing to gain from attacking the farm. Now go." She pushed away from him, unwrapping herself from his arms. Knowing that if she stayed there a moment longer she would crumble and give in.

Stubbornly, he remained where he was.

"Patroclus-"

Suddenly, he made for her, pressing his lips to hers, his hands running through her hair. Slowly, he pulled away, well aware of the effect the sudden burst of passion had had on Aedia.

"Since it appears that neither of us is going to give in, let us make a compromise."

"Go on." Aedia breathed out, the hand on her waist swaying her answer in his favour.

"I will return to Thetis if you promise me that if Agamemnon's men come here, you will run-" Aedia's lips parted as she tried to cut him off "-you will not look back nor try to be the hero, you run as fast as you can away from here and if you can, and you come and find me is that understood?"

Unable to deny him she nodded her head.

"But-" He silenced her with another kiss, his lips soft against hers, before reluctantly pulling away from her and making for the door.

"Be careful," Aedia called out to him, watching as he stopped to glance back at her once more.

"Just know that I am doing this for you-" A smirk lifted at his lips "-and I will expect to see you in the stables once we beat Agamemnon."

She laughed and shooed him outside, waiting in the doorway as he began the journey to Achilles' house and the Oxen attached to the cart were moved into the barn.

"Aedia?" From behind her, Adonia called out, gesturing for her to follow her. Closing the door, Aedia followed Adonia through the unlit hallways and down into Adonia's room.

"If Agamemnon's men come to the house the last place they will think to find you is in here-" Adonia explained as she shut the door behind her. "-it will give us time to escape if they try to force their way in."

Sitting down on the bed, Aedia pulled her shawl closer to her.

"Why did you ask Patroclus to leave? You know he will only worry for your safety." Aedia flinched at the sound of Adonia's voice in the quiet room.

"I wanted him to be with Thetis because she is the most likely target that Agamemnon will pick to take hostage. She needs him more than I do."

"Do you know how much he will worry for you? You heard him, we need him more than she does, she has highly trained Myrmidon soldiers, while we have slaves who have never held a sword before!"

"I did what I thought was right, Adonia, pray tell why you would have done differently?"

"Because they know that you are with Patroclus, they saw you with him! They know that Thetis is going to be too hard to get hold of, so who do you think Agamemnon will go after instead?"

Aedia defiantly shook her head, standing from the bed and moving to the window and peeking through the shutters, searching the darkness for Agamemnon's men.

"How do you know this?" Aedia whispered, catching sight of lit torches appearing through the trees.

"I have been speaking to the servants that work for Achilles, they told me her fears for your safety tonight. Thetis sees things, has visions that have come true in the past. She forsaw Helios's death and you being used against Achilles as a bargaining chip."

Pulling herself away from the shutters, Aedia turned back to face Adonia.

"But why? How would they even know where to find me?"

"Who has cause to want Helios dead? Who would stop at nothing to get revenge on you both for what you put them through?"

"Dymas." Aedia replied, fear-stricken and wide-eyed at the revelation. Tears filled her eyes as she bit her lip and paced the room.

"But how? Dymas was banished from Phthia!"

"If Phthia falls to Agamemnon it won't matter if he was banished. There will be no one who would dare to question him." Adonia's voice trembled as fear swirled within her eyes.

Outside Helios' slaves had spotted the oncoming wall of Agamemnon's men and the fighting began. Swords clashed and the cries of dying men echoed over to Aedia and Adonia.

"Adonia, we need to leave while we still can." Aedia rushed over her words, unable to look away from the horrors outside.

"No, we stay here. If we leave now they will catch us!"

Aedia's stomach dropped as three figures appeared from the underbrush, bringing more men with them. She recognised the sharp, aged face of Dymas, smiling with bloodlust as he took on an oncoming slave, slashing his throat before the slave could react.

Behind him were Nestor and an imposing man wearing bejewelled armour and helmet that Aedia could only guess to be Agamemnon.

"Where is the girl, Dymas?" Nestor questioned and Dymas turned to face him.

"Inside, I will take you to her now."

Striding confidently towards the back door, Dymas began to kick down the door, putting pressure on the rusted, fragile hinges. With each blow of his foot, the hinges bowed, warping until they snapped and the door fell inwards with a loud clang.

"Follow me." Dymas glanced back to Nestor and Agamemnon, before stepping over the door and into the house, disappearing out of Aedia's sight.

"We need to leave!" Aedia whispered fiercely, her heart hammering in her chest as three sets of footsteps moved through the house, searching empty rooms.

"We can't! They will see us if we try to leave now-" Adonia cried, guiding Aedia to hide behind the door "-hide here and if they come in I will distract them while you run."

"No, I won't leave you!"

"You may have to-" Adonia replied, matter of factly.

"But they will catch you."

"Yes, they will, and it will buy you time to get to Patroclus." Aedia knew that what Adonia was saying was true, without Adonia as a distraction, Dymas would see Aedia before she had the chance to escape. But still, Aedia shook her head stubbornly.

"No, we will go together."

"You know that's not possible-" Adonia suddenly stopped as the footsteps grew near. lifting a finger to her lips, Adonia stepped back away from the door, further back into the darkness of the room.

When the door opened, Adonia flinched, stumbling backwards as Dymas, Nestor and Agamemnon along with some of his soldiers entered the room.

"Where is your mistress?" Dymas spat, clearly getting annoyed at having not already found Aedia.

"I-I don't know-"

Agamemnon slowly pulled a dagger from its sheath, enjoying the way that Adonia's eyes widened and followed the blade.

"Tell us where the girl is and you will be spared." Nestor spoke up, his sword untouched by blood. Though he wore armour he was no soldier.

"Go!" Adonia cried. Dymas began to laugh, believing her to be pleading with them to leave, until the moment when Aedia left her hiding spot and fled the room and his laughter died.

Aedia ran, away from the shouts and curses of Dymas who followed close behind, and into the cool night air. Passing the lifeless bodies of slaves, Aedia fled to the forest, the footfall of Dymas and Agamemnon's men pushing her to run faster still.

Bracken tangled around her legs, slowing her down and making it hard for her to run, but still she kept going. Her heart pounded in her ears and the fear of what would happen to her if she was caught helped her to ignore the building ache in her legs that cried for her to stop.

Upon reaching the meadow leading to Achilles' house, Agamemnon's men, fit and strong as they were from their king's strict training regime, began to gain on Aedia.

In a desperate attempt to save herself she began to call out to Patroclus, her voice hoarse and high pitch with fear.

"Patroclus?!" She called out, hoping he would hear her.

Agamemnon's men were now so close that she could hear their strained pants and feel the fabric of their tunics brushing against her skin as they reached out to grab her with calloused hands.

"Patroclus?!" She screamed as they managed to reach her, taking hold of her shoulders and pulling her back away from the safety of the villa, away from Patroclus.

She struggled in his grip as the second soldier aided his comrade, sharply pulling her with them towards Dymas.

"Let go of me!" She cried, jerking away from their tight grip as they forced her onwards.

The closer she got to Dymas the more she struggled, her breathing deepening, fear holding her in a vice-like grip. Time ground to a halt, the leaves no longer danced and the breeze died.

All Aedia could focus on was Dymas, smiling now with glee as she grew near. At last, he would have his revenge.

The soldiers brought her before him like a goat ready for sacrifice before the gods. And like a rabbit caught under the hawk's gaze she could not move.

He was moving now, taking slow steps towards her.

He gripped the soft, pale skin of her throat, fathomless eyes narrowed and hard as they met hers.

"None of this would have happened if it wasn't for you opening your legs-" the hand on her throat clenched, drawing the air from her lungs "-you are nothing but a Hetaria. You thought yourself too high and mighty to ever truly fear and respect me. Well now I have the power to crush you, and I will."

He smiled, letting out a wheezy laugh, his dirt ridden fingertips brushing her cheek.

"Your father will be dead by morning and then I can take what was promised to me-" His lips parted as he began to laugh once more, only for it to come out as a pained groan. Looking over his shoulder at a spear lodged in his back, he turned, reaching for it to yank it out but to no avail. As he grasped fruitlessly for the spear, the guards that held Aedia released her, unsheathing their swords and looking in the direction the spear had been thrown.

Aedia continued to watch as Dymas fell to his knees, blood welling up and dripping from his mouth. He looked to Aedia, silently beseeching her help. He lifted a bloody hand, reaching for her.

"Please." He begged, it was the plea of a dying man, his final wish, but still, Aedia would not move.

From behind him, Patroclus emerged from the cover of the trees.

"Is it Achilles?" The guard asked his comrade as they unsheathed their swords.

"By the gods, It is. Forget the girl, we need to get back to the King!" The other replied, and they fled into the forest. No soldier would willingly fight the greatest warrior the world had ever seen.

Moving past Dymas, Aedia ran to Patroclus. Though she covered the ground quickly despite the long grass holding her back, she could not get to the safety of his arms fast enough.

She sobbed as he pulled her to him, pressing her cheek into his shoulder as she wept. He whispered soothing words into her ear, his warm breath fanning over her ear.

Reunited again, they were safe. Or so they thought.

Agamemnon's chariot appeared over the brow of the hill and behind him, the Mycenae army.

Amongst the trees, a flash of golden armour caught Aedia's eye.

Upon seeing the soldiers, Patroclus pushed Aedia behind him, watching with growing suspicion as Agamemnon got down from his chariot and made for them.

For a moment, Agamemnon remained silent, looking between Aedia and Patroclus with knowing eyes, before peering around them to Dymas who lay motionless on the ground.

"Pity, he was useful to me-" Agamemnon's gaze fixed on Aedia, who clutched tighter to Patroclus "-it seems Nestor was right, you are very close to Achilles family." He began to laugh to himself.

"You both know why I am here, you can thank Achilles for this needless waste of good men." He said carelessly.

"We will never give up Phthia to you." Patroclus spoke up, his voice deep and brash, his eyes hard and fixed on Agamemnon. Aedia had never seen so much pent up anger in his eyes, nor seen him look at anyone with so much hatred, but of course, Patroclus had many reasons to hate Agamemnon.

"Oh you won't be needing to, I take what I want, boy. Just like I took Opus from your father, did they tell you how he got down on his knees and begged me to give him back his precious island of stone and sand?" Agamemnon sneered and Patroclus lunged for him.

Aedia quickly placed herself between them, her hands going to Patroclus's chest, feeling his rapid breaths beneath the soft fabric of his tunic.

"Patroclus, don't-" She looked into his eyes so that he would feel the weight of her words "-don't do something you will regret."

Calming down, he stepped back from Agamemnon, who upon seeing Patroclus lunge for him, had flinched with what Aedia supposed was panic. There were few who would dare to strike a king with a powerful army behind him.

"You are right to listen to her-" Before Aedia could move to stop him, Agamemnon had an arm around her neck and was dragging her with him back to his army, the sharp, cool blade of his dagger resting against her neck. "-you can have the girl back when Achilles agrees to surrender to my terms."

Aedia tried to stay calm, to tell herself that Patroclus would never let anything happen to her, but how could he?

Suddenly, Patroclus unsheathed his sword, causing the men behind Agamemnon to also draw their swords.

"Patroclus-" Aedia began but was cut off by Agamemnon tightening his grip on her throat, pushing the dagger deeper into the vulnerable skin.

"If you want her to live you will put that sword down, boy."

"And if you want me to listen to your terms you will not harm her." From among the trees, Achilles stepped forward, sheathing his sword and going to Patroclus' side. Behind him, the Myrmidons also appeared, they were the elite soldiers of all of Greece, outnumbered though they were, with Achilles by their side they could get to Aedia before Agamemnon's men could reach them. All it would take was one word from Achilles.

Nestor joined Agamemnon, along with a group of his best soldiers.

“You will surrender yourself and your Myrmidons to fight for your king whenever he should require it. While Phthia and its surrounding territories will become allied to Mycenae and fall under Agamemnon’s rule.”

Achilles paused.

“He is not my king-“

“Careful.” Agamemnon spat. “Or she comes with me and she won’t return until you have learned your place.”

Patroclus groaned, moving closer to Agamemnon threateningly before Achilles held him back.

“Patroclus, go inside with mother.”

Despite Achilles’ soothing hand on Patroclus’ shoulder, Patroclus did not relax, his eyes boring into Agamemnon’s.

Silently, Patroclus shook his head no. Challengingly looking to Achilles.

“Not until Aedia is safe.”

“She will be safe, I promise you I will do what I must to get her back. Now go inside.” At a nod of Achilles’ head, a group of Myrmidons came up behind Patroclus, guiding him reluctantly inside the house.

Once Patroclus was safely inside, Achilles attention turned back to Agamemnon. His eyes falling to the dagger at Aedia’s throat.

“As you wish, we agree to your terms.”

Aedia felt Agamemnon tense.

Surely Agamemnon would not win the great Achilles so easily?

Even the Myrmidons looked confused at his sudden change of heart.

“In order to make this agreement binding, you will sign this document.” Nestor unravelled a scroll documenting the terms of surrender.

Without hesitation Achilles signed it, looking to Agamemnon who at last released Aedia.

From among the Myrmidons, Helios made for Aedia.

She ran to her father, tears silently falling down her cheeks as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“My daughter, thank the gods.” Helios looked up to the starry sky, his face bloody from fighting.

Suddenly, he let out a moan, stumbling away from her and looking down to his stomach.

Behind him, Dymas stood with his sword thrust through Helios’ back and stomach.

Achilles unsheathed his sword and made for Dymas with lightning speed that only the gods possessed, but he did not need to, Dymas fell at last, dropped to his knees and keeled over, his eyes unseeing. He was dead.

“No!” Aedia cried, with shaky legs moving to her father’s side, breaking his fall as he too crumbled to the ground.

Her bottom lip trembled as she cried, her vision blurring as she placed her hands on his wound, trying fruitlessly to staunch the bleeding.

“Aedia-“ Helios whispered through gritted teeth, breathing deeply and moaning in pain “-I…I am sorry that I did not love you better because you were only a girl and I longed so much for a son. Can you forgive me?”

“Of course, I do! But don’t leave me, please? Not yet.” She begged and begged him to stay with her, but the fates had other plans.

And there was no denying the fates.

“Not yet.” She said again, though this time a whisper. Hunched over his body she stroked away the hair from his forehead, her tears dripping down onto his face.

“Aedia, your mother waits for me, let me go to her.”

“NO! You can’t leave me here an orphan.” Like a child, she stubbornly relented.

But Helios could no longer hear her, looking intently at the entrance to the forest, saying her mothers name until it was only a low groan that left his lips.

Sobs wracked her chest as she clutched to his tunic. Unable to speak or leave his side she clutched to him so tightly that her hands turned white, as though he could not leave if she held on to him hard enough.

“Aedia?” She became faintly aware of Achilles voice, he was beside her now, also on his knees beside her father’s body.

“Aedia, please, come inside.” He wanted to get her away from the shocked onlookers.

Pulling her eyes away from her father, she turned to Achilles, who looked so different from how he normally did, soft and gentle and kind. And so she went with him, allowing him to lead her into the house while the Myrmidons watched Agamemnon and his men begin to leave.

Thetis and Patroclus sat waiting in the Atrium, at the sight of her, Patroclus stood and began towards her until she looked up from the floor to meet his eyes.

She did not need to tell him what had happened, he already knew. He could see it in her eyes.

He paused and then he was before her, taking her into the safe harbour of his arms.

Taking a shaky breath in, she nuzzled the fawn-like skin of his neck, while he ran his fingers through her hair and pressed soft kisses to the top of her head.

She could have stayed there forever, but Helios’s body needed to be prepared for his funeral.

While Achilles ordered the Myrmidons to collect the dead and ready the pyres, Aedia and Thetis cleaned the blood from Helios’s body and replaced his tunic with a fresh one. Placing a wreath of olive leaves upon his head and saying the prayers above his body.

It was then that his body was taken to the pyre, where Aedia cut a lock of her hair, placing it in his hands and pressing a tender kiss to his forehead.

Taking two silver Drachmas, she placed one on each eye as payment for Charon, ferryman for the dead crossing the river Styx.

Carefully, she climbed down the ladder of the pyre to stand beside Patroclus, taking his hand in hers. The pyres were lit and it was only then that Aedia noticed how many wives, daughters and sons were also mourning their fathers, brothers and husbands. Agamemnon’s attack on the city had not just affected her life, but the entire city. The pyres stretched on for an eternity, the embers the only light in the darkness of the night, turning onlookers faces orange.

When the pyres turned to ash, it was time for the ashes to be collected. In a golden urn befitting the sun god he had been named after, Aedia gathered her father’s ashes, laying them to rest in the cold ground beside her mother’s grave, his name engraved on the smooth headstone above.

H-E-L-I-O-S

It read and Aedia reached out to trace it with her fingertips.

She felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder, she did not need to look up to know the owner.

Patroclus.

He guided her to her feet and led her back to Achilles’ house, through the atrium beautifully decorated with fish swimming beneath turquoise waters, and into his room.

He did not speak, but the intention was clear.

She needed to sleep.

Discarding her sandals, she slipped under the red silk sheets and into Patroclus’s arms. And there she finally fell asleep, protected in Patroclus’s arms, unsure of what the future would bring. 

Author's Note

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I made it extra long to make up for leaving such a long time between updates. Please feel free to leave a comment below with your thoughts on the chapter and thank you for reading!

Reviews

[SweetNutmeg]

I really enjoy this story because you make ancient Greece come alive in a way i can relate to. I am not a big fan of Greek and Roman mythology or literature, so to please me is quite a feat. I am curious how the city residents will regard Aedia and Achilles. I look forward to more!