Achilles&Briseis: A Novel

Chapter 21

"How much longer are we going to wait?" Hector asked.

    Briseis, Andromache, and Hecuba watched as the eldest Prince of Troy paced the room. The four of them met at Hector's request, though none were enthusiastic about it. It'd been two months since the failed attempt to return Helen to Sparta and Diephobus set sail on his mission.

    "We need to try." Hector looked at them with imploring eyes.

    Andromache sighed and rested her head in her hands. "My love, we can't. The best we can do now is convince your father to–"

    Hector cut her off sharply. "No! I won't accept this! Until we confirm the fleet is sailing for our shores, there's still time."

    "Your wife is right," Briseis agreed. "We need to send envoys to foreign powers with gifts to secure allies. The message will be here any day with tidings of the fleet. No matter what we do now, the war is coming."

    Hector ran his hands through his hair in frustration. His face was turning red and the veins in his arms were popping from the skin. Hector was about to say something to the women but a knock at the door stopped him. "Enter," Hector called curtly.

    A guard came into the room and bowed. "My Queen, Prince and Princesses, you've been summoned to stand before the King."

    Without a word the women rose and the group began the trek to the throne room. Briseis felt weary. The message they'd been expecting was overdue and the king was getting worried something had befallen his son. Briseis couldn't give the king any words of comfort besides to wait. She'd sent more owls, though the king was still unaware who her spies were, but none returned as of yet.

    "Hector," King Priam sat on his throne. Whatever he wanted to say didn't warrant an audience as except for a few guards and themselves, the spacious hall was empty. "I've decided to send you to Sparta. Something has obviously befallen your brother and I will not wait any longer."

    "Father, I will not go unless Helen goes with me to be given back to her rightful husband."

    The king's face turned red and his eyes narrowed. "After the stunt you pulled, you dare to stand before me and try to exert your will? You are lucky my love for you is so great, Hector. If you weren't my firstborn, if you weren't my most promising son, I would have had you killed for treason. And you," his ire then turned on Briseis, "your entire plan has gotten us nowhere and you too were party to this foley of my son and Hecuba. You—"

    Briseis' vision was overtaken by the sight of her owls. The oldest one of the three she'd sent took hold of her vision. She saw the perspective of an owl as it flew into the throne room and settled itself on her shoulder. From there a series of images flooded her mind. Someone was speaking but they were far away.

    The first image was that of a red headed man standing before a large crowd. A series of images of this man speaking to the crowd flooded her mind so fluidly it was as if she were watching in person. Though there was no sound, it wasn't hard for her to imagine what he was saying or figure out who the man was. His flowing red hair and beard, the symbol of Sparta flying on the flag beside him, this marked him as Menelaus, King of Sparta, and he was making a speech to his warriors.

    Images came faster now. Boats being built by an army of workers, an actual army stationed on the flats of a plain with mountains in the distance. Flags from over a dozen kingdoms flew above the tents and campfires. She watched many days and nights as the army grew, the boats were finished only for more to take those places in the shipwright's harbor.

    Deiphobus was the last image she saw. He was writing a message, all three owls were around as he held up the message for the animals to taken in.