Titania of Troy

Chapter 9

He stopped.

Breathing heavily, his knuckles caked with her red substance of life, he furrowed his eyebrows at her. His fist was still clenched, but his rapid blinking and the light shake of his head made her think that he was fighting with himself, "You thought I was going to..." he trailed off.

Titania spat out some of the blood in her mouth. Her vision danced with black spats but she managed to keep her eyes open, "That's what happens when men get angry with women."

"But I told you I wouldn't."

Titania scoffed, "The word of men like you means little."

"Men like me?" he lowered his fist.

She wiped at her face, her fear turning into anger, "Men who change as swiftly as the wind. Men whose anger controls them just as much as any god."

Achilles let out a frustrated breath, lingering only for a moment before storming to the upper deck.

Titania winced as she leaned against the pole, rubbing a sub-conscious hand over her temple where blood was starting to crust.

She took it with pride. Apollo had given her another day. He had lead them astray. As she rubbed the blood from her mouth she thought, once again, of the red-haired woman from her dreams.

Tenedos was the last stop before Troy. It was a small island just off the coast where the Greeks stopped to restock supplies. Soon they would be on their way to her city. Her home. Her swollen eye reminded her of all she would do for Troy. Dying for her city would be a heroic death.

Achilles hadn't forced her to stay on the boat. He allowed her the decency of being part of the camp they set up for the night. The thought of being under the stars gave her much relief – it would be far better than the fish-smelling hold she'd been trapped in for days.

She realised that she must be a horrific sight. Dried blood was still crusted in her hair, not to mention her right eye that was swollen shut and the bruised torso that was hidden under her chiton. She was thinning as well. Her once muscular frame had shrunken, and her stomach growled with the lack of food she'd received. In some ways her disfiguration made her more comfortable. It made her feel that she didn't need to be beautiful anymore. Helen would likely laugh at her.

She couldn't wait to return to Troy – it meant either that the bargaining would succeed and she could go home, or that she would die and her torment would end. Either way, her hunger wouldn't be a problem anymore.

"Well, Princess, I have to say I've seen you look better." Odysseus sat next to her on her log and watched Patroclus practice with his sword, "You should see a healer."

Titania eyed the King of Ithaca sceptically. They had spoken once before on the beach of Elaea, and now he joined her again in Tenedos. He was close with Achilles. Titania had seen them greet each other happily before they set their camps next to each other.

"No, thank you. If he does it to me again I'm hoping a broken rib pierces my heart and ends this."

Odysseus gave a sad sigh, "You are strong, Titania. I am sorry you were dragged into this mess. Agamemnon has wanted a fight with Troy for years, it was just unfortunate that your brother gave him a reason."

Titania's head lifted at this notion. She'd heard the rumours before, about how Agamemnon had wanted to destroy them or make them part of his Greek empire. She'd assumed they were false, or that they no longer applied since his brother had invited them to Sparta to negotiate a treaty of peace and trade, "Can I ask why? Why is Troy so important to this king?"