Unforeseen

Achilles entereng Ang Agamemnon's tent with a prideful stride. He knew why the King summoned his presence. Slowly he strode across the tent and leaned against a nearby pole to watch as the Kings celebrated a victory they had nothing to do with.



What do any of these men know of victory? They never left the safety of their boats. They all strive for the same thing I do, but do nothing to gain it…



He met the gaze of Odysseus and gave a respectful nod. He was the only King he even came close to respecting, but he knew Odysseus was still what he was, a king. His gift from the Gods was the ability of speech. Odysseus could just about talk you into anything he wanted, even Achilles. They both knew the 'politics' of war. The soldiers would win the victories and the Kings would be stamped for all eternity. They also knew that all the Kings were greedy, including Odysseus himself, but that was beside the point.



Achilles brought his lazy gaze back to the Kings before him and sighed. Triopas had just given Agamemnon an undeserved prize for battle and stepped away from the throne.



Agamemnon noticed Achilles, looking bored as always, as if nothing were a challenge to him. "Achilles, so good of you to join us." Agamemnon motioned for everyone but Achilles to leave. "We will have a great victory tomorrow morning." They all stood from their chairs and started for the exit of the tent.



Achilles smile slightly when Odysseus approached him. "War is young men dying and old men talking. Ignore the politics, " he patted Achilles on the shoulder and left him alone with Agamemnon. Achilles watched Odysseus leave then turned his attention back to Agamemnon, standing comfortably.



Agamemnon regarded Achilles warily, trying to gauge his mood. Achilles always appeared to be calm, but appearances could be deceiving.



Achilles pushed away from the pole lazily and took a few slow steps. "I hear you are to be congratulated? It seems you won a great victory today, " he insulted in his politeness.



Agamemnon ignored his blatant insult. "Oh, perhaps you didn't notice, the beach of Troy belonged to Priam this morning but it belongs to me, Agamemnon, this afternoon, " Agamemnon said arrogantly from his throne.



"I saw no Kings on the shores of Troy, " Achilles bated.



Agamemnon stood quy fry from his thrown and pointed at Achilles. "History remembers Kings, not soldiers! A great victory was won today, but that victory was not yours. Kings do not kneel to Achilles. Kings do not pay homage to Achilles, " he informed with great distain.



"Perhaps the kings were too far behind to see, that it was the soldiers who won the battle, " Achilles accused calmly with a small shrug. "It would do you well to remember that it is your men that die for your greedy cause."



Agamemnon nodded, "Yes, that's right Achilles, and they die because I order them to die. Tomorrow we'll batter down the gates of Troy. I'll build monuments for my victory on every island of Greece. I'll carve Agamemnon in the stones! Not Achilles!" he yelled defiantly.



Achilles tilted his head, "Be careful king of kings, first you need victory."



Agamemnon scoffed, "You think you will be able to put your mark in history by being here. You came to Troy not for your king, but for your own pursuit of glory!"



"And glory shall be mine, " Achilles said calmly.



Agamemnon ignored his comment and changed his posture, "It is my understanding that you and your Myrmidons sacked the Temple of Apollo?"



Achilles nodded, "Yes, if it is gold you seek, take what you want. My men nor I care nothing for it. It is my gift to you to honor your courage."



Agamemnon made his way to the back of the tent. "I already did, " he said plainly coming to a stop behind Achilles. "Guards!"



Achilles balled his right hand into a fist and brought it to his lips to prevent himself from saying or doing anything foolish. A scuffle behind him made him turn just in time to see Briseis pushed inside the tent by two of Agamemnon's soldiers. She struggled defiantly against them as they held her in place. She met Achilles' gaze briefly but quickly looked away, as if she were ashamed to look upon him.



Achilles clinched his jaw as he regarded the situation, "I have no quarrel with either of you but if you don't release her neither of you will ever see home again, decide now." He wasn't trying to hide the anger from his features. To say he was enraged wasn't enough. Every muscle in his body was tense and he could hear his blood pounding in his ears. "Wrong choice, " he informed unsheathing his sword, as they showed no sign of releasing her.



Briseis panicked and pushed the soldiers away and stepped up, "Stop! Enough men have died today!" she yelled to no one in particular. She then looked directly to Achilles. "If killing is your only talent then that is your curse…but I don't any anyone dyeing for me." Many Trojan soldiers died trying to protect her and her fellow countrymen. Even if they were Greek or Achilles hims she she did not want them to die for her.



Agamemnon watched Achilles closely, trying to gauge his reaction. He could tell he had the great warrior rattled and that delighted him greatly.



So…the great warrior Achilles has a weakness after all…



After a long pause Achilles straitened, but didn't sheath his sword. He clinched his jaw and stared strait ahead, not daring to look at Briseis.



Agamemnon was surprised that Achilles had merely given up on the words of a woman. "Well! The great warrior Achilles silenced by a slave woman, " Agamemnon moved to stand beside Briseis and pushed her hair away from her face. "Isn't she a pretty thing? Even with all the bruises and cuts…she's pure," he was trying to taunt Achilles knowing it would anger him to take the woman from him before he could have her. That's why he called Achilles to the present meeting so his men could take her without notice. "You weren't going to tell me about this particular spoil were you Achilles?"



"You sack of wine!" Achilles yelled in anger. He began to pace the room gripping his sword.



Agamemnon ignored Achilles and began to play with her hair. "I think I'll let the men have her once I'm done with her, " he said offhandedly. "Men being in battle such as this…they will need the comfort of a beautiful woman."



Briseis shivered and tried tck ack away but the soldiers held her in place. She met Achilles gaze and pleaded with him to do nothing. She meant what she said, she didn't want anymore men dyeing for her.



Achilles lifted his sword toward Agamemnon as he walked towards the exit of the tent. "Mark my words King of Kings before my end I will stand over your corpse and smile upon it, " he threatened as he took one last look at Briseis and left.



Quickly he made his way to his tent and passed Eudorus as he did. "No one will fight until I say, " with that he rushed into his tent and commenced to destroying everything in sight. It angered him to no end that Agamemnon would take what was rightfully his. She was his war prize, his to protect. That's when Achilles realized she wasn't just a war prize. She was a woman he found interesting. It was something about her that made him crave her.



He hadn't been back to his tent a few minutes when Patroclus entered his tent with a purpose.



"Why did you order the men not to fight?" Patroclus demanded.



Achilles collapsed onto a pile of furs and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands.



Patroclus shook his head, "Don't you care that tomorrow if we don't fight our fellow countrymen will die, because of your pride!"



Achilles snapped his gaze to Patroclus, "Don’t you lecture me on pride boy. You have never even been in battle before. You have never killed a man and seen the life leave his body."



"But I want to fight for my country!" Patroclus yelled.



"You want to kill!" Achilles retorted back.



"Yes!" Patroclus yelled.



Achilles shook his head in despair, "You've never killed another man you have no idea what it is like. To see the life leave their body…regardless of what you think, there is nothing glorious about killing. Every night I close my eyes I see all the people I've killed. I see them across the river Styx and they welcome me as a brother…they're waiting for me now."



Still not deterred from his determination to fight Patroclus shook his head, "I fight for you cousin."



Achilles turned to look at Patroclus, "And who will you fight for when I'm gone? Agamemnon? Don't waste your life following fools like Agamemnon Patroclus, they aren't worth it."



"Soldiers are ordered, " Patroclus reasoned.



"Yes, for a man they know nothing about, " Achilles spat.



There was a long pause in the tent, as they seemed to talk in their own minds.



"You won't fight?" Patroclus asked finally.



Achilles nodded, "I will not, and neither will you or the men, is that clear?"



Patroclus shook his head in disgust and rushed out of the tent leaving Achilles to himself.



He stood and popped his neck and stretched his shoulders trying to relax his tense muscles. He knew he wouldn't until he had Briseis back with him, and the only way to do that was to let hundreds if not thousands of Greek's go to their deaths in the following battle. In a sense, more men would die for her.



He settled himself in the furs of his bed and closed his eyes.



"Come in with me brothers, " he whispered falling into a tortured sleep.



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Exactly like the movie but I promise things will get better and more different as each chapter goes. Please read and review!