Achilles
I watch the sweet girl sleeping next to me. I made love to her over and over, and with it being her first time, my bed sheets were stained with blood.
As I sit outside by the flickering firelight, I close my eyes and let the warmth wash over me. The crackling flames dance in the night, but my thoughts are heavy with grief. Patroclus is dead, and it still feels like a dream, a cruel twist of fate that I can't fully grasp. The ache of his absence fills my heart. Damn, I miss him more than words can say. The memories filled my mind, and I couldn't help but wonder how life could feel so painfully empty without him by my side.
"The girl?" Odysseus's voice breaks my thoughts.
"What about her?"
"Are you going to give her to Agamemnon? You know, he claims all war treasures. It is the ordinances."
"Agamemnon comes near her, I'll kill him."
"Achilles."
I glare at his face, which is full of concern, his eyebrows pulled together.
"Briseis isn't a war trophy. She is a person, and she's mine. If Agamemnon has a problem, he can challenge me."
A sweet voice calls out, "Achilles." She steps out of my tent, wrapped in a sheet. I watch the men gaze at her with lust. I already know they are hard, daydreaming about what we did last night.
I walk up to her and kiss her deeply, letting the men know that I claim her as mine.
I feel a deep sense of protectiveness towards Briseis. I view her not just as a prize of war, but as someone I honestly care for and want to keep safe. My willingness to defy Agamemnon and challenge anyone who threatens her may seem crazy, yes, I am a madman. But I can't imagine what Agamemnon's intentions towards her could be.
She quickly eats her breakfast of oats, goat milk, and an apple, all provided by King Agememnon.