Titania of Troy

Chapter 10

Titania was over-joyed when they announced that they would remain in Tenedos for another day. It gave her brothers more time, and for time she was always grateful. The air was thick with Agamemnon's displeasure. The king's cries of anger could be heard from all across the army camp, leaving most of the soldiers sour and temperamental.

Patroclus had finally been discharged from watching her. Instead, Titania was secured to the middle of the Myrmidons' camp with a thick rope and a pole. The sun beat down on her sensitive skin, making her lips crack and her cheeks red. Her system had grown weaker in her time with the Greeks, though that was to be expected. It wouldn't be much of an imprisonment if they afforded her every luxury.

She was, however, happy to be accepted amongst the Myrmidons. Each of them made little chit-chat with her as they walked about. Menesthius and Eudorus were particularly fond of her.

"You must tell me how to shoot like that, princess. It might save my life," Menesthius sat next to her on the sand, offering her sips from his goblet of wine.

Titania chuckled, "I would show you, Menesthius, if only you had a little more talent."

The man let out a loud laugh. Eudorus, who was packing grain nearby, interjected, "She's right! You let her take your bow from you. No wonder she got so close to defeating Achilles!"

Menesthius held up an offended finger, "You have no right to judge me. As I recall, she punched your nose so hard it didn't stop bleeding for 3 hours!"

"She did not defeat Achilles," Patroclus spat from nearby, "Not even close. To suggest such a thing-"

Menesthius, it seemed, had finally lost his patience with Patroclus. He waved the man away before he could even finish his sentence, "Go back to your cooking, Mrs Achilles." The man sputtered but ultimately slithered away into Achilles' tent, no doubt to complain about them.

Titania laughed as the two of them went back and forth. They bickered like brothers, and she supposed the Myrmidons were close enough to be brothers in arms. For all his faults, Achilles had a good team of men fighting for him. He took great care of them.

The two men were suddenly commanded away by that very same leader, who took slow steps towards her.

She was surprised when Achilles came to sit next to her, his own skin darker from the sun's rays. His temper hadn't exploded for some time now, and Titania was starting to grow more comfortable with him and his men. They often asked her to sing as they stored the grain and water they had gathered from the nearby towns, and Achilles himself had stated that he wouldn't force himself upon her like so many men did their female prizes. Titania figured that if she had to be imprisoned, this was likely the best it was going to be.

Though, as she watched the entrance to the camp she saw the older figure of Odysseus. He watched the two of them, as though expecting Achilles to do something. Titania knew they had just come back from a war council. She wondered what the King of Ithaca was waiting for.

"Are we to sail in tomorrow morning then?" Titania asked, attempting to make conversation.

"Yes, Agamemnon refuses to wait another day. By the next morning, we will have set our sights upon Troy."

Titania released a relieved breath, "Somehow, even though I know your men will bring the wrath of Ares to my shores, I'm relieved to go home again."

Achilles looked at her with understanding eyes, "That much I can understand."

"Your mother is a nereid, right? Thetis?"

"Yes," his eyes faded, as though his mind were no longer here in Tenedos, "I love my mother, but she was rather over-protective."