For the Most Beautiful by Emily Hauser

in reply, roaring and grunting.
    â€˜Are you ready to give your lives for your city?’
    They shouted even louder.
    â€˜Then let us go and fight for our gods and for our kingdom!’ he thundered, then bent to pick up his oval shield and bronze-tipped spear from the ground.
    â€˜Wait – Mynes!’ I said, darting forwards and laying my hand on his arm as he began to hoist the shield on to his back.
    â€˜Not afraid, Briseis?’ he asked, smiling.
    â€˜No,’ I said. ‘I just – I love you.’
    â€˜And you know I love you too. But I must go.’
    He kissed my forehead, then straightened to put on his bronze helmet, topped with a waving horsehair crest of red and gold. He lifted it, fitted it easily over his head and fastened the cheek-flaps in place. Then, with a brief smile to me and a call to his men, my husband disappeared through the large wooden gates of the upper city into the burning town.
    I wished I could stand and gaze after him for as long as the impression of his blazing armour lasted on my eyes. But I felt a hand heavy on my shoulder, and heard Lygdon’s gruff voice say, ‘We’d better get you to Pedasus, then, Princess.’
    There was a moment of silence as he waited for me to walk towards the palace. Then—
    â€˜Lygdon,’ I said slowly, ‘do you think the gates of the upper city will be strong enough to hold the enemy back?’
    Lygdon paused. ‘Of course,’ he said at last. ‘Lyrnessus has never been captured before. It’s the Greeks’ good fortune they came upon us by surprise.’ He smiled grimly at me. ‘But their fortune will not last long enough to lead them into the upper city, of that I am certain.’
    The gods knew I did not want to break my promise to Mynes, but I could not bear to run from him, like a child to her mother’s skirts. I kneaded my knuckles against my forehead in frustration. ‘The prince told me he believes we will be defeated …’
    Lygdon shook his head. ‘We shall win, Princess, you can be sure of that.’ His voice was steady, confident. ‘Most likely the prince only said so to persuade you to flee.’
    I thought this over. ‘And do you wish to leave the battle?’
    He shook his head again. ‘I would rather stay and protect my home,’ he said honestly. ‘I have a wife of my own, Princess, and three young children, one newly born. I’d rather not leave them.’
    â€˜Then we shall stay,’ I said, making the decision in a moment. ‘You will take me to the Great Hall, where I shall wait for the prince to return. I shall show the Lyrnessans that their princess does not flee in terror at the first sign of danger.’
    There was a pause, then Lygdon bowed his head, his face impassive. ‘As you wish, Princess.’
    Together, we hastened towards the doors to the palace. They were open and Lygdon heaved them shut behind us, with a great creaking of hinges, then led me quickly down a long corridor, through the open courtyard, the sky above it tinged with a blazing red glow, and into the empty Great Hall. It was dark in there, and only a few rays of moonlight drifting through the high slit windows illuminated the four red columns around the hearth, the washed-out paintings on the walls and a stone altar to Apulunas, bearing a small ivory statue of the Great God and some food offerings.
    Lygdon placed me beside the altar, trusting to the sanctuary of the gods. Then he walked heavily to the double bronze doors, and stood, feet planted, in front of them, holding his massive two-headed axe before him. ‘It shouldn’t be long before the prince returns,’ he said.
    The palace around us was eerily quiet. The sound of my breathing was heavy in my ears, and the scent of incense and smoke hung around the altar from the last offering to the gods. Time moved slowly. I watched a moonbeam approach me slowly across the painted