Big thanks to everybody who reviewed, especially those who said that it was
okay for Phaetis to be a little bit of a girly girl.

Roisin Dubh-Thank you very much for comment on my grade. I'm glad you think I got what I deserved.

Twins8791- I'm terribly sorry I kind of confused you, but I'm glad you
thought it was that good.

mducquette- I do what I can...it's a gift from god. And I'm flattered you
think I should be up at the high table with the classics writers...really, I am! I give you, faithful reviewers and those few of you who have read it and didn't reivew- Chapter 3! Enjoy, but reader disgression is advised.

---

Aphrodite looked down from her perfumed bowers on Mount Olympus,
Saw the bloody fields of Troy, nearly turned her head away
So great the stink of battle, the bittersweet tang of spilled blood
Looked on as Phaetis, winsome daughter of Apollo, sacrificed a cow to Ares,
Athena and
Her father, looked on as the smoke of burning meat,
the waft of libations poured on the alter
came past her sensitive nose.

Beautiful Aphrodite, whom young women worship
For good prospects in marriage, a husband who will not falter in the
marriage bed
Could not see why this girl did not offer wine and flowers to her,
Patroness of young women, did not know
Atheneaia stayed her hand, whispered the ideas out of Achilles' head
When the woman asked for help,
Could not understand what made Achilles grant her sanctuary in his tent
Without taking the daughter of Apollo to his bed.
Love never misses note in the eyes of Aphrodite, and she saw it in
The iron willed heart of bronzed Achilles.
Phaetis left the altars, left the meat of offerings still smoldering,
And Argive Aphrodite, goddess who rules the hearts of men
Gathering her scented robes, she flew to Olympian Zeus' council chamber
She could feel that this woman could be trouble.

"Father Zeus, All knowing, all seeing, I come to ask
a favor on the part of troy. See that woman Phaetis?
Why not punish her, Father Zeus, for she
Knows not her place, knows not the courses of a wife, a housekeeper."
Zeus laughed, shaking the broad heavens in his mirth.

"Aphrodite, goddess who rules the hearts of men, the wiles of women,
Not often is it I refuse you. But the Trojans need no help-
Let Phaetis stay- for without one warrior the like of her,
How is the game fair? Besides, you've hurt the girl enough-
Let the daughter of my son Apollo go in peace to her battles."
Golden haired Aphrodite stormed out
Not many had seen the goddess of love in rage.

Aphrodite kept her watch, looked on as Argive Phaetis
Daughter of Apollo, whose aim is always true,
Rushed into battle, sheathed her knife in Trojan blood.
Her sword was like the river in a rage when the storm
At the behest of Zeus, father of all whom reigns in Olympus, has swelled
it's banks,
Overflowing them crashing over rocky hillsides, never ceasing, never
stopping,
Cutting down any thing in its path with vicious fury-
Any and all that opposed that daughter of Apollo Silverbow fell in the dust-
Thus did the sword of Spearsinger Phaetis run through the ranks,
Slaughter Trojans where they stood still in fear
Of Argive Apollo's frenzied offspring, the Amazonian Macedon;
Many men answered to her sword- Ethames, Young Rheseas
And the four sons of Thome- all fell to Hades' dark gates at her hand.
Then Phaetis, daughter of the Archer who Never Misses what He Hunts
Drew out her bow, the golden curve that Artemis had strung
Fashioned from the trees of Illyria, the same
That made the goddess' bow strong
The string never snapped, was fashioned of
Artemis' hair, the long strands she lets hang free at hunt.

Aphrodite could take no more, knew if she did nothing
Her son by the Prince Anchises, a cousin of King Priam,
Could come by grave hurts, deep pains not quick to heal
At the arrows of Phaetis Silverbow's Daughter
And went again to Zeus' halls to plead her case.

"Father Zeus, all knowing, all seeing, whose hand never doubts,
Here again do I beseech you, stay the hand of
Young Phaetis. Let some arrow strike her down
Before she kills my son, Aeneas, lets some harm come
To the product of my flesh, my son by the Prince Anchises,
Who now fights on the soil of Troy." Zeus stilled her words
Would not hear her womanly babble.

"Let her be; I can do nothing to Phaetis,
Apollo's daughter. Cannot make her bowstring snap, her sword chip and
shatter.
Apollo would only help the Acheans then,
For his daughter is precious to him, only girl born of his blood.
I am bound by the river Styx, an oath I cannot break
My son Apollo made me swear, when his daughter left for war
To not let harm come to Phaetis by a god's hand.
Let her be-see you any other women on the fields?
Let your attentions be lavished on Helen-
It is her fault this war started- is it not you who
Promised Paris Alexandros her love, sent him to the chambers of the wife of
his host
The King of Sparta, and made that fool prince of Troy lie with her?
Go away, silly woman, and leave the affairs of war
To Athene and Ares, leave, and go meddle with men's hearts instead."
Zeus Cloudgather dismissed Lovebringer
And Argive Aphrodite conceded defeat,
Went back to her perfumed bowers
In agony, to watch her son suffer, doing nothing.

---

Hope you enjoyed it-Review and tell me what you thought.