Not of this Time

Chapter 23

Diana's POV

Night had fallen and an eerie silence had befallen upon the city. Hector and Paris were with their father discussing their next battle or something like that while I looked down from my balcony at that horrid horse and the secret that was kept inside of it. The guards were not in sight, at least my sight and I knew they were waiting for the right time. The moonlight cast down upon the horse and there out of the back I could see a small rope fall. Turning to run and tell Hector or Paris I feel someone put their hand over my mouth. Fear and panic spread through my body. My hand went right to the hands of the captive as I tried to pull him off me.

"You truly think you can remove my hands that easy." The deep voice asked me as his other hand brought out his blade. "So, you are the new princess of Troy?"

Shaking my head, no my eyes followed the sword praying that it wouldn't connect with my body and kill me. The man's hand around my mouth tightened as he pushed me to move forward which of course I did as we made it to the doors of my room and barely took a step outside before I heard a loud crash behind me and the grip that was once on my mouth was now gone. Turning around I was completely unprepared for the sight that was before me. There stood Paris no longer dressed in his royal blue robes but his armor instead.

"Paris?" I asked a bit shocked that he was the one to save me.

Coming forward and pulling me into his arms I was surprised yet again as he kissed me. The kiss was strong and a bit demanding but it wasn't a very long kiss either. Pulling away Paris looked down at me and now I could see the fear in his eyes. He knew now that I was right, that the Greeks had tricked them and were here now for blood.

"We need to get you out of here, Hector wouldn't want you in harm's way and neither do I." Paris said taking my arm.

"Paris, no listen to me, this isn't how it's supposed to be, everything has changed." I tell him as I stop him and force him to listen to me. "Paris, you need to hide with Hector if I can find Achilles at least he will stop and maybe even get his men to stop fighting as well."

"No, you can't go back to him. He thinks you are dead Diana." Paris tries to reason with me.

"Paris, he was inside that horse so I know he saw me, he will come looking for me and I don't want you or Hector to be there when he find me." I try and plead with Paris.

"No, Diana please listen to me. Even if Achilles does find you things will not go back to the way they were before. He will think you betrayed him even deceived him into thinking you were dead." Paris said as he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. "Sorry Diana but I won't let anything happen to you."

No matter how I tried to get down or even out his grasp he wouldn't budge. Paris was stronger then I gave him credit for. Even pounding on his back didn't seem to do anything at all to him. He began to carry me through halls I didn't remember seeing these halls they seemed to be darker and maybe even secret. Though Paris kept his pace fast it was only a matter of moments before his cousin caught up to us. She took one look at the way Paris was carrying me and was about to ask him a question only to have him explain before her.

"She wanted to surrender herself to Achilles and we both know it won't end well." Paris told her as we continued through the halls.

"Not to mention if Hector saw her with Achilles that would make him want to kill anyone just to get to her." His cousin pointed out a valid point.

Running as fast as they could we finally reached where the King and Hector were discussing something but when they heard us come in they dropped what they were doing and looked over at us. Hector looked like he might knock Paris out if he didn't put me down soon as well. Carefully Paris helped me down from his shoulder.

"We should have known that the Greeks would never consider peace with us and now they are inside the walls, the only thing we can do now is kill them before they kill us." The King said as he looked out to see the Greeks taking on the Trojan soldiers.

"Then I will join the others in battle." Hector said as he then turned to Paris. "You had better not leave her side until I return."

Without another word, Hector left the room, dressed in his armor and sword in hand. A part of me feared that I would never see him again. Looking to Paris he looked down at me as he tried to come to grips with what had just happened.

"Paris, you cannot expect Hector to fight the Greeks on his own!" I say as I poke his chest. "This is the time to prove yourself, to be a true warrior like your brother. Go out there and kill some Greeks if you must but always be there for your brother when he needs you."

Paris seemed to slowly understand what I was saying and after a brief nod from the King then Paris left out the door in the same dress and manner that Hector had done. I looked back to the King who seemed to be overwhelmed.

"You should do what you feel is right Diana, especially if you feel it could save my son's lives." The king spoke softly to me.

I knew I couldn't just sit back and wait, I took off running from the room as fast as I could in hope to find Achilles and some way to stop all this chaos. As I began to run through the halls many others passed me making it even more difficult for me to get anywhere. Everyone was fleeing for their lives, not that I blamed them but I knew I couldn't let Hector or Achilles die. After the tenth person stepped on my dress I had decided the length of it was too long and slowing me down. Grabbing a dagger from a dead Greek I cut off the dresses length so that now it hung just above my knees. Taking the dagger with me just in case I began to look for Achilles praying somehow him seeing me would stop him.

"Kill all of them!" A deep voice boomed throughout the halls.

That's not good. Still I didn't stop...that is I didn't stop until I saw an entire army coming right at me. Oh, dear lord what the heck was I going to do now? Just then I feel someone grab my arm and pull me into a secret passage way that automatically closed once I was inside. Looking up I couldn't really tell who it was because it was pitch black in there I felt the person grab my hand and pull me down the corridor.

"Stop, please I don't want to die." I call out and try and pull my hand back in resistance.

"I'm not going to kill you." The deep voice tells me but my heart is in such a panic I don't know who the voice belongs to.

"Then where are you taking me? I must go and find someone! Please release me!" I yell at the man.

Apparently, he had enough of me trying to pull away from him as he turned around and grabbed my face. My eye desperately tried to focus. I wanted to know who the person was before me.

"You going to try and find your prince so he will make everything better?" the voice says with a deathly tone.

"Achilles...it's you." I reply softly before I push myself against him and our lips met.

Achilles holds me close as he pulls away and looks down at me. My eyes finally cooperate with me and I can see it truly is Achilles. Not to mention he was now looking at me with one of the most confusing expression I had ever seen on his face.

"How did this happen? I saw you die I know it, never have I heard of anyone returning from the dead." He tells me as he holds my forearms and looks deep into my eyes.

"I have no idea, I swear to you Achilles I thought I was dead as well. I went there to save you and Hector. I can't watch someone I love die." I admit to him as a bright light then fills the corridor.

"Search every secret passage you can find!" Agamemnon calls out.

"Damn that man, time to go." Achilles says grabbing my hand and pulling me further into the passage.