Not of this Time

Chapter 31

Hectors POV

The palace was draped in black everywhere. A horrible reminder that the queen, my wife was no longer among the living. Our young daughter only four years old now was having to say good bye to her mother. I had no explanation to her, I could not tell her why she would not hear her mother's voice again nor hear her tells her stories off far off lands ever again. Looking down at her as I hold her close in my arms I smile trying to show her everything would turn out to be alright. Hoping Paris would make an appearance soon just to make her smile, Levitica loved to see her uncle Paris though I really had no idea why.

Levitica kept silent as she laid her head against my chest and looked forward. My heart broke for her, though her mother and I were never in love we were very close. Now I was left alone without her to raise our daughter. Taking a deep breath I am about to make my way to the great hall when I see Paris coming our way right through the gardens and he has two small children with him. Did he have two children out of wedlock?! How did I not know about this? Going to scold him I see a woman walk up behind them. Long red hair...it was her...Diana was here. My heart stopped as Paris came forward and looked up at me.

"There is little Levi!" Paris smiles using my daughters nickname as he takes her from my arms and stands her beside the two unknown boys. "Levitica, this is Alec and Aegeus. They are sons of a friend of mine and they are here to keep you company today."

Looking to the two boys I watch as they walk up to my daughter and since they were taller than her they kneel down to be at her level.

"We are at your service princess." The blonde haired boy says as he and the other boy bow down before her earning a laugh from my young daughter.

"Daddy! I have new friends!" Levitica calls out to me but doesn't bother to look my way.

"Well...I'll take these three ahead. Don't take too long you two." Paris says as he starts walking to the great hall with the three children holding hands right in front of him.

Turning back to Diana I see her watching Paris like a hawk no doubting making sure that he wouldn't lose her children. Clearing my throat I take a few steps forward and get her attention.

"Two sons? No doubt Achilles is proud of both of them." I start trying to make polite conversation.

"Only one is mine, Alec that is, Aegeus is Meg and Patroclus son. You daughter is very beautiful No doubt she gets her cleverness from you." Diana smiles as she walks up beside me but then her face turns sad. "I am very sorry for your loss Hector. I heard nothing but good things about your wife."

"She was a good woman, a wonderful mother and terrific queen." I nod as we slowly begin to walk to the great hall. "She will be sorely missed by all, especially Levitica. I for one have no idea how I am going to raise a daughter on my own."

Diana gently nudges me and I look over at her to see her arms crossed at me but her smiling lightly.

"After all the wars you fought and lands that were conquered raising a daughter seems to scare you more? I think you will do just fine." Diana giggled as she tried to keep herself from laughing at me being scared.

"What of Achilles? Does he teach his son well?" I ask her hoping to learn more about her life.

"That depends on if he is home or not, wars still happen even if we don't want them to. I've rarely seen him at all within the past four years. He and Patroclus still send word...when they say they can but I get a horrible feeling whenever I receive word from them."

"You fear it will be informing yo of his death?"

"That or that he has found another and doesn't want me anymore." Dasia chuckles just as we reach the great hall. "We can talk more later, I will not interrupt this sacred time."

Diana didn't give me a chance to say anything else as she went to Paris side and held her son's free hand in one hand and her nephews hand in the other. Levitica ran to my arms as the priests came in and began the ceremony. The hall was crowded to the rim of people who had come to say their goodbye to the queen as well as flowers and gifts for the afterlife. Standing before her I stood on ceremony as I watched each and every person tell her good bye. Unlike when Diana was dead and before me I did not shed a tear. Levitica who didn't seem to understand what was going on at all was getting tired. Paris came and took her from my arms and lead the two boys somewhere they could get food.

At the end of the line I watched as the last person came forward, it was Diana. Though she had never met my wife she was still paying her respects to her as well as telling her goodbye. Once she was done the priest came and took the queens body away. I stood still like a statue until I felt a hand on my forearm. Following the feeling I look to see it belongs to Diana.

"She is in a better place, come your daughter is waiting for you." Diana tells me in a kind and gentle tone, one that I had no heard in ten years and had missed more than I had known.

Taking her hand in mine I gripped it as we made our way out of the great hall. Following the sound of laughing voices we make our way to the gardens where the boys and Levitica are playing tag. Each of them look to be happy and carefree. My daughter needed this much welcomed distraction so that she could play now and be sad another day.

"She looks to be getting tired." Paris tells me as he walks over to Diana and I. "Levitica come we better get you ready for bed."

"Will mommy read me a story?" Levitica asked looking up to Paris and I.

"She can't do that anymore love but I can." I reply to her but hoping that if I read to her then she wont be so upset.

For a moment she looks as though she is going to burst into tears but then her eyes land on Diana and it appears as though an idea has come to her head. Slowly making her way to Diana, my daughter takes a hold of Diana's dress and looks up at her.

"Will you read to me then?" she asks in a soft whisper.

The two boys then join in with my daughter and beg that Diana read her a story so that she may fall asleep and rest through the night with no nightmares or monsters. Diana looks back to Paris and I as though we would have an answer to this situation, we did not.

"If your father says it's alright then I suppose I can." Diana says as she looks right at me.

"Thank you Diana." I tell her and I nod.

Levitica then pulls on Diana's dress to which Diana looks down at her. There my daughter lifts her arms up letting Diana know that she wants her to hold her. Alec then helps pick up Levitica so that Diana can hold her. Maybe because of the sudden death of her mother but Levitica seems to want to be very close to Diana and I was confused as to why she would want to be. After all she didn't know Diana at all. Paris then led them back to Levitica's room and then returned to me.

"Funny the way the gods make things work isn't it?" Paris asks me as I look to him with an eye brow raised. "Oh come brother, you may have married your wife but you did not love her even I know that. There was only one whoever had your heart."

"Yes and may I remind you that she is now married and has a son of her own." I reply to him as I walk to through the garden.

"Plus she hasn't seen much of him for three years, tell me that doesn't tell you anything about Diana and Achilles relationship now." Paris says as he begins to talk to me about the whole reason why I shouldn't have let Diana go and that I should have convinced her to marry me and not Achilles in the first place.

"You love her and well you will have to re marry soon and I'm just saying isn't it odd that of all times Diana re appears now?" Paris asks and unfortunately makes a valid point.

Why now? Why of all times in the world would the gods decide to bring her back into my life? Was this just another way of showing that no matter what I did she would never be mine and that no others were even close to her? Oh what a cruel fate if so. Making my way to Levitica's room I can't help but smile at the sight I am greeted with. There in the large bed, in the center is Diana, on her left is Alec and behind him Aegeus and then on her right snuggled up close to her is my daughter all fast asleep. Though if Diana could comfort my daughter in her hour of need then I would keep her around as long as I needed to, at least until Achilles or Meg returned and took her from me...again.