Not of this Time

Chapter 39

Paris POV

"Paris! Paris wake up!" I can hear someone screaming as I barely open my eyes I see both Meg and Hector looking over me.

My head feels sore and in pain, carefully I move my hand to where the pain is and am surprised I don't find blood. Feeling the pain though makes me think back to what happened. That Patroclus took Diana! After thinking that I turn to Hector.

"Patroclus took Diana, he was holding her I made him drop her and fight me but he must have knocked me out." I tell Hector and as soon as the words leave my lips, anger and hatred appear in his eyes.

"Why would your own husband kidnap my wife who is more than likely with child. Tell me Meg, where would he have taken her?" Hector asks as he helps me to stand up.

"Patroclus has always wanted to please Achilles, that is the only person I can think of him taking Diana to." Meg says with an exasperated sigh.

What none of them saw was one of the suitors that was supposed to have been sent away, hiding in the shadows wanting to hear what may have happened to the would be queen and making sure her plan was working.

Achilles POV

Pain and anger were still lodged deep in my heart then I see Diana being dropped at my feet by none other than my own cousin. She looked different though, her face was pale and I went to her faster than I had anyone in a long time. Holding the rag on her forehead, I look over and see that Patroclus is clearly drunk and had thought this was a smart plan in his intoxicated mind.

"She maybe pregnant too, with Hector's child." Patroclus calls out followed by a hiccup. "Never thought Diana would just give herself to him."

"Shut up! Patroclus what were you thinking bringing her here? She was safe! I only went there to make sure that if I couldn't hurt her then no one could and now what? You bring her here for me to slaughter?!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

"Kill her then! She has his child inside of her!" Patroclus yells in a drunken rage until he passes out on the ground before me.

Sitting down beside Diana I shake my head. She didn't know my cause of going to Troy, in truth I knew she was better off with Hector I just wanted to make sure no one could harm her, that Troy would protect her with all their might as well as my son. Now knowing a drunken Patroclus could take her out of the palace so easily puts me on edge.

Groaning, Diana's eyes slowly opened and when her gaze landed upon me tears filled her eyes. I could not be certain if they were tears of sadness or hate though. Sighing I had her the rag. She doesn't say anything at first but take the rag and wipes her mouth only to be sick not even a moment later.

"You never got this sick with Alec." I comment remembering when she was with my child.

"I know." Diana says with a pause as she wipes her mouth again. "I fear someone in the palace maybe trying to poison me, I have been this sick for the past three days."

"Hector will find them and kill them, of that I have no doubt." I comment but don't look her way, not wanting to anger her more.

"Why am I here Achilles?" Diana questions as she sits up and looks right at me.

Pointing to the passed-out Patroclus, I take a drink from the wine jug I have before I begin to explain.

"He brought you here, wanting me to kill you and the child of Hector's you carry inside of you. I told him I cannot, going to Troy was a test to see if they could keep you safe. They passed with me but failed with him." I answer and then shrug before taking another drink.

Diana goes to move again but just as she barely reaches me she collapses on top of me and I can feel the fever coursing through her body. Dropping the wine, I pick her up and hold her close to me as I take her to one of the natural bath's I had found within the past two days. Walking into the water with her I hold her close and try to lower her body temperature, this water wasn't hot in fact it was quite frigid. She was silent but still breathing as the water did its work.

"Who has been hurting you and that prince not noticing." I question as I wipe the sweat from her forehead. "I won't hurt you but I will kill that prince if he doesn't find the culprit."

Time passed, a few hours at that. I had gotten Diana out of the bath and laid her down in a make shift bed watching her closely hoping whatever was making her sick she was getting out of her system. That's when the King showed up.

"Achilles!" Hector yells aloud enough to wake the titans.

Walking up out of the tent, I see the King with Prince Paris as well as Meg sitting on horses all looking my way. Leaning against a rock I cross my arms and wait to hear what they have come here to say or ask me.

"You called King hector?" I ask sarcastically.

"Your cousin brought my wife to you." Hector replies.

"You aren't married yet and if you then you are doing your husbandly duty of protecting her very poorly." I comment with a chuckle.

"That is quite hypocritically coming from you Achilles!" Hector banters.

"She's been poisoned! Told me so herself! She can't keep a thing down and she is losing nutrition. I am not around to hurt her so it must be someone in your palace."

Shock is written upon all their faces as Meg tries her best to remember something. Jumping down from her horse, Meg runs right past me and to Diana. Looking over her sister she even smells her breath to try and determine what she might have ate.

"It's nightshade mixed with clove...Hector...when did she have cloves?" Meg asked as she looked back to them.

"Four days ago...it was specially made for conception but I knew nothing of the nightshade." Hector says as he dismounts his horse and walks my way.

Moving to the side, I watch as Hector walks inside to Diana and feels her head.

"She is cooling off." Hector comments.

"That's because I put her in a pool of cold water and then laid her down to rest. I do not know if she will make it though." I reply honestly.

"Are you sure all of the suitors are gone Hector?" Meg asks concerned.

"No, Lady Farah stays until next month due to her mother's arrangements. Could she have done this?" Paris questions as he too runs to Diana.

"When we return, I will be having a long talk with lady Farah." Hector says as he picks up Diana.

"Talking? What good would that do? Catch her in the act so she cannot lie to you, come Hector you should know this. I'm in a good mood so leave before I decide to take her for my own again."

Hector takes the hint and hands Diana to Paris so he can mount his horse, once he had done so Paris hand's Diana back to him who is still fast asleep. Paris quickly mounts his horse and the two brothers take off. Turning back to Meg, I see her looking down at Patroclus with pity upon her face.

"He'll be fine, I'll send him back when he awakes." I tell her trying to comfort her.

"No, maybe he should just stay with you...Achilles why did you let Diana go?" Meg asks as she walks up to me.

"It's not that easy to answer Meg, I could see how unhappy she was when I would leave for war and when she was with Hector, even when she spoke of him her face would light up. As much as I hate to say it, maybe she wasn't mine to begin with?"