Not of this Time

Chapter 42

Diana's POV

Of course with it being a royal wedding, it took longer than just a day to plan everything. I did not know what happened to the advisor and it was probably a good thing I didn't, no doubt every punishment in my head was far worse than what Hector gave that despicable creature. If you could even call him a creature. Still I knew I had one thing I had to do before I married Hector.

Putting my cloak over my head I look to the mirror to make sure the cloak hides most of my appearance. Lucky for me it does. Leaving my room I be sure to sneak around the guards for if they knew what I was doing they would no doubt stop me. Since the whole Achilles coming in ad healing me ordeal though the guards had been double. Not on Hectors request though, but on Paris's.

Carefully making my way to the stables I am surprised to see Meg there brushing a horse. Looking at her confused she doesn't even look my way but begins to talk to me.

"If you think I am going to let my pregnant sister go out there alone, then you obviously do not know me very well." Meg says as she turns my way and smiles. "You won't be going out of my sight."

"Meg, you seem to know my moves before I do." I chuckle as I make my way to a horse.

"After all we've been through, does that really shock you?"

"Not at all, in fact I'm happy to see you here Meg. Knowing you are with me makes me feel a bit safer."

Grabbing the reigns of my horse I mount it and wait for Meg to do the same. Copying my motions we both take off into the night to do the one things that I still had to before I became Hector's wife or queen. The desert was cold, at night this was normal but that didn't prevent the wind from being harsh as well. Sand blew threw the air making Meg and I have to shield our faces with scarves and hope that we were going the right way.

After a long ride, one that I wasn't sure was ever going to end, we saw a few tents pitched. That was the camp we were looking for and now it was within reach. With a small kick my horse moves faster until we arrive at the tent right in the center of the camp. Meg and I dismounted and tied our horses to a post that was nearby. Keeping our cloaks around us we hid well as we snuck inside the tent.

"After all this time, you still think you can sneak up on me Diana?" Achilles questions as he turns around, a goblet in his hand and a smile on his face. "Nice to see you as well Meg, you husband sleeps just one tent over if you wish to see him."

Meg looks over at me, as though she were asking to see if I was alright with her going to see Patroclus. Nodding my head I let her know that I would be fine. She needed to clear many things up with him and I knew that, I wouldn't stand in the way of their marriage. Meg nodded once to Achilles and then left the tent. Leaving Achilles and I alone.

"You don't wear the crown?" Achilles questioned as he sat down in the only chair in the room.

"I'm not a queen or even a royal yet." I answer him with a shy grin.

"You sure acted like one, catching whip so I wouldn't be harmed. That must have made Hector livid."

"Quite the opposite, he agreed that I did the right thing but Achilles you know I am not here to talk about that." I begin to tell him as he stands up and puts his drink down on a table before leaning up against the main post of his tent.

"Yes, it must be important for you to come at night and no doubt without telling Hector." Achilles sighed as he looked my way. "What have you come to say."

"Thank you, Meg told me what you did and that without your help I would be dead instead of standing before you." I tell him sincerely as I walk up to him. "Though we have not always agreed completely Achilles saving my life is a debt I will never be able to repay you."

"You gave me a life, a son, Alec I was just returning the favor by returning you to this world. Alec will grow well as a prince but don't let him become soft. Diana I must ask something of you though." Achilles said his tone changing to a serious one.

"What is it?"

"When Alec is fourteen, I wish to train him my way as well, one year is all I ask, and I will teach him all I know. If I cannot then Patroclus will take this task on in my place." Achilles says as he stares me right in the eyes.

Alec was still his son, no doubt in my mind had me think that this might be a tradition that Achilles family may have done. Really, I had no right to keep Alec away from his father and it was still quite some time before he turned fourteen, I saw no need to object his request.

"Alright, I see no reason to deny you that, but you or he had better write and the moment you do not I will come for you." I tell him with firm voice but a smile on my face.

"Thank you Diana, I do not regret finding you in the ocean that day. After I found you I must admit you brought great adventure into my life and for that I thank you. My son, I can never thank you enough for." Achilles smiled as the tent flap opened and there stood Patroclus and Meg.

"Tell her." Meg told Patroclus as she nudged him to me.

"I apologize Diana for taking you from the palace, I did not know the risk I would be putting you in." Patroclus says as he looks my way with a pleading look on his face.

"You are forgiven Patroclus, please do not try that again though. Or else I will end you, brother in law or not." I warn him as I look to Meg.

We both knew the sun would be rising soon. Turning back to Achilles I smile as I offer him the very gift he gave to me on our wedding day. A white shell necklace on a dark blue string. Achilles paused for a moment before looking up at me.

"Keep it with you, that way even when I am gone you can still remember how we once were." I tell him as I put the necklace in his hand.

Without giving him a chance to say anything else I put the hood of the cloak back over my head since it had now fallen off since I dismounted the horse and made my way out of the tent with Meg right behind me. Mounting the horses again each of us looked back, that last time for me, we saw Achilles and Patroclus standing outside the tent watching us as we took off into the desert again.

"That took a lot of courage Di." Meg said proudly as she smiled at me.

"All I did was tell the truth Meg, nothing to be proud about. Achilles is now free to live his own life and be with whoever he wants." I tell her as we ride back off in the direction of the palace.

Achilles POV

Watching as she rode out of our camp I couldn't shake the feeling that Diana had just told me goodbye for good. Shaking my head, I walk back inside of my tent and Patroclus does not follow, he had thinking of his own to do and for once did not need my help on the matter. Sitting down on the pile of furs, I look at the necklace in my hand. It was my wedding gift to her and just like she said it held many memories with it.

Though Diana agreed to let me train Alec when he turned fourteen I had a deep feeling that I would not live long enough to see my son grow to that age. That is why I told her if I could not then Patroclus would. He knew how to train my son for I trained him. Gripping the necklace, I remember when I first found her and the strange outfit I found her in. She didn't act like anyone I had ever met and that was what attracted me to her.

Deep down, I knew I would always love Diana no matter would ever change that. We shared Alec together. Standing I make my way to the entrance of my tent only to be met with a messenger.

"Achilles, there is another war and you have been called to arms." The messenger tells me as he hands me a scroll.

"Who is the person I am to kill now?" I ask tiredly.

"The new queen to be and the royal trojan family. Agamemnon has found them, and this is his last stand against them. The day of the wedding we will attack. Will you join us Achilles?"