Chapter fifteen ~ A girl of earth and water

Chapter Fifteen~ In the time of Achilles 

Phthia forest, Greece, January 1191BC 

~Four months later~

"You're never going to forget him. You're always going to love the colour of his eyes, you're never going to fully get over him. You're going to miss him with all your heart."

Warning: contains some sexual content, please do not read on if you dislike this.

 

The cool sea breeze swept through Aedia's free-flowing hair as she raced through the forest of Phthia. The scent of pine trees enveloping her senses as she ducked between the trees. Briefly, she glanced back over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of Patroclus gaining on her. Just that quick glance back made her heart flutter in her chest by the gods, he was handsome. 

The hairpins that had been keeping her hair pinned to the back of her head, had been removed one by one by Patroclus only moments before. He had wanted a kiss, but Aedia had challenged that he was only going to receive one if he could catch her. He had eagerly taken up the challenge.

With a smile on her lips, Aedia ran in the direction of Achilles house. It was not far from here and as soon as she was back inside the warmth she would be able to brush her hair and put it up once again as it was unseemly for a woman to leave her hair down, something that only a woman's husband or slave would see. Despite currently being ahead of Patroclus, Aedia knew that he would soon catch up to her, she was tiring and there was still a way to go before they would reach the house. Still, she was wanting to make him work for that kiss, so she pushed herself onwards for just a little while longer. 

The pursuit ended not long after that, for upon seeing Aedia use her last spurt of energy to run faster Patroclus had seized the chance that she was tiring and also sped up. Before she could scream out Zeus he had pushed her down onto the ground, taking her wrists into his hands and placing them either side of her head. Smiling up at him, a giggle escaped her lips as she found herself becoming lost in the beautiful blue of his eyes oh, how she loved those eyes.   

"You promised me a kiss" Patroclus spoke up, his eyes brazenly moving between her eyes and her lips. His own curved up into a smirk as Aedia's laughter died, her short, quick breaths turning ragged when Patroclus leaned closer to her, his breath passing over her neck and shoulders, warming the skin that had been chilled by the winter air. 

"I did" Was all she could bear to say, wanting nothing more than for him to hurry up and press his lips to hers. For the past few months, Aedia had found herself yearning for something more, more than gentle kisses or holding hands. She had found herself becoming more sensitive to his touch, craving it when Patroclus was training with Achilles, and missing it whenever she was held back at the farm to help Adonia. 

In a tantalizingly slow movement, with a small tilt of his head, he had claimed her lips as his own.

Gently at first, toying with her and much to Aedia's annoyance, revelling in it, then giving in to his own desires and kissing her in blatant need. Her cool fingers rose to his hair, her fingers tangling themselves in it as she melted into the kiss. In the spring, Aedia would have known Patroclus for a year, and what a 

year it had been. So much had changed and yet, in so many ways it had not. 

Abruptly, Patroclus pulled himself away, getting to his feet and moving away from Aedia to lean his head against a nearby tree, his shoulders rigidly set. In spite of her wanting to ask him what was wrong, she stood and remained silent. When he turned to face her a pained expression had taken over his normally mischevious eyes and face, as he reluctantly raised his eyes to hers. 

"Come, let's go back to the house" And with that, he brushed past her, not taking her hand in his as he always did. Not knowing what had upset him, Aedia began to follow after him through the forest. When they arrived back at the house it was oddly silent, something that was a rarity; it was always filled with some sort of noise, whether that be the chatter of the servants, the melodic laughter of Thetis, or her little doves hooting away from where they sat on their perches in the Atrium. 

From where they were stood inside the Atrium, unfamiliar voices echoed over to them from the dining room. The double doors that led into the dining room had been left ajar, allowing the light from the cast iron fire pits to seep through the gap and onto the mosaic floors. While Aedia could not put the voices she heard to anyone she knew, Patroclus's eyes went wide and he started toward the dining room, pushing the double doors aside.

From the view inside, it was no wonder that the house had been so silent; all of the servants were in the dining room. A grand feast was being held with two people that Aedia did not recognise sat either side of the table, though, by the warm greeting that Patroclus was giving them, she felt she should. A woman, with a white veil around her honey coloured hair, stood from her seat with a beaming smile, pale arms outstretched to gather Patroclus into a hug. 

"Oh, my boy, how I have missed you!" She pressed a kiss to his head as though he were still a young child before she released him to greet his father, whose greeting was more remote, the only sign he was happy to see Patroclus was a small twitch of his lips. 

"Son, it is good to see you" He stuck a hand out for Patroclus to shake, and Patroclus lifted his from his side to do the same but with a slight hesitation. Patroclus's eyes fell upon his father's hand as he seemed to pause. At his son's hesitation, he let out a gruff laugh and clapped a meaty arm around Patroclus's back, guiding him to the seat beside him.

"I heard you got into an accident, how is your arm?" At the happy reunion, with whom Aedia guessed were Patroclus's mother and father, Aedia felt a pang of sadness. At the sight of Patroclus's mother, it had reminded her that her own mother was gone, that she may never see her again, that she would never feel a mother's loving kiss upon her forehead, nor a gentle hug that could soothe so well. 

Slowly, she backed away, Patroclus's explanation that his arm had fully healed despite the cold making it ache, fading into muffled chatter. Aedia stepped out of the front door and into the crisp air, wrapping her arms around herself and standing at the edge of the rocky cliffs, wishing she could be as free as the seagulls that flew above the sea looking for fish. 

"Is everything alright?" Thetis. Her voice was soft against the harshness of the wind and the sea crashing against the rocks, but still, Aedia managed to hear it. Her head turned over her shoulder to look at Thetis as she approached Aedia and came to a standstill beside her. 

"Yes, I just needed some fresh air" A gentle hand went to Aedia's shoulder. The patient look in Thetis's eyes told Aedia that she could trust Thetis, maybe one day she would even come to see her as the mother she had lost. 

"What is really going on? I see more than you realize. Something has changed of late, what is it?"

"The truth is, I don't know. Maybe it's knowing how far Patroclus is above me or maybe it is the fear that now his parents are here, they will not approve of me." Thetis placed her hands on Aedias cheeks, guiding her to look not at the sea below the rocky cliffs, but at her. 

"They will approve of you, I promise you they will. They might be wary of you, to begin with, but that is understandable-" She smiled, her gaze penetrating and direct "-once they get to know you as I have done they could not wish for anyone else to be with Patroclus. I have seen how he watches you, how he smiles at you, he sees you as his equal. You should not demean yourself by believing to be below him." 

Aedia lifted a hand to squeeze Thetis's hand that was on her cheek. For her words had given her courage. Then, Aedia turned to leave, lifting her gown up off the ground and heading towards the front door. Before she could reach it, Thetis had taken hold of her wrist and prevented her from going any further. 

"Oh, dear child. You cannot greet them in such a state-" Thetis gestured to Aedia's hair that was freely flowing around her shoulders "-You must make a good first impression. Come, we shall take you in through the back door" 

And so Thetis guided her into her own rooms and onto a stool in front of her dressing table. It was painted a bright shade of blue, with golden clawed legs and a large mirror, on top of which a fine, almost translucent silk had been placed like a cloak around the table, hanging from the many dolphin, fish and turtle engravings that had been carved into the dressing table.

Taking a comb and running it through her hair, Thetis began to tie Aedia's hair up into a bun, securing it with small pins, leaving only a few wavy strands to fall loose. It was only then that she beckoned for Aedia to follow her into the Atrium, grinning over at her as they took the final steps into the room. Aedia had expected to be greeted by laughter and joy that a family meeting might bring, instead, she was met with an unbearably tense atmosphere. 

Quietly, Aedia took a seat just as Thetis entered the room, moving so that she was strategically sat opposite Patroclus's mother. While Thetis's face seemed to be calm and composed, her eyes gave away that she too had noticed the atmosphere that had fallen over the room like a blanket. 

"What has happened?" Thetis asked, her voice clear and crisp; ringing out like that of songbird throughout the room. Patroclus's father lifted his eyes from the small pool in the floor to look at her, his expression grave. 

"I have just received news that Agamemnon, king of Mycenae has taken Opus. We delayed our coming here to try and avoid this and yet the moment we have left he takes it as his own. I am to pledge my allegiance to him, to fight for him when he commands it, or else he will raise Opus to the ground-" his head turned to look at Patroclus, who seemed to avoid meeting his eyes, his head bowed and hands clutching the arms of his chair "-the last time I saw that man was when Patroclus was presented to Helen of Sparta as a suitor. Agamemnon was just a boy then but that boy has turned into a greedy, power-hungry-" He was cut off by his wife giving him a gentle nudge with her arm and the room fell silent, as she looked with sorry eyes to Achilles and Thetis.

 

It was only then that she noticed Aedia, who had been sat with her hands placed in her lap and her eyes on her leather sandals. 

"And who are you?" Aedia lifted her head.

"Aedia, your grace" At the queen's beckoning, Aedia rose and came to stand before her. 

"My, you are a pretty little thing aren't you? Let me guess, you are the daughter of a lady?" When Aedia shook her head no, she tried again. 

"A wealthy merchant perhaps?" 

"No, your grace. My father was a soldier" She gasped and frowned, glancing at her husband who also looked shocked at the revelation. Patroclus suddenly got up from his seat and stood beside Aedia, taking her hand in his.

"I must admit I am a little shocked, but it is lovely to meet you, Aedia. Anyone who is a friend of our son is a friend of ours" His mother smiled sweetly, while his father seemed to be carefully looking at Aedia, almost as if he were scrutinizing her.

"I too am shocked at this, Patroclus, but if you are happy together then that is all we can ask of you" 

"We are" Patroclus replied, his voice hard, his stare unwavering. It seemed that there was more to this than Patroclus or his father were letting on.

"Shall we take a stroll through the gardens, ladies?" Thetis was quick to take Aedia's and the queen's arms, leading them off into the garden while Achilles, at his mother's cue, retreated to his rooms. Sensing that something was amiss, Aedia turned her head over her to meet Patroclus's nervous gaze as she was guided out to the gardens. 

As Thetis and Patroclus's mother, Philomela absentmindedly laughed and chatted to one another, Aedia got a horrible feeling that while Philomela seemed welcoming of Aedia, her husband, Menoetius, did not. When Philomela wandered on ahead to speak to her servants, Thetis slowed her walk to a stroll, her arm coming out to also slow Aedia down. 

"Did I do something wrong?" Aedia asked Thetis in a hushed tone, worried eyes looking over to Thetis.

"No, my dear, I believe it is just the news of Agammemon taking Opus that has unsettled them-" she took Aedia's arm and wrapped it beneath hers "-this is a blow to them, the island of Opus has been in Menoetius's family for generations, he cherishes it dearly. Now that it is being controlled by Agammemon they are under his orders, and those orders are not always to the benefit of the kings who fight for him."

"The king spoke of Helen of Sparta. Who is she?" Thetis let out a laugh, squeezing Aedia's hand and shaking her head, there were few who did not know who Helen of Sparta was. 

"She is said to be the most beautiful woman in all of Greece. She is married to Menelaus, king of Sparta and younger brother to Agamemnon."

"Then why did she not marry Patroclus? If he was presented as a suitor?" Thetis shrugged, the answer escaping her. 

"Only the gods know why she chose Menelaus...I have heard that she is unhappy in her marriage, the king has proved to be frivolous and promiscuous. I do feel for her, she is so young." She trailed off, her eyes glazing over in thought as she looked on ahead of them to the Birch trees, while Aedia's gaze looked longingly over her shoulder to the white curtains that fluttered before the archways leading into the Atrium. She was with Thetis but her thoughts remained with Patroclus. 

"You are lucky you know, more than you might think. You have the choice that I never did, to marry for love" 

"Did you not love your husband?" Aedia asked slowly, carefully trying not to say the wrong thing. 

"You are young, dear Aedia, you are so very young" They remained in the gardens for some time after that; waiting for a sign to tell them that they could go back inside. It was only when a servant girl appeared from behind the white curtains that they were able to enter the Atrium once more. Aedia expected to find Patroclus there, but to no avail, both he and his father had disappeared. Despite her best efforts, Aedia could not help but feel disappointed.  As night fell, Aedia escaped from Thetis's side to the stables, hoping to find Patroclus there - it was one of the places that he spent a lot of his time if he was not with her.

Pushing the wooden double doors leading to the stables open, Aedia found Patroclus alone, sat atop his horse, his face solemn. He looked up when Aedia entered the stables, she sent him a small smile as she shut the door behind her. The stables fell silent, neither of them knew what to say, where to begin. Slowly, Aedia approached Patroclus, gently stroking the horse's soft black face and muzzle. 

"Have you been here long?" Aedia spoke up, at last, her heartbeat quickening in her chest when Patroclus's eyes that she loved so much fell upon her with such emotion stirring within them. 

"No-" He ran a hand along the horse's neck "-I would have come back inside but I needed some time alone" 

"Do you want me to go?"

"No-" His answer was quick and impulsive, as though the words left his mouth without him even having to think about them "-no, please don't go. Stay with me"

"What's his name?" Aedia asked, bemused by the horse in front of her as she placed a kiss on the tender skin on his nose. 

"Ulysses"

"I have been meaning to ask you-" Looking away from Ulysses, Aedia turned her attention to Patroclus "-is there something that is repulsive about me to you?" There was no mistaking the sharp intake of breath as Patroclus took in what she meant. 

"Aedia, no-" She inched closer to Patroclus, her grip on the shawl around her shoulders growing tighter by the minute. 

"Then why do you push me away? You did it earlier in the forest and you are doing it again now. What have I done that has offended you so?" Her breathing deepened as unwillingly tears built up in her eyes. Patroclus dismounted, landing softly onto the straw bedding in the stable. Hesitantly, he closed in on Aedia, until they were so close that she thought he might kiss her. 

"I don't mean to push you away, you have done nothing wrong I promise-" He lifted a hand to cup her cheek "-how could you? You-" He cut himself off, glancing away from her. 

"I just don't want to hurt you, I couldn't bear it if I knew I was the one to cause you pain" 

"But you are so gentle, you couldn't hurt me if you tried" He smiled, gentle fingertips moving from her cheek to her hook her chin. 

"I didn't mean-" His eyes darted nervously around, as Aedia's cheeks flushed, grasping his meaning. 

"Patroclus" She whispered, the air felt so close now, all her focus being on the boy stood before her. Her chest rose and fell deeply as she looked up through hooded eyelids into Patroclus's eyes. His face remained expressionless, as he ran his hand down her neck and grasped it. 

He leaned in, tenderly pressing his lips to hers. Aedia trembled, moaning softly as the kiss deepened and Patroclus guided her back into the side of the stall, his hands moving to grasp her hips as her arms rose to his wrap themselves around his neck. Soft lips moved from Aedia's lips to trail down the sensitive skin of her neck, and Aedia found herself wanting to lean closer to Patroclus while also wanting to wriggle away from him at the same time to be able to think properly. 

No longer was there any space between them and while a small amount of apprehension began to appear in the back of Aedia's mind, she wanted him more. Never had she felt this before, never had she felt so helpless, so under another's control that every touch of their hand started a fire beneath her skin, but she loved every minute of it. Patroclus brought his lips back to Aedias as his grip on her hips tightened and he moaned into her mouth. 

"Patroclus?" She broke the kiss, her fingers playing with strands of his near shoulder-length hair. 

"Yes?" 

"I've never-" 

"I know, it's alright-" His voice was warm and reassuring, though with a slight edge to it that Aedia had not witnessed before. "-there's no need to be afraid" he cupped her face in his hands and smiled. 

"Come," He said, taking her hand and leading her away from the stables to where the stalls ended and a dimly lit granary sat. Laying her down on the hay, his hands either side of her head he brought his lips back to hers before pulling away and resting his forehead against hers, searching her eyes. 

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked, and Aedia couldn't help but smile. The words 'I don't want to hurt you' running through her mind. 

"Yes-" She hummed and ran her fingertips along his collarbone and shoulder. "-I want this, I want us...I want you," she said, a pulse of desire coursing through her. Sending her one last long look, he tilted his head and their lips met once more. His hands pulling at Aedia's gown as hers fumbled with his tunic. The moment he entered her a searing pain erupted within her, that shortly melted into pleasure so that she no longer cared for the pain. She had become a woman of earth and fire, no longer was Aedia a girl of air and water. 

Author's Note

Sorry that this has been so long coming, it is slightly longer than usual to try and make up for that. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and let me know your thoughts on it in the comments. This is one of the first times I have written a scene like this, so hopefully, it isn't too bad and thanks for reading.

Reviews

[Final-Karma]

I am so sorry it took me so long to read this. I have been so caught up lately but this was a great chapter! I loved that you made it so much longer as well. I have been following this story since the beginning and indeed, as someone else commented, it truly is a great epic of it's own. You have created this world in which love and tragedy flourish hand in hand, yet you keep the tempo steady and things are never rushed. Thank you for writing this story and I can't wait to read future chapters!

[AliceBarnes]

This review was so lovely that I just had to go downstairs and show my dad hehe. Thank you for reading, I am sorry if the constant read requests get annoying, I don't mean them to be (if they ever get on your nerves just let me know). I am so glad that you enjoyed this chapter, I am currently in the process of planning out the next chapter and will begin writing it soon. As always thank you so, so much for reading and for always leaving such eloquently written reviews, I will be sure to return the favor as soon as I can. Thanks again!

[Final-Karma]

You are very welcome! No way! Sending them is fine. I don't mind at all! I can't wait for the next chapter.

[Coyote Poetry]

A wonderful chapter. I liked the conversation and I liked the interaction of the characters. You have create a epic and entertaining story. Thank you Alice for sharing the amazing chapter.
Coyote

[AliceBarnes]

Thank you for commenting on this chapter, you are the first so far and I will be sure to return the favor. Thanks for all the lovely comments you have left and I am only too happy to write when I get such a nice readers.

[Coyote Poetry]

I had to re-read the story. A worthwhile read and you are welcome Alice.