Chapter Sixteen

Chapter seventeen~ In the time of Achilles

House of Achilles, Phthia, Greece, January 1191BC

~Two years before the Trojan war~

From above the rafters of the stables flooded in a single ray of light. Dust danced in the sunlight above Aedia and Patroclus's entangled sleeping forms.

Aedia was the first to awaken, her eyes opening slowly as she took in her surroundings. Neither of them had planned on falling asleep in the stables and yet here they were. Aedia's attention turned to Patroclus, who lay beside her on the soft hay; his arms still wrapped around her waist from the night before.

Never in the time she had known him had she ever seen him asleep. He looked too peaceful to waken, his eyes fluttering beneath their lids as he dreamt. With a gentle fingertip, Aedia traced the freckles that were dotted along his cheeks, brow bones and nose, her gaze falling to his lips. When she had first met him she had never realized just how soft they were.

Propping herself up on her elbow, she became aware of an unfamiliar soreness, the initial tenderness between the two of them had been followed by more passion that night. They had been slower the second time around, their touches lingering as they drank one another in.

"Don't stop" Aedia had whispered to him, he did not. Their mouths opened under one another. How Aedia had trembled beneath the caress of his hands like a fawn taking its first steps.

"Patroclus?" At long last, she was able to see those beautiful eyes once again as he too awakened. They fell onto her moments after opening, a smile lifted at the corners of his lips.

"Aedia" A breathy, tired Patroclus replied. His hand moving from her waist to smooth her hair and curl it around his fingers.

"We fell asleep" He hummed, his hand moving from her hair to her cheek, running his thumb along her cheekbone.

"We did"

"You are not worried that someone will find us?-" Remembering that there were stable hands that saw to the horses in the mornings, Aedia was quick to untangle herself from Patroclus. He let out a groan "-Or has found us? What if someone saw us while we slept?!"

Huffing, he stretched out amongst the hay, sated and still in a high from the night before.

"If they did they will not say anything" Aedia turned her head over her shoulder and looked back to Patroclus, frustrated that he was seemingly unafraid of the consequences of them being caught.

"And if they do?"

In one swift movement, Patroclus was up off of the hay and in front of Aedia. Taking her hand into his and lifting it to his lips, leaving a trail of kisses along her arm and then moving to the soft, sensitive skin of her neck.

"You didn't answer my question" She was ever conscious of the hand at her waist, the warm lips at her neck. Despite her fears, her head lulled back, her hands reaching out for some part of Patroclus to grip on to. They came into contact with his chest; muscular and firm.

She pushed away from him.

"You didn't answer my question" Aedia said again, suppressing a smile at his begrudged expression. Determined to not let him distract her.

"The sun only rose a few hours ago, it is still early, the stable hands won't have come in here yet" It was a good answer.

"Someone else could have come in here at any point during the night" Aedia's hands went to her hips, her breathing deepening as Patroclus took slow steps towards her.

"Yes, they could have-" He stopped, now inches from her. Openly eyeing her lips. "-And what a sight they would have beheld"

She gasped and he smirked, seizing the opportunity to claim her lips for his own. His hands wrapping around her middle and pulling her to him, as her own instinctively wrapped themselves around his neck. Just as the kiss began to deepen, high pitch voices of the female servants starting to go about their daily chores carried over to the stables.

In shock, Aedia was abruptly ripped from the haze that she had fallen into so sweetly. Breaking the kiss, her attention was diverted to just outside the large stable doors.

"I need to leave" Aedia announced, looking back to Patroclus, whose grip on her middle remained.

"You can leave now, but we both know you will be back" At the amused glint in the depths of his blue eyes, she scoffed, pressed one last kiss to his lips and left.

The fresh, morning sea air enveloped her senses as she stepped out of the stables, heading home past the front entrance to the house.

It was quiet and still, with only the momentary sound of a servant sweeping the floor or moving a vase.

That was when she heard it; the murmur of gossip being exchanged between two serving girls in the far corner of the entrance hall. Hearing her name mentioned, she slowed to a stop.

"The king wasn't happy when he found out, but Patroclus retaliated, he said it was his choice who he spent his time with and as he was exiled his previous status did not create any problems. It didn't end well lets put it that way"

"Do you think he loves her?"

"I think he-" The serving girl trailed off, having caught sight of Aedia out the corner of her eye. Aedia looked between the two of them, taking in their shocked expressions. She backed away, continuing on past the entrance to the house and along the cliffs. The same series of thoughts swirling round and round in her mind.

Did he love her? Did she? She was beginning to think that what she felt for him was love. What girl her age would not have succumbed to his smile, charms and wit? But whether or not he felt the same for her was another matter. Several times she had been close to asking him when the moment was ripe and she felt sure of what his answer would be, but always she had held back, surely she should know by now?

"Aedia?" She had been so consumed in her thoughts that she had not noticed that she had walked past the rocky hill that led to her father's house, and was instead nearing town. Achima and Eos stood before her.

"We are going to the baths, we were just coming to see if you wanted to come with us?" Eos smiled fondly at Aedia, her arm interlinked with Achima's.

"Yes, I would love to" Eos squealed in delight, her free arm coming up to reach for Aedia's, as they turned back in the direction of town.

"I am so glad that you wanted to come with us, and that we found you here rather than at home, or else we would have had to climb that ghastly hill"

"Why weren't you at home? It is still so early" Achima spoke up from beside Eos, her eyebrows furrowing and her eyes moving from the sea to Aedia.

"I was just taking an early morning walk"

"Past Patroclus's house?" Eos laughed, sharing a look with Achima who also went to speak.

"Has something happened between you two?" The question made her pause, her heart raced in her chest. Would she tell them? What would they think of her for not having waited for marriage? Instead, she decided to tell them something else entirely.

"I met Patroclus's parents yesterday..." She trailed off hoping it would be enough to distract them.

"Oh, so that's why you were up so early?" Eos furrowed her eyebrows, seemingly trying to piece it all together in her head. While Aedia trusted Eos and Achima to not tell anyone about what had happened between her and Patroclus, she wanted it to for now stay a secret between them. Something that they could cherish alone for a while longer.

Eventually, they found themselves outside the doors of the baths. Slipping the entrance fee into the hands of the slave stood outside, Aedia followed behind Achima and Eos inside. Very much aware that the soreness in her abdomen had not yet subsided. Determined to not raise any suspicion, Aedia kept to small talk and adamantly remained off of the topic of Patroclus.

"I heard that the island of Opus was taken by Agamemnon-" Eos said, her eyes fleeting between Achima and Aedia as they lowered themselves into the communal stone bath in the female area of the baths.

"Opus?! That's not far from here. Do you think Agamemnon will turn his attention to Phthia?" Achima's fears were evident in her eyes, tense posture and suddenly thoughtful expression.

"But what does Phthia have that Agamemnon would want?-" Aedia began, starting to lather olive soap onto her arms and chest. "-after all we are but a small town by the sea. There are many towns such as this"

"Yes, but we have the best warrior in all of Greece.-" Eos replied, pale and withdrawn "-Achilles is thought to be the fiercest warrior in all the world. What king would not want such a man by his side?"

"Achilles fights only for himself, not for any king. He would not fight for Agamemnon." Aedia shook off their fears, washing her hair and un-tangling the knots with her fingers.

"I believe he would if left with no other choice" Achima said solemnly, reaching for the olive soap herself. The topic of Agamemnon taking over Phthia had turned the conversation sour. If Agamemnon's gaze did turn to Phthia, if he wanted Achilles to fight for him, Opus was close enough that he would be able to reach the city within a few days, if the weather was fair and Poseidon blessed the voyage less than that. Aedia prayed that Achima and Eos's fears remained unfounded.

They left the baths shortly after, each going their separate ways. Aedia remained in town, choosing to visit the winter market and see if she could find Adonia. It was not long before she spotted her, chatting among other slaves that had also visited the market. 

"Adonia?" As soon as Adonia's eyes fell upon Aedia she frowned, her lips turning into a firm line. Brushing past the other slaves she took Aedia's wrist and pulled her into the shadows of the theater.

"Where have you been?!"

"Achilles' house" Suddenly Aedia felt like a child once again, despite Adonia being a few years younger than Adonia she was wise beyond her years. Adonia scoffed and without hesitation she slapped Aedia across the face, hard. Then, she hugged her. 

"I was so worried. Helios has spent all night in the forest searching for you. I cannot believe you would be so selfish"

"I did not think you would notice-" Adonia pulled away, her hands still placed on Aedia's shoulders. Aedia quickly glanced around at the passing people going about their everyday business. Thankfully, no one seemed to have noticed what had just happened. "-In truth, I didn't think at all." 

"What were you even doing there all night?" Adonia searched Aedia's eyes and expression for the answer. Slowly her hands dropped to her side as realization overcame her. 

"By the gods." 

"I didn't mean it to go so far, but I couldn't help it. I'm sorry I caused you and father so much worry" Adonia stayed silent, her eyes not meeting Aedia's. Taking her wrist once more, Adonia led Aedia into a quiet alleyway, where the houses were built close together and the winter sun was unable to shine onto it. The perfect place to have a private conversation away from prying eyes and ears. 

"Are you in pain?" Adonia suddenly spoke up, as Aedia leant against the cool stone pillar of a nearby house for support.

"A little" Adonia's only form of response was a single nod of her head. It was only then that Aedia noticed how much her disappearance had taken its toll on her. Her tight curls were frizzy and out of place, loose around her shoulders, and her normally bright eyes were blemished with fatigue.

"I will make a herbal drink for you" With that, she moved past Aedia and made towards the centre of town.

"Wait!-" Aedia was quick to follow after her, grabbing her arm in an attempt to stop her. "-How do you know this herbal drink will even help?"

Reluctantly, Adonia turned her head over her shoulder to look at Aedia. With a sad smile, Adonia gave her answer. 

"My mother used to have me and my sisters drink it, before your father bought me and I came to Phthia. My previous master was not so kind to us as Helios is." She took Aedia's hand into hers and pressed a kiss to it, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I will gather the herbs for you" She left without another word or further explanation. It was in that moment that Aedia realized just how much she did not know about Adonia, how little her and Helios truly knew about Adonia's past before she came to Phthia. Aedia had always assumed that she had been split from her family and that is what made her so sad at times, how naive she had been. How so very naive.

Making her way back home along the sea cliffs, Aedia spotted a ship on the distant. The ship of a king. It was far bigger than any ship out on the sea, far grander than anything else Phthia normally saw come into its docks. On the beach below stood Patroclus, alone, watching what Aedia suspected to be the ship of his father, Menotius, leaving. She went to him, moving across the sandy beach until she was but a few yards from him. 

He had not yet noticed her, his gaze remaining on the ship that was growing smaller and smaller in the distance. His arms were crossed and his postured was stiffened, his shoulder length hair blowing softly in the wind behind him. Her footfalls were silent amidst the sound of the waves hitting the shoreline. She came to a stop beside him and only then did he turn to look at her, it was but a brief glance.

"They left an hour ago. My father wanted to go back to Opus to negotiate with Agamemnon while his mood was still favorable having taken the island for himself-" Brooding silently to himself, he sat down onto the sand. His sandaled feet placed so that the waves brushed up against them. The water was bitterly cold but he did not seem to pay any heed to it. "-the only reason they even came to visit was because I had broken my arm. Now that I am better and all is well my father sees no reason to be here, and so once more I am left here while they return to Opus". 

"I'm sorry" Aedia said, sitting down beside Patroclus and placing her arms around her knees.

"What for?"

"I heard the servants talking when I left. I know that your father does not like me. I know it ended on bad terms-" She forced herself to look into those blue eyes that held so much emotion all in one look. "-I would hate to be the reason for you and your father arguing, I should never have even gone in to the atrium, then none of this would have happened and your parents might still be here" 

Wordlessly, he leaned forward and kissed her. His hand coming up to take hold of the nape of her neck.

When Patroclus pulled away Aedia did not miss the look in his eye.

"My father is old and steadfast in his ways. I cannot change how he thinks or feels, only I hold dominion over my choices, he no longer has a say in what I do. I made sure he knew this-" His warm breath fanned over her face as his hand lifted to cup her cheek. "-I choose you, Aedia, if you will have me" 

She chose him too. Smiling up at him before she brought his lips back to her own. Actions were often louder than words and in this instance that rung true. 

Reviews

[Suhd]

You're wonderful at story-telling. I enjoyed this as always!

[AliceBarnes]

Thank you so much! As always your review is much appreciated. So glad to hear that you enjoyed this chapter and thanks again!

[Cookee korczynski]

This is amazing keep up the great work