Desire of the Gods Book Three Achilles and Apollo

By Marianna Green

Paula, now estranged from Apollo and banished in disgrace from Olympus for her unfaithfulness with Achilles, lives as Achilles’ consort on his magic island out of time, where he is forever the greatest warrior of them all.

It isn’t exactly comfortable on a war torn island of the Bronze Age, but for all she was under a spell when she betrayed the Sun God with her new lover, Paula can’t forgive herself, and thinks it is no more than she deserves.

Achilles tells her that the god Apollo will take revenge for his humiliation at the semi mortal’s hands – and on a visit with her war god lover, the friendly goddess Aphrodite assures her of it.

Paula learns that the only way she can save the one, and heal the wounded rage of the other, is to battle through her greatest fears and implore the Fates to alter destiny.

Has she the courage to face this, and will she persuade the Fates listen to her?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Freya
• Release date: Dec 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370000425

Book preview

Desire of the Gods

Achilles and Apollo

Books Three

By

Marianna Green

Copyright © 2016 Marianna Green

All rights reserved.

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Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter One

A chill wind blew fiercely from the north today, and draughts whisked through the glorified huts known at the palace, bringing in sand.

This sand got everywhere. It was one of the many inconveniences of Achilles’ army being camped just up from the shore. When Paula took her daily walk with the more agile of the concubines, the wind blew in their faces and they complained that it was getting in their eyes. Paula, who unlike the others, loved walking, was forced to cut their walk short today.

She was far more horrified about their being war prizes than they were. They shrugged and said that it was their fate. Their male relatives and protectors had been killed, and Achilles was only doing his duty in keeping them as war prizes.

Paula tried to encourage them to spend more time outdoors, but they struck her as being like hens kept in sheds. Now, they almost feared the outside.

On days such as this, when the sky was grey and the sea roared in her ears, Paula couldn’t stop herself from being slightly bitter about the savage warrior stealing her heart from the Sun God through a treacherous plot. Still, she had to admit it. She had played her part in that, even if Achilles had held her still while Eros fired a love dart on her.

She had given in to her wild urge for the semi-human warrior. Perhaps - as the Sun God had said - if she had only held firm until morning, something could have been done about it.

Well, it was too late now. Paula loved her savage admirer in a way - though not, as she now realised, in the way she had loved the great god Apollo. Something seemed to have gone wrong with the love dart, because a lot of the time she almost disliked Achilles, arrogant and warlike as he was. Still, she had made her choice, and so been sent with him to the magic island where he had waged war since the Bronze Age.

Paula’s thoughts were diverted by the sound of horses’ hooves, clashing metal and shouts.

They’re back! Danaë got to her feet, sounding delighted. Her small boy toddled outside.

Everyone had expected Paula and Achilles’ favourite concubine to hate each other, particularly as she had a small boy by the warrior. Paula hadn’t exactly thought she’d like her, but she did.

Daneë could be best described by the old fashioned term ‘indolent’. She would never waste energy in hating anyone. She had only seemed mildly resentful when Achilles returned from his holiday in Olympus with Paula as his consort by his side in the chariot, and since then had warmed towards her.

She was sloe-eyed with swirling dark hair and a voluptuous figure - as were several of the other ex-favourites. Paula supposed that had been Achilles’ type before Eros had fired on him when he was looking at Paula.

Paula had asked Danaë how she came to be a concubine. She had shrugged her lovely shoulders. Achilles’ protection seemed the best prospect, as he had killed off my husband. By the way, I didn’t like him; my husband, that is. My parents married me off to him against my will.

Paula had always assumed that in the ancient world concubines were kept as sexual playthings, but it seemed that, with Achilles at least, the situation was more complex than that. Some of them were kept as mistresses - in whom he had little interest at the moment - but others were elderly woman, valued for their expertise at ‘women’s work’ of cookery, needlework or nursing. Their attitude towards the champion reminded Paula of that of fond aunts. Others were Amazon types and had been recruited into his Myrmidons.

Paula and Danaë followed the boy outside to greet the bloodstained demi-god as he jumped out of his chariot.

The figure of Achilles did rather take Paula’s breath away as she caught sight of him. Fair, golden-skinned and magnificent, his commanding height emphasized by the plumes on his helmet, with that arrogant swagger and wonderful physique with those rippling muscles, it was impossible not to be impressed by the sight of him. His every movement showed his vigour and his arrogant self belief.

Splattered with gore as he was, he picked up the clamouring toddler, holding him high above his head. Paula was glad the infant was out of reach of the horses’ hooves. If he had been hers, she would have been alarmed for his safety amongst the horses. Bronze Age mothers seemed far more relaxed about issues of infant safety.

As Achilles’ cousin and greatest friend Patroclus jumped out of his chariot, his eyes went to Danaë, and he glanced quickly away again. He greeted Paula respectfully.

Achilles own outstandingly handsome but hatchet like face, already softened slightly by this domestic welcome, brightened at the sight of Paula. Those ice blue eyes she had once thought so cold widened in admiration.