AN— No objections? I do what I want then! This chapter gets that increased rating because I get a little graphic in one scene between Paris and Katriana. I warn you now. It doesn't get TOO graphic. Like if you were to watch an R rated movie. (rating from America. I have no idea how other countries work that out. Basically, Troy's rating in your country would be the equivalent of an R in my residing country.) In all seriousness, it isn't even bad.

This chapter was a bit of a stinker to write though. :( I think it was because I had a huge part of this written but that was BEFORE I wrote in Katri and Paris sleeping together... Which kind of... just happened. Never meant for them to sleep together... They just... did. Hehe.

Review Responses go first in this chapter!!

Angel - Yea hehe.. You reviewed once already. But I'm not complaining!! YOu felt sorry for Helen, eh? Let's see how you like Helen this chapter.

amanda - Astyanax! If ever one day Katri and Alex end up together, I would think he'd be the guest of honor in the wedding. And NO, I'm not giving hints to the ending there. Don't you even dare hope!

Nevasaiel - It's crazed that I made even the slightest happy for this couple of mine. Hehe And about Paris forgetting... I can completely and truthfully promise that he won't forget that night. ::evil grin::

Larrikin - Haha.. Pregnancy. If you know the song, which I'm assuming you do, you oughta know I only have the chorus and the break left!! The question is really will I have time to give Katriana a child. And that WAS a crazy chapter. So much went down. :-P

babyg2988 - All I can say is "OUT WITH THE FRYING PAN!"

Shells - The whole escorting thing, I thought making fun of the cliche of "You're beautiful... blush... blah blah blah.." thing was cool. Then I ended up doing the 'most beautiful creature' line. bleh. Astyanax... I'm hoping he'll play a bigger part for the couple of Katri and Paris. Both of us will just have to wait because my initial intention for this story got completely turned around when Katri and Paris slept together. They weren't suppose to!! THey just sort of... did.

yuki - I'm so sorry it took so long. Hopefully it didn't take as long this time around.

leclaire - UPDATING!

pierced-belly-button - hehe. Yes you were right. :-)

Maren L P - Bring on the cliffs! We will definitely feel the need to throw people over things soon.

Trojan Nag - I'm glad you thought it was 'very good' Hope you enjoy this one too. :)

Stardust Angel2 -How long do I EVER let it last?!? Katri's story has to last NINE more lines to the song! Let's draw this out a little more shall we?

EVERYONE! – ALL of you are going to kill me. Hehehe.

My Immortal
By BluWine

Chapter 16: I've Tried So Hard

Katriana woke first that morning. The light began to seep through the window curtains and she stretched as she frowned, wondering how she had gotten to the bed when she could distinctly remember falling asleep outside under the stars after the nth time Paris had... Last night rushed into her like a monsoon and she froze mid stretch. She looked to the side and saw Paris holding on to her waist tightly, his head resting on her breasts. Her eyes widened and she sort of took on her surroundings before panicking with the weight of the consequences of what she had just done.

Katri had surmised that Paris must have brought them in from their little rendezvous. If memory served her correctly, that night wasn't very little... Neither was her lover. The thought rang though her head and she immediately put a hand on her mouth to stifle a laugh.

'Bad thoughts... Bad thoughts... Damn it, Katriana! What in Hades are you doing in bed with a married man?!' she screamed at herself silently. She took a breath and tried to get out of Paris' unyielding embrace. His head moved, however, and settled on her neck now, his breath tickling her skin.

"Stay," he murmured, kissing her neck softly but his provocations halted and she heard a groan that didn't emulate the ones she remembered from before. This one actually sounded like it was pure pain.

"What's wrong?" Her hand went to his cheek and she kissed the top of his head.

"Head hurts... Want you to stay..."

Katri stayed silent for a moment. She pondered over his headache and began to think about what pushed Paris to her bed the night before. With all her heart, she prayed it wasn't the alcohol that Astyanax had mentioned Paris was drinking all night. Her hand went to his shoulder, wincing at the marks she made on his back, and pushed him slightly away.

"I'll get you something for it then," Katri suggested. She pushed him slightly again but he was being stubborn.

"Stay!" he repeated, still not looking up.

"I'll come back, Alex..." Paris finally looked up at Katriana and smiled, though his eyes were still half-closed with sleep.

"You promise?" Paris said, imitating Astyanax's own tactics.

"Promise..." Paris leaned over and kissed Katriana on the lips, trying to keep the memory of her skin on his even if it was for only the ten... twenty minutes she'd be out of her sight.

"I'm waiting..." he whispered into her lips as his arms let her go and she slipped out of bed. She had sat up on the bed, haltingly at first, and Paris could almost read her indecision of whether or not to be shy about letting him see her naked as she walked across the room on the other side of the bed where her robe was. Finally, he saw a minute shrug and he grimaced as he hardened at her nude picture walk a bit hurriedly across the room. Paris never fully appreciated the luxurious size of this room until he had the ten second show he just had of Katri's body. He wanted her so badly again and he was happy that Katri hadn't kissed him goodbye after slipping on her robe, merely nodding smiling at him from the door. He was pretty sure that the moment Katriana would be in arm's distance, he would have grabbed her and ravished her again just as he had last night. Falling back into the pillows, he closed his eyes and dreamt of the night before, not wanting to think about the woman he'd left behind.

Katriana had slipped out of the royal hall, unnoticed. It was quite empty, probably everyone taking advantage of the peace so that they could sleep in and just relax. She made her way to the kitchen and quietly made herself some tea and some leftover desserts from last night that could substitute as pastries and fruit for breakfast. As the tea whistled on its pot, Katriana received a visitor. She looked up and stood statue-still as Helen was at the doorway, studying her.

"Good morning, your highness," Katri nodded to Helen, her heart racing like the horses would be doing in a month in Olympia. "What brings you here on such an early hour?"

"None of your business really..." Helen said, in her honey-covered tone. "But since you asked, I've come looking for my husband. Have you seen him?"

"No, I'm sorry that I haven't seen Alexander since the night before. He visited me but the alcohol was too much so he left my chambers at around midnight..." Katri lied, hoping her voice wasn't catching.

"Oh?" Helen cocked her head looking at the tray. "And the food is for?"

"Astyanax," Katri smiled amicably. "He usually comes rushing to my room in the morning wanting me to rush him to breakfast. I decided we could have some tea and desserts in my room this morning..."

"Your patience for that boy is something I could never hope to achieve," Helen remarked. "Paris has been wanting children for so long now... I don't think I can really give him what he wants."

"Do you have any more business with me? I'd rather return to bed."

"Actually, I did want to ask you something, Katriana, though I'm afraid you'd find it rather rude."

"Pray tell, your highness, I couldn't possibly withold information you deem it your right to ask." Katri bowed her head in custom, still knowing that Helen was of higher rank.

"It's of Paris." Katri's head shot up like an arrow, her eyes wide.

"That, your highness, might hold some boundaries," Katri replied.

"I want to know the extent of your relationship, Katriana," Helen inquired, ignoring Katri's last comment.

"I'm sorry, your highness, but that is none of your business," Katri snapped taking up her tray and turning to leave.

"He is my husband! Don't think me ignorant. I see his eyes when they wander upon you! I've heard the stories and know your history but only from the outsider's gossip, never from yours or Paris' mouth." Helen grabbed Katri's shoulder to stop her but she gracefully dodged the hand and continued walking, throwing a glare behind her.

"Alexander and my relationship is no concern of yours. Just know that he and I have bonds that go back before he was even a prince so no wife who entered his life so recently can break that..." Katriana retorted and stalked away, leaving a fuming Helen behind but as she walked away her resolve stripped from her and she felt herself weakening with each step.

I committed adultery... I helped Alex cheat on his wife... and, gods help me, I don't regret it. A slight wave of disgust in herself swept through her and she kept on walking, not wanting Paris to wait too long. She was already absent for almost an hour. He would surely be waiting for her.

Paris had been waiting for her with more patience than most would have given him credit for. Given he DID have something to keep him busy. He had buried his face in her scent, feeling his heart race at every memory he could vividly reimagine in his mind. His fingers crept into the warmth that lingered on the soft sheets and his mind was going crazy with want again. He looked up when he heard the curtains rustle and finally realized that without Katri's heat, there would have actually been a chill.

Reluctantly, Paris slipped out of bed and put on a fire at the fireplace. Some time later, the log was crackling beautifully. Feeling like he should be doing something romantic for Katri, he took some blankets and pillows placing them by the fire. He took another cloth and wrapped it around his waist and covering his nudity, though it really did very little since the cloth hung extremely low on hips. Katri hadn't returned yet and he was getting antsy. He lay down on the blankets and pillows, closing his eyes and putting his hands behind his head.

Where was she?

Ten minutes later, he heard her light footsteps coming through the door and the bolt securing their fantasy to remain separate from reality.

"Alexander?" Katri called from outside of the bedroom.

"In here, love," Paris hollered back, twisting his body so that he was propping his torso up on one elbow. Katriana walked in and shook her head laughing. She just walked up to his side, placing the tray of food on the ground beside him as she sat down on his other side.

"Breakfast has arrived," she smiled, taking a piece of fruit and popping the cut piece into her mouth.

"AND it looks delicious," Paris replied, grinning as well, before pressing his lips to hers to savor the juicy sweetness of the apple.

"You're insatiable, aren't you?" she whispered as he gathered her into his lap, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"That depends... Are you still naked underneath this robe?" His brown eyes looked up at hers and kissed her chin to distract her from his hand, which was slipping underneath the neck of the cloth.

"Yes..." she murmured, her head lolling to the side as his hand caressed her shoulder, pushing the silk away as he leaned in to kiss her skin.

"Then, yes, I'm insatiable," he chuckled. Katri sighed and smiled softly, as her own hands were at his upper arms, feeling the gentle shift of his muscles underneath his skin. Her fingers danced up across his shoulders and caressed his neck until both hands cupped his face as he remained in the crook of her neck.

"As much as I'd love to continue this... I'm actually hungry," Katri murmured, pushing his head away.

"For actual food?" Paris pouted, making her laugh again.

"For actual food," she kissed him again, before slipping off his lap and onto the blankets.

"Tease," he pouted before twisting onto his stomach and looking up at Katri as she ate a piece of cake. She was sitting with her legs tucked underneath her, one arm holding her up as his chin rested on her knees. "You know, I'm hungry too..."

"Then feed yourself..." she muttered taking a sip of her tea.

"Cruel..." he muttered, kissing her knee and then reaching for a piece of fruit to pop into his mouth. His hand reached under the robe to touch her leg, his thumb gently stroking the skin.

"Sooo... I'm a cruel tease, am I?" She leaned back on her elbows and stared at him tauntingly. She bit on a fruit, watching his eyes darken at her action's sexual implications. She sat back up her hand trailing his spine, his face nuzzling in her stomach almost purring. "Ha... Am I the one half-naked teasing their lover with touches and gazes?"

"Yes," he grinned, tugging at the shoulder of her robe so that it fell to her elbow and her breast exposed.

"What do you know?" Katri smiled, cheekily. "I am a cruel tease, aren't I?" She leaned over, her hand pushing Paris to his back, her other hand gently untying the knot low on his waist. Katriana could already feel the hardness underneath the cotton, and she licked her lips in anticipation. "And we haven't even gotten started yet!"

"Katri..." he started to say, warningly before he felt her fingers touch him and he gasped in surprise and pleasure. "... Don't... I'm too... Gods..." He grasped her wrist and glared at her from below, watching her mischievous smile widen. "I'm too close... not like this, Katriana."

"You're lucky I want to be with you when you come," she murmured, her hand slipping out of his clutches and trailing up his chest, appreciating the taut planes of smooth, ivory skin. "You're so bloody perfect..." Katri threw her leg over him and gently joined him on some journey over the cliff's edge. She wanted so desperately to fly right there with him and, as she slowly built her climax up with his, she smiled realizing that they just might have that flight within seconds of each other.

This is wrong... What you're doing is wrong!, the voice screamed at her but as she looked into Paris' eyes as they thrust into each other for that scant moment of ecstasy she knew exactly how she felt.

I don't care... I have him... I love him... I don't care.

You're going to get hurt.

The voices disappeared into a disappointed silence in her mind while her gasps and his moans filled the room.

"... Alexander!" she cried as her back arching up. His hands were clutching the small of her back and her backside and he thrust into her just as she climaxed, the tightness squeezing his own climax to occur. He had yelled her name out as well and they slumped into their own content pile as she slipped off of him and held tight to Paris' side. Katri couldn't help but feel satisfied at the pleased smile on his face when she stretched to kiss him on the chin.

"That was beautiful, Katri..." he murmured, holding her to him, reveling in the comfort and how right it felt that she was beside him and he was there, both giving each other the pleasure they both sought but his pleasant thoughts halted.

"Alex?..." she called from below, kissing him again, this time softly and tenderly. "Alexander, I love you."

"What?" he choked, his whole body freezing and backing away. Katri's caressing hands stopped and dropped, her eyes clouding in confusion. "You... You love me?!"

"Alex... Are you.. You... I mean, didn't you... Damn it..." she cursed, feeling her heart drop. She gathered the robe against her and she stood up, looking away. Paris scrambled to his feet wrapping the cloth around his waist again. He looked back at her, feeling just as confused by her confession.

"Katri... You LOVE me?!" His repetition of his disbelief and her words made her already broken heart shatter.

"Alexander, what in Zeus' name was last night about!?" she snapped her confusion dissipating to anger.

"Last night?! Last night was just last night! One night... I didn't think you actually loved me!" Paris answered, truthfully.

"You... you don't love me?" she choked.

"No..." he answered, shaking his head. "It was just one night... I thought you felt the same. She stepped back, her mouth gaping. Then, she snapped it shut and slipped her robe off, grabbing the chiton on the chair and slipped it on, not even looking at Paris. "Katriana..." His hand reached for her, but she stepped away from him, furiously.

"Don't touch me..." she almost yelled, wrapping the securing belt around her waist before storming out of the room.

"Katri!" he yelled wanting to go after her but cursed when he realized he couldn't walk around the palace with just a linen cloth.

Katriana was stomping down the stairs and racing out of the palace. What was there for her to do but run away from the one thing that just kept hurting? In her hurry, she barely saw Acacius running into the palace, looking for her.

"Katriana!" Acacius called, catching her as she was almost flying out of the palace. He had an amazing grin of happiness on his face but he fell on account of the tears dripping from her eyes. "Katri... What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she barked at him. "Now let me go." She struggled against his arms, fighting not only his grip but from the sobs that were threatening to break her.

"Not until you tell me what happened!" Acacius ordered, pulling her into one of the small rooms and away from prying eyes and ears.

"No!! Nothing is wrong!"

"Then you're just having a breakdown because NOTHING is wrong... What happened! Was it Paris?"

"Don't say that bastard's name in front of me!" she yelled, squirming under Acacius grip on her arms. "It's nothing! She closed her eyes, tiring from her struggle and immediately regretted it, because as the darkness enveloped her, even if for a moment, everything she was trying to hide broke forth as she opened her eyes again. She just fell limp against Acacius, her fists ceasing their pounding against his chest.

"What happened, Katri?" Acacius asked, his voice softening like Katri's demeanor.

"Nothing..."

"Don't you 'nothing' me..."

"No!" she interrupted. "You don't get it! That's what happened! Nothing! After TWELVE years!! It's all nothing!!" she screamed, pushing away and burying her face in her hands, falling to her knees as three years' worth of sobs began to wrack her body. "It was all going so well... I loved him and he loved me back.. At least, he said he did and then he left and he forgot me! HE FORGOT ME! Acacius, HE FORGOT ME..." Acacius kneeled down beside her, just realizing that Katri's avowal was going back in time. "He forgot me and brought someone else back.. and I wasn't good enough... and everything was just wrong... He didn't love me back. He didn't even see me anymore.

"Acacius, THREE years... three years of keeping the pain inside me and I was doing so well... He was with Helen... I tried so hard, Acacius. He was still in my heart but I learned to keep it under lock. It was fine.. I was fine... I tried so hard that I didn't even let myself feel anymore, else I would feel all the pain I felt when he left me..." Katri cries intensified and Acacius was almost fearful of how bad the shaking was. "Oh gods.. He left me... He really left me... He's not coming back and I still love him... and I don't get it... I just don't, Acacius... How could I be so stupid to think that one beautiful night could change all that? He's not coming back to me... He won't remember me... He never will and... I just don't know what to do anymore. I don't even... It actually hurts. I see them together... I even think it and my heart tightens... I can hardly breathe... My world starts to spin and my heart is just beating at me and killing me slowly and it REALLY hurts... And I don't want to hurt anymore. I don't! I don't want to! It's literally killing me... and I don't want to hurt anymore, Acacius."

They just sat there for only the gods know how long. Acacius gathered her into his arms as she sobbed into his chest. His hands cradled her head as her whole body shook and wracked at her sobs and he felt a tear from his eyes as he felt the helplessness of the situation, not being able soothe her tears and ease away her pain. Even worse, he felt the guilt of knowing that he might have fed what had occurred last night. For years, he thought that Paris had been looking jealously at him and Katri because, deep inside the prince, he might have still felt the love that Katri felt for him. Obviously, he was wrong: Paris had probably only wanted to bed Katri. His eyes squeezed shut angrily and Acacius kissed Katri's head, rocking her to calm her down, humming a soft melody in her ear, knowing that no words could really pacify her but he knew something that might help... Someone.

"Shush, love... I know the perfect person to help you feel better..." Acacius murmured, kissing her forehead and forcing a smile on his face.

"No..." Katri hiccuped. "Hector and Andromache just had their wedding. I can't disturb them. And I might run into him. I don't want to..." She shook her head firmly against that idea.

"You misunderstand... I'm not talking about our newlyweds," he whispered, wiping away her tears and brushing away the hair that stuck to her face from how badly she was shaking.

"Then who? I don't know anyone else..." she mumbled. "And I still refuse to got farther into the palace..."

"We're not going to the palace. We're going to the Greek camps."

Katriana froze in shock. "The Greek camps?! I SURELY don't know anyone in THERE!"

"You do... One person, in fact..." Acacius tilted his head and felt his smile become a bit more genuine. Katriana looked at Acacius, trying to discern his meaning. "Katriana... I found Briseis."

AN—Hello to all! Hope you enjoyed! Now go review!!