Part 11
Talia stared blankly at the fireplace, watching as the flames burned the wood chips she kept on throwing. Somehow she hoped that all her memories burned the same way and the daughter of Zeus could forget about everything. The disastrous breakfast with her father, meeting Lukas and running away to Earth. It would solve all of her problems.
Just then, one of the maids entered the room to hand her the letter, declaring it was from Prince Lukas. After a month of radio silence, he had had the gall to reach out to her. How dare he? She stared at the white sheet for a while before jutting out the courage to read the content.
Lukas wanted to meet her. She crushed the letter and threw it in the fireplace.
After walking towards her en suite, Talia discarded her robe and stepped into the tub filled with hot water, rose-scented steam rising into the air. Her mind wandered as she held her nose and sank below the surface of the water.
What was she going to do about Lukas?
She was still stuck in her head as her sister helped her get dressed moments later. Clio must have noticed that Talia was lost in her thoughts because she broke the silence. Having no other choice, the moon princess confessed her dilemma.
"Why are you not excited?"
The moon princess grimaced. "How can I be? He abandoned me for a month."
Clio paused, licking her lips. "Fine. Then don't go."
Talia twisted her lips, staring at the mirror. "Mhm, no. I can't do that."
"Great, it's settled then. You are going"
***
Her face hardened as she saw Lukas pacing from one end to the other. Talia tried to keep it like that, display the emotions she's been feeling in his absence. Inching closer to the distressed Prince, she cleared her throat to announce her arrival.
"Talia", He breathed, his eyes lighting up.
"State your business so I can leave soon."
"Really? Is that how you greet the person you haven't seen in a while?"
The moon princess crossed her arms against her chest. "I don't bother to greet that person at all. Consider yourself lucky."
"Didn't know the moon princess could contain that much spite."
"What can I say?" She lowered herself onto the ground. Now their height difference was much more apparent. "You... inspire me."
"Inspire you?"
"Yes," She smiled sweetly.
Lukas had the audacity to look embarrassed and sheepishly turn his attention to the floor, no remnants of the cocky God that stood there before. Her words might have hit him where it hurt.
"Would you like to say something or am I allowed to leave?" The daughter of Zeus asked.
For the first time in her existence, she noticed the Greek God was nervous. He shouldn't be so surprised at how blunt, and direct Talia was being; they're gods, after all. Gods and Goddesses have so much time that they don't waste time with anything if that even made sense. For them, there's no urge to cherish things and people because chances are, they'll always be there.
"I-I, uh, that wasn't what I-"
She blinked twice and straightened up. "Are you saying that you want to apologise and will not be doing anything like that again?"
Lukas chuckled. "Exactly that. I know I messed up, but you have to understand my father had no back up. That's why I dealt with the problem."
She arched her brow. "What problem?"
"I'll talk about it later. Right now, I'd quite like to take you out. On a date."
"Proper mundane, don't you think?"
He gave her that charming smile of his. "Proper romantic, I think."
Talia tilted her head and nodded. "Alright, Prince Lukas," She locked her arm around him. "Show me what you got."
***
Their second date was something else.
Both of them were sitting across each other when Lukas took her wrist gently. It's the first time they've touched. The first time Talia has touched any other Greek God in a long while, but she remembered enough to know it's never felt like this before.
Smiling at him, the moon princess delicately lifted the champagne flute before bringing it to her mouth. Her eyes shifted around the heavily decorated room with dim lights, lace bows on chair and flowers. They were the only ones sitting there, staring at each other like lovesick fools.
Lukas was leaning closer and closer, entranced and adrift by her beauty.
The Princes focused so intensely on her mouth he seemed to have transcended. And then he blinked, snapping his mouth closed, and met her gaze again. The flush making its way across his neck and ears was divine.
"We should dance" He suddenly asked.
Her brows wrinkled. "Why is that?"
"Not quite the answer I was looking for", Lukas sighed, sliding off the stool. "But I'll take it."
"Where are you going?"
"We're going to dance," He said, opening his palms.
When Talia didn't immediately take his hands, the Prince reached for her, locking his fingers around her wrists. He tugged her forward and then turned, keeping just one of their hands linked.
The moon princess made no noise whatsoever as he ventured them both to a dark corner on the dance floor, which was, yes, entirely deserted. The tiny white dots of light from overhead refracted about the room and caught on his skin as Lukas faces the daughter of Zeus.
Taking a deep breath, he folded their fingers together.
It's not like Talia despised dancing; just she would instead preferred a soothing jazz record resounding through the walls of her room while she sipped a glass of red. Or mostly read with the record on.
The moon princess felt his hand set on her hips, urging Talia to slid her own leg between both of his legs. His hand guided her in a slow grind.
Lukas smiled, throwing his arms over her shoulders, glancing at the point where their pelvises meet. She tried not to show it on her face as the Prince pressed his palms into her lower back, his thumbs sliding beneath her blouse and just gazing at the sliver skin of her hips.
In the middle of the dance, Lukas leaned in, his mouth too close to her ear. The cold breath made her skin prickle with goosebumps. "There's no one waiting for you at home?"
"What do you think?"
"I'm finding it harder and harder to believe," Lukas hummed. He cupped the back of her neck, his fingers toying with the soft silky hair. "Does that mean you are leaving with me or what?"
They could quickly get a place at the inn for rent, but that would be suspicious. She could also go back to Lukas place, wherever that was, but could she settle for having him once?
It's unlikely.
Not to mention how Zeus warned her to stay away from him. Break all the ties.
"Talia?" He called out her, moving just so, pressing closer to her. When the Prince leaned forward, she let him. His breath curled on her lips, and she could smell the whiskey and strong mint on his breath.
Talia wanted to lean in and taste the molten honey of his tongue already. Her hands trembled with the desire, but she stepped away.
"I have to go," The daughter of Zeus said hoarsely, putting enough space between them that she instantly felt cold. Yet another feeling she's unfamiliar with. The thought of leaving him made her stomach clench, pain sear in her chest.
Lukas made a face, his voice teasing and light. "We haven't even kissed yet, Talia."
"Let's change that." The moon princess mumbled.
It's just - wow—unexpected falling from her lips. But Lukas took it as an invitation and pressed their lips together. There were severe sparks flying between them, and as his fingers traced her skin, they burn, burn arduously but soothingly - if that even made any sense at all. As her lips parted to breathe in Lukas, to let him in even further, she felt on top of the world.
The Prince licked inside her mouth in such a tender, loving way she never thought he'd be capable of. His tongue grazed over her own, rubbing softly, making Talia gasp and hold onto him tighter.
Lukas chuckled softly against her lips, still kissing her. One of his hands remaining on top of her legs while the other is tenderly holding onto her jaw. The intensity of the kiss never faltered, his moves never hesitant, and her mind went back to when she first met the Prince.
Now she wanted her very last breath to be taken away by him; the moon princess wanted to be inhaled; she wanted her life essence to be breathed in by Lukas.
"Wow", The Prince breathed, his voice hoarse as he heard her heart beat erratically against his chest.
"Wow, exactly" Talia captured his lips once more, this time with a bite that made Lukas grunt against her mouth. She giggled, pushing him back softly.
***
