Part 13

The next morning Talia had woken up coiled around the Prince when the light signified that it was morning. She blushed and coughed when the moon princess found him gazing at her the minute she woke up, lips curled in a warm smile. The daughter of Zeus finally gave into her desire and slept with a Sun Prince. Lost in her tough, she didn’t realise Lukas shifting closer.

He leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her forehand. "What did I say about those worry lines?”

“That I still look beautiful in them?”

His chest vibrated with laughter, eyes crinkling by his side. “Well you do”

“I had the most pleasurable night."

Her cheeks reddened as his morning voice echoed around the room. "Did you?"

"Mmh, the best I've had in centuries."

"Now that's quite a compliment."

Lukas laughed, trailing his fingers down the sheets covering their bare bodies. A shiver ran past her. Instead, the Prince retrieved his fingers and turned around. "Come on. I'm sure you must be starving."

"You have no idea!"

***

The Prince informed her that the servants know where to find them and will bring their food out to them and that the only thing left for them to do was head to this place. A mysterious destination. She had no choice but to follow; the path they took was meandering. It's a pleasant walk, though, and Talia could hear the rush of the ocean and smell the sharp scent of salt in the air.

They shortly arrived at their destination, and it took her breath away. They've come to a kind of nook in the garden, cloistered on all sides by trees and shrubbery. The ground was on a gentle incline and eventually blending into the ocean in front of them. It's the sort of place, read about in the ancient books featuring secret star-crossed lovers meeting here under cover of night and spending time together.

How ironic.

Closer to the two, further from the bank, she noticed a tree with long, dangling, almost vine-like branches that swayed with the wind, blooming with white blossoms. Under the tree sat a carved white stone table with a matching small stone bench curved around one side of the table to face the ocean. Around the tree's base and the table and benches were even more flowers, these far more delicate and blue.

Talia couldn't name these either, but she was sure that they might be more extravagant than the flowers around the garden, more likely to be hardy wildflowers. Vines weaved through the shrubs surrounding the little clearing, and it lend a kind of refreshing unruliness to the place that she couldn't help but appreciate.

The entire clearing was breathtaking, but what gave the place its ethereal quality were the tiny little glowing lights she could see, winking in and out of existence. She had no idea that such a place could exist, much less on earth. Maybe she did underestimate the beauty and joy such a planet could bring to the individual. After all these years, she's been hammered to believe that there's no place extravagant and superior as Mount Olympus.

Just when she was about to turn around, and question Lukas about the place, one of them flickered right in front of his face, causing the Prince to jolt and go cross-eyed, trying to see it. A delightful laugh fell from her lips, the sound drawing Lukas attention away from whatever it was that had approached him.

"Are you enjoying my misery, Talia?”

The moon princess shrugged, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Mhm I always find it amusing."

Lukas made a dramatic show of clutching at his heart while stumbling back. His face scrunched up, nose twitching as he maintained steady eye contact with her. "Way to wound me."

She cleared her throat. "Can you tell me what are those insects chasing you?"

"I think you would call them lightning bugs in the common tongue."

"Lightning bugs?" She quirked her brow, voice thick with disbelief. "That's a bug?" Those were huge and didn't look like they were made of lightning, but Talia was not exactly an expert. Although, they did flash in and out of existence, so she could see why they might have been given the name. The moon princess wondered if they belonged to her father in any way. After all, he's the God of lightning.

Lukas laughed softly this time before humming, "Yes, we call them lightning bugs. My sisters and I used to catch them when we were little."

"I've never seen anything like them before", The moon princess whispered in awe, not entirely lost from her voice yet. Maybe she should get out from those four walls of the Castle more often. There's a whole new world out there which she wanted to explore.

"No, I didn't think so," Lukas teased her gently, and Talia flushed bright red but smiled nonetheless. "This is nothing, my darling. You should see them at night. They take your breath away."

At the use of the endearment, she blushed, turning her attention at the bugs drifting about. "So tell me about your sisters?"

Lukas let out a sigh. "There's nothing much to tell. I have two sisters, and we haven't spoken in ages."

"Family feud?"

"Something like that. One of them eloped with someone outside our community. My other sister was angry at us for not supporting them, so she packed her bags and left. Never came back."

She held his gaze; eyebrow arched, almost itching to ask him further questions. Just then, the servants announced their presence. They brought trays of food and some candles in case they desired to use them for lighting and artificial fragrance. Talia didn't bother with them; instead, of loving the natural scents around her.

With the table set, the servants left them with a promise to take care of everything as soon as they were done with breakfast.

The Prince helped her on the chair and then took the opportunity to slide even closer to her, tentatively but determinedly leaning into her side. Most of the dishes on the tray were unknown to her, but she consumed them anyway.

After breakfast, they sat by the shore, and Talia rested her head on his shoulder. Lukas seemed a little surprised at the gesture but readily welcomed it and carefully entwined her fingers with his, resting their clasped hands on his thigh.

She's not sure how long they sat there, silent, taking enjoyment from merely being around one another. They'll have to head in and retire shortly, Talia knew that, but she's reluctant for this moment to end, unwilling to allow time to start moving once more as it inevitably must. There's no sense rushing towards a future that she'll eventually meet, no matter the choices the moon princess made. So she decided to be selfish, just a little longer, and enjoy this.

And just like that, the ringing began.

"Heavens!" Talia clutched on to her head, pulling away from the Prince. She slapped her fingers on her head because she's not summoned frequently enough to be used to it, so it hurt. A lot. It's even worse when she was asked a question that required her to respond.

The moon princess gripped her hair, eyes rolling back as she whispered. "Where to?"

"Talia, what's going on? Are you hurting?" Lukas asked frantically, his face pale as he tried to hold onto her. He placed his fingers on her thighs, tracing patterns on her heated skin soothingly. She visibly relaxed at that.

"No! Please," Her voice was thinner than usual, a bit rougher - probably from the pain. A few seconds later, she jolted, breathing heavily as that voice ringing in Talia's head calmed down, allowing her to open her eyes finally.

"What happened?"

"Zeus just summoned me."

Lukas stilled. When Zeus summons someone, it's usually not to deliver good news. Especially if it's out of Mount Olympus. Most of them are assigned with the usual missions or requests. If not...punishment for some offence.

Zeus wanted neither of those from her. Or maybe he did. Her father asked her to stop seeing Lukas but Talia didn’t listen.

"My darling," Lukas pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her. "Do you think that—

A loud shriek of pain interrupted his question. That nasty voice was back again. Only sharper this time.

"To Mount Olympus. Now."

She rested her head against his chest as tears rolled down her eyes. Her mouth fell open in a silent sob as he tightened his hold. Lukas pressed soothing kisses onto her head, murmuring sweet nothings to calm the shaking moon princess. Talia could sense that he's trying to suppress his anger at Zeus, but in all reality, there's not much he can do against her father.

"What is it?"

"I," Talia licked her lip; her voice cracked the more she thought about it. All she wanted to do was forever hold on to Lukas and never let him go. "I need to go back. I'm so sorry."

***