The deal
Her eyes flattered open to a very spacious room. It looked to her it was nighttime. She lay on a very comfortable and large sized bed with a throbbing pain in her head. Scanning her surrounding, she abruptly rose to find herself in a room that was new to her. Her eyes widened and she suddenly fell into panic wondering where she was and whose room she was in. She slid from the large thick sheet and her feet landed on a tiled floor that felt cold. Her gaze lingered on her feet for a while and then her attention finally shifted to what she was wearing now. She was wearing a long sea blue robe with golden edges. A frown settled on her face. Who changed her dress? Her heart thumped hard against her chest.
"You don't have to be bothered about anything. My maids changed your dress." She heard the voice of a man announce. Startled, Gaia turned and found Heracles seated there majestically in a single armed chair by the bed leaning his head against the back of his palm leisurely. He looked utterly breathtaking in that posture as though he was an angel staring at her with those eyes of his. Gaia's face soon formed into a frown.
"Why am I here?" She questioned with a look of suspicion over her face.
"You were unconscious so I brought you here", was the simple reply Heracles gave.
"You could have at least sent me home." Gaia did not sound the least pleased and she turned to the window. "Where is this place?"
"The Royal Lyc-Demon Palace."
Silence ensued with a very blank look over her face when she turned to the man. She blinked several times and stared long and calculatedly at him, as though assessing him thoroughly to be sure of something. Her lips parted.
"You are strange." She announced. The woman was not exactly sure what he had just said made any sense to her but she just brushed it away. Just when Heracles decided to say something, a knock was heard from the door.
"Yes." He responded and soon, a woman about Gaia's age walked in with a tray of food.
"Here's the food you requested for your highness." The woman explained as she placed the food on a table beside the blue sofa by the window. Heracles nodded thoughtfully with a light smile. "Is there anything you would have me do for you, your highness?"
Heracles turned to look at Gaia with a knowing gaze and said to the servant, "Yes Maia. Do prepare a bath for the young miss here." The servant, whose name Gaia had just gotten to know now was Maia bowed respectfully and walked to a door she presumed was the bathroom and entered. Gaia's eyes lingered on the door for a while, as she could not believe her ears. Did she just call him, Your Highness? Wait, so he was not lying about the whole royal whatever he said earlier. She concluded and turned to the man again.
"So you really are from a royal family."
"I don't see why you are failing to notice that." He smirked and Gaia rolled her eyes at him.
"Please send me home." Heracles raised a brow questioningly at her. "Yeah, you heard me right. I want to go home."
"I don't know your home, unless you want me to send you back to that market." The man said and stressed on the mention of the market. Gaia frowned. 'Market?' Her mind began to wonder off until memories of earlier that day came rushing to her. She recalled going to the market to buy some foodstuffs and next being chased by some thugs whom were all beaten to pulp by Heracles. Then she recalled the one major event, Heracles… She abruptly drew back at the thought and the fear crawling back to her again.
"Why are you suddenly so scared?" The man enquired with amusement sounding in his voice. He was enjoying the scene before him now. Oh how adorable she looked right now. He smirked and rose to his feet. He walked to the tray of food, picked up the glass of juice, and walked back to the still puzzled woman.
"Here. Have this and quit bothering your pretty mind. I would have hurt you while you were unconscious if I wanted to." He smirked at her. Gaia looked at the glass in his hand and thought about what he had just said. He was right and she was probably acting too much right now. Besides, he had saved her and she had not even thanked him yet. Mastering a little courage, her gaze rose from the glass to his face. Gaia could not help but want to instantly melt under his gaze. She slowly peeled her gaze from him and stared everywhere but him.
"Thank you. For saving me." She whispered. Heracles smiled fondly at her and pushed the juice to her again to have a drink but she only shook her head in rejection.
"Please take me home now." She begged and the man sighed.
"It's late."
"That's why I need to go. Vincent must be worried sick about me." Heracles' temples twitched at the mention of her husband's name. He tightened his free palm into a fist and released it slowly with a sigh.
"You don't expect me to send you to him at this time of the night, do you?" He questioned with a raised brow. Of course, Heracles could just teleport her to the house in seconds, but how could he, when he was enjoying his little moment with her so much.
"Well, you can just…teleport us…just…like you did today with that man." Gaia stammered as she proposed this idea. It was clear she did not fancy the idea so much but this was the only card she had left to play. "I won't tell anyone about this, I promise. Just send me home."
"Sorry but this is exactly why I can't send you home. I'm afraid you'll tell." Heracles said with a mischievous grin.
"No I won't. I promise. I won't."
"I'm not buying that." He said and moved closer to her.
"So what then are you proposing? That I stay here or what?" Gaia sounded annoyed and frustrated.
"Yes. A week and earn my trust for your freedom."
"No. I can't stay that long. Everyone would be looking for me."
"Let them look all they want." Heracles said with finality for he knew here was nearly the last place Vincent would think of looking.
"Does the deal come with room for changes?"
"Nope. I'm afraid I make the rules here." Silence reigned with Gaia standing disappointedly before the man. Heracles chuckled at the look on her face and shook his head lightly. "Have your meal then my lady. Oh and you are going to be sleeping here in this room with me." He said with finality in his voice as he gently put the glass of juice into her hand. He wore a lopsided smile as he held her wrist and led her to the bed. "Sit." He commanded. Soon after, Maia came out and announced she was done preparing the bath.
....
Once back from her royal bath, Gaia walked into the room and found Heracles lying on the sofa by the window with both his arms crossed behind his head while one of his legs rested on the other. His gaze laid on the ceiling. The woman found herself staring at him for a while, wondering how a creature like him could be so angelic and breathtaking as he laid so casually in the sofa. She wondered what he was thinking about and her mind soon drifted off, chasing a million thoughts.
"Do you plan to just stand there and stare at me or you care for some sleep?" Heracles' voice jolted her from her chain of thoughts. He scanned her thoroughly, seemingly pleased to see her looking fresh in a cream nightgown with her long hair left over her shoulders. It only added more to her fine look and he shut his eyes tight to prevent himself from just grabbing hold of her and pinning her to the bed to do all the things in his mind to her. He soon dropped his leg and sat up.
"You can sleep on the bed. It's essential for you and your child." He said. Gaia stared in surprise at the man, wondering how he knew of her pregnancy. Her expression must have spoken for her and the man chuckled.
"Get some sleep and quit bothering yourself over this." Gaia obediently shrugged it off, walked to the bed, and laid on it with her back faced towards Heracles. Thanks to the man's high hearing ability, he could hear the loud beating of her heart. He could sense her discomfort and he could not blame her for it. She was not comfortable around him yet. He slowly rose and walked out of the room, hoping she would ease up a bit and least fall asleep.