Nessa's POV

Surprised to see Hercleth at my door, I pull him into my apartment and shut the door quickly locking it behind me. He looked around my apartment clearly he had never seen one before and now he probably felt like a true fish out of water.

"What are you doing here and what are you wearing?" I question as I move to stand in front of him.

"I came because you left so quickly I didn't have the chance to speak with you." He speaks confidently but sincerely as well. "I believe that woman lies, all of us tried our best to remember the original curse and never did it say anything about taking our place, we had to win the heart of one of your kind."

Win the heart of one of my ancestors which would now mean me...but why would they have to do that unless in the old time one of them had wronged one of the ancestors. Then maybe she would have placed the curse on them out of revenge? That was a logical thought to me.

"Did this woman...have anything to do with either of your men?" I question as I look up into his eyes trying to make sure he doesn't lie to me.

"Nay, not with us but with the first Roman you met. She cursed his soldiers as well as ours. Though that may not have been her purpose but it seems the woman who knew about it now wants to use us for something and I cannot begin to imagine what." Hercleth said with a worried look on his face.

"Well the best I can do is research it, once I go back in tomorrow I'll look at the plaques and research from there." I tell Hercleth as I try to rack my brain to try and think of what else I could do.

"That is more than we can do, you do not know what it means to have you on our side Nessa. If somehow the woman is right though, we would never ask you to trade places with us. Please believe me." Hercleth said and there was no hesitation in his voice either, I could tell he was speaking the truth and she couldn't help but smile.

Since it was so late and it would be very suspicious to have Hercleth leave her apartment, I decided he would stay and I would sneak him back before the sun rose. He seemed in no rush to leave either. He walked around my apartment and began to ask me about all the things he had never seen before. It felt as though I were a tour guide but it didn't bother me. After a while I became very sleepy though and crawled up onto my couch, setting and alarm on my phone I tried my best to listen to Hercleth story but my eyes would not allow sleep to escape me.

The next thing I knew, the alarm on my phone was beeping much louder than I ever remembered it doing. My eyes opened wide and felt a strange presence behind me. Carefully turning my neck to look behind me I then saw Hercleth fast asleep right behind me. Looking him over he seemed peaceful but the alarm didn't seem to bother him at all.

"Hercleth." I whisper to him as I gently shake him to try and wake him up.

Mumbling something in a language I didn't understand, Hercleth finally opened his eyes. It took him a moment to remember where he was but when he did he smiled at me.

"Time to go already?" he questioned as he sat up in the couch.

"Yes, we'd better hurry too. I don't know if Penelope gets there early or not." I comment as I quickly dress in a dark green dress and hoping around like a bunny put on my black flats.

Hercleth watched me, no doubt holding back laughter as I grabbed my heels and put them in my bag. Grabbing said bag I make my way to the door and look back to Hercleth who rushes up to me. Opening the door we are both met with a surprise though. A man holding a key no doubt to the apartment right next to mine stood before them...what a great first impression to make.

"Oh...hello there." The man says as he looked between Hercleth and myself. "I am Colin Hawthorne...you must be Miss Austen."

I nodded as the man extend his hand to me in a friendly offering of a handshake. Taking his hand I shook it trying to seem calm as well as friendly. Then he looked to Hercleth...how in the world was I going to explain him?

"Charles Dawson...I'm her intended." Hercleth lied and too shook the man's hand.

Intended?! Number one, no one talks like that anymore though it could be interpreted many ways.

"He's my friend that I've been waiting to see again for a long time, I was just about to walk him back to his hotel. See you at work!" I call out as I grab Hercleth's hand and we make a run for the elevator.

Once inside the elevator, the doors closed as I turned and looked at him flabbergasted with his sudden explanation. Turning to me, Hercleth seemed perfectly fine with the little show we had just given my new co worker.

"I could have said I was your husband, imagine explaining that." He laughed as he tried to lighten the mood.

"I would have died!" I giggle as the doors to the elevator opening to the first floor.

Once Hercleth was back in his normal clothes and back where he would need to be I made my way to where the roman was he didn't even seem to take notice of me at first which didn't bother me at all. After all I just wanted to know what his name was and all I need to do was look at his name plate. Once at said plate he decided to talk to me.

"There she is, the woman with a mouth like a whore." He comments as he walks up to me.

"Ithacles...go figure you even have a name that sounds like it would come from an ass." I retort and turn to walk away from him but his arm grabs my forearm and forces me to look at him.

"You need to be taught a lesson woman."

"I have a far better education than you shall ever hope to have." I say as I pull my arm away from him. "Keep your limbs to yourself or when you wake up tonight you will be missing a few."

With that last statement, I made my way to the library and went to work on research. I found a plethora of information on him. A warrior turned statesman, once again I was right he was an ass. Though he was of good wealth he was a horrible man putting people through all kinds of torture and one of his many consorts became pregnant, no doubt with his own child, he disowned her and left her with nothing. The day of his wedding it is written that said woman went and began the rituals of the curse. It could not be completed though unless the last step was taken.

During the great battle between Ithacles and Hercleth the woman was there and watched as Hercleth brought Ithacles to the ground but was too distracted to end him. That was when she made her move, running forward and taking the dagger she had cursed the struck him right in his heart but the curse did not only affect him but everyone on the battle field.

Taking off my glasses I rubbed my eyes. A part of me could not blame the woman for wanting her revenge but something told me she knew that there would be no way Ithacles would be able to win another woman's heart. The curse said that anyone could win the heart on an ancestor though, guess that meant anyone who was cursed could do it...

"Hey you ok in here Red?" John called out in a whisper to me as he entered the room.

Looking up from the book, I nod and try to stifle a yawn. Turning to see the time I am shocked to see it was well past closing time.

"I figured you were too into your studies to even notice the time. You want to go grab a bite? No doubt you haven't even had lunch today." John said as he made his way to me and looked down at the books I was reading.

"Ancient curses huh...oh Itacles he was a bad guy, that ass deserved th curse he got. Too bad the woman was burned at the stake for what she did. They say the curse is still upon him somewhere, I mean I know we got a dummy of him but I think his soul will stay down below if you know what I mean." John said pointing down to the floor no doubt implying hell.

"Have you ever heard of a warrior named Hercleth?" I questioned hoping he might know more than I did.

"Hmm, very little. I know he was promising warrior and that most of his army went missing but that's it. Sorry Red." John shrugged.

"No problem, maybe I will join you another time. I want to get as caught up as I can." I say as I stand and put a few books I didn't need away in the shelves.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, thanks again though." I say not even turning back to look at him as I put the books back where they belong.

Hearing John leave the room, I turn back around to find myself alone in the large library. Sighing I put away the rest of the books. Truly I felt sorry for the woman, she was in need and that ass just left her in the dust no doubt to find another woman to take advantage of. My blood began to boil as I thought more and more about it.

Making my way out of the library I decide to go check on Hercleth and let him know what I had found out. Ithacles had other plans though, surprising me by showing himself from the shadows of the hall. He didn't look like he was happy either.

"You know about the curse...that means you know about the cure as well." He says as he walks right up to me.

"I know you were and no doubt are a cruel and evil man who deserved whatever hell you have been living in." I say as I move past him and keep walking forward.

"You believe everything you read woman?!" he yells to me at the top of his lung.

Turning back to look at the roman who did nothing but disgust me I wait to hear what else he could possibly want to say to me.

"The woman who did this to me was not in love with me but my own brother...he was the one who left her to die I knew nothing of it. My own twin sent me in his place no doubt knowing she would be there that night and complete the curse. I am not Ithacles, I am Mathis...all these years I have suffered my twins fate!"

Well that was certainly a turn I didn't see coming...If this was Mathis then why didn't the curse also take his twin as well? Was this all the truth? There was only one way to find out...

(Mathis Pictured Above)