Hercules led the way back into the dining hall, despite how the blood rushing in his ears and pounding in his feet made him feel like he'd faint before he reached it. He'd made plenty of boneheaded decisions in the past, but if he'd just given away his girlfriend because he misunderstood heroic protocol, he'd never get over the humiliation and regret. He held the door open for her, hoping she'd see it as a sign of gallantry and let it flatter her.

Megara gave him a skeptical look as if he were foolish for thinking she would take it as such. She didn't relent from her hard stare until she thought she'd made her point, and then she flounced past him with her nose in the air.

From the depths of his newfound self-loathing, Hercules summoned a smile as he followed her into the dining hall. "We've figured it out. It was a misunderstanding," Hercules said. "I'd love to marry your daughter. We can arrange the engagement right away, and I'll marry her when I've gotten through the training I still have left."

Megara's brothers looked relieved, and her non-threatening female cousin even clapped.

"Ah, I'm glad we could come to an arrangement," Creon said. "However, the price has risen in your absence."

"It what?" Megara turned her head so fast that her hair hit Hercules in the face.

"You must understand your previous refusal was a grave insult against our family. You must now repay us for the way you cast aside a generous offer of our one remaining princess."

"You skinflint!" Megara snapped. "It was bad enough you wanted to foist me on him for free, but to make him pay?"

"You're right; it might convince him not to take you," Creon said with a shrug. "Then again, he is a young hero. Perhaps an engagement too soon would hurt his chances of finding a girl better suited to his tastes. It is often said that a hero in his prime wanders the earth and populates it as he goes."

Megara bowed her head, covering her face, but not in time to restrain a low, pained groan. She wobbled on her feet, looking as if she might fall to her knees.

"You're wrong!" Hercules wrapped his arms around Megara. She had started to shake. Now he got it. This was her world, and it had rules, just like he did. He'd been careless. He learned only one set of rules and thought that the world would conform to his rulebook. This was his mess, and he'd clean it up. "I do want to be with her. I just didn't want to start this arrangement based on payment. It should be sacred and between the two of us."

"Cut the dramatics," Eurydice said. "Just tell us if you've already sullied her so we know whether we have to raise your bastard when you get tired of her."

"What?" Hercules felt another tremor run through Megara, and his own guts revolted at the implications. "I am not going to– we haven't even done anything!"

Megara elbowed him. "Just let me go," she whispered.

"No, I'm not letting you go. That's what this is about! If you loved your daughter, you would understand that it's important to be careful with every decision regarding her well-being. You seem to think all she's good for is a bargain, but all that proves is you don't have any idea what she's capable of."

"She's a princess," Creon said evenly. "She makes contacts. The one thing every prince wants from a princess is a legacy, even those who don't find them particularly pretty. That's why bastards exist. But you claimed to love her, and now we don't know where you stand. Perhaps this demonstration of her temper has put you off."

"I'm not a prince, sir. I'm a hero. For me, what's most important is that I protect the people I love. So whatever it is, name your price, and I'll pay it. Meg deserves to know how much she's worth."

Megara sighed heavily. She rubbed her face with the back of one hand and said, "He's going to inflate the cost, you know. You're a terrible negotiator."

"I think it's time I had my say now," Menoikeus said. "I know I am only the eldest brother and not the father, but this insult, as he calls it, was confined to this room and, at worst, to this palace. There may be some rumors spread by servants that get out, but there is nothing to say that we must abide by these rumors. Hercules, if you can leave us with some token that you will return for my sister, you may leave to complete your training and return to reclaim her when you are ready."

Hercules watched Creon's disapproval over Menoikeus's shoulder, but he quickly focused on the future King of Thebes. "I would appreciate that, yes. But… I don't have anything. I came here with only my armor and my horse to find Meg and make sure she was still alive."

"Then there is no way to guarantee that he will return," Creon said, but his son shot him a warning look that cowed him.

"We've all had a few too many emotions today," Menoikeus said. "It may be for the best that you go home and return with your trainer to negotiate on your behalf since you have yet to reach the age of majority. We will put together a dowry and offer her to the hero when we have enough to set aside for her."

"Thank you…" Hercules bowed his head. He checked Megara, but she was standing there with a pale face, staring at the wall. That was the real issue. "May I return for your coronation? I'd like to make a formal dedication to your sister then."

"That will be acceptable. Bring her something she can wear that carries your symbol, and let it be known to all that you will marry her. They may not know your name yet, but they will."

"I'd be happy to," Hercules said. "Phil may not like it, but that won't matter. All that matters is that I get to be with Meg." He stepped in front of Megara and put his hands on either side of her face. "I'll come back for you, all right? For your brother's coronation." He checked over his shoulder. "When will that be?"

"Give it a week or two, but check. You're within flying distance, and we don't know where to send a summons."

"Prometheus Academy will take it for me," Hercules said, then he turned back to Megara. "I'm going to make an oath to you right now. Are you ready?"

Her dulled eyes took a moment to focus on him, but when they did, he seized the opportunity to go on.

"The real problem here is I didn't understand the situation before, and now I get it. I'm sorry, Meg, I didn't realize how it would sound to you. Can you forgive me for being stupid?"

Her mouth moved in an almost smirk.

"Please?"

"I fell in love with you, knowing you could be an idiot. This shouldn't be too much of a shock to me. But you'll have to make this up to me. I don't know if I'll ever recover from this. You're about to leave me here, and even without my cousins, you don't know what waits for me. So I hope when you come back, I'll remember what it was like to love you the way I did this morning, but I don't know. I'm too…" Her eyes searched everywhere around him before settling on his face. "Disillusioned."

"I'm sorry," he said again. "How about… Before the coronation, I'll come back just for you. I'll take you on a date, and that's how you'll remember. I'll show you. Will you go with me?"

Megara sighed. "Fine. Give it a few days. I'm going to try and write a record of what's happened between us, and maybe that will rekindle the fire you stomped out."

"Again, I didn't mean to." He kissed her forehead. "I'm getting out of here. I've clearly overstayed my welcome. But I'll see you again. Nothing could keep me away."

Megara made a noncommittal sound. "We'll see."