He was staring and she couldn't stop blushing. He seemed to watch in wonder at everything she did. On one hand Hera wished to ask him to stop but she stopped herself every time she opened her mouth to do so, imagining herself in his place...waiting as long as he did for his soulmate.

He seemed to read her mind before she had even thought of the question she wished to ask, "You have questions for me, my queen."

She blushed again and fought the overwhelming urge to hide her face. She was eating after all.

"I'm sure you have many yourself. Perhaps we could…." She shook her head, 20 Questions seemed so silly of a game when she thought to mention it.

As she glanced up at his eyes, she was lost for a moment. She had at first thought his eyes were black, but there were hints of color...instead they were the deepest shade of amethyst she'd ever seen.

"Yes?"

Hera was lost for a moment. He was ever so handsome, but in a sort of almost otherworldly way. His dark skin shone almost like it had microscopic diamonds within it, his features seemed to tell her that he was more than what she could see right at that moment. It was as if it were a glamour, but she didn't sense that kind of magic coming from him. His skin was soft. Hera blinked and realized she had just reached out to touch his face, she quickly withdrew her hand but he caught it within his own.

"Please tell me whatever you wish."

Hera glanced down at her plate that was upon the low table before her.

"There's this game where it helps people get to know each other. You ask twenty questions of each other, but you do so going back and forth. I thought maybe we could do something like that."

The softest tap on her chin brought her gaze up to meet his. His gleaming head tilted to the side.

"Sounds like a good way to get to know one another, you may go first if you wish."

She nodded, "This is probably a silly first question but how can you speak English?"

"If you are speaking of the language we are speaking right now…"

She nodded in response.

He continued, "I travelled far when I first arrived at Terra. One of the groups of humans I came across were the Angul-Seaxan."

Her brows wrinkled at his phrasing, the way he said it almost made him sound like he was an alien. She shook her head at that silly thought, she was sure something must have been lost in translation.

Muttering underneath her breath, "Angul-Seaxan...oh the Anglo-Saxons. Yes, they were the earliest recorded people to speak English."

He merely smiled before taking one of the flatbreads from the basket at the center of the table.

"How were you able to find me?"

Hera took a deep breath, "Well, there's many answers to that one question."

He leaned back upon the pillows behind him, "Perhaps to begin how did you know of me?"

Hera patted her cheeks as she felt them flame up again, "At the school...um academy where those who have magic are taught there is a great archive of texts. My sisters and I were all very studious and enjoyed researching. Since two of us had not found our soulmates yet, we made it our project to research soulmates and soul bonds. How did they come about? What were the earliest cases? That sort of thing." Hera glanced up hoping her English wasn't too confusing in comparison to his, she continued as he nodded toward her. "This is how we came across your legend. You see, it seems in the future you will write to me, the future me." Hera shook her head, "I suppose that's a bit confusing."

"I understand, please continue."

"All the letters were written both in English and in Egyptian hieroglyphs. All starting with 'My Queen'. There were occasionally small clues here and there that made my sisters believe that I may be your soulmate, after all they were all written to this soulmate that was to be found in the future. I had also had dreams where I could hear someone humming and occasionally singing in an ancient language. It wasn't Ancient Egyptian though, we never figured out what it was." Hera shrugged. "After finishing at the academy one of our dear friends gave us instructions on finding our soulmates. Mine began with me traveling back in time 70 years from Cairo, Egypt. Luna has always had this sense about things. I've learned from the Medjai that they met her long ago on numerous occasions; I believe she may have been the one to make your hidden resting place only able to be opened by me. In the muggle...sorry non-magical world we would almost think of it as some sort of scanner of my DNA….um my essence. Actually now that I think about it, uncovering your place was only slightly magical...it instead felt like something out of a science fiction novel."

Hera nibbled on her bottom lip worried about how what she spoke of would sound to someone who lived so long ago. Glancing up she was surprised to see a smile and pleased expression on his face. He didn't seem surprised by anything.

"I did leave several instructions for the Medjai on the chance that the imposter had gotten a hold of me. However, to have it keyed into your very genetic material is unexpected. I suppose your Luna had gone farther back than you realized."

Hera blinked at his wording.

"You speak as if you are…" How could she word it without it coming off sounding horrible.

"Please continue, don't fear upsetting me."

"Well, I suppose this is another odd question but are you perhaps not from Earth?" Hera winced right after she finished saying it, immediately regretting what she said. "Not that you don't look human or anything! I mean you look more beautiful...um...handsome than anyone I've ever seen. Or maybe you are actually from the future and then got stuck in the past?" She tilted her head back, and winced once more. She just couldn't seem to say anything without absolutely embarrassing herself before him.

A deliciously deep joyous laugh from in front of her caused her to make eye contact once more with her soulmate and his laughing features. She shifted her legs so they were to the side, before looking back toward him embarrassed.

"Oh my beloved, I am not laughing at you." He leaned forward his elbows upon his legs as he leaned forward, "I am not of terrestrial origin, you are correct." He tilted his head to the side, but kept his gaze locked with hers, "My kind can shift into any intelligent being that we have been in contact with and know their biology."

Hera sat her mouth slightly slack, she had definitely not been expecting that answer. "So are your features now that of someone else's you've seen?"

He shook his head, "It is merely the result of compiling data and finding what features were closest to my original form. This is the face and body I've had since associating with the humans of Terra."

"Are your eyes the same color in your original form?"

He smiled and nodded, "Do you like them my queen?"

Hera let out a sigh, "Yes. I don't think I'll ever stop blushing around you." Shaking her head slightly, she forced herself to catch his amused gaze once more, "Um...it's your turn." She patted her warm cheeks hoping the redness would dissipate.

His expression turned serious but his eyes still were kind, "Are you afraid of me?"

Hera blinked in response, "I don't think I am. I'm unsure about a couple things, but I'm sure things will get more clear the more we speak."

A tension she hadn't even noticed he had left him and he relaxed against the pillows behind him once again.

"Your turn."

Hera tilted her head, "There are so many questions I want to ask about the whole not native to Earth thing, but I think I should start with Earth questions first or else I'll get lost asking about everything. So, for my next question: How much did you know about me, your soulmate?"

His lips tilted up even more, "Ever since I came into this dimension through the dark void, I've been seeing visions of you. My vision turned into simpler shades and I was no longer able to see the full color spectrum, however I could get a sense about you. I saw glimpses of you from a young child to the woman you are now. The glimpses were always silent, so I was unable to hear your voice however I could tell you had been through many hardships but also many adventures. When it came to the time where I knew I was going to be caught by the imposter, the Medjai had instructions regarding guiding my soulmate to me; I already knew you would be able to achieve anything you set your mind to."

Hera shifted slightly uncomfortable with the thought of him seeing her at some of her weakest points, but she shook her head.

"You came through a wormhole to this dimension?"

He nodded, "My original dimension did not have soulmates. My species was monogamous, however I was never able to find someone."

"Couldn't your...species still exist out there?"

He tilted his head to the side, "There is always a possibility however the introduction of soulmates into their history I believe would have greatly changed their history."

As Hera opened her mouth to ask another question, he shook his head, his grin wider.

"I believe it is my turn."

She nodded. He was just so fascinating. She knew he would be interesting just from what she had already known about him but he was even more so.

"You've mentioned your sisters, are they sisters from birth or choice?"

Hera brightened but she could feel the ever so slight bittersweet smile appear upon her lips as she remembered how greatly she missed them all.

"I suppose you can say by choice. There is however a kind of magic that happens when two magic users meet. As an example, when I met my first sister Hermione. I was raised...no that's not the right word." Hera leaned forward trying to find somewhere to rest her elbow, so she could rest her hand on it.

"Would you like to come over here?" Imhotep gestured to his side, where there were several cushions arranged in an almost cocoon of comfort.

Hesitantly and almost shyly Hera made her way over to his side. Sitting still a pace away from him, worried if she was any closer she would stammer and blush and wouldn't be able to get any words out. Even now she could feel the fluttering in her stomach as he gazed at her attentively. She scooted until she had a cushion and pillow at her back, then grabbed a pillow to hold in front of her.

With a sigh she continued her story, holding the pillow tightly to herself. "There was a rebellion among several fascist groups in my world at the time of my birth. My birth parents who had put their trust in the wrong person were murdered and I was barely saved by one of my godparents. The hidden leader of one of the groups was deep in the politics of the world at the time and was able to gain control of where I was put, through several illegal means." Hera let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and turned her head as Imhotep had reached out to hold her hand.

A small weak smile appeared upon her lips as she took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. "He put me with some relatives of my late mother who were non-magical folk who hated magic. They treated me like a burden, like a thing to be hidden away under the stairs." His hand tightened around hers, and Hera glanced up at his features that were strangely calm looking except for his eyes that blazed from within. "I was treated as little more than a slave, and it wasn't until I was allowed to go to school that I really was able to meet anyone outside of that very small world. However, it was the best thing that could have happened to me. There I met Hermione, and immediately there was this connection, a spark. She could almost instantly sense everything that was wrong, and she made sure her parents knew. From there I was taken away from those abusive beginnings and I was taken into the arms of my sister's family. My godfather was able to find me, since I was no longer under the wards the other had put me under. When I attended the magic academy I met Akasuki, and immediately I had the same connection. They became my strengths when facing what the magic world had in store for me."

When she finished, she felt wetness on her cheeks. Hera turned toward her soulmate who was gazing at her with the kindest expression she had ever seen on someone. He opened his arms towards her.

"I would like to embrace you. May I?"

She nodded, and crawled closer to him. He wrapped his strong arms around her and his magic washed over her once more making her feel absolutely safe. Hera even allowed him to pull her closer so that she was sitting over him, her feet on the other side of him and her head leaned against his chest.

She opened her eyes. His arms were still wrapped around her snugly but not too tightly. He was gentle with her and yet he seemed to treat her as something to cherish and not something fragile.

"Have you awoken, my flame?"

She tilted her head up to find him smiling gently down upon her, his eyes already holding so much emotion for her. She wanted to think it was love that was shown from their depths, but she was afraid suddenly, that it wasn't.

"May I kiss your forehead, my queen?"

She nodded, her words not yet coming forth. As his lips brushed against her forehead, her eyes fluttered closed once more.

"I had to kiss you to break the curse. I was unable to ask you then, so I owe you an apology."

His chest rumbled as he chuckled and his head tipped downwards so that his forehead was now upon her own.

"You did what needed to be done, if anything you owe me the chance to steal a kiss back."

Hera didn't need the warmth upon her cheeks to know that she was red once more. Her heart had begun to beat faster as soon as he had asked for the first kiss.

"May I?"

She let out a slight nervous laugh, "It is not stolen, if you…"

She was stopped as his two plump lips came upon her own. Her eyes widened taking in his own dark purple ones, before closing them as his lips gently moved against her lips. He was so gentle and tender, and yet she wanted more. Hesitantly she responded back and moved her own lips against his, his lips separated from hers too soon.

"That was the kiss I asked for, and this is the kiss I'll steal."

Then his lips were upon hers once more, this time she felt as his tongue upon the seam of her own. She parted her lips and he drew her closer in his arms, his hands on either side of her head as he tilted his head down.