And back with another chapter! Sorry about the slight wait on this one, been busy and honestly, just wanted to work on this a little more as I build up into the next parts of the story.

Kindly remember people, this story is an AU, including little things that happened in the earlier series that I'll get into details if its needed. I like using spots where Rick was vague about gods and what the places they were are like to build off it.

Plus, this story is heavily focused on romance and smut so, hey, I need to make opportunities!

Anyways, hope everyone enjoys and feel free to let me know your thoughts!


Penny sighed as she looked at the sleeping face of Artemis illuminated by the rays of moonlight getting through the large windows, her lips slightly parted to let out her exhales. I wish I could sleep that easy, she thought as she shifted to laying on her back. Her eyes lazily followed the slow rotations of the fan above them, operating almost silently even to Penny's sensitive ears. She counted up to 100 and back down as she watched the fan, but nothing seemed to settle her enough to finally sleep.

Glancing at a clock on the far wall, she read 1:27 AM.

Two hours and nothing. She'd been able to avoid tossing and turning since the pair had come to bed, having accepted her father's invitation to stay the night in the lake-side house. It's not like they particularly needed to return to the cabin Demeter had loaned to her for the weekend.

Another sigh escaped her as she slowly sat up, letting the soft sheets slip off her to expose her bare chest to the warm air. Slowly sliding out of the bed and making sure not to disturb Artemis, the nude vixen got up and silently headed for the door, leaving the room and moving towards the stairs.

With a thought, a silky, blue gown formed over her curvy frame, barely reaching her thighs. In the right light it would be just about see-through and had a plunging neckline nearly letting her chest pop out, and an open slit at the back letting her six tails sway free even if it meant her butt was more or less out too, but she didn't sweat the details.

Being literally Shameless and very free spirited as a Kitsune helped in that regard.

She slowed down for a moment as she got to the room she felt her father's presence in, the door open just a crack. Finding herself curious, she paused for a moment and leaned closer to see within. Much like the room she'd been in with Artemis, the moonlight was left to illuminate the entire room thanks to the curtains being pulled back. The clearly king sized bed had only one occupant much to her surprise.

Her father's form rested in the center, sleeping deeply. Her eyes trailed over the well-muscled chest with slightest bit of hair at the center and trailing down, disappearing into the sheets that practically molded to his form. Ever since coming to peace with herself and who she was instead of just a disguised Percy, her appreciation of males had risen. Few got her even remotely interested, let alone excited for anything but she was starting to appreciate her father's form over most. Hell, he was becoming the standard she would mentally compare other men too after this, a thought that led to a warm flush coming to her cheeks.

Still, watching the rise and fall with each breath, her eyes moved back up to his face, noting how relaxed and content he looked. A certain scent in the air and the state of the sheets told her just why he looked so content. At least some of us were able to get into the mood, she mused with the slightest smirk. Her mind then wandered to just how it happened and how Amphitrite responded to it. A woman that beautiful, on her back with her hair splayed out, moaning to every thrust of the king on top of her, her arms and legs wrapped around him.

More heat built up in her body as her tails twitched as she thought about it before she shook it off. Really? I couldn't even get into it with Artemis tonight and now thinking about my dad and stepmother suddenly flips the switch? Well, her thoughts had been very scattered at the time, so it wasn't a lack of interest.

Though an ounce of guilt made itself known within her chest as she thought of her redheaded lover.

She knew Artemis had been looking forward to more time spent together in the throes of passion, but Penny just hadn't been able to get in the mood. Luckily, Artemis wasn't too into it either as she also had a lot on her mind. Naked cuddling and kissing with some pillow talk had been the order of the night until the redhead had dozed off, leaving the vixen with her thoughts.

With a sigh at recalling the last few hours, Penny moved on, reaching the stairs and silently making her way down. A few of the lights were one along the hall and to the living room they'd been in before, all set to low. Originally, she'd intended to head to the kitchen and maybe snack on some of the leftover cakes, maybe have a tall glass of milk with it. But then she picked up on another familiar presence off to her left.

Looking in the direction, she noticed the beyond the living room the sliding glass doors leading to the back were slightly open. Knowing exactly who it was but wondering why she was out now instead of in bed, Penny walked towards the back. As she got to the doors and almost stepped out, she froze at the sight before her.

Amphitrite had her back to Penny, slightly leaning over the rails of the back-deck, looking over the shimmering surface of the still lake. Her hair was loose and flowing over her shoulders and back to the small of her back in dark waves. However, it was the manner of dress that really got Penny attention, as her eyes hungrily scanned every inch. Amphitrite was in a tiny baby-doll, the see-through cream garment barely reaching past her womanly hips and falling short of covering her bubbly cheeks.

Between the cream garment and Amphitrite's own tanned, olive complexion, the sight of the ruby-red thong was a flaming beacon to Penny's eyes. With the way the queen was bent over, her left leg bent forward at the knee, her cheeks opened just enough for Penny to get an eyeful of lacy thong covering the royal goodies … barely.

Penny could feel the heat returning, filling her body with want along with her own, unfinished needs. No, bad Penny! You shouldn't be eyeing your stepmother—a married woman—like that! It didn't matter how much she told herself that though, her mind racing with possibilities; on ideas of how to get this vision of the sea into her bed. It was at times like these that the appetites of a love goddess could really get bothersome.

However, Amphitrite's voice was quick to cut past the lusty haze.

"Are you just going to stand there all night?"

Snapping her eyes up as her ears stood on end, she met the amused gaze of the queen. Having almost completely turned gave Penny a clear view of her, Penny almost groaning as she got even more of an eyeful. The front was just as transparent as the back, letting Penny see in perfect detail the swell of Amphitrite's easily DD-cup—possibly bigger—breasts. Her eyes especially noted the darker color of her larger nipples poking defiantly against the fabric. Then her eyes lowered, drawn to the splash of bright red below the queen's taut stomach and unreached by the nighty.

Tight enough to be a second skin, the lacy thong hugged every little curve and dip of the queen's chalice and leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination.

Penny swallowed on reflex as she tore her eyes back up to meet the gaze of the queen. She hadn't been the only one getting an eyeful given how thin Penny's Mist-formed night was, but the vixen took not of where Amphitrite's eyes were. She'd gotten pretty good at tracking people's sight, and the familiar way Amphitrite's eyes shifted just a bit over Penny's shoulder let the vixen know her six additions were again drawing all attention.

"Your father mentioned those, but seeing it myself," the goddess murmured, her eyes shifting to Penny's ears atop her head. "They really make you even prettier."

A slight blushed formed on Penny's cheeks, her tails wagging a bit at the compliment. That led to Amphitrite giving a chuckle full of amusement as she added, "And they tell all too."

Penny's blush deepened, silently cursing the constant betrayal of her loved additions but hiding them now would have been pointless. Refocusing on the queen, Penny noted the still with an amused smile playing on her lips as Amphitrite made a come-hither motion with her fingers. Penny wasn't sure what to feel at the moment as she walked closer; guilty excitement because hell yes, this nearly nude bombshell wanted her closer but at the same time she really shouldn't be excited about this. And yet, another part brought back a familiar sense of unease and hesitation as she thought back about the last things discussed.

She certainly hadn't missed the way Amphitrite looked at her during quiet moments in the conversations; her face rather calm even if Penny sensed the mixes of longing and nervousness just beneath the surface. Granted, it was a little bit of a relief knowing she wasn't the only one nervous about this.

Still, she approached regardless until she was barely a foot from the sea goddess, now looking evenly into those warm chocolate orbs. Huh, we're about the same height, she idly noted, now that neither were in heels. However, her momentary muse was cut short as Amphitrite cleared her throat, one eyebrow raised.

Penny managed a sheepish smile as her blush persisted, but now more for slight embarrassment over being turned on.

"Ah… good evening?" she said, unsure how to start as Amphitrite simply kept looking at her. Technically it was just really early morning after all. Still, it seemed the queen was done looking at Penny's changes and now focused more on why she was out to begin with.

"Long night?" the queen finally asked, cocking her hip to the side and resting one hand on it.

It was almost unfair how casually sexy that one action was, and Penny just wanted to—Focus!

"A little bit. Thought a warm glass of milk might help," she answered, trying to keep her gaze up and locked with Amphitrite's eyes rather than let them go down like they wanted to.

"It might help," Amphitrite returned. "It also helps to talk about it … if you want to that is," she added at the end, the first bit of something other than calm slipping across.

"Well …" she trailed off, her earlier arousal quickly cooling as she recalled just what had kept her up. "… I guess."

"…"

The pair drifted into silence at that, simply looking at each other. Penny wasn't sure how to start off and really felt that a subject like adoption should be handled with a bit more tact than her usual methods. However, Amphitrite beat her to it as she spoke up.

"It's about my offer, isn't it?" she asked gently.

Penny's tails still as she simply nodded, bringing up a hand to lightly scratch at her cheek. Amphitrite made something like a hum before she offered her hand and gestured to a set of patio seats near a corner of the deck.

"Join me?"

Looking between the hand and the queen's face, Penny let a shy smile form on her face as she took the offered hand. It was as soft and warm as it looked but Penny easily noticed the underlying strength behind the petite fingers as Amphitrite curled her hand closed and then walked to the seats with Penny in toe.

Guiding Penny down first onto a larger couch-like one, Amphitrite sat right beside Penny, the vixen's hand still held now in her lap as the queen's eyes focused on her. The pair sat in silence again and Penny wasn't exactly sure how to begin, but then again, the question just slipped past her lips.

"Why?"

It was almost a whisper, but she knew Amphitrite caught it. The queen looked down at her lap for a moment, her hands somewhat playing with Penny's fingers in her lap, before she looked up again.

"It's a little hard to explain so bear with me… In part it's both for you and your father," she started, a slight smile forming on her face. "He loves you, you know. You're the jewel of his eye and have been for some time." A small smirk came to her lips as she added, "He'd get so antsy on your birthdays, always wanting to sneak off and see you even if it was from a distance."

"Wait … you knew?" Penny asked, her eyes widening as Amphitrite's smirk grew almost smug. "I thought daddy only revealed me when I went to the camp the first time."

"Officially maybe but several in the Sea Court either knew or had suspicions. As for myself, of course I did; I'm the queen of the seas for a reason. I can safely say no one knows your father better than I do and he had it written all over his face since he first met Sally," the queen answered, sounding rather pleased with herself, before adding under her breathe, "Though, I really didn't expect you to be behind the reason he's been in such a good mood lately."

"But … if you knew, then why'd you guys have a fight when he first claimed me?" she asked, recalling her father's explanation about Mariana and why the little demigoddess was left at the Fantasia Garden.

At the question Amphitrite's smirk fell away as she gave a heavy sigh, gently squeezing Penny's hand in between her own.

"We did have an argument, but I wasn't because he revealed you, at least, not about that entirely. As you know, things were rather tense leading up to that summer ever since the Bolt was taken and the way your father claimed you was just oil poured into an already hazardous pile of tinder and too many people ready to strike a match. It was already bad enough Sally had been kidnapped and you'd almost died by Fury and Minotaur leading up to it. I had been hoping to convince your father to wait until claiming you, maybe sending other older demigods or even some of our own personal forces to find the Bolt first," the queen explained, her shoulders sagging for a moment as an almost wistful smile came onto her face.

"But then again, I should have known better. Few things get your father as passionate—or bullheaded—as protecting his family and loved ones. Sadly, I had to be the bad guy holding him back in that situation and think about the greater whole. The last thing we needed was war, regardless if we'd win or not, over two mortals, and I didn't want to risk our people for it." She then paused, taking a moment to look at the soft light of the moon.

After a few seconds, she exhaled slowly through her nose and she looked at Penny again.

"I know that makes me sound cold, but at the time, it was all I could do to try and keep peace, both in my own home as well as for our kingdom…"

Penny glanced down at her lap, nibbling on her lower lip as she thought about it. If an entire kingdom and all the lives within could be put at risk due to her choices, could she have done any different? She shook her head slightly, already knowing the answer even if it felt foreign even to her own mind.

No.

For two mortals, versus possibly millions of lives? It shouldn't even be a contest. And yet, if she thought about it from her father's angle, the answer flipped. The thought of abandoning a lover—a second time considering the laws Poseidon had to deal with at the time—and her own demigod child…

She couldn't even imagine it and didn't want to.

Maybe it had to do with her aspect as a Goddess of Family and being a love goddess in general, or maybe that's how she simply was and the reason she got one of the domains to begin with. She could still keenly remember every moment one of her fellow demigods died in the wars, the feeling of loss and guilt. That she could have done more, fought better and gotten to them before they were struck down, led and planned better so no one had to stay behind and make the sacrifice.

That she could—and should—have been better…

It was simply against her very nature to abandon someone, especially someone who'd put their trust and faith in her. And Amphitrite's people put their faith and trust in her. Looking back up at the queen now, Penny found a bloom of admiration growing within her chest, and even a bit of envy. To see a queen that could and did make hard choices, even at personal cost to herself.

"You did what you thought best," she finally said, watching as Amphitrite simply stared at her before slowly nodding.

"Well, if it means anything, I'm happy how things turned out afterwards," the queen said. "It was such a relief when I learned that you not only succeeded in getting back the Bolt and avoiding war but also managed to get your mother returned too, from Hades no less."

Hearing that had Penny frowning as her ears lowered for a moment, something Amphitrite immediately noticed, before the vixen asked one of her bigger questions. "But … don't you hate demigods?"

She clearly remembered the first time she met Amphitrite during the war, and the few times she saw her after, it had always been distant, if not outright dismissive. However, Amphitrite looked rather shocked at her question before a more resigned look formed on her face.

"I guess my behavior at first pointed that way, didn't it?" she asked rhetorically. Another sigh escaped her as she leaned forward, looking intently into Penny's eyes. "Penny, first you need to understand, I have never hated any of your father's extra-children for simply existing. Only those that personally did something to make it so. There are few I genuinely despise; in fact, you've met and fought some of them."

Penny nodded slightly at that, recalling some of her more colorful encounters over the years. Antaeus, born to Poseidon and Gaea—still not sure how her father managed that one—Chrysaor, immortal pirate and golden bladed warrior of the seas, and Polyphemus the blind cyclops to name a few. Each one had been a hurdle all their own, with far more at stake than just her life.

Still, she moved past thinking about them as she refocused on Amphitrite, the goddess having taken a moment to pause. Seeing as she had Penny's full attention again, Amphitrite continued.

"I know my behavior was less than stellar and for that, I'm sorry. I could say the times were tense or I was busy, but honestly, it was my own fault." Amphitrite then looked down at their joined hands, the older goddesses slowly interlacing their fingers. "… Yes, I was upset at times, but it wasn't your fault. It was mine." Raising her head, a sad smile on her lips, she continued. "It was mine because I was jealous."

"… Jealous?" Penny asked softly, a hint of disbelief on her voice as Amphitrite gave a simple nod.

"Mhmm. I told you, you're the jewel of his eye. Every time you accomplished anything, he'd strut around like a rooster and crow all night," the goddess confirmed with some amusement in her eyes before they fell slightly. "And every time he thought you were in mortal peril, or even lost you, he'd be inconsolable. By your fourth year at camp, all the court and most near the palace knew how you were doing just by his moods. As the years passed, well, I started to get a little resentful and even a little afraid of how much he cared about you."

Amphitrite gave a slight shake of the head as she looked at Penny.

"Sometimes it was scary seeing how much it affected him. I thought he was just setting himself up for more pain in the long run, just like he did for the demigods he's had before. Even if he's always had a better relationship with his children than most of the other Olympians, there was still a level of distance he maintained. It lessened the blow whenever one of them passed away, but it still hurt no matter how much we knew it would happen. After all, you were mortal," she said, her eyes getting a bit of a wet sheen as she looked into Penny's eyes. "You know, your father had wanted to offer godhood to you several times. To make you a sea god and part of the court, but I convinced him not to," she admitted, getting a curious look from the vixen.

"Why not?" she asked.

"It could have led to issues with the other Olympians. But that wasn't the only reason…" She paused again, swallowing softly as she looked at the vixen. "I wasn't too sure about you for a while. I knew of you and got a general gist from your father when he was feeling particularly chatty, but it was a shallow impression at best and probably played up in a better light by him to begin with. I understood you were powerful and had a decent head on your shoulders, but you wouldn't be the first mortal turned god that changed for the worse," she said, getting an agreeing nod from the divine vixen.

A certain former Camp director came to mind as one prime example of a poor attitude change.

"I cared about you but only as my husband's child, just like I've done with most of his demigods. As long as you were alive and kept his mood up, that was all that mattered. And if you visited by chance, I'd be civil and even play the gracious host, but I didn't plan to really get to know you. And then you won the first war and did the unthinkable; you turned down immortality."

Amphitrite shook her head, a wistful smile playing on her lips.

"You wouldn't believe how shocked I was about that. Your father's reaction even more so. I knew he's been wanting to ascend some of his children for centuries now, to give them the lives of princes and princesses after everything they lived through, so I thought he'd be furious. I mean, you made it pretty obvious part of the reason you turned it down was for a mortal lover, the daughter of your father's rival at that, but instead he was proud of you," she said, before adding with a shrug and a tiny smirk. "Well, definitely a little upset about it but nothing a little brooding, pouting, and some angry sex couldn't fix."

A bit of a giggle escaped Penny at that even as some heat rose to her cheeks at Amphitrite's blatant admission to use of womanly wiles on a grumpy husband.

"I remember asking him then; why did he do it? I understood that he genuinely loves the mortal women he finds every few generations or so, but why leave them with children if it led to so much pain?" she said, a faraway look getting into her eyes as continued, "After seeing his pain and what happened with the other demigods, not just his own, I guess it made me a bit of a pessimist. I thought that even if you and few other demigods were those rare ones in a millennium, that at the end of the day you were still mortal and young. That it was only a matter of time until something happened … but at the same time, I got curious."

Amphitrite's eyes sharpened as she focused back on Penny, those chocolate orbs seeming to glow with a new light to them.

"And then I watched you from afar when I got the chance …"

"So, you were stalking me," Penny quipped before she could control her mouth, a sheepish blush following right after as her tails swayed nervously, thumping against the couch.

Amphitrite had the grace to blush a little too, looking away for a moment as she cleared her throat.

"No…" the queen answered, turning her face to meet Penny's gaze again as she said that even if the heat had yet to leave her cheeks. "… Just, more direct observations rather than getting hearsay and rumors."

"Well that doesn't sound so bad," Penny returned, a hint of teasing coming through her voice getting more color to Amphitrite's cheeks.

"Quite…" Amphitrite agreed before continuing on. "Regardless, I watched when I could right around until the second war came around." A more frustrated sigh left the queen's lips. "The less said about that entire even the better. What matters is that by the end, I was not only impressed but I felt that I'd judged too soon. That you were worth getting to know as more than just my husband's child. That just maybe, I could go and actually be a stepmother for the first time in practice rather than just name," she added, her tone brimming with warmth that was infectious, getting a smile from the vixen. "And then when I learned about you going to complete your own labors just for Chase's hand in marriage, I thought 'here is my chance' and I came to your father with the idea about the island. He was over the moon when I showed genuine interest …"

However, the cheer didn't last as Amphitrite's face fell.

"Then all that with their damn scheme for you happened and I thought that you were gone," she said in a near whisper.

Amphitrite looked down for a moment to see Penny's free hand joining the other, now having both in Amphitrite's grip. The queen simply laced her other fingers with Penny's, using her thumbs to run over the knuckles as she continued to talk.

"I almost didn't believe it at first. It all happened so fast; one moment I was planning things for your wedding and getting ready to contact Sally since I knew that would make you happy, then the next my husband is called away to that emergency meeting. I could feel your father's emotions through the sea itself; the anger and disappointment, and then the guilt. He didn't even come back right away and stayed distant for a good week … and then the next emergency meeting happened. It's like I could feel a glass shatter and the next time I saw him; he just fell into my arms. It took me hours to get the story out of him and by then I could barely help your father because I was in pain too." Bringing her face back up, Penny saw the moisture in her eyes, the earnest intent behind them as the queen continued. "For the first time, I didn't just hold my husband and try to be the support he needed; I cried too." The queen sniffed, a single tear trailing down her cheek. "It's like everything that I hoped for just went down the drain; your father was heartbroken, I lost my chance, and you were gone…"

She trailed off as Penny slipped her hand out of the queen's grip and raised it to her face, gently wiping away the tears that came along. Amphitrite's lips formed into a small, sad smile as she leaned into Penny's hand, almost nuzzling against her palm.

Penny for her part was silent, blinking to keep back the sting of her own eyes. Her throat was hot, and she desperately wanted to lean in closer and hug the stuffing out of the queen. To embrace her and simply not let go. But she held herself back for now, watching as Amphitrite took a deep breath and continued.

"… And then, something entered the ocean some time ago. It was … overwhelming at first," she said, shivering slightly as she looked into Penny's eyes. "So much raw power and potential, wrapped in an eerily familiar yet new presence. You made so many waves that day Penny, and no matter how much I hounded him, your father didn't tell me who was it, he'd just smile." A wet smile made its way onto Amphitrite's face as she raised a hand and overlapped with Penny's still on her cheek. "I should have known it had something to do with you, what else could get him so happy."

A small chuckle made its way past her lips.

"I was over the moon too after he told me. It was as if my hopes and prayers had been answered … even the ones I thought impossible."

"Like?" Penny asked, curious to hear just what her stepmother had intended.

"Family," the queen admitted, a shy blush starting to form on her cheeks as she let her hand drop along with bringing Penny's back onto her lap. "I know you didn't want to be a god originally, and the way it happened was horrible, but I just saw the chance. Your life as a mortal ended—almost tragically in some ways—and I missed almost all of it. But now you have a new, fresh start. The life of a god and I want to be part of it … if you let me," the queen said, her voice brimming with such longing that it nearly overwhelmed the vixen.

The pair sat in silence for some time then, their gazes locked. Penny just couldn't find it within herself to look away as she took everything in, from the words and feelings, to the simple presence of Amphitrite. The warmth of her body sitting against her side, the feel of silky-smooth skin from her hands and where their thighs touched, the scent of the morning tides mixed with sage and notes of sea salt that just drew Penny in. If she just smells that good, I wonder how she tastes. The errant thought came and went before Penny could help herself, a hot flush coming to her cheeks as she finally looked down at her hands in the queen's lap and away from Amphitrite's beautiful face.

"So, that's when you first got the idea?" Penny asked, trying to fill the silence.

"Partly …" Amphitrite answered lightly as she raised her gaze, the vixen watching as Amphitrite continued on, a blush forming across her cheeks. "But then your father told me about the slight … changes that happened along with your new form and name."

Now Penny felt a rise in emotion from the Amphitrite; the excitement and nervousness coming up again getting the vixen that much more curious.

"What about them?" she asked, leaning a little closer against the queen.

"It goes back to my reasons for adoption … the more selfish reasons," the queen answered, glancing away for a moment.

At Penny's questioning look Amphitrite gave her a somewhat coy look.

"What do you know about Atlantis and its culture?" she asked, getting Penny to blink at the random question.

"Ah … not much," she admitted.

Even the extensive memories left in her subconscious by Hecate covered bare minimums of things like that. Most of it was just about Magic and things related to it.

"Well, it's one of the reasons I don't mind you father siring children off other women; because it's a normal thing there," she admitted, getting a shocked look from the vixen. A slight giggle escaped the queen's lips before she said, "Hestia looked the same the first time I told her and showed her around. But yes, unlike in the surface world, polygamy and even harems are commonplace."

"Really?" Penny asked, disbelief coloring her tone as she stared at the queen.

"Oh yes and it's been that way for thousands of years," Amphitrite answered, amusement clearly showing on her face. "And it's not men only either. I know plenty of ladies of the court that have one, and it's a bit of an open secret that even the married ones have their personal attendants." She then raised an eyebrow at Penny, her tone getting lowered as she asked. "You didn't think your father was the only one with the occasional paramour to scratch the special itch, did you?"

Penny's eyes widened to saucers at hearing that, all the while, a familiar heat built up within her body, coming back with a vengeance as her tails swayed excitedly, drawing the queen's gaze for a moment.

"But … I thought …"

How did she say it, exactly? She knew lots of gods were hypocrites and accepted her father probably had some of those moments himself. Married man running around siring the occasional demigod or monster child, maybe even a divine one here or there, all the while his ever-faithful wife watched on.

"… Does he know?" she asked in a near squeak.

She really wasn't expecting to learn something like that.

"Of course," Amphitrite replied without missing a beat.

"But …"

"You're thinking he's the jealous type, right?" she asked to which Penny could only nod. "Well he is, but we have an agreement," she answered just as easily. "You see, it's actually one of the reasons I didn't want to marry him in the first place. I'd heard enough about how the humans and gods of the surface were either complete hypocrites or plain old prudes. That last thing I wanted was to be eye-candy on your father's arm and be leashed to him only, all the while he was off to bed whatever caught his fancy."

The queen gave a slight sniff at that, her eyes narrowing for a moment as she glanced off to the side. After a few seconds though, she seemed to relax and returned her attention to Penny.

"However, I was pleasantly surprised by your father. A bit full of himself and honestly, he had reason to be. Powerful and skilled as a warrior, running high of successes in the war, handsome, and rather charming in that roguish way that just got a girl excited. Still, I did have to sit him down and see what was it that he wanted in Atlantis and how he'd rule. Our culture was a point of pride to Atlanteans and a surface-born god coming down and changing everything would have led to more civil unrest and possibly war."

The queen then paused for a moment, giving Penny a second to digest that bit before continuing.

"I swore to him that I would never bare the child of another man, which I haven't. In truth, I mostly like playing around with the court ladies, the maids, and attendants anyways, so it wasn't difficult to begin with. Your father never complained too, after all, he does love watching those moments," she added with a purr, the sounding getting the vixen to blush even more, her mind racing with imagined scenes. "And if for the rare time to time I decide I'm in the mood for several inches and your father isn't around or busy, well, Atlantis boasts an extensive night-life with matching services, and discretion is a major sell."

Penny made somewhere between a squeak and a groan at the back of her throat, her treacherous mind easily picturing all sorts of scenarios involving this beauty.

"And he's okay with that?" she asked, needing to be sure.

Far be it for her to judge in any way what Amphitrite did on her spare time, but if she and Poseidon were in any way similar when it came to intimate partners, she just knew he was possessive and territorial with varying degrees depending on who it was.

At her question, Amphitrite waved her head side to side with a hum before answering, "Yes and no."

Penny only raised an eyebrow at the queen.

"He knows it happens, but I don't parade it when it does. As far as your father is concerned, from time to time I go with the ladies of the court for a spa day, and just maybe, have extra services," Amphitrite explained with a pleased purr to her voice.

Penny's mouth fell slightly open, her lips going a little dry as she looked at her stepmother, a familiar tingle running up and down her body.

"Princesses are always invited with the ladies of the court too," Amphitrite added casually.

The click of Penny's mouth closing was rather sharp, her eyes nailed to the queen of the deep. An amused giggled followed as Amphitrite looked at her intently before shrugging, her face settling to a calmer expression.

"But that's not here nor there. It's an open offer if you're ever interested, simple as that."

"… I see," Penny replied slowly, feeling rather mixed about such an offer.

She already knew things like one-night stands and generally getting heated with strangers wasn't exactly to her tastes. Flirting, teasing, dancing, and maybe even some petting? Sure, but any further was pretty much off the table until she got fairly familiar and regular with whoever it was. Paid sexual services beyond strippers though? That was a new one for the vixen and she wasn't sure how she felt about it.

Deciding to put those concerns aside, Penny simply asked, "And what does that have to do with adopting me?"

Amphitrite must have seen the look on her face as she sighed and reached closer, her hand lightly cupping Penny's cheek.

"Partly, but that's just one little thing compared to everything else," the queen explained, her voice getting tender as she spoke. "I want to adopt you because I want to be part of your new life, and if you want to, to become part of mine, Atlantean culture and all. If you don't want to be that engaged with what happens in Atlantis, I'd accept that too." Leaning back, Amphitrite gave her a patient smile brimming with warmth. "But there's now hurry, so don't worry yourself over it. I can wait for an answer."

Penny simply looked at the queen, her head slightly tilting to lean into the warm, soft hand cupping her cheek. Just that simple touch felt so comforting and inviting. She knew Amphitrite was being nothing but honest, and in a way, it was that honesty that was so overwhelming.

She wasn't sure when exactly it happened, but she'd built up this image in her head about what her stepmother would be like and now as a god, how she'd have to deal with it. She'd been ready for almost everything; mild tolerance and somewhat distant at best down to cold and indifferent, hostile and resentful, and maybe even downright hateful. Her life as a demigod had more than prepared her for unwarranted (or warranted) aggression from petty, spiteful gods.

Instead she got an open armed invitation, unconditionally offered from this beautiful queen, pulling at wants and desires hidden deep within.

The feeling of Amphitrite running a thumb across her cheek brought her back to focus, making her aware that her eyes had gotten wet. Her throat felt tighten up a little as she took a shuddering breath, blinking away any more possible tears.

The queen simply gave her a gentle, understanding smile as she slowly got up and pulled Penny along be her hand. The vixen followed silently as Amphitrite led them inside towards the kitchen, their interlaced hands never letting go much to Penny's silent gratitude.

Once there, Amphitrite set Penny to lean against the island platform before moving to the fridge. Penny watched her move about, partly eyeing the queen's gorgeous figure all but displayed by her racy garments. Her earlier lust was mostly cooled though, her mind being on other things now.

Within a minute though, Amphitrite was done and offered up a large cup of warmed milk. Murmuring a soft 'thank you', the vixen eagerly took it and got a long sip. The warmth of the rich, creamy drink did wonders to soothe the immortal vixen as she felt herself calm further. As she drank, Amphitrite made short work of the clean up and then silently stood beside the vixen, simply watching her.

It made Penny a little self-conscious but the warmth in the queen's gaze was a welcome one.

Penny also noticed how Amphitrite's gaze dropped at moments, combined with the slightest twitch of her fingers that she tried to hide. Penny hid a knowing grin into her cup as two of her tails curled around to swaying right in front of the queen. Getting a surprised and mildly questioning look from the beauty, Penny only nodded and watched.

A delighted gleam entered Amphitrite's eyes as she reached forward and gently ran her hands over Penny's tails, the fingers passing through the soft fur. Penny didn't even try to hide the low purr of her throat as she enjoyed the warm touch. She was sure she almost caught a squeal from Amphitrite, but the queen managed to hold most of it in, even as she lost herself to petting the fluffy additions.

Tails for the win!

Between the comfort of the touch and focusing on her drink, it took another minute or so for Penny to finish. Amphitrite mildly pouted as she then released the tails, after which, Amphitrite took the cup from her and set it to soak in one of the sinks. Taking her hand again, Amphitrite led along back up towards their rooms, walking silently all the while. It was a comfortable silence though, just letting Penny enjoy the queen's presence up until they reached her room.

"Here we are," Amphitrite said, gesturing to the door Penny had left slightly open.

"Mhmm," Penny hummed back, looking between the door and where her hand was still interlaced with Amphitrite's before looking up at her stepmother's face.

She nibbled on her lower lip as she looked at that face, wondering if she could make a small request. Something so small and simple that it was honestly silly, but for some reason she was scared to do it. So, bucking up the courage, she simply did it instead of asking.

Letting go of the queen's hand, she stepped closer and hugged the older goddess.

She felt Amphitrite stiffen for just a moment, likely from surprise at the action, and all Penny could do was keep the hold as she listened to her own racing heart. And then, it was returned. The feel of Amphitrite's warm arms wrapping around her was a relief she hadn't realized she'd needed, the two beauties tugging themselves closer against the other, sharing their warmth.

Penny could almost feel Amphitrite's heart beating back through their chests, the queen's scent of sage and sea salt mingling with her own spice and herb one. Penny snuggled deeper into the contact, her arms tightening as she left herself to this moment.

She wasn't sure how long it lasted, and didn't particularly care to find out, until they finally pulled back enough to look at each other again.

"Thank you," she said, her voice low and full of emotion after everything that had been said.

She still was having trouble believing it.

"You're welcome," Amphitrite replied back just as softly, before leaning closer and kissing Penny's cheek, right over the whisker marks.

The vixen felt a blush come to her cheeks as she shivered at that, getting a tiny giggle from the queen.

"Now, off to bed. Even gods need to rest," Amphitrite shooed lightly, gently pushing Penny towards the door. "Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight," Penny whispered back as she stepped in and softly closed the door behind herself while shooting the queen one last smile.

She felt warm all over again and for different reasons this time, a smile never leaving her lips.

Turning back to her bed, that smile grew as she took in the adorable sight of Artemis cuddling her pillow, all wrapped in the sheets. Muffling a tiny giggle, Penny drew closer and easily untangled the goddess before slipping in. Even asleep, Artemis quickly moved to cuddling against her, sighing in content as she rested her face against Penny's chest. Kissing the redhead's temple, Penny snuggled in as she let her eyes close, this time falling asleep in just a few short minutes…


So, mostly just one big talk here. Thoughts?

I just love building cutltures and traditions, you know, the constant 'what ifs' that you can play all day with. Now you all have a better look at Amphitrite and what she's all about. Things just keep building and I love it!

See you all next round!