Blueeyeddevil06 thank you for being my beta!

The goddess Serenity giggled as she stepped out from behind the tree in the Royal Gardens. Suddenly, she was face to face with an incredibly sexy man. He stared at her, and she froze under his scrutiny.

He asked gruffly, "What are you doing here? This is a private garden. No one may enter without permission."

She smiled sweetly and said, "It's quite lovely. I was just looking for my friend. He comes here often." She turned, and her face lit up. "There he is."

Endymion was confused as he watched her walk over to his horse. This woman was clearly crazy. He spoke up. "You will need to back up. He attacks everyone but me." He was concerned when he watched her continue on her way to his horse.

She smiled over her shoulder at him and said, "I'll be fine." She then reached out and ran her hand down the horse's neck.

"Why didn't he bite you?!"

She looked back at him. "Do you want Thunder to bite me?"

He shook his head. "That's not his name. His name is Bucephalus."

She laughed loudly and shook her head at the horse. "That's a fine name! Why do you hate it so much?"

"I don't hate it." He said, confused.

"I was talking to Thunder." She smiled over at him. "He insists that, when he charges into battle, he sounds like the rolling thunder. He's very proud of that. He says his owner is very brave in battle and that he strikes with his sword like lightning. I would be interested to meet him, even if Thunder does jokingly call him 'the man who must be obeyed.''' She laughed lightly. "It's a long name, but he insists it fits." She stroked the horse's nose.

"You're clearly crazy." Endymion shook his head.

"And, why do you say that?"

"You think you can talk to my horse."

She grew pale. "This is your horse? Oh." She backed up and added, "I… I better go."

"Now you want to go? You are in the Royal Gardens without permission, you discover this is my horse, and you suddenly want to leave?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "I have permission to be here."

"Who would have possibly given it to you?"

"The Queen."

"She is dead!" He was angry that she would lie about his beloved mother.

She looked at him, and she was obviously troubled. "I know. I miss her very much." A tear rolled down her cheek. "The Earth is worse off now that she is gone." She wiped at the tear coursing down her face.

"You couldn't possibly know my mother, you're too young. She died when I was five!"

"You're Endymion?!" She smiled softly at him. She turned and looked at him fully.

"How do you know my name?!"

"Your mother told it to me, silly."

"Explain!"

She looked back at his horse. "Okay, so the name you call him fits him. Next time, tell me that your master is the Prince though." She rolled her eyes at the horse. The horse snorted and shook his head. "No, that wouldn't come off as bragging. I knew his mother."

"What the hell is going on?!" He was trying to not be offended by the name she claimed the horse called him. She had to be crazy, or so he kept telling himself.

"Your mother worshiped the gods and goddesses. You have all really fallen away from that. I come here to the garden to remember her. I miss her. I am the goddess Serenity." She began to glow. She looked lit from within. "I can speak to animals, including horses. Thunder is a friend of mine."

His eyes flew wide, and he instantly bowed. "I apologize for ordering you around, goddess Serenity."

"You are forgiven of course. I love your mother too much to be mad at you."

"You really knew her?"

She nodded. "We would walk in this garden together and talk. She was always so kind and full of grace."

"I miss her." He admitted.

"I miss her too. I have spoken to Hades, and she's well. I haven't convinced him to let me see her yet. He is very jealous over her." She took a step towards Endymion.

Endymion sat down quickly in the grass. All of the power went out of his legs. "She's well?" He sounded truly vulnerable.

"Of course she is. She's well respected by us all. He keeps her to himself though. Your father was horrible to her, so I'm happy to hear that Hades fell so deeply in love with her. She is now the Queen of the Underworld."

"Hades is married to my mother?"

"Yes, she is kind and beautiful. It's no surprise he fell for her so deeply."

"I'm confused. My father was horrible to her? I thought she loved him? That was what everyone told me."

Serenity looked at him with pity. "I don't think you want the whole story. Just know that she's happy."

"Please. You aren't obligated to tell me. But, please let me know what happened." He looked desperately at her. "Isn't it better to know the truth?"

"Yes, it is." Serenity relented and told him, "She was in love with your father. He married her and promised that she was everything to him. She became Queen and loved her people greatly. Your father grew jealous over their love for her in return." She stepped closer to him. "He quickly decided that she wouldn't be adored by everyone. He took several mistresses, and he didn't hide them from her. It broke her heart. He came to her bed enough to get her pregnant with you. When it was discovered she was pregnant, he moved his two favorite mistresses into his room with him. He liked having threesomes. It wasn't a secret. He didn't go to her again throughout her pregnancy. You were born, and he was thrilled he had his heir. He ignored your mother and kept his mistresses as he saw fit. He always had two in his room with him at a time." She laughed bitterly. "Your mother and I were close, and we would walk together in this garden. She finally admitted to what was happening with your father, and she pleaded for help." Serenity smirked. "I made it so his penis wouldn't work. She was relieved that he couldn't parade his mistresses around in front of her. She was also glad he couldn't expect another heir out of her. She adored you and wanted a brother for you, but he was not kind in his attempts to get her pregnant. She didn't want to go through that again."

Endymion looked broken. "He was that horrible to her."

"Yes. That is why I'm so happy for her now. As bad as it was, they were only married six and a half years. He didn't touch her for just over five of them. She's adored now." She smiled. "Hades is a fabulous husband."

"I've always hated my father. He's a monster. I felt guilty thinking so badly about him when people would tell me my mother loved him though. I thought there must have been something good in him that I was missing."

"She did love him, and then she grew to hate him." Serenity's eyes misted up. "He figured out what she asked me to do to him. He was furious. I found out too late. He strangled her in her sleep. He thought her death would give him his ability to have sex back." She scowled. "It didn't."

He looked wide eyed at her. "He killed my mother? He found someone else that he said murdered her. The man who killed her was put to death. Horribly. I even cheered."

"The man who murdered her still sits on his throne. The one he put to death was the one who figured out why he was impotent. In a way, he aided in your mother's murder, but he didn't actually strangle her."

Endymion let one tear fall. "I… I hate my father so much! The one redeeming thing about him was my mother. I thought he was so in love with her that he didn't take another wife or mistress. I even refrained from having a mistress because I wanted to be like him in the only way that I could look up to him."

"Do not despair. Your mother's death was only the beginning for her. Hades' eyes have never strayed from her. She captivates him." She smirked. "Can you imagine what it will be like when your father dies and meets Hades? He will not have a pleasant afterlife."

Endymion stared at her. "I imagine it will be horrible for him." He then smiled.

"Yes, it will be. Hades has plans for him already from what I hear." She smiled at Endymion. "You have refrained from a mistress because of your father. That is very funny to me. Will you take one now?"

"No, I find I don't want to be like him in that at all. He hurt my mother on purpose and then killed her." He looked disgusted.

Serenity truly looked at him and saw his true heart. She saw he was a man struggling to be a good man and not become like his wicked father. His demanding personality was there as a shield against looking soft. His father never tolerated kindness. He'd learned at a young age to seem cold even though deep down he was kind and very much had a heart like his mother. He was honest, loyal, and brave. She also noticed that he was incredibly sexy. She was drawn to him on a level even she didn't quite understand. She wanted him.

She smiled at him. "You're very handsome. I'm sure you've had many offers from women wanting to be in your bed."

"I have. None have tempted me."

"What about marriage?"

"I haven't been tempted there either."

Serenity stepped towards him and placed a hand on his chest. "Does a goddess tempt you?" She looked up into his eyes.

"You're no mere mistress." He laughed. She was gorgeous, and he felt his desire flare for her. He ran his hand over her back. She drew him to her like nothing else he felt before.

She shook her head, "No, I was thinking wife. Your father couldn't touch me, and he couldn't speak out against me publicly."

"You want to marry me?" He was startled.

"You're incredibly sexy, and I know you won't cheat on me." She smirked. "I can do to you what I did to your father."

"You think I'm sexy?"

She let out a sultry moan. "I'm so wet right now. All I can think about is you touching my breasts."

"Not that I'm complaining, but isn't this a bit fast?"

"You don't find me attractive?"

"You're a goddess in every way. I find you incredibly sexy. The idea of touching you has me so hard right now. I want you." He took a half step closer to her. "I just want to understand your reasoning."

"I can see into your heart. I'm a goddess, and I like what I see. You're a good man. Thunder says you're cranky, but a good woman and a great tumble in bed can fix that. I can provide you with both."

Endymion's hand twitched. He wanted to touch her, but he held back. "Why don't you come and meet my father. Everyone will be thrilled to hear I am to marry a goddess." He was hard. He couldn't get the idea of them in bed together out of his head.

She slid her hand down his chest to his abs. "Why didn't you touch me when you wanted to?"

"We just became engaged. I shouldn't."

She laughed. "I'm not a mortal woman unable to protect myself or my reputation. You may touch me." She slid her hand from his abs into his pants and firmly grasped his penis. "I plan on touching you after all." She stroked him and felt him grow even harder in her soft hand. "I hope you don't mind this."

He grunted. "That feels so good." His hands flew up and grabbed her breasts. He pinched her nipples. "I find that I'm not as controlled as I thought I was. It just took meeting you, and I want to do all sorts of things with you." He then pulled her close and kissed her passionately as she stroked him. "I'm going to love being married to you."

"You're expecting a goddess is going to be amazing in bed." She teased lightly.

"Yes, absolutely." He smiled at her. "I'm also expecting a goddess that my mother trusted would make a fabulous wife." He then pulled her with him. "I think it's time I introduce my betrothed to everyone."