Beginning of the End

Three

Serenity was nothing short of horrified once she arrived in her parents' study and had been filled in on the plans they'd been making behind her back. In fact, she'd been so horrified that she'd actually proven that she possessed a temper, despite what her name and typical demeanor suggested.

        What downright sickened her, though was that her parents actually thought she'd just let them pick her husband for her. Never mind that the man she was presented with was easy on the eyes, to say the least–he was every bit six and a-half feet of well-muscled blonde with eyes the shade of what she'd read was Baltic Amber in one of her books. She refused to sleep with a man who was clearly Intent on marrying her just for her looks and the status upgrade he'd gain once the Ceremony was concluded.

        Holding up a hand, the man who'd been introduced to her as Apollo carried an Air far more regal than that of even her parents. Once they'd all fallen Silent, he made no bones about asking the Moon King and Queen to clear out for a few minutes. Apparently, whatever he was about to say was meant for the ears of his Intended, and hers alone. Either they'd be told later on, or she'd decide it was simply too private to share with anyone, especially said parents.

        "Listen to me very–and I mean very–closely, ipo," he said, his voice settling into a deep timbre that was downright unnerving.

        Serenity didn't have the slightest clue what that last word meant, and it honestly made her wanna flee more than just his tone did.

        "You're not exactly my first pick, either," the Sun King admitted, one side of his mouth quirking up in a momentary smirk. "Despite whatcha may think at first glance, I'm not a man to go chasing after a woman simply for her looks."

        "Then why'd you agree to meet with my parents, let alone wed me?" she demanded.

        "Boredom, plain and simple," Apollo answered evenly.

        The Moon Princess' eyes widened as she processed that, 'cuz it caught her off-guard.

        "I figured that hearing them out, if nothing else'd be amusing, even if it was but a fleeting amusement," he continued. "Besides, it's not like I've very many prospects of my own without having to look outside the Solar System."

        "And just what's that supposed to mean?" Serenity queried, honestly curious.

        "The few women who don't reside on Earth simply aren't for me." The Sun King shrugged nonchalantly. "We might get along well enough for the occasional fling, but not for something that should be as long-lasting as marriage."

        "What makes you think that'll be any different with me, though?" she asked, hating the way her cheeks heated up at the mere Thought of him being with any woman intimately.

        Apollo's smirk took on a knowing quality, those Amber eyes seeming to pierce her very Soul as he gazed at her. When he finally spoke again, he admitted that he couldn't put it into words in any of the languages he'd learned, but he'd the feeling that there was something different about her. She certainly wasn't like any other woman he'd ever met thus far, and he'd damn well met a lotta women in his two Centuries of Life.

        The Moon Princess' cheeks turned a bright shade of red, but she forced herself not to let his so-called compliment get in her head. Just 'cuz he was certainly a Charming bastard didn't mean he was actually a good man at heart, and she'd do well to remember that. Otherwise, she'd likely wind up suffering a broken heart that turned her into the opposite of what she was.

        But even as she locked that comment in a cage in the back of her mind, Serenity couldn't help noticing something about this man. Where his eyes'd gleamed brightly with a playful Mischief she'd never seen in anyone else before, they were now a bit duller. Not only that, but that vibrant Amber that was so attractive'd Darkened to a dingy-looking brown that simply didn't suit him, as far as she was concerned. There was clearly something more–something deeper than the flesh, so to speak–Hidden right there in what he'd said. Unfortunately, she didn't have the first clue what he was referencing, and she got the feeling she shouldn't ask.