Single Shepherd Father

For the past several years, Endymion had been living the perfect single life, with only sheep for company. His fateful encounter with Séléné, the moon goddess had been a wonderful surprise, but a surprise nonetheless.

The young man had never considered settling down and raising a family. For one, he had not seen the appeal as Endymion neither wished for a companion nor did he like children. More importantly, Endymion could not envision himself providing for a family. Being a shepherd was a respectable occupation, but it was far from a financially rewarding one.

And if one had to describe Endymion, one would say he was responsible, diligent and consistent - honourable qualities which had contributed to charming the moon goddess.

Upon meeting Séléné and falling in love with her, the young man had started reconsidering his previous stance. Endymion thought sharing a home with Séléné wouldn't be such a bad idea after all. Wouldn't children further complete this ideal image he had painted in his head?

In the end, this musing of his was not to be as their relationship was very brief. After falling in love with Séléné, Endymion could not see himself building a family with anyone else. So, he entirely gave up on the notion. It should have ended there.

However, two years after Séléné first left, just as he'd recovered from her absence, the goddess returned, literally appearing at his front door. In her pale arms, she carried two young infants. Endymion immediately knew they were his.

To anyone with eyes, their parentage was as clear as the moon was bright.

The first twin, the boy, was alabaster pale with Endymion's eyes and hair colour while the other twin had his deep olive skin but Séléné's colouring. Overall, both children's features were an even mix of Endymion's and Séléné's own. They were beautiful.

Faced with his flesh and blood, the young man, who initially had no desire for a family, could not turn down Séléné's request. Lucien and Lycée were his children and his first and only love was their mother. He could not turn them away, now that he knew of their existence. They were his children, his responsibility, and most importantly, the physical, living, breathing proof of his and Séléné's love.

Accepting to take in the twins certainly did not mean everything was smooth sailing thereafter.

On the contrary, the young father was severely underprepared for the tall task that was child-rearing, and especially so since there were two of them. Not only did he not know the first thing about being a father, but Endymion also did not have the proper accommodation and resources to raise them.

As a shepherd for the farmer living further down in the valley, Endymion constantly rotated between three mountain cabins as sheep pastured. The only luxury he had - if one could call it that, was his two years old shepherd dog, Eureka. Apart from his dog, Endymion owned very little and he slept with the sheep every night. Despite newly becoming a father, the young man doubted it would be appropriate for two twenty months old toddlers.

For their first night together, if Endymion slept on the floor, his bedding would do for Lycée and Lucien. This would only be a temporary solution since as the children will grow older, it will be too small to fit them both. Luckily, tomorrow was the day he was switching cabins and going back down the valley. The old farmer and his wife had several children in the past wh were now all grown up. With some luck, they would be willing to part with their children's old clothes.

Gods knew Endymion could not afford to buy clothing on top of feeding his children. He'd only just become a parent and things were already this complicated. Endymion internally wondered whether this was a test sent to him from the Gods. Trials like these were not frequent, but they happened often enough for people to keep talking about them.

At the end of the day, Lycée and Lucien were still very much the progeny of the moon goddess. While Séléné was considered by many a minor goddess, the deity was one of the most ancient ones. She was still highly regarded and from what Endymion had learned over his time with his ill-fated lover, Séléné retained an important role and her opinion while not always taken into consideration, was one which mattered.

Mayhaps it was more accurate to think it was not him, but Lycée and Lucien who would have to face trials. Taking into account their combined lineage - one Endymion would rather forget - both children had the makings of either great heroes or tragic ones. As a father, Endymion sincerely hoped the twins would be able to lead a long and peaceful life despite their uncommon heritage.

Readjusting his hold on the twins, the young father laid them down on the cot. Thankfully, Endymion's bedding was in the corner, further away from the door and the sheep. Upon glancing at the closed door, the shepherd noted with a smile that Eureka was already laying down by the entrance, as he should have.

As he tucked in the twins, Endymion met with Lycée's sleepy eyes. Her glistening silvery eyes were so alike her mother's it hurt to look at them. They were utterly entrancing. However, they were not a feature that would fit on a toddler's face. Yet, neither twins were regular children. Both gave off some sort of intangible yet heavy aura, a feeling Endymion was familiar with after having spent time with Séléné. In comparison, Lycée and Lucien's were muted but that was most likely due to their half-godly origins.

Endymion patted his daughter's head, humming slightly. She dozed off in a couple of minutes, instinctively turning to snuggle with her brother in her sleep. By her side, Lucien had long ago fallen asleep, drooling ever so slightly as his mouth was open. This was a ridiculously heart-warming sight and at that moment, Endymion felt a tremendous amount of affection for his children. It was then he was convinced choosing to welcome Lycée and Lucien in his life were the best decision he had ever made.

Laying down beside, Endymion observed them for a while before rolling on his back. Above the roof, the young man knew Séléné was there, watching over the three of them. With a sad smile, the young father whispered into the night.

"When you first left, I resented you for leaving me behind. Rationally, I understood and agreed with your decision, but in my heart, I could not let you go."

Endymion paused and briefly closed his eyes.

" I decided to take care of our children, not out of love, but because I am their father and you, the Queen of my heart, were the one to request it. I am sad you can't be here with us but- I promise I will do my best as a single shepherd father."

Taking a deep breath, the young man stared straight ahead, unknowingly locking eyes on the moon.

"Thank you for entrusting them to me, Séléné."

Silence overtook the cabin as its inhabitants slept soundly.

Up above in the starry night sky, Séléné intently watched the quaint cabin, with tears in her eyes. According to a godly rule, this would be her last time interacting with the family of three in many years, whether it be from afar or in person. Goodbyes were painful and so, Séléné preferred to promise: "See you again."