Ares

You were Artemis—the goddess of the hunt and the wild, the moon and the night. When your father, Zeus, once asked whom you would like as a husband, you replied that, as before, your will was unchangeable and you wished to be alone for the rest of your life. As a goddess, you were the protector of women in childbirth, though you yourself were a virgin, and you did not want to lose your status, even though Zeus said that having a husband by your side would only add to your experience.

While you treated women with kindness, patience, and warmth, your attitude toward men was different. You couldn't say you hated them, but you knew that among the gods there were many narcissistic and arrogant ones who believed that a girl should be gentle and weak. You believed you were born to shatter these stereotypes. Hunting became your favorite pastime, where you displayed patience, skill, and sometimes cruelty, but also a mercy that didn't make a person weak. Therefore, when you met men, you treated them with cautious arrogance, showing them they were dealing with an equal.

Since you weren't particularly interested in the gods, many of them were unknown to you. Your favorite place to stroll was the Sacred Grove at the temple, next to which was Aphrodite's Garden. Although you weren't close to her, the garden was open to everyone.

One day, while strolling near the columns in the center of the garden, you saw a sculpture of a man you didn't recognize. As you approached, you noticed his muscular body and warrior-like attire. His stern posture and facial features spoke of masculinity and dark charisma, but you weren't put off. For the first time, your gaze softened around a man, even a statue. You touched his chest and said:

• You know, if you weren't a statue, I wouldn't mind becoming your lover.

At that moment, the statue came to life, taking the rose, and the stone began to separate from the warrior's body. You recognized him as Ares, the god of war, and realized this had all been his trick, as his grin indicated. Holding the rose up, he said with a grin:

— I thought I heard you say you wanted to be my lover.