For Day 6 of OQ Happy Endings Week (AU day)

I don't have an update schedule for this story yet, but know that it will be a new multi-chapter that I will hopefully continue writing after Tethered is done. Enjoy the first chapter!

One year with the optivus, then make a match.

You will only reveal the match when you are certain true love will bloom.

You will not touch the optivus.

You will not covet their joy.

You will not disrupt the match.

You are a servant.

You will only ever seek the optivus's happiness, never your own.

Those are the rules. The concepts of her very existence, the reason the gods created her in the first place. And Regina doesn't really have a problem with them. They're a bit harsh for a goddess of love, or so her optiva tell her when she explains them, but in truth, she enjoys her work, likes getting to know the optivus and having a year of new experiences before she sees him or her off to a life of love and happiness. She becomes friends with these humans, so if she can't have the joy of true love, then at least she's glad they can.

Today is one of her favorite parts of the process. Today she gets to meet her new optivus. A man or woman who will share their life with her for a whole year while she finds them the perfect partner.

The optivus, or chosen one, is handpicked by the gods, singled out from all of humanity based on his or her merits. Only the noblest of souls is deserving of true love, and so during the year that Regina spends with one optivus, the gods spend their time picking another, so that when she finally delivers the optivus to their soulmate, there is another mortal waiting for her, and the cycle starts again.

She'd delivered David to his soulmate, Killian, just last night, and is now on her way to the temple, fabric swishing slowly as she moves. She's worn her best today, conjured a gown out of cherry blossoms and sunlight, turning it into a luminous material that favors her features and hugs her figure in a way that makes her feel beautiful. Her hair is down, with two sections from the front tied back so that her face is on full display, excitement shining in her eyes as she enters the temple and greets the goddess Juno with a smile.

"My queen," Regina says, bowing before her monarch.

"Regina," she replies with a rare smile. Juno is ruthless. A true leader. The Protector of Rome. Regina carries her name, a mark of the goddess's part in her creation. She is mother and queen, intimidating to all, worshipped by Rome in ways no other goddess can ever be. But to Regina, she is a friend, shows a softer side she imagines not many are privy to.

"I've delivered the optivus to his soulmate, they took to each other right away," Regina reports.

"Yes, we saw it all, my dear. A job well done," Juno replies, and Regina feels a lick of pride swell inside her at the praise.

"Have you chosen a new optivus for me, my queen?" Regina asks then. She knows they have, but the question is part of the protocol, and Juno loves protocol.

As expected, the goddess smiles, nods, "We have, and as the goddess of matchmaking, it is your responsibility to see that our chosen one gets the happiness he deserves."

Ah, so it's a he, then. Interesting. They always alternate, woman, man, woman, man, but it seems they've bent the order a bit this time.

"I will do my best to bring him a soulmate worthy of his love," Regina recites, as is expected of her. Excitement builds as she waits for the optivus to be shown to her in the reflective pool of the temple, but the goddess is not done talking just yet.

"Venus chose this one," she explains. "He's a favorite of hers. A thief who steals from the rich to give to the poor. His methods are... unorthodox, but he's brought joy to many unfortunate souls, and has given a lot of himself to make others happy. Thus, we've deemed him deserving of our attention."

"Sounds like quite the character," Regina says, her amusement betraying her.

"He's an optivus like any other, Regina," Juno warns firmly, catching the hint of interest in her tone. "You will do your duty as you have many times before, and you will deliver him to his soulmate."

"Of course, my queen," she agrees immediately, bowing her head in apology. It seems to be enough for Juno, who smiles again and dips a finger into the pool, drawing a small circle in the water and making waves swirl and grow, until the picture of a man is reflected on the surface.

He's handsome. Very much so. His hair is the color of honey, soft waves and a light layer of stubble tinged with the tiniest hint of gray, a stubborn lock falling just over tempting blue eyes that sparkle in the light. His skin is fair, with a slight golden tone to it, as though the sun god himself has kissed it, his body toned and solid, the marks of labor and effort defining his muscles in quite an attractive manner, and there are dimples in his smile that she hopes his children inherit someday, because they are possibly the most endearing sight she's ever laid eyes on.

"Beautiful, isn't he?" Juno asks knowingly.

"I can see why Venus favors him," is Regina's reply, and they share a secret smile. Venus always was weak for attractive human males.

"Hmm," Juno agrees. "She can be a flighty thing, but she does have great taste."

"When will I meet him?"

"Tonight," Juno tells her. "He'll be at a tavern in a town not far from here. He might be in disguise, seeing as his enemies are constantly searching for him, but you'll recognize him by the lion tattoo on his arm."

Regina nods, and then adds, concerned, "Will his enemies find him at this tavern while we are there? Humans are not always receptive when I first appear to them, I'd like to know how much time I have to convince him to join me before they get there, if that is the case."

"That won't be a problem," Juno promises. "Jupiter and Venus will see to it that they are led elsewhere in their search, you may take as long as you need at the tavern."

"Thank you."

The goddess nods her acknowledgement, then urges her, "Now go, dearest. The sun is setting, it's almost time. And remember, you serve the chosen mortal, not yourself. You may not touch him, you may not deliver him a mate until you are sure she will be his soulmate, and you will always seek his happiness, not—"

"—My own," Regina finishes, bowing again, "I know."

Juno stretches out an arm, her hand warm and soft as light itself as she caresses the side of Regina's face. "You are a good daughter," she tells her. "I wish all my goddesses were as obedient as you."

Regina smiles at that, pride blooming in her chest again. She's Juno's favorite, they all know that, but it's nice to be told so every once in a while.

"I will strive to make you proud, mother," she swears, and Juno leans in and dots a kiss to her forehead.

"You already do, my dear. You already do."

With that, she disappears, leaving nothing but the reddish hue of the sunset in her stead, and Regina takes in the colors, the beauty of Creation, and counts herself lucky to be a goddess of Olympus, a goddess of Rome, to be allowed to watch the passage of time like a play, all laid out for her appreciation and bemusement.

The tavern is small, filthy, ripe with miscreants and wenches alike, all of them seeking the next great payout, hunting for treasure in the shape of silver denari that they'll later gamble away in the Games.

Her target, however, seems quite happy to simply finish the contents of the large cup in his hand. True to Juno's instructions, Regina spies the lion tattoo on his arm before she sees the rest of him, finds him toasting with the barkeep and taking a deep swig of his wine, glugging until the cup is empty and slammed onto the table with the satisfying clink of ceramic on stone.

A second cup is placed before him, filled to the brim with the bar's terrible ware, and Regina takes that as her cue, moves to occupy the vacant seat beside him.

"Celebrating, are we?" she asks calmly, and when he turns to her, he startles, his eyes going wide as they take her in.

She's used to humans admiring her beauty. Knows that the sight of her is quite pleasing to the eyes of mortals, her optiva among them, so this isn't news. In fact, it's quite amusing, makes her smile a little.

"I... yes, I... I am," he stammers, still ogling her. It's sweet, really, how he marvels at her face, moving his eyes frantically all over it as though she's a vision and will disappear any second.

"May I inquire as to the reason for such celebrations?" she asks, her voice soft and inviting, drawing him in so that the process is smoother. They're about to spend a year together, after all.

"I, uh... I was able to, um... procure some items that will help a friend."

"By which you mean you've successfully divested a rich man of his gold and used it to feed a dozen families for the next month."

That has him choking on the first sip of his new drink, sputtering and coughing while she watches him, chuckling at his reaction.

"How do you—" he's still coughing, wheezing, looking around frantically.

"—Know that?" she supplies, amused still because he keeps whipping his head around, trying to make sure no one heard her remark, so she clarifies, "Don't worry, only you can see me. As for the answer to your question, well, we gods have a way of finding these things out."

"G—gods? You're—" he's not scared, but still a little shocked, staring curiously at her.

Regina nods. "I was created to find true happiness for deserving mortals by pairing them with their soulmates," she explains. "You, Robin, are one of those chosen mortals. An optivus of the gods."

"I... I am?"

"Venus picked you herself," she taunts, smiling at her own joke. Venus would probably rather disguise herself as a mortal and have her way with him than have Juno and Jupiter grant him a lifetime of love with another woman.

"I— I've heard of you before," he states. "In stories my mother told me as a boy, but I never thought... You're... you're beautiful."

"Thank you."

"How have I come to deserve the gift of your company? I've hardly done anything that warrants a reward from the gods."

He's being oddly accepting of her, which is nice. Her last optivus, David, tried to run from her for three days before he let her explain her purpose.

"You've been working to feed and help the poor for years now," she explains.

"Yes, by stealing," he declares. "How is a common thief deserving of happiness? Of love?"

"The gods have very particular ways of picking their favorites. It's best not to try to make sense of it," Regina deflects. "It's true that you are no hero, Robin, but you have been deemed deserving of true love thanks to your noble acts. Will you accept it?"

"But how does it work?" he asks then, taking a sip of his drink. "You live in Olympus, not here. How is it that you are able to find someone perfect for me, when I've walked this earth for thirty-five years and have yet to find her myself?"

He's inquisitive, if a bit defiant. But she likes him, she likes a challenge. Easy is boring.

"I have my ways," she answers, smirking. That draws a smile out of him, and those dimples really are disarming, she thinks, especially now that their appearance is her doing.

"Before we begin, you must agree to have me by your side. I will learn everything there is to know about you. We will walk the places that are important to you in this world, and find a few new ones where we can be alone to talk properly and map out the possibilities in your future. I will ask questions, some of them painful, and you must answer them all truthfully. You must swear to never lie to me, to never seek any magical favors from me, and to hold your end of the bargain and meet your true love once I find her."

"How long?" he asks, and that's... odd. No one ever asks how much time she'll spend with them, but she's quickly realizing this man is different from the others. She's beginning to see just why Venus was so enamored by him, and why Juno allowed him to be chosen.

"One year. At the end of which I will have found a perfect match for you, and will bring her to you to begin your journey to happiness."

"Will anyone else see you with me?" he asks.

"As an optivus, you have the gift of seeing me at all times. Others will see me only when you wish it," Regina replies.

"What if I wish it now?" he dares.

"If you're not ordering anything, you need to get out of my bar," a gruff voice interrupts them, and Regina turns to find the old barkeep staring right at her.

"Amazing," she hears Robin say. Good. She's proved herself. He trusts her.

She's hides from human eyes again, and the barkeep forgets ever seeing her, walking away to serve some wandering drunk. Regina turns to her optivus, unable to hide just how pleased she is with herself.

"So, a year of this, huh?" he questions, bringing them back to the topic. Regina nods, smiling still. "What if you don't find me a soulmate by then?"

"I've never failed in my charge, Robin, I will not disappoint you," she promises, growing serious now. She does not allow herself to fail, no matter how difficult the task.

"What if I don't want a soulmate?" he counters then.

"Nonsense, everyone wants a soulmate," Regina throws back.

"Do you want one?" he asks, startling her.

"It's different for me. I am not human, I am immortal, and as such, that joy is lost to me."

"So you're saying that your destiny... as a goddess of love... is to be alone forever?" he seems baffled by the idea, a little sad, too, on her behalf.

"I take pride in my divine purpose, Robin, however miserable it may seem to you," she says, a little defensively. "And this isn't about me. It's about you. You may try to hide it, but you want a companion, you want someone to share your life with. An equal. Someone who will fight for the same things you do. Someone who will love you as fiercely as you love your cause."

"You think such a thing is possible?" he questions, and the sheer resignation in his voice moves her, has her wanting to prove to him that he can, indeed, be loved.

"You would not have been chosen if it wasn't," she insists, and this is always the worst part of her job. She itches to touch him, to offer physical comfort and reassurance. She wants to give his shoulder a supportive squeeze, or cover his fidgeting hand with her own...

But contact between mortals and gods is forbidden (to avoid disasters like the ones Jupiter has caused in the past, she's sure), and she lacks the ability to disguise herself as human like Venus, so she must stick to the rules.

"Trust me, Robin," she says instead. "I can do this."

He sighs, then nods, surrendering. "Well, guess that's that, then."

"You agree?" she asks to confirm.

"Well, I don't think I have much of a choice, do I? You said it yourself, the gods picked me."

"They did," she affirms.

"Then I suppose we should get started. Drink?"

She laughs, shaking her head.

"No time for that. We have much to discuss." A denarius appears with the wave of her hand, settling next to his still half-filled cup of wine as she tells him, "Come with me, the sooner we get started, the better."

His wooden stool scrapes against the floor as he pushes it back, his movements clunky and noisy as he goes, muttering his goodbyes to the few that address him. He's in disguise, with a sand-colored cloak hiding his green tunic, hood drawn up over his head, so she supposes that those he waves to are part of his crew, people he feels safe with. She makes a mental note to investigate them later, learn a bit about these men on her own before she questions him about them.

They exit the tavern, and the noise from inside dies out as the door closes behind them, giving way to the natural, far more enjoyable sounds of the night. The wind gusting through the trees, a wolf howling in the distance, the faint chirp of crickets...

"It's a beautiful night," she begins, turning around to face him once they've reached a safe distance. "Shall we take a walk first?"

"As you wish, my goddess."

"I prefer Regina," she corrects, realizing she'd neglected to tell him her name when she introduced herself. Strange.

"Beautiful name for a beautiful woman," he compliments, and she feels warm all over. It's happened before, some of the optiva can't help but try to woo her. One woman, Mal, had even propositioned her when she became her optivus a few years ago. It'll pass. It always does.

Regina nods her thanks, then turns and begins to walk, knowing he'll follow.

"You still owe me that drink," he reminds her, walking just a few steps behind her.

She smiles to herself, indulging just a little bit in the harmless flirtation.

"Yes, I suppose I do," she replies, and hears his answering chuckle as he catches up to her.

This is going to be fun.