The Love of Aphrodite - Book 1

A Good Night

At the time I felt for him. At the moment he was good to me. 

Hephaestus doesn't corner me in hallways or chase me when I'm trying to escape him. He doesn't tempt me in to do things I shouldn't. He doesn't lead me astray...

And most of all, he took me in. He treats me as nicely as he can. He tries his best with me!

How could I have any other answer for him?

"Yes, I would like to stay married to you, as long as you'll have me." I nod to him sweetly and reach out both of my hands towards him, which he takes in his. 

"Then we'll stick to the original agreement." He says, a soft smile on his face. Briefly, he appears sobered completely. 

The moment, of course, is short-lived when he drunkenly kisses me, missing my mouth at first before finding his way. I can only giggle against his lips and let him hold me against him as a husband would hold his wife. It had been way too long into our marriage for us to not hold each other so. 

And why not? I shouldn't forbid him from showing affection towards me. 

So, for a while, we slow dance in the kitchen, lit by the dim lamp on the dinner table. The crickets were our music as Apollo wasn't there with his lyre, but I could hear the music within my head if I wanted to. The sweet sound filled my heart with warmth as I let him lean against me in the blissful moment that we are having. 

He didn't even limp. 

I half expected him to want to lavish me that night after the time we spent bonding together, but to my surprise, he didn't even try. 

He went to bed, exhausted and sobering up. I thought about joining him, cuddling up to him maybe, but it was only because I felt I needed to. He needs to know I'm genuine if I ever act that way with him. 

Right now, even after we danced and talked, he would know I just want him to forget all about Ares. My second glances at him, my run in with him in the hallway. He thinks I'm just a woman of manipulation. I can't always deny that I am not, but right now that's the last thing that I want to be. 

Instead, I take a walk and return to what I expect would be a sleeping Hephaestus. To my surprise, that was not the case. The man sat up in bed, awake, sketching obsessively on a piece of parchment. 

I stand shyly in the doorway and wait for him to notice me. I hope that he'll call out to me at least, ask me to come to bed with him. I felt terrible sharing a bed with him unless he invited me, which he often did not. The field was still a common sleeping ground for me. 

I clear my throat. "Husband?"

He glances up, his expression exhausted. 

"Why didn't you get any sleep?" I whisper, slowing approaching. 

"Didn't know where you were." He says slowly. "And I need to plan and build something on short notice. Of course, asking father for a decent heads up is too much to ask." He grumbles, going back to his sketch. 

"What is it?" It was a shocking question from me, as I had gotten into the habit of never asking about his constant work. This was likely because I had begun to envy it and the attention he gave it. 

"Something that should amuse you, I assume." He chuckles half-heartedly. 

I frown in confusion until he answers: "A wedding, that you caused." 

I give a little jump of glee. "One of my matches? Which ones?" 

"If you even remember the two of them..." Hephaestus mutters. "Peleus, the mortal hero, and a sea goddess you may or may not have hand-picked for him." 

I think for a moment. "Hmm, pretty little strawberry blonde with an ample bosom." Hephaestus rolls his eyes, provoking a laugh out of me. "I'm only kidding. I remember her name." I smack his shoulder. "It...uh started with a T." 

Hephaestus scoffs but is playful this time. "I hope these matches you're making are as well thought out as you're pretending them to be."

"She was a lovely girl, with lots of perks and lots to give. She was exactly what the hero deserved, was she not?" I protest.

"Yes, but you have to look at matches from both points of view. Otherwise, you're no better than Zeus forcing us together." Hephaestus says, immediately stuttering out an apology after he finishes his sentence. "I'm sorry. I don't mean that we-" 

"It's fine," I whisper. "You said the exact thing that would help me understand. I'll be more careful and conscious of both sides." I wince, thinking of Hades and what I had done to him. 

"Though, I did make a mistake today...at the party," I admit, grimacing. 

"What?" Hephaestus is alert in less than a second. 

"Yes. Hera convinced me to...abuse my power for her own little tantrum antics." I groan to myself and curl up in the blankets with him. "Why? Why did I do that?" 

Hephaestus only chuckles. "Which God or Goddess did she want to damn now?" 

I wince. "I'm almost certain she wanted to damn the pair of them." I twiddle my fingers uncomfortably. "That's why I won't be making that mistake again, but she was trying to..." I trail off and shake it off. "Anyways, all you need to know is that it was Persephone and Hades she requested be a match." 

Hephaestus only shakes his head and clicks his tongue. "I'm guessing that will become a very awkward situation very soon." 

I shrug my shoulders. "Serves them all right, I suppose. Zeus was the one who went off and had another affair. At least Hades gets a beautiful Goddess to sweep off her feet." 

Hephaestus laughs. "Demeter isn't all that fair. You really think she'll be beautiful?" 

I wave him off. "Oh, of course. She'll be one of the fairest of us all."