Aphrodite.

two

Aphrodite eyed the blade in her aunt's hand, and started to panic. Could she scream? Would anyone hear her? No. Her quarters were at the top of the Palace of the Gods, hanging out over the sea where the tower bubbled out. She had chosen this room because she would be secluded here, where nobody could hear her explicit affairs, or her nightly weeping spells. Hera had come to this place, knowing all this, knowing she would not be caught, nor bothered.

The hairs on the back of Aphrodite's small neck started to prickle and stand up, and her palms started to perspire. She could feel her heart rate slowly climbing, and her breath becoming faster, more shallow and ragged. All she could do was try her best to talk Hera down, get an explanation, and hope Hera would be merciful. Her subconscious laughed at her. Hera was not a merciful goddess. She was cruel, and she reeked of envy. She had hated her since the beginning of her existence, a reminder of Zeus' numerous infidelities. But she had to try.

"Please, calm down, Hera" the fair goddess pleaded. "What is this about? What do you want of me?"

"Silence, you insolent little leech," Hera snarled. "For thousands of years, I have stood by and held my tongue, because my husband wished it so. But I cannot abide your vanity and snobbery any longer. My son aches for the wife that does not love him. He prays that you find it in you to see him as a man, and not a cripple, a laughing stock. I hear my precious boy weep over your affairs, but your disloyalty knows no bounds. You have destroyed him long enough. You never deserved him, and I am put to shame by my husband, for allowing this to go on for so long. His true born son swallows in misery while his bastards feast and whore. You are nothing but common trash. I should have put an end to you a millennia ago."

Aphrodite's breath hitched in a small gasp as the tears flowed down her youthful face. "I am sorry, Hera. So sorry. Please, I beg of you, have mercy on me! I know I deserve to be punished. I have been an awful wife to Hephaestus. But please spare my life."

There was no way past Hera, nobody to call for, no way to escape, and her aunt was out for blood. Aphrodite was going to die at the hands of the woman with the immortal blade. The wife of her father, the mother of her husband. This woman's hate for her just kept on building. She quivered and quaked. Though Aphrodite was depressed and isolated, she found she feared death, even after she had lived for so long. She was terrified of the pain she would feel, and the everlasting hell she would endure for her crimes against her husband, and all the others she had taken her own pain out on. Persephone and her husband were sure to have some unbearable eternal torture in store for her. 

As if Hera could hear her thoughts, she smiled that wicked smile again. Then, before Aphrodite could react, her aunt lunged at her, flicking the blade across her cheek, and then again on the other side. The pain seared through her face, and she whimpered and ducked to miss another blow. She had no idea how to fight, but she bent low and pushed Hera over by shoving her shoulder into her attacker's torso as hard as she could. But before she could take two steps towards the door, Hera sprung back onto her feet, like a cat, and flung Aphrodite back into her Vanity mirror. It shattered around her, and she cried out as she felt the small glass shards slicing into her back and arms. Hera was then on top of her, raising her arms high above her, preparing for the death blow. Aphrodite flung her arms up, grabbing Hera by the wrists, trying to hold them away from her. Hera started leaning all of her strength onto her arms, pushing to get the knife down into Aphrodite's midsection. At that point, Aphrodite felt some of the weight lift off of her legs. Not much, but just enough that she bolted her leg upwards and threw Hera off balance, pushing her aside. She crawled away and tried to get up onto her feet, but Hera was faster, and she body checked her through the silk curtains, tangling her in them, and making Aphrodite sprawl onto the stone balcony. All of the air was forced out of the pale beauty's lungs, and she lay there gasping for oxygen. Hera picked up the immortal blade, and started to saunter over to her, taunting her with her cruel grin. Aphrodite rolled and pushed and pulled, untangling herself from her fallen curtains, and clawed her way from the fabric. She then hauled herself into standing position, leaning on the rails of the balcony. Everything hurt, and her body was screaming for more air. She turned and faced Hera, and cried one last plea for mercy. And then Hera's arm rushed forward, and the blade pierced Aphrodite under the rib cage, slicing clean though her flesh, and she felt it as if time had slowed. She felt every nerve cry as the blade went deeper, and then the blood splashed out as the knife was withdrawn, and started flooding out of her body.

Hera then pushed, and Aphrodite fell from the balcony. She tried to scream as she felt the rush of the cold night air around her, but no sound would come. The sea was rising up fast to swallow her, and she hit it with a smack that felt as if the water was trying to rip her apart. And then her senses started to dull, and all she felt was cold, before her eyes suddenly went black, and her consciousness started to fade into nothing..