"So you're telling me that she's using you?" Asked Apollo with a raised eyebrow.
I nodded, "That's what Ares suggested." I said shrugging.
Apollo pondered for a moment, tapping his chin curiously as he stared off into space. He snapped his fingers in excitement, "Then we should use her!"
"We?" I frowned.
He wasn't kidding when he said he wanted to be involved. He grinned and quickly nodded, "Yup, we!"
I squeezed my lips into a thin line in defiance, "Why are you so interested in the demise of Aphrodite, don't you guys have kids together or something?" I pointed out.
He simply laughed and shook his head, "Believe it or not we don't. I'm the only major god she hasn't hooked up with!"
He hasn't been with Aphrodite?! She's been with every god and sired their children, and don't get me started on her and Apollo's love lives. He practically falls in love with anything and everything and she well-sleeps with anything and everything it seems like. They would've been almost perfect together, even for a short time. Apollo must have understood what I was thinking and spoke up,
"Believe or not, I do have standards." He shrugged.
"She's the goddess of beauty-like she fits anyone and everyone's standards!" I Exclaimed, and continued, "She can morph into what you desire most."
"Yeah well she has yet to do that with me." Said Apollo. He wore an almost sad expression on his face.
"Hasn't she tried?" I pressed. I probably shouldn't be prodding him with so many questions but I'll take what I can get, especially since he's always doing the very same thing to me.
"Of course she has! I'm like the hottest god." He beamed, his chin held high.
I wanted to say he was being cocky but he wasn't wrong... he is the god of the sun after all. "So it was you who rejected her advances?" I asked quietly.
He nodded, "I've known what she's done and what she's capable of. I am a really sensitive guy, and I look for love and all but-I think we both know how 'faithful' she can be." He said with a heavy sigh.
I nodded.
So It seemed like he rejected her because he wants something real and permanent. He knows she won't remain faithful, and that she would just end up breaking his heart. I guess the difference between Aphrodite and all his previous lovers was that Aphrodite you can already assume what a relationship with her would be like while with others it's a gamble. He enters all these relationships with a tiny bit of hope that it would last and not end in tragedy... yet they all have. I couldn't help but feel bad. Yeah he can 'unintentionally' be a jerk to me sometimes but he deserves to be loved... I could understand.
"Well I don't blame you." I said forcing a smile, "Now how do you plan we 'use her'?"
"Well, Aphrodite's popular for... well... hating certain women. There was one girl who defied Aphrodite completely and that was psyche." He explained as if our previous conversation never even happened.
"Who's psyche?" I asked.
He explained to me the whole love story behind psyche and Aphrodite's son Eros. Psyche was said to be so beautiful that it left Aphrodite threatened and she cursed the girl preventing anyone from ever falling in love with her. She sent Eros to shoot a hideous beast with a love arrow so it would fall in love with psyche but he ended up impaling himself with it and fell in love with the girl. It was a huge deal and Aphrodite did a whole lot of sabotaging but psyche still prevailed and blah blah. Apollo added the blah blah by the way. Apparently him and Eros aren't exactly friends...
"Ooh..." is only thing I could muster afterwards.
"'Ooh' is correct! What a boring story, even Persephone's and Hade's love story is better than that! Did I ever tell you I almost married Persephone? No? Story for another time! Anyways, back to our plan. We need you to intentionally threaten her! She's using you for insurance so it'll be in your best interest to provide a bigger threat than you currently are!" He explained ever so often trailing off into tangents.
"I thought the plan was to get Aphrodite back in Ares arms..." i Asked.
"I'm getting to that!" He said raising his finger at me, "This might sound crazy but hear me out! You have to seduce Ares to threaten her. She'll get jealous and try to compete for his affection! Her interest will be back right in his arms!"
Shock. I simply sat there in pure shock, wide eyed and all. The mere fact that he'd suggest such a obscure and IMPOSSIBLE idea is completely astonishing. How was I suppose to seduce a pure mass of rage and pent up fury?!
He saw just from looking at my expression that I was not keen on the idea, "I know what you're thinking. 'That's impossible! He's the god of war! He's big mean and scary!' Trust me, when it comes to love and ladies he's a softie!" Apollo assured as he squeezed my hands.
"T-the fact that you would suggest I could possibly compete against Aphrodite... I... me?!" I stammered.
Apollo tilted his head at me with a gentle smile, "You're more capable and beautiful than you think Shiva." He said softly, his eyes meeting mine.
I felt my cheeks heat up and I quickly averted my gaze from his, "You give me too much credit."
"You don't give yourself enough credit!" He squeezed my hands tighter, his grasp warming up my hands.
I hadn't noticed that my typically white complexion seemed to bloom with even more color. My heart felt in unfamiliar feeling of warmth. "I guess I can try..." I said and sighed.
He clapped his hands together in excitement. "Great!"
~
The next day I made it my mission to have at least a decent civilized conversation with Ares. I don't know anything about seduction... perhaps it begins with friendship? All the stories I hear about love just confuse me. It's all revolves around supernatural occurrences or good looks. The only supernatural talent I have is fixing pins and blasting green houses with snow. And I'm not confident enough to claim I have good looks.
I nervously made my way down the hall, peering through each arch seeking the god war. I ran into Hera who was knitting on a bench surrounded by blooming flowers. She didn't seem to notice me and kept knitting away, I slowly backed away from the opening and attempted to scurry away and then her voice called for me, "Shiva my dear, what are you doing?" She called.
I swallowed hard and made my way into the garden, I smiled gently at her; "Just wondering around." I said shrugging.
She squinted her eyes at me, "You're keeping something from me." She stared.
I stammered a moment and then forcibly shut my mouth, I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment.
"Come here dear, tell me what you're hiding," she said motioning for me to sit by her. Her eyes remaining on her project.
I sighed and slowly sat down next to her, I kept my eyes towards my hands neatly folded in my lap.
It was silent for a few moments. "Are you going to say anything?" Hera asked gently.
I hope Apollo doesn't kill me for this...
I let all my problems and anxieties spill like a flood gate. I told her about Ares and how he hated me, and how I agreed to help fix his and Aphrodite's relationship so he wouldn't hate me. Regretfully I told her about my deal with Apollo.
I half expected her to scold me yet she sat there unmoving, her eyes looking into mine with compassion. Then suddenly a subtle yet wicked smile spread on her lips, "You know... Apollo's idea isn't a bad one." She whispered,
I sat wide eyed, "W-Wait! You're not angry at me?!"
She shook her head with a smile, "Of course not my dear." She leaned in close and spoke in soft wise words, "There's a lot you don't know about me dear, if anyone here's knows the most about sabotage and plotting it's me."
I frowned at her in confusion, "you?!"
She nodded. "Yep. My husband, Zeus, has had a string of... affairs... that has led to stray Demi-gods and gods. Reasonably it has broken my heart and I've had to take matters into my own hands." She Explained with caution.
To be honest I never knew that was a thing. That Zeus had cheated on Hera and sired children of different mothers. "I didn't know that." I admitted.
"Well, I prefer it that way most of the time. It's quite a bad image for me. But you told me the truth so I won't keep mine from you." She said as she placed her gentle hand on my shoulder reassuringly.
"I've had to resort to certain methods for justice to prevail." She elaborated, "Which is why I won't condemn you for doing what you find 'necessary' in order to make a certain situation more bearable."
I nodded, fortunate that she isn't against what I was doing. "So, you wish to seduce my son?" She said with humor, a grin tugging at her lips.
I blushed in shame, "I-it was Apollo's idea."
"Not a bad one. Not only is he handsome but resourceful too!" She said smiling.
I would've thought she hated him considering he wasn't her son.
"Don't worry. That harpy doesn't deserve my son! She's threatened my marriage before and I have no doubt she might do it again in time. I think you should follow through with your plan, though forget reconciling their already doomed relationship! Strain their love permanently, keep his gaze adrift from the goddess. You are no goddess of love but mothers know their sons best, and I can help you learn what's necessary to win his heart." Said Hera, her eyes gleaming with admiration. I have a feeling she didn't get her revenge on Aphrodite in the past and now's her chance... but I was too far in to back out so I simply nodded.