APOLLO

  Hermes could not stop bragging about that woman who was being found out of the sea.

  Saying that she had become the wife of formidable Hephaestus. But then she was found on their bed with Ares and all tied up in a golden net.

  As my work never stopped I had Hermes to give me information on every minor detail which I couldn't care less about.

  He even decided to sit on my desk, tossing to the celestial marble floor all of my scrolls, explaining to me how divine this goddess was. Carved by the primordials' existence and rising from the sea.

  ‘’She is the most beautiful woman that would exist.’’

  I let out a scoff, trying to make him go away.’’Why don’t you go then? Afraid of Hephaestus nets?’’

  Hermes smirked and he moved closer to me.’’Oh, my dear brother, I wish I could be this close with her.’’

  The way he was talking about her seemed like he had visited more than once. Everyone was calling her the goddess of beauty and love.

  And those words made my curiosity grow. One day when Hephaestus was not around I found an opportunity to move to his chambers.

  As I was ready to approach the bed, I wondered what this goddess looked like. Everyone described her as beautiful, divine but what else?

  ‘’Who are you?’’A voice echoed in the darkness of Hephaestus’ room.

  Looking around to find that tremendous voice I could only see the thick old bed. But none was there.

  ‘’Apollo’’I announced myself, holding my smile up.’’Son of Zeus.’’

  There was a scoff. Alright, that mysterious goddess was not only pretty but arrogant.

  ‘’And let me guess’’The voice came now from the left. ‘’You are interested in me?’’

  More like curiosity. But I could think of a few ideas with her lying on my chest.

  Now looking above the ceiling I could see her. And I regretted every thought.

  She was a goddess of love? Beauty? Who could think of that?

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  Her skin was made of dark sapphires, light seal scars all over her body. Her eyes, tearing red as she was tall enough to break the bronze ceiling. Her sea foam hair floated around the room and her gaze was staring at my soul.

  ‘’I just’’My voice shook. I did not want that. How could anyone have wanted this?

  The goddess let out a frown as she lowered her head.

  ‘’I see’’She mumbled with her body shrinking now, moving at my side. Her fingers could trace my chin, pulling me closer but I pushed her away.

  The goddess flinched and looked around.

  Even if she was close to my height, I could stare at her endlessly, I could admire her. But I could not….I didn’t want it. I could not want her.

  She let her naked body rest on her bed. I followed her and rested next to her. The goddess did not react to it. Probably she was knocked out by how harsh the mattress was. None could have a proper sleep on this bed.

  ‘’What is your name?’’I asked her and she turned to me. She tried to look around once again until she replied.

  ‘’Aphrodite.’’

  Even her name was making my own body shake. We spent the day and night together. Lying on the bed without even touching each other. At some point, we began to talk. She laughed, I laughed. But the one thing I was supposed to do and want…

  As the days passed without Hephaestus appearing we kept lying on the bed and talking. Sometimes I even played the lyre for her, making sure she would ease up. But even if she seemed relaxed, I could not feel the need to have her. Especially when most of the time she was talking about Ares.

  One night as she was sleeping, I wrapped my arms around her chest, pulling her closer. Each moment was making my body ache. my chest was burning.

  ‘’Strange isn’t it?’’Aphrodite asked me, her body shaking.

  I looked at her confused.

  ‘’Love for the gods seemed so simple. No matter what you will have it. It’s unavoidable for a god to not win in those things. But mortals…it’s suddenly so complicated.’’

  She turned to me with tears in her eyes and her fingers traced my face.

  ‘’And you are afraid of it’’

  I laughed. ‘’Of what?’’

  ‘’How long have we been friends?’’I asked her down to the river. Of course, she did not speak. I took out a few strands of the golden fleece and gave it to her, wrapping it on her little foot.

  ‘’How long did you know?’’

  ‘’When I heard about you from Hermes’’She flew to shoulder.’’His foolish brother stopping him from doing his ceremony, preventing death, granting punishment to his lover.’’

  ‘’I made him live forever’’I muttered.

  ‘’And then you tried a different approach didn’t you?’’

  I never wanted to feel like this ever again. Not again. Not..that pain was far too great.

  But it will pass. It always... passes.