Tales from Olympus

Hephaestus and Aphrodite

When she was promised by Hera to her other son Aphrodite was outraged. She had nothing to do with the quarrel between son and mother, a son who was said to be horrible enough to make the queen of the gods throw him mercilessly from Mount Olympus. But when Zeus accepted the woman's suggestion and the son's request, because she was constantly harassed by the gods, he had no way to deny it. Hephaestus had never actually appeared on Olympus, preferring the island where he had grown up to the palace his father, the mighty Zeus had had built for him. The first time she had seen him when he had opened Zeus' head to let Athena out of there she had thought "He needs help", but this thought was dispelled when she saw Ares. Now she was bound to marry the god of forges, even though she preferred his brother. Not that she was thinking of marrying Ares, but she was the goddess of love and love was something much more than a physical attraction.

Aphrodite thought she should smile, if her future husband was looking at her. But the god's eyes fell on Athena as soon as she stepped through the palace door.

Some rumor had it that Hephaestus had tried to win over the goddess who had sworn by the Styx to be a virgin forever-for her long eternal life-as soon as she left her father's head, but he had been refused.

Aphrodite was annoyed that Hephaestus wasn't looking. Hadn't he been the one who had demanded her mother marry the most beautiful goddess on Olympus? Why on earth was he looking at the distracted Athena, who was busy chatting with her also chaste sister? Two fools in the opinion of the goddess of love, to deny herself desires and happiness, love. Aphrodite and Athena had no disagreements except over this unthinkable choice to be a virgin forever and ever. The Greek gods were always breaking some oath made before the Styx, Athena wouldn't be the first - and wouldn't be the last - but the goddess of wisdom was as stubborn as her father.

When Hephaestus looked at the goddess he was going to marry, he felt a bitter taste in his mouth, a taste of soot. He was feeling vengeful when he had demanded to marry the most beautiful goddess of Olympus, to throw in the face of his mother who had thrown him off Olympus for not being born according to the standards of beauty of the queen of the gods. Looking now at Aphrodite, he was considering leaving there and going back to his island, but if he did that they would laugh at his expense for eternity. He didn't know Aphrodite, but she was the most dangerous goddess on Olympus to him. For love was not something Hephaestus had known or felt in all these centuries. The god preferred his creations, he didn't know how to deal with gods or mortals, the creations he created were easier to understand or fix when needed.....