The Son Of Snakes

51 - The Birth Mother

Her words made everything go silent. But they couldn't be wrong. Aphrodite was the personification of beauty. For those that could see, they could easily tell how gorgeous she was.

And many of them had already met the goddess of love and beauty.

"My...birth mother?" Nikolas questioned.

"What?" Athena gazed at Aphrodite, a look of shock on her face, before looking at Hermes with an accusing look.

Hermes sheepishly rubbed his head. He could feel her burning gaze saying 'Why didn't you tell me?!'

"You're kidding me." Hephaestus stepped forwards with fury. "You fucked Zeus behind my back and got pregnant?!"

Aphrodite looked down, rubbing her arm.

"...I did." She quietly admitted. "I was attracted to his power. I didn't expect to be gifted with a child."

"Gifted?" Medusa questioned. "You abandoned him. I found him alone in the forest. He would've died if it wasn't for me."

"I..." Aphrodite paused, tears forming in the edges of her eyes.

Hephaestus was taken aback. Aphrodite had always been a confidant and flirty woman which showed no weaknesses nor vulnerability.

And now she was almost about to cry in front of them all. Hephaestus couldn't help but notice that all of the gods and goddesses had changed recently.

And instantly he was reminded of the line from the prophecy. The one about a child of air changing the gods. A new era being underway.

He lightly flinched as he felt a soft hand lay onto his arm. He glanced over, seeing Hestia now gently rubbing his arm as she gave him a reassuring smile.

And instantly he felt better. That was right. He no longer loved Aphrodite. Both her and him had officially told the other there was no love within their marriage. When Zeus first paired them together he tried to make it work, but that wasn't for his best.

No. He had his eyes on someone else now.

"I...I didn't want to..." Aphrodite quietly replied.

"Then explain. Now." Athena ordered.

Aphrodite took a deep breath, before finally speaking. "It was seventeen years ago, once he was finally born..."

. . .

Aphrodite remembered it clearly. After getting pregnant she had made sure to be very cautious and careful as to not let a soul know. After all, her affair with Zeus would have caused discourse within the Olympians. She knew that without a doubt.

She planned to raise this son of hers in secret. As she stared at his little pudgy baby face, she couldn't help but have a smile appear on her face.

So this was the thrill of motherhood. While Aphrodite was a goddess of fertility and often helped bless women who wanted children, she had yet to have any of her own.

She had felt the love of a mother blossom within her. She knew love very well. At least, the pleasuring kind. She had also watched a many tales of romantic mortal love.

But for the first time since her birth from the sea foam of Ouranos, she was truly feeling a love that wasn't for pleasure. The love of a mother for their dear child.

But she had to tell Zeus. He was the only person who could know about her son. Because he was the father after all. She didn't romantically care for Zeus, their one-time fling had just been because he was hot, attractive, and powerful.