Chapter 4.
Aphrodite didn't return to Mount Olympus until early the next morning and by then she looked everything else but beautiful.
Her otherwise beautiful dress was wrinkly and also a tad beautiful, her hair was messy and she had also gotten bags under her eyes.
"You been with Ares all night?" she heard her husband Hephaestus ask from behind as that wouldn't be that unusual.
"No I have not," she said with a sigh.
"New lover?" he asked a bit surprised as that was highly unlikely as she had somewhat issues with having more than the two men she already did and taking care of her children.
"No, but handsome I think we should talk," she said looking at him.
"Sweetheart, what is wrong?" he asked rather concerned as he could sense by the tone of her voice that something was wrong.
"Please don't be mad as this happened ages ago," she started, not knowing what other way to go about it.
"What did?" he asked as he came closer.
"You remember sixteen years ago I was in a very bad place right?" she asked.
"Yes we weren't doing too god, the children were taking its tools on you and you were down on earth a lot, go on," he said.
"Well while I was down there I fell in love with this fisherman and we became intimate," she said.
Normally he would have gotten furious that his wife had cheated on him one more time, but as this seemed to be hard on her, he instead put his arm around her and said, "Go on."
"We fell in love and that resulted in me getting pregnant, I didn't know what to do as I were conflicted with my feelings so I placed her down on earth right after she was born and came up to you. I broke up with a father long before that so he never knew of her. He died at sea years later," she finished.
"So you have another daughter with another man," he said with a sigh.
"Yes, Hephaestus, I am really sorry, I wish I could take it back, but I can't and now she really needs me so I was wondering if it would be ok if Zeus agreed that I brought her here for a little while," she said.
"What is she like?" he asked.
"By looks very like me, but that causes her to be lonely as the boys want her and the girls are jealous of her. Not to mention that every man she falls for and falls for her dies," she said with a sigh.
"Other than that?" he asked.
"Curious by nature, and she cares for he parents, but she doesn't feel at home with them," she said.
"Natural as she is not one of them," he said thoughtfully.
"So what do you say?" she asked, looking at him with pleading eyes.
As he could not see, that wouldn't matter, but he could sense by her voice it was important to her so he said, "If Zeus agrees, I am OK with it, but do not expect me to care for her in any way."
"Thank you so much, you will not regret this," she said, wrapping her arms around him and kissed him in a very thankful matter.
"Please Zeus," Aphrodite pleaded moments later as she found him talking with Hades and Poseidon taking turns in playing chess.
"Dite, you know I do not allow anyone but Gods here," he said with a sigh.
"But she's my daughter," she said.
"Still if I were to bring all my alignment children…" he started when Poseidon finished, "There wouldn't be any room for Gods here.
"She's only one, I mean you made my son a hero," she pointed out.
"Can't argue on that," said Hades.
"She may be one, but what if you slip up another time or a time after that?" he asked her.
"You know there won't be another time as I did have trouble that one time and you were the one that "forced" Anises on me," she said.
"That is very true, how is he theses days?" asked Hades.
"He's dead remember," she said rolling her eyes.
"Right, right, died in the battlefield," he said with a grin.
"Not the biggest loss, I did only do that cause of you stupid man," she snarled at Zeus.
"Calm down," said Zeus in a warning tone.
"It's just not fair, I mean you got eighty children as I recall that you don't even care about and
I got one daughter that I do care deeply about and she can not be with me cause I am a Goddess," she said with sadness in her voice.
"Meaning you shouldn't slip up in the first place," said Zeus.
"You are not the one to talk," she snarled at him.
"Be careful or I can make sure you are not a Goddess anymore," he said.
"Zeus, Aphrodite will you calm yourself," they suddenly heard Hera say as she appeared from out of nowhere.
"My lady," he said looking at her.
"So what are you two arguing about this time?" she asked still calm looking at the two.
"Dite, want to bring her daughter up here and I say that that is impossible," he said looking at her.
"Your reasoning?" the older woman asked looking at her.
"Being she's lonely and unhappy and she needs me as I am after all her mother," Aphrodite answered her queen.
"And your husband, what does he think of you bringing her up here?" she asked.
"He said it was OK as long as he didn't have to care for her," she said.
She nodded and turned to her husband saying, "Zeus a word, please."
He nodded and followed her as Aphrodite sighed and was about to leave when Poseidon said,
"If I were you I would wait."
"What for he has already made up his mind," she said frustrated.
"Of you bringing her up here?" she asked.
"He said it was OK as long as he didn't have to care for her," she said.
She nodded and turned to her husband saying, "Zeus a word, please."
He nodded and followed her as Aphrodite sighed and was about to leave when Poseidon said,
"If I were you I would wait."
"What for he has already made up his mind," she said frustrated.
"I wouldn't be so sure, check mate," said Hades.
"Again," said Poseidon a bit frustrated as the couple come back to join them.
Aphrodite looked at them and Zeus said, "You can bring her, but only on a trail basis and she better behave."
"Thank you so much, you will not regret it," she said and hugged him before taking off as Zeus sighed and said, "I hope not."
"You won't, just trust me," said Hera and gave her husband a peck on the cheek before asking, "Who won?"
"Hades," said Poseidon rolling his eyes.
"Mind if I play you?" she asked.
"No if you don't mind loosing," he said with a grin.
"We'll see," she said as she sat down opposite him and picked her color.
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