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Perseus Jackson was the first to tense like coiled spring when Ares stepped into their line of view.
Good. Recognize a threat for what it is.
Even if he had beat Ares once, it does not mean he can do it again. Not when Ares is alert and has clear mind to create countertactics.
“What do you want, Ares?”
Ares can’t help but preens.
It was always a pleasure to hear the old dialect of his name.
For all Perseus Jackson shows animosity towards him, he was the one who treat him the way he should be treated. With proper caution and not mindless fear, leave alone shun him for what he represents.
Aggression and Violence exist within the human psyche. To harm others. For fun. To obtain their goal. To protect what’s theirs.
“Me? Oh no. I’m not the one who wants to talk with you.” Ares replied, and signaled to the limousine behind him. “My Lady does.”
“What Lady?”
My. His sister is truly impertinent. She was lucky that His Lady is giving her a grace period to reorient herself after being stuck as a tree for years, and for the entertainment that was a twisted love live between herself, a certain Traitor, and a nice of his. Otherwise, She won’t be merciful.
“Careful, Daughter of Zeus. You might want to hold your tongue.” He warns her.
“‘What’s your business, Ares?” She demanded. “Who’s in the car?”
A faint scent of burning balsamínē hit his nose.
Please be patient, My Lady.
“Why don’t you visit a taco place and think about it?” He replied. “I don’t need all of you. Only Perseus Jackson. And only for a few moments.”
“We can’t leave him alone with you.”
“Besides,” the pathetic Satyr piped up, “the taco place is closed.”
The scent is getting stronger.
Foolish children! Don’t they have brain between their ears? Do they want to die so badly? If so then Ares can just cut them right here and now and spare them from a fate worse than death! It only hurt for a moment, he swears!
Holding back a growl, Ares snapped his finger. A little of divine power and voila.
“You were saying?”
“Go on.” Perseus stated. “I’ll handle this.”
Cute.
Especially with the way he looks like a soldier march to his death. Recognition in his eyes of what kind of deity looming before him, demanding his audience.
Ha. Good. Finally, someone who understand His Lady and how Powerful he is.
Of course he does. Perseus Jackson is different.
He views Gods not as their modern self. Does not impose Modern sensibility and morality on them, like many other Demigods. No. He view them in their Ancient Form.
Before they were known as Greek Gods.
“Mind your Manners.” He reminds him. “She is not as forgiving to rudeness as I am… but you don’t need to be reminded of that, do you?”
.
Everyone knows about his affair with Aphrodite.
Everyone knows about the flighty Goddess of Love who abandoned her poor Blacksmith for Husband in favor of her lover of War.
But what they don’t know, what they choose to forgot, was who Aphrodite use to be.
What her relationship with Ares originally starts.
Of how he first meet her.
Let it be said, Ares did not meet Her during a Festive in Olympus when the Goddess of Beauty walks in with all her stunning visage of beauty blinds everyone and everything that land their eyes on her.
No.
The young God of War met a Foreign Goddess when he was training by his lonesome in the island of Kythera.
Or rather, the Foreign Goddess saw the young God and find his training “too painful to watch” and resolves to teach him how to do it correctly, by stealing his weapon and attacking him with it. Only after beating him that the Goddess returned the weapon and direct him of what should he do.
From there on, the Goddess would take the fledgling god of war with her journey. To show him what a Violence truly is and how he could utilize them for his own gain. How to derive power from them. The beauty in carnage and art in destruction. The passion that consume all until nothing is left.
.
Percy sat ramrod straight. Posture perfect. Still bearing the pride of his parents’ child, but for once, he will lower his head.
With hair in soft curl framed her beautiful face, unearthly so, the Goddess is watching his every move. Her white dress (Phoenician style, his mind supplied) was stained with blood at the hem of her skirt, with bronze armor with foreign and truly ancient engraving covered her torso. A similar engraving was put into her braces, with dainty fingers ended up in long, well-manicured, sharp crimson nails. Enough to gauge his eyeballs and his heart out if she wished. Necklaces and earrings gleaming under the light. Anklets jingle as she cross one leg above other.
“We met, Perseus Jackson.” The Goddess spoke in a foreign dialect. Not American. Not yet Greek. Not even the odd tilt Percy use when he’s in those mood. No. It was older and foreign.
“Greetings my lady.” Perceus dipped his head in respect.
His Parents are King and Queen of era before Ancient Greece.
The Goddess before him was not part of their Court. Never was, and will never be.
“May I ask, which name do you prefer?” He offers. “Would you rather be called Aphrodite Areia or Venus?” A pause. “Do you wish to be called Astarte?”
There’s a stillness in the air after Percy asked the question.
The Goddess narrows her eyes at him, observing, like lioness on the prowl and ready to pounce. The scent of her perfume become mix of roses and blood and incense and many other things that get muddy and makes Percy’s eyes waters.
Then the scent lightened up as the Goddess leaned back to her seat.
“Venus would do.” She answers him. “Since this is your first faux pass, I let you slide. But next time, do be careful of your words, alright?”
He can only nod.
Humming, Venus played with her nails. “You’ve reminded me of someone.” She spoke. “Impudent human whose two-third of his blood is Divine Blood.”
.
Ishtar was her first name.
Hailed from far east Ancient Land of Mesopotamia, she bore the title of The Queen of Heaven. Goddess of Love, War, and Fertility. She enforces Divine Justice. She took what she wants to take. Young and Impetuous, she desires conquest after conquest. She sows chaos at those she finds irksome. She floods the lands and race in the sky.
Only two people ever goes against her.
That two-third God Gilgamesh who had rejected her.
And her elder sister Ereshkigal who had her stripped of her power, imprisoned and dead in the Underworld.
.
“My Lady.” Percy whispered as he is halfway finishing his cup of tea. “May I inquire of your reason?”
Venus raised her eyebrow and motioned for him to continue.
“Why are you decide to visit? Do you have a… request… for us?”
An amused smile dance on her lips.
.
Astarte was her Second name. The Goddess of War, Beauty, Hunting, Fertility, and Love.
Hailed from the land of Phoenician from the east, she follows her worshipper as they sailed through the Mediterranean Sea. Spreading her name and their knowledge. Upon her footings in island of Kythera, their letters began to intermingle with what the locals use.
In that island was where she met him. A God who would be entangle with her legend at some point.
Originally a mere flight of fancy, she forcibly took his weapon and beat him with it, before teaching him all that she knew.
From war strategy to deadly dance as they slain their enemies. From passion to carnage of blood. Eager student, this one God, and she became fond of him.
He was her Pride and Joy.
Alas, her happiness did not last forever.
.
“I am watching, Perseus Jackson.” Venus whispered. “Your heart beats for the little thief. Had he stolen your heart so?”
Percy laughed.
“I actually trying to steal his heart, my dear Lady.” He replied. “Alas, it prove to be difficult to steal from a Thief.”
“Indeed!” Venus’ eyes lit in joy. “Poor poor Psychopomp. He was always the one who steal things, who steal hearts. And for once, this time it was his heart that is in danger! Truly, how the table turn!”
It was interesting.
Truly she love it.
She love the drama and anguish and carnage it could have caused if only Perseus Jackson slipped and fell off the edge. All it need was a tiny bird whispering to the ears of disgruntled Demigod, and the Camp would be split!
For all they know that Greek Myth family tree does amount to nothing when it comes to interpersonal relationship, many of the half-god children insist on mortal’s morality and would protest if one of their peers romances their parent.
Especially if said Divine Parent is putting up resistance to it and not the other way around.
It was far more interesting than misshapen Triangle Love between the Daughter of Wisdom and the Son of Wing-Footed Messenger and the recently resurrected Daughter of the Sky.
Ah, but Venus won’t dip her hands.
The things between Perseus Jackson and Ermaha… it was between them and she will have no hand in this.
She will let things played out by itself. Consider it her gratitude for spicing up her immortal life.
She know how to repay a favor or two. Flighty, she is, but she can return a goodwill.
Now, if her gift for giving her a spectacle of this interesting love story is her not taking any action in it; then her gift for recognizing her for the Goddess she originally was (and in his mind, still is), she will give him this gift.
“Perseus Jackson. For all you love a Thief, please refrain from having Sticky Hand.” She told him. “Take too much and you will end up having less. My dear Blacksmith, in particular, hates when someone mess with his handiwork.”
.
Aphrodite does not despite Hephaestus.
It was not her first time saddled with a Husband the mortal view them as incompatible pair. A Husband and A Wife who cannot go along.
In a way, they are both right and wrong.
They are right because she, a beautiful goddess, is paired with a god whose look is not his strong suit. With limp leg and all.
However, they are also wrong.
Aphrodite is not just beautiful goddess. She is Goddess of Love. Of Passion. Hephaestus’s love can be felt in his artworks. In every strike of hot metal. In every shape of things he carved. The delicate carving. Intricate structure. All of it borne his passion. Of creation.
Aphrodite is a War Goddess. Aphrodite Areia, they call her. Naturally she would be attracted to a Blacksmith who can and gladly give her toys to play with.
Spears and bow. Swords and Dagger. Whip and Fan. Beautiful accessories that meant as murder tool. Delicate yet powerful armor meant to go to parties.
Such gorgeous art! How could her heart not moved by it?
Her husband had gift her all toys she could possibly ask for. Her disciple, her new brother-in-law, would gladly play with her to test them out. To find out any little surprises and tricks.
It was blissful marriage.
Listen well, children. Aphrodite is close to Ares. He was the first God she met. Her student. Her best friend. It was no strange she found herself on his bed or vice versa.
Her husband knows. And he does not care. Hurt, perhaps, but he understands and grow to accept Ares as part of their relationship.
So, where does the rumor of her cheating come from?
To begin with, let’s start with how Zeus had been acting unreasonably. Even for a God.
Thus they hatched a plan to make him listen to what they had to say. By force if necessary.
Hephaestus offers to build in something that can restrain him. A chain like no other.
But the fact he spends so much time in her workshop crafting weapon, has Zeus suspicious.
To throw him off their plan before he can catch onto it, Ares and Aphrodite willingly set themselves as bait. They would act too intimate in public, with all eyes are on them, and being too loud for others’ liking. Spreading rumor of her seeking someone else behind her husband back.
Letting themselves be strung with the chains on her marital bed.
Humiliating, but not the worst she had to face.
Plan success. Zeus is no longer suspicious, for he think the chains are meant for the unfaithful wife and her escort slash secret lover.
And yet the price of it was not her reputation.
It was her marital bliss.
.
Zeus.
Zeus zeus zeus zeus Zeus.
Why art thou set thyself as Villain to her Story?
From one comment, is all it take to strip Aphrodite for her core.
“You have no place in warfare.” He said.
And oh, how could Aphrotide not fuming at his words? Who is he to deny her, a War Goddess, that she has no right in the battlefield?!
Alas, damage had been done.
People took away her War. They reject her as Goddess of War. Strip away one of her Domain. Not just any, but her Core Domain. When she full well knows that she is the cause of the Biggest War Ancient Greece ever known to date.
Truly infuriating.
There is a reason why she adores Roman.
Not only they descend from her son, but because they returned to her what she had lost.
Her War aspect.
.
“What does she want?”
Percy hummed.
“We should be careful in the Junkyard.” He said. “Or her husband won’t be happy if any of us has sticky finger.”
It was oddly nice of the Flighty Goddess from Foreign Land.
Haaa…
If only everyone know this side of her… her missing history…
He is sure the Camp would be in shock. Honestly, what they were thinking? It was pretty obvious the Love Goddess have a hand in battlefield and warfare, one way or another.
Married to maker of weapons, and her lover is the God of War.
The phrase All is Fair in Love and War.
It always was obvious that Aphrodite is more than what the mythos and rumor portray herself as.