In Aphrodite's bedchamber, after their lovemaking, she lay curled in Ares's arms. With one finger, she traced idle circles across the broad chest of the strong, handsome man beneath her, then asked with casual curiosity, "His Majesty said he wants you to mobilize the Amazons and attack Athens?"
Ares leaned against the headboard, stroking his lover's long hair as he nodded.
Aphrodite twirled a strand of hair between her fingers and gave him a sympathetic look. "Your father really is biased."
Not understanding, Ares frowned slightly. "Why do you say that, my love?"
Aphrodite arched a brow. "Do you truly think your daughters can take Athens?"
Ares went quiet, his brows knotting together.
To be honest, it would be extremely difficult.
Even he and Poseidon together had been unable to shake the Areopagus. And the Academy of Athens, where more than half of Greece's heroes gathered, was a barrier in its own right.
On top of that, the Amazons were no longer positioned at the heart of the Greek world, whereas Athens was "the Athens of the Greeks."
If the Amazons attacked rashly and the war dragged on, Greece might interpret it as a full-scale invasion, prompting the city-states to unite and wipe them out.
He enjoyed war and reveled in the thrill of slaughter, but he had no interest in a battle that was all but guaranteed to lose.
Worst of all, the ones who would walk onto that battlefield were his cherished daughters.
(Ares treated his daughters reasonably well. He even killed Poseidon's son once to protect them from violation, which led to him standing trial on the Areopagus.)
"What does this war actually do for you?"
"..."
"Your father is just using you to carry out his plan to reduce humanity's numbers and potential."
"Father trusts me. That's why he gave me such an important mission."
"Does he really, my love? Your faith has already been nearly driven out of Greece. You barely managed to establish yourself among the Amazons. If they follow your oracles and suffer defeat after defeat, how long can your legacy survive?"
Aphrodite brushed her fingertips along his cheek. With every question, Ares's face stiffened further.
"Don't forget—the Amazons didn't inherit only your bloodline."
Her soft whisper against his ear made Ares tense. The darkness in his expression deepened.
The Amazons had originally been ruled by priestesses who served Artemis. Ares had conquered one of those priestesses, forcing the woman—who should have remained pure in her service—to betray the Moon Goddess and bear his child. Only then had the God of War's faith gradually replaced that of his half-sister, becoming the tribe's core.
But a struggle of faith was always a back-and-forth game, wins and losses on both sides.
If he failed now, Artemis might seize the chance to reclaim the Amazons.
Even so, Ares refused to back down. He gripped Aphrodite's soft shoulder and shook her slightly, eyes burning as he finally voiced the ambition buried within him.
"My dear, I won't let Father be disappointed in me. I am his and Mother's most legitimate son—the one most qualified to inherit Olympus! That cripple Hephaestus has no right to compete with me!"
Aphrodite lifted a hand to smooth her wine-red hair, looking at the man whose face shone with longing and expectation. Her tone was soft, almost gentle.
"Then tell me, my love—right now in Greece, among you siblings, whose worship is the strongest?"
"Apollo, Artemis, and... Dionysus..."
"The wine god Dionysus. Look—just a mixed-blood elevated to Main God status after the Typhon War, yet he already outranks you.
And Athena's primary worship is limited to the Acropolis. Her influence doesn't even compare with those three siblings of yours."
"If that's the case, why didn't your father send those three to attack Athens, and instead handed the task to you?"
Ares replied at once, almost reflexively.
"Because Father trusts me!"
"Well then, if he trusts you, shouldn't he grant you the authority you deserve? Yet he split your domain over war with Athena. How generous of him."
"Maybe this time, Father wants me to prove myself—take the chance to reclaim the power I lost!"
"Even if that were true, why didn't he give you the manpower to match? All he had to do was issue a command for the city-state soldiers of Apollo and Artemis to follow your orders and cooperate with the Amazons. Athens might not hold. So why is it you and your own forces who must shoulder all the risk?"
Aphrodite's cold laugh cut into him. Ares opened his mouth but found no words, his expression shifting uneasily between gloom and irritation.
The Goddess of Love brushed her fingertip along the lines of his handsome cheek, her eyes full of pity.
"Our God King has more than just you for a son…"
"Wake up, my love. The two changes in divine rule across Greece were never peaceful transitions—they were battles for power. You've already burned through your own capital. What do you have left to compete with your brothers and sisters?"
The words hit deep. Ares's face darkened at once. His resolve to send the Amazons to clash head-on with Athens wavered, and hesitation crept in.
"Am I supposed to betray Father?"
"You still have to attack Athens. But you should think more about yourself—about our future, my love."
Aphrodite paused, then leaned softly against Ares's chest, gazing up at him with liquid tenderness.
"If Olympus is to welcome a new heir, I hope that heir will be you. After all, I've already placed everything I am right here, my dear…"
Moved by her affection, feeling the teasing brush against his chest, Ares seized her slender wrist with delight and declared earnestly,
"My love, when I become king, I will make you my Queen of the Gods!"
Then, spurred on by her gentle provocation, Ares's eyes burned with heat. Like a rutting beast, he buried himself in the Goddess of Love's full bosom, his body rising with renewed vigor to wage conquest upon this land, unleashing all his pent-up energy.
To hell with war. To hell with Athens.
Ares had already made up his mind: the Amazons would go through the motions, nothing more. Whatever His Majesty the God King wanted, let him deal with it himself.
Aphrodite held the head of her handsome lover as he nuzzled wildly against her, laughter spilling from her lips, her eyes glinting with concealed pride and triumph.
When war sinks into lust, casualties fall. Humans multiply. And the Age of Gods begins to crumble faster.
Zeus, the humiliation you and Hera dealt me—I will never forget it.
Just wait. One day, I'll take from you what you treasure most.
The Goddess of Love and Beauty let her gaze sweep across the chamber, over the exquisite furnishings. A wicked satisfaction curved her perfect face.
And as the fervor grew, Aphrodite couldn't help holding her tamed little wolf-dog tighter. Her voice slipped into soft murmurs, her thoughts drifting away in the pleasure overtaking her.
...
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