Alaric's words made Aphrodite, who had been pretending to tease him, suddenly fall silent, her expression turning serious as she sank into thought.
"Friends…" the goddess murmured.
"That's right," Alaric pressed further. "Or does the goddess think that I, a mere mortal, am unworthy of being your friend?"
For a long time, Aphrodite seemed to wrestle with herself, then finally looked at him intently, shaking her head.
"No… what I need to ask of you is something far beyond what a mere friendship could fulfill… Do you trust me?"
As she spoke, her eyes shone with dazzling brilliance, brimming with scorching emotion.
"Trust you?"
Alaric recalled the tales about Aphrodite in mythology.
Though she was depicted as frivolous and wanton, riddled with the flaws typical of women, her true nature was kind.
In fact, she was warm-hearted in her divine duty, conscientious, always ready to help troubled lovers, guiding them through hardship until, in the end, "those who love may finally be united."
She had breathed life into the statue Galatea, and aided Hippomenes in his race to win Atalanta's hand.
In short, she was not a capricious goddess.
What's more, the Aphrodite before him was merely a fledgling goddess of love, one untouched by licentiousness. If she could not be trusted, who else could? Zeus?
Thus, Alaric replied without hesitation, his voice firm as steel: "Of course, I trust you."
"That's good," Aphrodite said at once, her lips curving into a satisfied smile. "Then I will entrust my fate to you."
"Entrust… your fate to me?"
Alaric was confused.
"I don't ask you to overthrow Zeus, that would be far too dangerous. All I ask is that you become strong enough to sever the shackles of my marriage to Hephaestus. Will you agree?"
Aphrodite's words left Alaric stunned.
She had not spoken it outright, but the meaning was clear.
How astonishing,
This goddess had all but declared, I choose you. You are my man now.
Truthfully, securing a divorce between Aphrodite and Hephaestus would be even harder than marrying Artemis in broad daylight.
The latter was possible if Alaric could reach, or even just approach, the level of a main god.
With that strength, and if he and the Moon Goddess were of one heart, then Zeus, taking into account both his power and his daughter's will, might well approve.
But the former…
Either Alaric would have to stand alone against the entire Olympian council, or he would need the strength and influence of a main god, strong enough to rival Olympus itself.
For marrying Artemis could still be seen as a win-win for Olympus, but severing Aphrodite's marriage would be a direct slap to Zeus's face.
Yet could Alaric refuse?
The truth was, he could not, and would not.
Because this was a goddess, still pure, laying her heart bare and asking him to love her.
Alaric knew that if he rejected her now, then the Aphrodite of the future would become the wanton goddess of his memory, or worse.
She might lose all faith in love itself, caring only for lust.
After all, for this fledgling goddess of love, confessing so openly must have cost her all her courage, all her pride.
Her earlier bold teasing had merely been instinct, born of her divine role.
Her true self was still innocent, especially after hearing Alaric's story.
And now, Alaric's answer would shape how this goddess of love would wield her power in the future.
His acceptance or rejection would decide whether the Greeks of history would pursue pure love, or lust.
So Alaric answered without hesitation.
"I agree."
Even if this meant one day standing against Zeus himself, against all of Olympus.
"I swear that in the near future, I will truly free you from your marriage to Hephaestus, no matter the cost!"
"Yes!" Alaric's resolute words brought tears to the goddess's eyes.
This goddess, who had long felt sorrow and discontent with her fate, now found within him a pillar of hope.
"Then I too swear this: though in name I am wed to Hephaestus, my body and my heart belong wholly to the man before me. I will never betray you."
With that, she stepped forward and pressed her lips to his in a deep, fervent kiss.
Upon the sea, a perfect man and woman stood entwined, forming a picture of breathtaking beauty.
Meanwhile, in Olympus, the god of fire and smithing, Hephaestus, suddenly felt an itch upon his scalp, as though compelled to forge himself a green-tinted helmet.
…
After a long while, Alaric and Aphrodite finally parted. The goddess studied him quietly, then teased with a laugh, "Alaric, even while kissing me just now, you were still holding little Pandora in your arms. What a fickle man you are."
"This…"
Caught off guard, Alaric was left speechless.
But Aphrodite did not stop. "And I also know that young Artemis has fallen deeply in love with you as well. What a sinful man you are."
"I…"
Alaric was utterly shocked. How could she possibly know?
The goddess gave her answer immediately.
"I am the greatest goddess of love, after all. Even the heart of a god cannot hide from me.
To be honest, what I care about most are the three virgin goddesses. If even they could fall in love, that would be my greatest triumph!"
Her words left Alaric without reply.
Of course. Just like in Buddhism, ordinary people may not even hold a blade, but when the cruelest and most wicked lay theirs down and convert, that is the highest achievement.
Still, to have his lover expose all his supposed infidelities right after confessing, it was embarrassing beyond measure.
As Alaric felt a pang of guilt, the empathetic goddess swiftly eased his unease.
"It's all right, Alaric," Aphrodite said gently, pressing a hand to her chest.
Her voice was soft, her presence now serene and graceful, without a trace of the sensual teasing from before.
"Though my heart feels some sadness, it's all right. This too is part of love, isn't it? If it helps you, if it makes you happy, then no matter who it is, I can accept it… I only ask that you never betray me."
Oh, how magnanimous, how understanding was this goddess of love and beauty!
Alaric felt deeply that all his guidance, no, his teaching, had borne fruit.
With such a lover beside him, how could he ever let her down?
"Don't worry, Aphrodite." Alaric took her soft jade-like hand in his own and declared solemnly, "No matter what, I will always love you."
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