Compared to Zeus's grand and formal apology to Hecate, Aphrodite's entry into Hecate's faction, the so-called Pantheon of Magic, was handled with remarkable subtlety.
This was something Zeus had insisted upon.
"Being forced to hand over one of our chief deities to the enemy after a defeat", such a thing would only make the Olympian Pantheon look even more disgraceful.
Of course, Zeus had also tried to spin the story, claiming that "joining the Pantheon of Magic was Aphrodite's personal decision." But said in the wake of defeat, the excuse rang hollow.
If, however, the arrangement were conducted in secret, the story would be different.
By the time other gods discovered that the goddess of love and beauty, once of the Olympians, had joined Hecate's camp, the war would already be long over. Then Zeus could explain it away with excuses like: "It was her own decision," "Aphrodite has always been close to Hecate," or even "She serves as the Olympian representative in maintaining ties with the Pantheon of Magic."
Alaric had thought it over and agreed.
Even though they had already defeated the Olympian Pantheon, he had no desire to tear things apart completely.
On the surface, the Pantheon of Magic appeared stronger, but in terms of heritage and depth, they were still no match for the ancient Olympian gods.
Maintaining a friendly façade would allow for exchanges between the two sides, and give Alaric the chance to pry away Olympian gods one by one.
Not to mention, Artemis and Athena were goddesses he very much wanted to draw into his fold.
After all, if one goddess could join under the pretext of "personal decision," then another could as well. If one could be explained away as "a close personal friend of Hecate," then others could too.
With this in mind, Aphrodite quietly arrived at Mystra Academy's temple, bringing with her a few of her most loyal sub-deities and the attendant nymphs.
Year after year, the number of students and professors at the Academy had grown, and Mystra Castle had undergone several expansions.
After Hecate's apotheosis, a vast new section of the castle was set aside as her divine sanctuary.
To call it a "temple" was almost misleading, more like a massive fortress of its own.
Here was where the newly divine Hecate resided.
Unlike the main academy buildings, which anyone could freely enter, Hecate's temple was essentially forbidden ground.
Only members of the Academy's supervisory council could seek audience with her, reporting on the school's affairs. All other teachers and students had no such right.
From the moment of her deification, the mages naturally assumed that the Academy's true ruler, the supreme leader of all magi, was Hecate, not Alaric.
That was based on the traditional view of the relationship between mortals and gods: gods stood above, guiding and protecting; mortals offered reverence and obeyed divine will.
Alaric had not refuted this perception. Instead, he deliberately played along in public, presenting Hecate as the ultimate leader of the magi.
Of course, in private… things were very much the opposite. There were times when even the goddess would obediently call him "father."
It was at such a moment that Aphrodite entered Hecate's temple.
Inside, seated upon the throne that should have belonged to the Goddess of the Weave, was Alaric himself, while Hecate bustled about preparing to welcome Aphrodite, with Sakuya Izayoi assisting at her side.
Seeing this reversal of mortal and divine roles, Aphrodite's nymph attendants were instantly offended.
To them, this was clearly a deliberate insult, a show of humiliation aimed at their goddess.
But before they could voice their outrage, their goddess herself rushed forward.
Eyes brimming with tears, Aphrodite flung herself into the human's arms.
"My love… you've finally done it."
The goddess who had once scorned men and held herself aloof now clung to him like a child, laughing through her tears.
"You've finally freed me from that shackle."
Alaric only held her gently, gazing calmly into her eyes, listening as she poured out her joy in a rush of words.
From afar, they looked like an old married couple, bound by years of unspoken understanding.
"So this is the one the goddess of love has kept herself pure for? When did they come together?"
Her followers stood stunned. For the first time, they realized how little they truly knew of their goddess.
Just then, Hecate herself approached with a smile.
"Sister Aphrodite, you're finally here. We've been waiting for you a long time."
The warmth and intimacy in her greeting left the nymphs even more bewildered.
"Weren't they supposed to be enemies? How can they be so close?"
"Could it be…"
In a flash, they realized they might have stumbled upon a tremendous secret, the true reason for Aphrodite's defection.
Until now, they had believed that Aphrodite had been betrayed by the Olympians, handed over to Hecate as a token of appeasement.
They had been furious, deeming the Olympians despicable.
But now it seemed otherwise.
Perhaps she had been betrayed, yes, but perhaps it had all been part of the plan. Perhaps Aphrodite had long wished to join Hecate.
Realizing this, the nymphs relaxed. If that were the case, they need not fear being mistreated within the Pantheon of Magic.
And if their goddess now had a lover… well, then their own futures might change as well.
They began to study Alaric more closely.
"He really is handsome."
"They say he's the one who defeated the Olympian gods!"
"If it's him, I have no complaints."
Chattering excitedly, they began to dream about what lay ahead.
Meanwhile, Aphrodite began to recount her last days on Olympus.
"Do you know what that hypocrite Zeus tried to do?" she said with scorn.
"He wanted me to be a spy! He told me to come here and secretly send him information.
He promised that if we defeated you, I could return to Olympus, hmph, as if I care about Olympus anymore."
"Zeus's schemes never bode well for anyone," Alaric said thoughtfully.
"He knows you, as goddess of love and beauty, aren't a warrior among the gods. And Hecate has just bested the entire Olympian host.
If you had truly been her enemy and tried to spy under her command, once discovered, you'd be signing your own death warrant."
"Exactly, what a sly bastard." Aphrodite agreed, then suddenly narrowed her eyes. "But wait, did you just say I'm weaker than your dear Hecate?"