Aphrodite's temple deep in the Underworld looked nothing like the solemn, dark halls that surrounded it.
Tonight it was bathed in soft golden light.
Candles floated in bowls of enchanted water, drifting lazily across the polished marble floor, while faint music rose from a group of divine spirits who had been drilled all day to play as gently as possible, never overwhelming, only accompanying the atmosphere she demanded.
She walked across the grand chamber with her gown swaying, one hand clutching a small list she had scribbled herself.
"No roses," she said firmly to one of her attendants, who was carrying a vase brimming with crimson blooms. "This is not going to be a passionate night. Remove them. Bring white lilies instead. They are calmer, more pure. They symbolised honesty, not seduction."
The attendant bowed quickly and ran off.
She moved toward the long dining table at the center, where divine spirit chefs were placing dishes one after another.
