[Third Person's PoV]
Aphrodite let out a sigh—but something was different about it. This sigh was filled with exasperation, her eyes turning cold as they shone with a pink radiance.
She gazed at Lucian, releasing a fraction of her divine might upon him. He grunted involuntarily as the sudden pressure bore down on him, yet he remained standing tall. The blessing of Heracles aided him, allowing him to resist without faltering.
"You know," she said, her voice deceptively calm, "I'm being as friendly and patient as I possibly can. But as your father once said, even gods have limits. Just your words alone give me more than enough reason to smite you where you stand. I understand that people may not have the best opinion of me—not that I care—but I tried to build some familiarity with you by calling you 'little brother.' However, it seems you've mistaken that for me being a pushover..."
As Aphrodite observed him, she noted how tightly clenched his jaw was, the muscles straining as veins pulsed along his forehead. His fists gripped his scythe so tightly that his knuckles had turned white—it was a miracle it hadn't already shattered under his strength.
Yet what surprised her most was the look in his eyes.
They were calm. Far too calm.
There was no fear, no worry. As if he didn't even recognize the danger he was in. As if a powerful goddess wasn't standing before him, declaring that she had every reason to smite him.
That wasn't what she had intended. She had wanted to scare him, intimidate him—perhaps even get some answers to the questions that had piqued her curiosity. But it seemed her plan had ultimately failed.
She withdrew her power, and Lucian's body visibly relaxed as the weight lifted.
"You weren't scared that I was going to kill you?" Aphrodite asked.
Lucian laughed at her words. "Scared? Why the hell would I be scared? You couldn't possibly kill me."
"Oh? Is that right?" she asked coldly.
Lucian grinned. "Well, not so much couldn't—more like… you wouldn't dare to," he said mockingly, tilting his head arrogantly.
Seeing her curiosity, Lucian decided to indulge her. "You see, in this pantheon, I'm the demigod with the most connections. You could kill me, sure, but you'd be making a ton of enemies—enemies even you couldn't afford to handle."
He spread his arms wide, his grin widening into something almost devilish.
"For you see, I am the one most beloved by Fate, the direct disciple of the Titaness of Magic, the prince acknowledged by the Underworld itself, the one blessed by the strongest.
I have allies in the highest ranks of Olympus. While Lady Hestia isn't part of the council, you saw firsthand the level of respect she commands. And let's not forget—I'm her favorite nephew.
Then there's my… unique connection with the Goddess of the Hunt. I imagine she wouldn't take my demise lightly. Which means you wouldn't just make an enemy of her—but of the God of the Sun as well. He's quite protective of his sister, after all. Her enemies are his enemies.
The God of Blacksmithing—your own husband—though he'd never openly admit it, is rather fond of me and appreciative of my work.
And the list goes on..."
Lucian placed a hand over his mouth and chuckled, his glowing pupils barely visible through the cracks of his crescent-shaped eyes.
"So go on," he taunted. "You could kill me—but then that begs the question... how would the Goddess of Love handle the aftermath?"
"..."
'By the gods…'
Both Aphrodite and Lucian shared the same stunned thought, though for different reasons.
Aphrodite's astonishment was visible, her eyes slightly widening as she fully processed his words.
Lucian, however, masked his own surprise behind his usual confidence.
'When the hell did I become so well-connected in the supernatural world!?' he inwardly wondered. 'I didn't even realize until I started listing them just how many powerful figures I've actually formed ties with…'
Aphrodite reeled slightly from the revelation. 'This boy… He truly is untouchable. He's right—I can't kill him. Not even Zeus would dare recklessly strike him down. He wasn't exaggerating when he said he was beloved by Fate. The Moirai themselves interfered to stop Zeus… That alone speaks volumes about his importance to them. I don't think anyone has truly grasped the significance of their actions that day.'
She studied Lucian once again, taking in the way he stared at her with cold indifference, his disdain for her clear and unwavering. 'This boy… He's terrifying. But why? What did I do to make him hate me so much?'
No matter how much she searched her memories, she couldn't find a single reason for his intense hatred. In the end, there was only one thing she could do—ask him directly.
Leaning back against the bench, she spread her arms and let out a resigned sigh. This time, however, it carried no frustration—only acceptance.
"Alright, I'll admit it," she said, her tone apathetic. "I can't touch you. You're the most untouchable demigod in the entire Greek pantheon. Congratulations."
Her words lacked bitterness, but even for her, admitting defeat so easily was difficult.
"But now that begs the question," Aphrodite continued carefully. "Why do you hate me so much? Where does this deep-seated dislike come from? Surely, it's not just because of my reputation."
Lucian scoffed. "I honestly couldn't care less about your reputation. In fact… I pity you more than anything."
"What?" Aphrodite asked, her expression shifting to pure confusion. There was no anger, no defensiveness—just sheer bewilderment. She tilted her head slightly, staring at Lucian as if trying to decipher him. "You pity me?"
Lucian shrugged. "More or less. That's mostly because of the way I was raised. People see your story one way and form their own assumptions. To most, you're just the fickle, unfaithful goddess who cheats on her husband and torments him for no reason, despite everything he's already endured."
Aphrodite's curiosity grew. "And you? You don't share that view?"
"No. I see a woman forced into a marriage she never wanted, fated never to be with the one she truly loved."
Aphrodite froze. She stared at Lucian, disbelief written all over her face. "What?"
Lucian continued, his voice even and unwavering.
"Everyone knows the tale of how you and your 'husband' ended up together. You were the goddess of love—the so-called most beautiful goddess. You were desired by many, causing chaos and discord in Olympus as the gods all fought for your hand.
Then came the God of Blacksmiths, who, in his anger at how the Queen of the Gods treated him, trapped her in a throne she couldn't escape from.
The only way for the King of the Gods to appease him was to grant him a throne on the council… and to give him the most beautiful goddess as his wife.
You had no choice in the matter. Your opinion didn't matter. Marrying you off was a convenient solution—to end the chaos your beauty caused and to appease the 'ugly' blacksmith. A win-win scenario for everyone… except for you.
But there was a problem.
You weren't in love with the blacksmith. You were in love with the God of War. The two of you were like the embodiment of passion itself—drawn to each other.
And yet, despite all the trouble your beauty supposedly caused, you never married him. You never even had the chance.
I never knew why… until today."
Lucian's cold gaze bore into her. Aphrodite sat with her head bowed, her hair falling over her face. Her fists were clenched, her lower lip trembling slightly as she bit down on it.
Lucian took little notice of it and continued.
"The Queen of the Gods never approved of you, did she?" His voice was sharp, cutting straight to the heart of the matter. "She didn't think you were good enough for her darling son. She cares too much about him, and to her, you were unworthy.
And so, you were forced into an unwanted marriage. You act out—sleeping around, hurting him—not because you're faithless, but because it's your only escape from a reality you never wanted."
Lucian scoffed. "Honestly, if I didn't loathe you as much as I do, I might have found your story tragic. The saying 'All is fair in love and war' is meant to represent the kind of love you and the God of War embody—one of mutual desire and balance, where neither holds power over the other.
I mean, the two of you even have a daughter together—the Goddess of Harmony, Balance, and Peace. How romantic is that?"
Aphrodite's voice was cold, but there was an undeniable weight behind it. "Are you done?"
Lucian noticed the moisture in her eyes. She was holding herself together, barely.
"Unfortunately," he said simply.
Reaching into his shirt, he pulled out a small bag that dangled from a thin cord around his neck.
Aphrodite's eyes widened. Though the bag wasn't enchanted, she could sense what was inside.
"Are those… ashes?"
"Yes," Lucian answered, his tone devoid of emotion.
Aphrodite remained silent as he continued.
"These are the ashes of a mortal woman whose emotions you and your bastard of a son once toyed with."
He held the bag in his palm for a moment before bringing it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against the fabric. Then, with deliberate care, he tucked it back beneath his shirt.
Lucian's gaze burned with quiet fury as he met her eyes.
"My mother."
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+10 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3
A/N: Hey so I just posted a new fic called [Going Ghost! (Young Justice)] I already uploaded the first 33 Chapters be sure to check it out, its a story about Danny Phantom if the title wasn't obvious 😋