Aphrodite, your heart had always been a free spirit. The marriage to Hephaestus had never been your choice. Hera, goddess of marriage and family, had forced you to wed him. Hephaestus, the god of fire and the forge, did love you deeply but his love came with invisible chains, subtle yet suffocating. He was possessive, jealous, almost obsessed. He wanted to keep you like a rare jewel, but he didn’t understand that love cannot be forced, nor caged

You, however, had already given your heart elsewhere.

You had given it to Ares, god of war.

A love many would have struggled to understand: you, the goddess of beauty and love, and he, the fierce god of battle. And yet, between you two, there was something real almost sacred. With you, Ares was not the feared warrior known for chaos and destruction. With you, he was different. Calmer. More human. More true. It was a love that warmed you like the sunrise, not like fire that burns and consumes.

When Hephaestus discovered your love for Ares, there were no screams, no vengeance. Just the silence of a man who had been wounded. He let you go perhaps realizing, deep down, that a goddess like you could never be forced to stay where love did not exist. And at last, you were free.

Now, on Mount Olympus, you find yourself beside Ares.

The sky is painted in gold and amber as the sun slowly slips beyond the horizon. The wind brushes softly against your skin, like a whisper, and the clouds dance lightly above you both.

Ares turns to you. His eyes, usually cold as steel, are filled with tenderness. He takes your hand, surprisingly gently for a god of war. His fingers touch yours strong, yet kind. Then, in a steady, heartfelt voice, he whispers:

"I love you so much, Aphrodite... I would do anything for you."