chapter 9

He definitely is a great crafter, that dress look so great on you, it goes well with your hair"

"right?, I do think it fits me well too"

"and those accessories, they're not your usual ones, where'd you get them?

"he also made them, I think their enchanted but I'm not sure"

The moment Ares Entered his ears heard the  chatter of  the Goddess, the two voice belonged to Hestia and Aphrodite, It seems they were talking about Aphrodite again. In every one of  these meetings someone always mentions something  about The Goddess of Beauty. Be it her hair or accessories this time it's a dress, this was a first nobody really ever comments about clothing  as everyone basically wears the same thing with only minor variations like adding a cape or something.

He entered the Meeting room and found the two Goddesses mid conversation.  There were only the two of them and everyone else hadn't arrived yet.

"Ares!"

Hestia practically tackles him as she gave him a nice warm Hug that he reluctantly returned, the Goddess of the Hearth and home was a very friendly being,  almost having no problem with anyone. Hestia  was an orange haired Woman with a small and  petite frame, her hair was long and curled and  extended all the way to her lower back, her eyes were a fiery orange and her gaze always felt warm like  the eyes of a person who cared deeply for others.

"Hestia and A…."

He paused   before speaking her name, he was quite struck by her beauty, his lust poured out of him as his desire to Bed her became intensified, Hestia released the Hug seeing as Ares was stunned.

"Right?  The dress  makes her more attractive than she already is"

She voiced and Ares nodded in agreement, quickly realizing that he was staring he cleared his throat before  speaking  again.

"Lady Aphrodite, looking as beautiful as ever"

His statement caused Hestia to frown and fold her arms in displeasure.

"What? you address her as Lady but not me, your Aunty?"

Ares scratched the back of his head as he heard her complaint, Hestia was the oldest  Goddess among Zeus's Siblings and was quite respected even more than Zeus or Hera  and it was true she is his aunt but Ares didn't acknowledge her, he is civil with her and does not go out of his way to antagonize her but he doesn't respect her, she is but a weak Goddess not worth mentioning.

"forgive me Aunty, it slipped my mind"

"I'll let it slide because you called Me Aunty"

Ares made a show of looking like he was grateful, He may not respect her but she still has influenced as such would be a great ally in the future should he need one.

"Thank you for the compliments Ares"

Aphrodite  offered her thanks before moving to go sit down on her seat. The meeting room was designed rather extravagantly with gold and silver all over the room along with in laid crystals  that served to give the room a sparkling feel to it. There was a round table at the center with 12 seats. Each of the seats was designed differently with 2 of them being bigger than the rest. Hestia followed up and took her seat as well, leaving  Ares standing.

"If I may ask Aphrodite, where'd you get the dress?"

He curiously asked, however instead of Aphrodite answering it was Hestia who answered.

"Hephaestus made it for her, isn't that sweet, she said it was an apology"

Hestia found it endearing that  Hephaestus would do such a thing, to gift a Goddess a piece of clothing, while it was seemingly ridiculous and stupid to give someone clothing, to Hestia it was quite great  because clothing is warmth. To put it simply she saw it as Hephaestus giving Aphrodite a warm embrace, it doesn't really make sense but it does to her.

"Really, a dress is  what he thought would be best for a Goddess, how unimaginative"

Ares Blurted  out those words as he made his way to his seat. He  didn't see the slight crease of Aphrodite's brows as he said his comment.

"You don't like the dress?"

"no the dress  is fine, it's just for a Goddess you deserve much more, something worthy of you  and  your beauty"

Aphrodite recognized those words, they were familiar and  she heard them often, all  the Gods say the same thing when  presenting gifts to her, they speak as if they know what her beauty is worth. If this was in the past she wouldn't have minded having an idiot go around fighting beasts in her honor, she enjoyed their attention, their lust filled stares affirmed her beauty however for some reason today that wasn't the case.

She was confused by her own emotions,  by all accounts she should have loved the compliments from the minor Gods outside when she arrived yet she didn't, why?

The  lust they directed towards her, should have felt natural like it always did, yet today it didn't it felt foreign, why?

Ares's statement should not have made her frown at him but instead she should have encouraged him to go bring the gift he thinks is worthy but she didn't do that, why?

'is it because I have been away for 2 weeks?'

After being told that she was married to Hephaestus she  became so distraught that she didn't come out of her palace chambers for 2 weeks.

'ah yes that's it, I just need to get used to how things used to be again'

She convinced herself,  as Aphrodite was thinking  another Goddess entered the room.

"Only a Brute like you would think like that"

She spoke with an elegant and jovial tone as she entered,  Ares recognized her voice and frowned slightly, it was his sister,  Athena.

.......

A/N: felt some type of way today and I was compelled to update