chapter 4

"Who are you?!!"

This handsome gentleman was not someone she was familiar with and she could not place his face, nor His aura the way he looked at her was different from the lust filled gaze she usually gets, an indicator that this God did not come here for Sex like most do.

"You wound me my lady, do you not recognize me? We recently got Wed you know"

Despite his words the smile on his face spoke that he was actually pleased than hurt, Aphrodite found herself smiling slightly in return, smiling was contagious after all.

"I do not remember being married to a handsome God such as yourself so perhaps you came  to the wrong abode?"

"There's no other Goddess as beautiful as you, Lady Aphrodite"

He compliments and  to Aphrodite the compliment also felt different as well, it felt natural, not  words strung together by the desire to lay her but a genuine appraisal of her beauty, she didn't know how to feel about this, it  was odd and strangely satisfying.

"but I suppose I do look different, after all I  was  formerly known as a monster, so let me introduce myself once  again. my Lady, my name is Hephaestus God of forging, crafting  and metal working. What you see before you is  the new and improved version of me"

Aphrodite froze as she heard the man's words, it was impossible, there was absolutely no way that such a horrid looking God would turn to such handsome being in the span of two weeks.

Her eyes glowed as she peered into his divine soul to confirm. A God's identity is contained within their souls, this meant  that no matter what form they take the divine soul can never change and other Gods can confirm their identity via the use of the skill [ divine sight.] Aphrodite staggered back her eyes widening to saucers and her delicate hands placed upon her mouth as the shock could not be contained, this man was telling the truth.

"Hephaestus?!!! but… but h… how?"

She stammered struggling to voice her thoughts.

"there was no rule stating I could not change my appearance was there?"

A small smile of satisfaction appeared on his face, as he watched the Goddess Stagger back in Astonishment.

It has been about a week  since he received his past life memories and he had thought it would take a while to craft gifts for her but it only took a week, looking at her divine figure  and noting the White cloths that pretended to be clothes  but were nothing but sheets of cloth that served to hide her private parts, he felt satisfied that he had made various assortments of dresses he remembered from his past life, he also enchanted them with various effects increasing their value as more than just mere clothes.

Aphrodite  was truly a divine beauty that had no Equal, from the moment he laid eyes on her he was smitten, he could clearly understand why every God in Olympus coveted her body and he understood why the previous Hephaestus would want her to be his wife, as the ugliest God having the most beautiful Goddess would definitely be something to brag about.

Unfortunately all of them were fools, what they wanted was the pleasure of the sacred garden and the bragging rights that came with having had sex with her. None of them appreciated her beauty,  they certainly saw it but they never admired it.

He was better than them, perhaps maybe it's his previous life's mortal eyes that led him to be so taken with her or perhaps a mixture of both the previous Hephaestus and his past life that resulted in him being smitten.  He couldn't say if it was love at first sight but he was very determined to covet her and have her be his and his alone.

'Ares, Zeus, Poseidon, Adonis and even Hades, no mortal and no God none of them will have her'

He declared within his mind fully readying himself for confrontation with all of them should they decide to not keep their hands to themselves.

"I suppose there was not, but  this new appearance while certainly pleasing  changes nothing"

After  having calmed down. Aphrodite Began, her expression was stern indicating that it was time to talk about the Important matter.

"I understand my lady but you understand I cannot simply asked the king and queen  for the divorce"

Aphrodite asked at his words, surely it is easier if he was  the one  to end this marriage than it would be for her. and whe is  that?"

"I cannot simply ask for marriage and then ask for a  divorce two weeks later, The queen would not be pleased as it would seem that I am making a mockery of something as sacred as marriage"

What he spoke made sense, Hera herself is remaining with Zeus purely because of the oath she took Even if Zeus is unfaithful her pride will never allow her to break that oath.

"I see, what you're saying is sensible, so what do you suggest we do?"

"that's  where these gifts come in, half is an apology for what I did while the other half represents my desire to court you"

Aphrodite  raised a brow at his words, she has had relations with various Gods in the past but none of them ever phrased it as courting.

"court me?"

She repeated, more so out of mild shock than anything

"Indeed my lady, a relationships on which both of us ate committed to each but no yet in love, a sort of way to test our compatibility"

"I know what courting is, Hephaestus"

She was confused, courting wasn't a foreign concept to her but the way he phrased it brought her confusion. a relationship in which both of them are committed to each other?

'what does that mean? And committed in what way?'

.....

A/N: power stone, yes?