Chapter 71

I was unashamed to admit that my first meeting with the gods ended up with me running away in terror.

Apollo hadn't been my first choice for meet and greet, but considering he was my immediate neighbor and had sent no less than seventeen missives since my arrival—all begging me to visit in the sweetest of tones—I decided to humor him just this once and at least check out what he had to say.

And thus, before long, I found myself in front of Apollo's Palace, its doors wide open for any to enter.

'Should I have sent a letter or messenger to announce my coming?'

...Nah, fuck it. If they don't have the courtesy to meet me themselves, they shouldn't expect me to follow whatever bullshit protocol there might be.

Apollo's palace was filled to the brim with his own portraits and images. The only reason I didn't dub him a top-level narcissist was due to the fact that he was never alone in those portraits.

'His past lovers.' I theorized after spying a marble statue of a pretty dryad.

I moved past the entrance hall and was soon greeted by the figure of Apollo. His eyes were closed, a ghost of a smile playing on his face, while his body laid down on silken sheets with a Japanese lute in his hands that he thrummed lightly.

"Apollo." I greeted, hiding a grimace.

"Welcome, my dearest Mikael." Apollo's voice was sweeter than honey, and I had to suppress a shiver. He continued, eyes still closed even as his smile widened. "Please, take a seat. I have prepared something for you."

My eyes flickered around, searching for a quick retreat if things went to hell, but found nothing except its peculiarities.

It was a domed room, its walls curving outwards, with royal purple curtains hanging off of them. Weird, for I saw no window behind them.

The only exit was the door I'd just entered from, and I stayed close to it, dragging a cushioned chair to take a seat on.

"I call this…Spark of Love." Apollo purred, and I instantly stood up in alarm.

'He looked at me

Lightning in his eyes

Beautiful as a new morning…like me'

I slowly started to back off, his voice becoming louder and louder, and leaving no doubt in my mind as to the subject of his…poem.

'He knows I'm awesome

I was ice, but now I'm water

Melted by his sweet radiance'

I got the fuck out of dodge.

------------------------

Barely a couple of minutes past my brave escape, I received another letter from Apollo, apologizing for not performing up to par and assuring me the next time he would write something much more impressive, if only I could find it in my heart to visit again…

I burnt the letter.

That night, marking my first night in Olympus, passed in utter bliss. I laid in a swimming pool sized tub, hot steaming water bubbling on the surface. Four Nymphs—or Naiads as they called themselves—attended to me, naked as the day they were born, sighing and gasping as they massaged the muscles of my arms and legs. One Nymph sat behind me, massaging my scalp with her nimble, delicate fingers. I could feel the weight of her breasts upon my head and after the fifth time smashing them against me, I decided it wasn't an accident.

Still, the amount of pleasure and relief I received soon distracted me from that, and I found myself letting go of the week's worth of stress and stiffness.

While my body entered a state of tranquility, my mind grew sharper than it ever was, and I began preparing for my upcoming quest. A map materialized in my head, and I quickly marked the territories rumored to have magical traces upon them.

The first and the most obvious place to search was the Sea of Monsters, also known as the Bermuda triangle. It was one of the most mysterious places to exist, having been credited as the home to Sirens, Circle, and the twin sisters-turned-monsters Scylla and Charybdis. Moreover, it was the place where Satyrs usually met the end of their Pan-search.

The few memoirs that mentioned the Fleece always described it as having a strong sense of nature magic, something Satyrs would love to drown into.

Being my one and only lead, it made sense to scan the entire Bermuda Triangle before I move on. I doubted it would take me more than a day either...hell, it probably wouldn't even take an hour but I planned to thoroughly search every Island or piece of land I find in the area.

Even then, a day should be enough.

Now the only things remaining was to meet the rest of my new family, place an order for Divine Armor, and I'd be finally free to go.

I planned to be done with the first one by the time Hephaestus arrived in his Palace again. Which meant I had a total of two more days to arrange an audience with the remaining gods, and then…

Then it was quest time.

----------------------------

The next day started my speed-run of godly-meetings, and the first name on my list was Hermes.

My meeting with Hermes passed about the same as the first. Except, I didn't run away this time.

The moment I entered his Palace, I knew the god wanted nothing to do with me.

"Did father force you into this?" Hermes asked, not even looking at me as he busied himself with a bunch of letters.

There was a coldness to his voice when he talked, coldness that had been missing the last time. I wasn't stupid enough not to know the reason for it, but it was still a shame to lose a possibly valuable ally.

Still, I didn't let it bother me a bit; neither was I willing to waste my time clearing the air between us.

So I gave him as blithe a shrug as I can. "He wasn't willing to let me skip this. It would seem my appointment as an Olympian means I have to introduce myself properly. Well, my name is Mikael and I'm your brother."

Hermes nodded. "I believe I find our shared time to be sufficient. But I'm a busy god, possibly the busiest at times like these. So I bid you farewell. See yourself out if you will, please."

I shrugged and saw myself out.

Any excuse to be done with this was a welcome one.

Unbelievable though it might sound, my meeting with the goddess side of Olympus started even more poorly.

Then again, I wasn't holding too much hope when facing the one I'd hated half my life; Athena.

Meeting Athena was a lot like throwing shit at an impervious wall. It doesn't matter how hard you throw it, it will never stick.

"You are an anomaly." She'd reiterated her opinion, granting no further justification.

"And? So you hate change then?" I asked back, at least trying to understand her views.

"I'm not against change, Mikael." Athena answered calmly. "I'm against that which cannot be predicted, and potentially affect Olympus in the most unpleasant of ways. Your mere presence brews chaos wherever you go. Even Fates do not try to guide you anymore. It makes you even more responsible for the chaos your action causes."

Finally, I gave up, going back to my sneering self that I'd adopted when dealing with particularly irritating gods. "You must live a pathetically boring life then, to be so fearful of unpredictability."

Her eyes twitched, and my heart gave a wobbly back flip. 'Finally! The cold bitch got done in!'

"You need not worry about making my life more interesting." She'd given a tight, mocking smile. "I would suggest focusing more on your own chaotic life that has left two cities in ruins. You may curse me as cruel, think me unfeeling, but I'm not the one responsible for killing almost a million people in a matter of weeks."

My eyes chilled, hands clenched in fists. "No, you're just responsible for fucking like a bitch in heat and letting your children die in droves."

"My children are perfectly capable of surviving without help." She tilted her head proudly. "And those who cannot, do not deserve my help anyway."

I snorted. "I guess you also believe in survival of fittest, eh? The strongest lives while the weakest rots?"

She didn't appear impressed. "I've never claimed that."

"No? Perhaps I should adjust my words. I guess you also believe in survival of fittest when it's convenient for you, eh? Use it as an excuse to let your children die while you sit on your throne complaining to your 'Lord Father' about how cruel the world is for not worshipping beneath your feet."

Understandably, the conversation hadn't progressed well from that point and I found myself subsequently kicked off the premises.

.

Later that day, I decided to pay the camp a visit. My target? The camp director.

Amongst all my new family members, Dionysus was perhaps the most comforting one, for his attitude changed not one bit.

Though he did prove to be slightly more...wiser than I'd given him credit for.

"A bit of an advice for you, brother." He'd said. "Don't hold grudges. It would do you no good. I know not if you've gained true immortality, but I have no doubt you'd be with us for the next thousand years at least. A long time to hate, as I've found the hard way. Accept the Olympians, ignore their flaws, and keep on with your life. Soon you'll get used to it. Some might resent you for replacing Ares, but don't think upon it too much. Hestia was much more loved than that brute; when I replaced her, I was a subject of no less than eight non-subtle threats. None came true. For all their prickliness, Olympians are a simple bunch. And they care for family above all. Even above their followers. Should you rape one of Artemis' maidens for instance, you'll find her wrath directed at your little friends rather than you. Should you keep rejecting Aphrodite's advances, it will be your mortal friends who suffer from heartbreak and betrayal. That is how gods work. Better you get used to it now than find it the hard way like me."

----------------------------

Out of all the gods and goddesses however, the one that I truly wasn't ready for was Aphrodite.

I'd been half hoping to never hear from her again but in the evening of my second Olympic day, one of my Nymphs delivered me her summons.

Sighing, I rubbed my brows, the dim light of my solar casting an ominous glare over me as I sat thinking.

Aphrodite was one of the few beings I did not want to tangle with...not even in bed. Hephaestus had proved himself to be an incredibly useful ally, and it would be right foolish of me to alienate him just to wet my dick inside some divine pussy.

...No matter how tempting the idea might appear to be.

Unfortunately, Aphrodite had proved herself incredibly dangerous, and I feared the temptation might prove too much for me someday; I can't keep hiding behind Gamer's Mind after all.

I still remembered the day I'd first laid my eyes on her. A single look at her divine body had made me a dull minded buffoon. And even though my pride maintained that it was only due to me being surprised and mentally vulnerable, it was still too big a risk to take.

'Gamer's Mind will need to be active throughout this meeting.' I sighed.

Well...nothing to it. I'll meet her, reject any seduction attempts, and come back quickly.

Plan made, I set my jaw and readied myself.

It was time to pay the Mythology's most famous love goddess a visit.

--------------------------

One thing I quickly realized was that the night in Olympus was far from dark. Should mortals ever manage to catch a glimpse of it, Paris would find it impossible to hold its 'City of Lights' title.

Deep in the night that wasn't dark, I found my target to be on a lower hill than mine.

Aphrodite's Palace was every bit as grand as Ares'—or mine now—though I didn't expect anything else. All the Palaces—except Zeus and Hera's—were around the same size and build. The difference came in their décor and aura.

Aphrodite's, for instance, reminded me of freshly picked flowers, intense passion, and...Pleasure house?

Though the last one could also be due to its owner, who was waiting for me with her doors wide open; her eyes twinkling, and breaths bated.

"My Lord Mikael!" Aphrodite simpered cheerily, looking as doe-eyed and awestruck as a mortal girl. "Please, come in. I've been waiting for a very long time."

She batted her eyelashes, extending a hand to grasp my arm.

Even with Gamer's Mind Activated, I couldn't help but feel my breath become slightly harsh as she entered my personal space. I pointedly did not look anywhere below her face, my peripheral giving me enough view to let me know one thing clearly…

Danger.

The V-cut of her gown was just a little too low: baring a massive amount of cleavage to be feast by one's lucky eyes. While the high slits at her sides were a little too high: showing her perfectly shaped, jade-like thighs in all their naked glory.

Giggling softly, she dragged me inside, looking like the most desirable nymph.

But she was more than that, I knew. So much more.

I suppressed my instinct to snatch my hand away, focusing instead on my godly senses.

Even though she appeared shrouded from me, my domain could pick up the barest hints of her desire, giving me a strong sense of anticipation and hope…along with the slightest bit of nervousness.

'Observe'

Aphrodite

Race: God

Tier: 9 (Elder God)

Current Tier: 8 (True God)

Level: 839 (Divine Form) [Max]

Current Level: 739 (Mortal Form)

'She's stronger than Hestia.' I realized, a shiver of muted shock going through my spine.

You wouldn't guess the simpering fool of a woman in front of me was an Elder God.

"Come on, my love." She beckoned, her every word promising a different sin. "Don't be shy. You're one of us now, we're in this together now. You can trust me."

She winked at me.

Having had enough—with my domain clearly hinting at her games—I snatched my arm away, letting my grimace show. "Thanks, but I have no time to play your games. Out with it."

Aphrodite frowned innocently, a hurtful expression wrecking her face. "Please, Mikael. You cannot possibly think so badly of me, surely?"

I snorted. "You do realize I can almost hear your desires, yeah? I'm most likely the worst target you could've picked to fool."

For a moment she still tried to hold onto her innocent maiden face, but then her smile grew brittle and her eyes twitched madly. A second later, it melted away completely.

Finally admitting defeat, Aphrodite sighed and turned away, muttering expletives under her breath as she walked deeper inside her Palace.

This time, I followed without being forced, though my cautiousness was at an all-time high.

"Even my son cannot do that to me." She stated, glancing back with a proper frown. "What exactly are you the god of again?"

There was an undeniable glint of intelligence in her narrowed eyes now, a crafty persona that appeared dangerous on her gorgeous face.

Suppressing the urge to summon Stormbreaker and wreck her perfect face up, I cocked my head curiously. "I thought everyone knew? I can feel the aura of your domain very clearly."

For some reason, even with my hackles raised, I already liked this Aphrodite much better than the last one.

"I can," She nodded, now having completely given up on her foolish act. "But it is too...hidden. Your Holy Aura overpowers your scent too much, and your beauty is too distracting for me to focus properly."

She winked at the last one, but it seemed so close to mortal flirting that instead of growing even more suspicious, I let out a light snort.

Her explanation on the other hand, was much less understandable; the godly business being still too new for me.

"So, what are you the god of?" Aphrodite asked again.

I frowned, trying to think of any reason not to reveal it; I couldn't.

Shrugging, I answered. "Beauty and Desire."

Aphrodite came to a sudden halt, whirling around, a look of abject shock on her face.

I slowly readied myself for an explosive response, my wings a microsecond away from unfurling. "...What?"

She blinked, and the shock was gone as soon as it came. Shaking her head, she turned around again. "Nothing. I should've known...who else could hope to...well. It doesn't matter."

There was something melancholy in her tone, her entire demeanor almost changing to and fro from a shy lover to a crafty spider as she peeked glances over her back.

I didn't let it bother me, and we soon reached what looked like her living room.

In my previous life, it would've been the most luxurious sight I'd ever seen. In Olympus, it was a cool room with two open arched balconies and soft cushions to sit and relax.

"Please, take a seat." Aphrodite said, waving at one of the couches, a small fruit-stand next to it. "I will be back shortly."

She disappeared in the other room without another glance, leaving me to my thoughts.

Instead of sitting, I approached the open balcony, letting the cool magical wind of Olympus sooth out my worries.

'What exactly am I doing here?' I found myself wondering. 'I should be out there, hunting, fighting…exploring my powers. Hell, I could've been back with the Fleece by now.'

Yet, one promise from Zeus had tangled me with the gods.

'I need to leave Olympus. And soon.'

The soft steps of Aphrodite's naked feet entered my ears and I quickly turned around.

She held in her hands a small mundane vase, her fingers handling it with tender care. Instead of presenting it to me, she simply placed it on the wooden table.

Then she turned around, an expectant look on her face, and waited.

'She expects me to react to it?' I took a closer look at the vase but couldn't see anything special.

"What's this?" I found myself asking. "You don't expect me to be in awe of your chamber pot, do you?"

For a moment her mouth simply opened and closed like a fish…then she burst out laughing, and I could've sworn there was no other sound more delightful to hear.

"Gods do not use 'chamber pots' Mikael. No, it was given to me by..."

She glanced at me again, almost drinking in my face for a brief moment, before she shook herself out of it.

"By someone who mattered a lot to me."

I frowned. 'This is getting ridiculously weird now.'

Shaking my head, I focused on the goddess as she threw herself on the couch; suddenly sad.

But my patience was at its limit.

"What do you want?" I asked bluntly.

She turned to face me, her monstrous tits being squashed underneath her as she lay on her stomach.

Our eyes met, and I found myself drowning in the depths of two ocean blue orbs.

"You."

I almost didn't register the words. Almost.

"You can't have me."

I couldn't see her expression as she quickly turned away from me, pushing herself to sit up slowly, almost sultrily, before finally glancing at me again.

"Well…maybe not you, you." She shrugged. "Just your help…and support."

"For what?" I raised a brow, completely lost.

"To gain power, of course." She smiled, placing her head on the back of her palm, her elbow propped on her knee. "To extend my domain across the continents. Over the whole world even."

I nodded slowly, not knowing what the fuck she meant but already knowing I wanted nothing to do with it.

"I'll think about it."

She sighed, grimacing. "…How about I add you in as well? Yes, I mean you, you. I want you, your help, support, body, love….everything."

I simply stared at her. "You can't have it."

This time though, there was a burning intensity to her gaze, a stubborn frustrated glint that she couldn't hide behind her hair.

Then she took a deep breath, visibly calming, and gave a single nod. "And what will I have to do to have it?"

I wasn't going to answer her but the words tumbled out of my mouth anyway. "Stop being such a whore?"

I suppressed a wince. 'True but rude.'

Her eyes flashed dangerously, mouth twisting. "That's easy for you to say, when you have the strength of God himself. My only weapons are my wits, my face, and the promise of pleasure derived from this body."

I shrugged. "Tough."

She snarled, and I could feel her Authority very clearly now. Authority much greater than my own. "Quite a hypocrite, aren't you? Why don't you follow your own suggestion then? How are you any different than me? Or does being a man give you a free pass?"

I snorted. "For one, I'm not married. For two, I'm not the one going around professing my need to possess someone. If I do fall in love and settle down, I wouldn't act like the current me. But you? I don't think loyalty is something you can ever hope to accept."

"You do not think I can stay true to one love?" She appeared amused by the notion, but I could feel the edges of her growing anger. "You truly think I'm a whore, don't you?"

I shrugged. "You're a goddess. As long as you keep your distance from me, I'll try not to judge you."

No matter how much she may have tortured Hephaestus, I really didn't want beef with this goddess if I can avoid it.

She was silent for a long time before she finally looked up. "What if I never touch a man again?"

I blinked, stunned.

She stood up, and started approaching me slowly. "What if I never touch a man or a god again? I want power, Mikael. Power to extend my domain across the entire world. And you…you can have anything of me. We can be good to each other. You see me as a whore. I'm not. And I can prove it to you…."

I stood still as the goddess took my hand in hers. "I know my affections for you are not returned right now. And I'm not asking for it either. I simply ask...to give me a chance."

…And yet, for all her talk of affection, she'd somehow managed to hide herself from my domain completely…disabling me from even getting a glimpse of her true desire…

I snatched my hand away. "I'll think about it."

She stared at my face in silence, a deep painful hunger burning in her eyes as she drank me in. Then, a cold mask enveloped her as she snorted. "No. No, you won't."

I kept quiet. It was true anyway. I had no plans to accept anything coming out of this goddess. Manipulation seems to come to her like breathing.

"Leave me. Now."

I left.

Had I lingered long enough, I would've heard a woman's scream of fury echoing under the walls of the Palace, followed by the sound of her destroying a precious vase—a vase she'd kept safe for thousands of years. Had I lingered long enough, I would've witnessed the fury turning to wretched heartbreak, her sobs sad enough to melt the coldest of hearts.

But I didn't. By the time the sun climbed up the sky again, I'd forced myself to forget about her entirely.

------------------------

'Day three of me surviving Olympus.' I chuckled.

Also my last day here for the time being. Hephaestus was supposed to move back to his Palace today; apparently Zeus had tasked him with a special objective, something I wasn't privy to.

'Meh, probably some Titan-killing weapon.'

But today he should have enough time from the war to complete his side of the bargain.

Honestly, while I knew better than anyone that the war had started, it didn't feel like it had. Though I was certain the cause behind it was Olympus itself; the city without fear.

Not that I truly blamed them. Olympus was likely the safest place in the entire pantheon. Not only did it have the constant presence of True and Elder Gods, but it also had the reassurance that the gods would never abandon it…unless they wished to lose their main power base. Even Zeus and Poseidon would likely die trying than give up on the city; for they knew what the destruction of 'Hall of Gods' would entail.

That was another reason why I felt like a guest. Even though I was an Olympian now, I was different from my family to the most basic level.

…I had no reason to stay loyal to them, no obligation to protect the city. I could literally leave the pantheon and do my thing if that is what I wished for. I didn't have a Palace that held my divinity. I didn't have a seat in the Hall of Gods that held my Spirit.

I was free.

…Well, theoretically at least. Cause right now, as I prepared to meet another Goddess, I did not feel free. At all.

One couldn't imagine my relief when I realized this shall be my last meeting. Artemis wasn't willing to entertain me, and Demeter didn't want to waste her valuable Persephone-time on me.

Yet, when the time came to meet my last god—or, well, goddess—instead of relief, I felt an unusual amount of hesitation.

I hadn't cared a lot for the rest of the Olympians, wanting to just get it over with as quickly as I could. I didn't give a fuck what sort of impression I could be making over my fellow gods. Thalia's survival took a much bigger priority for me than a bunch of arrogant bastards.

But this one...this one was going to be different, I knew. There was a purpose behind this one, something that made my heart twist with complicated emotions.

Perhaps it was due to being completely caught off-guard by Aphrodite already, but I was really hoping this meeting wouldn't throw some ridiculous curveball at me.

When I'd first laid my feet on Olympus, I knew this day would be coming sooner or later. The day of confrontation...the woman that forced my mother to run away...

It was time to confront Hera.

'...Or is it?'

I forced myself to stop outside of her palace, the royal gold and white a picture of power and grace. The huge pillars may well be half a dozen times taller than me, and wide enough that I'd never be able to wrap my hands around it.

What could the gods possibly do with palaces so big? Not like they had their own family or something. At the end of the day, they were just a single person. Living in a palace all alone seemed horrifyingly sad...

I shook my head, taking a deep breath. 'I'm stalling.'

Could I be blamed though?

The last time I'd entered Olympus, I'd expected to feel Hera's wrath bubbling on the surface, ready to be unleashed upon me any second...Yet, all I'd received was a cold, composed glance of contempt.

At any other time, I might've simply dismissed it as her real personality. Not all rumors you read or hear are true after all, and most of these rumors came from the mouths of people who'd never even met Hera in their lifetime.

Yet, I couldn't dismiss it. Not when I knew how utterly fake it was.

After having leveled up my Divine Domain, I'd unlocked the ability to passively feel the desire of individuals inside my dome, which kinda extended throughout the states. I wagered it would've been even further had there been someone praying to me outside of New York.

The point is, my domain had revealed some... very interesting things, to say the least. Things I didn't want to dwell on for long, in fear of being wrong in the end.

'Damn, Aphrodite's left me some P.T.S.D.'

Snorting, I shook my head, coming upon the divine Palace of Hera; slightly uncertain, slightly conflicted.

I'd barely touched the grand doors when they swung open on their own. With a crack of my head, I psyched myself up and sauntered inside; my gait that of supreme confidence.

Let it never be said that Mikael Gabrielson runs away from volatile situations!

…Apollo didn't count! That was a little too volatile, even for me.

The moment I entered the palace of Hera, I was struck by how welcoming it felt. Much more welcoming than my own current residence, that was for sure.

Being placed on one of the highest peaks of Mount Olympus, the palace delivered a great view over the rest of the city through the wide arched windows that let great gusts of wind blow inside.

I was just beginning to appreciate it when, all of a sudden however, every window shut with a snap, leaving behind only a bunch of candles to light the room.

I didn't need to search for the culprit behind it.

For she stood there alone, her back to me, gazing upon my reflection in the now shut window. The back of her crown was visible to me, perching on top of lustrous black hair that curled up prettily at the end.

My eyes couldn't help but venture lower, and a deep sense of hunger gnawed at my heart as I took in the perfect body barely hidden by her thin satin robe that hugged to her curves in all the right places.

Her back sloped in the most graceful of ways to make way for her royal rump that shot spikes of desire through me. Round and large—like a curved bubble—with a deep line perfectly dividing the two buns as if she'd purposely pushed her thin gown into her bottom's valley.

'Now that's a divine ass.'

There was nothing I would've liked more than to go drag her from behind and plop her on my lap, rubbing my hardened member all over her that bubbly booty.

When Hera finally deigned to face me, I couldn't help but take a shaky breath in.

'Beautiful.' Almost as beautiful as Aphrodite…

…Alright, maybe the last one was a lie, but her beauty was still enough to catch my breath away.

"You came later than I expected." Her words may as well have been wind to my ears, lovely though they were, for my entire being was busy drinking in the sight of her. "Why?"

So obviously she didn't receive an answer.

The thin sage-green robe hung off of her shoulders with only two clasps holding them in place, leaving a very low neckline that left little to imagination.

I'd slept with many women, from the beautiful daughters of Aphrodite to the prettiest of actresses. From the busiest of girls to the fully matured wives and mothers.

But if beauty was calculated through the sheer grace and power a body could emit, then Hera would win over them all by a far wider mile than countable.

Her heavy breasts were barely held up by her robe, full and round, like two teardrops the size of melons. Her robe hugged her slender waist and wide thighs perfectly, before parting downwards to bare a milky pale thigh for my viewing pleasure.

Had it not been Hera, the woman in front of me would've looked almost as shameless as Aphrodite.

But it was Hera, and thus, even with baring an absurd amount of skin, she looked to be the most graceful of queens instead, simply granting her subject the honor of viewing her perfect body.

'I can see why Zeus went for her over all her sisters.'

I tried to snap myself out of it, tried to maintain a false anger for show. After all, she did send deities to hunt after me and made no secret of her hatred.

But looking at her now, she appeared almost as beautiful and desirable as Gabriel—perhaps equally so, for she was here, right now, while the subject of my love wasn't.

'She's as good as your step-mother, fool.' I tried reminding myself. 'And the wife of your father.'

Yet, all it did was fan the flames of lust even further, the taboo of the situation driving my heart on fire.

"My eyes, you may find, do not lie in my breasts." Her dry voice came, Authority clear within them. "I asked you a question."

I snorted, finally tearing my eyes up to glance at her beautiful face—as beautiful as my Nymphs in fact, but with far more elegance than they could hope to sport. "If you wear clothes as revealing as Aphrodite, I'll assume you mean for me to enjoy the sight."

Then I cocked my head, smirking. "Or are you actually displeased by my attention...Hera?"

I wasn't worried about offending her. Even though she tried her hardest to hide her shameful desires from my senses, it didn't quite work completely.

I knew what she wanted.

Compared to Aphrodite, Hera might as well have been an open book.

Her eyes narrowed in 'anger', but when she began making her way towards me, there was a visible sway to her hips.

I smiled.

"I see why Zeus made you an Olympian." She said, scoffing at my smile. "You're just a younger version of him."

Yet, for all her contempt, my domain still had a very different story to tell...

And perhaps the most shocking of all, there wasn't even a drop of desire to harm me in her currently.

…And so I continued perving on her blatantly.

Her every step made her robes readjust, sometimes giving me a glimpse of more than just her deep cleavage, showing the barest hint of her pink nipples, sometimes the cut on her robe would bare her thighs a little too high, giving me the slightly view of her thigh line...

And with each step she took, she spat out words at me like they were meant as an insult. "More boorish."

"Less powerful."

"More impudent."

"Less sensible."

Finally she came to a stop in front of me. "And much more of a fool."

"And perhaps a little more pretty." Her lips curved mockingly. "You didn't think I actually bared my true feelings to you in the halls of gods? No, you silly child. It was simply a ploy to get you where I needed."

For a second I almost feared her words—Aphrodite's example clear in my head—but then the logic kicked in and I found myself relaxing.

'If even the Goddess of Love cannot manipulate her own desires, how the fuck could Hera hope to?'

Which meant…

'Ah...so that's how you want to play this...'

Well, two can play this game.

"You didn't have to act like a whore to get my attention." I sneered, laughing. "I was commanded by Zeus to meet all the gods anyway. And you knew this."

I stepped closer to her, unafraid and inciting. "Yet, you still stand in front of me dressed like this. Are you to tell me now that this is also a part of your great plan to trick me?"

Her breathing still stirred calmly, but her eyes...her eyes flickered just for a single moment; restless and flustered...and I struck.

"Tell me then, Hera..." I purred, a finger rising to caress her face. "Why does the queen of Olympus grace me with the bared view of her body?"

My finger dipped down from her chin to her neck, before moving further downwards, almost touching the start of her cleavage when it was finally swatted away.

As she turned away, her face was flushed and breathing erratic. "You do not lack for confidence at least, foolish though it might be."

Even her words sounded shaky.

She glanced back, suddenly graver than before, her eyes turning golden and radiating such power that I held my breath. "Whatever you do, should you call me a whore again, you won't leave here alive."

I took a deep, calming breath when the goddess turned away again.

'Alright, don't push too hard yet.'

My Domain picked up on the authenticity of her threat, though it was marred by great reluctance…

It was a minor reminder; for all this little game we were playing, the being in front of me was still an Elder god. Underestimating her would be foolish. Disrespecting her even more.

For now.

"I called you here at the behest of my son." She spoke at last, her back still to me. "For the remainder of the war, you will take care of him. See to his needs, make sure he does nothing foolish. As much as I love him, I'm not unaware of his...less than average intelligence. With you serving him however, I have no doubt he would survive."

She looked like she meant the last one as a compliment.

I couldn't help it. I threw back my head and laughed.

"Do you think I jest?" She hissed, whirling around and closing the distance between us threateningly.

Yet, I knew she never expected me to actually heed her commands. The fact that she still tried…

With great struggle, I finally forced down my laughter, shaking my head. "You silly bitch."

Her eyes flashed dangerously but I kept going, now realizing the reason for her reluctance to hurt me…

Aside from the most obvious one, that is.

"Did you actually believe I'll be cawed down by the likes of you?" I snorted. "All you fucking gods are such dumb little shitstains. I'd rather die than bend to someone as deluded as you. So keep this in mind, in case you get any new ideas...I will kill Ares in half a heartbeat if I sense even the slightest bit of your plotting. I will torture him to insanity, destroy that fucking castle so he'll be cursed with weakness forever, before finally tearing him apart and strangling with his own intesti—"

Rage in her eyes, the queen of Goddess cocked back her hand and swung.

I stood back—a little surprised—as the sting of her slap registered.

"How dare you." She trembled, her words a hiss of her rage. "I should incinerate you where you sta—"

Growling, I gave her another reason to rage when the back of my hand landed on her soft cheek with a thunderous crack of strength.

Hera staggered back, her entire head jerking to the right from the slap, mouth open and gasping, with pure shock in her eyes as she stared back at me.

'Zeus has never struck her.' I realized.

She straightened, looking more hurt by my action than the slap, her act of playing tough bitch vanishing away….

And then I was onto her, my mouth smashing against hers before she could decide her next action, my hands tearing at her dress; taking a hold of her large tits; squeezing and kneading into them. She didn't even try to pretend like this wasn't exactly what she wanted; her own hands quickly came to grip the back of my head, pulling me deeper inside her mouth, before climbing down, roaming at my neck and back.

Suddenly she backed away, taking deep gulps of air. "You hit me."

I shrugged, my hands still on her tits, unwilling to let go. "So did you."

Her hands came to clutch mine, stopping them at place.

Uncertain, I frowned. 'Did I judge her wrongly?'

But she didn't remove my hands from her tits, insteadshe dragged them upwards to rest on her shoulders.

"I don't care anymore, but you will not tear my clothes like a brute." She hissed, still close enough that I could touch lips with mine. "I'm not one of your mortal conquests."

'Ahhh...'

Pressing forward, I retook her lips in a gentler kiss while my fingers unhooked the clasps holding her robes. With just a simple tug, they came undone.

The robe slid off of her body slowly, first the two straps falling down, dividing the robe into two pieces of clothes; one that covered her front, the other her back.

The cloth on her back slid down without any trouble, but her tits were huge enough that the front one simply fell on top of them, coming to a halt.

Hera stood still, each breath pushing the cloth up and down along with her breasts.

I bent down slowly—my eyes still locked with hers—and took a hold of her dress between my teeth. Then, I slowly peeled them off, letting them drop down once they braved through the slope of her twin mountains.

Finally uncovered; the two globes of simple perfection glistened golden under the candle's glow, pink cherries topping their peaks, transfixing my eyes with their eternal beauty.

"Beautiful indeed." I murmured against them, slowly letting my lips touch the soft plump flesh.

Hera took a deep breath, which changed into a gasp when I began attacking with a savage fervor. My teeth bit into her skin, my tongue and lips slathering her tits, leaving a trail of wetness behind as I hurried to cover every inch of them.

Hera's gasps soon turned into moans as my hands joined the attack, squeezing the soft but firm flesh tightly while I tried to devour them whole.

"How…?" She gasped out as I left a trail of kisses all over her upper body, my mouth rising back up to her neck again. "Zeus never did anything like this…"

The words were so jarring coming out of an ancient goddess that I forced myself to disengage, giving her a look of pure pity. "You poor soul. You've only ever been with one man, haven't you? Let me show how much more there is to sex."

She opened her mouth, furious, but I captured her lips in a savage kiss; biting and sucking her face off.

"Let me show you…" I mumbled against her mouth mid-frenching. "What pleasure truly is…"

She moaned loudly upon my tongue as my hand dipped down to massage her divine clit, while my other hand quickly tore away my pants, freeing my steeled shaft before going back to continue tormenting her tits.

With our mouths still attached, I guided her delicate hands—who'd been floundering uselessly—to my shaft, forcing her to stroke it.

When our faces finally parted from one another, in a moment of passion Hera clutched at my back, digging bloody trenches across with her nails but also ripping apart my shirt open.

I let them fall off.

Now both of us completely naked, we rubbed against each other, writhing like two worms, my shaft against her thighs, sometimes touching her slit and sending shivers of pleasure through both of us.

Suddenly I took a fistful of her hair, dragging them back painfully.

She gasped, but presented her neck to me all the same, and I latched onto her delicious curve with savage intensity, biting and licking her jade like flesh; perfect and smooth.

"You knew I picked up on your lust the moment I walked in, didn't you?" I hissed against her collarbone, head tilting up to stare into her witless eyes that seemed to know nothing but pleasure. "You knew we were going to end up like this."

I threw her towards a cushion armchair, bending her over it forcefully. I lined myself behind her shapely arse, feeling more lustful than I've ever done for any mortal woman in my life.

Even the thought of banging Sally in front of Poseidon couldn't hope to come close.

I couldn't help it, I smacked my groin against her bubbly arse with desperate need, rubbing my hardened member up and down her gushing slit with a fierce intensity.

"Ohhh...fuck." I exclaimed, feeling a heat unlike any emitting from the wetness of her perfect cunt.

With my right hand, I once again gripped a fistful of her hair and jerked her head to a side and let my mouth attack her; from her slender neck to her delicate shoulders, my teeth left visible red marks as I bit and sucked, all the while my shaft grinded against her divine lower lips.

"Yes." Suddenly Hera pushed me back with a hiss, her strength catching me off-guard and almost sending me stumbling away. When I looked up in surprise, she'd already closed the gap between us, smashing her tits into my chest as she swept me up in a fierce kiss, pushing me back until the back of my knees touched the wooden hold of her bed. "Yes, I knew exactly how this day was going to end."

Realizing her intentions, I picked her whole body up and dumped her on the bed, quickly following suit.

She didn't fight me again, laying there with legs crossed. "Come then, accept your payment for helping my son."

She spread her legs apart.

Kneeling between her legs, I stared at her from above, a sense of muted awe spreading through my being as I witnessed the glory of Hera; her hair was spread on the bed like a halo, her royal crown still sat upon her brow, and her divine body looked so perfect that I knew I was never going back to mortal women.

Then I fell upon her like an animal that I knew myself to be in bed, crushing her beneath me, my body big enough to cover her completely.

We wrestled atop the bed for supremacy, our strength almost equal. Yet, for all her millenniums worth of life, Hera wasn't a very experienced warrior in bed. The result of our grinding and smooching came out with her on all fours, and me kneeling behind her.

I started grinding again.

I'd planned to properly worship her body, to kiss and taste every part of her, but Hera's patience finally seemed to snap, for the next moment she adjusted my cock to spearhead straight inside her.

"We don't have much time." She hissed. "I've exiled Zeus for the stunt he pulled that day, but he won't stay away for long. Now be a good boy an—Oh! Y-you brute..."

Hera gasped as I eased myself into her folds without warning.

I bend down to cup her body, a hand wrapping around her dangling breasts as my mouth pressed to her ears, kissing softly to whisper. "Zeus isn't taking proper care of you, is he?"

She moaned high, arching her back as I entered her fully. "W-would I be here if he was?"

My responding chuckle was cut in the middle when my member finally found her sweet spot. Her entire lower body began shaking from my slow thrust, her ass jiggling involuntarily from what seemed like multiple minor orgasms.

"Darling, we haven't even begun our ride." I barely managed to chuckle from the deep waves of pleasure assaulting me. "Better get ready, if that's the standard I had to defeat."

And then I began thrusting, our groins smacking against each other as the familiar ritual of mating commenced. Only this time, I had a goddess under me.

And she was every bit as strong as me.

So I held nothing back.

With whispers and kisses, I started fucking the Queen of Olympus with all my being, our thighs slapping with the sweetest splat, our moans rising in the air. With my name on her tongue, I spent my last day on Olympus conquering the wife of my father.

It must've been twelve hours later that we finally found a moment of respite, our divine bodies satisfied for the time being.

"You really never laid with a goddess before?" Hera asked against my chest as she laid sprawling over me.

"No." I drew her closer, my hand tightening around her waist. "You've the privilege of that."

Hera giggled. "Oh, lucky me. I'm so very honored to be your first."

My finger trailed up and down her side lightly, caressing the divine flesh of the Queen of Olympus. "As you should be."

"That tickles." Hera laughed, clutching at my offending finger and bringing it up to her lips. "I don't suppose I'll be your last as well."

She kissed the finger slowly.

Eyebrows raised, I cupped her chin and made her meet my eyes. "Probably not, but I'll remember you fondly."

I brought myself down to capture her in a gentle kiss.

As I pulled back to watch her again however, she refused to meet my eyes. "I doubt that. You'll forget all about me when you taste Aphrodite. Or maybe you'll find some pretty little mortal who's perfect for you. The heart of man is a fickle thing indeed."

I huffed. "You shouldn't make assumptions, My Queen. After all, just one time is too low a payment for my services. This is just the beginning of our escapades."

Hera grunted. "So you say."

After a few moments, I glanced down at her again. "So, do you regret it?"

For a few seconds there was only silence. Then, almost hesitantly, she peered up, smiling. "No. No, I don't think I do."

Then she propped herself on her elbow, a palm supporting her head. "And you better not, either."

I would've snorted had she not closed the distance between us the next second, smashing her lips against mine.

She moaned lightly, before suddenly backing away again, eyes closed in serene joy. "You're young. You'll feel guilty about betraying your father—"

After a ride like that? Like hell.

"But you shouldn't. He had it coming for thousands of years now."

"Hasn't he changed?" I asked carefully.

She snorted, laying back down again. "No. He didn't change, no matter how much he pretends. He played the same game when I and Poseidon trapped him in ropes. He promised us he'd be a better ruler. Promised us he won't give us any word to complain. And he kept his promise I guess...for all of two grand decades. Two decades where he actually treated me like his wife. Two decades of peace and joy. Then he went back to his whoring days and all his promises fell apart like a dam bursting. Do not be fooled by his new kindness, Mikael. It won't last for long. You remind him of Gabriel, I'm sure. Which is the only reason he is at least trying to act well."

"But I've known him for a long long time, Mikael. And a woman, no matter how holy and pure, cannot hope to change him. Only a beating as bad as the one God delivered will lay upon him any permanent mark."

I chuckled, but her words struck a memory in me; Poseidon's words coming to the fore. 'Is that all he is then? A chance for you to prove us all wrong?'

It was…actually a relieving prospect. If Zeus truly was the same asshole everyone believed him to be, then I could keep this affair going with nary a guilt in my heart.

"You know..." Hera started again. "The gods I sent to watch you...they were only meant to spy. See what you do, perhaps take a picture of you naked."

I didn't say anything, simply nuzzling into her breasts as she massaged my hair.

"I thought once or twice, to take the figure of one of your mortal lovers and seduce you...but I could never make myself betray Zeus."

I was completely baffled. "Why?"

She frowned. "What do you mean why? I'm the goddess of Marriage and family...if I decide cheating is fair in marriage then the meaning of marriage will be redefined forever."

"But cheating has already become a normal part of a marriage now. Western civilization has normalized it to the very extreme. I have resisted the urge to give in for as long as I can... but if Zeus doesn't wish to learn, then there is no point in me resisting. And you're so much better anyway, that I doubt I'll go back to my monotonous life."

Only after she'd finished clearing her head did I finally ask my real question.

"No, I mean why would you take someone else's form?" I propped myself on my elbow, turning to stare in her eyes.

There was a glint of hesitance and shame in them as she turned away.

"I-I just...never thought you might lay with me willingly..."

For a moment I didn't understand her words, but when they did start making sense, I found the prospect so ridiculous that I threw my head back and laughed. "A-are you kidding me? Seriously?"

Her eyes flashed in hurt and she pushed herself to sit straight. "I think we're done for today."

I stopped her from leaving, dragging her back into my arms and hugging her naked body tightly, one hand gripping her jiggly breasts and one hand pressing her head to me.

"Look at me."

Reluctantly, she turned her eyes to me. And I could see tears of anger and shame slowly trickling down her cheeks…

And then I realized...she doesn't think herself desirable enough.

'Holy Lord, Zeus has fucked up her self-esteem.'

Well…I was happy to do something about it.

Softly, I pressed my lips to hers then; kissing her tenderly, like a new lover.

Pushing back, I met her eyes again. "You are one of the most beautiful women in the world, Hera. Anyone would be lucky to be graced by your presence. Zeus is a fucking bastard for making you believe anything else. Do you understand me?"

She didn't say anything, looking too mortified. Though there was a shy delight in her eyes now, happiness unlike any I've felt since meeting her was now present on her blushing face.

I pushed her back down on the bed. "But I've always believed that actions speak louder than words."

"So let my actions be the ones to convince you instead." With a smirk, I dived down to her, ready to fuck the queen until the sun rises again.

From her enthusiastic response and laugh of joy, I believed she was of the same mind.

------------------------

AN: Hey! Hope you're all doing well. I know it's been a long time since I last updated this fic...almost 4 months I think? Yeah, pretty understandable why so many of you were worried about me dropping it. But worry not, I'm not gonna abandon any of my fics. Like I said in my other updates, irl problems and writer's block was kicking my ass. Life hasn't been kind to me recently, but we make lemonades out of lemons and move on. Also, God of war Ragnarök had trapped me in its addictive grasp, or this chapter would've def dropped in November as promised. Tho I did gain a loooot of inspiration for Norse pantheon, so it wasn't completely a waste of time.

Anyway, really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Over 17k words! I know it was mostly about character introductions and interactions, there wasn't much action or plot progression, but I've finally unleashed another one of MC's pairings! Let me know your thoughts of Aphrodite...and Hera as well! This lewd really gave me massive amounts of trouble. Anyone annoyed with Mikael banging her? Feel like he betrayed his father?

Well, let me know what you thought in reviews!

Anyway, that's it for now. Hopefully December would go well for me.

My discord: discord .gg/9wpfysDGsz to discuss fics, chill, and see character images.

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See you all in the next chapter!