Sex, Lies, and Ambrosia

Being a goddess had its many advantages. Aside from immortality, magical manipulation, and being a focus of worship, divine health was one of the perks. This excellent health allowed the goddess to recover from her midday activities faster than the pile of merchants, soldiers, nymphs, and clergy scattered about the shrine in various states of consciousness and dress. As Aphrodite sat up and stretched her bare arms overhead, she saw the entirely overdressed Iris standing in the doorway of the shrine between the two Spartan templars that had been guarding the doors.

Smirking with delight, Aphrodite made no attempt to cover her nude body as she got to her feet and cautiously navigated the mass of entwined bodies of her lovers and other participants of her midday orgy. "You're late," Aphrodite said to the goddess as she simply strolled by her, her fingertips tracing the length of the other goddess' scarf.

Iris scoffed and rolled her eyes. "As much as I regret missing whatever this is, I am working," she said as she pivoted on her feet and followed the goddess out of the particular shrine set aside within the Spartan temple to accommodate Aphrodite's carnal ceremonies.

Every temple in Elysium had several multipurpose shrines ordained to be used by the gods. Usually, upon arriving at a temple, any deity could inform the pontifex of their need for a shrine. Then, within an hour, the templars could have a shrine set up to serve the deity's request. When a deity took up long-term residence within the temple, usually, several shrines were furnished to service the deity.

The Temple of Sparta had three gods in residence. Six of its nine basement shrines were dedicated to the three gods. With a personal gym, armory, and war room set up for Ares; a small workshop built for Hephaestus; and two shrines dedicated to Aphrodite. The first of Aphrodite's shrines was where she left her mass of exhausted lovers. It was stocked full of pillows, mattresses, and comfortable furniture ideal for engaging in sexual activities. Though the same size as the other shrines, the second shrine would have been for much fewer participants. At a quick glance, someone might presume it was a torture dungeon, but a much more sensual intent was made apparent upon closer inspection.

Strolling through the temple's underground corridors network, the naked and damp Aphrodite made her way past templars, cupbearers, orators, and attendants of the clergy. Whispers among the clerics announced the goddess' movement through the corridor, prompting them to make way for the goddess, most moving to stand to the side with their heads bowed in reverence. However, plenty of gawkers were still among the devout and had to look at her divine figure, which Aphrodite actually encouraged. She knew this would leave an impression upon their minds, and they might recall the moment often, generating worship in the process.

As Aphrodite made her way to the spiral stairs that would lead to the main floor, Iris caught up to her and walked at her side. "I have a message from Hera," said the messenger deity.

"For me?" giggled Aphrodite. "Is it my Holy Day already?" asked Aphrodite with a soft giggle. "No wonder today's ceremony was so generous," she said with a playful wink.

Iris shook her head. "No, it's not for you," said the goddess, walking sideways up the steps. "It's for the queen's son. I was hoping you could tell me where to find him."

"I don't know where Ares is," Aphrodite admitted upon reaching the main floor. Then, barefoot, the goddess sauntered through the congregation of mortals standing in line for the altar of the anchor. She paused to gaze upon a young freckled woman wrestling a bird for sacrifice. The goddess placed her finger on the woman's chin, causing the mortal to gasp in shock upon realizing who was touching her.

"Beautiful Venus," said the mortal, clearly wanting to bow her head but being prevented by the goddess' grip on her chin. "How may I please you?"

The unclothed goddess turned the mortal's head to one side and the other. Aphrodite leaned in and looked into the mortal's eyes. "What is your name?" asked the goddess.

"I am Lyra... of Dandarra," she said softly.

Aphrodite pulled the mortal in and delivered a passionate kiss to her. Though the mortal was initially shocked, and the embrace was awkward and strange, it became more relaxed and natural until several observers were visibly engaged with the occurrence. Then, as the goddess parted her lips from the mortal, she nodded and whispered, "Return here tonight and be blessed, Lyra of Dandarra."

As the mortal stumbled backward, apparently light-headed, Aphrodite approached the Temple's Font of Purity, where the sacred baths would be found. Iris followed the naked goddess, though her eyes lingered on the mortal for a long moment. "Uh, actually," said the goddess, "the message is not for Ares. It's for your husband."

Aphrodite placed her hand on one door to the font's chamber and paused. This door was unguarded as there would be four baths inside this temple's font. The first was public and filled with water; beyond that, the bath with sacred oil was usually reserved for the clergy and special ceremonies. The last two would be guarded with only the divine and chalicers permitted beyond. Though the baths of the divine were accessible through their own entrances, Aphrodite wanted to make an appearance in the lower chambers of the font.

Turning around to face the messenger goddess, Aphrodite raised an eyebrow. "Hera sends a message to my husband? What for?" she asked as she leaned into the door and gained admittance to the temple bath where only two mortals were found, one a priestess arranging soaps and oils on a small table and a heavyset man soaking his sore joints in the holy waters of the temple. Both mortals seemed quite stunned by the appearance of the naked goddess but were left confused by the addition of the fully clothed goddess that followed her into the chamber.

"I cannot tell you," Iris, closing the large ornate door behind her, blocking the view of many mortals still gawking in the anchor's chamber.

"Why?" asked Aphrodite, scoffing as she walked a circular path around the bath in the center of the room, flashing a suggestive grin at the Spartan man. "I am his wife," she said to the messenger. "We keep no secrets from one another."

Iris scoffed as she kept her gaze away from the naked Spartan. "My orders were to deliver it to Hephaestus himself. Not his wife. If he wishes to divulge the message to you, that is his perogative."

Aphrodite let out a long sigh as she pushed her way into the chamber of the second bath. This chamber was empty except for a single priest. He sat on a small tripod chair in the corner of the room, next to the small table of towels and robes. The priest clamored to his feet at the sight of the two goddesses. "My apologies; you're likely looking for the Nektar or Ambrosia baths," the priest said while adjusting his foggy glasses. "It's beyond these doors here," he said, gesturing to his left.

Nodding, Aphrodite approached the priest. "I know, Athanasios," she said with a wicked smirk. "I'm just giving my friend the tour."

The priest leaned to his right, looking beyond the nude deity to behold the goddess closing the doors. "Ah... the Herald of the Divine Queen," he said once Iris turned to face him, likely noticing the goddess' signature scarf of many colors, signifying her purview over rainbows. He then paused to look back at the goddess and make direct eye contact with her as he did so, not glancing once at her exposed breasts. "The Herald has visited our temple quite often. I'm surprised she's never made use of the Font of Purity before."

Aphrodite put her fingers in front of her lips and gasped. She turned to face the other goddess. "Iris, is this true?"

Iris was not amused. "I've bathed in a temple before..." she said, looking to the side and releasing a faint scoff.

"But in the Temple of Sparta?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Shrugging, Iris looked at Aphrodite. "Probably?" she said with no certainty at all.

"Not to my recollection," said the priest, shaking his head.

Iris eyed the priest with some scrutiny. "And who are you?"

The priest drew back his hood, exposing a white and red headband with a golden ornamental chalice on the center of his brow. "I am Father Athanasios. Chapter Patriarch of the Sword Servants of Sparta," he said with a smile. He was a thin man with a homely face. The priest wore spectacles and had pale skin with a messy head of hair, the color of walnuts. Though he wore a baggy robe, his neck indicated he was probably unathletic and thin.

Iris eyed the priest with some skepticism. "Quite young for a patriarch," she said, clearly noticing that the man was no older than his early thirties.

Athanasios nodded. "It is true. I am still quite blessed by Hebe," he chuckled. "Most in our chapter are female. I did not have much male competition but I believe I won the appointment thanks to Sacred Venus' endorsement."

Iris glanced at the Goddess of Love. "You gave him your endorsement?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Aphrodite stepped to her side and slid behind Iris. Then, perching her hands on the other goddess's shoulders, Aphrodite whispered into the goddess' ear. "He's got a surprisingly impressive prick."

Iris rolled her eyes and sighed. "I should have figured."

"Would you like to see?" asked Aphrodite with an excited register.

Iris turned around to meet Aphrodite's gaze as she shook her head. "What? No! I don't want to see-"

Aphrodite grabbed Iris' shoulders and swung her around. "Let her see the goods, Athan," said the goddess with a giggle.

As Iris struggled against being spun about, the priest obliged the request, opening his robe with the simple unsnapping of some hidden buttons. As the fabric parted, the priest's thin and unmuscled form was revealed, as was his prick. True to Aphrodite's claims, its size and girth were equally impressive and ridiculous. "Oh, wow," said the messenger goddess, glancing briefly at Aphrodite before focusing on the priest's exposed member again. "That is quite impressive," she said, nodding. Then, as she realized she was biting her lip, she giggled and added, "Good for you."

"Good for us," Aphrodite said, whispering into the goddess' ear. "He's a chalicer," she said with a giggle. "That beautiful specimen is for the pleasuring of the divinity."

Iris nodded. "I'm aware of the roles of chalicers," she said, still shooting brief glances at the priest's manhood. "However, like I said, I am working and-"

Aphrodite scoffed. "Well, Hephaestus isn't here. He went into the city to retrieve Ares," she said, leaving Iris' side to approach the priest.

"And when will he return?" Iris asked.

"After our bath," Aphrodite said, walking behind Athanasios to remove his robe.

Iris rolled her eyes. "You're going to bathe with him right now?"

"No," said Aphrodite with a giggle. "We're going to bathe with Athanasios," she said, collecting the robe and folding it with practiced skill.

"Absolutely not!" said Iris, shaking her head and waving her arms dramatically. "I have other errands to run today and-"

Scoffing, Aphrodite shook her head. "There is nothing you can do until you deliver that message to my husband, right?" she said, setting the robe on the tripod and giving Athanasios a light shove toward the doors of the other chambers. "So, we might as well get in a nice relaxing soak."

"I have no need for a Nektar bath," Iris said, shaking her head. "Especially not when I'm working," she said, folding her arms in a standoffish pose.

"Fine," said Aphrodite, turning toward the priest as he pushed the double doors apart. "Prepare the Ambrosia bath," she said with a smirk.

"I didn't say I was agreeing to an Ambrosia bath, either," Iris said, shaking her head. She took a step toward the Goddess of Love and glared at her. "If Hephaestus returns, tell him I have a message for him from his mother and I will return after I complete my errands."

Aphrodite sighed and placed her hand on Iris's sleeve.

"What are you doing?" asked Iris, looking down at the goddess' hand on her arm.

"Are you planning on doing these errands without clothing?" asked Aphrodite.

"What? No, I plan on wearing what I'm currently dressed in," said Iris with a perplexed expression. "Why would I perform errands in the-?"

Aphrodite gave Iris a firm shove that sent the goddess stumbling and tumbling headfirst into the bath of anointment oil. Then, as the bath's contents splashed upward and outward, Aphrodite turned to an adjoining door that would lead to the locker rooms that ran parallel to the bathing chambers. With the door only pushed slightly ajar, she clapped her hands, gaining the attention of the cleric attendants stationed therein. "Come quick, the Divine Queen's Herald has need of the temple's laundering services!"

While flailing about beneath the oil, Iris managed to find her bearings and get her feet below her. Then, pushing up against the floor, she breached the surface of the oil and let out a loud gasp as her lips parted and found air once more. Wiping the oil from her face took several strokes, but as she cleared her eyes, she blinked profusely until her gaze locked onto the goddess who had landed her in such a sticky situation. "What... the... feck?!"

Aphrodite closed the door once she heard the scattering of temple attendants. Then, strolling barefoot toward the edge of the bath, Aphrodite smirked at the oily goddess in the center of the bath. Then, squatting at the bath's rim, she tilted her head to one side and rested her forearms on her knees. "How does that Ambrosia bath sound now?"

Dropping her shoulders, Iris let out a long frustrated sigh. "Fine..." she said as she awkwardly pressed through the stagnant pool of oil, peeling her aviator cap off her head in the process. As Iris climbed out of the bath, the messenger had trouble keeping her feet under her. Slipping from the lack of friction due to her oiled state, she seemed poised to tumble back into the bath. By the grace of Iris' divine balance, she could keep her footing, but still, she extended her hand to Aphrodite.

Sighing, Aphrodite stood up and clasped Iris' hand. "It's the least I could do," she said.

With a wicked grin slathered in oil, Iris braced her feet and pulled. Her grip on Aphrodite's forearm almost lost its purchase with the oil, but she could retain grip long enough to pull the other goddess into the oil bath with her, though she lost her own balance in the process. As the two goddesses each struggled to break the surface of the oil bath, Iris found Aphrodite in the depths and gave her another shove.

As Aphrodite finally found the pool's edge and pulled herself out, she was panting and giggling. Iris was just behind her, groaning and chuckling. The love goddess eyed her fellow deity and shook her head. "You bitch," she said with an oily smirk.

"So about that bath?" asked Iris.

An hour and a half later, Aphrodite and Iris sat on opposing ends of the same bath. The Ambrosia contained in the bath was relatively fresh, with a faint glow coming off the milky surface. However, it was not pure Ambrosia, which would be too costly for even a Great Temple. Instead, it was mostly water, but with several buckets of Ambrosia added to give a renewing effect to the hot water that would soothe the bodies of the divine. Red rose petals floating on the surface broke up the pool's whiteness, as did the goddesses' bodies.

Though the two goddesses had similarly platinum blonde hair, Iris had a lighter skin complexion. In particular, Aphrodite found the shade of the goddess' nipples to be a nearly perfect coloration. While sucking on her lower lip, she looked upon them like a wolf eyeing a wounded lamb.

Iris was oblivious to Aphrodite's gaze; her head was thrown back onto a small pillow resting at the rim of the bath, her hair spilling out over the floor of the bath chamber. With her eyes closed, Iris had her arms stretched out on the edge of the bath as two chalicers massaged her wrists and forearms.

"I should listen to you more often," said an utterly relaxed Iris.

Aphrodite giggled from her perch, sitting on the edge of the bath and only soaking her lower legs and feet. She had already bathed but was now enjoying having warm scented rose water poured over her hair by Athanasios. "You'd be surprised how often people tell me that," said the goddess, glancing at the priest as he dipped his hands and a ceremonial bowl into the nearby basin.

Athanasios offered a polite grin to the goddess as he drew the bowl from the basin. He waited for her to avert her gaze on the other goddess and recline her head. Once she did, he slowly poured the water upon her brow, letting it cast down her blonde locks.

"I bet," sighed Iris.

After Athanasios emptied the bowl, he ran his wet hands through the goddess' hair, ensuring that all strands were getting wet. Then, as the priest went to refill the bowl again, Aphrodite leaned forward and found herself assessing the other goddess's breasts again. With such examinations, it was not long before she began to compare them to those she knew best: her own. Iris' breasts were about the same size as Aphrodite's, which surprised the goddess of love.

This was not the first time she had seen Iris naked, but the memories of the divine were not as imperfect as their mortal vessels believed. Having grown accustomed to seeing Iris wearing her slimming leather flight jacket and having several centuries pass between the last time the two had occasion to see each other in the buff, Aphrodite had forgotten the dimensions of Iris' bosom.

Aphrodite swung one leg over the other. This motion cast some droplets of liquid Ambrosia from her toes, landing on the other goddess' breasts and collarbone. Fluttering her eyes open, Iris looked down at her chest to see what had caused the light sensation, and as she inquired about that, she took notice of Aphrodite's gaze. Iris let out a sigh as she shifted her position on the submerged bench, sliding her bum closer to the bath's center and thus lowering herself into the bath until her nipples were hidden beneath the pool's surface.

Scoffing, Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're no fun."

"I don't want to give you any more ideas that might derail my duties," Iris said, glaring at the darker-skinned goddess.

Shaking her head and clicking her tongue, Aphrodite leaned back and let rose water splash down her hair. Moments after the bowl was emptied, a muffled commotion caught the attention of both goddesses, who looked to each other and then to Athanasios.

"I shall investigate," said the priest as he set the bowl aside and stepped away. He walked to a side door that would lead to an antechamber reserved for the divine themselves. Opening the door and leaning in, he waved someone toward him. "My grace, if it pleases you, the Ambrosia bath is prepared."

"Athan?" asked Aphrodite, tilting her head to one side.

The priest returned to the chamber and bowed his head. "Sacred Mars has been injured... He was disrobing for a Nektar bath but I have informed him that the Ambrosia bath is ready to receive him."

"Sacred Mars?" asked Iris before her eyes snapped open. "Ares?!"

"Yes," said Athanasios, nodding to the messenger goddess.

Iris retrieved her arms from the clergy and clambered out of the bath. "I need to leave," she said as her eyes darted about the room for towels.

Aphrodite raised an eyebrow at the panicked goddess and smiled as she pointed to the corner of the room where the towels and other accoutrements could be found. "Afraid Ares might see your lovely bosom?" she asked with a giggle. "Because I assure you he's seen a naked goddess before... Several, in fact."

Iris let out a sigh as she glared at Aphrodite. "I don't need him to-"

"Iris?!" asked Ares, leaning in the doorway. He was bare-chested with scorched shards of fabric that used to be trousers. The cause for his pants' condition was the ichor that was seeping from the god's gut where a dagger was lodged.

Aphrodite let out a startled gasp as she clambered to her feet and raced to Ares' side. As she circled about the bath, Iris quickly measured the distance to the towels and chose instead to dive back into the bath, relying on the pool's opacity to shield her nakedness. As the Ambrosia splashed out and spilled over the bath rim, Aphrodite shook her head at the goddess.

"What's her problem?" asked Ares, stumbling into the bathing chamber. Though he gave no indication of pain, his gait's lack of balance betrayed the knowledge that he had clearly lost a substantial amount of ichor and would need Nektar to replenish his veins; the injury would mend better with Ambrosia and ease his pain.

Aphrodite shook her head and shrugged as she slid herself under one of Ares' arms and helped him to the bath. As she did so, she pulled what was left of his pants from his body, the compromised fabric tearing apart without any effort. "Perhaps she's been spending too much time with mortals?" she said as she helped the god ease into the bath.

Iris was squatting in the center of the bath, her head and shoulders the only parts of her visible. She kept her lips sealed, but her mismatched eyes of blue and gold eyed the other goddess, though glancing briefly at the war god's injury and the ichor-soaked member below it.

As the god dipped into the Ambrosia, the ichor washed away from him instantly, floating on the top of the bath's surface and spreading outward. If this had been pure Ambrosia, the spilled ichor would have disappeared immediately, rendered into essence. However, as this bath was made of only a portion of Ambrosia, it took longer to dissolve, nearly making its way to Iris before it began to fade away.

Aphrodite stepped into the bath next to Ares and ran her hand down his chest. Cautiously she probed his torso until she found the dagger. Her hands delicately peeled his hands off the weapon as her eyes looked into his. "Are you ready?" she asked.

Ares nodded as he closed his eyes.

"Wait," said Iris.

Aphrodite and the war god looked at the messenger goddess with confused expressions.

"You're not doing what I think you're doing... are you?" she asked, raising her eyebrow. "Because... first of all, I'm not comfortable being party to this," she explained.

Scoffing, Aphrodite rolled her eyes and gave a quick jerk. As Ares let out a gasp, followed by a whimper, Iris reeled back and groaned. Noticing Iris' response, Aphrodite revealed her dagger in her hand with a flourish before setting the dagger on the edge of the bath.

Relieved, Iris let out a sigh. "I thought-"

"I know what you thought," Aphrodite said with a smirk as she sidled up against Ares and returned her hand to the Ambrosia to probe the wound. With delicate fingertips, she massaged the wound as the Ambrosia helped seal the wound, pinching the flesh together and feeling for any foreign bodies that needed to be extracted. Then, finding something and pinching it between her fingers, Aphrodite dug it out and brought it out of the Ambrosia to examine it.

"What is it?" asked Ares with grit teeth and eyes closed. He was doing his best not to indicate the pain that he was feeling, despite Ambrosia's soothing effect on his body.

The glow of the bath had dimmed considerably with the introduction of spilled ichor. It had also warmed several degrees since the wounded god dropped in. The pale off-white liquid dripped off the goddess' hand as she rolled her hand over to reveal a slightly beveled metallic disc with three small holes in its center. "A button?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

Ares chuckled and nodded.

"A button?" asked Iris, moving slightly closer to examine the small object in Aphrodite's hand. Careful not to expose her chest, she reached out and took the button in hand and gave it a brief examination.

Ares nodded. "I went to a bar dressed as a soldier. The uniform was older than I remembered," he said with a groan as he shifted position. "I caused a bit of a ruckus."

Sighing, Aphrodite dipped her hand back in. She found the wound again and carefully felt the mending flesh, assessing its progress. "What kind of ruckus?" she asked as she peeled some ichor scorched thread from the wound.

Ares squirmed as he chuckled. He rolled his head to its side and looked at Aphrodite with a drunk grin. "Let's just say I need to find a new bar..."

Iris glanced away from the button between two of her fingers. Her eyes shot to Aphrodite with a piqued eyebrow. "Do I want to know what that means?"

Shaking her head, Aphrodite kept her focus on examining the wound for any other fragments of uniform that hadn't burned away from ichor. "How many had to die for your mistake this time, my love?"

Ares released a tipsy laugh. "Only one..."

"Oh," scoffed Aphrodite. "That's not so bad," she said, pinching the skin around the wound together.

Chuckling, Ares looked at the ornate ceiling of the Spartan bath. "... by my hand," he added, as his hand, which had yet to be submerged, was raised into his view, allowing him to look fondly on the dried blood that caked his extremity.

"Why specify that?" asked Iris, suddenly concerned. "How many died by other's hands?"

Ares sighed as he lowered his bloodied hand into the bath. Blood was a much easier substance for Ambrosia to purify, even at the diluted potency of this bath, with the blood disappearing from the god's hand the instant the hand plunged into the liquid. "I don't know," he said, shaking his head as it leaned back on the chamber floor. "I left before the cleansing began."

"Who did the cleansing?" asked Iris, raising an eyebrow.

"Probably templars," Aphrodite said, nodding to no one specific.

Ares smiled. "No... My giant little brother," he said with a tinge of delight to his tone. "Can you imagine the brutality that he must have unleashed upon those infidels?"

Glancing toward Iris, Aphrodite could not help but express concern for her husband. Finally, she composed herself with a sigh and shook her head. "Why did Hephaestus have to do this?"

Ares shrugged, chuckling as he did. "He wanted to feel the rush? Maybe he missed the glory days?"

"Or maybe he was trying to spare the unnecessary loss of life?" asked Iris, moving closer and resting her hand on Aphrodite's bare shoulder as she sat behind her on the bench. Though her chest was again exposed to the air, she used Aphrodite as a visual barrier between herself and Ares.

Noticing Iris' disinterest in revealing herself to the God of War, Aphrodite wondered if the two had a history that she was not aware of. One of Aphrodite's divine purviews allowed her to understand if any two person's shared a sexual history, but such an indication was not present between these two. As she idly wondered what else it could be, Aphrodite's thoughts drifted back to concern for her husband. Hephaestus was a powerful and ferocious god. He was not likely to suffer any severe injury dispatching some drunken mortals. But Aphrodite was more concerned about other kinds of damage such an encounter might leave on the god.

Though Hephaestus was comparable to the Titans in his impressive might, he had a meek heart. He was kind and gentle that many mortals never would suspect, as the God of the Forge only socialized when it was essential to do so. The myths of Earth suggested that Hephaestus was ugly as an excuse for his lack of social graces, but the truth was he was attractive. Divine heritage usually shaped those who had it into idealized specimens. Instead, the forge god's awkwardness was to blame him for his avoidance of the public eye.

"I'm certain he will be fine," Iris said, withdrawing her hand.

"I'll make sure he is," Aphrodite said, nodding. "But first, I need to tend to this fool," she said, returning her eyes to Ares. When the god failed to respond, the goddess took a moment to gaze upon his still expression. Then, scoffing, she turned to face the other goddess. "He's passed out."

"Are you serious?" asked Iris. She dared to peek over Aphrodite and shook her head before dropping back into the bath. "Great... Now he's going to be in here that much longer which means I'm going to be stuck in here even longer."

Aphrodite raised her eyebrow. "You can leave at any time."

"No," said Iris, folding her arms over her breasts. "I can't. He could be faking it."

"Faking?"

Iris nodded. "The moment I'm out, one of his beady red eyes opens and gets its fill of my cunny."

Aphrodite let out a hearty laugh. "So?" she asked once she composed herself enough to permit words to form.

"It's not funny," Iris insisted.

"Why do you care?" asked Aphrodite. "Modesty is a mortal convention... Just last month, Hera held an Honest Court."

Iris let out a long sigh. "I know... I was there."

"And did you mind letting the satyrs get an eyefull of the Cunny of Rainbows?" asked Aphrodite with a dumb smile.

Athanasios appeared with a goblet of warm Nektar, which he handed to Aphrodite, whispering, "For Sacred Mars to recover from his injuries," bowed apologetically and dismissed himself.

Iris shook her head. "It's not modesty that is my concern. It's Ares."

Aphrodite set the goblet down and let out a sigh. Her hands dipped into the bath and gripped her knees. "Well, if you insist on waiting until Ares has woke from his nap, then I guess we have time for a tale."

Shaking her head, Iris did not seem inclined to oblige.

Aphrodite scoffed and leaned back, throwing one arm around the goddess and the other over the slumbering god. "Well, then, I guess I'll just have to ask Ares if he has any notion as to the issue when he awakes."

Groaning, Iris threw her head back. "You're such a whore for drama and gossip!"

Aphrodite nodded. "Correction: I'm such a whore. No further specifics are required," she said with a giggle. Then, with a squeeze of Iris' bicep, she leaned her head close to the other goddess' face. "Tell me..."

Iris glared at Aphrodite. She blinked once and then twice before a long sigh escaped her lips. "Fine... Do you remember your wedding?" she asked, only to pause and giggle. "Sorry. Of course you recall your own wedding!"

"Actually," Aphrodite giggled. "There was a lot of wine and... Well, I was not particularly pleased with being herded into a forced marriage by Divine Decree just because I was so fetching that gods were killing each other for the right to woo me."

Glancing at the goddess from the corner of her eye, Iris nodded slowly. "I... I never really thought about it that way. I'm sorry that you-" she paused, glancing past Aphrodite's breasts at her eye level to inspect the drunk and slumbering god. "I guess that is why you hooked up with your husband's brother? Rebelling against the King and Queen's orders?"

Aphrodite scoffed. "No... Ares and I were fecking long before I was married," she confessed with a giggle. "Who do you think was killing the gods that dared to win my heart?"

"Oh," said Iris, blinking and contorting her face into an interestingly awkward expression. "I... Huh... How many gods did he kill?"

Aphrodite shrugged. "No idea. If I ever knew, I've long since forgotten their names..." she said with no shame whatsoever as she let her fingertips dance on Iris' shoulder. "Now... back to your story..."

Nodding, Iris glanced over to a door opening to allow a priestess to enter to pour a bucket of fresh, warm Ambrosia into the bath. As the bath once again began to glow, Iris relaxed in posture. Still, she kept quiet until the priestess had once again stepped out. Once the door closed, leaving the divine alone aside from Athanasios, Iris continued. "Do you remember Tilphousia?"

"Was he one of the gods that Ares killed?" asked Aphrodite, raising an eyebrow as she gazed upon the face of the other goddess.

Iris' expression melted to a cold glare. "She was one of the Furies."

"No," said Aphrodite, shaking her head. "Their names are Tisiphone, Alecto, and Megaera.

Shaking her head, Iris disagreed. "There were four originally," she said, eyeing Aphrodite with her mismatched gaze. "Tilphousia and I were close... very close... until she got in a relationship with Ares."

Nodding, Aphrodite smiled. "He does have some crazy exes."

"Tilphousia was not-" the messenger scoffed and bit her lip. Then, after a long pause, she let out an angry sigh. "Tilphousia was my-"

"Pardon me," said a priestess intruding upon the chamber from the side door. "I don't mean to interrupt," she said, stepping in with Iris' leather messenger bag held out in front of her. "Pontifex told me I should bring this right away to the Herald."

Iris smiled and unfolded her arms. She stood up and took two steps before she felt the chill of Ambrosia dripping off her naked body. She dropped back into the warmth of the bath and shot a look over her shoulder to the god.

Aphrodite raised an eyebrow and giggled. "Seriously?"

"Don't mock me," warned Iris, shaking her head. "I have my reasons!"

"Whatever," sighed Aphrodite as she climbed out of the bath and approached the priestess. "The Herald is right there. You may relinquish her bag to me."

The priestess glanced at the Queen's Herald once more before nodding and placing the bag in the Goddess of Love's possession. "Once again, I do apologize for the disruption," said the priestess as she left with eager haste.

As the door closed, Aphrodite looked over to Athanasios. "You cannot tell a soul about what you are about to hear."

The priest nodded from the tripod he sat upon in the corner. "Sacred Venus, the Sworn Servants of Hebe have always kept the secret of the divine. To do otherwise would be to invite an agonizing death and confinement in the depths of Tartarus."

"Right," said the goddess as she then unzipped the pouch and quickly snatched a sealed letter from its pocket.

"What are you doing?!" asked Iris with a raised tone.

Aphrodite giggled. "I'm reading my husband's mail," she said as she cracked the wax seal and let her fingers tear into the envelope.

"No!" Iris exclaimed as she jumped to her feet and clambered out of the bath.

Aphrodite turned to greet Iris with her back as she held the letter to her breasts, knowing Iris would think twice about making any swipes at the goddess' bosom. "Careful, if you stroke my nipple, you may enjoy it," she teasingly warned with a giggle.

Iris slapped her hands to her hips. "Aphrodite, you cannot read this. It is meant for Hephaestus by order of our Divine Queen and-"

Aphrodite turned around with raised eyebrows. "Watch me," she unfolded the letter and let its envelope fall to the damp floor. The messenger goddess threw a hand up and grabbed the top of the letter but stopped as she saw the look in the other goddess' eyes. "If you do it, I scream and Ares gets quite a show."

With a stomp of her foot and a wild groan, Iris relinquished her grip on the letter. She threw her eyes back to Athanasios. "If you tell anyone, Tartarus is the least of your worries."

The priest was unsure what to make of that threat but nodded anyway. "Of course, Sacred Iris."

Clearing her throat, Aphrodite parted her lips. *"My beloved son,"* she read, only to pause when she heard an odd grumble from the messenger. Scoffing, Aphrodite threw her eyes off the letter. "What?"

"You're reading it aloud? In the presence of mortals?" asked Iris.

"Yeah? So?" asked the Goddess of Love.

Iris let out a long sigh. "You know what? You go ahead and breach the confidence of the Queen, but you do so without witnesses. When you are done violating my oath of sanctity with my mistress, let me know. Until then, I'll be in the Nektar chamber with Astanasios," she said, walking to the corner and grabbing the priest by the wrist.

Aphrodite smiled as she watched the priest become visibly aroused by being sequestered in another chamber with a naked goddess. Once the door was closed, Aphrodite glanced briefly at Ares and then let her eyes drift to the letter's contents, which she read with due interest. She had just finished reading when she heard a door open behind her. Heavy footsteps betrayed the presence of the goddess' husband before his whiskered chin rested on her bare shoulders.

"What are you reading, my love?" he asked as his thick hands gripped her biceps and gave them a gentle squeeze. A second later, his grip faltered, and his beard left its perch. "Wait..."

Pivoting on the balls of her bare feet, Aphrodite spun around and held the letter out. "Husband... You have mail," she said, biting her lip and smiling.

Snatching the letter from her fingers, Hephaestus took a moment to examine the letter himself. "Was this not sealed?" he asked while still reading.

Aphrodite looked down at his boots, one of which was partially covering the envelope and the attached wax seal. "It was," she said, letting her gaze return upward.

Sighing, Hephaestus continued to read. "And Iris allowed you-?" he paused as he saw the discarded messenger pouch. Groaning, he lowered the letter and tucked it into his pants pocket. "Where is Iris?"

"In the adjoining chamber," said Aphrodite with a mischievous smirk, "likely being having her brains pricked."

"I cannot believe she was so careless with her duty," said the forge god. He glanced briefly at his passed-out brother. "Does he know what you've done?"

Shaking her head, Aphrodite answered without a word.

"Out the whole time?"

She nodded. "The whole time," she said with a smirk. "No one needs to know I did a bad thing," she said with a playful giggle. "No witnesses."

He sighed. "I know and if my mother asks me-"

Aphrodite pouted. "You'd tell on me?"

Hephaestus shook his head. "Don't try to dissuade me. My mother is the queen and-"

Aphrodite scoffed. "I thought I was your queen?"

The forge god bit his lip as a dismissive snort escaped his nostrils. "You know what I meant, wife. You cannot do these things. You are a member of the Twelve. If this sort of breach was known, you'd be-"

"I know how to make this up to you," she said, falling to her knees.

He sighed.

She unbuckled his belt.

He reached down to restrain her hand.

She swatted the hand away.

He sighed and shook his head.

She nodded and smiled.

He said nothing.

She let the belt fall to the floor.

He did nothing.

She pulled his breeches down.

He glanced around the room awkwardly.

She slid her deft hands up his thighs.

He felt himself grow.

She felt him grow, too, and with her vast carnal expertise, her lips saw that the god grew to his hardest. The goddess knew that when the pricks of gods or men were at their hardest, their hearts were the softest and easiest to mold. A skilled courtesan could make the most loyal agent betray their king, and there was never a more skilled courtesan than Aphrodite. Hephaestus would forgive her, and he would never tell his mother what she had done because if he did, he would never again feel this immeasurable satisfaction that only this goddess could provide; while there were many goddesses in the Olympian Pantheon, there was only one Goddess of Sex and her name was Aphrodite.

## Characters

### Gods

* Aphrodite
* Iris
* Ares
* Hephaestus

## Notes and Trivia

* This took place after the Short Story Blood Brothers