Princess of Faerl
45. First Meeting

*Hephaestus*

After I left the dinner with her family, I went back home. I needed to mentally prepare myself for a life with this woman. She didn’t remember me, but oh, I remembered her. I showered, letting my feelings be washed clean. I could remember it all as though it were yesterday, even though it was hundreds of years ago.

--Too Many Years Ago To Count--

Standing at the edge of a lake, I breathe in deeply. The years weigh on me like an unwanted 20-pound blanket. I am the invisible one. No one wants to acknowledge my existence. I skip rocks, setting my eyes on the horizon. There she is again. Tall, beautiful, sun-kissed skin. She’s not real though. I’ve been alive since almost the beginning of time. My parents never wanted me. My mother wasn’t horrible, but my father would hurt her. Once, I decided to step in between them, to protect her. I was thrown from Mt Olympus for it, becoming partially crippled. My legs are slightly clubbed now and unless this mirage of a woman ever comes to exist, my deformities will never be healed.

Today is a rare day that I leave my own hell hole. A cool dip in the water helps me clear my mind from time to time. The fires of the forge help calm me more than anything. Also, it keeps my family away. The only time they come around is when they want something. The weapons of Olympus are made by yours truly. I don’t do it for them, though. I do it for myself. Keeps me busy as immortality gets redundant in the life of an outcast. Sometimes I keep myself busy playing with mortal women. The Goddesses replace me revolting, but mortals think if I fuck them, they will gain favor or immortality for themselves. So stupid. That’s another reason I don’t travel to the mortal realm much. The bigger reason is too many worship the asshole that is my father, not giving a damn, he’s a fucked-up incestuous rapist.

Speaking of him, I have a habit of pissing in his Wheaties. He’s coming by today to discuss the consequences of my latest transgression. I only poisoned the last blade he requested with a substance to render him unable to get a boner for a few days. Wasn’t the end of the world? And it would only work once. After he absorbed the substance on the hilt, it wouldn’t work again. Call it my petulant dislike of his disgusting appetite.

“You are summoned!” His voice ripped through the tranquility around me. Summoned? I thought he was coming to me. Oh well, time to get this over with. I walked through a portal to replace myself in the middle of the judgment arena. The fuck? I hadn’t done anything to warrant this.

“Why am I here?” Now I am angry.

“You’re here because your punishment is linked to another.” Zeus’s voice rang out. Fuck, who did happen for how many cookies for this shit to happen? Suddenly, Aphrodite appeared. Why was this bitch here?

“Why am I here, brother? Did you need me to help sentence your stupid son after he caused your…. dysfunction?” Her smile was coy. It made me want to puke.

“You messed with a Fate Destined bond. That’s why you’re here, Aphrodite.” Zeus did not look amused. My jaw dropped. That was some stupid shit to do.

“Then why is ugly here?” She didn’t seem surprised or try to claim innocence. I glared at the whore of a woman standing next to me. It was unfathomable to me that she is my aunt.

“He pissed me off, but nowhere near what you did. Technically, I’m making his punishment to be your jailer. I know he dislikes your presence as much as you dislike his, if not more.” Now I looked at my father, ready to spit nails in his direction. “Your punishment is a marriage to my son where if you are unfaithful, you will feel the same pain a Destined would feel if their Fated was unfaithful. My son is the only being you can… scratch that itch with until I allow you to dissolve the marriage.”

“You’re making me marry… her??” I didn’t bother hiding my disgust. “I get you couldn’t fuck for a couple of days, but her? Why?” I was beyond livid.

“Well you have a dick, hopefully, it works, and this will be over before we know it.” She rolled her eyes at me.

Zeus ignored my question. Typical. “Part two of this punishment.” He was enjoying this a little too much. “You, Aphrodite, are commanded to bless him with fertile sperm. You are not allowed to avoid pregnancy.”

“I do not want that disgusting woman ever to have my child!” This was going beyond a punishment. This was torture. Yea, I get that any other man would probably revel in the idea of fucking the Goddess of love and fertility day in and day out until their dick couldn’t keep it up anymore, but not me. A murmur spread through the Gods and Goddesses gathered as another, not of our family appeared. We were the Greek pantheon. This woman was of the Roman pantheon.

“You requested my presence?” Her voice was smooth like satin.

“Venus, welcome. I have an odd request I need to discuss with you. After you perform the wedding, we discussed.” He gestured towards myself and Aphrodite.

“These two don’t look like they are in love. I do not understand why they would be bound.” She questioned Zeus. This woman was brave.

“They aren’t. I have a punishment to dole out to her, and to a much lesser extent him. Adalith do not like being snubbed.” He explained to her.

Her eyes flashed maliciously, “Consider it done, no ceremony needed. You two are bound in marriage for as long as required. Only myself, Zeus, or the Creator of All can dissolve it.” She turned away as I felt the bind tie us. I hated the feeling.

Aphrodite tried to walk over and touch me. Her hand went to my cocktail and squeezed it. “I guess this is mine now.” She whispered in my ear as she tried to seduce me. I pushed her away, ready to slap her across the face.

“Aphrodite, return to Hephaestus’s realm. He will meet you there shortly.” She glared at Zeus but did as he commanded, disappearing through a portal. I just hoped she wouldn’t touch too many of my things.

“Now that she is gone, Venus, I need you, and any other Goddess or God that would be willing to curse Aphrodite with infertility until the end of this marriage. That is the biggest piece of her punishment for messing with this bond.” I was floored. Now I wanted to know who’s bond she fucked with.

“Who’s bond did she screw up?” I really wanted to know.

“You’ll replace out soon enough.” A hint of sadness was in his eyes. I rolled my own. Don’t get soft on me now, old man, I thought. At this point, Venus’s entire demeanor shifted. I swear her aura went ice cold.

“Myself, Brigit, Hathor, Dana, Freya, Oshun, and Kokopelli all have issues with Aphrodite’s careless nature. I believe we can make sure she has many years of varying degrees of infertility.” Her eyes seemed to be on fire. “And this one?” She pointed at me.

“I don’t need him punished in that fashion. Being her jailer and dealing with her advances would be enough for him. Aphrodite had already blessed him with fertile sperm. I had her do that so she would think her punishment would be to bear children for him.”

“Understood, but her blessing won’t work though. She didn’t truly mean it, as it was commanded and not freely given.” She tilted her head, looking at me. “You are pure, even though you shun society. You will make a mighty God one day and you will lead us all into prosperity. I bless you with fertility and healthy children, all to be born to the woman of your soul’s call. You will meet your Destined, and she will be blessed as well.” My jaw dropped for the second time today. “You have seen her in your mind, though you do not know her. Be patient. Not all is what it seems.”

“Thank you, Venus. I owe you a debt.” He winked at her, his hand traveling the length of his dick. Forever the God of horndogs. I rolled my eyes. “Hep, you can do whatever you want, with whomever you want. No pain or consequences. Aphrodite will feel pain every time you fuck another, so have fun with that. This way, you don’t have to touch her to torture her. I know you’re not like me and do not revel in their screams of despair when they have earned it.” He laughed at my disturbed expression. “Go visit the mortal brothels before you go home. You see what I mean. Aphrodite will be begging you to use her to sate your desires after she feels that pain.” That wasn’t the worst idea ever, I thought.

“You could also go visit your sisters, they are delicious.” Zeus was still stroking his dick. Suddenly, he pulled the hair of the naked girl next to him, dragging her in front of him between his legs, shoving his cock into her mouth, groaning loudly, thinking of the daughters born to his wife. I wanted to vomit. “Or you could stay and play, plenty of juicy pussy to be had here.” He yanked the girl up, turning her to face me while he sat her on his shaft and started bareback pounding into her, groaning and grunting out obscenities while he fucked her. I won’t lie, her tits bounced nicely, but I had no interest in her.

“I’ll take my leave,” I stated, turning on my heels as the sounds and smells of sex grew. All of them would be fucking now that Zeus started the festivities. Males with males, females together, large groups of all genders touching intimately. One hand tried to reach out and seduce me as I walked into the portal. My mind was filled with the idea that the girl in my dreams was real. Now that made my cock stiff. I groaned as the portal opened in front of a mortal brothel I frequented.

I stepped inside and it smelled almost as strongly of sex as Mt Olympus. The matron greeted me as I entered. “Hello, Hephaestus. What a pleasure to have a God of Olympus grace us with his presence.” She was fake as fuck, trying to stick her old titties out at me. She was always desperate to be in the bed I took, but I never wanted her. “I have a new girl that just finished her training, a virgin.” She smiled coyly at me. I scanned the room and stopped dead in my tracks. There she was. The girl that haunted me.

“Her, the long hair, sun-kissed skin, her, that’s who I want.” I stammered. God, I was fucking whipped and didn’t even know the woman.