Chapter 03

Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.

- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

 

Aphrodite stood apprehensively in the middle of her garden. Several weeks had already passed since Luhan had come down to earth and shot Ahra with one of his arrows. Aphrodite remembered waiting for Luhan in the front steps of their palace. As soon as he had touched down she came bouncing down the steps into Luhan's side.

"How was it? Were you successful? Did you hit her?" she couldn't help spilling all the questions out of in her excitement.

In contrast to her enthusiastic demeanor, Luhan looked a little down and only kept his head low. He only gave her a curt nod and a weak "yes" but it was all she needed to hear for her to shriek in joy. Luhan remained unresponsive, excused himself and went straight inside the palace. She didn't think too much about it and only associated it to tiredness probably brought on by his flight down to earth.

But several weeks had already passed since that day and Ahra still didn't show any signs of being in love with a despicable man - or even with anyone. She just continued going on with her life like nothing had happened to her. Aphrodite couldn't understand it. She was extremely confident that Luhan would plot her revenge for her and make Ahra fall in love with a horrible wretch. But Ahra was single and loveless still.

And still more strange, no one fell in love with Ahra. Men were contented with just looking and admiring her from a distance - and then they would pass on to marry someone else. Even Ahra's older sisters who were considered inferior to Ahra already settled down and each married a king.

These thoughts made Aphrodite uneasy. She had a feeling she missed something. She summoned for her two handmaids, Worry and Sadness.

"Get Luhan," she ordered, turning to Worry. She wanted some answers, and there was only one person to ask for it.

Suddenly, Worry's mouth slowly curved upwards, just as Sadness whipped her head to Worry's direction clearly shocked.

"But your highness... Maybe it would be better if I go instead-" Sadness objected.

"No! Just let Worry do it," Aphrodite said with an air of finality in it.

Worry immediately turned to Sadness while smoothing out her clothes.

"Are my clothes okay? Do I need more color on my face? What about my hair? Is it styled okay or do you think Luhan will like it more if I let it all down?" Worry fussed.

Sadness huffed away in annoyance but didn't bother answering Worry's questions. As Worry walked away into Luhan's quarters, Aphrodite only rolled her eyes at her two handmaids. She knew firsthand the effect beauty had on other people. Beauty could incite feelings of infatuation and lust, no matter the gender or age. Gods had fought in numerous wars just to be with her. It caused rifts between kins and friends. Aphrodite remembered how flattered and amused she felt when Ares and Haphaestus had been fighting over her. But now Ahra had threatened to take all of that glory away.

Suddenly, faint footsteps could be heard growing louder as two figures were coming nearer. Luhan marched in and stood a few steps away from his mother. Aphrodite immediately noticed the bags under his eyes and figured he must not had been sleeping well lately. The second thing that she noticed was the way his shoulders and posture were a bit tense. The last time they had spoken in here she was asking him to shoot Ahra with one of his arrows and now they were about to tackle about that once more.

Following Luhan was Worry who instantly took her position beside Sadness who was still sulking at the distance. Aphrodite turned her attention to Luhan as she wanted to get to the problem right away.

"Luhan, why hasn't Ahra fallen in love with anyone yet?" Aphrodite asked.

The moment the name Ahra came out of Aphrodite immediately noticed the flash of panic in Luhan's eyes. She knew it. Something happened when Luhan came down to earth to shoot Ahra. There was a long silence that came after and suddenly she felt impatient.

"Well?" Aphrodite prodded.

There was a battle engaging in Luhan's mind. He knew this day would come. His mother would eventually notice how Ahra still remains single even after he was told to change that. But he knew that the moment he acknowledges the truth Ahra would be in danger. Still, this had dragged on long enough already. He had purposely lived in silence with his mother these past couple of weeks to buy Ahra some time to still live in peace before Aphrodite comes up with another plan to mess Ahra's life.

"I couldn't shoot her," Luhan admitted.

"What!?! What do you mean you couldn't shoot her?!" Aphrodite bellowed in fury.

"I love her," Luhan stated proudly.

He couldn't hide it any longer. He had come to terms to this with himself a few days ago. Pricking himself with his arrow wasn't an accident, it was fate.

"HA! Love?!" Aphrodite scoffed. "Don't be absurd! You don't love her! You are only blinded by her appearance, just like everybody else."

"No," Luhan answered calmly, "I had pricked myself with one of my arrows. This is the real deal, mother. I love her whether you like it or not."

Aphrodite suddenly laughed scornfully.

"You are foolish!" Aphrodite sneered. "You don't understand,do you? Once she finds out you're a god, she will only love you because you're handsome and powerful. She will not see your kind and gentle heart."

"Then she will not know who I am," Luhan countered matter-of-factly. "She will not see me at all. I will prove that she can love me for who I truly am."

"Hmm," Aphrodite hummed. "We'll see."

And with that, Luhan spread his wings and flew off. He was determined to prove his mother wrong.