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CALLIOPE: It is the beginning of the end of our Divorce Arc, my dear listeners. What started full of turmoil and heartbreak is about to shift into something that lies beyond that heartbreak’s reach. Of course, we have to get through the divorce first and foremost, but there will be so much more beyond it.

Welcome, dear listeners, to Forged Bonds.

I promised you when last we spoke that our focus would lie with Aphrodite today and that is still the case. There is so much going on in her life in the lead up to the divorce that we will have to take a step back in order to move forward. We will join our story in a space referenced in our last chapter– Aphrodite’s day out with Artemis and Apollo.

APHRODITE: I thought the reverse bachelorette party was going to be overkill, but this is actually kind of nice.

ARTEMIS: You know I would never plan a party that was wild in that way. Wild as in ‘taking place in the woods’, yes. Wild as in ‘partying like a mortal’, I could never. 

APOLLO: And you haven’t been out for target practice with us in a while. Arte is trying to get everyone to shoot a bow at least once this year. 

APHRODITE: Good luck getting Ares to try and shoot a bow. He’s absolutely hopeless at it despite my best efforts. Phae would probably be into it though– she makes beautiful arrows. She actually gave me a bunch of arrows when I told her I was coming out with you guys today, look! Aren’t they gorgeous?

ARTEMIS: She made you special arrows.

APHRODITE: Not like that.

ARTEMIS: I don’t know, Dite, it seems like it might be like that.

APOLLO: Would anyone like to clue me in on what’s going on? 

CALLIOPE: There was a silent war of raised eyebrows and intense looks between Artemis and Aphrodite that would not make for a good audio story, but we will survive.

ARTEMIS: It’s your story to tell, Aph. If you want him to know, he can. He doesn’t have to– Sorry, Pollo.

APOLLO: I don’t want Aph to bear her soul if she doesn’t want to, but I would appreciate knowing if you’re okay with it.

APHRODITE: Tell him, Arte. I don’t know if I can get the words out myself.

ARTEMIS: Are you sure?

CALLIOPE: Aphrodite looked from Artemis to Apollo and back to Artemis, making a ‘so-so’ motion with her hand with a teasing grin despite it all.

APOLLO: Rude!

APHRODITE: Tell him, Arte. 

ARTEMIS: Our dear Aphrodite has caught feelings of the romantic variety for Hephaestus. Hephaestus, the goddess who makes Dite special arrows–

APHRODITE: She would do that for anyone!

ARTEMIS: Anyone who asked and paid her for it. Did you do either of those things, Dite?

APHRODITE: No… But she would do this for any of her friends! Unprompted!

APOLLO: Well I know that’s not true as Dion has never gotten anything like that. She made him a chalice once but that was for his birthday and last I checked, Aph, it isn’t your birthday for a few months now. 

APHRODITE: You guys are blowing something totally normal and platonic way out of proportion! She’s the goddess of the forge! Of course she likes to make things for people!

ARTEMIS: I’m sure she does, but she definitely enjoys it the most when it’s for you. She cares about you so much, Aph, and you’re going to miss your shot!

APHRODITE: And what shot do I have? What shot do I really have, Arte? Because from where I’m sitting– (bow draws and shoots) These are the only shots that I’m able to make.

APOLLO: That was impressively on target given you weren’t looking. I’ve only ever seen Arte do that before. But I’m not sure it’s proving the point that you think it is, Aph, because you made that shot. You didn’t even look or think, you just did it. The same might be true with Hephaestus.

ARTEMIS: I’m still not used to you being so emotionally mature.

APOLLO: It’s strange for me too, don’t worry.

APHRODITE: So I’m just supposed to, what, leap before I look and ask her out?

APOLLO: Yes.

APHRODITE: It’s not that easy.

ARTEMIS: But it can be. You know better than anyone else the different ways love can look and the risks associated with it. If you really don’t want to, then don’t, but Aphrodite it can be that easy. I promise you it can.

APHRODITE: …I’ll think about it. Really, truly think about it instead of just saying that I’m going to think about it and then avoiding it. I just… I don’t want to mess things up.

APOLLO: Did Ares mess things up with you by asking you out?

APHRODITE: No, no he didn’t. If anything, I feel like it made us closer because we understood each other better. 

ARTEMIS: So why don’t you apply that logic to Hephaestus as well?

APHRODITE: That’s… Not a bad idea actually. It wouldn’t break us, would it?

ARTEMIS: I don’t think it would.

APHRODITE: If anything, it might make us stronger.

APOLLO: So you’ll do it?

APHRODITE: I… After the divorce ceremony. After this chapter of my life is well and truly closed. So I can start a new chapter. With her.

CALLIOPE: Speaking of divorce ceremonies, I believe it’s time we made our way to one. This will move us forward in time a bit, my dear listeners, but it’s not like you’re missing much in the interim. We will start in a small alcove where Hera and Aphrodite are preparing to begin the ceremony.

HERA: How are you feeling?

APHRODITE: Oddly calm? I mean, this is a good thing. Out of all the things that could have happened since this marriage started, this is a good thing. We didn’t want to be married in the first place, and now Ares and Hermes can be together publicly and happily. There’s no real loss here.

HERA: Okay… So why do you keep digging your nails into your palm? And don’t pretend that you don’t know what I’m talking about, you know I can see you.

APHRODITE: (sigh) It’s just… Once this is over I have no excuse.

HERA: Excuse for what?

APHRODITE: To tell Phae how I feel.

HERA: (excited) How you feel?

CALLIOPE: Before Aphrodite could respond, there was a knock at the door, signaling the start of the ceremony.

HERA: Come on, let’s get you divorced.

ZEUS: Well, I suppose it’s time then. You are standing here today, before myself as the king of the gods and Hera as the goddess of marriage, to have your marital bond broken. I’m sure you understand the ramifications of this action and have thought this through, correct?

ARES Yes, of course we have.

ZEUS: And you accept any responsibilities that you may still have to each other and will see them through without making it a problem for the rest of Olympus?

APHRODITE: We’re not you, Zeus. We can keep our problems to ourselves.

ARES: And we don’t even have problems besides not being in love.

APHRODITE: (laughing) That too. Another point for the ‘not like Zeus’ board. 

ZEUS: If you’re quite done. (pause) Thank you. It is my duty as the ruler of Olympus to inform you that any ramifications of this divorce on the mortal world will be dealt with to the highest degree of punishment. As long as you understand this, Hera can begin the actual breaking of the marriage. Do you understand?

ARES + APHRODITE: Yes.

ZEUS: Then Hera you may proceed with the removal of the marital blessing.

HERA: I stand before you today, as your goddess of marriage, to remove the blessings laid upon you as a couple. May their souls– spinning magic and eternal light– be unbound in the eyes of marriage and released to be how they were always meant to be. May their days be filled with happiness and joy apart from each other–

ZEUS: That’s not the traditional rite, Hera.

HERA: (ignoring him) May their difficulties be shared and easily carried by these dear friends. May the knowledge of what they mean to each other always remain wrapped in their hearts even as their hearts go on to someone else. I remove this blessing of marriage, Aphrodite and Ares, but offer my blessing of family in its place. May you always know the warmth of each other’s love as family always does. May you know the strength of your bond is unshakable even outside of marriage. I bless your family– small, mighty, and wonderful– and hope this blessing will carry eternal happiness with it. I hope that the two of you know that no matter what happens, you will always be family, just as you were always meant to be.

ZEUS: That wasn’t in any way, shape, or form the rite, Hera!

HERA: You have fucked with their lives enough, Zeus. They deserve a reminder of all they went through to get here. Congratulations, you two. You’re officially divorced. 

ZEUS: (sarcastic) Yes, yes, congratulations. You are officially divorced and no longer have to take part in my dastardly charade or whatever other nonsense you probably refer to this as. You’re free to go and live whatever lives you are trying to live. 

ARES: (sarcastic) Well thank you for that, Zeus. Dite, I’m gonna head out to see Hermes. Are you still going over to Phae’s? 

APHRODITE: Yeah, I think I will.

ARES: If you need me–

APHRODITE: I know, Air. You’ll run back home in a second. Go spend time with your boy. If things go really bad, you’ll find out. 

HERA: Aph–

ZEUS: Actually, Hera, if I could have a word.

HERA: …You know where to find me if you need me, alright? Good luck.

CALLIOPE: You might be wondering what Zeus is pulling Hera away for. I am afraid you will have to wait for a while to find out that answer as it will not be addressed today. This is, after all, Aphrodite’s day. Instead of following after Hera, we will follow Aphrodite as she makes her way out of Olympus and to the forge that had become so familiar to her.

HEPHAESTUS: Hey! How’d the divorce go?

APHRODITE: I’m so glad they decided they didn’t need witnesses at the last minute. If you had to be there you would’ve been so bored.

HEPHAESTUS: You would’ve chosen me as your witness?

APHRODITE: Who else would I possibly choose?

HEPHAESTUS: Artemis, Apollo, Persephone, maybe even Hades if you were feeling like being a wild card. I didn’t expect to be on that list.

APHRODITE: (gently) Honestly, I would’ve liked you there. You would’ve been bored out of your mind, but it would’ve been nice to have a comforting person with me. (pause) Besides Ares, of course, but he doesn’t really count as we were in the process of getting divorced.

HEPHAESTUS: (laughing) I guess I still can’t believe how much I mean to you sometimes.

APHRODITE: You mean the world to me, Phae. I wouldn’t lie to you about that.

HEPHAESTUS: I know you wouldn’t. I just still get in my own head about it sometimes.

CALLIOPE: There are moments where you can simply tell that someone is trying to be brave. You can see it in their eyes, the nervousness mixed with determination. You can see it in their hands, shaky before turning to fists. You can see it in the stiff set of their jaw that starts to relax once they’ve built up the energy to do what was needed. All of this was visible in Aphrodite. Proud, beautiful, in love.

APHRODITE: I’m actually here for a reason.

HEPHAESTUS: (confused) Well, yeah. We were going to hang out, watch a movie–

APHRODITE: More than that reason, Phae. I told myself that it had to wait until after the divorce and, well. It’s after the divorce. And I can’t keep putting it off because I was putting it off before the divorce and–

HEPHAESTUS: Slow down, Aph. It’s just me. You can tell me anything.

APHRODITE: (softly) You have to promise me that this won’t break us.

HEPHAESTUS: (so very genuine) I don’t think anything ever could.

APHRODITE: Even if I told you I was in love with you?

HEPHAESTUS: You–

APHRODITE: And I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to say that that can’t possibly be the case because you still don’t know how incredible you are. You’re going to say that I can’t love you because you don’t think you’re worthy of love but Hephaestus that isn’t true. I didn’t even know I was falling for you until I landed face first in love with you. You’ve been an incredible friend and someone I trust and I don’t want to lose you but you have to know. I have to tell you. Because if I don’t, you’ll keep convincing yourself that you’re unlovable when that just isn’t true because I love you. I love you now, I’ll love you tomorrow, I’ll love you forever if you’ll let me because all I want you to know is that you’re loved. That you are worthy of love. That even if you weren’t, you’d be loved anyway.

CALLIOPE: Hephaestus didn’t say anything, simply grabbing Aphrodite’s hand and dragging her into the forge. There, in all its glory, was the statue that Hephaestus had built. Aphrodite’s eyes traced up the soft waves of metal fabric and the glimmer of gemstones, only to gasp upon reaching the face. 

It was her own, after all.

APHRODITE: I thought you scraped it.

HEPHAESTUS: Di convinced me not to. I… Once I saw it, it was obvious what I felt for you. And I thought… You’re right, I thought I couldn’t have that. That I wasn’t worthy of it. But I was going to tell you anyway, I was going to show you this and bare my soul to you but you kind of beat me to the punch.

APHRODITE: (laughing, in awe) Tell me anyway?

HEPHAESTUS: I didn’t trust anyone for a really long time. Not since I moved out here, not since Di and I became friends. He was all I had for a long time because I thought that opening up would just lead to me getting hurt again. When you showed up, I thought you’d be like everyone else on Olympus; scornful, showing your clear disdain for me and everything I do. But you weren’t. You were kind. You were sad. You reminded me so much of myself when I left that I couldn’t help but open up to you. I couldn’t help but want to be your friend, even if I would’ve denied it if anyone asked me. Because you had to just be passing through my life; no one ever stayed, not since Dionysus. Why would you be any different? But you stayed. You stayed and talked to me and laughed with me and made me feel more alive than I had felt in centuries. Of course I fell in love with you, there was no way around it. I never once thought you’d love me back, but…

APHRODITE: But I do. I love you so much, Hephaestus. I never expected to– never expected I’d fall in love at all, honestly. But you have a way of defying expectations, don’t you?

CALLIOPE: Hephaestus couldn’t do anything except laugh, grabbing Aphrodite’s hands in her own and pulling the goddess of love into her arms. Their first kiss was gentle, slightly hesitant but that faded almost as soon as it appeared. Hephaestus held Aphrodite close to her chest and Aphrodite cupped Hephaestus’s cheeks like she was the most delicate thing in the world. Giggles burst through them both as they pulled apart, hands joining each other once more. 

APHRODITE: I can’t believe you made a statue of me.

HEPHAESTUS: Would you believe me if I said I didn’t even know it was you until I made the face? I was just pulling images from my mind and everything always led back to you. I think it will always lead back to you.

APHRODITE: You promise?

HEPHAESTUS: Yeah, Aph. I promise.

CALLIOPE: And that, my dear listeners, is where this chapter of our story draws to a close. We have one more section of our tale to tell and many more love stories to touch upon in that time. The next time you hear from me will be the beginning of the end. Are you ready? I hope so. Until next time, and as always, thank you for listening.