Page 12 of Hephaestus

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“Oh, Hephaestus!” Thetis gasped. “I told you that you did not have to make me anything,” she reminded me.

“I know. But still, I wanted to. Here…” I said, holding out the silver and sapphire necklace to her. “I would love for you to wear this.”

“You shouldn’t have! This is too much. It’s beyond gorgeous.”

“Would you like me to put it on you?” I asked.

“Yes. Please!”

I moved behind Thetis to delicately place the piece of jewelry around her neck before clipping the backings of the necklace securely together to prevent it from falling off her.

“How does it look?” Thetis further inquired once I stepped away from her. She spun around to face me to show it off.

“Glorious,” I murmured.

And it was truly radiant on her. The sapphires were of a darker blue hue, compared to the icy blue tint of her skin. The glimmer from the gems lit up the entire walls of the grotto. Sparkles of blue bounced in every which direction, mimicking the motion of the crashing waves of the sea onto the shore. Thetis, too, glanced about in wonder, admiring the incandescent show the necklace was performing.

“It really is wonderful, Hephaestus! I’ll always wear it on me. I cannot wait to show it off at the dinner tomorrow on Mount Olympus.”

“I have no doubt some of the other goddesses in attendance will be jealous of you adorning it. I’m sure they own nothing comparable to it.”

“I suspect that may be true,” she agreed. “Again, thank you for such an extravagant gift.”

***

It was only a day later that Thetis had ventured to Mount Olympus to attend the glorious feast for the Oceanids and Nereids. Once she returned to the grotto, I quickly hobbled along from my cavern within the confines of the volcano to greet her.

“Tell me,” I stated eagerly. “How was it? What did you think?”

“It was magnificent, as always,” Thetis stated. “But there’s something interesting that happened which involved you.”

“Me?” I said with disbelief.

“Yes. During the feast, I was only expecting Zeus and not his wife, Hera, to attend. Sure enough, she did show up, likely to keep an eye on the wandering eye of her husband around us nymphs, but that’s beside that point.”

Now I was getting nervous. I wondered if Hera mentioned something about me to Thetis. What if she learned of Thetis having raised me like her own son these past few years? I didn’t want Thetis to be punished on my account. I hoped this wasn’t the case.

“And how did Hera act around you?”

“Well, each of us sea-nymphs were expected to bow when we were greeted by the King and Queen of the Gods. Hera barely turned her head to face us, which is what I half-expected. Believe me, not one person is unaware of Hera’s insolence. Anyway, I was quite stunned when she suddenly halted before me and craned her neck to glare at me.”

“Oh no!” I exclaimed. I could only imagine what happened next. Over the years, I’ve learned it’s better to be ignored by Hera than to gain her attention. “What happened next?”

Thetis then smirked, which I was not anticipating. “Hera bent over and reached down to hold the sapphire necklace I had on in her hands. She closely examined it, before asking me where I acquired such a gorgeous piece of jewelry.”

“Please… don’t tell me you told her I was the one who crafted it for you,” I begged aloud, but to no avail. The occurrence already happened, and I knew it to be true. It was too late.

“Of course. I couldn’t just lie to her. I remarked on how your skills as a blacksmith have grown over these years, better than anyone in the world. Also, I told her of the vast weapons you have continued to make for the highest-ranking warriors and kings throughout the lands. I could tell she was taken aback when I mentioned your name. At first, a look of horror was displayed on her face, but then her expression tamed to her usual solemn look. She was so fascinated by the necklace and your skills that she wanted me to reach out to you. She wants for you to return to Mount Olympus, so long as you are able to continue crafting jewelry and weapons for the Gods and Goddesses of Mount Olympus.”

Return to Mount Olympus!?I thought to myself.Why would I ever want to do that again?

What was the purpose? I was already exiled from there once. Wouldn’t it be foolish to want to go back? Plus, now that I had that insufferable Hera out of my life, I wished to never see her again.

But at the same time, a part of me on the inside felt a sense of relief. A bit of excitement stirred within me once again. I already felt wanted here on the surface, among mortals and demi-gods. To now feel welcomed by the gods on Mount Olympus—there was such a great affinity there that I could not ignore. Perhaps it was my natural calling in wanting to assume the throne and my right as a God of Mount Olympus.

I felt torn in deciding on whether I actually wanted to return. What if Hera was, in fact, lying to Thetis? What if this was just some sick plot or ruse to bring me back so that the Queen of the Gods could further humiliate and injure me?

No. I couldn’t allow that to happen ever again. I felt stronger now, more than ever. I was coming into my own as a god. If Hera was planning on deceiving and sabotaging me, I would just have to beat her to the punch. Now, I just had to come up with a way to exact my revenge on her. If I were to reside on Mount Olympus, she would have to pay for all that she did to me. I was steadfast in that decision.