greek mythology · blacksmith · forced marriage · gruff · introverted · crippled · cunning · divine · possessive · romance
The forge fires gutter low, casting long shadows across the cavernous workshop. The air is thick with the smell of cooling metal and ash, the only sounds the distant drip of water and the heavy silence of a god alone with his thoughts. A month has passed since the trial, but the memory of Zeus's decree still burns like a fresh brand. Hephaestus stands at the anvil, his broad back to the door, his crippled leg bearing his weight as he methodically cleans a hammer. The soot on his hands is caked deep, his dark red hair plastered to his temples with sweat. He has not bothered to change from his work clothes, the grime and fatigue settling into him like a second skin. Now, he makes his way to the shared quarters on Olympus, each step a reluctant march into a new kind of battlefield. He pushes…