These ficlet contains my favourite meddling Greek deities but I tried to use only very well known facts. Also, this particular ficlet is in a certain degree a continuation of my first Alexander story – "Baby Shower"; it also has some reference to my more recent story "The Judgement of Alexander". But you don't have to reread them if you are not inclined to, all you have to know is that in the first story gods gave Alexander all his talents and in the very end Apollo gave him Hephaistion.
Hermes was half asleep under the huge branches of sycamore tree. It was a hot summer afternoon but the tree provided a nice shade letting just speckles of light to pleasantly warm god's body. The leaves quietly rustled a lullaby and Hermes was more than happy to succumb to a realm between reality and daydreaming.
Life was good even in these uneventful days of Olympians' existence. The immortals didn't meddle in the lives of humans as often as before and when they did took part in the affairs of people on earth they did it discretely. Hermes smiled remembering yesterday's feast that was dedicated to the forthcoming birth of Alexander, the future king of Macedon. All the gods tried to outdo each other with the exceptional talents they gave to the future ruler. His own gift was great and fitting and Hermes was quite happy with himself but, the truth be told, Apollo once again proved that none of the Olympians could match his ingenuity if his brother decided to excel.
However, there was one thing Hermes wasn't sure about. That uncertainty brought back unpleasant memories from some thousand years ago when Hermes, trying to please his father, started to bring him damsels from the future and got so confused with constant travel between different times that instead of bringing Hera, Athena and Aphrodite to the plains of Troy to be judged for their beauty by shepherd Alexander (known later as prince Paris of Troy) brought them instead to the groves of Mieza in future mistaking one prince Alexander for another. Hermes chuckled. As engrossed as they were in their squabbling over the possession of the apple with the ambiguous description "to the fairest" they unanimously gave the said apple to Alexander's boyfriend who completely robbed them of their presence of mind by his beauty.
True, as usual, Apollo came to his rescue and erased the whole event from the goddesses' memory but did he keep the knowledge to himself and figured out that the boyfriend from Alexander's adolescent years would become his soulmate and faithful companion to guard Alexander's sanity and well being for the whole length of their lifespan? And is it actually true that none of the three goddess remembered anything of what transpired then or one day they will try to blackmail him with it?
"Stop it, Hermes," the messenger god tried to push away his pet and namesake, some two hundred year old turtle that he found in his travels and for some unexplainable reason got attached to it. However, he quickly realized that it wasn't his turtle but a playful foot of a woman who poked him between his ribs. Hermes lazily opened one eye and corrected himself that the foot belonged not to an unknown woman but to Aphrodite; opening of the second eye revealed the fact that the goddess of love was in a company of Hera and Athena. Hermes quickly pulled himself up into a sitting position with his back firmly against the tree. Uneasy feeling of foreboding wrapped Hermes' mind and heart with a heavy blanket.
"What's up?" cheerfully inquired Hermes, deception never being a difficult task for him.
"We have a disagreement," laconically started Athena, "Zeus in his wisdom decided not to involve mortals anymore, so you are to judge."
"Not again!" Hermes jumped on his feet hitting his head on a thick branch of the tree.
"Ouch!" he exclaimed and rubbed the bruised spot. He let the grimace take control of his face. "I can't believe that you fell twice for the same trick. Did Eris put another apple in your way?"
"No, it has nothing to do with Eris, it's about our disagreement what eye colour Alexander should have," Hera informed him.
It took Hermes some moments to absorb the situation.
"And it matters because...?" he finally was able to ask.
"It matters because we have different opinions," Aphrodite supplied the reason. "I say it should be beautiful blue, cerulean, just like mine."
"Absolutely not," reasoned Athena. "You already asked that Alexander would have blond hair. Zeus agreed. Now it's our turn. I say his eyes should be grey, like mine. He is going to be the greatest warrior, after all."
Hermes shifted his glance to Hera who immediately obliged her stepson with her own opinion. "I say it should be brown, like mine, after all, he is going to rule the greatest empire ever."
Hermes sighed and was about to protest but then suddenly giggled realizing that the solution wasn't that difficult.
"All right, ladies," he declared, "I don't have the whole day to dally here with you, so my decision is simple. Athena, you are right, Aphrodite already had her say in Alexander's appearance, so she can't choose the colour of his eyes. However, I am not going to repeat Paris' mistake and incur your anger. So, Alexander will have eyes of different colour, one grey, in honour of Athena and her military genius and another brown, in honour of Hera and her patronage of power."
"It's a very clever decision," declared Athena, "you start to show some wisdom in your judgements, brother. Do you agree?" and the goddess turned in Hera's direction.
"Absolutely," gravely announced the wife of Zeus, "very wise indeed, I am quite satisfied."
"But I am not," pouted Aphrodite, "it's so not fair!"
"Well, you have to accept that things not always go your way, dear," with unhidden triumph and sarcasm stated Athena and, letting for a moment the satisfaction of the victory to saturate her being, the goddess departed in the unknown direction following in the footsteps of her step mother.
Aphrodite stared at Hermes with a challenge and said, "Next time you come to me for a favour, don't be surprised when I deny it."
"Next time I come to you for a favour, I fully expect it to be granted in a moment!" cheerfully declared Hermes.
"Oh?" Aphrodite quizzically lifted one brow, "and why is that?"
"Well," Hermes approached Aphrodite and let his arm snake around the goddess' waist, "Alexander is going to share his eye colour with Hera and Athena, but let me tell you about the person who is going to inherit yours!"