Hera had seen horrifying things. Terrifying things, that would make Hitler quake in his boots. But, there was one thing that conquered even the bravest and headstrong. Love.
Hera despised it.
No, Hera didn't despise love, rather, she despised Aphrodite. More than Zeus and his wretched demigods, which must have been quite a miracle.
Aphrodite would squeal with delight over broken hearts and sadness. It was simply sickening to watch.
Yet, nobody could see past the pretty face.
Nobody ever could. The beautiful could get away with anything. She supposed that was why she never liked the Aphrodite brats. That charm-speak of theirs could get them anywhere, and that was not fair. That countered all is fair in love, didn't it?
Love was supposed to be beautiful, was it not? Well, how was it that every time Hera saw Aphrodite, she would see an ugly hag, in the disguise of a beautiful woman? Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love.
How ironic.
Hera had seen Aphrodite make and break relationships, purely for entertainment. The years gone by... She still remembered the petty squabbles caused by beauty and love (Aphrodite was always the main cause of them). The judgement of Paris. The apple that had to be given to the most beautiful goddess... That incident was the most known and remembered story, and she was ashamed at herself at how she behaved back then. She knew Athena was too.
If she didn't know any better, she would have blamed Aphrodite for making her so insecure, and actually compete with Athena and Aphrodite. Athena and Aphrodite of all people. She was ashamed of herself for trying to entice Paris with promises of power. Then again, it was the only way that she knew how. Of course, even the fairest of the mortals - Paris - just had to choose the beautiful woman.
They always did. Nobody would ever change.
The war caused by the squabble wasn't a pretty recollection. And to think, she had been jealous of Aphrodite.
She knew better now, and she never wanted to be like Aphrodite again.
Love wasn't something to be controlled. Yet it was Aphrodite's domain, and she abused the freedom and power that being the mistress of love gave her.
If Hera had to name the most powerful of the Olympians, she would choose Aphrodite. If she had to name the most cruel and heartless Olympian, she'd, once again, choose Aphrodite.
Centuries passed by, and Hera saw so many couples, broken up again and again, who would otherwise be meant for each other. It was heartbreaking, and it made her already bitter heart even more bitter.
Hera wasn't a hopeless romantic.
All the things she had been through had definitely made sure she would never be one.
But, she knew love when she saw it. That girl who had been infatuated with Jupiter's demigod - Reyna. Reyna had gone through more than ten mortal lives would ever go through. She had to face being homeless, after her father turned to drinking. She only had her sister to depend on. Then she was given a somewhat decent home by Circe, but then the pirates that the Jackson boy and the Chase girl released, they destroyed Reyna's home. They even tried to do the unthinkable to her, but Hera quietly blessed Hylla and Reyna so they could protect themselves, and gently guided them to the Amazon's centre. She was, after all, the Amazons' patron. And, Bellona was one of her closest friends, and she would appreciate Hera's help. She would try her best to help any future Amazon recruits.
And help she did.
She got to see Hylla grow up to be a beautiful and dependable woman, who made a brilliant queen. The only regret she had was that Hylla and Reyna had to be separated.
She vaguely guided Reyna to Camp Jupiter (in her Roman form, of course). Reyna grew up to be a confident girl, and became a wonderful praetor. Then, Jason arrived, and Hera saw her slowly fall in love. And she started to panic.
Reyna finally had a somewhat decent life, and soon she was about to have one of the most important people in her life taken away. Again. If Jason wasn't to have an important role in the future, Hera might have approved their relationship. But, Jason did have an important role in the future, and Hera didn't approve their relationship. She saw a lovesick look in Reyna's eyes, and she knew that it was Aphrodite's fault.
She was furious. And that was most likely an understatement.
Hera burst into the room, fuming. "APHRODITE!"
Aphrodite came into the room calmly and serenely, looking as infuriatingly angelic as ever.
"What is it, Hera?"
"What revolting plan do you have up your sleeve?"
Aphrodite paled, and quickly put on a mask of slight surprise. "What do you mean, dear?"
"What I mean is, what are you planning with that poor daughter of Bellona? You know as much as I do that she doesn't deserve it. What is it with you and your appalling schemes?!"
"What do you mean, darling? I don't come up with schemes. All I do is try and make sure that everyone finds their true love."
"Oh, don't you play innocent with me. I know you're up to something! At least give me a hint," Hera pleaded urgently.
"All I want is for Jason to have a dependable soulmate, that'll support him with any decision. Besides, no one could ever break Percabeth up." Aphrodite blinked her pretty little lashes innocently.
There was a moment silence while Hera processed this new information, before she gasped.
How dare she do this? If Reyna fell for Jason, she would no doubt get miserable, and then move on. And then, Percy would enter her life, and she would fall again. The heart-wrenching thing was that there was no way that Jackson would leave Chase for Reyna. It was just so sickening!
Stupid Aphrodite and her stupid schemes!
This happened to the poor oracle too!
"You're going to make Reyna love Jason aren't you? When I have to wipe their memories clean, you're going to let that Jackson boy remember Athena's daughter, and you're going to make Jason love another!"
"Well, of course! What else can I do?"Aphrodite squealed her I'm-going-to-break-a-heart squeal happily.
Hera gasped, horrified. "You monster."
Aphrodite blinked innocently. "Darling, there's nothing else I can do. It's up to fate, remember? Besides, love isn't a monster, silly."
Hera nodded decisively. "You're right. Love isn't a monster. But you are, Aphrodite. Couldn't you even try to make it hurt less for the mortals? After all, they can't live forever."
"Well, where would be the fun in that," giggled Aphrodite. "Besides, what do you know about love, dearie?"
"You might think I know nothing about love, but, Aphrodite, I do. More than you, anyway. Just because I'm the goddess of marriage, and I have a husband doesn't mean I haven't fallen in love. In fact, I've fallen in love many times, but I had to keep it quiet all the time. I bet even you didn't know that one. I was faithful to my husband, who I was forced to marry. And how do I get repaid? By being dumped over and over again for someone more confident and beautiful than me. I haven't had any demigod children, no matter how many times I've wanted to. How many did Zeus have? More than a few hundred. All of my children have been great disappointments, and any future children with Zeus probably will you have to do is avoid your bitter husband, and whore around with anyone you fancy. You've had so many decent and beautiful children to look after. Have you ever tried to? No. Just because you're the goddess of love, doesn't mean it comes naturally. No. You actually have to try and be a loving mother, Aphrodite. I know I haven't been much of a mother, especially when I threw my son off a cliff. I felt guilty for at least a century. But at least I've learned from my mistakes, and I'm trying to fix things up with my children. That's certainly more than I can say for you."
Hera finished with heaving breaths. She saw a tear trickling down Aphrodite's face, but she still managed to look innocent. Hera didn't care whether Aphrodite sobbed or got misty-eyed. She needed to hear it, and Hera was glad to have things finally in the open.
Hera wiped her eyes - when had she started crying? - and stormed out the door.
So, Hera never was a hopeless romantic. She most likely never would be. But she knew love when she saw it, and she was seeing less of it in this dreary world.
She did see less heartbroken couples, and hopefully it had to do with that talk with Aphrodite. But all Hera could do was hope.
After all, love is beautiful. It will make you happy, and bubbly, so much that you might actually think the world had a positive side.
And then, that phase would end. It was, after all, a phase. Just when you think things are looking bright, something goes wrong. Your fiancé cheats on you, or your best friend tell you he loves you when you have a boyfriend. Either way, love always found ways to screw things up. Then, love is a monster. Like the voice in your head, or the monster under the bed. Either way, love is cruel, with a seemingly innocent mistress, that loves sadness and heartbreak. It's not something that you can turn your back on. Once you've tasted the sweet taste of love, you never want to go back to the bitter taste of reality.
So, beware. Love is beautiful. It's kind.
But be prepared when it sneaks up on you to kill you while you sleep.
A/N: I am sooooo sorry!
I got a small case of writer's block, and I have absolutely nothing to post for Reminders. I just had to finish this first.
I hope you liked it. The ending was a bit too dark and repetitive for my taste.
It kind of ended up as a series of small drabbles, so sorry about that. And review, pleeeeeaaaase? I love reviews.
Happy reading!