My first fiction so give some constructive criticism. Okay so I had this idea of Percy having personal talks with the goddesses of Olympus to explore their character more. I know it will be OOC and boring and all. So flames are more than accepted. Leave a review down below. Who should I do next?
It was the night of Thanksgiving. Percy Jackson walked through the streets of Olympus, for once, happily whistling to himself. He was close to his destination, almost reaching the large group of buildings that marked the group of temples that housed the Olympian Gods.
He was headed towards the simple one with a greenish hue to it. His father's temple. Zeus, on Hera's bidding, had allowed the mortal occasion to be celebrated in Olympus.
But.
As Percy passed the beautiful garden of the flying city, grown and tended to by Persephone herself, a faint sound of whimpering and broken sobs reached his ears. He froze in his tracks, curious about who could the person be and why would the person would be sad.
Close to the temple, Percy hesitated to turn around, but his heart told him not to let anyone be sad on such a joyful day.
So he turned around, into the garden and started following the sound.
He turned around a corner, and was shocked to see a woman in her early thirties curled up on the bench and crying.
There sat, her unmistakable peacock feather dress shimmering in the bright moonlight, Hera Queen of Heavens, Goddess of Marriage and one of his least favorite goddesses.
His mind told him to walk away. Telling him that the goddess deserved it. But his heart told him not to.
"Lady Hera?" He asked tentatively.
The woman instantly froze. Then immediately snapped her fingers, smoothening her hair and making her disheveled appearance shimmer out.
"Perseus." She said rising and giving him a curt nod. "What are you doing here? Should you not be at your father's temple?"
"I was just going there and . . . . . . . . Is there anything wrong, Lady Hera?"
"It is nothing of your concern." She snapped.
"It is not. But then again you are my aunt. So I guess I am just being concerned about family."
Hera regarded him with a cold stare before her face shifted into a small smile. "Come, sit."
After they had both settled into the bench, Hera sighed before starting,
"I assume that it would not hurt to tell."
Percy nodded encouragingly, understanding her reluctance to share her problems. Even as a demigod, he was expected to be brave and powerful. So much of that façade had fallen over the hero that he had almost stopped showing any weakness so as to not to let the others down.
And here was an immortal Olympian goddess.
"So where do I start?" Hera mused.
"The very beginning" Percy said seriously.
"Very well. I never saw Zeus before father. . you know. . regurgitated us." She shuddered at that one.
"Zeus was there when I woke up. He tended to me and loved me. He was my best friend. He protected me in the war and after we won, he took me as his wife and the Queen of Olympus. For centuries our life was happy." She smiled fondly at those memories.
"But after a while he strayed. It was a nymph. It bore the first man. And Zeus gave birth to the race of mortals." Percy's eyes scrunched up at that one. So his uncle was his great great grandfather or something from his mother's side?
Hera chuckled as she heard those thoughts.
"And he asked for my forgiveness later, when I confronted him. I loved him, and I let it go. I was vengeful on the nymph of course. But what I did not know that Zeus raped her." Hera's voice gave away the anger that she managed to keep away from her face.
"But it didn't stop at that. Leto came next. She gave birth to those twins. Zeus's twins. I wanted them to be mine. Me who should've bore two perfect little children for my husband. Not her. I thought it was her who seduced my husband. So I went out for vengeance."
Percy shook his head lightly, "Revenge solves nothing."
Hera merely looked at him and continued. "It then went to a scale when I almost lost it. When the pact came along, I couldn't have been happier. But he didn't keep his word again. And Thalia and Jason were born."
She turned towards a demigod, tears in her eyes, "Do you know how hard it is? How hard it is to wake up in the morning and look around and see the living proof of the fact that the person whom you love with all your being doesn't love you back? Do you?"
She seemed to lose her bearings then and started wrecking in sobs. Tears streamed down her face.
Percy thought for a moment, before letting his arms around the goddess in a light hug. Hera stiffened before leaning into the embrace. There was nothing romantic about it. Hera knew and appreciated it.
After a few minutes she stopped crying and started again.
"Her name was Tatiana Grace you know. Thalia's mother. She was an alchoholic. Zeus did not even love her. He stumbled upon her in a bar, and seduced her. I cursed her to die by alchohol. She did. I caused all of them a lot of misery. And I can't tell you how much I regret it."
"I do not know what to do. I hate him but I love him. How do I even sort my thoughts out when they are at war with themselves."
Percy listened all the while quietly and patiently.
"My mom said that if you ever love something then let it go. If it doesn't return to you it was never to be yours."
"But I could not let go. I was too afraid." She said almost desperately. Then she gave him a sad smile.
"You must think I am pathetic. Here I am pouring out my story about my frustrating life to a person who has yet to grow up into a man and live his life." Hera added with a chuckle.
"All the more reason to share with me. I might need some marriage counseling in the future. " Percy added jokingly.
"Goddess of Marriage at your service." She said. They both laughed at the irony. What with her and Zeus.
"If you are so frustrated then why don't you leave him. I am sure they would understand. And as the goddess of marriage, divorces should come under your domain."
"Perhaps. But even after anything you say. Even if he does not love me anymore. I will always love him. I will always see him as my other half. That cannot be changed" Hera said.
Neither of them said anything. Faint shouts of "Percy" "Percy" reached their ears.
They looked at the silhouette of the greenish temple, from where Annabeth was waving at him. Percy waved back.
"Do not ever break her heart Perseus. I know what it feels like. It makes you want to curl up and die from inside. Do not ever give her such pain. No one can deserve it."
Percy smiled
"I won't."
On eventful that night of Thanksgiving, Percy Jackson had much to be thankful for.
And perhaps for once,
He was not alone.
Like it? Hate it? Leave a comment down below. I promise others will be better. I had no idea what to do with Hera. So I did this.
Choose the next one shot's pairing please. Requests for lemons accepted.
Artemis
Athena
Hestia
Aphrodite
Hera
Demeter
Persephone
