Pride

I do not own Greek mythology. I only own the plot.

"This is absurd!" came the loud cry of dismay of the youth goddess, her voice bouncing off the walls of the gracious throne room of the gods. "Of all my sisters! Of all the minor goddesses! Mother, why?"

Hebe, goddess of youth and cupbearer of the gods have been unmarried for almost a decade or so. Seeing this, her Mother - Hera, Queen of the gods and the goddess of marriage has set up her up in an arranged marriage with the Son of Zeus, the greatest Greek hero ever known to gods and man. It was unexpected, being able to be set up in an arranged marriage with her own Father's, Zeus's own spawn with another woman. The thought taunted the youth goddess, thinking to herself, whatever did I do ungodly to deserve this fate?

Hera, Queen of the gods sat silently on her throne - tapping the end of her throne's arm with her perfectly shaped nails. Regal in beauty, prude in appearance. After a minute or so, the Queen spoke moderately.

"My dear Hebe, you'd make a perfect bride." Hera said, almost as if bluffing from her statement. "You're the only qualified goddess to marry him. You've been unmarried far too long. It's time to start a new life. It's not like forever you'll be alone and have no one to run to for company."

"But I run to you," The youth goddess defended momentarily. "I run to Eileithyia, Hephaestus, Ares and Eris. I run to all of my other friends. Need I remind you that I don't need a man to let me know that I'm a woman. What about Artemis and Athena-"

"They are considered excempted in this matter, daughter. They vowed never a one to have a man's company." The queen replied smoothly, excessively defeating her daughter's defend in the matter. "On the one hand; I'm not always there, my dear. Nor are your brothers and sisters. They have their own lives now. Daughter, need I remind you that you are not a mere child anymore. You're a full grown goddess and it's not always that your siblings will be there for you - even your friends."

"But to marry the son of my father's infedelity is just - wrong!" Hebe yelled at her Mother and she didn't regret it. She was not going to be forced into a stupid marriage for no apparent reason. "Mother, have you no shame that your own daughter is going to marry such a - man?"

"God," Hera corrected her daughter indignantly. "You're marrying a god dear, not some mere mortal who has no sense in this world. My daughter, you're going to be married to a legend! Why not be proud of yourself for having such an oppurtunity?"

"It's because I don't want to marry a man who already had wives!" The youth goddess pressed, gritting her teeth menacingly in the process of throwing a tempter tantrum. "I don't want to marry a man who's shared a number of woman's bed! I don't want any of that! I don't want him! Dear Fates, I didn't even ask for him, gods damn it!"

"Hebe!" The queen rose from her throne and put her hands on her hips, glaring at her daughter. "I did not raise you to curse in such a manner!"

"For Tartarus' sake, Mother!" Hebe groaned and gritted her teeth. "I am older than a decade! I can do whatever I want!"

"But I did not teach you to talk to me like that!" Hera countered on her daughter, her eyes narrowing violently at her. "You are marrying Heracles whether you like it or not! And that is final young lady-"

"I hate you!" The youth goddess spat at her gracious Mother. "I hate you and Father! I hate everyone who agreed to this stupid wedding! And I most especially hate that man!"

Hebe walked out of the throne room, glaring at the hall way and doors along the way. She was furious - no, she was ballistic. She could just blast anything or anyone in her path. She was getting married! How pathetic! And - married to her own Father's, Zeus's son? The matter was way above ridiculous. But Hebe did as she always did, she did what her Mother always did when she was mad or at least felt as if defeated, she held her pride; she didn't swallow it.

The youth goddess was being used. The wedding that she'll be having within a few weeks with the great Greek hero was sabotaging her reputation as the goddess of youth and cupbearer of the gods. The humiliation of hearing her name and the great hero's name in the same sentence was unbearable. Did Heracles even know who she was? He barely even prayed or offered to her when he was once still a man. He didn't even bother praying for his youth. What reason does Hebe have to actually fall for this man? Does Heracles even know that he'll be getting married to her? Everything was just too quick that the world is revolving twice as fast as Hermes's planet, Mercury.

Heracles would be proposing to the youth goddess tonight at the grand banquet, came the spread of the delicate rumor. It was very quick. The youth goddess blinked twice and tried cleaning her ears if she even heard right. A proposal? Already? After finding out that she was forced into marriage? Is this how Fate kills the insides of Hebe? Or is this how Fate would have wanted it - for her to be married to the Greek hero for an unconditional reason the youth goddess couldn't know? The thought distraught Hebe and she groaned in Angst, her screams of anger and indignancy echoing the hall of the gods.

"Fair goddess, would you mind telling me what you do on your lonesome time?" Heracles asked Hebe lovingly as they were strolling down the shore of the Aegean Sea, hand in hand.

The handsome Greek hero had already proposed to the beautiful youth goddess four weeks ago. Unexpectedly, from the form of her condition about the marriage, she said the sweetest word the Greek hero has ever tasted on his bitter tongue. Yes. The youth goddess hadn't expected the word to leave her rose-colored lips that night. But she forced to, or at least Aphrodite or Eros did. She didn't know by then, but all she knew that she had to do it. She didn't do it for herself, she didn't do it for her Mother, or her Father, or for anyone else's sake who had wanted this matrimony to happen.

Instead, Hebe did it for her fiancee's dead wives. Even though Heracles have never bothered to pray to the goddess, Hebe admitted to herself secretely that she adored the Greek hero - in a way in which he can save lives through his gifted power. But never did she admire him for his continuous affairs.

Hebe pitied all the wives Heracles had killed. She used to keep the young women's youth right and onto the part in which Heracles wouldn't want to kill such a pretty face. But he did, like he always does. But she said yes for the sake of Heracles's dead wives, as if thinking to herself, she's doing the dead wives a favor. A huge favor for her to marry the man who killed them without being killed.

What she didn't excpect is that in just four short weeks, Eros - the master of lovers has done it. The youth goddess has fallen in love with the great hero. Was it because she admired his tremendoes skills and the way he flexes his muscles? Was it the way he can lift weights and be romantic to her? The romantic part, yes, but not only that. She now admired him for being a big help to Olympus.

He's done so many and she thanked him endlessly for saving her Mother, Hera from being ravished by the Giant Porphyrion during the Gigantomachy. And yes, Heracles did help the Olympians to win against the Giants. He's done plenty that she couldn't count and couldn't remember all, but all she knew is that - yes, he has earned her respect. But there was never a moment when the youth goddess's sister, Eris - left her a half spoon of bitterness and misery against the Greek hero.

Married. Pregnant. Replaced. Praised. Remembered.

After saying, "I do", Hera, Queen of the gods and goddess of marriage knows it has happened. Her daughter was bound to the vows of her sacred matrimony to Heracles. The divinities applauded as the couple kissed short but lasted long enough for the crowd of divinities to cheer in happiness and joy. The daughter of Zeus and Hera was now married to the Son of Zeus, and not even the Fates could separate such a beautiful couple. Eros has done well.

"Twins," Apollo, the god of Sun, Music, Arts and Medication said in delight as he roamed his hand around Hebe's round swollen belly. "Two handsome and strong men. Just like your Father - yet, one has your looks and the other has his Father's. You must be proud, dear sister."

Hebe smiled lightly at her half-brother's remark just as he relented his hand away from the bump on her stomach. Oh yes, quite proud the youth goddess is. But she only speaks in Irony.

The youth goddess's Father's affairs were numerous - he'd invite various different woman into his bed almost everyday. It angered Hebe, seeing as her Father was never one at least faithful to her Mother. But that's just the way it goes, and that's just how the way she and her Mother plan on killing Zeus's affairs. But the youth goddess's Father has crossed the line this time. He played and fooled her Mother not with a woman - but a man.

"Daughter, you are to step down as the cupbearer of the gods and submit your role to Ganyemede." Zeeus, her mighty father said in a booming voice. All the Olympians stared at her, waiting to see if she would over react and burst out on her Father. But Hebe didn't.

Instead, she smiled half-brokenheartedly and nodded, forcing back a taunt or curse to escape her quivering lips. Hebe passed the pitcher of godly and divine nectar to the handsome Trojan Prince. Hebe leaned to whisper in the Prince's ear to avoid the rest of the divinities to hear, "Not too much sugar on Bacchus' nectar. He can be very high sometimes.

"Hail goddess of youth, wife of the great hero Heracles, please accept this offering. Hear me and answer my prayers, gracious goddess." prayed the mortal Greek woman in front of the youth goddess's statue, offering the goddess a basket full of fruits. The youth goddess smiled and accepted the offering. Hebe blessed the Greek woman and answered her merciful prayers. Famed only by dearest husband.

The old poet was almost dying. She had promised herself to keep the youth of the poet as long as she could hold. But she could not, Fate was interfering and Hades was ready for another soul. But in the poet's state, he was singing a song of praise to the youth goddess. Hebe have always favored this poet for he wrote songs of praises and poems about her, even if she was just a minor goddess. The youth goddess felt flattered and proud that she just had to keep him alive.

The youth goddess was now remembered... only by dearest husband.

Philostratus once wrote in one of his famous poems (Greek rhetorician)

"Before long you [Herakles] will live with them in the sky, drinking, and embracing the beautiful Hebe (Youth); for you are to marry the youngest of the gods and the one most revered by them, since it is through her that they also are young."

Pseudo-Apollodorus wrote about the youth goddess through wise words,

"[Herakles] achieved immortality, and when Hera's enmity changed to friendship, he married her daughter Hebe, who bore him sons Alexiares and Aniketos."

And most importantly, the great poet Homer wrote in his Odyssey,

"[Odysseus in the Underworld :] I marked the mighty Herakles-his phantom; for he himself among the immortal gods takes his joy in the feast, and has to wife Hebe, of the fair ankles, daughter of great Zeus and of Hera, of the golden sandals."

But Alipio admired and praised the youth goddess by wasting little minutes of his life, singing to the goddess in a quiet voice. How sad and endearing it was to even think that his name meant he who suffering does not affect. Quite true.

Then, the words struck her like an arrow had gone through her body. Stinging her every sense with just words from a mere mortal. But could she believe it? She had wanted for the old poet to repeat again, but the Fates have cut his thread of life...

"You the one who keeps his youth,

You the one married to a legend,

You the one who should be proud."

The old poet's voice echoed in the mind of the youth goddess. Not only was she praised, but now, she was haunted by the truth in the poet's words.

"I do not deserve him," Hebe said to no one in particular. Her husband looked at her who sat beside her, his arm around her shoulders.

"But you do, my love." Heracles whispered to his wife lovingly, kissing her ear which made the youth goddess shiver. "I am glad that we are married."

Glad.

The two young boys came out of their abode to see their parents cuddled up on the bench on the front porch of their home. Their smiles were cheeky and wonderous, Hebe could have sworn they have gotten the handsome smiles from their Father. Aniketos and Alexiares joined their parents happily. They watched as Artemis set the moon against the afternoon sundown.

Seeing her family together and having to think about the poets final words before dying into oblivion; for once ever since she was forced to marriage, the youth goddess smiled fully. Not lightly, not with hesitation, not in force and not abrupt. Everyone was right. She just made a fool of herself all this time.

All this time, everyone thought she was holding it. But now she was. The one thing she tried not to hold all this time...

Pride.

To Télos

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