Zeus could not believe that he believed she would always stay. He thought that she would always come to forgive him. He knew she was unhappy, which is why when he finally realized how much, he knew. He knew she was going to leave, and perhaps he had always known, that she carried a small spark of hope, that he would wait for her.

Under all the denial, Zeus knew what she thought, that he would eventually tire of her endless demands, and finally release her, wasn't that why he had banished Prometheus in the first place? Because of the way his wife gravitated towards a man, who was not her husband, but one who knew things and was an innovator. One whom, she believed actually did some good in the world. For a Goddess such as herself, she was a very peculiar one. At times, sometimes it seemed as if she preferred to be a mortal, so that her life would be over, and she wouldn't have to live through the constant changes the world went through, as a result making them have to change with it.

But she liked stability and organization, and he was neither of those things, just like the elements he commanded, his mood could change on a whim. Prometheus although he foresaw the future was a man of constant routine. That was why it was so easy to find him, when he needed to know, what it was that drew Hera to him.

Zeus walked into Prometheus' temple as if he owned the place, always the presumptuous ass. He stopped in the drawing room, as a nymph went to inform the lord of the house that the King of Gods was there.

"Ah, Zeus. How nice of you to visit me. How can I help you, on this lovely day?"

Zeus looked directly at Prometheus, for being the same height had its disadvantages when one wanted to intimidate the other. "Oh, Prometheus, I'm glad you were available as I have to come to speak to you about my wife."

As those words left Zeus' mouth, the very object of his conversation came strolling down Prometheus' stairs.

Hera stopped, when she heard her husbands voice, seeing as he wasn't a big fan of Prometheus, she saw no reason for him to be here, it's not as if they were doing anything improper, just having a debate on the actual benefit of the mortals he so loved, and the consequences of giving them fire.

"Hera." Zeus looked back and forth between his wife and Prometheus wondering what was going on here, and if he indeed had enough cause to punish both of them for their adulterous ways.

"Zeus, what are you doing here? I didn't even know you knew your way to Prometheus' temple, unless you're here to see the nymphs?" Hera said, while raising an eyebrow questioningly. Yet all humor and happiness had faded from her face, and only a cool indifference was visible.

"Of course, not. I'm here to speak to Prometheus. I could ask the same about you, why are you alone on the presence of an unmarried man, without Iris. How do you expect to be respectable if you walk around gallivanting with your lover in public!"

Prometheus stepped in before the fight could start, but knew that it had already begun and no matter his interference, this would escalate to epic proportions.

"Come now, Zeus. You know Hera is not that type of woman. She is loyal in her vows, now what is it that you have come to speak to me about?"

"How dare you! I am not the one who goes around making a mockery of our wedding vows the way you do." Hera fumed, and was beyond upset.

"Now even your lover throws my infidelity in my face! What have you told him? I'm sure you've told him all about the lovers I take, and how you pretend to be hurt by them, but in reality you could care less. All you care about is how the Council views you. Because in your eyes, they are the only ones that matter, isn't that right, sweetheart?" Zeus, didn't mean any of it, but once the words were out, he couldn't take them back, especially in front of Prometheus, he would look like a coward and he was not about to look like a coward in front of his subjects.

"The Council? You think I'm worried about what a group of aging immortals have to say about me? After they forced me into this marriage in the first place! How dare you?! As for Prometheus being my lover, he would never betray your trust like that, he is not like the ones that betray me by acting as if they are my friends and loyal subject, and then stab me in the back when they fall into bed with you." Hera was beyond furious. How dare he? But she knew, he was taking out his frustrations out on her, yet she had had enough. She was done, being the reason he became upset for no apparent reason. She knew she should keep quite, because she didn't want to drag Prometheus into their marital issues, but he was involved regardless. Seeing as Zeus would find out either way.

"What is it that you're really upset about, the fact that I am here, alone, or the fact that the Council has once again forced you to do their bidding? Always bending backwards to kiss the ass of anyone whom you assume to hold great power, yet they do not bow before you. Are you not their King and Leader? Yet, they give you orders as if they rule and you are just a simple subject. Mayhap it is the way the Council wants it. You always kissing their ass, making it seem like you're the bad guy when a decision of theirs disintegrates before the very eyes of the mortals, you all seem to love. Oh, let us not forget Prometheus' plan to give them the gift of fire, something he believes will help them, and apparently by helping them, it will help us. Why can't the lot of you just let it go? It was not meant for someone to live as long as we have lived, let the mortals believe in something other than us. Let us finally rest!"

Hera's voice higher, the more into her tirade she became. Zeus never knew that she did not want to live forever, perhaps all these years had finally shown her some wisdom, and she knew that she had lived enough to know that she didn't want to live through anymore. Anymore pain, any more uncertainty, and anymore controlling husbands who demanded fidelity yet broke the vows they had declared to each other in front of all the immortal beings. Where he had sworn to love her for all of his days, to be loyal to her, and to make her happy.

Zeus looked at her, as if she had grown horns. "You will not speak to me in such a fashion." He raised his hand as if to silence her, and before he could strike, his wrist was caught in an iron grip. He looked into Prometheus' golden eyes, forgetting that they were not alone.

"You will not strike your wife in my presence. For if you do, you will have to deal with me, remember my liege that I am not one to make idle threats. We have fought side by side against your father, so you know, I am a man of my word." Prometheus knew, he would pay for the insult later, he always had a foreboding feeling when he was around Zeus, as if the Fates knew how he would end up, and because they had given him the gift of foresight, he was also cursed with knowing the fate of other except himself.

Hera never thought someone would stand up for her, Hades had tried and was banished from Olympus unless the Council required his presence. Poseidon had always been one to keep to himself, and since he idolized Zeus, he would never dare speak up against any injustice being done to his sister, one he had spent his entire life until they were spit out from their father's stomach with. Prometheus made her feel like she mattered, and maybe she was worth fighting for, even she had given up in herself, but he gave her a renewed sense of fight, and she knew that she has someone in her corner, willing to fight for her.

"Prometheus, I thank you, but it is better if both Zeus and I, leave before something happens that might cause an irreparable damage to the friendship both of you have towards each other. Zeus let us take our leave." She walked over grabbed her shawl, and waited for Zeus by the door. He looked once more at Prometheus and muttered for only Prometheus' ears, "This is not over."

He walked over to Hera and escorted his wife back home. After that one time, Hera never left the Palace without Iris in tow, and never again did she visit Prometheus. He felt a bit of guilt for having cause his wife to lose another friend, for deep down he knew that Hera would never break her vows, but that didn't mean her heart had not betrayed him, because she had allowed it to love another man, and Zeus knew the moment he walked into his palace to find it empty, that she had finally gotten the courage to leave. Even after all that they had been through, she had finally cracked and left him.

Zeus didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He looked around and it was then that he noticed the small things. Hera always had flowers in the grand entrance, regardless of the time of year. Now as he looked around he noticed all the empty vases, and he knew.

Flowers were always her way of showing hope. Hope that he would change, hope that things would get better, for both of them. Hope that her sons would stop fighting over the same woman, hope that Hebe would find happiness with her husband, hope that perhaps they too, could eventually be as happy as they were when first wed.

But as he once again looked upon the empty vases, he realized she had given up. And maybe this time, she was done hoping.