The woman's hand rested on Heracles' shoulder and he looked up, startled to see her there. In all of his experiences, the only one of the gods he'd ever personally met was Hermes. Though he'd come across Ares as well, the situation hardly called for polite introductions. For their meeting had occurred in battle when he'd run afoul of Ares' son and the god had come down to defend him. The second time they'd met was during the battle of the Gigantes.
So, when asking for aid, he'd thought of Hermes coming to see him. May be even Athena would come to help him for not only was she the goddess of wisdom, but she was the patron of heroes. Often on his adventures, she'd been there for him, helping him come up with answers and plans. May be even Artemis for it was her Hind they were seeking to save. She had a real reason to come to him.
But the Queen of the gods herself? No, she was the last person he thought would come down to him. To personally help him out, though he was glad to meet her under better circumstances than battle. The sight of that gigante about to harm her was one that had given him bad nightmares for he could only see his dear wife in that position.
"Great Queen Hera," he greeted, reverently. All the while, he covertly studied her. There was about her a sense of the familiar, like he'd met her before. She reminded him vaguely of the old woman who'd helped him when he'd set out against the hydra. Her touch on his shoulder was strong and comforting, as the touch of his mother's had been.
Had she always been there, guiding his footsteps and comforting him? "Mother." His voice lowered to complete his welcome, making it more personal than may have been warranted. And yet, he felt that it would not be out of place in this situation.
"Do you call me so because I am the Queen of the gods? Thus, I am known as the mother of all mortals?" she asked archly, moving around him to sit in mid-air. "Or because Zeus is rumored to be your father – and is my husband?"
"I call you so because you are my mother. Zeus is not my father as many say," he replied steadily, meeting her eyes dead on. Though he was not trying to be deliberately challenging, there was a definite sense of the gauntlet being thrown down. A sense that he wanted her to accept – or reject his words in some fashion.
That she, unlike Zeus, would respond to his unspoken question. The question that had dominated much of his life ever since learning that he was a demigod. If anyone could answer the question as to why he even existed, and give him an answer he could trust, it would be Hera.
He'd never heard of Hera being anything but honest. Mean spirited, perhaps and always to those who'd stolen her husband's affections away from her, but bluntly honest in her words and actions. Even her cruelty had an edge of truth to it. She took her role as protector of women and marriage seriously and punished those who were unfaithful to their vows, though she could not touch Zeus himself.
One only had to ask Jason about his relationship with her to know that she always dealt honestly, sometimes brutally, with her followers. Even though he'd been on the journey, circumstances had forced him to depart before he could see any of her actions in Jason's life. But he knew that the man considered her his patron goddess and worshipped her to this day.
If one had talked to Jason, he credited Hera completely for the success in his mission, though he did not discount Medea and all that she had done for him. He knew that he owed his wife much, especially for turning against her family as she had.
Nor did he discount Hekate's wisdom. If not for her teachings, they would not have been able to escape as many times as they had without shedding more blood than necessary. It had been an illusion, this killing of her brother, in order to buy them time. Had they not been made aware of the fact that they would lose the gods' favor, they might have truly slain the man.
Thus, it was that Hera had his full allegiance and the full measure of his devotion.
For it was she who had covered him in her protection. She had often warned him, advised him, and she had aided him fully whenever she could. She had also convinced him that if he remained true to the promise he made to Medea, he would be blessed. Though she would not say when the blessing would happen, she pledged to him that it would happen should he continue to be faithful.
While Jason had wanted to marry that princess and begin life anew, he honored his commitment to the woman who'd suffered through so much with him and for him. Together, they weathered the storm of unpopularity and poverty, growing stronger as a couple.
As promised, his throne was restored to him.
Sometimes, Heracles had the feeling that Jason had fallen in love with Hera. As the man had been a good friend to him and Iolaus, he really hoped that word of his possible affection for the goddess would never reach Zeus' ear. While he would defend him, he didn't want his friend to come to such an inglorious end for feeling something that he couldn't really control.
"And how can you be so sure when the world speaks of Zeus as your father? When your mortal mother is a beauty that would catch and hold the eye of Zeus himself?" her gentle query was quietly spoken.
"Zeus would never have tried to comfort me over the loss of my wife and children," he answered, tilting his head to better study her. "And he would not have tried to protect them as you did."
She raised an eyebrow, surprised by his continued perseverance. In that moment, she could see past the godly trappings that had been laid upon him because of her and see Philon in him. That fortitude, that clever mind, those eyes sparkling with curiosity that demanded an answer from her that fit what he'd already figured out.
"I? Protect them? What makes you believe such a thing?"
"Deianeira was faithful to you. She offered her life as sacrifice in service to you if you would but help her family in their need. A prayer you answered when you sent me to take care of the centaur troubling them. It was upon receiving your unspoken approval that she agreed to marry me. She felt your familiar presence, trying to protect them from the beast."
"Even a god cannot hold back death when the Fates have decreed it," she sighed, reaching out a hand to rest upon his arm. Squeezing in comfort, she pulled back her veil so that he could look upon her and see her sincerity. "I only wish I could have done more than I did for them. There is nothing I know in my vast vocabulary of words to say that can reassure you in this time of loss when you badly need to hear anything to guide you through, no words come to my lips of consolation over your loss.
"The truth is nothing one can ignore or overlook. It is cold and uncaring of human emotions. Even to say that this pain shall pass in time is no relief for one who is in despair. Demeter learns that anew every year when she loses Persephone to Hades even though she realizes how joyful, how happy Hades makes her beloved child. She hides herself away from all, refusing even to visit her daughter."
"Mother, why have you not come to me before?" he asked, unable to keep his eyes away from her. No wonder Zeus kept her as his Queen throughout their troubles. Even with the burden of the years upon her face, for she had yet to take her yearly cleansing bath, she was radiant. The cares of taking care of her worshippers only made her more beautiful to him for it revealed the humanity within her.
Hera studied him, soft love for her son in her eyes. "You have never needed me before, never asked that I be here with you. And how could I? Should Zeus suspect something, you would bear the brunt of his fury, not I. I could not do that to my son. I once let Hephaestus bear that anger, I promised myself that I would never do that again."
Heracles nodded, knowing well of Zeus' rages. All knew what happened to the unfortunate Ixion who lusted after her, how Zeus had tricked him into embracing a cloud who looked like Hera. And then condemned him to spin the heavens on a fiery wheel as punishment for trying to have her.
The idea of him finding out that Hera had a son with another was a thought Heracles didn't think worth contemplating.
But he did need to know something else, had to know if the man who'd raised him with such distant caring could possibly be the man this woman had cared enough for that she broke her vows. While the man was certainly a caring father, he had never really embraced Heracles as he had Iolaus and Iphicles.
The image of the two of them together did not work in his mind. "Is Amphitryon my father?"
"No. I am deeply sorry to have to tell you that he died, not knowing of your existence. Had he known, he would have been delighted. He so loved children," she softly replied, closing her eyes against the remembrance of her loss. "The men will sleep heavily tonight and there will be no danger brought to the camp. Admeta has chosen to ignore my presence, so we shall be quite alone."
"She is aware of you?" he asked, slightly disbelieving that she would take this risk. If it ever got back to Zeus that she had been where he was, he might assume the worst. And she would bear the brunt of his rage for trying to interfere with the life of the man he thought was his son.
"I was hoping only to come and help you find a way to free the hind. She is to be sacrificed in two days time," she warned him. "There is little one can do if one is not warned in advance."
"Why don't the gods do something?" he demanded. "It is in your power."
"When Prometheus created man, he gave them free will. Unto them he rendered the gift of agency, to choose whether or not they will listen to us. As a result, we can only counsel and guide. To interfere directly is to destroy the gift given to them, to make of them slaves. We would destroy the very gift that we allowed them to have.
"We are independent of mortals, yes. There is no use denying that we are immortal – but there is a rather tragic loophole to that. It is true that we came first and we created man. But we are also dependent upon them for they keep us real, keep us tied to a life that we are not privileged to have for we are immortal and far removed from the things of the world," she quietly told him.
Heracles digested the knowledge as he sat there. To see his real mother, to know that she was willing to give him answers – risking much should Zeus find out about it – made his heart beat that much faster. Yet, he realized that it could not be.
Not now. "Talk to me of father another time. To see such a beautiful life wasted is a shame. Is there nothing you can do?"
"The task was given to Admeta," she reminded him. "Should I interfere with what is to happen, it must be at her request – and her plan. There is no other way for the Fates to be appeased for it was they who decreed that this must be. And, even as the gods are powerless against death, we are also at the mercy of Fate. The power of the gods cannot revise the power of the fates."
"I'm beginning to think that being a god is almost as much trouble as being a mortal."
Hera smiled slightly, "I will agree with you there. The benefits are sometimes buried underneath the negatives far more than we like."
Stiffening, she looked over his shoulder at something he knew that even if he tried, he could not see it. "I shall ask Athena if she would be willing to come to you. Zeus has returned to Olympus and if I am not there, he…will become twitchy."
"Ah, yes. Is it because you had that vacation?" he asked archly. It was obvious that it was on the vacation that he'd been conceived.
"You are too observant for your own good," she replied, nodding slightly in acquiesce of his guess. In truth, there was no reason to keep it from him.
Glad she was that he now knew the truth. "Awaken Admeta and tell her not to fear, the goddess is with her in this. We all are. Should you need advice from me, seek Apollo. Of all the gods, he is the one I trust the most."
"Thank you, mother," he whispered.
She paused, half turned about and smiled before veiling her face once more. "I just wish I could do more for you, Heracles."
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Hera made her way quickly through the throng, trying to reach her place before Zeus appeared in the doorway. As she passed Artemis, she gave her a small smile of thanks. A part of her wondered why the goddess had helped her and was resolved anew to help the Golden Hind be safe.
With only a few seconds to spare, she stood at the head of the line and breathed in deep, a smile of welcome on her face as he entered. After not seeing him for days, his dark looks took her breath from her lungs and she curtsied to hide that fact. If he saw, he might want to pursue the lost topic of introducing her to decadence.
"Hera," he quietly said. So quiet that she almost didn't hear him. "We need to talk."
"Of course, sire. Shall I ask Athena to handle tonight's revelry?" she asked, mind racing to try to figure out what she had done now. As nothing came immediately to mind, she could only fear that he'd figured out the truth about Heracles.
Her eyes became hard chips of ice that she kept veiled by her lashes. If he thought she was going to let another one of her sons be harmed by his careless actions, he had another thought coming. There was no way in Tartarus that she'd let him touch Heracles. She'd tear him apart with her bare hands first – King of the gods or not.
She'd only wished she'd been so protective with Hephaestus.
He paused, as though he'd forgotten that night's revelry. This fact made her rethink the possibility that it was about Heracles since it was the anniversary of his defeat of Kronus. In all the time that they had celebrated this, he never once forgot it. He loved the wine and the revelry – and the women – far too much. "Yes, that would be acceptable."
"Does this have something to do with Troy?" she asked him. Discord had caused quite a stir at the wedding of Thetis with her apple. 'To the fairest' it had said and all those there had wanted to claim it for themselves. Hera herself might have picked it up, save for the fact that she didn't feel that she should be a part of the competition. Especially since she knew that Zeus would be the one to decide who received the apple.
She didn't think she could take that humiliation as he inevitably chose another over her.
In the end, it fell to Aphrodite and Athena, this competition. Surprisingly, the goddess of wisdom had wanted it. But the greater shock was when Demeter had demanded it for herself, feeling that she deserved it for all that she had taught mortals – and for the actions of her daughter towards the mortal dead. Thus, Zeus had sent them down to be judged of Paris. To know no one's real surprise – except those competing – he had chosen Aphrodite.
And earned the enmity and hatred of the other two goddesses. They were just bidding their time until they could bring their revenge to bear upon his head. Things had intensified when it was revealed that he was no shepherd's son but a Prince of the Trojan household.
"No," he said, running a hand through his hair, disheveling it further. "Please, no more questions until we are alone."
"As you wish, sire. I will join you in a few minutes," she said, watching him disappear around the corner before making her way over to the grey eyed goddess. Métis' daughter was watching her approach with wary eyes for they had never quite gotten along. "Zeus requests that you take over tonight's festivities as he has something to discuss with me."
She nodded slowly; studying Hera's guarded expression carefully. There was something else in those eyes that spoke to Athena. Something that said Hera was not quite finished talking to her but was unsure of how to bring up whatever subject it was upon her mind.
Athena had no such problem. "Was there something else you wished to speak to me about?"
"Yes," here she hesitated because she knew of Athena's deep loyalty to Zeus. If it got back to him that she requested the goddess of wisdom help Heracles, he would be suspicious. It was not at all the same as when she helped Jason and his Argonauts. For then, Heracles had only been a member, not the one who would directly benefit from her aid.
Of all the things he could be accused of, being stupid was not one of them. He may just figure out the truth.
Still, the Hind did not deserve to die because she feared being exposed. Such an animal was too beautiful and too rare to be sacrificed for Hera's safety. "As uncharacteristic of it is of me to wish divine aid upon any one of Zeus' many mortal children, the Golden Hind is in danger of being killed by foolish mortals. Only one of us has the strategic mind to see that she may escape this tragic fate that awaits her and that harm falls upon no good mortal."
She paused, before finishing quietly, "I wish you to offer some aid to Heracles, though this is only a request and not an order."
Again, there was a considering look in the grey eyes as they contemplated the Queen of the gods. She knew there was something more to this request than was being spoken. There was no way that she could miss the tension in her posture and the hesitance of her words. The question was, did she respect Hera enough to not pursue it?
True, Hera had never done anything to make her feel unwelcome or even less of a goddess because she did not have the traditional upbringing – or even birth – of a child. Athena was quite aware that part of it had to do with her status as Zeus' favorite child. That position had kept her from having to argue her own position about a lot of things.
But she felt that there might be something more to it than that. For she'd never tried to force her hand in any way towards marriage, not that it would have done her any good. Athena had chosen a path that fit one of her nature, her talents, and feelings. Marriage and child rearing was not for her.
There was also the fate of the Golden Hind to consider. As the last of its kind, if she refused to help, she would be lost to the world. That such an animal would be removed from the sight of all should she turn away because she did not personally care for Hera was unacceptable to her.
It was the same with the theft of Hippolyta's girdle. Although, she also had to admit to some selfishness there. If she allowed that theft, then she was agreeing with the right of men to decide the path of a woman's life without her input. Should she do so, then she must yield to a man's decision regarding her – or be known as a hypocrite.
Such an unpalatable thought that was.
"I will do my best to aid him," she agreed, her head bowing regally.
"Thank you," Hera's reply was quiet. "I leave you to the evening's entertainment. For I know that they promise to be nothing if not unique."
An eyebrow rose, her reply was dryly spoken. "I'm not sure whether to thank you for such good wishes – or to wish Father Zeus wasn't so occupied that he felt the need to desert me to such…nonsense."
Hera laughed, though it was not unkind sounding. And she offered up this small piece of advice. "Be thankful that Dionysius isn't supposed to be here for all of this. He makes Psyche uncomfortable and this is partly for her and Eros. They have been gone for some time and deserve this welcome home party."
"A small consolation that," she agreed, watching as Hera followed the path that Zeus took. After making sure that everyone was comfortable and that the festivities were well under way – and fully under her control, she cornered Apollo by the dinning table. "What is going on?"
"With?" he asked, mostly sure he knew to what she was referring to but unwilling to make it easy for her. While he knew who he was loyal to, he knew who she was loyal to. And he was resolved that – unless something truly awful happened – he was never going to let anyone know what Hera had told him, not even his sister would hear of the truth.
Hera had taken a big chance confirming his suspicions. Zeus was, after all, his father. And knowing that she'd not been exactly kind to his mother Leto during her pregnancy was not precisely the kind of thing that would inspire confidence in his loyalty to her.
Still, she had trusted him – and he could hardly reward her trust with betrayal.
Athena's look was one of pure irritation. "Don't give me that innocent look, Apollo. It doesn't suit you at all, though I will admit that it fools some people. You know more than anyone else around here what's going on between Hera and Zeus. She wasn't here until Artemis signaled her, which means you know something. I want to know what it is."
"Then you'll need to ask Zeus," he simply said. "I don't break confidences given to me. If I did, I wouldn't consider myself worthy of hearing them."
Instead of looking put out, she looked satisfied. At his questioning look, she guilelessly smiled, "You admitted that something was going on instead of insulting my intelligence. I appreciate that."
"I'm not Ares," he shrugged. "Thinking you stupid has never been an intent in my mind because you aren't – and I am not about to underestimate any opponent I come up against. Even if it's only in a friendly sparing match," he added, putting down his glass to join the Muses and the Graces in the center of the floor as they danced about merrily.
Thankfully, she did not follow him.
Artemis joined him a few moments later. "What did Athena want?" she asked, moving in time with the dancers with an ease mortals would envy. She stayed close to him, keeping her voice low. "To taunt you once more about your lousy taste in women?"
"No," he snapped, watching the dancers before her hand touched his arm gently. Looking down at her, seeing the apology in her eyes, he knew he couldn't lie – not about this at least. With ease, he kept them central and away from the keenest gossips among their entourage. "She wanted to know what I knew about the situation between Hera and Zeus."
"And what did you tell her?"
"That she needed to ask Zeus," he calmly replied, all the while hoping she would drop the subject. If she didn't, he'd have a hard time keeping his promise to keep Hera's secret just that – a secret. Lying had never been easy for him.
If he was honest, he'd never told a lie. That was why he was well noted for honesty. And while he knew it was a bit of a contradiction for he could also cruelly punish people for speaking honestly, he knew only that it had to be done.
Thus, he was also a god of distance. "Thank you for warning Hera that he was coming. You didn't have to."
Spinning out from the dancers and onto the wider floor, her skirt billowed for a moment, showing off just a bit of leg before she returned to the inner circle and his side. "If you're going to protect her, I figured that I should help you out. We've never been on opposite sides of any battle – ever. I may not have appreciated your warning me of Orion, but we've never fought each other. Why start now?"
Apollo nearly missed a step at her words. She couldn't possibly mean? The awareness in her eyes let him know that she'd figured out the truth. A part of him feared that if she knew, others did to and he'd need to find a way to find out who did and who didn't.
"How did you?" his question was both resigned – and relieved for he also knew that he'd found an ally worthy of the title.
"You inspire fear and absolute obedience in your Pythias, brother, as do I. Well, most of them respect us – that Trojan Princess is absolute crap when it comes to trust and honor. You shouldn't have ordered them to place the same amount of trust in me as they do you. Give me some credit. I may not be as smart as Athena, but I'm far from stupid.
"When she went down to see him, I feared she was up to some mischief at last. I feared for the Hind, for her safety. But she comforted him, not even noticing anything else. Then, I started to wonder if the Pythias was right. If what she'd told me was more than just mindless babbling.
"Once I considered this option, it really didn't take much to figure out the truth based on the evidence clearly placed before me. Not only do we share the same parents, we share the same ability to figure things out.
"The resemblance between them is not striking enough for anyone to figure it out upon seeing them but there are enough similarities that add up to a complete whole if one knows what to look for. Especially in the eyes, they have that rare green that she possesses. That distinctive color is only found in three pairs of eyes on Olympus – and not one of them is Zeus'. Even if there are some who have just a hint of the shade in their eyes," she replied, a smirk on her face.
This was truth for both Hebe and Hephaestus had a hint of green in their eyes.
His head shook as his laugh rang out through the room, glad of the generous libation of wine and ambrosia flowing through the veins of the assembled. They would have been in some trouble had that not been the case for someone would've picked up on the seriousness of their talk.
It was only a wonder Athena hadn't come their way, demanding answers. "You can't tell anyone."
She scoffed. "Who would I tell? Those vipers? I think it's about time that she got some life outside of him, though I just don't understand what the attraction is all about."
"Even after Orion?" he asked, knowing that she'd had some feelings for the hunter. As much as he hated to admit it, those feelings she'd had for him had left him feeling jealous. For so long, he'd been her best friend and hunting partner that he wasn't sure he knew how to handle taking second place to anyone – even if the man had challenged her in a way that no other ever had.
He didn't like being replaced.
"Orion was a mistake," she viciously retorted. "One I never intend to make again. His hunting skills blinded me to the truth of his character. A truth you saw all too clearly, yet one of my own was nearly harmed because I didn't want to listen to you. No. I don't intend to let my guard down again."
"I'm sure you don't," he replied.
She studied him intently, "Perhaps you will also start listening more to me."
"About?" he asked, guardedly.
"Your love life. While I would never ask you to give it up – since I know you won't anyway – perhaps you would be more willing to listen to me. I told you that Princess Cassandra was only using you. If you had come to me, I would have told you to go after her younger sister. Now, Polyxena would not have betrayed your trust – nor your love."
Apollo sighed. "One cannot help when one falls in love."
"Then you should have waited before giving her the visions," she replied. "Honestly, that was far from smart. You must've suspected something."
"We can't all be you," he replied.
Apollo noticed Athena watching them, an imperiously questioning look on her face. Subtly, he indicated her and Artemis acknowledged it. "Later," he whispered, moving out of the center and towards the outer rim, accepting his lyre. With a few deft strokes, he changed the melody from tempestuous and heady to a slower, mellower sound.
The Graces and the Muses switched patterns easily before Terpsichore moved to stand before him, clearing her throat. As she spoke, they faded back further, leaving the floor to her. "A tale of the gods and goddesses, back before time was time and things were as they are now."
Hermes walked over to Athena, "Something troubles you, noble sister of mine?"
"Nothing that I can put my finger on," she admitted with a sigh. "It has nothing to do with Troy – and everything to do with Zeus and Hera. Have you noticed anything odd about them?"
"They are always odd. It's called love," he replied, leaning back against the pillar.
She shook her head. "I've seen love."
"Seeing and experiencing it are two different things," he replied. "If you've never experienced it, then you can't really judge it."
"Don't you start in on me, Hermes," she threatened him. "I can take almost anything from you but that."
He held up his hands, "Never thought of it. But you have to understand that love comes in many forms and what we see when observing them is just one kind."
"But they aren't," she searched for the word, "Happy."
"To our eyes, but they once were. I have to believe that they will again," he answered. As much as he wished to confide in Athena, he couldn't. It had been many years since that ill conceived message had been given and the reaction to it…he'd known Zeus would be upset, but he'd never imagined how angry and destructive he would be.
Olympus still bore the scars of Zeus' lightening strikes.
"Why would you think they have a chance?" she asked.
"Because he wanted her back," he simply said. "Zeus never does anything merely because of pride. He went after her and he didn't have to. She would've made it back some day for this is where she belongs and her heart would lead her home.
"Yet, he couldn't wait for that time because his heart wanted her home. Upon her return, he gave her time to heal from whatever it was that so hurt her. To come back to him in fullness of heart and mind as his wife. No man has that much patience for someone that they don't love."
Her head shook, "I just don't understand."
"Watch him sometime," he advised her. "Especially his eyes, it's all there."
