It was a typical day in Olympus. The gods and goddesses were relaxing and engaging in idle chatter. Zeus was feeling uneasy, but he managed to hide it under boisterous laughter. He must never appear weak or emotional in front of the others, since he was their king. But despite that, he still felt a bit bothered. One of the reasons was that he really didn't feel like discussing Hades' marriage when his own was in shambles. The other more important reason was because he thought that if he had given Hera time to herself, she would forgive and welcome him with open arms like she usually did.
In the times before when he had another woman, they would fight as expected and then he would tire of the other woman and come back to her bed. They would make love and he would assure her that she was the only one. And then she would forgive him and forget his folly.
But Hera did none of that. In fact she had banned him from their bed. And though she may have been sitting beside him, holding the appearance of a happy wife for all to see, it was forced. She wanted for the world see that she had forgiven him, when she truly had not. Zeus smirked. So she wanted to play a new game.
There was a new rule in this game. Zeus felt that even though Hera was right beside him, she was a thousand miles away. Her heart was distant, cold, and unreachable. Perhaps it was the way she subtly brushed his hand away when he tried to reach for hers or perhaps it was the way she wouldn't look directly in his eyes when addressing him and that bothered him. This was her challenge. He would need to think of new ways to earn her trust back enough to grant him access once again to her bed.
Hera wanted to appear strong, formidable. Her every graceful action clamored to be seen, to show her husband that she was better than any woman he could find, prove to him and most of all, prove to herself that she was better. Maybe then the goddess could believe that Zeus' philandering would not shake their marriage.
Marriage, she thought. She was the goddess of Marriage, and therefore must set an example to all the married women in the world. Marriage is something strong and lasting. It would hold on through all the turbulent and difficult events in their long immortal life. Zeus' wandering ways would not always stay that way. She still had hope in her heart that the blissful time when he wooed her, made her feel special, like she was the only woman in the world, would return. She just needed to hold on. Needed to be strong.
Needed to pretend to be strong.
Hera shook her head. This was not the time to be thinking sad thoughts. There was another god within their circle who would take the momentous plunge and forever tie himself to one woman. Her beloved, most respectable older brother was getting married. That was her happy thought. She was immensely happy when Hades had sent wedding invitations to everyone, announcing the official date just a few days after Poseidon's announcement. She would bless his marriage to be forever strong and lasting. He deserved it after all his hard work, and she wanted nothing less for her dear brother. Their marriage would hold through thick or thin, in joy and sorrow, and he and his wife would share that special bond that brought their souls as one.
That bond she felt once upon a time for Zeus, but now seemed to elude her. But that is alright, she convinced herself, we will find it once again. She looked at Zeus, who was smirking absently beside her. Our marriage is simply undergoing a hard time, that's all. It will get better
She turned her attention back at the matter being discussed.
"…also here on Olympus!" exclaimed Hestia. The rest of the younger gods and goddesses nodded.
"Pardon?" Hera raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Is that really necessary?" Zeus said as he leaned back on his throne.
"Why not? Let's face it. We cannot all go down to the Underworld so we should also hold a party here too in his honor," Poseidon shrugged. "I think Hestia's idea is a good one."
"Yes. A party should be held on Mount Olympus!" Apollo cheered. All the younger gods and goddesses did not particularly care if an estranged uncle was getting married. Let the older ones fuss about it. They simply wanted a reason to celebrate, eat, drink, and lie around with nymphs.
"Do you think he'd attend though?" Demeter asked.
"Well, that's a legitimate problem," Hera nodded thoughtfully. "I think we should —"
Suddenly the ground shook – violently. All heads instinctively turned to Poseidon but even he had a perplexed expression as he struggled to stay seated on his throne. It obviously wasn't him that was clear to everyone. The quake was more powerful than anything Poseidon could dish out. It felt as though the very foundations of Mount Olympus were crumbling and the proud mountain would topple over any minute.
But it was short. As sudden as the rumbling came, it stopped quickly, leaving everyone in the room confused and apprehensive. What could have been the cause of such tremors?
Unbeknownst to them, from the very base of the mountain, a dark cloud had begun to climb up its magnificent height. Hades was carelessly pushing his fastest horses to a breakneck speed, leaving a trail of dark smoke behind him. He was determined to see the peak as soon as possible.
He didn't even wait for the steeds to come to a full stop before he took the form of a dark mist and entered the palace.
In the middle of the hall of the gods, a thick black fog began to pool. All the deities stared in wide eyed wonder when an ominous black cloud pillar bubbled from the fog and took the form of none other than the Lord of the Underworld.
He wore his helm of darkness, the black porcelain mask hiding half of his face cast an eerie feel to his appearance. But there was another feeling being emitted by the dark god other than eeriness – rage.
"Hades what a pleasant surprise," Zeus greeted amiably. Except for Zeus, everyone looked at the Underworld god fearfully. They could almost taste the violence in his dark aura with the way it was erratically fluctuating.
"Zeus," Hades started in a distinctly hollow voice. "Did you or did you not force yourself on a woman named Leuce in the forest near a small village?"
"Leuce?" Zeus cocked an eyebrow.
"A woman as white as snow yet…" Hades trailed. Yet warm as the sun, he continued painfully in his heart.
"Oh, her. Yes, I believe I did," Zeus said as he waved his hand dismissively and rolled his eyes. "What of it?" He knew that his arrogant or, as his other siblings wanted to make him out to be, 'righteous' older brother would rant about the immorality of raping a woman when he had a wife like he did before in the last meeting. What was the matter with him anyway? He didn't remember him being this nosy during the Titanomachy but then again Zeus never took the initiative to know him.
But that was beside the point. This was not a private setting like before. If Hades wanted to chide him in front of his subjects then he would have to retaliate. He was a proud king and he would never have anyone acting superior over him. He crossed his arms. This time will be different. This time he would challenge Hades by blatantly defying him.
"Did you or did you not know of my relationship with her when you…forced yourself on her?" Hades struggled to say, choking when he said forced. All present in the room gasped softly. Zeus' eyes widened imperceptibly.
No, he didn't know.
"No," Hades shook his head. "Whether you knew or not doesn't matter. You have transgressed against me. Apologize." He looked up coldly at his youngest brother, his dark eyes piercing behind the mask. The last word was undoubtedly a demand, punctuated by the mist pooling beneath his chiton that had turned into dark flames. Curiously, these flames did not illuminate. Instead they sucked the light from their surroundings. They flickered on the floor spontaneously, creating a small wind around him, which tossed his hair and clothes around angrily.
He was a spectacular sight. The king of darkness, the antithesis to Zeus' bright existence, had his silent rage washing over all the Olympians in waves.
Before anyone could react, Hera ran before her older brother and threw herself on all fours before him. "Forgive me brother!" She wailed. "I was ignorant when I killed her."
The younger Olympians stared in awe as they saw their proud queen cast herself on the ground in front of another god. How…was that even possible? This was Hera they were talking about. She didn't apologize. Ever. In fact, she was downright incapable of apologizing. Their very definition of pride and elegance, their queen, was always right and yet here she was openly admitting to all the children of Olympus that she had made a mistake and was apologizing for it in the most shameful manner
Hades' eyes softened ever so slightly at his sister but he resumed staring hardly at Zeus.
"Brother, apologize," Poseidon whispered frightfully. This was…he had never seen his brother this angry before. Not even when he had played cruel pranks on him when they were children. Usually, the angrier he was, the less expression you would see on his face. But this…the floor was burning!
When Zeus regained his senses, he looked around at the transfixed faces of his family. Even though his image was of being omniscient, he didn't know that she was Hades' bride when he raped her. He would have apologized in private, but with all his children watching him, his pride prevented him from doing so. He had a reputation as the king of all gods to maintain. As king, he had to remain glorious, mighty, and like the queen, incapable of doing any wrong. He was justice and law, wise in all his actions! And as such he did not bow to anyone! No, he would not apologize. In fact, the dark king had no right demanding an apology in the first place!
Look at him lord his presence before me, the highest power, Zeus thought. I should put him in his place.
"Who do you think you are?" he said haughtily. "You have no power over me. You cannot order me around."
"Zeus!" Demeter, Poseidon and Hestia said simultaneously. Hera just trembled. She had predicted Zeus' response but she couldn't predict Hades' response, which she obviously feared more.
"That is right father! He is nothing! You don't have to apologize to someone like him!" Ares sneered in disgust.
"Be quiet God of War. I have half the mind to drag you back with me and make you one of my death dealers where you belong," Hades said ominously without tearing his gaze away from Zeus. "She was my bride and my queen-to-be. Acknowledge your wrongdoing and apologize," Hades repeated hardly. His fist was curled so tightly by his side that the knuckles had already turned white and had begun to bleed.
Like a cornered predator with no way out but to attack, Zeus shouted, "I am the king of the gods! I have not done anything wrong nor will I ever do anything wrong!" before gathering lightning in his hand. "You do not dictate what I do!"
To the horror of all the Olympians, Zeus struck Hades square on the chest. Poseidon immediately restrained his brother's arm and Demeter and Hestia ran worriedly to their elder brother while Hera simply got up and backed off.
This was unprecedented.
Despite the open wound in his chest, Hades' face remained controlled. He didn't even wince as he skid a few paces backwards from the force of Zeus' thunder. Copious amounts of ichor spilled on the throne room of Mount Olympus. He calmly wiped the blood trickling from the side of his mouth and looked at it.
Brushing his sister's fussy ministrations aside he said in a blood chilling voice that rang clear throughout the hall, above the chaotic noise created by the deities, "very well." His dark expression could be seen even from behind the mask as clear as day. "You had your chance. Had you apologized, I would have forgiven you for you are my brother. But you have made your choice. And thus your punishment shall not be a light one."
A/N: Review please! I would like to know how I'm doing so far :)