Great. You hate it. I finally plotted out the remaining eleven (25 in total) chapters and no one wants to read them. Isn't this brilliant. I am trying. I am trying to work on The Battle With the Heart Isn't Easily Won and to also get some of my novel ideas off the ground but this is where I feel comfortable right now. For those of you who don't hate the story, PLEASE REVIEW! I could use it right now.

Much love,

Cat

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"I didn't think you would come," Hera said tonelessly. She turned to face her lover as he entered the forest clearing but she pulled away when he tried to enfold her in his arms.

"Hera!" he reproached. "Please," he whispered, gently laying his hand against her cheek. "You know things have been difficult. I had to marshal all my resources to evade Zeus' and Demeter's spies in order to meet with you tonight."

This time when he wrapped his hand around her upper arm and pulled her close, she did not resist. When she lay her head against his chest, he began to stroke a comforting hand through her dark hair. "I haven't had a moment of peace," he continued. "Ruling the Underworld, keeping Persephone from detection, plotting a way to come to you while evading notice… my every move is being watched."

Hera emitted an odd bark of laughter, less an expression of mirth and more one of choked bitterness. "No peace? No privacy?" She lifted her head to meet his gaze. "All these years… have you truly never understood what my marriage is like?"

Hades felt shame heat his face. He did understand intellectually. But perhaps he had never truly considered. Instead of responding, he tried to picture it. Day after day living with a husband who knew that you preferred another man. A husband already predisposed to controlling, possessive behavior. A husband who had the world at his fingertips, a legion of subjects to command. A husband with no one to gainsay him, nothing to check his power over you but your determined resistance. He tried to picture living that reality for years… centuries… Subjected to the dishonor of her husband's infidelities. Bearing the mantle of goddess of marriage while never having a true marriage of her own, bonded to a man she despised, one son cast out of her life while unable to tell the other the truth about his parentage for fear he would meet the same fate. Zeus had much to answer for. And perhaps so did he for not seeing all of this sooner.

Hera watched as the different emotions flitted across his face. "What is wrong? You seem distracted. Would you rather be elsewhere? Or with someone else mayhap?"

Hades shook himself out of his internal musings, and turned sharply back to meet her gaze. "What are you saying?"

"Persephone is young. And she has grown quite attractive. All that lovely golden hair. While I am…," her speech faltered. "Surely you must prefer an innocent beauty to a misused…"

Hades gripped her upper arms so tightly that Hera gasped, forgetting the end of her sentence. "Don't," he whispered brokenly. His honest, dark eyes met hers for an endless moment.

Finally, her gaze fell. Her voice sounded small. "He said…"

"Zeus!" Hades spat out, releasing her from his grip. He gave into a rare angry impulse and bashed his clenched fist against a nearby tree. The bark split and the reverberations shook the branches overhead.

Hera rushed to his side, taking his hand in both of hers. "You shouldn't have done that," she murmured, examining the scratches on his skin. Thankfully the abrasions were shallow but she noticed a splinter or two. She led him over to a fallen branch and cradled his hand in hers as she tried to extract it.

"You must know it isn't true," he told her quietly.

Her gentle ministrations faltered for a moment before she resumed her task. "It is a different thing to know something and to have unshakable confidence. Perhaps I am a weak woman, my love, but a drop of poison in your cup every day for years corrodes you from the inside out…"

"No," he whispered fiercely. He cupped her cheek with his good hand. It was like he was seeing her for the first time. He has spent so long thinking of her as needing saving without comprehending how strong she truly was. Day after day of poisoned whispers, innuendo and blame, humiliations and indecencies… Of course she had her insecurities. Of course she had her doubts. But the fact that she was still here with him after all this time… that she continued to fight. He was humbled by her strength. It was easy to be strong on his lonely throne, far from his enemies. It was much harder to persevere in the face of a constant battle.

Hades pressed his lips to hers in silent worship, trying to communicate the depth of feeling that had overtaken him. This blessed creature. The fact that she had remained uncorrupted by the hardships she had faced was more proof of her true divinity than any lineage.

Too soon she pulled back, bending over his hand once more until she had plucked out the last splinter. "Maybe he's right. Maybe…. Maybe you would be better off with someone like her."

Hades shook his head. "I could never make a worthier choice. You are the one who deserves so much more. I wish I could give you even a fraction of the life you were meant for."

Hera had been smiling at his tender reassurances but now her brows furrowed. "My love, I… Is there a way forward for us? Eternity is quite a long time. I cannot do this forever," she jested, smiling even as she felt her heart cracking in her chest.

Hades leaned over and pressed his forehead to hers. "I don't know. But we will find a way."

They shared a quiet moment before a rustling in the bushes reminded them of where they were and the tenuousness of their privacy. As usual, they did not have much time. "What will you do about Persephone?" she asked him.

"I'm not sure," he answered.

Hera smiled again. "I don't mean to press you, my love, but the time for answers fast approaches."

He laughed. For a moment, it seemed like he could see a glimpse of her old, more carefree self. "She deserves to be able to find her own happiness."

"Zeus has been discussing marriage," Hera said bluntly.

"With whom?" Hades asked, confused. Hera shot him a wry glance. "Me… me and… little Persephone?" He laughed louder than before, the richly melodic sound emanating from deep in his chest.

"Not so little anymore," Hera pointed out. "He is her father, much good it's done her. The situation has made him confront the wisdom of finally removing her from Demeter's influence."

"Well, he'll need to devise an alternate solution," Hades said. "He cannot expect me to meekly acquiesce to his matchmaking." He paused, taking her hand in his and raising it to lips. "My heart is no longer my own to give."

Hera stroked her thumb fondly over the back of his hand. "I imagine your heart isn't part of his consideration. But it is mine. What do you want, dearest?"

"I want our love out in the open. I want to be able to live with you, walk out into the world with you, and have every creature know the woman beside me is mine. As I am hers. I want to know my sons," he said fervently. "Persephone's choices are not mine to make. But neither are they her father's."

Hera considered him shrewdly. "Is that why you've kept her with you so long?"

"She needs me," Hades said. He took a deep breath. "But yes. At least in part. I think am I relishing the chance to punish him and get some small measure of revenge."

"Thank goodness," she murmured.

"So does that mean your jealousy is assuaged, my love?" he asked.

"Oh, yes," she said fondly. "But more importantly, it's nice to know that the man you love has at least one flaw," she teased.

"Are you saying I have some catching up to do, madam?"

Hera's eyes widened at the sudden jest before she launched herself at him, her laughter ringing out even as her hands were outstretched to retaliate. They grappled for a moment before he grasped her forearms, pinning her in place before using his lips to much more effectively subdue her. For one moment they were triumphant… in choosing love… and joy.

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I know this was a little different. I could fuss with it more but I like having a story I don't obsess over. I want to get back into the habit of writing regularly even if this isn't the story people want to read.