. .

. .

. .

. .


Nothing escapes the decrees of nature, not even the deities themselves.


"I detest it when someone weeps for me. You of all people should know that, dear sister." Hera spoke as she slowly propped herself. Hestia swiftly embraced Hera so tightly as if she would never let her go. Hera was surprised by the actions of Hestia but she knew how worried she made her thus, she returned the embrace.

It was so warm. Since when did they last embrace like this?

"I'm so sorry, Hera. I'm so sorry." Hestia reiterated as she cried in the shoulders of Hera. Hera broke off their hug and smiled directly at Hera.

"Why are you blaming yourself, sister? You had nothing to do with this. This matter is between me and Zeus alone." Hera replied to soothe the guilt in her sister's heart but it did the opposite. The guilt in her burned with passion by the kindness of her sister.

"I could have appeased Zeus. I could have been more fleeting in giving you an advance warning but I wasn't. I . . . I know what happened. Hades didn't need to tell me, your scars were enough for me to know." Hestia stuttered as she bore out her regrets. Hera looked away in scorn as she remembered what happened back at their bedchamber.

"After all this years, why break your promise to me now Zeus?"
Hera disdainfully perpended in her thoughts.

"I take it that Hades was the one who brought me into your home?" Hera calmly questioned back and Hestia nodded in agreement. She would have to thank him after all of this confusion. Hera knew that she herself has caused this chaos. Zeus must have seen her parting with the wooden Zeus in her garden and she had realized it only now. How foolish on her part! This could have been cleared if she didn't let her fervent ire get the better of her wise judgements.

"Are you truly not mad with me?" Hestia beckoned to her sister and Hera wiped tears that were flowing from Hestia's eyes. The thought that someone other than Tethys was concern for her welfare was more than enough to make her happy. It has been done and there was nothing she could do about it.

She can't let herself ruminate over what unfolded or it will finally kill her this second time around.

"We are too old for a drama such as this. Bitter as it may sound, I will always return to Zeus. He may love me or he may not but either way, I will always truly love him. It has been written from the start and even if I defy what is already written, the scar of the erasure will still be there. Then there is you, o sweet sister, who is innocent from all of this. Don't hurt yourself with the burden of being me." Hera benignly conveyed to her Hestia.

The message of Hera pierced through her core as she never had the chance to talk with matters as personal as this. Hera had always enclosed herself in an impenetrable shell that detaches her with almost everyone surrounding her. Hestia blushed as she saw another side of Hera that she hadn't known yet. She felt a bond forming between them and it was the greatest feeling as the Goddess of the Families.

"Oh Hera, you don't have to carry it by yourself." Hestia sympathetically conveyed as she squeezed Hera's hand.

"If you find it difficult to share it with others, I am here. Let me have a part of it." Hestia continued and Hera squeezed her hand back. She closed her eyes as she was genuinely moved by the security and assurance that Hestia was providing her.

"Perhaps you can, sister." Hera said with her eyes glimmering with hope. She attempted to stand up but she quickly fell back into the bed. A shot of gruelling pain accrued from below her waist and thighs. It was then she realized that she had bathed in the spring of Kanathos a hundred years ago and never had any procreation between her and Zeus. In addition, Zeus had placed his heavy weight upon her thighs and he wasn't the lightest among the gods.

In short, she was as pure as the first time when Zeus had violated her.

Hestia realized this as she immediately came to her sister's aid. Little did she know that this wasn't the first time that Zeus had desecrated her youngest sister.

"You must rest above all else first. You are in no condition to do any rigorous act as of the moment." Hestia gently chided Hera as she laid her back into bed. Hera, stubborn as she is, sat up again and grabbed Hestia's wrist firmly.

"Please, you do not understand. I must go into the garden and clear up this chaos I have brought upon us." Hera imparted fervently. It had hit Hestia's mind that Zeus mentioned a man in Hera's garden. He was the source of Zeus' baffled madness. Is it really true that Hera had committed an adulterous act against her own marriage?

"Hera, did you really . . ." Hestia wasn't able to finish her words as she was not ready to receive a negative answer. She wouldn't know what to do if she ever did commit such a thing. It was just unfathomable to the point that it haunts the very back of her mind.

"Let us go there and you can judge for yourself." Hera replied in a serious manner. Hestia took a deep breath before calling out to her pet, Cyclopete. Cyclopete was a small winged ball of fur that only possesses a single sapphire colored eye that matches with its tangerine fur. This furry creature could change its size depending upon Hestia's wish.

"It has been a while, Cyclopete." Hera greeted her as she bounced in the air happily in reply. Cyclopete had been with Hestia eversince the Titonamchy and she was the Hestia's helper in performing her divine duties on Earth.

"Cyclopete, please carry us to the Queen's Garden." Hestia told her as she helped Hera climb aboard. She masked Hera with her cloak to disguise her. If Zeus sees Hera the two will absolutely clash once more and Hera was already injured. She can't afford to witness another one of her love ones getting hurt. All were in good shape as they flew towards Hera's garden successfully without anyone spotting them.

"Let us enter, O Magnanimous Mother Gaia!" Hera cantillated as they approached the primordial barrier that encases the garden from intruders. Hestia felt the trust forming between them as Hera had never allowed anyone to go inside of her garden, not even her handmaiden or husband for that matter.

"Let us descent, Hestia." Hera stated as they both of them touched the soft grass at the garden's entrance. Hera removed her hood and closed her eyes. In a spur of time, Argos arrived before them in all his golden glory.

"My sincerest greetings to you mistress and Lady Hestia." Argos lowered his head to acknowledge the presence of the two powerful goddesses before him. Hera tenderly stroked Argos' scaly head. He couldn't help but notice the cut on Hera's left cheek and the bruises on her arms. Ire revolted in him towards the monstrous person who had hurt her.

"My lady, your cheek-"

"I am fine and pay no further care to it. Please take us to where he is." Hera commanded Argos as she didn't want to stir up any more unnecessary pity. The two sisters made their way on top of Argos as he flew over the vast golden meadows.

Hestia could barely contain her composure as Hera muttered the word "he". How did this person even manage to captivate Hera's heart when even Zeus himself took years to woo her into marriage? How long has their affair even begun? As of now, the only thing keeping Hestia together is that her questions will be cleared once she sees Hera's secret lover.

Hestia's eyes widened in admiration when she saw the Great Autumn Tree laying on the horizon. Its radiance was incomparable to any other sacred trees that she had seen. The way its fiery colors blended with the setting sun was mellow and beautiful. Hera's garden was filled with so many wonders and Hestia admits to herself that she wanted a garden as magnificent as this.

They carefully disembarked into the islet where the great tree was and Hestia gulped in anxious anticipation. A man started to approach and Hestia found him to be indistinguishable for shadow of the tree guises his features. She waited until he had fully stepped into the light and she concealed her lips in shock.

It was Zeus himself!

Hestia couldn't even express her shock or anything at the current moment.

The expression of the wooden Zeus contorted into belligerence as he saw Hera. He hastened to her and she didn't move from her position to meet him. She stood firmly in her place and waited for the right time to land an unyielding slap to his face.

Zeus was vexed by what Hera did but he didn't react to it. There must be a reason why she would do that and he knew it was something heavy. He wasn't hurt at all anyway for he is made of wood. Hera went closer to him and leaned against his chest. She clutched his chiton as she sobbed bitterly for a reason he couldn't fathom. He gestured to embrace her but Hera halted him from doing so.

"How could you do this to me? How could you! HOW COULD YOU?!" Hera angrily slammed her fists against his sturdy chest as she vented out all of the betrayal she felt. He wanted to face the real Zeus and give him a huge blow on where it hurts the most. Zeus persevered in enveloping Hera in his arms despite her attempts in pushing him away.

The rule of nature can be applied in moments like this. Hera must release all of the pain inside of her and the only way she can is by resisting her rage. He must do what she doesn't want him to do for her to let it all out completely.

He was more than willing to endure anything for the only woman he loved.

"You didn't even give me a chance to justify myself. Do you know how tormenting that was to me? After all the centuries that had passed, your faith in me was as little as a grain of sand. This is just plain satiric coming from you!" Hera lashed her words onto him as she felt her chest tightening. She remained resilient as she stopped in resisting the tender hug of her wooden Zeus.

How sweet, how mellow, how warm.

She pressed her palm into her chest in hopes of easing peered into the concerned eyes of Zeus. Tears glided down from her emerald eyes as the love and care for them broke her heart into pieces.

"Why can't you understand that no matter how our lives may twist and tangle it . . . " Hera paused as her gazed at Zeus intensified. How she desired to see those pair of eyes look at her in that way again! It Is true that when a someone is overwhelmed by one emotion alone, it dominates the other emotions and clouds wise judgement.

Nothing escapes the decrees of nature, not even the deities themselves.

"You are the only one I will ever love." Hera conveyed as the painful throbbing in her heart strongly escalated and made her falter. Everything was slowly fading in a blink of an eye into the background. She hears the shrieks of Hestia and cries of Zeus calling out to her. It was so fast that she didn't even feel the sensation of being sucked by the gravity as she fell.

She tried to fight and retain her consciousness but it was futile.

She felt all of her life force ebbing away from her body as she closed her eyes and accepted her fate.