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Perhaps, she had found it in her to love me despite of my grievous crime against her.
"I see. This box must have created a connection between you and Hera. Perhaps if you tell the story of that music box, we might stumble upon one of the orb's missing pieces. " Hades voiced out and all were convinced. After all, Zeus had shattered the golden locks of the orb by narrating the origin of their marriage.
"And so I shall." Demeter replied and she mustered a deep breath.
"At that time, I was desperate to conceal myself from the gods and goddesses residing in Mt. Olympus. I only had one dire reason and that was because I have betrayed Hera. I would not like to elucidate the matter for it only brings me nothing but regret. There's no deity that doesn't know about it and worry not brother, I do not blame you for it." Demeter imparted as she looked at so with a wistful smile. It was not entirely his fault and she had the greater part for she had willingly let him procreate with her.
Zeus didn't speak as he couldn't find the right words to reply to her but the concern in his eyes were immense. If he had just been more faithful to his wife, none of this would have happened.
Demeter opened the music box and a mellifluous music echoed in the room. It evoked the feelings of nostalgia and their cheeks flushed as they remembered the quality time they've spent merrily after the Titan War.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Demeter said as she felt the music with her heart. Whenever she misses Hera, she would open the box and listen to it. Somehow, it felt like Hera was with her and it temporarily soothes her guilt-burdened heart.
"It truly is." Zeus replied with a smile.
"For 8 woeful long months and 27 days, I have conceived Persephone in the shadows. I would never want Hera to know of my treacherous coupling for it would surely hurt her. Since it was not too long before the child will be born, I decided to take flight for Egypt during the dusk to maintain the secrecy of my pregnancy. It was a tragically fortunate night that while I was fleeing, I felt painful contractions from my womb. I managed to endure it yet I was still far from my destination. I fell from exhaustion in the cold sand." Demeter paused and closed her eyes as a memory lingered.
"This is retribution for the sin I have committed against you, Hera. Perhaps it may not be enough, but I'm so sorry". Demeter thought on her mind as she slowly slipped away into the unknown. Just then, she felt two gentle arms carefully lifted her head. Demeter forced herself to open her eyes to see who the lady was but her vision was already blurred and she couldn't make any of her facial features.
"Come to my aid, all you Horai!" I heard the woman say and remorse ate my heart wholly. There was only one goddess who could command the Horai and that was none other than Hera. It was cruel of the Fates to send Hera as her silver lining. She was truly the last person Demeter would ask for help because the truth will undeniably devastate her.
The moment that Hera touches her stomach, she will inevitably know the child's father.
"I was fortunate that Hera found me and came to my aid." Demeter continued as she opened her eyes and woefully gazed at the music box.
When Demeter had woken up in the middle of the night, she found herself in Hera's room at her own palace. She couldn't be mistaken for she had spent nights there as well whenever Hera would request it. She saw that her stomach was now deflated and it was evident that Hera had performed a caesarean birth for she fell unconscious.
She tried to sit her way straight for she wanted to see her daughter of whom she will name as Persephone. Her gaze fell on the cot just beside her bed only to find it empty. Fear grew in her heart as she recalled how Hera could be vicious against the illegitimate children of Zeus. She was willing to receive her wrath but Persephone was innocent.
Observing things from the shadows and couldn't help but squint her eyes in disappointment, Hera stepped into the moonlight emanating from the glass panes holding Demeter's daughter in her arms.
"How cruel of you to think that I would harm the daughter of my own husband." Hera softly spoke yet it was scorn was eminent in it. She couldn't raise her voice even though she wanted to for she might wake the innocent slumbering babe.
It was unknown to Demeter that she had been senseless for three long days and Hera had been the one who lovingly cared for the infant lass. Somehow, she had grown to love her niece despite of her origins.
Demeter bowed her head in shame at Hera's words and Hera gently placed the sleeping angel in her cot beside her true mother.
"It is evident enough that the father of this child is Zeus. From now on, you will no longer reside in the realms of Mt. Olympus and have Earth as your new place to live in. You will only come when I send emissaries to bid you, council meetings, or if Zeus deems you but other than that I forbid you to place a single foot on the grasses of the mountain." Hera imparted in cold authoritative voice with her back turned against Demeter. Demeter was crushed when she heard those words from Hera. Tears of regret streamed down from her cheeks as she felt the trust and fraternal bond was severed between them.
"I know that gravity of my betrayal but know that I hid this from you was because I tried to save you from the pain-"
"You should have thought of that when you were savouring my husband in bed." Hera retorted immediately as she didn't even gave her sister the chance to finish. Her voice was shaking from the anger she was restraining. She would never forget this excruciating betrayal that came from her own dear sister.
Worse of all, she wished that she had never looked for Demeter.
Perhaps she wouldn't have known, perhaps she wouldn't end up getting hurt and begrudging her sister with her whole heart. The memory of her looking down at the Earth trying her luck in finding Demeter transpired in her mind and her hands curled into tight fists.
She was overjoyed to see that the one traversing the desert of Sahara was definitely Demeter from above. She had not seen Demeter for several months and she missed her in abundance. Just then, Hera was greatly alarmed when she saw Demeter fell to the ground and blood was gushing out from her legs.
What surprised her greatly was the fact that Demeter was pregnant. She was joyous upon seeing that she will be an aunt to a new niece or nephew but she has to save her excitement for later. The child will be coming out soon and Demeter obviously couldn't perform labour. She quickly summoned the Horai to carry Demeter to her private palace in Olympus so that she could do the surgery to help the baby come out.
Her joy turned into an unexplainable pain the moment that she performed the caesarean section.
Zeus was the father of the girl for she could know the gender and parents of a child by just laying her hand. She was the Principal Goddess of Birth and Fertility after all.
"With the help of the Horai, they have brought me to the personal palace of Hera and brought my child to life. We all know that Hera could know the gender and origins of child once she had touched them. Since she was the one who personally administered to me, she already knows the identity of Persephone even before I wake up. She was clearly hurting from the inside and I cried in great remorse for I have caused it." Demeter narrated as tears fell from her eyes and started to sob. Hestia comfortingly hugged her as she wept. She could only fathom in her mind how it must be painful for the two of them to be estranged from each other by an unfortunate event.
"This might be the last time you will hear it from me but before this day ends, take this." Hera icily imparted as she made the music box appear on her hands. She had created the music box herself for she knew that Demeter likes it when gifts are made by the givers themselves. Hera had put all her effort into the box and to the music that she composed with the help of Apollo.
Tears began to well on Hera's eyes as she remembers the moment that she discovered Demeter's betrayal. She slowly turned away and walked towards the door before Demeter could take notice.
"Have a happy day of birth. You should be healed by morning. Leave immediately with your child." Hera briskly said and the door landed with a soft thud. Demeter immediately clutched the music box to her chest and wept. She felt like it would be the last token of affection she would ever receive from Hera and no words could convey the pain of it.
"Hera forbade me from entering Mt. Olympus unless if she bids for me or if Zeus will. I completely understood it and I endured the pain of her sentence for it was just. She gave me the Earth and the power to govern it as my new home and this music box as a gift for it was my day of birth at that time.
I left with a heavy heart from Mt. Olympus when the first rays of Helios beckoned from the horizon. Surprisingly, she never laid a finger on Persephone ever since then and I was able to live peacefully on Earth. Usually, she would let both the mother and the child feel the taste of her wrath but Persephone and I experienced none of those. Perhaps, she had found it in her to love me despite of my grievous crime against her. She had even given me a parting and birthday gift for that matter.
Through the years whenever I listen to the box's melody, I could feel her love from it. The love never changed just as the music plays in an eternal loop. I could only fathom in my mind the vague possibility that Hera might have forgiven me in her heart. For centuries I have pondered the thought but it was slowly diminishing in time.
I thought that she might never find in her to absolve my transgression. That is why I couldn't describe the euphoria I felt at the morning banquet. She was as gleeful as back in the days and she gave me something precious that I thought I would never earn.
It was other than her forgiveness." Demeter conveyed with full of sentimentality as she broke into tears. All of the sudden, the music box glowed so brightly that it illuminated the whole parlour. Demeter ceased weeping and all of their gazes were fixated at the beautiful piece of emerald that emerged from the music box.
"A missing piece . . . " Hestia mumbled as she looked at it. Zeus took the cue to take the jewel and placed on the glowing crater on the orb. The missing piece and the jewel from the music box perfectly coalesced.
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