Published September 15, 2021
Author's Note: I know the animated series showed Zeus interacting with Amphitryon, and I love that they affirmed each other's parenting; but I'm opting to ignore that timeline. I imagine Hercules' mortal parents would be much more serious about meeting his divine parents.
"Toast"
All of Greece wanted to know about the bride Hercules had chosen and the details of their wedding. But Hercules and Meg decided together that they wanted the ceremony, and their marriage, to be as private as possible. Hercules would still step up when a hero was needed, but now he had neither the need nor the desire for celebrity.
It was ultimately decided that the wedding would take place at the base of Mount Olympus, outside the gates, so both gods and mortals could be present. Only a few nongods would attend: Phil, Pegasus, Amphitryon and Alcmene.
Every member of the pantheon contributed to the preparations. Hermes delivered wedding invitations to all the gods and marriage announcements to all the mortals. Athena and her mortal pupil Arachne prepared outfits for the bride and groom, white with gold trim that shone like the sun. Apollo and the Muses would provide music. Bacchus was in charge of the reception. Demeter had a hand in both the flower arranging and the banquet menu. Ares oversaw security measures, just in case Hades escaped the River Styx or some other disaster threatened the festivities.
When the day came, the mortals all arrived a while before the ceremony was supposed to begin. Zeus and Hera were waiting for them when Pegasus flew up with his usual trio of passengers—Hercules, Meg and Phil—and Penelope pulled the chariot bearing Amphitryon and Alcmene.
Meg hung back with Phil and the animals while Hercules embraced his divine parents, and then turned to introduce his mortal parents. "Father, Mother, I'd like you to meet my parents on Earth, Amphitryon and Alcmene. Pop, Ma, this is Zeus and Hera."
The farmers were dressed in their best—which was actually pretty good, as Hercules had dipped into his own savings to buy them some new clothes. Even so, the two couples could have been an artist's study in contrasts. The gods were youthful and glowing; the mortals were earthy and getting on in years. Hera was thin and colorful; Alcmene was plump and going grey. Zeus was muscular and boisterous; Amphitryon was skinny and mild-mannered. And at this moment, the two gods were delighted, while the two mortals were awed and slightly terrified.
"Welcome!" Zeus started to step toward the guests of honor, but Hercules held him back—he was probably the only one who could match his strength—and said in a low voice, "Please be gentle."
Alcmene clung to her husband's arm, to support him physically and to support herself emotionally. Amphitryon took off his hat, pressed it against his chest, and bowed as much as his arthritic back would allow. "It's an honor to be here, my Lord and Lady."
"Please." Hera extended a hand to each of them, and her warm smile and gentle grace immediately put them at ease. "We are honored to have you with us."
"We can't thank you enough for raising our boy," Zeus said, his voice subdued but no less earnest. "You did a fantastic job."
"Please accept our gratitude," Hera entreated them.
"We always thought of Hercules as your gift to us," Alcmene said humbly.
"Speaking of gifts," Zeus said, turning to the engaged couple. "Before you get ready, Meg, we want to give you something."
She raised a brow in surprise. "Besides your only son?"
"Well, it does have to do with him." Hera produced a small carved box and held out for her. "We had Hephaestus make this for you."
Meg cast a glance at Hercules, who nodded encouragingly. Only then did she accept it, trying not to think of stories that involved mortal women opening boxes from gods, like Pandora or Psyche. She opened it slowly, and her jaw dropped when she saw what lay inside.
It was a medallion bearing the symbol of the gods. Like the one Hercules wore on his belt. Like the one Zeus wore to pin up his purple robes.
Meg looked between Hercules, Hera, and Zeus. "I can't … I'm not a—a god like you."
"No, but you are family," Hera said. "This will let others know what family you're a part of."
As if to prove the point, Hercules put his arm around Meg, who looked at him and then at his parents with tears in her eyes. "Thank you."
"Excuse me!" Aphrodite strode into the family gathering. "We are on a schedule, so if the ladies will come with me, we'll get ready." She waved her hand downward toward Hercules and Meg. "Next time you see each other will be the big moment!"
They exchanged a glance, happy and nervous and trying to believe they were really doing this. Hercules folded Meg's hands around the box, closing it over the medallion. "I guess I'll see you soon," he said.
"You guess?" she repeated teasingly.
"I mean—I know. I will," he amended.
She smiled broadly and kissed his cheek before letting Aphrodite and her new mothers-in-law usher her to a private area.
Hercules' preparation took very little time. Once he was ready, Phil had the task of keeping him calm and quiet while they waited for the ceremony to begin. Like after his first date with Meg, he was bursting with excitement, possibly beyond the usual capacity of mortals. After observing Zeus for an hour, Phil started to understand where Hercules got his energy from. Fortunately, all the furniture and architecture in this in-between spot were made from clouds, so nothing was in actual danger of being broken due to his clumsiness.
Since Meg had no female friends, Alcmene took on the task of helping her with her hair and dress, and Aphrodite couldn't help adding a few touches—it was her prerogative as the goddess of love and beauty.
When the bride finally appeared and made her way up the aisle, Phil thought that Hercules might have actually been struck dumb. He couldn't really blame him, either: Meg looked gorgeous in her wedding attire, and the look on her face suggested that she was aware of it. She was beaming, and smiled back at all the gods making gestures of greeting and honor. The medallion from Zeus and Hera had been used to fasten her dress. A matching veil was draped over her head, but still left much of her hair visible.
Phil took a quick moment to give his pupil the shortest, most important pep talk of his life. "Hey, kid, this is the big moment! You gotta focus!"
"I am focused," Hercules said in a low voice. Phil realized that he truly was: all of his attention was fixed on his bride. When she reached him, they clasped each other's hands, grinning at each other like lovestruck teenagers.
Hymen, the god of marriage, officiated the ceremony. This, too, was a sign that the gods considered Hercules and Meg as their own; he usually presided over their weddings.
The vows were simple in form, but making them in the sight and hearing of immortal gods made the couple much more aware of their binding nature. They both understood that it was different, somehow, from making a deal, like those they had struck with Hades. This was a different kind of agreement—a covenant rather than a bargain. It was not an exchange of temporal favors, it was the sealing of an indelible relationship.
As soon as Hymen proclaimed them husband and wife, and they kissed in front of all the gods for the second time ever, Bacchus shouted for the festivities to begin, and the Muses quickly changed their tune to set the celebratory mood.
For a while Hercules and Meg were kept busy meeting each guest individually. Everyone wanted to congratulate the couple personally, and every patron of every aspect of life had a special blessing or token to give them. Amphitryon and Alcmene ended up talking a long while with Demeter, who they had often prayed to about their farm's crops and their longing for children.
The toasts were made early on, before anyone became too inebriated from the wine or exhausted by partying—both things were likely to happen at a celebration organized by Bacchus. The Muses ran a betting pool on who would have the most emotional or embarrassing speech.
Phil went first, clearing his throat dramatically, knowing that he was unlikely to ever again have the attention of so many gods at once. "Ahe-he-hem. I believe it's traditional for the best man to give a toast. So, as best satyr, I have this to say.
Holding up his goblet, he pointed one finger at the bride. "Meg, from the day we met, I knew you were trouble. And I took no pleasure in findin' out I was right about that." The newlyweds frowned at this rebuke, but then Phil softened and went on. "But, I was wrong about one thing. I didn't think you loved Hercules. And I was really glad to find out I was wrong about that. So what I'm sayin' is … I think you're okay."
Meg smirked, knowing that was the best compliment she was likely to get from the goat-man. He was now focused on his student. "And Herc … I thought you might be more trouble than you were worth, but I was wrong about that too. You went the distance—and beyond.
"So, here's to Herc and Meg: I hope you both found what you were lookin' for. And thanks for helpin' me find what I was."
Hercules smiled his thanks, and offered his hand; when Phil took it, he pulled him into a crushing hug. Upon his release, Phil shot him an annoyed look, but it melted away when Meg kissed his cheek. "I think you're okay, too."
Next, it was Zeus' turn. As the father of the groom and king of Mount Olympus, it seemed only fitting that he share some words.
He looked around at all the gods and goddesses assembled. "As many of you remember, the last time we gathered to celebrate Hercules was after his birth. We missed many celebrations as he grew up, but it's a joy and an honor to share this one. Now I have some things to say to my son and the people closest to him.
"First, to the people who raised him, Amphitryon and Alcmene. We are eternally grateful for the love and care you gave our son."
The other gods and goddesses—particular those who were parents themselves—applauded and cheered. The two mortals could only smile and incline their heads, somehow both proud and humble.
"Secondly, to Philoctetes. You needed some convincing—" Hercules, Pegasus, and more than a few gods snickered at this, while Phil rolled his eyes and scowled. "—but in the end, you believed in Hercules enough to train him. You gave us reason to hope that he could return home.
"Thirdly, to our new daughter-in-law, Megara."
Meg felt herself already blushing, not sure whether she would be able to bear whatever he had to say to her in front of everyone.
"I won't deny that you caused quite a bit of trouble, young lady. Not just for Hercules, but for the entire human race, and all of us on Mount Olympus." Zeus paused, letting her feel the sting of the frank rebuke; she bowed her head in acknowledgement, only to lift it in surprise at his next words. "But when it mattered most, your actions saved us all. I don't think there's anyone more worthy of my son.
"And finally, to the groom … my son." Zeus' voice was slightly choked now as he met his Hercules' gaze. "With you, things have never gone the way we expected. I don't think any parents have ever been so proud of their son. Hercules, you have gone above and beyond all our hopes for you."
Hera stood and raised her own cup. "And although we will always miss you, we are glad that you found someone truly wonderful to share your life with."
Zeus toasted to the two of them. "Here's to you, kids."
"Hear, hear!" the gods chorused, raising their cups in Hercules and Meg's direction.
When the cheering finally died down, Hercules leaned over to Meg and asked, "Should we say something?"
She shrugged. "Do you have something to say?"
"Well, yeah—lots—but you know I'm not really articulate." They exchanged knowing grins.
After thinking for a few minutes, and looking around at everyone present, Hercules stood up. He immediately had everyone's attention. "Thank you guys for saying all that. I don't have a speech or anything, but there are some things I'd like to say."
He turned to Zeus and Hera. "First I need to thank my parents. Father, Mother … when I was a baby, you gave me Pegasus. When I was a boy, you sent me to train with Phil. Now that I'm a man, you've given me the chance to spend my life with the woman I love. Even when we weren't together, you supported me, however you could, at every step—even when my choices weren't what you expected. Thank you for that.
"Ma and Pop, you showed me how to be part of a family. I hope I can be half as good a parent as you both are. And Phil and Pegasus, I couldn't have made it half as far without you two. Thanks for not giving up on me, and putting up with all the trouble I caused." That garnered some good-natured laughter.
Finally Hercules turned to his wife, and nearly found himself again at a loss for words. "Meg … I still don't really know what to say to you. You changed everything for me—my focus, my purpose, the way I see the world, the way I want to live. You taught me how to love, how to sacrifice … what it means to be a true hero … and what it means to be human. It's even harder than I used to think … but it's also better than I ever hoped."
Meg squeezed his hand, and he cast his gaze around the assembly again. "For as long as I can remember, I always felt out of place, and I didn't know why. When I found out I came from Olympus, I thought that was the answer, and that if I went back, I'd feel at home. But I've finally realized … home isn't just a place, it's also people. Looking around at all of you, and knowing the reason why you've come together … having your blessing as I make a home with Meg … being able to live with her … I finally feel like I'm where I belong."
More than a few people shed tears during this final speech. Hercules sat down and was immediately embraced by Meg, and they held each other for a long moment. When they finally let go of each other, he asked in a low voice, "Do you want to say anything?"
Meg had never been shy, but she was not one to wear her heart on her sleeve either. She was more a woman of action than words. But she wanted to acknowledge everyone else's words and actions, so she stood up and spoke briefly. "I just want to say thank you to everyone. This all means a lot to both of us." Fingering the medallion pinned on her shoulder, she said, "We really appreciate all the love and support and acceptance you've shown us."
She sat down, but leaned over to whisper to Hercules. "I said everything I needed to say to you publicly during the ceremony. The rest is for your ears only."
Later, she would explain—not only with words—just how incredible it was, and how grateful she felt, to be free and in love and beloved.
Author's Notes
I took a little inspiration from the song "To Be Human," which was composed by Alan Menken for Public Works' musical adaptation of Hercules.
I am planning one last chapter for this short story cycle, to give a glimpse of Hercules and Meg's married life.