"I don't know about this, Hera." Adiya sat on the couch that was placed against the wall in her bedroom. Everything in Adiya's bedroom was a stainless white making Adiya's baby blue dress seem out of place.

Hera found the colors of her bedroom ironic. White symbolized purity, innocence, and chastity; something Adiya was not. Especially within Hera's dreams. Hera fanned herself to cool off and continued relaying her plan, thanking the Fates that it was a rather hot spring day.

"It will. You just need to have faith, Little Vex! Besides, he can't hurt us. Not after everything he's done," Hera sat across from Adiya holding her hands in her own comfortingly. Her grey robes cascaded around her as if it were melting into the austere environment.

"Hera, this is Zeus we're talking about. The moment he finds out he's gonna put a stop to it, he might kill me or hurt you," Adiya pulled away and stood in front of the goddess.

"Zeus has too many things counting against him at the moment, if he tries to hurt you or me it won't help him keep the throne."

"But-"

"Please, Little Vex, try to look on the bright side. He won't be able to touch you because you'll be under my jurisdiction. Don't you want that? Or do you still want to be seen as Zeus' Personal Lady of the Night?" Hera's brown eyes poked at Adiya, she leaned against the couch's armrest.

Adiya had never seen Hera so sure of herself, it made her nervous. Hera was too stubborn for her own good and while that was good when it came to holding up certain ideals, like rejecting the suggestion of segregation amongst minor and major gods in public areas, it was also a bad thing. She remembered meeting Leto for the first time, she was a beautiful woman. Long black hair, like that of Artemis, forest green eyes, a pear-shaped body. Her robes clung to her body the way Hera's old, basil dress used to.

Something in Leto's eyes, however, was hard. They didn't hold the same sort of light Apollo or Artemis' blue eyes held. Leto looked down on Adiya when they first met, her chin upturned the way Hera did when she was accompanied by someone who was beneath her status, which was basically everyone.

"How can you defend someone who would do anything to make your life miserable?" Leto hissed at the mortal.

Adiya looked at Leto's tawny skin. They were marred with white scars from everything she had to endure on the run from Python. Her calf had deep, piercing holes from when the beast had caught her on one of her many close calls.

Adiya closed her eyes and turned away from Hera, trying to forget Leto's harsh words that came after. She heard her couch creak and a soft pattern of footsteps made their way to her. A pair of hands rested themselves on her upper arms.

There was a great contrast between Zeus and Hera in gestures. Adiya remembered the first night she had come here, after Hera had left the throne room. Zeus had gone up to her and taken her by the shoulders. His grasp was gentle, but commanding. He didn't want to hurt her, but he needed Adiya to know he was in charge around here. Whatever he said goes. He had kissed the nape of her neck lovingly and whispered, "Don't worry about her. I won't let her hurt you, my love."

Adiya had felt so safe in his arms back then, but now, whenever Zeus touched her, she wanted to shrink away from him. She felt shameful everytime Zeus ran his hands over her body and she wanted to cry when he'd kiss her. She knew it wasn't fair to Zeus for her behavior to be this way. After all, he had saved her. But it wasn't fair to Hera either.

Hera's grip on her was possessive, but something about it made Adiya feel loved. She turned to look her in the eye. They were so close to each other. Their noses nearly touched.

She looked up at Hera, into her eyes and the world around them seemed to melt away. Her heart pounded in her chest.

Hera's lips parted slightly, her eyes scanned Adiya's face. She was always so beautiful. Her hand brushed a stray curl behind her ear and she cupped her cheek.

The two leaned close toward each other. Hera's hand slipped down to her waist and Adiya's own hands rested on Hera's chest, just above her breasts.

They stopped, lips inches away from each other, and Hera slowly retreated her head.

"Ahem, we-we should get going," she stepped away from the mortal, finally releasing her body.

"Hera-" Adiya took a step toward the goddess.

Hera took another step backwards and turned away from the mortal. She couldn't stray. She couldn't. She would not become Zeus. But Adiya was right here. They were alone. She could make Adiya hers. She would not. Adiya was Zeus' whore. But, with a little bit of time, she didn't have to be Zeus' whore. She could be hers and hers only. She would treat her far better than Zeus ever could. Maybe, even make her immortal.

Her thoughts were interrupted with Adiya's slender hand holding onto her own.

Hera looked back at the girl and analyzed her. Her eyes seemed worried. She thought she did something wrong. The young mortal hugged her arm, still looking up at her. "Hera, I- did I do s-"

Hera silenced her by holding up an open hand, "You did nothing wrong. I just-"

Adiya's hand entwined with her open one, silencing her in return. She gave her a comforting smile, "I know. I'm scared, too. But he's not here."

She reached up and cupped Hera's cheek, and the latter leaned into her palm instinctively, closing her eyes. Her hand lay on top of hers. She reopened her eyes and the two women looked each other in the eye. Brown to blue.

"Was Zeus your first?" Hera whispered.

"No, my first time wasn't very special. Kind of...violent... actually..." Adiya looked away. Hera held her face and turned her head back so she'd look her in the eye again.

"How many before him."

"Too many, none special."

"Who."

"I was sixteen, he was dating my mother, but he was such an ass. He'd beat my mom and he'd-he'd- He was my first," her voice caught.

"And the second."

"I don't know who he was."

"I'll find out," Hera escaped from Adiya's reach and made her way to the door.

"What will you do?" The mortal looked back at Hera. The goddess turned back. Her eyes were golden, Adiya felt her knees weaken and her stomach churned, she made her way to the goddess hurriedly, "No, Hera. Please. If you do anything, when you ask the council for permission they might not let you if they found out you did something to them. Please, Hera."

She reached for the goddess's wrist and gently pulled her back toward her, "Please, m'lady. If I have faith that your plan will work, then you need to refrain from hurting them. We'll make it work together."

Hera's eyes flashed with her dream. Adiya cold and limp in her arms while smoke rose around them.

Adiya led her back to the couch and away from the memory. The two sat across from each other. Adiya's eyes looked over Hera's face and the goddess felt herself at ease.

"Have you ever been with anyone that wasn't Zeus?"

"No. Never."

"Would you have liked to?"

"I can't say I'm a complete saint, so yes. I have wanted to."

"How many times?"

"Four."

"Who were they?" Adiya's hand lay on top of Hera's own. The latter could feel her thumb rub against Adiya's even though she hadn't told it to.

"The first was Helios. I wanted so badly to be with him, but alas, he ended up fading in the end. Kind of tragic to think that if I would've married him, it wouldn't have lasted."

Adiya looked down at their hands, "The second?"

"Maia, Hermes' mother. She had been my best friend, that was until-" Hera stopped herself, she knew she'd curse Maia's name if she continued.

Adiya nodded, "The third?"

"Jocosia, she was fantastic in every way. Vitalis thought so too. I could never bring myself to tell her."

Adiya felt something in her ache. Hera's thumb made her hand feel numb, she shouldn't have asked about Hera's previous loves.

"And...and the fourth?"

Hera didn't reply. Her stare meandered from Adiya's face to her knees. Wasn't it obvious? Hera didn't think she needed to say who. Especially after all the time they've spent together.

Adiya looked up. Hera was blushing. Her ears, her cheeks, her nose, she was red all over. She wouldn't look her in the eye.

"Hera?" Adiya scooted closer. She didn't want to believe it, but she needed to hear it come out of her mouth. Hera's hand ran up Adiya's arm and to her neck. She smiled. "Now that's not too terribly important, is it now."

Adiya's heart fell, she looked back down at their hands. They had left each other alone. She nodded in agreement, "No. I suppose not."