Chapter 5

"Be?" The soft voice of Eros called into the dimly lit work room where Hebe generally mixed her brews.

"Get out." Was the love gods only answer.

"Hebe, please." Eros voice held so much contrition but Hebe's heart was cold towards him. "You used to be one of my closest friends. Now you won't even look at me. Forgive me, Be. Please!"

"Eros, why would I forgive you!" Hebe stood and approached her former friend. The lanterns in the room flared with her anger. "You made me fall in love with a mortal!"

"That was fifteen years ago, Be!" Eros sighed trying to find excuses. "And my mother ordered me too!"

"So you chose your mother over your friend?" Hebe demanded.

"Be! You've seen my mother angry! I mean, the reason she wanted me to hit you with a love arrow is because you spilt on her dress. If I had purposely disobeyed her, she would have had my plucked and spit."

"Even better, Eros. You chose to save your skin by attacking your 'friend'." She turned and went back to her mortal and pestle. "Just leave Eros."

"Hebe, I'm just trying to help!" He cried out and followed her.

"HELP?" She turned and glared at the winged god.

He turned sadly and walked away, "Never mind, Be. I can't explain."

"Eros, will you please just go." Hebe sat down defeated. She really didn't like confrontations but Eros hurt her badly. She wouldn't forgive her flighty friend easily. Not for putting her through this much pain.

She sighed and waved her arm at a nearby amphora to show her how the boy was doing. Though, boy was pushing it. He had grown like the demi-god he was; strong, beautiful and clever. He left his brother and cousin behind him as he grew taller, more talented, and more handsome then both of them. Hebe had been a large part of his life. Either as a glamoured nurse or friend, or when it was just the two of them she shed her costumes and let him see her as she truly was formed. Every day, Hebe loved him more and more.

As she looked into the amphora, though. Her heart stopped. She saw in the clear water the young man running through the woods with tears streaming down his face and a scared look on his face. Whatever did he have to fear? Her heart started up again quickly, beating against her chest as if to make up for lost time as she hurried out of the room and summoned herself to the meadow she hoped he would run to.

When she arrived she was alone. The birds were singing in their trees and Helios shined above her as if nothing was the matter. She listened carefully though, remembering the tricks that Artemis taught her. She heard the birds leaving their perches and the muted cried of warning from one avian to another. He was coming, fast and ragged. She had taught him how to make his way through the woods herself, and she knew he could do it well. He wasn't taking any time for that now though. He was crashing through saplings and branches as if they were nothing.

He burst into the clearing quickly and Hebe rushed to his side.

"Oh little one," She looked at his garments that had once been of the finest material but now was shredded and muddied on his form. He looked up at her with blue eyes that held such sadness and collapsed in her arms.

If she didn't have a goddesses strength. She could never of held him. He was hardly a boy, really. Nearly full grown and broad of shoulder already. He was bigger then she was and heavy for a mortal. But she had drank the divine nectar and ambrosia since she was born and had more strength than most.

"What happened, Alcides?" She asked him as she smoothed his blond hair off of his face and tried to wipe away the tears.

He looked at her and sobbed. "Goddess, I did something terrible. I don't know what to do."

He told her that he had been practicing the lyre with his awful teacher Linus. Hebe frowned at the name. The teacher was a bitter man who disliked the talented young prince for reasons of envy. He always berated and belittled the boy for his athletic physique and trouble with the lyre. Many a time had Linus whispered cruelly that it was good that his cousin, Eurystheus was to inherit the throne instead of the cow herder's son that couldn't do anything that a proper prince could. Just because his blue eyes were often looking out the window yearningly during lessons, instead of paying attention to every word that Linus said. Hebe's young prince had a wild heart and much rather would be outside then in. He had no patience for dry lectures. While Hebe had always tried to explain to him that lessons were a benefit too, she still resented the music tutor.

However, even she was dismayed to hear that her prince in a moment of anger hit Linus on the head with a lyre. She knew his god descendant strength, even if he didn't. That tutor would never berate another student again. He'd never do anything again. Thanatos had come and gone and Hermes was probably already leading his shade to the Underworld.

"Oh, little one." Hebe sighed and hugged the crying boy close.

"You truly are my goddess of hope," He leaned back away from her so he could see her face. "Even being here with you makes me feel like things will work out."

"So, your going to continue to call me Elpis?" She asked coyly and put her hands on her hips.

"Until you tell me your real name," He prodded hoping that she'd finally cave and tell him which goddess's favor he had. "And it's all fair, you're the only one who calls me Alcides. Everyone else calls me Heracles."

"Glory of Hera" Hebe snorted. "Your parents attempted to mollify Hera by renaming you. They could have saved their time. Hera will not be appeased so easily. So I refuse to call you by the mockery of a name."

"What happens if Hera eventually falls for my unbeatable charms and decided not hate me?" Hercules tried to give her a cheeky grin but his red rimmed eyes betrayed him.

Hebe looked at her own hands as she sadly asked in return. "Why look to a day that will never happen? You are going to have a hard life, my prince. For no other fault then your parentage."

"I've got you, though!" He answered straightening his back, "And as long as I've got you, Elpis. I can face anything."

There was a silence as the two looked at eachother, sky blue eyes looking into brown eyes. Then memories of the past crept into Heracles mind and his face fell once more. "What am I going to do? I feel awful, El!

"I took an innocent life. Linus didn't deserve to die. He was a man just like me. He was doing his job that my family had hired him to do. Just because I'm too dimwitted to keep up with Iphicles and Eurystheus. I just got so angry. I didn't mean to kill him. I didn't even mean to hurt him! I just wanted him to stop talking."

His hands were shaking as he spoke but he held back the tears. The pain in his eyes and his voice cut Hebe to her very soul. The poor boy didn't deserve this pain. It was an accident. A fatal one. That is true. And he would have to own up to it and suffer the consequences.

"I have to go back, El. Will you wait for me here?" His eyes were such a pure innocent blue when he begged her. She couldn't resist anything that boy asked.

She nodded and watched as he rushed away. Her heart felt bigger than it had ever been before as she watched the blond adolescent hurry to meet his fate. The poor child.

"Hey Be!" A voice disrupted her and she turned to see two goddesses of Aphrodite's heritage. Hedone and Arete. Pleasure and Virtue, respectively. It was Hedone who hailed her from across the field.

"Hello! What are you guys doing here?" Hebe was nervous at once, Aphrodite had shown her displeasure with Hebe and having her child and grandchild coming upon her in a mortal place didn't bode well.

"Stop looking like we're about to attack you, Be!" Hedone laughed and skipped forward to embrace the daughter of Zeus.

"We are here to speak to your mortal." Arete's voice was deeper than her neices. Not in an unpleasant way though. It held a depth and control that Hedone's sing song sweet voice did not.

"Alcides? What do you want with him?" Hebe instantly leapt to the defense of the boy who had stolen her heart.

"That is between us and him, Hebe." Arete intoned and settled herself on a rock nearby.

Hebe's blood was boiling. This was her meadow. Her and Heracles's. No body else came here but the two of them. And they had so many memories in this field. This is where she would take the toddler, Heracles, in the form of his nurse and then reveal herself to him when they were alone. This is the field where they played as children and Hebe taught him how to fight, hunt, and wrestle like a god. She was the sister of Artemis, Athena, Ares and so many other talented gods. She'd picked up a thing or too in her life. Now these children of Aphrodite were profaning with their godly business.

"Hebe." Arete motioned for the Goddess of Youth to sit beside her. "You have hurt my brother deeply."

"Aww yeah, Be!" Hedone added. "Eros is really upset that you're mad at him! He's only trying to help!"

"I don't see how tearing my heart out is going to help me." Hebe answered with her chin in the air and her lips stern. She owed the descendants of Aphrodite nothing.

"Eros has very few friends," Hedone sighed. "His line of works 'causes many to begrudge him. But love is such a wonderful thing too! Can't you look on that side of things?"

"Love that ends well is a wonderful thing. Love between a goddess and a mortal is doomed. How many Immortals have ended up distraught because of that mischievous boy's arrows?" Hebe demanded an answer.

"Eros uses the mask of mischief to hide his well meaning purpose. It's better to be reviled always then have someone so disappointed when he makes a mistake." Arete answered levelly. "You used to be his friend. You know this."

She thought about all the times that Eros would take shelter in her workroom and let out a big sigh. He'd sit for hours preening his feathers and telling her about his intentions and how he hoped that he had done well. Sometimes it took time to make his actions mature into good ones, and by that point the god or goddess in question rarely thanked Eros.

She sighed thinking that possibly the winged messenger of love meant well? Then all the memories of the spiteful side of Eros came out. He didn't like being spurned at all, or ridiculed. He often lashed out with his arrows that were often more hurtful then Apollo's golden shafts.

"What about Apollo and Daphne?" Hebe demanded. "Artemis and Orion? Aphrodite and Adonis? Apollo and Hyacinth?"

"Most of those ended in tragedy not because of Eros but because of Thanatos and other's actions. Who knows how they might have turned out if death didn't get involved." Arete interrupted her list of ill fated lovers.

"Do not blame Thanatos for doing his job!" Hebe's anger was rising the more they spoke.

"Be!" Hedone laughed and knelt at her feet with a big smile. "Don't be mad. We're jus trying to help our own! I hate when Father is sad, I want him to happy and flying all of the world with me again!"

Arete didn't listen to her nieces words but turned to Hebe with solemn eyes, "Then don't blame Eros for doing his job."

"EL! EL!" The cry from the woods interrupted their conversation. Heracles was returning. Hebe tried to leap to her feet so she could run to him and hear what the verdict was. However, she couldn't budge from the rock she sat upon.

Arete didn't even look her way as she glided towards the mortals voice. Hedone had the grace to give her an apologetic smile and quickly say in explanation, "We need to do this, Be. Without your influence. Heracles needs to decided for himself."

She was stuck to a rock as those two disciples of Aphrodite approached the confused Heracles. He was expected only his Goddess of Hope, not these two beauties that came to him with promises in their sparkling eyes.

Hedone came to him first. She smiled and alluring smile that promised all the joys of her power, Pleasure. With smooth hands she touched his chest and pressed herself close to him, "I am Pleasure. You could have me if you chose me." Her voice was husky and full throated now. Images of the bedchamber and passion appeared in every mind who heard her seduction.

Arete came next and with softer touches traced the hard line of his jaw. "I am Virtue. If you chose me you will have glory to your name." Her seduction was subtler but just as powerful as her niece's.

The anger that had begun to bubble in Hebe as they talked was now boiling gin her maiden's breast. How dare they touch him like that! Promise him things that would lead to no end. Why couldn't he just stay with her, forever. Why did these sluts from Olympus have to come and ruin things!

"You will be married to Megara, the daughter of the Thebian King Creon, by the end of the year." Hedone placed her lips at the base of his throat and left a trail of kisses between her words. "If you chose me. You will live a pleasant life by her side. An easy life watching your children grow old."

Arete turned burning eyes of the son of Zeus. "If you choose me, your life will be hard but glorious. Your name will be remembered by Hellas's children until the world ends. You will be hailed as the greatest of all the heroes. It won't be easy though, Heracles. You think your life has been hard up to this point? Your childhood will seem idyllic in comparison to what you will have to go through."

Chose the former! Hebe tried to scream but her mouth was just as bound as she was. She couldn't make a sound. Even if it means I have to abandon you. Be happy! Don't choose pain! Heracles watched wide eyed as the two goddesses seduced his body as he tried to make a decision. Like any adolescent boy could use his head when goddesses born of Beauty's loins were doing that to him. The tears came to her eyes as she watched Heracles grab Arete's hands and whisper, "I choose Glory. I choose you, Virtue."

The goddesses gave identical smiles of approval before disappearing without another word. The binds that held Hebe broke the instant they vanished and she broke down in sobs. Heracles was by her in an instant.

"El!" He whispered, the shock of his guardian goddess in tears taking his voice away, "What's wrong, Elpis! Please don't cry."

He took her in his arms without and thought and cradled her head as he whispered murmured comforts in her ear. Hebe had never let herself think of Heracles as an adult before. He had always been her little mortal. She loved him with all that she was, but in a way that held no romantic feelings. Seeing Hedone's lips and hands all over his strong chest and body made jealousy fly into her breast and raise it's ugly head. She wanted to be the one to line kisses along his collar bone and promise him more with her eyes. Being held in his arms was a sweet torture, because she wouldn't act upon her desires. It would be too hard for both of them. He needed to live his mortal life and she couldn't let herself love him with all she was, when she knew that he would feel Thanatos's touch before too long.

"I'm sorry Alcides." She tried to extract herself from his arms but he held on. Instead she just wiped the tears away. "I just hoped you wouldn't choose Arete. I hate seeing you in pain, and what she spoke of didn't bode well."

"I can deal with pain, El." He answered her. "I told you that I can face anything, as long as I've got you by my side."

She looked up into his handsome face when did he get taller than she? And saw his blue eyes smiling down at her. He was so close, it would be so easy to kiss him. Show him what is was to be truly loved by a goddess, not the mockery that Hedone and Arete was going to show him.

Instead she turned from him and asked, "What did your father say."

Heracles crumpled at this questions and sat heavily on the very rock that had kept Hebe bound only moments before. "I'm a monster, El."

She rolled her eyes and wacked him on the head lightly. "Stop it, boy!"

She got a smile from him for that. "My father thinks so at least. I can't be fit for human company anymore. Let alone be a prince. He's banning me to the mountains to watch over cattle and sheep. A prince of Perseus's House turned into a measly cow herder. How am I going to reach Hero status if I'm out with the cows, El?"

"Trust in the gods, those two have something planned and they won't stop until it's fulfilled." Hebe answered with foreboding. If only goddesses could forget, maybe her mortal would have a chance at a peaceful life.

"You should have seen Eurystheus's face." Heracles sighed. "He was nearly ecstatic. At least Iphicles hugged me good bye. Why do they hate me so much? I've never purposely done anything to harm them. No one understands, El. Except for you. They all treat me like I'm about to break things or hurt someone. Given, this is a bad time to mourn that. Poor Linus. I really wish things had been different, I had more patience or less of a temper. I don't always do things like that though! Sometimes I can just be like everyone else, but no one treats me like everyone else. Why, El? Why can't people just accept me? Just because a seer said that I was the son of Zeus!"

"You are the son of Zeus, Alcides." Hebe grabbed his chin an made him look at her. "That sets you apart from the rest. You weren't six months old when Hera sent serpents into your cradle to poison you. I tried to rush from Olympus when I found out and help you but by the time I had gotten to you, the snakes were dead. You had strangled them and killed them. You didn't know how to walk at this point, yet you had saved yourself as well as your cousin and brother. You are destined for great things, Alcides. Whether I want it or not."

"Why wouldn't you want that for me El?" Heracles looked up at his goddess in question.

"Because everything that hurts you, hurts me worse. If you'd only be happy, then I could be happy too."