Chapter 6
She stormed into the Throne Room of Olympus. The twelve beautiful marble throne, hand crafted by Hephaestus curved in an elegant arch around her. She had eyes only for the woman in the center. The powerful, white-armed, cow eyed beauty that was the youngest daughter of Cronus, wife and queen of Zeus; Hera.
"Mother!" She nearly shouted as she stomped up to the golden throne and the passive faced deity calmly assessing her youngest daughter.
"Please, would you leave me and my daughter for a moment," She quietly addressed the other gods and goddesses loitering in the place of power. They were all gone in an instant at their Queen's order. "Hebe, you should really learn to control yourself in court. Your outburst are entirely unseemly."
"I can't believe you," Hebe voice was as cold and controlled as her mother's; though the passion that drove the normally meek goddess was in the timbers of her voice and the flush in her cheeks, "You are a monster."
"Don't you dare address your mother like that," Hera's control was unbeatable, but the ice in her voice was sharper then broken glass.
"You destroyed him," Hebe felt the tears building in her throat but she swallowed them down. "He was so happy! He had a beautiful wife who he loved and those sweet little boys. You should have seen his face when the king of Thebes asked him to court, after fighting against the Minyans. Thebes thought he was a hero. He has been treated with scorn and fear since he was born, and they accepted him! They loved him, Mother! He was happy for the first time in his life!
"And you destroyed that. You took everything from him. No one can fight Madness when she is her most poisonous, and she was glittering in the necklace that Hephaestus gave you last summer. He killed them all. Megara and those three little boys. If you had seen his face when had awakened from madness, you would know that when I call you a monster, I only speak the truth."
"Immortals have long memories, Hebe." Hera cautioned coldly, "And they hold onto anger for a very long time. That spawn of my husband is not worth your anger, daughter. He is a slut like his father, not worthy of your regard. If you want a mortal to degrade yourself other, choose a worthy one like my Jason or even Theseus."
"Alcides is a better man than both those princes. And anyways, he was asked to come to the court of Thespiae! When he killed the lion with his bare hands, the king recognized the strength in his blood and asked him to sleep with his daughters in order for him to have a grandson with Zeus's blood in his veins. One of the girls even refused him, and Alcides left her without another question. That is why he slept the 50 daughters of Thespius. He is a good man!"
"It's Heracles now, Glory of Hera." Hera mocked coldly at her angry daughter. The blood roared in Hebe's ears as she watched how blithely her mother thought about destroying her mortal's life. "And Hebe, you have been neglecting your duties because of this human." She spat the last word. "Your father and I are very displeased. Zeus is looking for a replacement now, because he realized that you don't understand the responsibility of your job."
That stopped Hebe in her anger. "What!?" She demanded.
"You are fired, Hebe." Hera answered calmly. "You have to take responsibility for your actions."
"But Mother!"
"But nothing, Hebe. You knew that this could happen. You have spent more time on Gaea then on Olympus in the last twenty years. We still need our ambrosia and nectar, even when it is not convenient for you. You must have known this was coming."
Hebe had no words. "I hate you, Hera." Was what she finally uttered. "You are no mother of mine."
And with that she rushed out of Olympus to the entry courtyard. She fought with her tears but by the time she made it to the entry, they were streaming down her face.
"Geeze, Be," Iris was there waiting for some god or another to send her with a message. It was her courtyard, really. Hebe just wished for once she had been else where. "What's wrong?"
"Everything's falling apart!" She wailed and sat down on the marble edge of the main fountain. "Everything."
"What happened?" Iris asked, her eagerness for any Olympian gossip coloring her words and making her golden wings flash behind her.
"Leave me alone, Iris!" She shouted at the inquisitive goddess, "Not everything is your business! Just go away!"
But without another words she summoned herself to earth, so that she wouldn't have to face the outrage or disgust on her friend's face. Her anger at her mother was coloring all of her actions. Iris didn't deserve those harsh words, Hera did. She caved and crumbled to the ground in tears.
Her pain was nothing compared to Heracles though. She rose to her feet and dried her tears before summoning herself to his side. She was surprised to find that he was at Delphi. The powerful sight of Apollo's oracle.
"Goddess!" His elation at the sight of her healed some of the pain in her heart. "I thought you had left me!"
His clear blue eyes, that held so much sadness now looked at her plaintively. She crumbled at the sight. "Sweet Alcides," She softly answered and ran a hand down the strong planes of his cheek, "I will never abandon you. Remember that. I am not some fickle goddess, here only for your glory. I will do anything I possibly can to help you. I just wish I could do more. Hera is just so powerful."
Heracles beamed at her words, "I don't know how I got to be so lucky to get you, Elpis. I'd choose you over Hera, any day."
"Watch your mouth, she'll hear you."
"I don't care if she does. The hope you give me, is better then any favor she'd give me. " Heracles was earnest. "After everything happened, I didn't think I could go on. I was going to fall on my sword and end everything there. Then you came."
"You knew it was me?"
"Never had Theseus been so understanding, Elpis." He smiled at his goddess, "I can always tell when you have taken the shape of those around me. With a conversation, you showed me that it wasn't the end of the world. I don't know what I'd do without you.
"The oracle told me that I need to repent by performing ten tasks for my cousin." He changed the subject when he saw how speeachless he'd left her.
"Eurystheus?"
"Yeah, he'll be happy. Finally be able to order me around all he wants." He tried to give a smile. It almost succeeded.
"What a pair you two make," Hecate's harsh laughter interrupted them.
Hebe looked up in surprise but Heracles didn't move at all.
"The mortal can't see me. Make an excuse and come with me, girly." Hecate gave her a crooked grin and began to saunter off.
"I'll be back soon," Hebe quickly told the young man before following her friends orders. "What's up Catey?"
"Persephone's worried about you." Hecate gave her a wink and flopped gracefully down onto a bank of Delphi's beautiful hills. "Heard some rumors about you, missy. That poor broken hero is being led by a broken goddess."
"I am not broken." Hebe answered heatedly.
"Well let's go over the information. Self-exiled from Olympus; so no home. Denying parents; no family. Zeus has a new boy-toy cupbearer; does that mean no job? Taking anger out on others; losing friends, though not all of them, that insufferably loyal queen of the Underworld is still on your side. I advised against it, never good to get on the wrong side of Hera." Hecate was insufferably jovial as she went on.
"Will you shut up?" Hebe moaned and buried her face in her hands. Tiresias words echoed in her head. Beware the spawn of beauty, for his arrow shall make you lose everything. Your home, your family, your occupation.
"Hey you still want me on your side, right?" Hecate mockingly sounded upset, "You better watch your tongue, or I'm out here, sourpuss."
"I'm sorry Catey." She moaned.
"Well that's a little better, a smile might make me giddy though." Hecate leaned close to the goddess of youth a stupid grin creasing across her face ridiculously.
"You are the weirdest goddess I have ever met." Hebe rolled her eyes but Hecate had made her laugh.
"Good! There's the Be I know and love." Hecate kissed her cheek and laughed with her.
"You are, oddly, one of the very best goddesses in the world."
"Damn straight I am," Hecate leaned back and laughed.
"You should have seen him, though Catey." Hebe sighed.
"By Chaos! You're obsessed!"
"I'm serious Catey! I found him holding his youngest son in his arms sobbing like the world was ending."
The mental image of Heracles wracked with grief haunted her. His strong body looked like it could barely hold up the weight of the limp toddler. His blue eyes, that she'd always loved, were barely unrecognizable with the depth of guilt he felt. Pain like Hebe couldn't even imagine altered Heracles. She used all her words to explain to him that it was Hera's doing, not his own, that led to the death of all of those he loved. That killing himself was not just unacceptable, but a cowardly thing to do. He needed to prove that Hera couldn't beat him. If he killed himself, he would be making Hera happier then anything else, she'd been trying to see him dead since before he was born. He left the conversation with a resigned promised to live, but a darkness in his blue eyes that lacked the pure innocence that Hebe had always cherished.
"Shit," Hecate swore as a prayer rang in her ears but kissed the contemplative goddess quickly on the cheek, "I've got to go, Be. But give that mortal some lovin' from me. Stop being so frigid and give him some real comfort. Oh, and 'Sephone says you can always stay in Hades' realm now that you've finally given up the blinding palace in the sky… blah blah blah." Her words were said in a blasé manner but she gave a wink and smiled with much fondness. Hecate was a confusing soul.
Hebe then returned to Heracles and the two began to travel the distance to Heracles former home. The House of Perseus, the palace of Tiryns and Mycenae. They talked the entire time, expanding on a friendship that had deep roots.
When they finally began the approach to the megaron where Eurystheus awaited with his first tast, Heracles had to take a moment to take a deep breath and collect himself. Hebe, in the form of a young servant boy, came up beside him and squeezed his hand. Trying to give her strength to him in that moment of comfort.
He smiled down at her and said, "This is a good thing, El. It's going to redeem me so that I can live again. I need to take responsibly for my actions. Even if Hera was behind them."
They entered and approached the throne where the tall and thin cousin of Heracles sat regarding them with disdain. He had none of the god descending beauty of Heracles with his swarthy skin and coarse, dark hair. The only thing that showed their familial connection was the bright blue eyes that often traced the descendants of Zeus. For Eurystheus's grandfather was Perseus, another son of Zeus, and could make a watered down connection to the king of gods like Heracles.
On either side was his silent and elegant wife, Antimache, and Heracles twin brother Iphicles who smiled down on his brother with a warmth that was lacking when they were growing up together. The son of Amphitryon was just as tall as his cousin with a more approachable demeanor and face.
Heracles walked confidently up to his family and bowed only the appropriate measure for an uncrowned cousin of the king was supposed to. Not a measure more.
"Heracles," Eurystheus's voice held all of the contempt he held for his more talented cousin as a child, "I have my first task for you prepared."
