Chapter 5:

Hera had walked into the empty throne room, which would hold yet another routine council meeting for all gods and goddesses. She never understood why they should bother because the only things that happened were outbreaks of fights and petty arguments amongst them. Though in the past, she would play a significant part in the heated ‘discussions’ and brawls, she found herself actually putting a stop to them when things were getting too out of hand. In the beginning, the gods and goddesses would only ignore her, not believing that the Queen of altercations was in truth trying to stop them. However, when she made it very clear that she wanted the arguments to cease and used her authoritative voice, they took her seriously. Of course, she still received looks of shock and disbelief, but once it wore off, they would return to a state of calmness and her of boredom.

As Hera sat on her throne, deep in thought, she was interrupted by a voice behind her.

“So, I see you and Hades have gotten closer... again.”

“Aphrodite,” Hera sighed through her nose, “to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, Beauty, and Sex, was the epitome of beauty itself with her gray eyes and golden wavy hair, which could change from black to red or even chestnut brown depending on her mood. Hell, it would change to any color she wanted if she deemed it so. She had perfect pouty lips that men and even women loved to kiss on and a body that would make men leave their wives or have the women join in.

“Oh nothing, just wanted to see if I could be of any help to you and the King of the Underworld.”

“Please, do tell me why you believe you could be of any help to us if there was anything to help us with?” Hera questioned sarcastically, seemingly disinterested in what the Goddess of Love had to say.

“Maybe it is because the hidden love you two have for each other has started to reignite once more. The both of you hadn’t really held any conversation since you became Zeus’ wife, but now I, amongst a few others, have noticed that you two will now engage in short but companionable conversation. Even if it is only for a few moments. You wouldn’t happen to know what I am talking about, would you, my Queen?” challenged Aphrodite with a look of knowing that Hera tried to deny.

“No, I actually have no idea of what you are hinting at, peasant.”

Aphrodite was never one to back down from a fight or Hera for that matter, especially when it came to love, and so for Hera to shut down the truth she knew Aphrodite spoke of had her irritated and angry at the Queen. “Oh, cut the bullshit, Hera. You know exactly what I am talking about. I know you and Hades still love each other and that you fucked, got pregnant, and now you believe your child is the one prophesied to overthrow Zeus.”

“Shush, keep your voice down, Aphrodite, before the entirety of Olympus overhears you!” chastised Hera. She wanted to deny everything that Aphrodite had just told her, but she knew it would be of no use, especially with how she just reacted towards her ‘accusations.’ “How the hell do you know about our daughter?”

“Ah-ha, so you admit that the matters I spoke of are true! You and Hades do still love each other and have a child, a daughter to be exact.”

Hera wanted nothing more than to slide her hands around Aphrodite’s throat and choke the eternal life from her body, but alas, immortality would not let it be. Instead, she gave Aphrodite a warning by saying her name in a tone that conveyed she was treading on thin ice and needed to answer Hera and quickly.

Throwing her hands up in surrender, Aphrodite got on with the conversation. “Alright, fine, don’t bite my head off. Well,” she dragged out annoyingly, “I may have overheard you two talking last year after the emergency council meeting. I had forgotten my makeup compact and came back to retrieve it when I saw you two in quite the predicament. I wanted to confront you both at that moment, but thought better of it. I hadn’t seen you two talk to each other intimately in ages and decided to let you both have your moment.”

“What do you want, Aphrodite? To blackmail me for you being married to Hephaestus? What is it that you want?” Hera had exasperated. She had given up fighting the goddess on this matter since it was pointless and accepted what was to come.

“Nothing, actually.”

“Nothing? Seriously? You expect me to believe that?”

“Yes. Well, actually, I do want one thing.”

“I fucking knew it! What is it?” Hera exclaimed. She was tired of the back and forth with Aphrodite and wanted this conversation to end.

“I want to be the Godmother.”

To say the least, Hera was in shock. She couldn’t believe what she just heard. Did Aphrodite just say that she only wanted to be the Godmother to her and Hades’ child? She was losing it; she just knew she had to have been.

“Did I hear you correctly?”

“Yes, Hera, is it so hard to believe that?”

“Coming from you, yes.”

“Well, believe it because that’s all that I want. I am not as conceited as you all will have me be. I can be selfless when I choose to.”

“Why?” It was a simple question, but Hera had to know why Aphrodite would want to help her, let alone be her daughter’s Godmother.

“Look, Hera, I know we haven’t exactly been friends in the past, but I have seen the change in you these past four years. I must be truthful and admit that I was wary at the beginning concerning if you truly changed or were you just putting on a show. It dawned on me that you were sincere in your actions after some time, and I wanted to know what had brought on this change. So when I saw you and Hades engaged in conversation and overheard that you two had a child, I knew that was the cause. I figured that if a child could turn you around, then she must be extraordinary. I just want to help because, one, I know that you have never held any love for Zeus and why you two even got married still baffles me to this day. Second, believe it or not, you deserve happiness too, and I want that for you and Hades; if I can assist you by protecting your child and to help you understand, then I will. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to see you and Hades finally become official.” Aphrodite teased. “You two did make a lovely couple when we younger even though you both always claimed to be just friends,” Aphrodite said with a smirk as she made her way to her throne, knowing the meeting would be called to order at any given moment.

Hera was in disbelief at what she had been told. Aphrodite just wanted to help her and also wanted her to be with her fated. It was true that they were never truly friends, though they could be cordial. However, when Aphrodite was forced into marriage to Hephaestus, whatever amicable presence that they once shared diminished. She still did not believe in what the Goddess of Love had spoken, but before she could question her further, the gods and goddesses started flashing in for the council meeting, so whatever she meant to ask had to wait.