God save the Queen (Part 2)

The first to react to the goddess's presence was Aegle, whose expression at that moment was as if she had just been caught cheating on a test.

"Lady Hera, it is an honor to have you here," she said as she quickly broke contact with my arm and knelt down, placing her left hand on the right side of her chest, probably where her heart was.

The other two, Erytheia and Hesperia, with similar expressions (which was very unusual for me, as I had never seen them so nervous), imitated her almost instantly. The three of them stood in a line in front of the Queen of Olympus as if awaiting divine judgment.

"I see you've been busy, my dears," said Hera in a soft but authoritative voice, befitting someone of royalty. "Although I hope not so busy that you've neglected my tree."

Her words were elegant, but they still seemed to have a certain edge to them, as if she were testing them to see their responses.

Aegle swallowed hard.

"N-never, my lady. We have cared for the sacred tree as if our lives depended on it... because, in truth, they probably do."

"Very clever," Hera murmured, her gaze sweeping over the three sisters. "And prudent, too. The Garden has blossomed, and its aura is as intense as the last time I visited. That pleases me."

Erytheia, who was usually the most direct—bordering on insolent—spoke in a restrained voice:

"Forgive us, Lady Hera, for not having the place ready for the visit of such an eminent guest. Had we been, the three of us would have donned more appropriate attire."

Hera raised an eyebrow.

The mere suggestion that they were not adequately presentable could have ignited the fury of another goddess. But with Hera, it was not that simple. Her expression showed no annoyance, but something more dangerous: silent judgment.

"If my intention had been to inspect clothing, you would have been formally notified," she said calmly. "I am here for something more important than protocol."

The atmosphere grew even more tense. The breeze in the Garden seemed to stop, as if the trees were also holding their breath.

Seeing that the Hesperides were on the verge of a nervous breakdown, I decided to intervene.

"I am not one to speak in your presence, Lady Hera, but... they have helped me. A lot. If the Garden remains as radiant as it is, it is because of their work. And... also because of what they taught me."

The Queen of the Gods slowly turned her gaze toward me. I felt as if an entire mountain was looking at me.

"You speak with sincerity, something rare among the gods, and I like that," Hera said simply, and I could feel her release a breath I didn't even know she was holding.

"If it's not too much trouble, Lady Hera," I said, imitating the formality the Hesperides used when referring to her. "May I ask if the reason for your visit has anything to do with the matter of Demeter and Hades?"

Hera did not respond immediately, but her expression was serene, as if she had been expecting me to ask that question, while the Hesperides stared at me with wide eyes, as if I had just uttered blasphemy. The first to react was Erytheia.

"Akhon, you are out of line, god or not, you have no authority to question Lady Hera!" she said irritably, her voice trembling as she reprimanded me.

"Calm down, Erytheia, I'm not offended. Besides, I was expecting him to ask me that," Hera replied, surprisingly defending me, which immediately silenced Ery.

"I'm sorry, my lady," she said simply, kneeling again.

"So," I said, getting Hera's attention again, and she turned to look at me. "Am I in trouble? Or did you just want to chat, Lady Hera?"

This seemed to amuse Hera, who let out a small laugh in response.

"I like your simplicity, Akhon, and in answer to your question, no, you're not in trouble, but I would like to discuss a few matters with you, the God of Power, if it's not too much trouble, of course."

"Of course, Lady Hera," I replied, bowing my head respectfully. "Listening to a goddess like you could never be too much trouble."

Hera nodded, pleased, and turned to look at the Garden again. She walked a few steps among the trees, caressing the golden bark of one of the orange trees with her fingertips. Her movements were as gentle as they were imposing, as if each one dictated the rhythm of everything around her.

"This place was created to be eternal," she said at last. "And yet... everything eternal in recent times has begun to tremble."

I wasn't sure how to respond. I stood still, waiting for her to continue.

"Demeter has challenged the balance of the world with her actions," she continued. "And Hades has done the same by provoking her in the first place. As you can imagine, we were not very happy with how things were going, but... your presence and Persephone's intervention prevented the situation from escalating further and ending in tragedy. Despite our differences, Demeter is my sister, and if anything happens to her, I don't know what I would do. That's why I came first, to thank you for what you've done, Akhon, God of Power. I am grateful to you." Hera said as she placed her left hand over her heart, similar to what the Hesperides had done before (although without kneeling), surprising me.

"There's no need for so much gratitude, Lady Hera," I said, a little uncomfortable. "I just... did what I thought was right at the time. And as for the situation with Persephone... I too would have preferred that it didn't escalate the way it did."

Hera lowered her gaze slightly, her eyes shining with a hint of melancholy that I hadn't expected to see in the Queen of the Gods.

"That you recognize that... shows wisdom," she said in a lower voice, as if speaking to herself. "Many young gods, when they awaken, see only a just cause or an opportunity to prove their power to us elders in their actions. Few are capable of accepting the consequences... or of considering the bonds that bind us, the elders."

The Queen of Olympus turned away, her gaze fixed on the horizon of the Garden, where the sky was beginning to turn a soft purple.

"It is not common for me to express gratitude. Nor is it common for me to be impressed," she added. "And yet, you are here... and you have managed to do both."

I scratched the back of my neck, uncomfortable. "Well, I guess I have a talent for getting myself into trouble... and then getting out of it with just a scratch."

That seemed to bring a smile to her face, slight but sincere.

"Maybe that's why you remind me of someone," she said. 'Zeus, my husband, used to be reckless and stubborn and, above all, willing to do whatever he wanted without thinking about the consequences,' said the goddess with a smile, her expression reminiscent of good times. " That's how he used to be, even though today he's nothing like that, and all that's left is an extremely paranoid man who is overly guided by his own ego and lust."

I didn't quite know how to react to that. The Queen of the Gods had just spoken with a mixture of nostalgia and bitter disappointment about the King of Olympus himself... and it didn't seem right to interrupt.

"I suppose it's hard to see how someone changes," I said finally, measuring each word. 'Especially when you were there from the beginning."

Hera let out a slow sigh, as if it had been held back for centuries.

"It is. And even more so when you also change, but in everyone else's eyes you're still just 'Zeus's wife'. The jealous one. The cruel one. The inflexible one." She looked down for a moment, and for the first time she didn't look like a queen, but a woman carrying centuries of history on her shoulders. "I don't usually open up, Akhon. Not because I don't want to... but because I know that Olympus devours those who show vulnerability."

I remained silent. I felt that anything I said could be misinterpreted. And yet, something in me couldn't stay quiet.

"Well, I don't think there's any weakness in what you said," I said, looking at the Garden, not at her. "And if it helps... I don't think you're just Zeus's wife. To me, you sounded like a queen today. And like a sister."

There was a brief silence, broken only by the murmur of the wind in the golden leaves of the Garden. Then Hera spoke again, her tone softer than ever.

Then Hera extended a hand and with a delicate gesture summoned a small golden flower, which floated in the air until it landed gently on my shoulder. It weighed nothing, but I felt its warmth immediately, like a whisper lingering on my skin.

"There is a reason I chose this moment to visit you," Hera continued. 'Many on Olympus are watching you, Akhon. Some with interest... others, like Zeus, with distrust."

"And you?' I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. "With what eyes do you see me?"

She held my gaze for a long second. Then she replied:

"With some caution, as I do with everyone. But also with hope. The power you carry... the dominion that answers you... the faith you are cultivating... are not insignificant. No one has ever claimed such extensive dominion as you have. Power is a broad term, expanded throughout the mortal and divine worlds. Your actions have already caused a shift in the balance, even if you haven't noticed it. After all, it was thanks to your intervention that the world achieved a new climatic equilibrium. And the most impressive thing is that you haven't even reached a fraction of your true potential."

I swallowed hard. Part of me felt flattered... another part just wanted the earth to swallow me up. I wasn't used to this kind of attention.

Hera walked back to stand directly in front of me. She extended her hand and, with a solemn gesture, placed a kind of blessing on my forehead. A soft glow, like a leaf bathed in sunlight, filtered through her finger and melted into my skin.

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🔱 [Hera's Mark of Recognition]

You have been singled out by the Queen of Olympus as an entity of exceptional potential. As long as you bear this mark:

Your presence will be recognized by the elder gods.

You will be summoned to the Councils of Olympus if required.

The influence of your Domain will become more stable in sacred lands.

Passive effect: +15% to all blessings active in divine lands.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"Thank you..." I said, trying to sound calmer than I felt. "I greatly appreciate your blessing, my lady." I said as I greeted her with the same gesture she and the Hesperides had used.

"No need to thank me, Akhon, you are a god with some authority now," Hera said with a half-smile. "Welcome to Olympus."

After that, she took a couple of steps toward the Hesperides.

"And you," she said, in a softer tone. "Continue to fulfill your task. You have done well to educate this young god, well done, you have done well to protect him."

Aegle breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, my lady."

Then Hera snapped her fingers. A golden door of light opened in the air, suspended between orange tree branches.

"My work here is done. And remember this for the future, young god: do not fear your emotions. Fear the day when you no longer feel anything. Akhon, we will see you soon."

I nodded, though I didn't quite understand what she meant by that or what she was referring to. "I hope so..."

The goddess nodded one last time before disappearing through the portal, which closed behind her as if it had never been there.

And then, silence returned. The Hesperides sighed in unison, as if they had been holding their breath all this time.

And with that, she slowly turned on her heels and walked away, leaving behind a soft, ancient perfume, like flowers on a forgotten grave.

The Hesperides did not move until the light marking Hera's trail had completely dissipated.

"Well," Erytheia murmured, running her hand through her hair. 'Did anyone else feel like they aged five years in ten minutes?"

Aegle smiled nervously at me. 'Don't take this the wrong way, Akhon... but if another high-ranking goddess ever visits you again, could you let us know in advance?"

"Believe me," I said, letting my shoulders drop, "I didn't expect this either."

We stood there for a while, in the middle of the Garden. The sun was slowly setting, bathing everything in golden light. The leaves rustled softly under our feet.

And as I let myself fall onto the grass, for the first time in days, I felt something like peace.

But I knew it wouldn't last. Because Hera was right.

The balance had shifted.

"Fear the day when you feel nothing? What could she have meant by that?" I thought as I watched the sun set on the horizon.