(Greek Mythology) The Abyss of the Underworld
Chapter 110
The Queen's Palace
The maids knelt trembling in the corner, heads bowed and bodies hunched, trying to minimize their presence, afraid of being drawn into the quarrel between the King and Queen.
"You're going to depose me and make that wretch queen?!" Hearing Zeus's words, Hera was stunned for a moment before she realized what he had said. Her beautiful eyes widened in shock as she looked at her husband, screaming in disbelief.
In the history of the gods, no queen had ever been deposed. The proud Hera had never imagined that such a thing would happen to her.
Both emotionally and rationally, she couldn't believe Zeus would do such a thing. Rationally, Zeus was indeed fickle, but along with his affections he was also heartless. Hera didn't think Zeus would love anyone so much as to depose her. Emotionally, she was even less willing to believe that her beloved husband would fall in love with someone else.
Even though Hera herself knew very well that Zeus no longer loved her.
"Give me the title of Queen of the Gods. Pack your things and get ready to leave." Zeus coldly tossed out these words to Hera.
"Zeus, how dare you do this! Mother Goddess will not agree! Uncle Oceanus and Aunt Tethys will not agree either!" Hera's beautiful face was contorted with rage, and she screamed in a near-hysterical voice.
The shrill, piercing voice made Zeus frown, but he said nothing. A sense of disgust crept into his heart. How could he have ever thought of marrying such a rude and jealous woman?
Unwilling to admit his mistake, Zeus attributed it to Hera's excellent disguise; only after becoming Queen of the Gods did her true nature emerge.
"So what if the Mother Goddess disagrees? The second-generation Queen of the Gods is a thing of the past. As for Oceanus and Tethys… do they really want Athena to have an easy time?"
"Zeus!!" Hera roared, violently overturning the table in front of her. The exquisite vase on it shattered on the floor, and the delicate flowers were crushed under her feet in hatred, their sap staining her snow-white skirt.
Zeus, hands behind his back, ignored Hera's fierce reaction. He had long since lost much affection for Hera; the only reason he still honored her as Queen of the Gods was out of consideration for their past relationship and to avoid causing any turmoil.
Zeus's cold and impatient expression fueled Hera's anger. Enraged, Hera disregarded the difference in their status and reached out to slap Zeus across the face.
Zeus, seizing Hera's wrist just in time, looked at her long, sharp nails with an extremely ugly expression. Without hesitation, he forcefully pulled her wrist and slammed her to the ground, coldly saying, "As the mother of the gods, you not only lack compassion but are also ruthless, abusing your power to punish gods and persecute their offspring. Out of consideration for our past relationship, I gave you many chances, but you showed no remorse. Your current fate is entirely your own fault."
Thinking of the many lovers and children Hera had persecuted, a flicker of heartache crossed Zeus's eyes, quickly followed by rage, further solidifying his decision to depose her.
"Ruthless?"
Being called ruthless to her face, especially by her beloved husband, Hera was heartbroken, but also consumed by a deep rage. Ignoring the cuts from the shards of the vase she had sustained on the ground, she sat bolt upright, looking up at Zeus with a cold smile.
"When you pursued me, you swore you'd love me forever, vowing unwavering loyalty. When you cheated on me, did you ever remember that vow? Did you ever consider my heartbreak? You cherish your children and your lover, but don't I feel the pain?"
"Besides..." Hera sneered, "Don't make it sound so high and mighty, trying to appear so virtuous. Some insignificant gods and humans, you never seemed to care before. If you truly cared, would you have done nothing but let me persecute you? You just find me an eyesore, making you, the king of the gods, lose face, and you're just looking for an excuse to depose me and make way for your new favorite."
"Say what you will." Not wanting to see Hera anymore, Zeus didn't even bother asking her for the title of queen of the gods. He angrily flicked his sleeve, uttered those words, and turned to leave the temple.
The pain in her body stimulated her senses. Watching Zeus turn to leave, Hera, surprisingly, calmed down.
The anger subsided, leaving only a deep chill rising from the depths of her heart, and endless sorrow and pain.
All the gods knew that Her Majesty the Queen was always hot-tempered, easily angered, utterly incapable of restraint, and never considerate of whether the other party was the King of Gods. Once her anger flared, regardless of time, place, or circumstance, she would still shout and make a scene, showing no respect whatsoever to the King of Gods.
Hera wasn't unaware that her behavior would annoy Zeus, nor was she unaware that Zeus resented her overbearing nature and how she constantly made him lose face; she simply truly considered Zeus her husband.
She didn't consider how unsightly her hysterical arguments and outbursts were, didn't care how many gods would laugh at her futile efforts, and didn't consider the consequences of being rejected by the King of Gods. She only wanted to protect her marriage and defend her love. Was that wrong?
Perhaps all capricious gods share a common flaw: they desire life when they love and death when they hate. This is especially true of the unrestrained god-king, who sits at the pinnacle of power.
When they like someone, they pamper them to the heavens, offering everything to their beloved. Conversely, when they tire of them, their actions are chillingly ruthless. From the lovers Zeus pursued to herself, what difference was there between them except for the position of queen? And now, even that sole difference would vanish.
Scenes from the past seemed to flash before her eyes. Hera lowered her eyes, feeling a deep weariness seeping into her very soul. What had she gained from all these years of effort?
Her expression flickered for a moment, then hardened. Hera spoke calmly, "Stop."
Stopping Zeus, Hera tidied her disheveled hair, wiped the blood from her lips, and struggled to her feet, avoiding the help of her maids. She stubbornly straightened her body, refusing to show the slightest dishevelment, even though her dress was stained with grayish-green flower sap and dark red blood.
She took one last, deep look at the god she both loved and hated, the god she had longed for day and night, the god who had once given her boundless glory and favor, and who had ultimately cast her down from her pedestal. Hera took out her divine title as queen and tossed it to Zeus.
"The divine title is yours. From this day forward, we have no further connection." The loss of power after the divine title was removed made Hera's face even paler, but her pride supported her, making her stand even straighter, her chin slightly raised, unwilling to reveal any vulnerability.
"I hope so too." Hera's resolute response surprised Zeus, leaving him with a complex mix of emotions. However, Hera's lack of persistent pestering was a good thing for him. Taking the divine spark, Zeus replied indifferently, then turned and left without a backward glance.
Hera slightly raised her head, trying to force back her tears. The complex and intense emotions churning within her were unclear even to herself.
She was happy for him, sad for him, and for him she had become someone she herself loathed. Whether it was worth it or not, she didn't want to delve into it, but ultimately, she couldn't let go of her resentment.
Since she couldn't do it, why had she sworn to love her forever? The sweet words and vows of eternal love she once spoke of were now nothing but a joke.
It wasn't that she didn't know Zeus's fickle and heartless nature; she simply firmly believed she was special. In the end, this fate wasn't entirely unexpected.
...
That day, Hera stayed alone in the temple for a long time, lost in thought. Only when night fell did she calmly instruct her maids to pack their belongings, and they moved out of the Queen's Palace that very night.
Chapter 110