immortality didn't mean they couldn't get tired, and zeus had been learning that all too well recently. the longer the battle went the more tiring it became, both physically and mentally. at the beginning they'd had all kinds of momentum, everyone raging to get their hands dirty, but victory wasn't easy, refused to come quickly, and that fire wasn't always lit. sometimes it was simply embers — still present, but nowhere near as exciting as flames dancing to the sky.
"you should eat," he commented as he sunk to sit down, passing a plate of food over to hera, the goddess he found on samos, the one whose fire never died out. they had to take the moments where they could get them, the breaks in battle not easy to predict. "there's plenty more, if you're still hungry after that. |
 hera would never admit it, but winning this war wasn't going to be as easy as she'd thought. she had assumed that the titans, who were ancient as dust, would be easier to fight. she was young and spry and father had taught her some fighting techniques. she was good with weapons and could hold her own if need be. but this was war with the titans, ever powerful beings who had been alive longer than she had. still, there was an anger there that was unmatched. she was tired of living in a world where she had no voice, where those who had hurt her lived and was even on the side of the titans. she had yet to see the giant king in the battlefield but she could not wait for the day when she would behead him.
looking down at the food, she nodded in appreciation at zeus. after they had left samos, she had been ready to jump into battle. but they had to free his siblings and gather more support. she saw something in him in those early days - a need to make change. his father was clearly not fit to rule and zeus could be the one to change the kingdom. "thank you, your majesty." she enjoyed calling him that sarcastically but she was starting to believe in him. this was a rarity because hera no longer believed in any man. "i cannot wait to have figs once this war is over. i miss fruits. what do you miss, king?" |
| zeus huffed out a breath at the way she addressed him, far used to the honorific thrown his way in jest but it still made him shake his head. yes, the goal was to become king, but he wasn't the only son of cronus. though he'd been out in the world the longest, he was the youngest, and he had hades and poseidon to contend with when the day came and they claimed victory over the titans.
"not king yet," he reminded her, as he so often did, though he did like the way it sounded. it couldn't be ignored that he was the one who pulled together an army, the one who rescued his siblings, the one who was leading the charge. his resume was coming together quite well, but he needed to win the war for any of it to matter. "figs, yes. i think roaming free in general. the fight is... long, and i miss the time before when it was not my constant." |
| she found him fascinating but also slightly infuriating. at face value, his ego was quite large and she had become tired of egotistical men. she was tired of them making decisions for her and dictating her future. she hoped that after the war was over, she could go back to samos and live her life the way that she wanted. she would not be forced to marry and would not be used as a political pawn for a man's gain. she was pretty sure that zeus was not fond of her at all. if it wasn't for her blinding rage translating into some excellent fighting skills, he would have probably sent her home.
"but there is a 1/3 of a chance that you shall be king," she replied as she took a bite of food. she missed samos terribly; the fish that they dined on, the wine, and the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore. "hasn't it always been your constant? this has been all of your life, correct?" she asked him. hera had heard stories of him before meeting him; the long lost son raised by nymphs. she remembered the maidens in her chambers discussing him and how he was supposedly quite the charmer. |
| Byes, he found hera annoying at times, but he thought the good outweighed the bad. she was dedicated, an excellent fighter, and highly motivated as she hadn't received her one demand yet. the day would come, he would keep his word, the opportunity simply hadn't been there yet. the giant king would come, he knew it, and hera would get to have her day.
"sort of," he replied, taking a few more bites of food as he mulled over his life, his childhood. "not like this — being in hiding, training, yes that, but not years on years of fighting day after day. so i suppose i can't miss freedom as i've never truly had it, but i look forward to the day when i do. and figs." |
| she was still enraged as ever about the giant king and what he had done. she had spent years in samos stewing over it and the fact that no one seemed to care. it was more about keeping allies and not ruffling feathers and she just happened to be collateral damage. one day she would have his head and maybe she would feel less angry, less violent. or maybe this had been the catalyst for a new version of herself - one that survived and fought.
"you will appreciate freedom. you can do as you choose and no one can tell you otherwise. i joined your fight because i want that for myself. i want to be able to dictate what happens to me, to no longer be a pawn in men's games. taking the head of the giant king is the first step to that." she thought of what he was saying and smiled at him. it was a genuine smile, not full of pestering or any innuendos. "i'll share a fig with you after this is all over. if you would like that." |
| his entire life had been leading to the moment they were in, this seemingly endless fight. everything he'd done, everything he'd been taught, it had all been with the focus of overthrowing his father. it was a worthy cause, one he believe in with every fiber of his being, but he yearned for the time after. even as king, perhaps even more so as king, he would be able to do what he wanted and not have his purpose looming so large above him. freedom was what he wanted. it was a big part of what they were fighting for, underneath it all.
"i can't imagine you letting yourself be a pawn," he commented with an easy smirk, though his words were genuine. with as fiercely she'd faced him the moment they'd met, paired with the way he'd seen her in battle, no person alive could tell her what to do if it was something she didn't want. "you will have his head, i swore that to you." his expression softened, returning her smile, knowing how important that was for her — though he'd agreed to it not knowing in the least. "i would like that, when this is all over." |
| she understood the idea of having a future that was set in stone for you, a destiny that you worked towards. the thought of having some kind of choice seemed so foreign to her yet she was starting to think that she might be afforded that. as she was getting to know him better, she was realizing that he might be able to guarantee freedom for her or at least a chance to dictate what she wanted.
"i am the latest in a lengthy history of women who are raised to be wives and mothers. my duty is to marry well and provide my husband with heirs. father and mother love me dearly but i am still just a woman to them. the best that i can give them is connections through a marriage." she paused for a moment, "but i want to be able to choose my future. i do not want to be given to the highest bidder. i am taking back my identity. by promising me his head you have given me that and i will fight for you until the titans are finished." she had the most intense look on her face at that point. hera knew exactly what she wanted and wasn't afraid to express it. "i think you will make this realm a better place...i believe in you, zeus. i hope to one day tell my children of how i helped change things with you." |
| zeus was not unaware of the differences between how men and women were treated, even if they were gods and goddesses. perhaps worse, if that was the case. part of what she said he understood, because how were there to be lineages if not for producing children? they had to come from somewhere, and most often that was through a man and woman.
hera always had an intensity about her that zeus appreciated, admired even. she knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to say it, just as she had the day they met. some might consider her obstinate, headstrong, and that was all true — but zeus didn't see those as negatives. they were assets in his eyes, especially with the battle they were in. that made her belief in him more than simply words to appease a future king. she wouldn't say it if she didn't actually mean it. "your future will be yours, hera of samos, in the better world we're fighting for." |
| a part of her envied him. he could do what he wanted, and no one questioned it. even now, he had allies who were fighting for him and his brothers without question. they believed in him. after this was all over, he and his brothers would have the keys to the kingdom. one reason she had left samos was because there was a rumor that her father was trying to arrange a marriage. there were concerns about her safety, especially if cronus won. there had been talks with other realms about a marriage but hera had not wanted this. she had thought that the war might buy her time and if she could prove herself, maybe her father would allow her to make her own decisions. plus, getting to kill the giant king was more than enough incentive.
she was aware of her reputation. it had existed long before this war began and she had never minded it. she was never one to be easily persuaded and once she had her mind on something, it would get done. as he told her that her future would be hers, her eyes lit up and she beamed at him. there was something about him that drew her in, that made her want to share things. still, there was a battle to be won and there would be time for more discussions later. “i trust you,” she said to him after a moment. it was difficult for her to trust anyone but she felt that way towards him. |
| the thought that they might lose was one that never crossed zeus' mind. this was what he'd been born for, to overthrow his father and bring on a new era. if they didn't win, what was the point of his existence? no, they would win. the titans would either bend the knee or find themselves in tartarus, and he knew his father at the very least would end up in the dark pit.
trust was not something given easily and he felt honored by anyone who put their trust in him, especially as he came from being an unknown to someone raising an army so quickly. but especially hera, who came on so prickly and hard, no vulnerable spots visible from the first time they met. he knew she'd joined him originally because he could give her what she wanted, but it had changed and now she actually believed in him, trusted him. "that means a lot to me," he replied honestly, quietly, with a genuine smile. "i won't betray it." |
| she had the luxury of not growing up thinking about this war. her parents had kept her nice and sheltered in samos and she had only dreamed of a bright, happy future. it had only been when rhea had visited with the news of a son who was going to challenge his father. she remembered being called into the throne room to listen to the titaness and watched as her father took everything into consideration. rhea’s husband had swallowed all of their children whole but one - the son that she was referring to. cronus did not want the gods to rise. hera was a god.
“i trust that you will have my best interest in mind, zeus,” she said to him with a nod of her head. “did you know that your mother came to samos? to ask that father not take part in this war?” she had never mentioned it to zeus before. she had remembered the titaness glancing at her briefly, as if observing her. |
| despite his mother saving him, zeus hadn't seen much of her in his life. she'd kept her distance to avoid drawing suspicion or cronos' attention to where his only uneaten son was kept in secret. it was a slight surprise she'd been going around as she had, but he supposed it made sense. rhea was smart, she was aware of what would need to happen for them to succeed.
"i didn't know that," he admitted, tilting his head in consideration before shrugging a shoulder. "do you think your father would have fought, if she hadn't come to him as she did?" |
| hera had never really understood why rhea had gone to oceanus in the first place. she supposed it was because he was the oldest of the titans and maybe she believed that if he stayed neutral, others might follow suit. she had asked her father why he had decided not to involve herself and he had simply told her that it was survival. either his brother or zeus would win and hopefully they would allow him to continue living peacefully with his wife.
"no, my father did not want to be involved. he wanted to wait it out and make peace with whoever is the victor. he is someone who does what he needs to in order to keep his children and people safe. he did not want to see samos in ruins just because he picked a side. i hope that samos remains untouched when we win, zeus." |
| it was the smart play. oceanus had never been known as a fighter, so it was better to stand to the side and wait to see who came out on top. zeus couldn't fault him for that, he had no ill will toward the titan. if anything, he was grateful for him due to hera. if — no, when — they won, he would be certain to keep an ally in him.
"samos will not be touched by our hands," zeus replied. war was unpredictable, so much had already been destroyed. "what the titans do, we can hope they stay away from there. it's a beautiful place," he added. "you were lucky, living there." |
| hera had always admired her father's understanding of when to be patient and when to charge forward. she tended to just charge forward and he'd encouraged her to think carefully. it now helped her during the battles and strategizing the best way to fight the titans. they were very powerful and quite intimidating to go up against. but hera knew that in order for the world to become a better place they had to fight and win this war.
"thank you, zeus," she said to him with a nod of her head and a smile. "i loved growing up there. father used to take me out into the ocean. my brothers and sisters are all natural swimmers but i needed help. he used to carry me into the water and the dolphins would rise to the surface and meet us. i'll have to show you samos sometime if you'd like." |
| zeus always enjoyed hearing how others spent their childhood, how they were raised. he knew his situation wasn't the norm, was far from what one would want — though still better than that of his siblings. none of them had enjoyable memories with their parents or each other. despite having many siblings, his life had been that of an only child until cronus was forced to let the rest of his children free. it wasn't exactly an enjoyable, going out in the ocean together type of family gathering.
"it sounds like you had a lot of fun growing up there," he replied with a smile. "i would like to see it once this is all over, once i have the time to enjoy what it has to offer." |
| she knew how lucky she was, especially in comparison. she had been raised by two loving beings. no, she didn't always agree with her parents or understand them. they weren't perfect and made mistakes, but they had given her opportunities that wouldn't have been afforded to her if she had remained an orphan. she didn't know much about zeus's own childhood, mostly because it felt too intrusive to ask. she knew that he had grown up separately from his siblings and that he had been training for this war for his entire life. his compassion for his cause drew her in and hera was quite impressed - something that didn't happen much.
"i will show you around samos once this is all over. and we can eat our figs and you can tell me of how you and your brothers are going to change this world." |