Hera: Chapter One: Woes of a Reluctant Bride (Part Three)

Hera felt someone grab her wrist and glanced to see who had done so. Surprise danced across her face; her father had actually decided to attend? It had been millennia since she had seen Chronos, in fact, the last time she had seen him he had thrown her up out of the pit of his stomach. Hera had assumed that he had disappeared forever, acutely embarrassed that his youngest son had defeated him. Hera noticed that her mother, Rhea, was standing next to him. They must have reconciled. Hera wondered if her father remembered it had been Rhea’s deceit that had caused his downfall.

Chronos began to speak, projecting so the whole hall could hear. Instantly quiet engulfed the room as the occupants respectfully listened.

“Zeus, Ruler of the Gods, King of Mortals, Supreme Father of All, thou hast conquered much so thou deserves much. For thy accomplishments I give thee a reward very dear to mine heart.”

Hera couldn’t help but give a small, unheard laugh. She had been much closer to his stomach than his heart.

“I give thee my daughter, the eternally beautiful Hera and thy own fair sister, to produce thee legitimate heirs,” Chronos finished his diminutive speech by painfully thrusting Hera towards Zeus.

She stumbled and fell, her cheeks burning from irritation and chagrin. Glowering at the cheering crowd and her self-satisfied parents, she gracefully rose and held on to Zeus’s arm; secretly shuddering as she played the part of a love struck newly wed.

Zeus held Hera close and tore off her transparent veil, exposing her blushing face. The crowd cheered louder, some yelling obscene comments as he passionately kissed her, finally ending the wedding ceremony. Hera sighed, a sigh of relief rather than a sigh of joy as it appeared; thanking the stars nestled in her hair that she would be able to enjoy some peace soon.

Hours passed in the giant hall and Hera kicked herself for her stupidity. She couldn’t leave until her new husband was ready to leave. Zeus was a god of pleasure and there was plenty of wine and goddesses to go around. Forgotten in the corner, Hera watched on, feeding angry thoughts to herself so she wouldn’t burst into tears. Not even three hours had passed and Zeus was already letting his eyes and arms wander.

Zeus suddenly stood before her, staggering slightly. “To bed, my wife!” He proclaimed in a slurring voice, loud enough for the mortals on earth to hear. Hera’s face flushed as she followed him out of the hall, mortified.

Members of the banquet followed the couple, singing, laughing and shouting. Not a soul walked in a straight line and several times Hera glanced back to see who was stepping on her gown. Each time it was a different person as the crowd reeled forward drunkenly.

Finally reaching the bedroom that they would share, Zeus swept Hera into his arms and carried her into the chamber. Stumbling to the bed, he threw her down and went to close the door.

Hera braced herself. Soon the dreaded moment would come when he . . .

A loud snore interrupted her train of thought. Next to her on the extravagant bed laid her drunken husband, fast asleep.

All at once Hera found herself rather confused. Should she be laughing or crying? Unexpectedly she had found herself free from an unwanted task but a small singsong voice in her head wouldn’t leave it at that.

You wanted attention. As much as you loathed the idea, you wanted him to notice you. You wanted him to realize that you were better than the other lady friends he’s had. You wanted him to feel badly for neglecting you. Hera shook her head. She didn’t want anything from him. It would be better to have lived inside her father’s belly for the rest of her life as long as it meant Zeus was never born.

The singing and shouting outside the bedroom had begun to cease. Hera supposed that the guests had fallen asleep as Zeus had. She didn’t mind; the raucous laughter had been a painful reminder that everyone had a good time except for her.

Alone, in the silent dark, Hera couldn’t hold herself together any longer. Tears streamed down her face as she loosened the stars from her hair; releasing the ringlets that now cascaded around her face. She curled up and shivered in her silky, thin wedding gown.

What would become of her? With no hope how could she go on? How could she pretend to love Zeus when she knew that he would continue to do as he pleased, without a second thought about her? What would become of her?