I expected hesitation. I expected bargaining. Instead he nodded, and with the sun as our witness, he knelt before me. “My kingdom is yours. You will be queen, and I will be your king. We will rule together as partners, as equals, whether you consent to marry me or not. From this moment on, it is done, regardless of your choice.”
I stared at him. He couldn’t be serious. Whatever game he was playing, I was nothing more than a pawn, a way for him to entertain himself while ignoring the responsibilities of his domain.
But he had been a fair ruler so far, and he was no longer the boy who’d led us during the war. In the year since our victory, he had transformed into a young man, one I was nearly proud to call brother. Loath as I was to admit it, even to myself.
“I will never bow at your feet,” I said.
“Which is why I am bowing at yours.”
“I will not consent to mistresses.”
“You are all I need.”
“I demand respect and honesty at all times.”
“And you will have it, from this moment on.”
The warmth and hope in his voice melted the ice around my heart, and at last I allowed myself to relax. Never completely, but enough to feel alive once more.
“I will not give you an answer now,” I said at last. “Words are easy to speak, but I want you to show me that you mean this. I will give you one chance. If you break my trust in any way, or if you treat me as anything less than your equal for even a moment, it is over. But if you prove to me that you mean this, that you’ve changed and are willing to do this—then when the time is right, I will marry you.”
Uncertainly flashed across his face, but it was gone before I could comment, and he stood. “Very well. You have my devotion.” He brushed his fingertips against my cheek, and my insides fluttered. “I will do whatever it takes to prove myself to you.”
“Good.” No use allowing Zeus the satisfaction of knowing what his promises meant to me. As Hades had proven that day, a promise was easily broken. “I look forward to your efforts.”
“For now, let us walk,” said Zeus. “It’s a beautiful afternoon, and I’m with the most beautiful woman in the world. It would be a crime to waste it.”
Once again, he took my hand. This time I didn’t resist.
* * *
Zeus stuck to his word. I hadn’t thought it possible, but from that afternoon on, he treated me as his equal. Together we ruled his kingdom—our kingdom now, visiting humans, watching over them, intervening when problems became too great for them to handle peacefully. The last thing we needed was a war among mortals, and we both kept busy, putting out fires as they arose. One day they would be able to govern themselves, but not yet.
On top of offering me equality, he showered me with gifts and attention. More than that, he offered me affection as well, never pushing for more than I was willing to give. Soon I began to look forward to spending time with him, and eventually the loss of Hades became little more than a twinge of regret.
Each evening, Zeus asked me to marry him. After each proposal, I said no. But his determination never faltered, and as time passed, I could no longer deny that he’d changed. The days of wrestling in the mud with Poseidon were gone, and I was proud to stand beside him as his queen, as his equal. My affection for him ran deep, and though some nights I wondered what my life would be like with someone I was truly passionate about, I knew I would find no better offer.
So after a day that had been nothing more than average on the surface, yet had been quietly extraordinary because I’d spent it with Zeus—I said yes.
On the morning of my wedding, my sisters helped me prepare. I bathed in the sweetest spring on earth, adorned my hair with the most beautiful flowers in creation and spent hours in my chamber taking every possible step to make sure I was perfect. But only Hestia seemed to share my happiness. Demeter was strangely quiet as she plaited my hair in an intricate style, and nothing Hestia and I said seemed to snap her out of it.
At last, once she’d finished with my hair, I turned to face her. “Say it.”
Demeter blinked innocently. “Say what?”
“Whatever it is you’re thinking. I can see your disapproval with both of my eyes shut, and I will not have my sister unhappy on my wedding day.”
She pursed her lips, and at last she murmured, “I am simply not sure you’re making the right decision, that’s all.”
I knew it was coming, but something inside me snapped. “And why is that?” I said, not bothering to hide the challenge in my voice. She had no right to question my choices. She’d chosen to live her life alone thus far, and I wasn’t weaker than her for choosing the opposite.
Hestia quickly stepped toward us. “There’s no need to fight. You’ve made your decision, and Demeter’s only concerned for your welfare—”
“My welfare? I daresay it goes much deeper than that, doesn’t it, Demeter?”
“Hera—” said Hestia, but I cut her off.
“Let our sister say her piece.”
Demeter hesitated again, but finally she said, “Zeus has gone to great lengths to prove he’s changed for you. But people don’t change like that, Hera—they change because they want to, not because someone demands they do. And I worry that as soon as the wedding’s over and the pair of you settle into marriage, he’s going to revert back to the person you hate.”
“Have you heard something?” I said. “Have you seen him do anything that would make you question his fidelity to me?”
“No, but—”
“He’s changed.” I stood. “I know him. Not only did he decide to better himself for me, but he’s proud of the changes he’s made, and he wants to stay that way.”
“Hera…” Demeter reached for me, but I pulled away.
“If you had proof, if you had witnesses—but you don’t, because he’s loyal to me. He respects me, and he would never hurt me in such a way. He would never leave me like that.”
“Zeus would say or do anything to get you to marry him,” she said. “It’s a game to him. I’ve no doubt he loves you, but that doesn’t mean he’ll remain loyal as soon as he has what he wants, and you must be prepared for the possibility—”
“It is not a possibility,” I said. “He’s changed, and you will see. You’ll both see. Unless you intend on sabotaging his efforts to prove me wrong.”