Chapter 334: 86: Prelude, the Sun, the Moon, and War_3
However, judging from the timeline, my Heavenly Empress seems to be a bit later than expected. Therefore, seeing Hera's sullen face, Zeus felt no surprise at all.
"Smile? Are you referring to cheering up that old woman? Celebrating that her children will be born before mine and become the great Divine King's eldest son?"
With a cold snort, Hera didn't show Zeus any warmth in her expression, and the Divine King had nothing to say in return.
In fact, Zeus was somewhat helpless himself. He too had wished to have an eldest son with Hera first, as he had never entertained the thought of anyone else taking Hera's place. But for some reason, although things had been fine at the start of their marriage, over the past few decades, Hera had been intentionally or unintentionally avoiding him until only recently things had returned to normal.
Perhaps it was his relationship with Demeter that had soured her mood. He shook his head internally, but Zeus did not regret his actions. His forceful possession of another sister of his was not solely for lust, but also other reasons.
The Divine King saw Hades' interest in Demeter, but he didn't want this powerful sister to leave Olympus and become Queen of the Underworld, so he took a more direct approach to decisively end Hades' hopes.
That way, when the other party came to him using a past promise as justification, he had an excuse to rebuff them.
"What do you plan to do, Hera? No matter what, Leto's children are innocent after all, and they can't shake your position."
He rubbed his temples and asked slowly.
A sensation from the Law told him that Leto's children were extraordinary; they carried vitality and strength and were destined to be two powerful Divine Children—at least one, certainly.
As twins, it was difficult for Zeus to predict their powers before they were born, but even one would suffice. Having just received a divine ceremony, he would soon have powerful children. While the Divine King was contemplative of fate's favor, he was also wary of Hera acting irrationally.
Fortunately, though Hera's attitude was far from polite, her actions nevertheless brought the Divine King some relief.
"That's my business. Zeus, since you can't control yourself, I'll use my own methods to ensure that no one will surpass me."
Her expression was cold. Since sharing power with Zeus, Hera had never used her authority of the Heavenly Empress, but this time was an exception. In front of Zeus, the Law of Fertility was greatly strengthened by the authority of the Heavenly Empress. In this moment, a temporary rule was added to the world.
Before the birth of Hera's children, as long as Leto remained within the lands ruled by the Divine Court, the Law of Fertility would resist her, preventing the birth of her Divine Son and Divine Daughter. Even though such an overt defiance of instinctual Law couldn't last long, the Heavenly Empress didn't need it to endure much.
"Now, you may leave."
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She glanced at Zeus indifferently and dismissed him with a wave of her hand.
He wasn't there to see her, he simply wanted to know how she would react to this situation. And she believed that this merciless king couldn't care less whether Leto suffered. After all, everything was her doing, and it had nothing to do with the Divine King.
"Very well then, Hera, I won't stay any longer."
Just as the Heavenly Empress predicted, Zeus didn't intend to quibble over such verbal trivialities with Hera. The Divine King also wasn't much concerned with what she had just done. Thus, having received an answer, he turned and left her chambers.
The palace fell quiet, and after a long while, Aglaea, who had just left, came back through a side door and bowed slightly to Hera.
They had been discussing something before, and Zeus's arrival had interrupted them.
"Continue, Aglaea, after you took him to the sea, into whose hands did you entrust him?"
Gently grasping the armrest, Hera inquired.
"My cousin, daughter of Nereus and Doris, Thetis adopted him."
Bending slightly, Aglaea spoke.
The serene face of the young girl was devoid of any superfluous expressions, this matter entrusted to her by the Heavenly Empress decades ago, she had always executed very well.
"A child of the Primitive Sea God... Good, definitely much stronger than my brother."
Her expression inscrutable, it was hard to discern what Hera thought of the child that had finally been born not long ago. His ugly appearance, his disabled body, she didn't want him to stay on Mount Olympus, but she wished for him to have a rather decent childhood.
At the very least, he wouldn't have to spend his lengthy life immersed in darkness and deathly stillness like she had.
"Have Nereus bring some humans to the island where he is, the godhood of the [volcano] is still too weak. If he can seize the opportunity, perhaps there's still a chance for him to return to Mount Olympus in another way."
"For those with value... like those Cyclopes, our Divine King does not care about their appearances."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
As if she hadn't heard the latter part of Hera's words, Aglaea accepted the orders and left, leaving Hera alone in the great hall. She gently stroked her abdomen, where another life was robustly growing.
Feeling his vitality and sharpness, Hera finally revealed a smile.
"You at least mustn't be inferior to Leto's children, show your abilities... When the time comes, I will also give you the very best."
As for what would happen if he couldn't surpass them, Hera didn't ponder much. Being the firstborn son conceived by two potent divine powers, already possessing such immense authority even before birth, the result naturally wouldn't disappoint her.
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In the Olympian divine lineage, three new deities were about to be born, but in the third era, their gestation was so tranquil and unnoticed, with only the Goddess of Nursery weaving between the sky and the sea over time, letting more and more mortals know of the Heavenly Empress's ruthlessness.
Just like the one locked within Zeus's mind, under the power of the Queen of Gods' authority, unless someone openly declared that this place was not under the Divine Court's rule, Leto's child could not be born.
She had asked the Sea God, asked Hades, but they all refused her, so the goddess could only wander helplessly between heaven and earth, unable to find any deity willing to intervene in the family dispute of the Divine King.
Even her parents, the Lightless celestial deity Coeus, turned Leto away from his doorstep. In the past, this reclusive Ancient God had already warned her to stay away from the Divine Court, especially from the Divine King, but Leto was immersed in Zeus's sweet nothings.
Thus, when she turned to them, the Ancient Titan God turned a blind eye to her, only the deity Asteria secretly felt compassion for her sister's plight.
In the original myth, Leto's sister would eventually commit an act in defiance of the Heavenly Empress's commands, transforming a falling star into an island for her childbirth, but this time, fate took a completely different direction.
One night, the moon in the sky and the moon in the Spirit Realm both sensed a closeness, and to the southeast of the earth, an existence closely related to them was being nurtured.
And so, on this day, the silver chariot took a turn, changing direction in the night sky, sparking endless speculation among mortals, and the first oracle from the land of starfall also descended in front of the temple, humble yet clearly built with intent.