Chapter 17 Hera and the Golden Throne
Hera, her face pale, exclaimed, "Hermes! It's you?!"
Hermes pretended to be asleep in the cradle for a while, but when she realized that Hera hadn't come, she hesitated for a moment, then started wailing loudly.
There was no other way; she wasn't the type to sit idly by and wait for her fate. Besides, she was going to have to face Her Highness the Divine Empress sooner or later anyway, so she'd rather lure her over herself!
If we fail, we'll just drag Apollo, who came up with this terrible idea, down with us!
The aura of the goddess quickly emanated from the palace. Just as Hermes cried out for the third time, the elegant and noble Hera arrived at the cradle and carefully took out the infant 'Hebe'.
"Oh, my darling, what's wrong?" Hera gently cradled 'Hebe' in her arms, her sweet voice soothing the adorable child. "It must be because you woke up and didn't see your mother, right? Sweetheart, my dearest little Hebe, I'll always be with you. Want to hear a little story?"
The noble Queen had long, silky black hair. Perhaps because she had just woken up from her afternoon nap, it was not tied back as elegantly as usual, and instead flowed down from her exquisite crown inlaid with various expensive gems.
Hermes felt a few strands of black hair fall on her face and neck, causing a ticklish sensation.
She opened her tear-filled eyes wide, her vision blurred as she gazed at Hera's ivory-white face so close to hers. Her golden eyes, like the finest jade, shimmered with the warmth of spring, and the 'Hebe' she was impersonating had inherited those beautiful eyes.
It's strange. When she saw Hera at the banquet, she only thought that the goddess was aloof and scary, and looked like someone not to be messed with.
But now, this perception is slowly changing.
Perhaps it was Hera's expression and embrace that were so warm that Hermes momentarily forgot that she was actually afraid of this scheming queen of the gods. She pretended to struggle and stretched out her chubby little arms to hug the other's swan-like, long and beautiful neck.
"Mother...Goddess..." Hermes murmured the name, as if she really was Hebe, really was Hera's child.
Hera smiled even more gently, lowered her head and kissed 'Hebe's' forehead, coaxing softly, "Alright, alright, Mother Goddess's little youth, I'll always be here for you."
It's good that Her Majesty the Queen still hasn't realized that the baby in her arms is Hermes in disguise.
Hermes tried to rouse herself from this false mother-daughter relationship and stop indulging in the maternal glow emanating from Hera. Her goal was to suckle Hera's breast milk so that Hera would agree to let her return to Olympus, not to actually see herself as little Hebe.
Moreover, she has her own mother, and she cannot take away her mother by impersonating Hebe.
"Waaaaah..." Hermes started pretending to cry again, her cute little nose and round face turning red. "Hungry...so hungry..."
Perhaps it was because the Earth Mother Gaia had granted Hermes's wish that Hera felt so sorry for her when she heard her crying. She quickly carried her to the swing and sat down, pulling down her skirt and top so that Hermes could suckle at her breast.
This was not challenging, as Hera was the protector of women and children, and Hermes naturally had a great affinity for her.
But because she was Zeus's illegitimate daughter, she would also be afraid of Hera.
“My little darling, I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault for not taking good care of you. I promise I’ll never leave you out alone again.” Hera watched her daughter suckle lovingly, her brows furrowing slightly. “But Iris was sent to Lemnos by Zeus. How strange. I wonder where those nymphs have gone off to play. I’ll settle the score with them when they come back… Oh, my little darling, are you full? Shall I sing you a song?”
Hermes stopped babbling and just looked at Hera with an innocent smile.
That's incredible.
After swallowing the sweet breast milk, Hermes could feel Hera's divine power flowing into her body. It was filled with the same majesty and power as its master, and it was rapidly merging with her original natural divine power.
Is this considered an unexpected surprise?
For some reason, Hera felt something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on where this strange feeling came from.
Was it because of little Hebe? But her lovely daughter was always so cheerful, just like the dolphins of Amphitrite, which she loved.
"Alright, my little darling," Hera sighed. "Have you ever heard the songs of the Aegean Sea? Like this..."
The goddess began to sing for her daughter. She had a sweet voice and was very talented in singing. When Zeus was pursuing her, he turned into a bird and hid in her arms, where he was able to hear her beautiful songs.
Unaware that the child in her arms was Hermes in disguise, Hera could only attribute all the strangeness to postpartum depression, after all, that bastard Zeus had betrayed her again.
But no matter what, it cannot involve or harm her dearest child.
Hermes listened quietly to Hera's song, and for some reason, she began to feel that this goddess queen was actually just as good as her mother, Maia, and she seemed less afraid of Hera.
However, before Hera could finish singing the song, someone's voice came from outside the courtyard palace.
"Your Highness! Your Highness the Divine Queen!"
Hera's full, crimson lips parted slightly, and her golden eyes turned to see that her messenger with butterfly-like colorful wings had finally returned.
“I am very sorry, Your Highnesses, I have just returned from Lemnos.” The Rainbow Goddess bowed respectfully to Hera and 'Hebe'. “However, the trip was very fruitful. I met the child adopted by the goddess Thetis, your long-cherished eldest son.”
Behind Iris, several nymphs knelt on the smooth marble floor.
They brought a priceless golden throne, adorned with various jewels, which shone brilliantly in its beauty.
Hermes lay quietly in Hera's arms and looked over as well.
“Hephaestus has grown up and become a very fine craftsman. This golden throne is a gift he made for you himself.”
A gift that I made myself for Hera...?
Hermes stared at the beautiful throne, feeling that something was amiss.
As is well known, after Hera gave birth to Hephaestus, Zeus threw him off Mount Olympus because he was too ugly. According to Maia, the sea goddess Thetis eventually found Hephaestus, who had broken his leg, on the island of Lemnos and kindly adopted him.
Would Hera's son truly not harbor resentment? Treated so cruelly by his own father, while his mother was powerless to help, and he was raised by a complete stranger, a sea nymph. Would Hephaestus truly not feel wronged and resentful?
Hermes had a feeling that something was wrong.
Hera remained silent for a moment after hearing Iris's words, her eyes revealing a complex mix of emotions.
"Is this a gift from that boy Hephaestus...?" the Queen of Gods murmured, slightly moved. "I'm the one who wronged him."
Iris added, "He wants you to sit on it. The throne has a cushion, and if you feel uncomfortable, you can send it back for him to modify."
Hera involuntarily stood up: "Did Hephaestus really say that?"
“Yes, Your Highness, the Divine Queen.” Iris raised her head, her delicate face showing a respectful expression.
So Hera actually lifted her foot and tried to walk toward the golden throne that shimmered with alluring light.
But in that instant, her arms suddenly felt heavy, and when she looked down in surprise, she saw a girl wearing a green cloth hat, who looked to be only ten years old, lying in her arms.
Moreover, there were the brown braids and emerald green eyes, not to mention those all-too-familiar winged sandals—
Hera, her face pale, exclaimed, "Hermes! It's you?!"
Oh dear! She's touched something dirty; she's no longer clean!
Hera took a deep breath, her hands trembling as she held Hermes.
If it weren't for her good upbringing, she would have thrown this damned little brat away long ago!
"Where is my Hebe?!"
Hera was furious when she thought about how she had just breastfed Hermes. She tried her best not to distort her face and to maintain a dignified posture.
But what was this little rascal thinking? How did he end up on Olympus, acting like a madman and pretending to be her daughter in the cradle? And she hadn't even noticed... Where did this guy get such amazing abilities?
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty the Queen." Hermes quickly jumped out of her arms, which had suddenly turned cold, and knelt on one knee before Hera, whose brows were furrowed. "I lied to you in order to gain your approval. I am truly sorry."
Unlike Artemis, the approach she used on the latter should not apply to the former.
Although suddenly revealing her true identity in front of everyone is too foolish, and might actually drag Apollo, who came up with the terrible idea of impersonating Hebe, down with her... However, as long as she can prevent Hera from sitting on that golden throne that is definitely suspicious, everything will be fine.
Hermes could sense the sinister intent emanating from the so-called gift; in her eyes, it was already shrouded in a dangerous black mist.
“That’s not what I’m asking, you cunning bastard.” Hera had regained her composure. She looked down coldly at the treacherous brat kneeling before her, her clever mind already calculating the reason why he had done such a heinous thing. “Give me back my daughter. I’m warning you, don’t provoke me again.”
Even though she said it like that, Hera knew in her heart that she was beginning to feel a certain shameful feeling towards that little rascal Hermes.
Damn breastfeeding, damn the love of a mother for her child.
She actually started to find Hermes more agreeable, and even felt a sense of pity for this little guy who was just as annoying as Zeus.
Why did it have to be like this?!
On the other side, Iris and several nymphs watched this scene in shock, never expecting that Zeus's illegitimate daughter could be so audacious—she actually impersonated Hebe, the goddess of youth, and successfully deceived Her Majesty the Queen of the Gods! How did she manage to do that?
And where is the real Hebe?
Quite by chance, at that very moment, a golden, radiant deity descended from the clouds—carrying the innocent baby who had been switched.
Iris and the nymphs greeted him respectfully, "Good day, Your Highness Apollo."
The God of Light opened his pale blue eyes, meeting the gazes of everyone present, and gave a deep look to the fool who had ruined the plan.
“Please calm down, your daughter is perfectly safe.” He held the swaddled, youthful goddess in his arms. “Hebe is with me.”
Hera narrowed her golden eyes and watched silently as yet another of Zeus's illegitimate sons walked toward them.
Apollo returned Hebe, who was still fast asleep, to her mother's embrace, and then, like Hermes, knelt on one knee before the dignified and beautiful Queen of the Gods, right next to that fool.
"Please calm down." He lowered his noble head, his perfectly sculpted face expressionless.
Hermes turned to look over, not expecting that Apollo would come all the way to help her out of this predicament.
She was somewhat surprised and puzzled, after all, he had no reason to help her to this extent. But he had done the same thing at the banquet last time.
In that instant, a strange warmth rose in the heart of the god of deception and theft.
[Author's Note]
MVP of the match: Youthful goddess Hebe.
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