Hera was enjoying the party.
In the beginning, everything was fine. She enjoyed the celebration alongside her family, basking in the attention they received from the gods, goddesses, Titans, and the many other immortals gathered there.
Everyone's attention was on the royal family as her three brothers enthusiastically recounted stories from the battle.
Meanwhile, Hera chatted with her mother and her two sisters, Hestia and Demeter.
Everything was peaceful.
Everyone was laughing.
Everyone was celebrating.
They drank divine nectar and enjoyed every kind of delicious dish prepared by her older brother, Aetherion. The desserts, in particular, were exceptional.
She had to admit that much.
But the food was not the problem.
She enjoyed it…
Just not for long.
Everything changed the moment Selene approached her older brother.
Almost every eye in the hall turned toward them. While a few gods continued drinking their nectar, intoxicated by both the divine drink and their own tales of glory, most of the guests—including Hera—found their attention drawn to the pair.
She watched as Selene led Aetherion to the center of the hall.
Then…
They began to dance.
The sight captivated everyone present.
Even Hera had to admit they looked beautiful together.
But the longer she watched, the more an uncomfortable feeling settled in her chest.
An itch.
A quiet irritation.
…Jealousy.
She frowned.
Still, she had no reason to interrupt them.
Even though the nectar had left her slightly tipsy, her divine hearing remained sharp. She heard Aetherion remind Selene of the reward he had promised her, and she realized that this dance was the reward Selene had chosen.
It irritated her.
But what came afterward irritated her even more.
As the music came to an end…
Selene leaned forward…
…and kissed him on the cheek.
The hall erupted into cheers and laughter.
Hera immediately stood, intending to walk over—
Only to stop.
Metis had already reached him.
She watched as Metis effortlessly claimed the next dance.
Hera remained where she stood, clenching her jaw as she glanced around the hall.
Her younger brothers merely smiled before returning their attention to the countless beautiful women surrounding the celebration.
'…Idiots,'she thought.
Her eyes shifted toward Themis.
For a brief moment, the two women exchanged glances.
Then…
Themis quietly looked away and returned her gaze to Aetherion.
Hera followed her line of sight.
And then—
She saw it.
Metis leaned closer.
Their lips met.
For a brief moment…
They kissed.
Hera froze.
Her expression darkened as a surge of irritation, jealousy, and something she refused to acknowledge welled up inside her.
'…That shameless woman!'
She stood up immediately.
Across the hall, Aetherion had already begun walking away from the dance floor.
He still wore a dazed expression, a faint smile lingering on his lips, as though he was still processing what had just happened.
That smile…
For some reason…
Only irritated Hera even more.
Without another thought, she strode toward him.
Just as he reached the place where he had been sitting earlier—
She grabbed his hand.
***
Aetherion slowly made his way back toward the seat he had occupied before the dancing began.
His expression was distant, almost absent-minded.
His eyes lacked their usual sharpness, and a faint, foolish smile lingered on his lips as the effects of the divine nectar continued to cloud his thoughts.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Just as he was about to reach his seat, someone caught hold of his hand.
His steps came to an abrupt halt.
Blinking in confusion, he turned around.
Waiting for him were a pair of beautiful royal-purple eyes.
And their owner…
Hera.
She stood before him with an expression that seemed strangely irritated, though the slight flush on her cheeks betrayed that she, too, had enjoyed more than a little nectar. A small smile rested on her lips, though it failed to hide the annoyance in her gaze.
"Oh… Hera," Aetherion said, his voice relaxed and slightly sluggish. "Good to see you."
A soft chuckle escaped him.
"I was just about to head back and sit down for a while."
The nectar still affected him more than he cared to admit. His thoughts felt pleasantly hazy, and all he wanted now was a quiet place to relax.
Hera didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she tightened her grip on his hand and simply began walking.
Aetherion stumbled after her, looking at her with visible confusion.
"Hm? Where are we going?"
Without slowing her pace, Hera answered in a calm, matter-of-fact voice.
"To sit down. You said you wanted to rest."
Aetherion blinked.
"Well… yes, but I was going back to my own—"
"You're sitting with us."
Her words cut him off before he could finish.
She glanced back over her shoulder, a faint frown tugging at her brows.
"It is far better to sit with your family than to spend the evening tucked away in some corner surrounded by random deities."
There was something oddly firm about the way she said it.
Aetherion tilted his head.
"Hera… Are you alright? You seem… troubled."
The moment those words left his mouth, Hera's eye twitched almost imperceptibly.
A smile appeared on her lips.
A perfect smile.
Except…
It never reached her eyes.
"It is nothing, Brother," she replied smoothly.
"Nothing at all."
Still slightly drunk and nowhere near clear-headed enough to question her further, Aetherion simply accepted the answer with an absent-minded nod.
"Alright."
Without another thought, he followed along beside her.
Together, they walked back toward the royal table, where Rhea, Hestia, Demeter, Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and the rest of their companions continued enjoying the celebration, laughing, drinking divine nectar, and feasting beneath the star-filled sky.