Marital Incongruity

“You’re getting soft, I see.”  Hera commented as she walked by Zeus.  Seated on the middle of the palace floor, bowl in hand, he was staring intently at the images moving across the water’s smooth surface.

“Soft?”  He inquired, not taking his eyes from his task, and she glided back towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Well, yes.  You used to kill your infidelities.”

“Incorrect.”  Zeus admonished her, still looking towards the shimmering picture.  “I used to remove myself from their affairs completely.  It was not my fault that my brother declared it time to take them from that plane.”

“He’s not even a half god.  There are no powers for him to have.”  Hera said, looking at the water with him.  “Why do you insist on observing this boy, day in and day out?”

“He is not a half god.”  Zeus said.  “He is three quarters.”

“Then why is he not here, with us?”  Hera asked, touching the image to dissipate it.  The ripples distorted it and it faded to an unusually clear blue.

“Because I have a task for him.”

“Is he the youngest?”

“He is the last, my dear.”  Zeus replied, setting down the bowl and rising to tower over her.  “And he was not formed from lust.”

“Doubtful.”

“He is going to solve our problems of rampant, orphan, miscreant, foolish children who do not have proper control over their abilities.  Remember the last time one realized he inherited the ability to control waters?”

“Yes.  Those thousands of people backed up Hades for days.  He was pissed.”

“And an unhappy Hades means unfortunate accidents.  I’ve ruled for a long time now, and it can’t go to waste.”

“I doubt they’re going to overthrow you because of a few ‘different’ and trouble making children.”  Hera said, kissing the curly gold hair on his chest.

“Well, no.  But it will make life easier to get those...  ‘different’ ...  children out of our hair.”  Zeus said, pulling his wife into a hug.  Until Arkonel had changed Ari, they had been constantly fighting.  But Ari introduced them to the concept of compromise, and he hadn’t violated mortals in at least 15 years.  The one woman, Anna, had been his last.  He hoped.

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