Zeus met Hera's gaze, unreadable as always.
For a second, neither of them spoke.
Then he let out a breath and cracked a faint smirk. "You always show up after the warmups. Never for the fun part."
Hera stood tall, regal as ever in her gold-trimmed robe, her eyes cold despite the soft breeze brushing through her dark hair. She didn't respond, just placed a kiss on Ares's head and slowly stood back up.
Zeus motioned toward the edge of the training ground. "Walk with me."
She said nothing. Just followed.
The marble beneath their feet echoed with each step as they moved past the columns lining the terrace. Behind them, Ares and Athena resumed their sparring, but the silence between Hera and Zeus was heavier than the strikes.
They walked along the vine-wrapped path that curved around the outer wall of Olympus. Far below, clouds drifted like lazy sheep. The horizon shimmered where the sky met the mortal realm.
Zeus broke the silence first. Of course he did.
