Many goddesses who had been ready to watch a spectacle were disappointed at heart.
After all, it looked like there would be no spectacle.
A pity indeed.
Hera, face alight with joy, flew to meet them from afar, her heartfelt delight plain to see.
Before her two elder sisters had reached her, she was already calling out, "Dear Hestia, dear Demeter, my dearest sisters, welcome!"
"I've prepared divine wine and ambrosia. I… I truly have so much I want to say to you."
Yet when she drew near, she saw a faint trace of worry in her elder sister Hestia's eyes, and Demeter, the second sister, was expressionless, her gaze cold.
Her smile froze upon her face, and for a moment her heart fluttered; she stood there at a loss.
Demeter gave a cold snort and said in a voice that cut like ice, "Heh. Hera, my good sister. You certainly… have done a very big thing!"
Hera's heart lurched; she could no longer mind her composure. She rushed forward and said anxiously, "My dear sister, I know—I know it was my fault! I apologize to you! Please, please you must hear me explain!"
But Demeter only glanced at her coolly and chided, "What is there left to explain? Things are as they are. What is there left to say?"
The poor goddess of Procreation's eyes reddened at once. She hurried to take Demeter's jade hand and clasped it tightly, about to speak in haste.
Just then the silent Hestia let out a "pfft" of laughter.
She hurried forward and pulled the nearly-crying Hera into a hug, and at the same time scolded Demeter affectionately, "All right—carry it on and it truly goes too far. Don't make our poor little sister fret any longer. Look at her—she's nearly beside herself."
At that, the ice upon Demeter's fair face melted like spring returning to the earth. She "hee-hee"ed with a smile, arched her brows saucily, and wore a look of triumphant mischief.
She stepped up as well and hugged Hera from the other side, teasing, "Dear Hera, my good sister—did we frighten you? Were you panicked, afraid your sister truly took offense?"
"You, you," Demeter said fondly, touching her forehead lightly to Hera's, "you're simply too good. When it's clearly not your fault, you always want to shoulder what you need not shoulder."
Only then did Hera realize her two sisters had ganged up to "bully" her. Her nose prickled; she laughed with eyes turning red.
With helplessness and a hint of shy relief after catastrophe, she gave them a look—yet she also let out a long breath and at last felt the weight lift.
She hugged Demeter tight; her soft pink cheek nestled fondly to her sister's, and in a nasal, soft voice she said sweetly, "Dear Demeter, if you don't blame me, that's wonderful. Thank you, my dear sister."
Demeter returned the embrace gently, and said as a matter of course, "My dear sister—this wasn't your fault. What are you apologizing for?"
"We are one family of gods; we must forever be happy together. Now that you have a dear child—this is a joy for our whole family."
"If someone must be at fault, it can only be Zeus. That rascal always makes us grieve for Him."
As Demeter spoke, a glint of slyness flashed in her green eyes. She waved her little fist, the very picture of one ready to struggle to the end against evil, her spirit high.
"I think we must give Him a lesson and let Him know that even a God-King can't do as He pleases!"
Hestia only smiled in silence at the side, but Hera at once felt resonance, and nodded hard. "Sister is right! We truly should give that rascal a deep lesson!"
Seeing her little sister "join up," Demeter laughed all the more proudly. "Exactly! For the next hundred years we'll stay together and not let Him into our halls! Let's see how anxious He gets!"
Laughter like silver bells rang crisp above the clouds. Hera highly approved and nodded with a smile. "That's a fine idea. I support it completely!"
Watching her two sisters at last unravel their knots, return to their former closeness and joy—and even begin to unite against a common "foe"—Hestia felt deeply relieved and comforted.
Yet hearing the "brilliant plan" they had devised, she could not help tipping a perfectly judged pail of cold water over them.
She seemed to ponder a beat and then asked slowly, "Are you sure this is a good idea? To my ear, it sounds the worst possible idea."
"I cannot tell how many goddesses would dearly love you to keep Zeus out. You might bar Him—but there are plenty of goddesses lined up to invite Him in."
"You two would be truly willing to push Him with your own hands to other goddesses."
Demeter's willow brows shot up and she snapped, "He'd dare!"
"If He truly dares, then He can never step through my door again!"
Hestia clicked her tongue, her tone full of teasing. "Whether He dares or not, I don't know. But I suspect that before you force that rascal to bow his head and admit fault, the ones to grow anxious and aflame will be you two."
"If He truly got entangled by other goddesses, how long could you bear without seeing Him? A hundred years?"
As she spoke, Hestia looked at her two dear sisters with interest.
Sure enough, their faces both began to grow a little unnatural.
She went on, teasing, "Ten years?"
"Or one year?"
"Don't tell me you couldn't hold out for even a month?"
"And…" Hestia's smile grew ever gentler, but her words became ever more "fatal."
"I can't say I believe that you two can truly resist that rascal's pestering."
These words were like a tiny needle that gently pricked two puffed-up balloons of bravado.
Demeter, at once both shy and angry, pounced to hug her elder sister's slender waist and began to act spoiled. "Good Sister! As expected, you favor Zeus most!"
"We haven't done anything yet and you're already making excuses for Him! You're His greatest accomplice!"
In her good sister's tight embrace, Hestia managed a helpless little shrug, amusement bright in her eyes. "I'm not making excuses for Him. I'm only telling the truth."
"Even if you truly steeled your hearts not to heed Him for a hundred years—then in those hundred years, that amorous, free-living rascal would likely add a few more wives and a few dozen children."
"I only think… this is something you truly ought to consider carefully."
"But don't worry," she shifted her tone and stated her stance firmly, "whatever you decide, I will surely support you. I promise—I'll advance and retreat with you both!"
Hearing this, Demeter and Hera exchanged a knowing glance and shared understanding.
Then Hera cleared her throat and took the lead down a step, saying softly, "Sister speaks with sense. Why don't we… leave this matter pending, to discuss later."
"Ahem—indeed, indeed! Zeus that rascal is full of tricks. To give Him a truly profound lesson, we must plan at length and devise a thorough plan that cannot fail!" With the step offered, Demeter followed down at once.
This was a strategic retreat—not surrender!
After all, the elder sister's words did make too much sense!
She knew herself best. Saying she would bar Zeus resolutely—she feared that rascal would only need to pester a little and speak a few sweet words, and her defenses would collapse on the spot.
As for Hera…
A joke! If she herself could not refuse Zeus, how could Hera?
As for their dearest elder sister… that was even less realistic.
Let Zeus say a few soft words, then spill a little spoiled charm, and their elder sister would let Him have His way in anything.
There was no help for it—tender fire had always been best at indulging Him!
Hera now took each sister's hand, set teasing aside, and said gently, "Dear sisters, let's not stay in the sky. Come into my temple. The divine wine and ambrosia are long prepared—let us go inside and speak at length."
Demeter only smiled sweetly and shook her head. "Today, let's change the place for our talk and our easing of hearts."
"Mm?" Hera looked slightly puzzled.
Demeter gazed toward the distant earth, her green eyes bright. "Let's go to the mortal world. Let's look upon those newborn humans."
Hera had no objection and nodded. "Very well. I, too, have long wanted to see this new race, only…"
At that, a faint, untimely rosy blush crept upon the flawless, alabaster face of the gentle Great Mother.
Unbidden, she recalled that three-hundred-and-thirty-three-day sacred union that had intoxicated all her divinity.
Once she had accepted her beloved God-King, the joy and delight He brought were things she could not forget if she tried.
In this time, when she was alone, she always could not help but think of it—each time making her love and complain, blush and yearn.
She had always loved Zeus most of all. Eternal and unchanging, unwavering unto death.
Hera hurriedly shook off the thoughts and said, "Let us go then. I am also very curious about humankind."
Demeter found it a touch odd, but Hestia knew at once.
She hastened to speak and cover for their little sister. "Then let us set out. Those children are not like the realm of gods. I believe you both will come to love those dear children."
Hera nodded quickly, and Demeter thought no more of it.
The three great Mother Goddesses, saying go and going, descended together to survey the newborn tribes of humankind.
And within the Temple of Procreation, Leto and Asteria, who had made ready everything long before, watched wide-eyed as the three Great Mothers set out just so, without even taking a single nymph attendant along.
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