(Greek Mythology) The Abyss of the Underworld
Chapter 90
Although Hebe's talents were mediocre and she wasn't favored by Zeus, she held a high position among the king of the gods' many daughters, second only to the chief goddesses Athena and Artemis, because of her mother, the queen of the gods.
"So, for Zeus to do something like marrying his own daughter to a demigod, has he lost his mind?" Hemera wondered, completely baffled.
Sitting on a swing attached to a branch of a large tree, Hemera wove a flower wreath in her hands, her legs swinging leisurely in the air.
"I think he's off his meds. You should understand, sick people usually won't admit they're sick," Denise said with a straight face, casually stomping the restless grass under her feet into the soil.
The plants in the abyss share the same aesthetic as its master: beautiful as they are, but incredibly dangerous. Even among the ubiquitous grasses, a few seemingly ordinary blades of grass grow, but are actually ferocious creatures that feed on the blood of living beings.
I don't know if I, in a certain sense, could be categorized as a plant of the abyss. —by Denise, whose true form is a spider lily
"Hera is truly unlucky. Neither her own marriage nor her daughter's is happy. What's the point of her being the goddess of marriage?" Hermera, oblivious to Denise's subtle actions, felt deep sympathy for the queen's unfortunate situation.
"She only has herself to blame." A cold voice sounded behind the two gods. The words, which should have been sarcastic, sounded more like an emotionless statement from this usually indifferent deity, devoid of any mockery, only chilling indifference.
In truth, what the Queen of the Gods was like was none of Tartarus's business. This statement was merely a matter of fact, an assessment based on overhearing the conversation between the two gods. Given Tartarus's personality, such an attitude was perfectly normal.
**Thump!**
"...Ah!...Hiss...It hurts..."
Startled by the sudden sound, and most importantly, Tartarus's voice, Hemera, who was already unsteady on her feet, fell directly off the swing. She seemed to be in quite a bit of pain, and the unfinished flower wreath in her hands scattered all over the ground.
**Tearful Hemera:** Never again will I build the swing so high ::>_<::
"Your Majesty Tartarus." The moment she heard the voice, Denise reflexively turned and knelt down respectfully.
Of course, regarding Denise only realizing what she was doing halfway through her ritual, we can only say that psychological trauma is truly unbearable, especially this kind of deep-seated trauma that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, is unlikely to be erased.
"Your Majesty, don't you know that scaring someone can kill them?" Hermes pouted, complaining, demonstrating her shock with her actions.
Hermes: Walking silently across this leaf-strewn ground is simply illogical.
Tartarus: Science doesn't exist in the mythological world, thank you.
"Then are you human?" Tartarus retorted.
"Okay, I'm not human," Hermes twitched her lips, paused, and continued, "Although the meaning is correct, saying it just feels off, like I'm insulting myself, it feels weird."
"You always like to dwell on things like this." To be precise, you like to dwell on these strange and meaningless things.
"Your Majesty, why do you say Hera brought it on herself? Doesn't marrying a scoundrel deserve sympathy?" Hermera skipped over that question and returned to the previous topic.
"Did she know Zeus was a scoundrel before the marriage?" Tartarus asked.
"...Hmm...I guess so." Hermera thought for a moment to confirm. Whether Hera knew the term "scoundrel" was debatable, but she certainly understood Zeus's character, so she should be considered to know.
After all, whether it was Metis, the first queen of the gods, who was swallowed up, or his numerous lovers, it was clear enough that Zeus was a philandering and promiscuous god. Hera certainly couldn't have been unaware of this.
"Did anyone force her to marry him?" Tartarus asked again.
"No." This time, Hera answered quickly.
At this point, Hermera roughly understood what Tartarus meant.
Hera might have been Zeus's most suitable second queen, but certainly not the only one. If Hera was unwilling, Zeus wouldn't force her. Their previous close relationship was insignificant in the Greek pantheon—a fleeting affair. Zeus had no lingering attachment to a goddess he had already possessed.
So, to put it bluntly, Hera married Zeus half for love and half for the prestige of the queen. Hera was well aware of the consequences, but she was unwilling to relinquish power. Since she chose this path, she should bear the consequences herself.
"So, it seems Hera really did reap what she sowed."
"Seems?" Tartarus's voice rose at the end, carrying a hint of danger. "Are you questioning my assessment?"
Even after his explanation, she still had doubts. It would be better to send Hemera into the illusion to experience it for herself.
Denise, who had maintained a high-quality silence since the beginning, lowered her head, once again trying to minimize her presence.
"No, you misheard me. I meant Hera really brought it on herself," Hemera immediately corrected herself, completely lacking in backbone.
She wouldn't give Tartarus an excuse to throw her into the illusion. This little devil has learned countless lessons; how could she possibly fall for something so simple?
Floating Life: So that means you'll fall for things that aren't simple, right?
Hermera refused to answer that question.
Also, Your Majesty, can't you come up with a different way to torment people? It's always the same illusion, illusion, illusion—it's exhausting!
Tartarus: It doesn't matter if the method is old or effective. (He refuses to admit he's just too lazy to think of anything.)
"The goddess of marriage has an unhappy marriage; it's ironic." After saying this, Hemera silently chuckled to herself. She realized that whenever she was in Tartarus's presence, she was either changing the subject or on her way to doing so.
"There's nothing ironic about it," Tartarus said calmly. "As the goddess of marriage, she's been utterly incompetent."
In truth, Hera was indeed incompetent. She was always busy attacking her rivals, neglecting her primary duty. She also had a penchant for matchmaking, marrying off potential rivals to other gods—a common tactic of Hera's. There could be no worse goddess of marriage.