Athena: your requests

#9 * step moms aren't that bad

Requested by SunsetMahi

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Athena murttered a Greek curse as she looked into the pond that showed the world below. In front of her the scene of her father entering a mortal woman's bedroom once again unfolded.

The wisdom goddess felt disgusted and betrayed. He would be here today. He promised. The ichor in the goddess' veins started boiling, up to the point where she angrily disrupted the water with a splash of her hand, making the image disappear.

"He's out again isn't he?" A voice behind Athena asked.

The daughter of Zeus hadn't been expecting anyone. She twisted around with a slight gasp.

The person behind her was Hera. Athena rolled her eyes. Could this day get any worse? She wanted to comment on it but Hera raised a hand, silencing her.

"Keep your judgment to yourself. All it does is hurt people. You of all should know that." The queen of heaven stated.

It made the wisdom goddess raise a brow. This took an unexpected turn.

"What did he promise you?" The goddess in front of her asked.

Athena cast her eyes to the marble flour of the temple they were in. She didn't feel like telling. It might seem... Silly.

Hera eyed her step-daughter. Her and Athena had never been close. But out of all of Zeus' bastard children she probably was Hera's favorite. Simply because she was a lot calmer and less tempered than her siblings.

The only very obvious thing the queen didn't like about her was the wisdom goddess' quick and venomous tongue.

"If you don't feel like telling, perhaps you could show me?"

Hera motioned towards the pond behid Athena. The latter sighed and scooted over so Hera could sit next to her.

Athena would never mention it to any of her siblings, but she thought Hera wasn't all that bad. Behind her facade of the picture perfect queen and all the obvious jealousy, she was simply a woman who ached to be loved and respected. Neither of which her father seemed to be able to give.

In fact the wisdom goddess could understand why her step-mother reacted the way she often did. Surely there was no need to punish the women and children, but she did understand where the uncontrollable rage came from.

Athena stared at the pond for a moment, hesitating. What if she showed Hera and she'd share it with the rest of Olympus?

Almost as if she read her mind the queen of heaven placed a hand on her step-daughter's knee and gave her a small encouraging smile.

"I swear on the river Styx that whatever you show me stays between the two of us." Hera swore.

The thunder rumbled in the distance as proof of her words. It reassured the daughter of Zeus enough to go through with what she was about to show Hera.

Athena touched the water with her pointer finger. It rippled and images started moving across the water like a movie.

Athena let her legs dangle off the edge of Olympus. From way up here the world below seemed small. It made her feel powerful.

She breathed in deeply as Zephyr sent a gust of wind to play with her hair. The daughter of Zeus smiled, a moment of peace in the war that was her life.

She was always fighting, always running from or towards something new, always thinking, never able to escape her own mind. Unless in moments like these.

Athena felt a prescense sit down next to her. When she looked to the right she saw that her father sat right there on the edge with her.

"Thinking again?" Zeus asked with a gentle smirk playing across his lips.

"For once? No." His daughter replied, taking her eyes of him and gluing them onto the view ahead of her once more.

"It's your birth week. Shouldn't you be celebrating?" The king of the gods asked.

"I'm sure lots of people will celebrate for me." Athena responded, not really caring.

"If you say so."

For a moment silence fell between father and daughter.

"You asked me what I wanted as present the other day right?" Athena questioned.

Zeus hummed in confirmation.

"I'd like you to braid my hair." The wisdom goddess stated.

"Really? No new spear, no new armor? New books?"

Athena shook her head.

"I'd like my father as a present. So I ask you, will you braid my hair?"

Her eyes never once left the view. She'd rather not see her father's contemplating looks. As he decided whether or not to act like a real father.

In absolute silence Zeus stood up. A pang of hurt shot through Athena's chest. Of course he wouldn't. She resisted the urge to scoff.

But to her surprise Zeus didn't leave. Instead he summoned himself a chair to sit in right behind his daughter and started combing his fingers through her hair.

A moment later the wisdom goddess could feel the gentle tugs on strands of brown wavey hair as the king made random little braids in her hair. She closed her eyes and engraved the moment in her mind.

Once more the wisdom goddess touched the water. It rippled again and the image disappeared. Hera sat in silence while staring at the pond.

"When was this?" She managed to ask after a while.

"About a century ago." Athena replied, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"He promised he would be here today to do the very same thing. Because-"

"It's the start of your birth week." The queen whispered in realization.

Her step-daughter gave a barely visible nod.

"I suppose women are more important." The wisdom goddess muttered with the venomous poison of hate dripping from her words.

Hera got up and moved to sit behind Athena. Without any words she started undoing the current braid the wisdom goddess' hair was in.

She combed her fingers through her long, brown, wavey hair. The queen grabbed some strands of hair and started braiding.

"Hera?" Athena questioned.

"Yes dear?"

"Thank you."

Hera didn't reply, words would be meaningless now.

In Athena's mind the memory of her father braiding her hair became less important. Instead she gave priority to this new one.

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Wow SunsetMahi,

This is such a wholesome request!! You asked from something that showed a good bound between Athena and Hera, I hope I managed to capture that for you in this one. I really like the idea of these two together idk what it is. They're so different and yet in their differences I think they can find themselves. Anyways enjoy your short! Happy reading and have a nice day!

- Athena