Even If It Means War || Ennead

Olympus (part 1)

"It's good to be home again." Zeus breathed in the fresh air on top of the Olympus while Seth was hunched over next to him, panting and heaving from exhaustion.

"There's no way...there's no way you climb that mountain every time you want to go up here." he swallowed and kept breathing while Zeus just looked at him with an amused smile.

"Well, no. Usually, we use the clouds to fly up here–" Zeus realized he shouldn't have mentioned that because in the next moment Seth was grabbing his shoulders and yelling, "We could've gotten up here on a cloud?!"

Zeus smiled nervously, "Yes. But I wanted to give you the full experience. Wasn't it fun–"
Seth punched him straight in the face, He spent the whole day climbing that ugly mountain only to find out that there was a much easier way up.
"What on earth made you think that this is an experience I would enjoy?"

Zeus rubbed his face with a pout, "Well actually...there might be one more thing I have to tell you before we go in."

Seth could tell that it was something serious but before he could ask, a shrill voice yelled from behind the Gates, "Zeus! I knew you would come back one day you little shit!"

Zeus rolled his eyes and moved to stand behind Seth, "Oh, there she is."

A woman with beautifully braided hair rushed out, holding a spear, seemingly ready to attack. Her eyes fixated on Seth and she stopped, "Who are you?"

Seth looked back at Zeus and then back at the woman, "I'm Seth. Who are you?"

"I am Hera." She eyes Seth up and down but the way sent a cold shiver down his spine. She reminded him of Isis when she was mad about something. Needless to say, he felt right at home in Hellas.

Zeus smiled and squeezed Seth's shoulders, "Goddess of women, marriage, and childbirth."
That explained the resemblance to his sister, Seth thought.

"And his wife," Hera said sharply, her eyes glistening with anger.

Seth blinked slowly as he processed the information that was just dumped on him. Had he been sleeping with a married man this entire time? Did Zeus ever mention that he was married? No, Seth would have remembered.

"It's complicated." Zeus shot Hera a warning glare which she met with the same energy.

"It's complicated because you make it complicated. Now get inside, your son wants to see you." Hera turned around and left the Gates open for them.

"So you have a wife and a son." Seth stated and slapped his hands away, "How come I am only now finding out about this?"

Because if he had known he wouldn't have come to Hellas with him. The answer was obvious but admitting that Zeus knew Seth well enough by now to be able to trick him like that was unnecessary.

"Three."

"Three what?"

"I have...three children." Zeus rubbed the back of his neck and smiled, "They're not all Hera's though."

Seth understood what was left unsaid. Zeus always struck him as someone who moved on rather quickly. It would make sense for his love life to be no different than that. But three children with three different women? Children were supposed to be a symbol of true love, not something to randomly have as one pleased.

"She said your son wants to see you. You should go see him then."

"Ares. He can be quite a handful." There was something in Zeus' eyes that reminded Seth of his mother. And he immediately knew that this son of his was unloved. Unwanted perhaps.