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“I’d have never turned away from you to begin with. I’d have not taken my eyes off you. Which I never intend to anyway.” Nemesis touched her face gently. “As for Hell, Hades could’ve hanged for all I cared about her conditions. Orpheus made a rookie mistake but it wasn’t in turning around. Wanting to make sure your love is okay is a lover’s nature. Worrying about your love is a given. He should have struck a better bargain.”
“Not everyone wrestles the Fates down and ties the threads of life back together, my love. Not everyone is as terrifying as you.”
“You think I’m terrifying?”
Nemesis nuzzled into Hera’s hand. And Hera felt her heart roll over, completely at the mercy of this mercurial, severe, impossible Goddess.
“I think you are beautiful. And yes, terrifying. It’s scary how much I love you.”
Nemesis laughed again, happily, that same seductive sound, and Hera had to cross her legs, suddenly aware of how close they were and of her own skin feeling tight and hot under the satin sheet.
“It’s rather perfect that you find terrifying things beautiful, Your Majesty.”
It was Hera’s turn to laugh.
“It’s fitting, since I hear we are a Perfect Match. Who’d have thought?”
Nemesis lowered her forehead to Hera’s.
“Not me. I was so certain I’d eluded those damn arrows.”
“You didn’t want to—”
“No, no, my love.” Nemesis lifted her face. “I wanted to be free to fall in love with you for who you are. And for you to love me for who I am. With none of the cupid bullshit.”
Hera’s tears spilled.
“You know that the arrow can’t force the feelings? So, for all intents and purposes, we fell of our own accord. And the Cupids only confirmed we are suited.”
Nemesis shook her head, her hair tickling Hera’s skin.
“I find it hard to accept that those airheads have any say in my life, Your Majesty.”
Hera’s laugh was a little giddy. Oh, how she was looking forward to an eternity with this grumpy, sweet, adorable woman.
“Some of them are good people, Nemesis.”
Nemesis shrugged.
“Well, making Zeus believe he had been struck by an arrow and playing along was kind of a fun spectacle to behold. Seeing him realize who his actual match was was even more amusing. I wish I could’ve enjoyed it more, but I was a little preoccupied thinking I was losing you.”
Nemesis’s eyes turned misty, and Hera hugged her tight.
“I will never be able to express how sorry I am. How painful it was to see your tears.”
“Well, there are so many ways I can think of that you can repay me.” Nemesis wiggled her eyebrows, and Hera felt an entire platoon of butterflies take residence in her chest.
“However, none of those can happen on any given Saturday. Because your sister has marked every blasted Saturday on your calendar as “bonding”, whatever that means, and apparently Aphrodite, her currently less-than-wise-but-utterly-smitten wife, Demeter and her Muse, along with a dozen other Cupids and other creatures will attend. Apparently, she wants the deities to “get to know” us again, now that you have de-centered men.”
Hera felt her eyebrows rise.
“I think Demeter is hellbent—sorry, Hades—to make you accepted by the Olympus crowd.”
“I am their Empress, I don’t need their acceptance,” Hera whispered. Old anger reared its head.
“Except they apparently love you. Yes, Apollo fell off the balcony, and Poseidon tried to make everything about himself again, but you should have seen the rest of the crowd. When I drew my sword to fight the Fates—and had they been less reasonable, I would have—Clio, Aphrodite, Athena, your sister and that Muse of hers, most of the women would have followed me to demand Hades unhand you. You are loved, Hera, Empress of Olympus. Even if Zeus still might marry that floozy and proclaim her royalty now, no one will ever take your crown.”
Hera felt her mouth go dry. The words washed over her, one sentence after another.
