The Queen's Curse

twelve | Solace

Listen to the song!

Solace

The elder Olympian gods consist of six deities. The eldest being was Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth. The second born and eldest brother was Hades, Lord of the Underworld. Then, there was Demeter, Goddess of Harvest and Corn, best friend and loved by mankind. Afterward, their mother, Rhea, gave birth to the following children with the chronological order: Poseidon, Lord of the Seas, Hera, Goddess of Marriage and Queen of Olympus, and finally, the Lord of the Skies and their Savior and King, Zeus.

Long ago, the three sisters were inseparable. The reign of Cronus has ended and Zeus has taken over the throne. The war against the Olympians ended victoriously with the help of their allies. The three sisters aided the fight as much as they could. Hestia was the definition of home and comfort. She provided warmth and shelter amongst the deities who needed it. As for Demeter, her magnificent ascendancy over the Earth aided the deities who needed to recoup their energy and sate their hunger. Hera, on the other hand, was a true-born warrior. Her agility and strength contributed to their army's impetus, and she was a force to be reckoned with.

Despite their dissimilarity in domains and abilities, the sisters have one thing in common -- a gentle and loving heart. Even with Hera's fierce character, their compassion was evident to everyone.

When the wars ended, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia's bond were thick and no one could stand in between the familial love they possessed for one another. They were each other's confidante. Secrets were safely hidden within their circle. Tears were wiped away with comfort. Happiness was distributed. Love only engraved deep inside their hearts and thrived.

But nothing lasts forever. Things are transient. Hera was foreordained to be with Zeus for eternity. Their marriage sealed each others' fate. There was love that instantly blossomed and soon went downhill causing immeasurable pain. The Lord of the Sky began to stray, and one of the women he bedded was his other sister, Demeter.

By the entrance of the Queen's garden, there was a figure of a woman who watched the broken Queen from afar. Hera's face was contorted into solemnity or rather, a desolating expression as the light of the Moon illuminated particular areas of the garden and solely highlighted the Queen's captivating features. But even from afar, the woman was aware of the bottled feelings buried deep inside the Queen. Though she had built a façade of her own, the old Hera was still lying underneath several layers to prevent herself from being hurt once more.

It was difficult to recall the cold-hearted, unrelenting, and vindictive Queen as the once compassionate, pure-hearted, and fierce warrior who defended her siblings against the monsters inside their father's stomach and defeated Olympus' enemies to protect her family with a swing of her sword and flick of her wrist.

Whenever she would gaze upon the Queen's face, images of her heartbreaking, betrayed, and defeated expression would haunt her. After all, Demeter gave in to Zeus' affections, therefore losing her beloved sister in the process. It wasn't the thought of Zeus with another woman that hurt the most. His deceit was overpowered with the thought of her own sister indulging in the pleasures of the flesh.

With her husband.

It was the despicable betrayal and the Goddess of Harvest will forever be indebted to the Queen, her beloved sister, Hera.

Her corn-ripe yellow hair was carried by the wind as she pressed her palm against the barrier of the Queen's garden. Passage required the Queen's permission and there was a time when she was once authorized to enter. The past sure did consist of nostalgic and haunting memories. For now, her responsibility is to replenish the magic of the garden and augment rare kinds of flora. The least she could do was provide the necessary energy where her sister finds solace most of all.