The grand feast of the gods was in full swing, the air filled with the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses. At the head of the table, Zeus, the king of the gods, held court, his booming voice cutting through the cacophony. But my attention was fixed on the goddess sitting next to me, her tan skin glowing in the firelight and her curly brown hair cascading down her shoulders.
Aniya, the goddess of sins and ruler of Tartarus, was drunk and laughing loudly, regaling the company with tales of her and Hera's recent trip. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she spoke, and I couldn't help but smile as I listened to her.
"And then, I turn around and Hera is gone!" Aniya exclaimed, causing the other gods and goddesses to erupt in laughter. "I was like, 'girl, where did you go?' And she's all, 'I had to go do my makeup.' I mean, can you believe it?"
I shook my head, a small smile playing on my lips. "You left Hera alone to do her makeup?" I asked.
Aniya nodded, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "Yeah, and when I came back, she was hooking up with some random guy!"
The laughter died down as the other gods and goddesses stared at us in shock. But Aniya just shook her head and laughed. "I was like, 'girl, you are married! You can't be doing this!'"
I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her dramatics. "Fuck Zeus and fuck marriage," I said, quoting myself.
Aniya burst out laughing, causing the others to look at us in confusion. "Only you, Hera," she said, shaking her head.
I stood up, ready to leave the feast. Aniya followed suit, and as we made our way through the crowd, I couldn't help but notice the looks of shock and confusion on the other gods and goddesses' faces. Aniya just grinned and winked at them, enjoying the chaos she had caused.
Finally, we reached the door and stepped out into the cool night air. I turned to Aniya, a serious look on my face. "Thank you, Aniya," I said. "For always being there for me, no matter what."
Aniya smiled and wrapped her arm around my shoulders. "Always, Hera," she said. "Always."
As we walked away from the feast, I couldn't help but think about what Aniya had said. I was pregnant, and I had no idea how I was going to tell Zeus. But as I looked at Aniya, her arm still wrapped around my shoulders, I knew I had at least one person I could count on.
And that's how Hephaestus, the god of fire and the son of Zeus and Hera, came to be.
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