Hera: Queen & goddess of the sky, women & marriage (hera_teleia) wrote in deities_dot_com, @ 2012-12-12 20:54:00 |
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Entry tags: | ~hera, ~zeus |
Strategy Meeting (tag: Zeus)
It was not often that Hera did something of this fashion for her husband. Frankly there were too many risks involved. Too many things could become emotional landmines, waiting to be stepped on by unwary, careless feet, and she really did hat to start the day with a metaphorical explosion. Even if Zeus sometimes thought otherwise.
Hera moved the coffee cup just a bit further toward the top of the tray to make room for the large plate. Big breakfasts were not the Greek norm: a usual day consisted of coffee or tea and some bread and honey, followed by a light snack a few hours later. Late lunches and even later dinners usually meant early meals were just “starters” for the day. But this morning Zeus was getting an American style breakfast.
Along with the very strong coffee, Hera had a “Greek omelet” prepared: three eggs, scrambled up and cooked, then folded around tomatoes, onions, olives and feta cheese. Slices of fresh bread, toasted and smeared with creamy butter, shared the dish as well as a bit of braised beef. Americans always had some bit of meat on their morning plates. In a bowl to the left of the large plate sat a rounded spoonful of yogurt, doused in honey, sprinkled with chopped, toasted almonds. On a smaller plate, just below the yogurt, was a nice slice of spanakopita. And, as a special treat, near the coffee cup was a small bowl piled with round, sweet loukoumades. It was a staggering amount of food to confront first thing in the morning.
But Hera was hoping the bounty would please Zeus and put him in a good mood for the conversation that needed to happen. Things had been strained between them since the ruined dinner party, and they had not yet truly made up. The civility at the recent interpantheon gathering had been more for show and to save face than any true repair of their relationship. Not that it was ever really set to right, it was just patched enough to limp toward the next waiting catastrophe. Hera would have left him long ago, if only to avoid the constant conflict, if she didn't love him so very much. Damn him. But she did. She loved him. She needed him.
And they were going to need each other to handle the newest situation that had presented itself. Her own finely manicured hands grasped the handles of the tray to carry it to his bedroom. She would use no servant for this, though she had sent one to be certain he was still in his bed, and that he was alone. That attendant still stood near the door as Hera approached, giving a deferential nod to confirm that the king continued to repose in solitude. Hera dismissed her after having her open the door.
Pausing on the lush rug that covered the floor of her husband's bed chamber, Hera could not help but note that even in sleep he seemed so vital, so full of life and power. Even unconscious he exuded charm and charisma. Though she knew that, knew him with all the bad that came with the good, she still felt her fingers twitch with the desire to run through his thick hair, to touch the warm, smooth skin of his cheeks. She wanted, in spite of everything-- the fight, the pressing issues to discuss, his behavior at the mixer-- in spite of all of it, Hera still wanted to strip bare, slide beneath the covers, and wake her husband in a way that would guarantee he would be in a good mood.
With a mental tug, Hera pulled herself away from such imaginings, and crossed the room to set the tray on the bedside table. And then, with absolutely no thought behind the movement, she reached down to brush a strand of hair from his forehead. Snatching her hand back as soon as she recognized what she'd done, she reminded herself sternly that they had business to attend to first.
No.
Business to attend to, period. There was no “first.”
Damn him.
Hera set her hand to his shoulder, ignoring the pleasant sensation that tingled up her arm from the contact. Shaking very gently, she said softly, “Zeus. I have brought you breakfast. It is time to wake, husband.”