Quietly, Zeus laughed. Because he knew instantly what Kratos was referring to. He knew how his own time and conversations with Zelos went. It was a far different dynamic. “There are aspects to my life that he does not understand. I'm not certain explaining it would help.”
Zeus looked out over the water and took a slow drink. “Hera is not my first wife, but that was all before the war. She just happened to be the one that stuck.” He snorted with amusement. She stuck not only because of her competence and his love for her, but Zeus knew getting rid of her would be a headache that rivaled Athena's entranced into the world. The woman was nothing if not persistent when she wanted something her way.
“In the beginning, things were different for us. But, there came a point, as much as it pains me to say this, where it felt an awful lot like... as the mortals quip 'taking work home with me.'” He sighed. “I cannot escape being King. Not any hour. Not any day. It is a job that cannot be punched out of at the end of the day. Hera is perfect where she is, no matter how angry she may make me.” And when they fought, he was quite sure everyone knew about it... possibly globally. “But the same applies. She cannot really punch out of her position at the end of the day either.”
He took another drink. “Essentially, we are spouses that are tightly wound business partners. Any stress from anything on the mountain... carries over and gets talked about at breakfast or dinner or on the veranda or brought to me in the bath or… creation help me, while I'm trying to enjoy a damn quiet moment in bed...” Zeus sighed.
“There is no lack of affection for her. Just a need to not be anything other than a man for a small portion of time.” Shaking his head, he concluded. “That is not something I think your brother understands. And he's not going to change any time soon. Not unless he ever finds someone, or someones,” which he wasn't excluding as he had some sons with peculiar arrangements, “that get him to the point where he makes the decision to change.”