Hephaestus paused in his walk, not turning back to look at his mother. For how little he had ever yet had the chance to gaze on it, her face was burned into his memory. He could see it as she spoke just as easily but he could keep his unpleasant one turned away. Wasn't that the way she had wanted it to be?
He looked instead at the door she indicated. He couldn't exactly see what she claimed to see, but he did not have any real reason to doubt it. Ares was no doubt annoyed with Hephaestus after the failures at his forge. And of course a god like him would only see one solution to the situation, applying force until something broke.
Hephaestus considered what to do until Hera spoke again. Turning around slowly he stared coolly at Hera as she jerked her chin, and followed the direction to a tapestry. with a new set of measured steps he headed toward it.
This would be the compromise then. Hephaestus would do what he had come to do, and Hera could feel that she was pulling strings, giving orders and having the last word. The forge god hesitated before pulling down the tapestry. Eris made him ... uncomfortable. But he supposed she would treat him kinder than Ares.
Pulling aside the tapestry, Hephaestus blinked at the sudden light of Helios, and the surprising face thrust suddenly into view. But that was good, this was right. Helios would cast light on what was to happen, and Eris's tongue would spread the word. Soon all would know what Hephaestus had come to do. He would have a place here on Olympus. Perhaps they'd even seat him next to his mother ...