Perhaps it hadn't been the right thing to do, perhaps it was far too common an action, perhaps it would have made any other more established and experienced monarch blanche, but Harmonia wouldn't have taken the offer back even if she could. If there was one thing she hated about how Hera and Zeus ran things, it was how incredibly unrelateable they were. They strove so hard to be so far above everyone, even their own family, that it was impossible to relate to them in any way other than by feeling far inferior to them. And something that perhaps no Underworlder would understand in quite the same way a lesser Olympian would, was that when you could not relate to your leaders there was no way to believe in their sympathy for your own plights and struggles.
For as much as a Queen, mortal or divine, needed to be a figure of authority, they also needed to -as far as Balance was concerned, be able to relate to their people in such a way that the people would not only believe that they understood the struggle of the peasant classes but that there was a chance that something might be done in the peasantry's favor regarding said struggles. And really, loyalty was the product of respect and affection more than out of detachment and/or fear.
Besides, it was only a child. There was always a chance that the child would grow to serve Harmonia, her husband or one of their children some day. It was, to her, good for it to feel a sort of kinship with the leadership of the city-state.
Once the child had touched her belly, felt the kick, thanked them and then toddled off to do whatever it was the small mortal children did, Harmonia noted the confused but kind faces of the people who had been watching her. Oh well, it was not going to be an instantaneous thing.
Harmonia sighed and gave a soft smile to Philotes. “So,” she said quietly and held up the toy, “we have a toy for the baby now, I guess.” Looking forward, she started walking again. “That came so easy to you... talking to that child.” She fumbled with the toy a bit as she walked. “You're good with mortals.. with children. Lottie... and feel free to tell me to stuff it, but... how come you don't have any kids?” As they left the marketplace, closer to the crossroads, she looked over at her dear friend again. “You are the kindest, most selfless person I know. You'd be such an amazing mother. I've been hiding myself away, shirking what new responsibilities I have because this wasn't the lot in life I wanted... that's rather selfish of me, isn't it?” She shook her head.
“You wouldn't do that. You find the best in everything...”