Disclaimer: I own neither Greek nor Roman Mythology.

Can the heart remember what the mind has forgotten?

Author's Note:

Hera has always been my favorite Greek goddess. As the goddess of marriage, she vowed to protect women and their nuptials. In perfect contradiction to this, she is married to the womanizing Zeus, Lord of Olympus.

She is often depicted as a cruel wife, especially towards the women who caught her husband's attention. Homer, in popular belief, characterized her this way because he himself was a victim of a vicious wife.

With this fan fiction, I hope to show a different perspective of Hera, the lonely Queen of Olympus.

Chapter One

Letting Go

"I hate this marriage."

The words were thrown as straightforwardly as a mere 'good morning'. To Zeus, they didn't mean anything at all. He was asked why he preferred other women to Hera, and he replied plainly, without much thought of his insensitivity. He gazed at Hera blankly who sat numbly on her place. She met his cold stare as bravely as she could.

"I see…" was all she could whisper.

Zeus' lips twitched. Hera couldn't decipher if it was a smirk or a mocking smile. It didn't matter, anyway. Whatever it was, the inescapable fact was presented before Hera herself: Zeus hated their marriage, and his forthrightness told her there wasn't a moment he loved her.

"My question was… quite an interrogative." Hera said, voice firm. She let her lips display a slight smile. She couldn't find the right description which fitted her 'uncalled for' query, and so she shook her head. "Please excuse me, Zeus. I'm going back to…" she hesitated a while, but she said, " our room."

Without reluctance, she stood up from her seat, careful not to look at Zeus. In her heart, she wished he would try to stop her and at least tell her what he said wasn't supposed to mean as harshly as he had stated.

But he didn't.

The moment Hera turned her back on him, her tears fell.

Hera didn't want to admit it, but it was easier to lie and hide the hurt and emptiness she felt inside. She always did that, and through the years, faking emotions was something she had somewhat perfected.

Hera grew up in a different way ordinary children did. Aside from being a goddess, her parents weren't with her to take care of her or watch her grow up. The gods of the waters were the ones who raised her and treated her like their own.

When she was younger, Hera used to daydream about the man she was destined to be with. She pictured him as tall, handsome, and loving – someone who would care for her and protect her from harm.

You see, Hera grew up insecure and scared, and in her heart, she longed for someone who would give her the love she had yearned for so long.

Hera's tears flowed incessantly as she remembered the reveries she engaged in when she was younger. She recalled the times when she pictured herself in a perfect wedding, so exultant because she finally found the man she would spend her life forever.

Zeus was miles away from the man Hera thought would be her husband. He was a ruthless bastard who treated her like she was not a goddess, like she was not his wife. Instead of making her whole, Zeus tore Hera apart.

He made her bitter and detached. She decided that she wouldn't be weak in front of Zeus; she tried to do her task well as the goddess of marriage, and she remained as cold as possible when talking to him. She acted brave and tough in front of the other divinities. She was vicious when it came to dealing with the women whom Zeus slept with.

What does that woman have that I don't? the voice inside her once asked.

You always lacked something, Hera, the other voice said. You're unworthy to be the Queen of Olympus. Shut up and proceed with what you have to do.

And Hera's pain drove her to do the most merciless things. It was amazing how pain could change an individual.

The simple game of charade. The ruthless Hera, actually a tormented goddess inside.

Hera found herself in the realm of Hades, the Underworld. The place was dark, like a dream full of shadows, without sunlight or hope. It was a gloomy place where the dead slowly faded into nothingness.

Hera gazed at the shadowy place. It was cold in there. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to get some warmth. Hera wished she could talk to someone; perhaps Hades. He was, after all, still her brother. But she changed her mind. He's got his own problems to worry about. She remembered Persephone, and her abduction. I wish I were Persephone. At least, I know that the king of this realm loves me. At that thought, Hera felt even more miserable.

She looked at the subterranean rivers flowing through the Underworld. She recognized the river Acheron, River of Woe. It suited her; she was wretched. She saw the river Styx, the River of Unbreakable Oath. How she wished the vows of her marriage with Zeus were stated by this river; if that had been so, perhaps her marriage would have been blissful.

Hera proceeded walking, and then she saw the rivers Cocytus, Phlegethon, and Lethe.

Lethe?

Hera's eyes widened in recognition of the river. She immediately approached it. "Lethe, the River of Forgetfulness…" The river was used when good souls died, and they were granted another life as another person. Once they bathed there, all their memories about their past life and about the Underworld would be erased.

Hera looked at the crystal clear water of the river, a gnawing thought forming slowly in her mind. I'm an immortal. Even though I want to end my misery right now, I can't. My marriage is forever, and the only way I can escape the pain it's giving me is…

"…by erasing my memories." Hera's statement astounded even herself. Yes, she was hurt and afraid, but it was the first time that having her memories erased struck her. Was she that desperate to think of such a terrible idea?

You have to get away from the pain Zeus brings. You've suffered too much, a voice within her said. Death is impossible. Without your memories of Zeus, nonetheless, you would be able to escape everything. Lethe's effect is forever.

Hera stared at the water anxiously. It was her decision: Pain or its immediate antidote?

She then remembered what she was used to be told: Giving up, Hera, doesn't mean you're a coward. It means that you're brave enough to let go.

Pain or its immediate antidote?

The crucial query rendered her speechless and motionless for a moment. She plainly stood there, eyes focused on the water, her body trembling.

What's your choice, Hera?

"I…" she murmured, finally finding her voice, "I will do it."

Hera's feet moved towards the river. Soon, she felt the cold water against her skin. Even a loving heart gets tired of waiting, doesn't it, Hera? You've been hurt for so long and now it's the time to finally shut everything out of your system.

The water was now waist deep. Hera continued moving further towards the river's deeper end. Don't look back! she told herself, tears flowing down her cheeks. Never regret…never remember the people you met…

The water was now the level of her chin. Without the slightest hesitation, she submerged herself in the water.

Farewell, Zeus.