Chapter Seven: The Weight of Thunder
998 Words
(Zeus POV)
Olympus had never felt this loud.
Not with music or celebrations, even the parties after wars that lasted for months on end, those were normal sounds for the city of gods. What filled the palace halls today was something far more irritating.
Speculation. Whispers.
Every corridor carried whispers that stopped the moment I approached. Servants suddenly found urgent reasons to bow and leave. Minor gods tried very hard not to look directly at me.
Which meant the rumors had already spread further than I expected.
I shouldn’t have been surprised.
Apollo had been in the room. And Apollo treated secrets like entertainment.
I stepped onto one of the upper balconies overlooking the city of Olympus, letting the wind cut through the warm air of the palace. The clouds above shifted slowly, lightning flickering faintly between them.
The storm had been restless since yesterday. So had I.
Below me, the city stretched across the clouds in layers of marble towers, terraces, and gardens. Gods moved through its streets in clusters, talking quietly.
Watching.
Waiting.
They were trying to figure out what I was doing. The problem was…
I wasn’t entirely sure myself.
Footsteps sounded behind me.
“You’ve managed to confuse the entire city.” I didn’t turn around. I didn’t have to, Only one voice carried that particular blend of calm authority and mild disappointment.
Athena joined me at the balcony railing.
She studied the clouds for a moment before speaking again. “You rarely make political statements without planning them carefully and this was quite a bold one for a man who claims to remain alone.”
“That wasn’t a statement.”
“You supported Hera’s proposal.”
“I said we should consider it.”
Athena tilted her head slightly and gazed into my soul perplexed.
“Those mean the same thing to most people.”
The lightning above us flickered again.
I leaned against the railing.
“Do you disagree with her?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“Whether she truly understands what she suggested.”
I glanced at her.
“You think she doesn’t?”
Athena considered that carefully.
“No,” she said.
“I think she understands it better than most.”
That answer surprised me.
Athena rarely complimented anyone so quickly.
“But?” I asked.
“But power in Olympus has always been unstable,” she continued.
“Introducing a queen changes the entire balance.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re comfortable with that?”
I looked back toward the city below.
“No.”
Athena’s eyes sharpened slightly.
“But you’re considering it anyway.”
“Yes.”
She studied me for a long moment.
Then she said something unexpected.
“You trust her.”
The words landed heavier than I expected.
“I respect her.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Athena always did that cut straight to the truth people preferred to avoid. Forcing you to think about your own actions.
“I trust her judgment,” I said finally.
“That’s unusual.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve known her for less than a week.”
“That hasn’t stopped the rumors.”
Athena almost smiled.
“No. It hasn’t.”
She rested her hands lightly on the stone railing.
“Tell me something honestly, Zeus.”
“That’s usually a dangerous request.”
“Are you interested in Hera politically…”
Her gray eyes shifted toward me.
“Or personally?”
For a moment the storm above us grew louder.
I didn’t answer immediately.
Which was answer enough.
Athena noticed.
“Interesting.”
“That’s not a response.”
“It’s an observation.”
She straightened slightly.
“You should be careful.”
“I’ve heard that a lot today.”
“This time I mean it strategically.”
Athena gestured toward the city.
“Olympus believes power belongs to you now.”
“That belief existed before Hera spoke.”
“Yes.”
“But now they think you might share it.”
“And that concerns them.”
“Some of them.”
The wind shifted across the balcony.
Athena turned to leave, then paused.
“One more thing.”
I waited.
“If Hera truly becomes part of your rule…”
She met my gaze directly.
“Make sure it’s because she deserves it.”
Lightning flashed across the clouds.
“Not because you’re fascinated by her.”
Then she walked away like we hadn’t just had an intense conversation.
The storm quieted slightly after she left.
But her words stayed with me.
Fascinated. That word wasn’t wrong. Hera had walked into a room full of gods who had spent centuries believing they understood power. And she had calmly explained why they were wrong. Most gods would have shouted. Most gods would have demanded attention. Hera had simply spoken. And the entire room had listened. That kind of influence was rare. Dangerous but we are immortal what isn’t dangerous about us? How could I not be fascinated by such a new thing.
I turned back toward the city.
Movement in the gardens below caught my attention. My eyes zeroed in on her.
Hera.
She was walking along the lower terrace, one hand trailing lightly along the marble railing as she moved through the garden paths. From this distance she looked small compared to the vast palace surrounding her.
But I knew better now.
Olympus had already started shifting around her. Even my storms seamed to make way for her only allowing brightness in her path.
She just hadn’t realized it yet.
The storm above the palace flickered again.
I watched her for a moment longer than necessary.Then I exhaled quietly. Athena might be right about one thing. If Hera became part of the future of Olympus…
I needed to make sure it was because she belonged there.
Not because I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
And lately…
That was becoming a problem.
- Writer
