"Do you think he is right Azar?" He asked both his best friend, and his cousin. 

"Who?" The fire god replied, pretending to be more interested in his latest creation, then the direction the conversation was heading in. Though he knew exactly what the water god was referring to. 

"You know very well what I am talking about asshole." The water deity replied in annoyance at the fire god's usual habit of avoiding difficult subjects. 

"Shu, why are you so keen on this subject?" The god of creations sighed as he left his tools and latest project on his work station. 

"Because we are family Azar. Have been since the day we were brought into this universe." Shu said fiercely, a fact that resonated equally in Azar. However having a family didn't mean stopped being an individual. 

                                                                                           x

"Have you no shame Hera? To birth this abomination was one thing. And now to expect me to accept him into my domain?" Zeus was still going on with this trope? The Queen simply raised an eyebrow at him.

What a waste of time. While I may not lack in time, still I did not appreciate it when it was wasted. But at least the moron had inadvertently done an intelligent thing by ordering his children out of here.

Especially her. It seemed Aphrodite truly did exist. But that was not the surprising aspect of it all. I had heard and known about our infamous marriage for a long time now. However, the bond, I truly had not been expecting that. Though now was not the time to think about how the fates had cheated me again. 

Regardless, Zeus wouldn't have wanted his children to witness the humiliation his Queen was about to deal him. The bickering, for a lack of better word, that would ensue between Zeus and Hera, would allow my presence to be ignored for a few moments. 

"Zeus, how easily you forget, my King. You are King because I allow it. Please endeavour not to forget it. You may have forgotten my influence, because I have humoured you. But do not try me on this." The mix of embarrassment and rage on his face, the one that made him look like a sulking child, made me want to laugh. I looked away to avoid adding insult to his injury. 

Everyone present in this room knew that Hera, my mother, was the rightful heiress to the throne of heavens. We also knew why the Hera of now even tolerated Zeus as much as she did. Only Zeus was ignorant of the truth. 

Looking away from the couple meant that it was unavoidable avaoiding the gaze of someone else. As much as I wished that I could avoid it, my blue eyes collided with his grey ones. 

Not a hint of where his thoughts lay, not in his eyes nor on his face. 

The Prince of the Seas. 

My cousin by family. My brother in spirit. My best friend in all. The last part was the most ironic of all. I the god of fire, he the god of water. Our parents had been convinced that it would be difficult for us to get along. And yet the two of us together had defied assumptions. Quite a lot of them. 

Unlike the three of us, Shu was not as conniving. The Shu I remebered was far more emotional to be as forgiving as the twins. For Cara and Cal, I had simply been absent. No doubt, they would still punish me when I least expected it. Yet for Shu, it would not be as simple. He could not forgive as easily. Not when he would consider my absence to be an abandonment on my part. 

And yet it was Shy, posing as his father, who interrupted Zeus and Hera's passive-agressive argument, "Young brother, we all know that you have already made your decision. I urge you to end with the unnecessary delays." 

 Zeus was only left to sputter at the interference. But it was Demeter who spoke up. "Poseidon you have time and again insulted our heavenly King by siding with Hera. But today you have gone too far, Sea King. Would you accept Amphitritite's illegtimiated child as easily as you seem to accept of our King. "

"Demeter." Hestia hissed, but the goddess of harvest simply ignored her older sister as she turned to address her lover, I mean King. 

"Zeus you do not have to accept what Hades and Poseidon urge you to. You are the ultimate saviour of our world. The most powerful of us all. You who defeated Cronos's craze. You do not have to do this." She paused for a second before adding. "Of course, that is, if you do not wish to brother." It seemed that Demeter still had not lost the habit of peddaling to the one's she consisdered useful. 

Though it came as no surprise that Demeter had truly grown ambitious and sightless. The very reason why it was so difficult to trust my childhood mentor. Hestia, had always been close to Demeter, and obviously still cared for her younger sister deeply. 

"How many times must I remind you all, to address me by my rightful title." The thunder boy hissed, while staring down at his wife. Seriously, had the male lost the plot? No wonder, Zeus had never been anything more than a mere puppet. 

Just as my grandfather had been a puppet for the primordials. But that was where the similarities ended between the two Kings. Cronos had not only been cunning, but he had also been wise. More so than anyone I had ever met. Well ewith the exception of his eldest son. The Ruler of the Underworld. Or perhaps it was more apt to say, the Otherworld. 

"You were our brother first, and their King later Zeus. You know you have no choice. Accept my child, or I shall do it for us all. And you most certainly would not like that."  

"I thank you for your confidence Demeter. Out of all my siblings, you are the only one who has ever believed in me." Zeus said as he pointedly ignored the Queen. Only if he knew that trusted noone as far a she could throw them. Not even Hestia. The female had been born madly paranoid.  "But as much as I would like to, I cannot ignore Hades's words, sister." 

Was that a subtle put down to his lover? I see what Hera meant when she had told me that only Zeus himself was allowed to humiliate his wife. He would humiliate her with his lovers. However, those lovers of were not allowed to humiliate Hera. 

Interesting. On one hand, there was the hatred for my mother that had been nursed into him. On the other hand, the troublesome bond, had created some protective feelings, it seemed. 

Azar, I'll put my grievances with you aside for now. But do something to end this farce right now. Our conversation is far more important than this. 

If hearing Aphrodite's voice had been enraging, then hearing Shu's was just as comforting. Even though I knew he had not intended it to be. It was still reassuring to know that I was in for a verbal lashing. But I knew it would come from a place of caring. 

"My King, if I may." I started, as meekly as I could stomach being in front of this fraud King. 

Azar, what do you intend on doing? Came the Queen's slightly perturbed voice. 

Trying to gain his interest. At the end of the day, your husband is weak to his own curiosities. 

Indeed. And he is not my husband.

The world says otherwise, dear mother. I thought in slight humour. Once the Queen returned to her former self, this would be a running gag for centuries to come. 

Once we have seen our goals through, I will completely forget this even happened. She grunted, true to form. I did get my penchant for avoiding difficult subjects from somewhere, after all. 

"You should learn from your son, my wife. He has such good manners." 

"He gets his manners from his mother. But unlike his mother, he is very selective of who he holds in high esteem." Truer words could not have been said. I only had respect for ten gods and goddesses. "Well then your son is quite wiser than you Hera. To show me the respect that I deserve." 

"Go on, my boy." He gestured at me in encouragement. Fates it was offensive to be called that by someone who was both younger, and had seen far less than I had. 

"If I may make a bold proposition my King." This was the first step in taking Zeus down.

"And what is it that you think you could do for me, Hephaestus?" I could tell that the clown was amused. He thought it impossible that one that looked as I did could offer him anything. He found it laughable that I even dared to offer. Only if he knew. 

"Not much I assure you my King. But I do not only control fire, I also am capable of creating the most magnificent weapons." That seemed to catch his interest. No one could accuse Zeus of not being power hungry after all. 

"Well boy, do you see the great weapon beside me? It belonged to my grandfather. The great Uranus, the father of the skies. You think you could create something as magnificent as this?" 

The one thing Zeus coveted more than anything he ever had before. But had been unable to overpower the mighty sword. 

"Not just as great as this sword, my King. But I promise I could forge you something even more powerful." 

"You would insult my grandfather, the great Uranus, by claiming you could overpower his mighty weapon?" Zeus raged as he got up. Though I could see the hunger in his gaze at the idea of having even a more powerful weapon.  If not intelligent, he was at the very least energetic.

It would not be a farfetched to say that Uranus's weapon had been an extended limb for him. After all, I had witnessed him handle it. A weapon that no one but a true heir could lift from its deceptive seal. The very thing that Zeus coveted but was unable to wield. And never would be able to. 

"Not just a claim my King, I promise you that I can create it. But not because I am as powerful as Uranus. I could never hope to be as powerful as the great sky. It's not a matter of my own power. But simply using my creative skills in forging a weapon of finest metal and your strength, my King." 

"And if you are unsuccessful?" He thought he was being so clever by forcing my honour. Well I gave him exactly what he wanted. "I swear on Styx that a sword even more powerful than teh Sky God's will be yours." The one that rests at the bottom of inventory. "And if I fail to do so, I shall leave Olympus at once."

"I will admit son of Hera, I do desire what you offer. But do not take me to be a fool." Too late for that boy. As far as I was concerned you could be an apt King for Fools. "If you betray me, it will be the last thing you will ever do." 

"Yes my King." I lowered my eyes to appease to his sense of authority, though it grated at my nerves to have to do this.

"And I have thought of the best solution to avoid your betrayal." I had a feeling I was not going to like this. "You shall not have your own palace until you see this through."

Well that would not be bad at all, I could always room with Cal, and...

"You will be placed in my daughter Aphrodite's palace." 

Fuck. I rejoiced too soon. 

"Zeus, that is utterly improper. To place a male with an unwed female." Yes, exactly Hestia. Thank you. Now only if she can convince her brother of the absurdity in this arrangement. 

"Do not talk to me about proper and improper when it comes to such an unseemly god residing with an equally unseemly goddess." To insult me was one thing, but to insult his own child? "And it is not as if dear Aphrodite would ever be excited to explore her 'powers' with him." 

Zeus just had to go and remind me why I hated him so much. He was such a narrow-minded and vulgar bastard.