Hera

I was dragged to the mall by one persistent woman called Fleur. She kept accusing me of never giving her any of my work for free. She cried, saying I gave it to a stranger after only three meetings. I never understood how she always guilt-tripped me. She was talented; that was for sure.

I waited outside the dressing room. Fleur was trying another dress inside. She just wanted to go shopping and found a reason to drag me along.

The sun had almost disappeared from the sky, but my mind kept replaying this morning.

He had the cutest expression ever when I told him to keep the mug. It was totally worth it. I never really gave my work for free. People call it money-grubbing, but I don't gift my creative work.

But the way he looked at the mug dreamily, totally granted him an exception from my rule. He even said it was different from the ones back at his office.

I can already imagine his own office full of those mass-produced lifeless mugs.

Some elder from another race falling in love with an ordinary mug was so endearing.

What does even an elder mean, though?

I took out my phone and searched the web.

Yin-ra had 5 elders; Twenty years ago, only 4 elders came to Earth when the Yin-ra crossed the portal for negotiations. Elder Draco was the elder who stayed on Earth to smooth relations between Yin-ra and humans.

There were some scattered photos here and there about the other elders.

The more I searched for Zale, the more I found nothing.

Was he the fifth Elder who didn't come back then?

Why did he come to Earth now?

Why did I even care?

Too many distractions.

"Hera, what do you think about this dress?"

I looked up at Fleur. A knee-length sleeveless white dress that hugged her body. Then I saw the feathers when she swirled.

"Fleur, dear, I know we are artists and all." Her aesthetics can be worrisome sometimes. "But seriously, feathers?"

"It is stunning, right?"

"Well, definitely a showstopper, but where will you wear that?"

"We will just have to find the place where it will shine"

Who was I even trying to reason with?

I gave her a thumbs up.

She went back in.

I laughed despite myself when I remembered how disappointed he looked when Maeve told him that the class would start on Friday.

The moment he finished the form. He walked towards me.

"So now, teacher, how should I call you?" He was adorable.

"Just Hera."

"Hera, all your students call you teacher; what's with the different treatment?" Fleur burst.

This friend of mine who didn't know when not to interrupt a conversation.

I ignored her. I looked back at him

"How should I call you then?"

"Zale." I heard a glass shattering in the background. I didn't bother to look.

"Zale," His name rolled off my tongue so naturally and sweetly." Nice to meet you, Zale."

His skin turned a bit pinkish. Did he blush?

God help me, how was I going to survive teaching him?

Fleur finally came out of the changing room. She paid for the feather dress, and we went to another shop.

Nothing really caught my eye.

I ended up buying a maxi blue dress with a printed floral pattern. Nothing special but nothing disrespectful either. It earned Fleur's disapproval, which meant it was perfect.

The next two days were so uneventful that I was almost bored.

I was surprised. Why would I be bored?

I had classes, made art, and listened to Fleurs ' non-ending sense while watching Maeve organize the mess.

Zale.

I kept looking at the schedule; Friday seemed a bit far away.

Ultimately, D-day had come, the hated Wednesday.

Carlos messaged me early in the morning that he would be here by five pm and that I shouldn't try to miss the date by delaying the time.

I just sent him an angry emoji.

He replied with a laughing emoji.

Annoying.

I kept roaming around the villa until 4:15, then I eventually went up and put on my clothes. The dress and sandals. A tote bag with Van Gogh's Starry Night painting.

It was not even five pm when I heard a very loud car horn below.

Carlos was making his grand entrance, of course.

I went down quickly before the neighbors filed a complaint against him.

I sat in the passenger seat beside him.

"Are you wearing that?"

"Yes, what is the problem?"

"Are you serious?"

"Perfectly serious."

He then grabbed his phone and turned it off.

"Why did you turn it off?"

"In case Mum video calls, she is gonna kill us."

I looked down at my dress. It looked perfectly fine.

This was just a cultural exchange civil conversation.

What was the fuss about?

Carlos drove quickly. Never breaking the law, but quickly.

We reached the government-set meeting venue. I rolled my eyes at the advertisements they put outside.

Find your fated love slogan everywhere.

Ridiculous.

"We have arrived." Carlos stopped the car. "If mum calls you, tell her I had urgent work and left."

I started to leave the car when he mumbled, "If she knew I let you come here looking like this, we might be disowned."

"Carlos, are you coming back?"

"No, take an Uber."

"Fine."

******************

Zale

I didn't understand why I had to wait till Friday for our first lesson. I didn't like that at all. I respected their process, though.

She gave me her mug, one she made herself. And according to her friend, she never did that before. In my long two hundred years, I never knew what special meant.

I only understood it the moment she said: "Keep it."

I have kept it in the safe in my wardrobe. When I first came here, Draco explained that this was where I should keep valuable things. Humans kept their gold and money in these safes. I had put the mug there safely. I only checked on it once every morning.

When she said "Zale". Never in my entire life have I thought my name could sound so beautiful.

She was messing with my mind, my star-lines, and my being.

I was starting to realize I didn't mind.

"Elder Zale, I am ready," Draco called from outside the room.

Finally, why is he slow again?

We took the elevators.

"Did you find out why she was staying at her friend's place?"

"Elder, you should ask her during your lesson; she wouldn't appreciate you investigating her again."

"I am making sure my teacher is not facing any trouble."

"She is not facing any; her room is undergoing repair, that is all."

"Repair?"

"It had a fungus infestation, and humans are very sensitive about microorganisms since the plague."

"Oh." I nodded. "Why doesn't her family move to a new house?"

"Actually, the place is great. Fresh air, away from industrial smoke, trees, and there is even a lake nearby." Draco explained. "It is also one of the neighborhoods where only a few houses have become abandoned." I nodded.

"That sounds serene. Buy me a house there."

"What?" Draco turned a shade of orange. He seriously needs to control his feelings.

"I wasn't going to stay at your house forever, anyway."

The elevator door finally opened, and we walked towards the car.

"To the government-set meeting venue," Draco instructed the driver.

I sank into the back seat and shut my eyes. I needed to check why many Yin-Ra were recently getting rejected by their star-bond mates.

Draco hadn't been able to solve the increasing number of rejections in the last year. I should look into it while I was here.

A rejected Yin-Ra can go back to Yin-Ra without completing the bond. They can have an almost normal life. The star-bond becomes a background hum in their life. What was worrisome was that our race had become too discouraged.

This would bring the Goddess's wrath sooner or later. So this should be fixed.

"Elder, we are here," Draco interrupted my thoughts.

The moment I stepped out. Even I, an ancient alien, was appalled.

FIND YOUR FATED LOVE

The phrase was written all over the building.

Was this real?

My eyes started to burn. I wanted to laugh but couldn't.

Whose idea was this?

I walked into the building entrance, then turned towards Draco.

"Draco, what is the meaning of this?" I was livid.

"Elder, it was approved by all the elders back then when we came through the portal," he looked anywhere but me, "You signed your approval."

"I did, but I never thought it would be this crude." His knees buckled as my aura started to seep through. "The Goddess said find your star bond-mates, not find your wives and husbands."

More aura flowed out of my body.

Draco was shaking

"No wonder the rejection rate was increasing."

He tried to speak but stopped.

"We never had a fair chance because humans thought this whole situation was unfair to them. We might be cursed, but that doesn't mean we go and shoot ourselves in the foot." My star lines started glowing dangerously.

Draco knelt.

"Contact Vaxar; tell him he is to come here at once."

"Elder Vaxar is on vacation, Elder Zale," Draco trembled.

"Tell him I order him, or by the Goddess name I will be the one dragging him here."

I didn't release my pressure. How did Vaxar even teach Draco?

Then I heard her melodious sound from outside.

"Carlos, are you coming back?"

I calmed down and suppressed my aura.

"Stand up," I ordered him. "Let me see what other atrocities you and the others have woven."

He disappeared in a flash; I followed him.

He took me to the office overlooking the meeting area.

Draco said those below can't see anything inside; the glass was only one way.

I looked at the venue. It was modeled after what is called a human café. A couple of tables filled the place with decorations on the walls and at the corners. The waiters brought the menu to the customers and later took their orders.

The humans' government tried to make it look casual, but this was some poor joke.

I was pulled back from my thoughts when she entered the venue.

She paused infront of one of those Fated love posters and shook her head. She then headed towards a table near the corner.

"Draco, what is an Uber?"

"What?"

"First you are coughing, then you started dropping stuff, now you are not hearing well. Should I send you to a healer?"

"No, Elder." He shook his head. "Uber is an app you can use to order a car to drive you home."

"Who drives the car?"

"Someone provided by the app company."

"So humans just jump into strangers' cars."

"..."

She stayed for a whole ten minutes before the Yin-Ra date appeared. What was wrong with him being so late? Even I, the elder, waited for two hours, two days ago.

"Hello," he started

"Hello,"

"I am Orion, nice to meet you."

"I am Hera, nice to meet you too."

Silence.

"Hey, I know this is awkward." She said. My star lines were glowing dangerously once again.

"You don't have to be burdened. I am not looking for fate and whatnot; we can have a normal conversation."

"Really?" Orion was relieved.

"Sure."

"This is great." He smiled. "I always come here out of obedience for the Goddess. But the humans who come here are always disappointed when they don't find what they are looking for."

"Well, some humans are definitely obsessed with fate and destiny and such interesting ideologies."

"You are not?"

"Nope, team, I choose my fate."

"What are you doing here then?"

"My mother blackmailed me," he laughed..

I wasn't enjoying how quickly they grew comfortable with each other. It had taken me three meetings to earn even a little approval from her. What was this discrimination?

"You are funny, let's be friends."

"Well, that's a first."

"Being friends?"

"No, I have a very persistent friend. But funny, that was new." She shrugged. He laughed again.

I felt extremely irritated. She said she was here for civil conversation and cultural exchange. Why was she making friends now?

"So am I the first Yin-Ra you have such a long conversation with?"

She paused.

"Actually no, there is Zale and Draco even though I haven't talked with the latter much; the poor lad is always coughing or dropping stuff."

Orion's pale face turned an interesting shade of grey.

"The Elders?"

"Yeah, my friend crashed Draco's car a while ago, and things went out of hand since then."

Orion was trying to breathe normally, but Hera didn't even register the shift in the room's atmosphere.

All the surrounding Yin-Ra who surely heard the conversation scanned her table. My aura seeped below to warn them against any unreasonable reaction. I knew the elders were sacred. To the Yin-Ra, we were only second to the Goddess.

But I am the one who allowed this, and they ought to respect it. If they have questions, they can ask me.

Orion then suddenly looked towards the glass; even though he didn't see me, he realized it.

Good.

Author's note

Zale has officially discovered the human interpretation of "fated love"... and he is NOT impressed. 😂

But between a mysterious Elder, an unexpected friendship, and a certain handmade mug... things are getting interesting.