Page 11 of Conquered Obstacles

“I wouldn’t have hurt her,” Apollo defended. “And it hurts you choose her side. I am your nephew by blood.”

“Yes, but she knows the truth, and you have yet to ask what happened,” Hades bit out. “You’re acting in anger and clearly listening to whispers and rumors. Are you not old enough to have learned that what gets passed along is rarely accurate?”

Apollo let out a slow breath. “You’re right.” He looked away and did it again. “I still wouldn’t have hurt her. I felt her pain, and I’m not my father.”

“Sorry, Mom,” Mary whispered. “I shouldn’t have started violence in your new home.”

I set down what was in my hands and hurried over to her, kissing Hades’s cheek and thanking him for protecting her. I hugged her tightly. “You have watched me suffer for hundreds of years because of what was done to me. You have shared a pain that even telling others they will never truly understand. Never apologize.”

“Sorry,” she rasped.

I kissed her hair. “But please, please, never defend me like that again. I believe Apollo that he wouldn’t have hurt you, but others would, Mary. I know we are all too on edge, but—your life is never worth my pain. It’s never worth words. Please. I would die to lose you—either of you. Do not make me suffer that.”

“Okay, I won’t. I won’t be stupid,” she choked out when I started crying. “Sorry, Mom. I promise. I just—you would never bail on people. You stayed too long and it cost you—I’m sorry. I’ll let Uncle Hades and Uncle Poseidon beat everyone up.”

“And we will,” Poseidon promised. “You two only have to take care of your mother the way we cannot.”

“Deal,” Kary agreed. “Now, let’s all sit before Mom’s hard work is ruined and be adults.”

“Shit, it’s bad when Kary is the rational one of the two of us,” Mary joked, giving a watery chuckle when her twin growled.

I kissed her hair and helped her back to her seat, blowing Hades another kiss for what he did before grabbing the rest of the bowls to serve. Then I told Apollo and Dion the abbreviated version of what happened to me, even how I found the twins as everyone ate… My bowl left untouched.

“I’m very sorry for what you suffered, Aunt,” Dion whispered when I was done, wiping his eyes.

“Me too,” Apollo added, his head hung in shame.

“Me too,” I echoed. “I am sorry for what you both have suffered as well. There is much I would change if I could, including…” I shook my head. “I can’t change it, so there’s no point in listing it. What you do need to know is that your uncle is punishing Hera in the underworld.”

“How do you see that ending, Uncle?” Dion asked after a few tense minutes.

I was curious as to his answer as well.

“As of right now, Zeus and I have agreed that he build a cell for Hera at Olympus for when I release her,” Hades answered, before glancing at me. “I think he truly believes me that the next time she goes after you, I will lock her in the underworld for two thousand four hundred and one days.”

“I do as well, but I’m not sure that’s enough, Brother,” Poseidon muttered.

“And what would you suggest?” Hades challenged.

“I don’t know which is why I brought it up to discuss,” Poseidon said calmly, waiting until Hades nodded. “As I see it, the problem is twofold. Hera will never respect the boundary and leave Arabella alone, and Zeus will not back it either since he believes he is the god of us all instead of what was decreed.”

“I agree,” I muttered. “It’s as if he needs some sort of consequence each time he orders you to change your ruling. You are within your rights—well, I am since I banished them from my realm, but I asked you to handle it for me. Each time they cross the line…” I cleared my throat and looked away.

“You are thinking of how Zeus used to force you to spend more time at your temple as he wanted every time you did not obey his wishes,” Poseidon said sadly.

“Kismet was such a fucking moron,” I sighed, glad when the next timer went off. I pushed to my feet and wiped under my eyes. “But yes, something like that. Zeus needs to be smacked back over the line somehow. He thinks it’s acceptable what he says or to start a war. Those aren’t the actual options. I just don’t know the other options. My fear of them both and what was done to me freezes me up.”

“I will think on this,” Hades said as I pulled two chickens out of the oven. He cleared his throat. “And thank you both for your insight and counsel. I am glad that we have reached this level.”

“Me too,” we both agreed.

“Can I help, Aunt?” Apollo asked as I carried the first platter to the table.

“That would be great,” I answered, smiling at him. “This is my tomato butter chicken. If you could carve it up, I have another and a few more prepared that I can put in the oven if we need.”

“Or we can take back to school, right?” Kary asked. “Right, Mom?”

“You both really are so spoiled,” Poseidon chuckled. He looked at me when Hades snickered. “Seriously, Sister. I will shop to help if you feed me as well.”

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