Location :- Mount Olympus (Hera's area)

Aphrodite's POV :-

"What brings you here ?" Hera asks upon seeing me.

"I want to know about a mortal." I reply as I move towards her.

"By all means, I am not a soothsayer or an astrologer. If you want to know about someone, you should go to Astraios, who will tell you these things." Hera replies calmly.

Astraios (Astraeus) is the Titan god of stars and planets and of the art of astrology. By Eos (the Dawn) he is the father of the Stars and the four seasonal Winds. The arrival of these Winds is heralded by the rising of certain constellations. 

I know this piece of information well enough. Still she is saying this to me. She is trying to provoke me, which will not work this time. I will not let myself be down because of that mortal.

"I know that. I am here because it's only you who can help me here." I patiently replied.

"Is that so ?" She asks while standing up from her seat.

"Then, tell me about whom you want to know and what information do you need from me." She continues while descending the stairs. She comes to stand in front of me with her scepter.

Hera is a goddess in Greek mythology and one of the Twelve Olympians. As the wife of Zeus, Hera is considered the queen of Mount Olympus. She is most associated as the goddess of women, marriage, and childbirth. As the Queen of Olympus and a major goddess, Hera is considered very powerful. The women of Greece pray to Hera for protection during childbirth, good health, and to aide them in their marriages. She is also having power over the skies and could bless the people with clear skies or curse them with storms. Normally, Hera is wearing flowing robes, a crown, and holding a lotus scepter, which holds many powers.

"I want to know with whom Addilyn Fleur, a mortal, is bound." I reply and create a crystal ball in air which showed her current status.

She was in a garden, holding a bouquet of purple flowers. Her eyes held a little shade of green in their purple depths.

Hera looked at her for a long time and touched the crystal ball with her scepter. Then, all of a sudden her face broke into a small smile.

"Interesting. Very interesting indeed. I see that she challenged you with her resolve of never falling in love." Hera says as she looks away from the ball.

"Not just me but, us."

"You're deeply mistaken there. She said that she will never fall in love with anyone. She never said that she is not going to marry." Hera points out.

"I agree with you but, making the decision to leave a marriage is scary: There's often a deep fear of being alone, not to mention the possibility of an unknown future. So many stick with mediocrity, settling for low-level pain and dissatisfaction instead. People in marriages without love usually have low self-esteem, struggle with anxiety and depression, and have a higher rate of illness than those who don't. People feel sad and grieve when they decide to let go- but people who decide to get separated from these kinds of  marriages do recover emotionally, and  most find new relationships."

"And how is this related to the challenge being associated with me ?" Hera asks me.

"The notion that "love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage" is still widespread. Love has triumphed over marriage, but now may be destroying it from within. Will you let it go like that ?" I tell Hera with a hint of challenge in my voice.

"I still don't understand you."

"An unhappy marriage chronically feels bad. It’s like a cold that lingers, leaving you drained and vulnerable. Will you allow that ? Today's generation don't respect marriage. They think spouses are like vehicles kept in showrooms. If you are happy with them, you stay with them. If not, you leave them. They don't care about talking and trying to sort out their differences. Will you allow people to disrespect marriage ?"

"Never." Hera replies immediately.

"Exactly. You said that she decided never to fall in love with anyone but she is going to marry. A loveless marriage that won't last. And once again, the sacred bond of marriage will be disrespected. Together, we can make that girl fall in love with her supposed spouse and prove that  marriage is still a sacred bond that can't be disrespected." I know that Hera will now, agree to help me. I can know from the look of her eyes.

"Tell me what do you want to know about her." Hera asks after a long time of silence.

"Let me know whom she will marry and what will happen in her married life. Then, we will look for her spouse and make him fall in love with her."

"But, that will defy the whole point of this challenge. Even if her supposed spouse fall in love with her, it won't guarantee that she will love him back."

"Eros's arrow didn't work on her. So, we can just do something to make her realize that it's important to not hide from love and emotions."

"I agree. We will do that."

"Now, tell me about her married life."

Hera takes a deep breath and relaxed. Her next words astonished me.

"She is having quite an interesting life. She gets married to a guy because her father promised his childhood friend to get Addilyn married to his son if both fail to find their love. She gets married and befriends that guy. Together they stayed married for a long time but just as friends. Later they got separated and still continued to remain friends. And what's most interesting in her life is that, her spouse remained unfaithful to her during the whole marriage. And she, didn't care at all." Hera said and her scepter flashed a picture of that mortal.

"This is from her wedding." Hera replied while lightly touching the image.

This information is actually very disturbing. This means that she really never fell in love with anyone in her entire lifetime.

"Do you understand that we will loose the challenge if she continues to live her life in her own way ?" Hera says to me.

"I do. That is why we need to mend her life a little." I say and turn to Hera. "Who is her supposed spouse ?"

"He." Hera replies while her scepter flashed a picture of a guy and a wedding scene. "Ace Vincent."

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Number of words :- 1098

Hera's scepter with a lotus end.