Chapter 142: Dear Sister, With A Beckon Of Your Finger, The God King Is Beside Himself
Mnemosyne slightly furrowed her slender eyebrows and let out another sigh full of compassion: “Merciful Hera, these two children are the only two daughters of Coeus and Phoebe.”
With just this one sentence, Hera already understood everything.
She slowly sat back on the Divine Throne, her posture dignified and elegant, yet her expression had returned to the majesty befitting the Supreme Mother Goddess.
She spoke gently, her voice steady yet carrying a hint of detachment: “Respected Mnemosyne, if you wish to plead for Coeus and Phoebe, then please forgive me for being powerless. That is His Majesty the God King’s decision, and everything can only be decided by His Majesty the God King.”
Mnemosyne immediately said softly: “Mercy boundless Hera, how dare I make such excessive and rude request of you?”
“Coeus and Phoebe, They chose the most wrong and darkest path. I, as a firm supporter of His Majesty the God King’s Sacred Justice Order, how could I go against His Majesty the God King’s supreme sacred decision?”
Hera’s beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly, “Then this…”
The Goddess of Civilization and Memory said: “My purpose here is merely to boldly request that you accept these two gentle and pitiable children, allow them to stay by your side, serve at your flanks, and listen to your teachings.”
“These two children have never committed any wrongdoing; their character has always been gentle and obedient, always law-abiding. They know better than anyone how enormous a wrongdoing their parents have committed and what unforgivable harm they once caused you due to that wrong stance.”
“Therefore, they dare not have any delusions. They only hope to come to your side, serve you in the most humble posture, and use their remaining lives to atone for their parents’ sins, in exchange for even a sliver of your forgiveness and mercy.”
Hera was fully aware of the deeper meaning behind all this; she parted her lips, already prepared to refuse with the most tactful yet resolute words.
However, at this critical moment, Leto, who was kneeling below with a face full of sorrow, lifted her tear-streaked face and said in a voice hoarse from crying: “Illustrious, merciful, sacred daughter of Great Mother Goddess Rhea! We sisters have absolutely no undue delusions!”
“Our parents once committed enormous sins, walking the wrong path and defying the supreme Sacred Order established by His Majesty the God King!”
“Everything They face now is the punishment They deserve. We dare not seek His Majesty the God King’s forgiveness, much less hope to clear our parents’ heavy sins with our meager divine power.”
“Insignificant as we are, the only thing we can do is to do our utmost to make up for the harm you once suffered because of our parents, repaying with our eternal service the debt our parents owe you that can never be fully cleared.”
“We only beg, only beg to serve at your flanks, to brush the dust from you with our hands, until the day you truly forgive our parents’ sins.”
“Only by doing these insignificant things for you can the guilt in our hearts toward you be alleviated even by a tiny bit!”
“Merciful daughter of Rhea, generous and kind Goddess Hera! We beseech you, do not refuse our insignificant request; beseech you, give us a chance to repay our sins with our remaining lives!”
No sooner had the words fallen than the grief-stricken Leto crawled on her knees to beneath Hera’s knee, tightly hugging Hera’s pair of magnificent Golden Boots with both hands, burying her tear-streaked cheek deeply into them, emitting one suppressed-to-the-extreme, heart-wrenching, gut-wrenching sob after another.
For a moment, Hera found herself in an unprecedented dilemma, her flawless face interwoven with complex, indescribable emotions.
She had wanted to refuse resolutely, but seeing Leto’s utterly undignified and utterly pitiable appearance, how could her naturally soft and kind heart not be moved?
The words of refusal felt as heavy as a thousand jun, stuck in her throat, impossible to utter.
Seeing Hera’s heart wavering, Mnemosyne hurriedly pleaded bitterly: “Loving-kindness boundless Hera, your kind and compassionate supreme virtue is deeply admired by all the gods of the universe.”
“These two children have no other thoughts; their sole wish in their hearts is to atone for their parents’ heaven-defying wrongs. Whether you ultimately choose to forgive Coeus and Phoebe or not, they are willing.”
“Merciful you, willing to shelter these two pitiable children, is already the greatest fortune of their lives. Please allow them to serve before you, and let this humble service be the sole repayment for your compassionate shelter.”
No sooner had Mnemosyne’s words fallen than Asteria, who had been silent and resolute, also prostrated deeply at Hera’s feet, clear tears sliding from her strong, clear glass-like eyes.
Her voice carried a slight tremble, yet she pleaded with utmost clarity: “Sacred and merciful daughter of Rhea, we only wish to serve before you, basking in your holy radiance and teachings. We swear upon the Underworld River decreed by His Majesty the God King that we dare not have the slightest delusion.”
“We deeply know how wrong the old God King’s decayed and brutal order was.”
“Our parents chose the path they should never have chosen; They have lost the opportunity to make amends. We, as Their children, atoning for our parents’ sins is our bounden duty.”
“Rest assured, we will strictly abide by the sacred and just new order established by His Majesty the God King! We know from the bottom of our hearts what truly represents the sacred justice of the universe’s will.”
“His Majesty the God King is so generous and kind; we will unconditionally obey all of His Majesty the God King’s will, never causing you any difficulty, nor committing any words or deeds that might displease His Majesty the God King.”
Gentle and loving Hera, when had she ever witnessed such a heartrending and determined scene?
After hesitating repeatedly, her gaze fell upon the two goddesses at her feet who were sobbing uncontrollably, clinging tightly to her calf, nearly fainting; the heart belonging to the Great Mother Goddess ultimately softened completely.
In truth, her hatred for Phoebe had long dissipated like smoke.
On the contrary, the harm Phoebe had caused her was like a mirror, reflecting Zeus’s regard and care for her.
For this unique care, Hera’s heart even secretly rejoiced in it.
Zeus had already avenged her; she no longer cared about Phoebe’s offense. What she cared more about was the place in Zeus’s heart that belonged solely to her.
She parted her vermilion lips and said softly: “Rise. The past is already the past; the future is far more important than the past. You should live for yourselves; the wrongs your parents committed should not be borne by you for eternity.”
“Since you wish to stay by my side, then stay. However, my acceptance of you is not for you to bear your parents’ sins for atonement; I only hope you can cast your gaze toward the future and see the rebirth belonging to you.”
“If a suitable opportunity arises in the future, I will request of His Majesty the God King to truly have this world accept you.”
“Cry no more. By my side, as long as you are law-abiding and do no wrong, I am willing to shelter you forever.”
Mnemosyne breathed a sigh of relief in her heart, a smile appearing on her face; Leto and Asteria were even more overjoyed.
The two excitedly clasped their hands together over their chests and said in the most sincere and grateful tone of their lives: “Merciful Hera, loving Hera! Thank you for your supreme bounty and acceptance; we will devote our entire bodies and minds to you, serving wholeheartedly at your feet. Your will, from now on, shall be our will!”
Hera gently pulled them up from her feet, her expression regaining a faint majesty, and said indifferently: “Do not harbor resentment toward the God King; whatever His Majesty the God King does, there is always His sacred reason.”
No sooner had the words fallen than this majestic Great Mother Goddess Hera’s face instantly shifted from gentle to utmost majesty and seriousness; a vast divine power belonging to the Supreme Mother Goddess swept through the entire Divine Palace like a storm!
With an uncompromising stern voice, she rebuked harshly: “No matter what thoughts you truly harbor deep in your hearts, you must firmly remember: Within the universe, everything is His Majesty the God King’s will! Everything is His Majesty the God King’s decision! All gods and living beings in this universe have only one choice: to obey His Majesty the God King’s will!”
“Remember, you must resolutely and without reservation abide by the Sacred Justice Order established by His Majesty the God King!”
“If I discover that you harbor any disrespectful, irreverent, or ill thoughts toward His Majesty the God King, then without waiting for His Majesty the God King to personally grant you destruction, I will be the first to bring you supreme punishment that you can never endure for eternity!”
The amiable and kind Hera suddenly revealed her supreme majesty as the future Queen of Heaven and Great Mother Goddess; the oppressive force of her divinity instantly terrified the still immature Leto and Asteria, their faces paling and bodies stiffening.
Even someone as deep-minded as Mnemosyne was startled in her heart.
She inwardly praised that this Great Mother Goddess, who wielded the authority of breeding and reproduction, was not some purely merciful and weak god; beneath her loving divinity lay decisive and thunderous methods in no way lacking.
No wonder Zeus loves her so much!
Jealousy surged in the Goddess of Civilization and Memory; she unwillingly snorted heavily in her heart.
Leto and Asteria were already scared out of their wits and hurriedly knelt to profess their absolute loyalty, repeatedly guaranteeing they harbored no disloyalty.
After confirming that awe had been imprinted in the hearts of these two young goddesses, the majestic future Queen of Heaven finally restrained her divine power once more, revealing her warm, kind, and affable side.
She then held a small banquet for the three goddesses in her Divine Palace.
She not only invited the loving Mother Goddess Rhea but also warmly invited Hestia and bountiful Demeter to accompany.
And the most honored guest at the banquet was the Embodiment of Order of the Sacred Justice Order, Lady Themis.
At the banquet, the purely good Hera announced to the goddesses her acceptance of these two goddesses as her attendants; all the goddesses sighed at Hera’s tolerance and magnanimity.
Since Hera, the goddess directly involved, had already forgiven, and God King Zeus had not expressed opposition, Themis, representing justice and goodness, naturally would not make things difficult for these two young goddesses who truly seemed pitiable.
The other goddesses were not petty either and naturally had no more to say about it.
Thus, Leto and Asteria finally had a place to stand in the sacred Mount Olympus.
Under Hera’s combination of grace and authority, the two young goddesses behaved with utmost propriety, extremely obedient.
After the banquet ended, Goddess of Justice Themis prepared to take her leave immediately to continue her sacred duties.
With the new order just established, she absolutely would not fail the supreme responsibility entrusted to her by God King Zeus; she must oversee the operation of the entire Sacred Order at every moment!
She had to supervise whether the gods were fulfilling their duties and watch carefully for any budding issues.
She, this Goddess of Order, was now the busiest god in the universe; if not for Hera’s personal invitation, she truly would not have had time to linger here.
However, as she departed, the Goddess of Civilization and Memory followed along.
Mnemosyne quickened her steps to catch up with the upright, flawless-divinity Goddess of Justice, her face full of smiles, her voice sweet almost to overflowing with honey: “Oh, my dearest sister, most flawless beauty of the Three Realms and Three Domains Themis, please wait a moment for me.”
The sacred justice halted her steps; her pair of cold-yet-charming, all-seeing golden eyes carried a hint of doubt as she looked at Mnemosyne and asked softly: “Dear Mnemosyne, you who are usually so leisurely and free, what important matter brings you to seek me now?”
The elegant Goddess of Civilization approached warmly and naturally linked arms with the flawless justice’s jade-like clean arm, strolling together toward the Divine Palace.
The two peerlessly radiant goddesses walked side by side: one clad in a pure white Divine Robe, her brilliant divine radiance as if able to illuminate the entire world; the other with profound and elegant demeanor, every gesture full of grace.
The heaven and earth they were in gained infinite color from the companionship of these two goddesses; even the air of Olympus seemed to be filled with an intoxicating fragrance because of it.
The guardian of civilization, with her poetry-chanting voice, smiled elegantly: “Oh~ my dearest Themis, does it mean I cannot seek you without important matters? Do you know how much I miss you in my heart?”
She paused, slightly leaning her head toward Themis, her rosy lips brushing the justice goddess’s earlobe, supplementing softly in an ambiguously suggestive tone:
“My longing for you is as deep as Great Zeus’s longing for you.”
This sentence, like an invisible arrow, instantly struck the sacred and resilient goddess.
Themis’s figure stiffened; her rock-solid heart of order suddenly palpitated.
Though this palpitation lasted only a brief instant, it was perceived clearly by the memory goddess who held her arm tightly.
The majestic Themis remained serious; she continued forward expressionlessly, saying in a steady tone: “Mnemosyne, my palace gates are of course forever open to you.”
“However, with the new order and the gods’ duties just finalized, I truly have too many affairs to handle and no time for leisure.”
“His Majesty the God King entrusted this immensely precious authority to me; how could I fail His trust and expectation?”
“Moreover,” her tone grew heavier, “His Majesty the God King is already the supreme His Majesty the God King. You should show Him the utmost respect and should no longer address Him directly by name, much less joke using His Majesty the God King.”
“You should not take the God King’s generosity for granted, nor overstep the God King’s majesty!”
The dominator of memory, this elegant Goddess of Civilization, bloomed a serene yet cunning smile on her face; words carrying a hint of teasing and banter floated lightly from her plump crimson cherry lips like petals:
“As expected of you, my most meticulous and flawless Goddess of Sacred Justice Order. My dearest sister, every thought of yours seems to be born for Great Zeus.”
Her words turned, her tone filled with exaggerated praise: “No wonder His Majesty the God King granted you such vast authority.”
“If Zeus is the supreme sovereign of this boundless universe, then you, Themis, are undoubtedly this universe’s well-deserved Vice-Regent.”
“No wonder… the God King favors you so much.”
“You two truly are a match made in heaven.”
Flawless Themis, facing her good sister’s overt teasing, felt a thousand waves in her heart but could only show a hint of helplessness on her face.
She gave this knowledge goddess, full of mocking tone, a slightly reproving glance and said in a tone seemingly tinged with fatigue: “My dearest sister, did you keep me here just to tease me freely? If there is truly something, please speak plainly.”
The source of all-knowing smiled faintly; she knew when to stop, not letting her dear sister lose face.
Though no gods were around and there was no fear of any god hearing, she still deliberately and intimately pressed to Themis’s ear, her warm breath spraying on her earlobe, sending every word clearly into the depths of the order goddess’s divinity.
She whispered: “My dear sister, your essence is ‘order.’ You became sacred because of the God King’s order, became the embodiment of justice because of the justice defined by the God King.”
“You naturally prefer and favor all that is just and good; you firmly guard the Sacred Justice Order created by the God King, but beneath this guardianship, you also have your own upheld and favored unique ‘justice.'”
“Do you know, then, how fatally attractive you, so pure and flawless in upholding justice, are to Zeus?”
“You need only… gently crook a finger, and the Great God King will be utterly enchanted by you.”
