Hera could not help but smirk at his mentioning of Hyperion and Crius. Oh, how she had loved wiping those condescending grins off their faces with her staff. They had mocked her, called her a little girl aiming to mimic her brothers, bragged of the disgusting things they would do to her once she was beaten. But she had shown them what she was capable of, that she was no fragile pretty thing. The victory had cemented her position of power among her brothers. Poseidon had even balked at the damage she had done to them. Had the titans not been immortal she likely would have cracked their skulls open like eggs and felt no remorse for it. Not that it had been an easy fight. More than a few wounds had marred her flawless skin, oozing ichor and staining her armor. Still, no one had questioned her skill on the battlefield after that. Demeter had cowered at the sight of her for at least a week and Leto, who had been Zeus' current lover at the time, would clam up in fear the moment she entered the room. The respect she had always possessed had become intermingled with fear. How ironic that the two words would follow her entire legacy afterward.<br/><br/>"At the time, I probably would have preferred it. Tell me, exactly how long did you and Poseidon tease me after Prometheus informed me I was the goddess of marriage?" Hera simply had to rib him on that one. She had been presented with that little tidbit of information after what was arguably her greatest single-handed victory, no less. She had hoped for something, anything, as a domain that would hope to equal the positions of her brothers. She could not hope to have a vast holding like the sea, sky, or Underworld, but to learn that she had fought so hard to gain a foothold for her fellow goddesses, to have an equal share of the eventual spoils, all to rule over marriage. War. She had been so convinced it would be hers. It had seemed to fit, sit right with her.<br/><br/>Instead, it had fallen to her son. Her Ares. The poor boy had lived in a time of paradox. He had been raised on tales of war and conquest, to take pride in the military prowess of the generation before him. He had learned to see both his mother and father as warriors. The Olympians, however, had been in the process of transitioning into more peaceful times, learning to put divine war behind them for fear of its monumental destruction. He had always wanted to be a warrior, to live up to the example of his parents. Yet his father's turn to peaceful counsel and deliberation in addition to his attempts to temper his wild spirit had come into conflict with his old beloved tales. When Athena had shown up and become his father's golden child, he had given up. And so he had turned to Hera, to his mother who had understood rage and foul temper. She had never attempted to change or temper him, only calm him, guide his fury where it could be put to use. She liked to think she had done something right by him, he had fathered the Amazons after all.<br/><br/>"<i>That</i>is your confession? Of all things? And here I expected to be shocked." Hera's voice was calm and collected as she rolled her eyes. "If you're expecting a great reaction or revelation out of that news than you will have to try much harder. Honestly, I'm much more shocked it was only two with not resulting children. Did you really think I wasn't expecting it to happen in my absence? I came to terms with that ages ago. The regret, however, that is new."<br/><br/>She had left knowing full well he would continue his affairs. The knowledge had stung for a time, but she had learned to move on. It could only hurt her now if she let it. Had it not been for her being the goddess of marriage, she likely would have strayed herself. But her innate fidelity had refused to falter. In one of her occasional encounters with Aphrodite, the goddess of love had told her that in the long run, this would paint Hera in a far better light, or rather garner admiration. Aphrodite had made a habit of meeting with Hera for coffee or drinks every few months between her trips with new mortal lovers across the globe. To think that she and Aphrodite could be considered friends never failed to baffle Hera.