Chapter 20- Aeolus joins Olympus

Years had passed since Zeus left the Pantheon, after I had beat him he had simply left without a word after breaking his control over our siblings. His absence was like a shadow no one wanted to mention, though the gods whispered about his whereabouts. My siblings had apologised to me when their minds had cleared and Poseidon beat himself up for turning on me. I had forgiven thim as it was not their fault that they were manipulated.

You might be wondering, what happened next? What about the position of the Sky god, the one who was supposed to fill Zeus's place, the void left after his disappearance?

Well, I was really worried about it. None of us had expected Zeus to leave. The Pantheon was still reeling from his betrayal and absence, and though the threat of chaos loomed over us, we knew something had to be done. A void in the Pantheon was never something that could go unaddressed. So, as a council, my siblings and I came together. We deliberated, we voted, and after several long discussions and interviews with a number of potential gods, we finally reached a decision.

The search for the new god of the Sky, Lightning, and Storms had been complex, as there were several options on who would replace Zeus.

After careful thought, we selected Aeolus—the god of winds, he was a promising choice, and though I was unsure of how he might handle the potition, he was far better than the other options.

After summoning Aeolus to olympus we offered him the potition that he gladly accepted. The Fates came and granted him his new domains and he took his new throne. No we didn't just give him Zeus's throne we had a brand new one made for him.

Aeolus really blossomed as the new god of the sky, lghtning and storms. He had this helpful nature to him that made him want to help those in need. Though he still needed to learn to control his new powers. Just the other day some mortals prayed for rain and sacrificed to him and eager to help he accedently flooded the village. He had deeply apologized to us and the mortals and was forgiven.

Though there was another problem that bugged me. In the myths it is because of Zeus's little adventure through Greece's most beautiful bachlorettes that caused the birth of several famous heroes and gods to exist. So I was worried that with him now gone that Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Hephestus, Hermes, Ares, and other gods would not exist. I did expect Aphrodite to appear sometime soon as she was born from Uranus balls. But it turned out that I did not need to worry as they are still born if at least one of the original parents still exist. 

So yeah Hera would birth her normal children but who was the lucky god to be the father? Aeolus. 

I sat on my throne, watching as Aeolus talked to Hera, he was talking about some new idea he had and Hera simply leaned on her throne and listened smiling. They two had gotten really close over the years and I was happy that she found someone that really cared about her. 

I had spent enough time with Hera to know that her heart was not easily won. But there was something about Aeolus that was different. His sincerity, his calmness, and his respect for her had drawn her in. I watched it happen slowly, over the course of seasons. At first, they were friends, then companions, and finally, love blossomed between them.

The announcement of their engagement came as a shock at first but I congratulated them. The wedding was held in the Garden of Olympus, Demeter and Hestia were exited to see their sister married and had decorated the Garden themselves. Alot of guests were invited, over a thousand guests came in support of the two love birds.

I sat at the head table along with Hera and Aeolus. They two were talking among themselves as everyone ate and drank. The wedding feast was grand, we went all out with foods and drinks and I even introduced several new dishes and beverages from my old life that got everyone hooked. The garden were filled with laughter and chatter.

To skip over the boring speeches and exchange of gifts with Hera gifting Aeolus an axe she called Stormsplitter Hera had visited the Underworld a couple monthes back and had begged me to allow her to use the forge. I had allowed her and Brontus gave her advice and some quick lessons. Never new that this was the reason she wanted to make it herself but it was cute. Aeolus on the other hand had decided to gift her a golden bangle he had made... also in the forge. Literally after Hera was done and had left the Underworld, Aeolus came and asked help to make her a gift. In the end, I was more than happy to have helped. When the gift exchange was done and a toast was given the two kissed.

Everyone erupted into cheer and than laughter when Aeolus had a stupid grin on his face electricity sparking in his hair that Hera had giggled and fixed, kissing him again.

The celebration that followed was nothing short of spectacular. There were feasts that stretched on into the night, music, dancing, and so many games. Poseidon even stood up later in the night telling jokes and lifting up the mood even more. I laughed that Poseidon had unknowingly become the first Stand up Comedian.

As the night wore on, I found myself relaxing with Hecate at one of the tables. She smiled at me as she held my hands in hers, her eyes seemed to sparkel in the light

"You finally look so relaxed and happy," she said softly, her voice carrying just enough for me to hear. "I am really glad that after everything, we can finally move on and have something special."

I nodded, watching the gods continue to celebrate. "Perhaps Olympus isn't so lost after all."

And in that moment, I realized that even after everything—after the rebellion, after the loss of Zeus—there was still hope for us all.

"So, when will we get married?"

I choked on my nectar.