Identity [3]

I stare blankly at Hera, thinking carefully about what she'd said, unable to come up with any sort of imagery of who Hecate-apparently me-might be. Hera purses her lips in a clear sign of disappointment at my lack of recognition, clearly expecting a bigger reaction to her assertion. "Er...I'm sorry." I say finally, shaking my head. "Who?"

She raises one eyebrow, then sighs deeply, plucking a tart gracefully from the plate beside her in a manner that suggests she would not have done so had I not frustrated her. "Hecate. Goddess of Witchcraft, Magic and more." She explains finally with a slight huff as she takes a delicate bite of the tart.

"I've never heard of her." I say after a moment, my voice laced with skepticism.

"You." Hera sighs after she swallows her bite of tart. "You are Hecate."

"I'm sorry, I'm having a little trouble believing this. If I'm a 'Goddess', where are my powers?" I point out, crossing my arms.

Hera's lips turn downwards in a frown, and her brown eyes darken like she's not happy to discuss this particular subject. "Yes...that is curious, isn't it? My only guess is that they are lying dormant because you've forgotten who you are. I'm hoping we can coax them out again...but, in the meantime, you've arrived just in time for the Ball of the Gods tonight!" She seems to grow excited at the idea, brightening instantly. "It's tonight. I guess I should give you a little backstory, seeing as you've lost your memory..."

Ball of the Gods? What have I gotten myself into? Hera smiles warmly, pressing on. "It started about a hundred years ago, I want to say. I'd gotten bored one night, and thought to myself, you know what would be so much fun? A Ball! Not to mention, it's the only time of the year that all the Gods are in the same place, major and minor."

I blink, unsure of why she's informing of such a thing. She can't think I'll be attending, can she? "You'll love it!" Oh. So she can.

I part my lips slightly, unsure of how to tell someone I just witnessed create a killer storm outside that I don't want to attend her party, but my thoughts are interrupted by the arrival of another person in the large kitchen. This time it's a man, who smells like a rainstorm and radiates a massive amount of power, so strong I feel the urge to take a step back. His hair is dark and slightly damp, styled messily, and his eyes are a bright electric blue. He's muscular, wearing a simple black t-shirt and jeans, and his eyes widen as he spots me. "Hecate?" He asks in confusion, his voice deep and strong.

Hera speaks up, her voice smooth and composed, but I can see the angry turmoil in her eyes when she looks at the man. "Hecate has lost her memory, it seems, Zeus." She says calmly. "I was just telling her of the Ball tonight while Anastasia prepares the two of us a bit of raspberry tea."

Zeus nods, but his eyes are locked with Hera's, sparking with some sort of deep longing. "Ah." He says after a moment, taking a step closer to the beautiful Goddess, who takes a step back in response and clears her throat.

Hera gives me a meaningful look that leaves no room for arguments. "Hecate, please, let's go upstairs and get ready for the ball. I also have a few books in my private library that may help you better understand yourself."

I want to do anything but that, but from the tension beginning to form in the room, I simply nod, following the brunette out of the kitchen and up the winding staircase. Upstairs, she leads me into a bedroom lit by a shimmery chandelier similar to the one downstairs and an old-fashioned but beautiful canopy bed. The large window across the room allows rays of sunlight to streak the floor, and there's a bathroom at the back of the room. Hera steps over to a dark wooden door that she pulls open to reveal a walk-in closet.

"Thanks for coming upstairs with me." Hera sighs as she begins to sift through the excessive amount of dresses in her closet. "Zeus has been relentlessly chasing me since I left him about...oh, it must've been three centuries ago now. For a long time, I was so jealous of all his flings, casting curses left and right. But eventually, that becomes old, of course...I realized I was blaming the wrong person, really. It was Zeus that was the issue."

I don't respond, though I feel a stab of empathy for the Goddess, and she smiles sadly at me as she pulls out a sparkly dress. "I don't love him anymore, I don't, but it's hard when you know you've never been enough." She straightens her shoulders, thrusting the dress towards me. "Here. This will look stunning on you, Hecate."

I don't know what to say, though I feel I should say something in response to her emotional statement. Instead, I gently take the dress, examining it for a moment. The dress is the most stunning piece of clothing I've ever held in my own two hands, long and black, the sparkles layered on the fabric twinkling like stars every time they catch the light. "I really don't think-" I begin, only to be cut off by Hera's loud hmph.

"You're going." She says firmly, rolling her eyes. "You're still as antisocial as before, I see. Well, no matter-this is very important. You've been gone for three years, Hecate. Though that's just a drop in the bucket of eternity, still-there's a lot that needs to be figured out. We have no idea how your memory came to be erased."

I don't miss the way Hera's eyes darken as she speaks. Clearly, she has some private thoughts about how my memory came to be missing-something I'm still struggling to believe. It seems so far-fetched, yet I can't deny that something inside of me just feels...right. An empty gaping hole in my chest feels more filled than before, and I wonder if I hadn't come here if I would have even noticed the void was present. Hera's voice brings me back to the situation at hand. "Go put the dress on, and then I'll help you with your hair and makeup. Trust me on this, Hecate."

I don't particularly want to attend the ball, but something about the sincerity in Hera's voice and the pleading look in her brown eyes makes me nod slowly. "Okay." I say after a brief moment of silence hangs between us. "Fine, but just know I really don't want to."

Hera grins, flashing a set of perfect white teeth, and gestures daintily with one hand towards the bathroom that I'd spotted when I'd first entered the room. "You can change there, but hurry-you and I can set up the ball together after we get ready!" She pauses, her facial expression softening into one of vulnerability and gentle warmth. "I've missed you, Hecate. You and I had grown rather close before you disappeared."

I freeze half-way through my walk towards the bathroom, pausing awkwardly and turning my head to regard her carefully. I'm not used to people sharing their feelings with me or caring so much about me, so I'm unsure of how to respond. Gathering the fabric of the dress carefully in my fingers, I begin to form a response. "I don't remember you," I say after a moment, shaking my head. "But you seem like a good person, Hera, so I'm sure I valued our friendship."

Hera smiles, seemingly pleased with my response, and I turn back towards the bathroom, quietly shutting the wooden, heavy door behind me. The bathroom is as elaborately decorated as the rest of the mansion,or palace rather. On the wall perched above the marble sink is a round, large mirror with a shining frame that appears to be made of solid gold, clearer than any mirror I've ever seen before. I wince slightly at my appearance as I take it all in for the first time since before arriving at the warehouse where I would be kidnapped. My curly black hair is wild, resembling a ruffled birds nest, and there is, somehow, a streak of mud across one of my cheeks. My dress, a sleek black silk a few hours earlier, has ripped without me noticing, most likely a result of my struggle with Hades.

I sigh, unzipping my gown and letting it pool to the floor around my ankles, observing the dress Hera had handed me once again. It's beautiful, and undeniably my style, yet I can't help but feel as though it's missing something. I shrug, beginning to pull on the dress without much thought. The fabric is stiffer than the dress I just removed, but it's made up for easily by the way the fabric melds to my body, as if it were made for me, hugging me in all the right ways. I smile at the way it sparkles as it catches the light bouncing off the chandelier hanging above me, observing myself carefully and attempting to smooth my hair.

I exit the bathroom after another brief moment, and Hera smiles widely as her gaze catches mine. "You look great! However...it is missing something that you were really never without. Luckily for you, you happened to accidentally leave one here visiting me a couple years ago."

I tilt my head inquisitively at her, waiting for clarification, but she doesn't speak, instead moving quickly towards the closet and beginning to shuffle around it's contents yet again. After a moment, she pulls out a long, flowing black piece of fabric. Upon further examination of it, I realize it's a cloak with a shimmering ruby clasp. "This is yours." She informs me with a smile. "You rarely were seen without a cloak-it wouldn't be right if I didn't give this to you tonight."

She crosses the room in a few simple strides and gently places it in my hands. The fabric is soft, almost silky, but sturdier. As I pull it around my shoulders, clasping it gently at my throat, I can't deny that something just feels right about it. Hera claps her hands together excitedly, practically hopping in place. "Excellent! Now, sit down, let me do your hair..."

Thirty minutes later, my hair is styled into a sleek, gorgeous curls, half of it pinned back with a delicate pearl hair pin that I have a sneaking suspicion is real. My makeup is done minimally, but beautifully, enhancing my natural features. I can't deny that Hera knows what she's doing, so I offer her a small smile. "Thanks."

"Anytime." She replies with a dismissive wave. "Hm, I can't decide what color dress to wear tonight...what do you think?"

"Um..." I shrug after a moment, glancing at her overflowing closet. "Maybe something pink?"

"Pink? Hm, okay...I do have quite a few pink dresses." Hera nods, thoroughly convinced as she strides across the room to the closet yet again.

After a moment, she pulls out a gorgeous ball gown style dress, a light flowery pink shade with a shimmery undertone. I nod encouragingly, trying to warm up to the Goddess-it's hard, as I've never-well, in my memory-had female friends, and Owen has never minded my cold nature. "Yeah." I say after a moment. "That's pretty."

"Thank you." Hera smiles a genuine, sweet smile. "I'm gonna go change, and then we can head downstairs to prepare the ballroom! I'm so excited!" She flushes a soft pink after a moment and whispers in a hushed voice, "I hope Hermes will be there."

"Hermes?" I ask in surprise, raising my eyebrows. While Hera did tell me she'd moved on from Zeus, for some reason, I didn't expect her to have any other men she was interested in pursuing-though, I'm happy for her.

Hera nods almost shyly, which is a stark difference from the confident, bubbling girl I saw moments before. "Um, yeah. It's nothing serious, and it's top secret-so please, don't share this information with anyone. We've only been seeing each other casually for about two months now, but he is lovely, quite different from what I previously believed him to be."

"Your secret is safe with me." I promise, then smile a bit. "Hm, well, if he's treating you well, I say go for it."

Hera smiles softly, her eyes downcast, fixated on the gown in her hands, but I notice the glow of adoration that seems to radiate from her. "Thanks-he is." Then, she sighs, her smile fading. "But I know nothing will ever truly come out of it, Hecate. You don't have your memory, or you'd understand-the life of Gods can be quite cruel and trying. Zeus would never allow us to be together, truly."

"Who cares what Zeus says?" I ask with narrowed eyes and a frown. "He can't stop you from finding someone that treats you right, Hera."

"You don't understand, Hecate." Hera sighs softly, offering me a sad smile. "Let's not worry about that right now, okay? I'm gonna go get dressed, and then we can go decorate."

A few minutes later, she exits the bathroom adorned in simple, shining gold jewellery and the stunning pink dress, but I can't help but notice how she doesn't quite glow like she did before, before she was flooded by dark thoughts concerning her undercover romance and apparently jealous ex. I decide not to comment on that, instead smiling brightly. "The dress suits you, Hera."

She smiles graciously, dipping her head. "Thank you. Now, we have a ballroom to decorate!"