Walking into the palace of the king felt like walking into a den of lions. Not that Hercules couldn't handle a lion or two. He didn't bother to conceal who he was...after his last visit to this building, it seemed likely he would be recognised in any case. Which made it just a little surprising that he was admitted so quickly to see the king.
The throne room had changed little. High, vaulted ceiling, walls lined with displayed weapons that gleamed in the light of many torches. And an altar to Hera on prominent display. Hercules barely glanced at it, walking straight down the centre of the room to stand before the king's throne.
King Eurystheus rose from his throne as Hercules approached and met him partway. Hercules was grateful for the gesture of welcome...they could at least talk as friends. "I've come from Corinth," he explained. "My brother asked me to bring Ganeda home."
"I guessed as much. Ganeda will be here soon." Eurystheus led him to a seat. "How did you get here, Hercules? With an army marching on this city very few can get through."
Hercules said nothing, letting a look be his reply.
"Well, I don't suppose an army could stop you..."
"Yours didn't."
"True, true. If you came through that army...can you tell me who I'm dealing with?"
Hercules read fear in the king's eyes. The man didn't know. "I came past the army of a Thessalonian warlord called Darius. But, my king, he is not your problem. Darius rides at Ares' orders." Hercules had tried to speak quietly, but his words carried, setting off a murmuring among the people gathered in the throne room.
"Ares...? But what have I done to offend the gods?"
"You're asking me?" Hercules glanced over to Hera's altar, illustrating the point in a way he knew Eurystheus would understand. "As far as I can tell, you've done nothing. It's Hera who's offended him. You're just caught in the middle."
"Then we're doomed."
This king was an old man, and at heart he was a good man...despite the history between them Hercules didn't feel he deserved this. He waited, knowing the request for help was coming. And knowing that he was going to refuse. When the king asked, Hercules answered almost at once.
"You're the third person today who's asked me that. King Eurystheus, the last time I was in Mycenae..." he held up a hand, cutting off the man's interruption. "Yeah, I know, you were just being Hera's devoted servant. And, the gods know, I'm no friend to Ares, but do you really expect me to fight under Hera's banner?"
"I need help for my people, Hercules. You have the reputation of helping those in need." The king spoke with quiet dignity.
"I can help you one way. There's still time for you to mobilise properly. Get the women and children out of the city. Tiryns is only about a day's journey and should be safe. I can..." Hercules turned his head as the woman he had been waiting for entered the throne room.
Ganeda was a young woman, and every inch a princess. She had a charisma that was more than beauty...when she entered the room, everyone noticed. She saw Hercules and made straight for him, not hurrying.
He stood to greet her. "Ganeda. You've done some growing up since I saw you last."
She didn't respond to his humour. "There's only one reason for you to be here." Her words were blunt, but her voice shook a little as she spoke. "My father...is he dead?"
He reached for her hands. "I'm afraid he is. I'm sorry, Ganeda."
She nodded slowly; only Hercules could see her struggle to hold back tears. "Then I must return home."
"That's why I'm here. What kept you here so long, anyway? You should have been back in Corinth months ago."
"I know. My business here is done. Only..." Ganeda glanced past Hercules, and he sighed. "Don't tell me it's a man?"
She nodded slowly. "I want you to meet Elrion. Then you can tell my brother what a wonderful husband he'll make."
"Me?" Leipephile repeated, her tone disbelieving. It had been dark by the time Hercules had reached the inn with his niece. The first thing he had done was pay for her to have a room, the second was to make this request of Leipephile.
Hercules felt he deserved points or something for having managed to surprise her. "Is this the same woman who was so desperate to prove herself she ran away from home?" he teased. "Listen, Leipephile," he added quietly, "Ganeda has just lost her father: she doesn't really want company right now. But she's also a princess and shouldn't be in a place like this without a proper guard. I know you can do that. Look after her for me while I get some rest, and while I talk with your father."
"Of course," Leipephile agreed instantly.
Hercules watched them go with some relief. He hoped Leipephile didn't think he was just trying to get her out of the way...he was beginning to respect her as the Amazon she tried to be, and he had told her the truth. She wouldn't be so eager to fight without cause after the incident on the road, and he trusted her to raise an alarm if there was any trouble.
He joined Iolaus at a table near the back of the inn. It had been a long day: Hebe, Hera...too much to take in all at once. He would be glad to get out of this city. Hercules took a long drink of the tankard Iolaus handed him, and closed his eyes, trying to relax for the first time that day.
"Herc, are you going to tell me what's wrong?"
He looked up, frowning. He never had been able to fool Iolaus. He explained reluctantly, "While I was looking for Ganeda, I had a run-in with Hera."
Iolaus, instantly twice as worried, looked Hercules up and down. "You seem unharmed."
He smiled weakly. "I'm fine. It wasn't that kind of encounter."
"What other kind is there between you two?"
"She asked for my help," Hercules said, his voice expressionless. He was well aware of the impact of his words.
Iolaus blinked. "Run that by me again?"
"She asked for my help," Hercules repeated.
"What did you tell her?"
Hercules snapped, "I told her to go to Hades, what do you think!" He slammed his tankard down on the table with a loud crack. "Only...now I'm wondering if I did the right thing." And with that confession, he rose abruptly and walked out of the inn.
After a moment, Iolaus followed him. Hercules climbed up the steps to the top parapet of the city walls. It was a chilly night; the breeze in that exposed spot made it even colder. Iolaus found his friend leaning against the wall, staring into space.
"Herc...no one will blame you for not trusting her," Iolaus said softly.
"Except me," he insisted. "If it turns out she told me the truth."
"I don't get it. Whatever she wants, she's got to be looking out for herself, hasn't she? I mean, Hera doesn't exactly care about people."
Hercules silently met his friend's eyes. "You said it, Iolaus," he told him eventually. "She's looking after her own interests. But they include this city...and she's going up against Ares. What if...what if I don't help her, and because I didn't, Ares wins? He'd be worse than Hera, wouldn't he?"
Iolaus had never seen Hercules so troubled, so uncertain. Herc always knew what was the right thing to do. "What difference can you make?" he asked tentatively. "I mean, there's a huge army out there. How can one more person...?"
"I think I can answer that."
Both men heard the voice, and moments later the slight form of Hebe materialised in front of them.
"Hebe," Hercules greeted her. "You got me into this. What do you know about it?"
The young goddess frowned slightly. "Not enough. And I have to be quick - I'm missing a great party at Cupid's place. What I can do is tell you the rules of this war."
"I'm listening."
"Ares wants power on earth. Hera tried to stop him, so he picked Mycenae to attack first. Zeus stepped in to prevent them fighting directly...you know the sort of destruction that could cause."
"I know."
"Zeus decreed that they can only use what resources they have on the day of the battle. And it has to be decided in one day: no ten-year sieges. Ares has his armies. Because Hera's temple is here, she can use most of her power...but that's a stalemate. Ares has something else. Some secret. Hera believes it will be enough to tip the balance in his favour. But..."
Suddenly it became clear. "Because I'm in Mycenae," Hercules concluded, "I count as something Hera can use. That's why Ares was trying to stop me getting here."
Hebe nodded. "You got it, big brother. The trouble is, that unless you fight for Hera, it won't count. Even if you help them win, they'll just have to do it all over again."
"That's insane!" Iolaus burst out.
"The gods aren't noted for sanity, Iolaus." Hercules started pacing. "Hebe...I just can't do it. Look, I promised Iphicles I'd get Ganeda safely back to Corinth. That's what I came here to do. That's what I have to do. I cannot work for Hera."
The words sounded decisive. But Iolaus, who knew Hercules so well, heard the doubt in his voice, even then.
Hercules was staring out into the darkness beyond the city walls. There was no moon that night; it was impossible to see the surrounding countryside. Hercules, though, seemed to be seeing something. His eyes narrowed and he took a step closer to the parapet, looking intently into the darkness.
"Damn you, Ares," he muttered.
"What's the matter?" Iolaus asked quickly.
"Look."
Iolaus looked where Hercules indicated. He saw nothing. Then a flickering light. Then another. Campfires. "It's too late to leave, isn't it?" he realised.
Hercules expression was grim. "I don't know how Ares has done it. Yes, it's too late. If there's going to be a battle, we're trapped here now. Until it's over."
Memory refused to let him be.
He had come home, happy, relaxed, looking forward to spending the night in Deianeira's arms. In front of his eyes, she had died, consumed by the fireball of Hera's hatred and jealousy.
Another memory: Xena telling him about Ares' attempts to win her back. "He said I was fighting for a better world. To conquer it, and then to rule it. It's an attractive prospect..."
Talking with Hebe on the road to the temple at Sparta...the single incident Hercules had left out when he told Gabrielle the story: He had remarked that he'd expected the chalice to be another of Hera's games...
"You don't think much of her, do you, Hercules?" Hebe had sounded surprised.
"Do you blame me?"
She looked thoughtful. "I don't know. Hera has done some terrible things to you...but she made you what you are. Isn't that something to be grateful for?"
"Grateful!" he burst out, half angry, half amazed. "Hebe, I was just a baby the first time she tried to kill me. And she hasn't stopped trying since. She murdered my family..."
"I know." Hebe reached out and covered his hands with her own. "I'm not trying to defend that. But have you ever tried to see it from her point of view? It's not just that Zeus was unfaithful to her - he's done that thousands of times. You set yourself against Hera from the day you were born." Gently, Hebe had reminded him of what Hera would see as his crimes against her...it was true, even before Deianeira, he hadn't always waited for her to strike first.
Another memory: Aegina, the slave he rescued from Hera's temple after Deianeira and the kids died: "Worry about this obsession you have with getting revenge on Hera...I think you ought to do something that honours their memory..."
Iolaus, dying at the hands of Hera's newest Enforcer, his last breath used to warn his best friend.
The circle of fire in which Hera had placed the eternal torch of Prometheus. Zeus tried so hard to stop him, but Zeus didn't understand...even though it would mean his own death, Hercules had to save that torch.
And Xena's voice again, "Someone taught me that helping people is the only reason to be on this earth."
That strange gateway to another world, and his brief glimpse of a man who was himself, but wasn't...the one Iolaus called "the sovereign": a man so obsessed with power he planned to slaughter a world...
Hera's last words to him in her temple: "I have beaten you... An empty victory, Hercules."
A final memory, Iolaus as they travelled to Mycenae: "I'd give almost anything to get the old days back again. Just one day...best friends back to back..."
"Hercules? Are you OK?"
His mind back in the present, Hercules turned wearily to his friend. "What should I do, Iolaus? What would you do?"
Iolaus shook his head. "I'm the wrong one to ask, Herc. I hate Hera nearly as much as you do." He paused, looking at his troubled friend, then a thought occurred, something that might show Hercules a way out of this dilemma. "I'll tell you what Gabrielle would say, though."
Hercules smiled. He knew exactly what peace-loving Gabrielle would say.
"She'd tell you to act with love, not with hate. And she'd tell you the same thing you'd be saying, if it wasn't Hera we were talking about: do what's best for the greater good."
The greater good... Hercules took a deep breath, his options suddenly reduced to one. "If it was possible, would you do this with me?"
"Hera!"
The dark temple doors had opened to him before he even touched them, and he walked inside, his way lit only by her altar's perpetual flame. In darkness the temple felt threatening.
"Hera!" he called out a second time. He knew she was there before he saw her; Hera's presence was a tangible thing...she liked to show off her power. Hercules was glad for the silent presence of Hebe beside him.
The queen of the gods came into view, as she had before, from behind the altar.
"I'm here to tell you that I'll fight your war. Not for you. For the people of this city."
Hera raised her slim hands, steepled them together in front of her chest. "It won't work, Hercules. If you won't help me, this war could drag on for decades."
He already knew that. "Oh, I'll satisfy my father's rules. To the letter. I just want you to know the truth." He had thrown in the word "father" as a test; she ignored it. Now he was sure that she was truly in need of his help. "Hera, if I demand a price from you, and you pay it, that means I'm working for you as far as Zeus is concerned, doesn't it?"
She considered, then nodded: a slight tilt of her head. "I believe so. What do you want of me?"
He took a deep breath, still not certain he was doing the right thing. "Iolaus," he said.
A silence. He let it drag on.
"If I'm going into battle, I want Iolaus at my back. There's nothing Ares can do that we can't handle together."
"He's an old man," Hera said. Hercules heard suppressed laughter in her words.
"Sure. But you can change that, can't you? I'm asking you to give Iolaus back his youth and strength. For one day. That's my price. It's also what will win you this war, Hera."
Moments later he was leaning against one of the pillars outside the temple, holding a precious crystal vial in his hand. He couldn't turn back now. For most of his life he had been Hera's bitterest enemy. Now, for a time, at least, he was her servant.
Hebe's soft voice penetrated his whirling thoughts. "Will you ever forgive her, Hercules?"
"When the Styx dries up and Mount Olympus falls."
A silence. Then, "You did the right thing, though."
"I know. I just hope I've done the right thing by Iolaus."
The young goddess gently took the vial from his hand. "Isn't that why you asked me to wait for you?" She weighed it in her hands, and gave it back to him. "Hera hasn't cheated you, Hercules. That contains precisely what you asked for: one day of youth and strength." She winked. "Trust the goddess of youth to know."
How did she always bring a smile to his face? Hercules wondered. "I do trust you. But I trust Hera about as far as I could throw Mount Olympus."
Hebe grinned at him cheekily. "Coming from you, that's pretty far. Shall we try it when this is over?"
Despite himself, Hercules had to laugh at that. "You don't give up, do you?" Picking himself up, he began the walk back to the inn. "Hebe, I do need to ask a favour of you."
"Anything, brother."
"If anything happens, to Iolaus, or to me, will you make sure Ganeda and Leipephile both get safely home. I'm breaking a promise by staying here to fight."
"I'll do more than that. Hercules, I can't interfere in the battle, but I'll promise you this much. Both of them are under my protection. I'll make certain they're not harmed, and I will see them safely home."
"Thank you." Hercules took both her hands in his; a gesture of brotherly affection. Hebe stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. Then, smiling, she vanished.
Strategically, the idea of joining battle was ludicrous. Even if every citizen of Mycenae were trained and armed, they were secure in a fortified city, facing an army whose sheer numbers would inevitably overwhelm them. They faced, not a single army, but many: Ares had mobilised his armies from all over Greece, bringing them together at Mycenae and the force that resulted was commanded by the God of War himself.
Mycenae could have withstood a siege. The public fountains were fed from springs too far underground for the opposing army to block or contaminate them. The city was rich in stored grain and other necessary foods. The fortifications would hold.
This war, however, was between gods, not men, and they had decreed there would be a battle this day. The mortals could do nothing, but submit.
Hercules rose before dawn, after a bare two hours sleep. It was many years since he'd fought as part of an army. His memories of the last time were not good ones. Hercules was a warrior; he enjoyed a good fight. But he did not like to kill. Only when necessary, and only when he knew his target deserved to die. Battle had no place for such scruples.
As he left Hera's temple the night before, she had said one last thing to him: "Men die in battle, Hercules. Try to remember not to blame me for that." He guessed she hadn't been able to resist that parting shot. Yet Hebe insisted Hera hadn't spoken in hatred. Then again, sweet, innocent Hebe would try to see good in evil itself.
What Hercules had agreed to do felt like a betrayal of all he was and all he had spent his life fighting for. It was much too late to change his mind. There was an army out there, waiting.
An army. That raised a long-buried fear. Ever since Xena had spoken to him about raising an army again...and then gone out and done so, he had worried that one day they would find themselves once again on opposite sides. Hercules knew Ares, knew he would never give up his battle to get Xena back on his team.
Calling on a lifetime's worth of training and experience, Hercules slowly and deliberately cleared his mind of the emotional baggage. "A man is stone." "Make a rock your weapon within." Hard, resolute, he walked out to face the day.
Iolaus woke with a start, the last remnants of an instantly forgotten nightmare pumping adrenaline through his veins. The first thing he saw was the crystal vial Hercules had given him late the previous night. Iolaus had hardly been able to believe what Hercules had done.
"You could have had anything in her power, and this is what you asked for?" he had said, utterly flabbergasted.
Hercules pressed the vial into his hand. "What should I have asked for? A pet hydra, maybe?" He had given instructions as to what Iolaus should do with the vial, then added, "Don't think you have to do this, Iolaus. You've been in battles before - you know how easy it is to get killed. And you have a wife and family to think of. Sleep on it, my friend. I'll see you in the morning, whatever you decide."
Best friends, back-to-back. Heroes. Why did those words make him think of dying?
It wasn't the years he had fought beside Hercules that Iolaus was remembering that dawn. It was Gabrielle. She told him stories to keep him alive as they waited, afraid, while Hercules and Xena pressed onward up Prometheus' mountain. They shared one soul, Gabrielle's story said: the story he later pretended he hadn't heard.
Gabrielle laughing when he proposed marriage to her: "I thought you'd never ask!" Her teenage crush on him had deepened into love when, for a second time, she nursed him through a serious injury. Gabrielle had really believed he would leave her behind again... Their joyful wedding day...Xena actually had tears in her eyes. Gabrielle had wept when Leipephile was born, remembering the first child she had borne...
Gabrielle, his wife, his beautiful bard. Gabrielle, who valued peace above all things.
Iolaus looked across the room to where his weapons: sword, bow and arrows, were laid out.
"Gabrielle," he said aloud, his voice quiet in the empty room. "My love. If there's anyone, in this world or the next who understands me better than Hercules, it's you. He brought me back from the dead...you gave me new life when I thought everything was gone. And if we truly share the same soul, on some level you have to hear me now.
"We're at war, Gabrielle. That endless cycle of death and pain and violent revenge is about to start again. The gods make war...we're caught in the middle. But for the first time, I think there's hope. That cycle...Hercules beat it in himself last night. He gave up his hate, turned away from his perfect chance at revenge, all for the greater good. I think it's the hardest thing he's ever done. Because of that, maybe, we have a chance now, a chance to end that cycle.
"I can't let Hercules down, not after what he's done. If it's the last thing I do, I have to keep faith with him. Please understand, Gabrielle. Forgive me. My love, my life.
"I will come home to you if I can."