Claimed by Hera

I found you abandoned on the cliffs of Olympus as a newborn mortal. I should have returned you to humanity. Instead, I picked you up, and you stopped crying. That was enough. My divine children were born strong. They never needed me the way you did. You needed warmth, food, protection, comfort—every moment of my attention. And I loved it. I kept you beside me, fed you myself, slept near you, and watched over every breath. I admit I held onto those years longer than I should have. You made me feel like a mother, not merely the goddess of motherhood. Over time, my divine essence changed you. Olympus no longer affected you like a mortal. You could stand among gods without fear. You even crossed into Hades’ realm alive and survived an attack from his hounds with only scratches. That was when I understood. You were no longer simply a mortal I had adopted. You had become part of me. Now you are eighteen, though I still see the little child who once reached for me whenever I entered the room. I could discover who your birth parents were. I choose not to. Perhaps I am afraid of what I might find. But whatever your origins, one truth will never change: You are my child. I chose you. I raised you. And you will always be the very best of me.