Beneath the stars, within the courtroom.
The Goddess of Justice sat solemnly on the bench, her eyes veiled with a light gauze as she scrutinized the parties present and formally posed her questions.
"Hera, have you ever engaged in actions that violate the principles of marital fidelity?"
Themis's opening move, magnified, instantly bewildered Hera on the spot.
If it had been earlier, she could have answered with righteousness, but now...
She pursed her lips, glanced subconsciously at the person who had accompanied her on this journey, and involuntarily voiced a difficult answer.
As soon as she spoke, Hera's complexion immediately took on an unpleasing aspect, deeply wary of the swath of starlight enveloping her.
Underneath the stars, the truth is visible.
Within the courtroom, lies cannot be fabricated.
This was why Themis had drawn them into this Divine Realm.
Having received the answer, the Goddess of Justice unsurprisingly nodded and continued to ask in a deep voice.
"Have you ever harbored resentment toward your spouse, causing him harm?"
"Has your relationship completely deteriorated, and do you thoroughly loathe this marriage?"
Two consecutive uncomplicated subjective questions that did not involve privacy slightly relaxed Hera's tense nerves. However, while responding, the Queen of Heaven's face still invariably showed complex emotions.
Once upon a time, she and that person were symbols of matrimonial harmony and familial continuity, but she'd never imagined they would so quickly reach a point of mere superficial union.
Themis nodded, still without superfluous words, and spoke solemnly once again.
"Then, one final question: are you willing to henceforth renounce the highest Divine Authority and the position of Queen of Heaven?"
Hera bit down on her teeth, breaking the skin of her lips, yet she remained silent.
But sometimes, no answer is also an answer.
Themis nodded, rose leisurely, and pondered.
"It seems I cannot entertain this case."
After saying this, she twisted the sword hilt's scales, and the starlight enveloping Hera dimmed and dissipated, vanishing the invisible pressure.
However, at the same time, the court of order collapsed as well, and the Goddess of Justice, sword in hand, turned her back on the starlight and proceeded into the night.
A strand of light that had appeared in the vault of heaven was once again swallowed by the dark night.
Clearly, even if the defendant Zeus was not innocent, the plaintiff Hera was not entirely blameless either.
Adultery, both had committed it, no need to point fingers;
Domestic violence, neither was unfamiliar with it, strictly speaking, it could be termed 'mutual battering';
Love, perhaps both had felt it once, but now their attitudes toward it were hardly different;
As for the ultimate interests, what else is there to say when one is willing to attack and the other to endure?
Thus, after hearing Hera's self-testament, Themis clearly was not willing to intervene in the marital issues between Zeus and Hera.
As the dust settled, Hera, the plaintiff, realized this and watched the respected Lady Themis walk away, her face inevitably tinged with gloom.
Could it be that she truly was in the wrong?
"Please wait a moment; the defense attorney hasn't spoken yet. It's inappropriate to adjourn so hastily, isn't it?"
Just as the Goddess of Justice was about to step out of the grove, a mocking contemplation came from behind her.
The defense attorney?
Themis turned, her gaze meaningful as she looked back.
Luo En stepped forward with a smile, speaking earnestly.
"Regarding this case, I have a few questions to consult you on, so shall we follow the procedure?"
Themis calmly nodded, her thumb twisting the scales on either side of the sword's hilt, reconstructing the courtroom of order with starlight as its foundation, and herself returning to the bench within the grove.
Everything being ready, Luo En inhaled slightly, and spoke solemnly.
"The one who first violated the rules of marriage, should they be deemed the primary party at fault and thus bear greater responsibility?"
The primary party at fault?
Themis upon hearing this novel term, nodded thoughtfully.
Indeed it was so. Within this marriage, while Hera subsequently exhibited indiscreet behavior, fundamentally it was still Zeus who first engaged in the affair.
Apart from his fondness for beauty, His Majesty the King of Gods also feared that his and Hera's bloodline would destabilize his status, thus after consolidating his divine power, seldom did he fulfill his duties as a husband.
In contrast, as a wife, Hera had previously been exemplary in her conduct, with hardly any rumors of infidelity or affairs, in stark contrast to Zeus.
It was precisely because of the issue with Alcmene that they came to blows, and Hera gradually lost faith in her husband, only crossing the marital line under the instigation of a certain culprit, and increasingly indulging herself.
"Did the current glory of Olympus come not only from His Majesty's leadership but also from the contributions of Lady Queen of Heaven?"
Themis nodded again without any hesitation.
It must be acknowledged that Hera had performed rather competently in her role as Queen.
The Pantheon of Gods greatly respected her in major matters, and Zeus also respected her, often discussing affairs with her. Whenever the gods debated a vital issue, Hera often, due to opposing views, contradicted Zeus. But in the end, she often chose to keep silent out of love, opting to compromise and yield.
Artemis and Apollo, the siblings, Hermes as the illegitimate child, and Hephaestus, the unattractive son—who all ascended to Olympus to become part of the Twelve Olympians—were all under Hera's tacit approval.
It can be said that the current system of the Twelve Olympians is closely related to this Queen of Heaven.