#ATOZCHALLENGE: Letter J : Juno: Tit for Tat!

This Sculpture of Juno is a Roman  though the
original was made by a Greek artist. 

Juno stepped up and held the newborn child for everyone to see and applaud. A cheer rose in the crowd and there was jubilation everywhere. The proud parents of the child Mars, Juno and Jupiter, hugged each other and the cheer in the crowd rose by several decibels.

And as the cheering subsided and the royal banquet started, Juno and Jupiter, retired to their chambers begging to be excused for Juno was still weak after the childbirth. Once the curtains fell down and cloaked them under the privacy, Jupiter's eyes blazed in anger. Juno remained calm and took the baby away from him and placed him in the cradle, crooning a lullaby and the baby gurgled basking in the attention.

"Stop it!" Shouted out Jupiter.

Juno continued calmly as if the words never reached her ears.

Jupiter could not bear it any longer and walked towards her and yanked her away from the cradle shouting profanities at her.

"You bloody whore! Is it not enough that I have to call this as my own? Do you have to rub it on my face with your senseless crooning?"

Juno stared at Jupiter for a moment. Then she burst out laughing. In between the spasm of laughter she sputtered, "my Lord! Where in the law of nature does it say that a man can have a child from other women but a woman must always have a child from her husband?"

Jupiter was stunned. "How dare you? Are you openly challenging my authority?"

"No," Juno had sobered up. She looked at Jupiter, her eyes had a tinge of sadness. "I am just a mere woman. How can I challenge the authority of a superior god like you?"

But her soothing words did not have any effect on Jupiter. He only understood one thing that today he was forced to acknowledge the child as his own. He could not tell everyone that his wife had cheated on him. But that did not mean that he had to accept the child even in their private quarters.

"Before I take your leave, my lady, I would like to know who the father of this child is?"

"He has no father."

"Do you take me for a fool?" Jupiter's face had redened in anger. "I know I know I have not fathered it. Then who is the one who has taken you away from your wifely duties and love?"

"I will tell you the answer as soon as you tell me who the mother of Athena is?"

"Athena? What has she to do with this?" Jupiter was really puzzled.

"Everything." Said Juno quietly. "Do you remember the day you brought Athena to me?" At Jupiter is nod, she continued, "you told me that she to was not born out of her mother."

"Yes… So?"

"Well if Athena can be born without a mother why can I not produce a son without a father?" As Jupiter looked away from her, she continued calmly, "that day you asked me to believe you. Today I ask you to believe me."

All that remained in that room, after Juno had spoken her words, was silence.

---

Note:
Juno was one of the three most important Roman dieties – the goddess of marriage and childbirth and a mother of Mars, the God of War. The above story is from the time when Mars was born. It is said Mars does not  have any father. Juno became pregnant by using magic herb which she had got from goddess Flora. She gave birth to Mars like this for she was angry that Jupiter had fathered a child without a mother. The ways of the gods were certainly strange!

---

This Post is linked to A to Z Challenge | Write Tribe Pro Blogger | The Book Club 

---

#ATOZCHALLENGE: Letter I

A PROUD MEMBER OF THE TEAM HOLTON'S HERO