megara of disney's hercules.
established 2021

I'm a damsel ; I'm in distress.
I can handle this.

Have a nice day!

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WARNING: This content may be unsuitable for some readers, and contains themes of violence, suicide, and emotional trauma. Reader discretion is advised.Megara : minion of Hades, lover of Hercules, sister of Haemon, eldest and only daughter of King Creon and Queen Eurydice, the ruling figures of Thebes. She has played many roles in life. But who was she?From a young age, Megara had a burning ache for the freedom she had never tasted, and a keen knowledge for one thing above all: how to be alone. There existed a certain struggle in the life of a young girl in a Greek royal family during the Golden Age. Being born into wealth, Megara was always provided for. As the daughter of a King, she did not ever suffer from hunger, nor lack of shelter ━━ she had her own quarters, a handmaiden, and never knew the pains of hard manual labor; at least not to earn her keep. In material comforts, she was satisfied . . . however, this was short-lived, and her only contentment.King Creon was not a kind and gentle ruler, and even less of a kind and gentle father. Having to overlook a city involved in constant warfare, vying constantly to keep his power and favor in the people's eyes, and a King of Thebes, known as the city of turmoil, he was infamous for his ruthlessness. He viewed his children as further extensions of his own rule, and forced them into roles beneficial as such.As the son, Haemon, Megara's brother, was forced into a life of a soldier. He was always gone, training day in and day out, defending Thebes in bloody battles against its enemies, both foreign and civil. Only after he, along with the city militia, had secured Thebes, shed the blood of its enemies, and won wars, would he serve as his father's worthy successor. Unfortunately, his life was short; he was killed in battle at the age of 14, when Megara was only 7.As the daughter, Megara was less useful to Creon, except through means of marriage and political power. Thus, Creon had been preparing to marry her to a politically powerful figure. He had his eyes particularly on the King of Sparta, a neighboring city state. A dowry from the King's family, and a marriage between him and his daughter would certainly grant Thebes huge benefit. Megara was thus well educated, and raised with private tutors who taught her things such as philosophy, mathematics, weaving, homemaking, and even how to read, write, and interpret literature. Creon knew that his daughter was to be an intellectual companion for a man if she were to marry well. Despite what marriage he had in mind for her, however, Megara knew she wanted freedom above all. Through her keen mind and own independent thinking, she planned to become a hetaera. Then, if the opportunity arose, she would escape her father's influence through any means possible.Following Haemon's death, one year to the date, Eurydice, Megara's mother, took her own life. Though Eurydice was often depressed, shut away, and emotionally distant, Megara loved her mother, and this death left her heartbroken. She felt helpless; left at the mercy of her volatile father at only eight years old. To this day, Megara is certain that Eurydice could not take Creon's abuse any longer, which was a huge reason why she had chosen to end her own life, and she does not look upon her mother with anger . . . simply with sadness.For all of Creon's cruelty, thankfully, he was quite an absent parent besides, and Megara was often left to her own devices. She did not have ultimate freedom, of course ━━ she was forbidden from leaving the estate without an escort ━━ but Megara often did so anyhow, knowing that Creon would very likely not find out if she concealed her identity well. She hungered for freedom more than ever, then . . . and, somewhat more unknown to her, she hungered for love. She spent her days among men and women alike, talking to them, learning about them and their stories, their woes and happinesses . . . wondering if she might ever find an answer for what lie beyond the city . . . what life had to offer, for real. She found that she was quite good at charming people; she had a knack for pinpointing what they liked to talk about, what they liked to do, what they liked to say. Disappointingly, Megara also found that most people were very . . . dim. She grew into a well versed young woman, full of stories of street merchants, speaking with mercenaries, wives, soldiers, mothers. She was a true hetaera in the making, and yet, she found no companion. She longed for freedom above all, of course, but she also longed for softness; an emotional partner to call her own. A type of affection not bred in Thebes; her equal. Every night, she prayed to Athena for strength, wisdom, and the courage to fight. To Aphrodite, she prayed for love.And then, at age 18, just shy of a few months of Creon meeting with the Spartan King's family to discuss the conditions of a dowry, Megara met Adonis. He was riding through, outside of town, on a stolen horse of patched white, as exotic and beautiful as a god. He was unlike anyone Megara had ever met."Fair lady of Thebes," he had asked her. "Tell me what you seek most of all? Is it love? Adventure? Is it the passion of Ares, burning and alight in a man's eyes?""Freedom," Megara had answered, simply, and he had kissed her hand, nodding into her skin."You will be free in love with me, I guarantee it. Your place is far from here. My unions are blessed by the gods themselves. Just now, I am going to Mt. Olympus to speak with Zeus himself. Please, beautiful Megara of Thebes: grant me your company. I will ask Zeus to take you, protect you; we will soar beside one another for all eternity, blessed by the king of the gods. No one is more powerful than Zeus; Creon is but a speck besides. He cannot hurt you with me."To her, he was beautiful. To ANYONE, he was beautiful; one of the most beautiful mortal men in existence, mythology would one day have it. He was on the run, apparently, from an angry and wrathful Hades, whom he said he was unfairly sentenced to; unjustly murdered by a jealous woman.Megara decided she would go with him. She had nothing to lose, and everything to gain, in this life. Adonis may be a fugitive, but he promised her protection; he shone with the lights of the gods, Megara thought, truly ━━ she could tell he was not lying in that area ━━ he had obviously known the divine touch of an Olympian before. He knew the roads, he knew Greece, and, he promised, he would build a life for them together.Megara wanted nothing more.That night, nervously but firmly, she announced to Creon that she would be leaving Thebes to be with Adonis, and accompany him to Olympus. Creon was enraged at her defiance; telling her, under no uncertain terms, that if she left and did not agree to the marriage he had arranged for her, she would never be able to return to their estate."You are no daughter of mine," his words thundered, sharp and angry, like the venom of a viper, and Megara shook her head in agreement."And thank the gods for that."It was an easy choice to make.She departed into the night that same evening, abandoning Thebes and its people, surrendering her title and role as the daughter of a King upon Adonis's mount.For a year, they traveled. They lived as two exiles. Fall came, then winter; they stayed warm beside one another, in each other's embrace, and, though they were poor and without any comforts, Megara had never been happier. She was, finally, free.Until one cold night in the dead of winter, Hades found them.He demanded that Adonis come with him, that his time was up, that he had fled from him for too long and he should be grateful Persephone had even helped him out in the first place."Please," Megara had begged, on her knees in front of the god. "Don't take him. He was murdered before his time; he doesn't deserve to die. Zeus won't allow it.""This schmuck?" Hades had pointed, curling his lip in disgust. "'Ey, listen sugar. Lover boy here was sentenced to death by Aphrodite himself. I dunno, guess he wronged her in love or something. I don't get involved in those kinds of affairs, I'm more of a chat it and cash it kinda guy myself."But Megara had insisted, and pleaded, offering her life in exchange for Adonis ━━ a lifetime of servitude to save the one she loved.Hades, pleased with the prospect of this deal, agreed, letting Adonis off the hook for another day. Megara was beside herself with joy. But Adonis had changed, then . . . it seemed the safety from death's clutches had awoken something in him. He became withdrawn, distant from Megara; he wouldn't return her hugs, kissed her only with half-hearted tight lips. At first, Megara had deduced it was her tainted soul. She had Hades on her shoulder, now; he would loom, never asking anything of her, but always in the background.Finally, one morning, Megara awoke alone. She would not find Adonis for several hours, and began to look for him. Searching the forest, calling out for him, she eventually found herself at a large clearing and, in the center, was Adonis . . . but he was not alone. He was kissing Aphrodite herself. He had, apparently, always been her lover, in the end.Heartbroken, Megara fled the scene, and returned to Hades. She swore she would never trust another again.The Lord of the Underworld came in full force. For years she remained by his side, unfeeling, bitterly doing whatever he asked of her. She hated Hades for taking her freedom, she hated Adonis for making false promises, for making her love him ━━ but most of all, she hated herself, for ever having been so foolish.Megara spent years by Hades side, most of her time divided between manipulating, convincing, and/or occasionally seducing various figures for his uprising. Hades was a miserable jailer, but his treatment of her was nothing she could not handle ━━ and it was no worse than being with her father. In fact, his anger was a lot slimier, but it sizzled and burned, and, quickly, it was cool once more. His tongue was quicker, he was sharper to talk to, and, for the most part, as long as she did what he needed of her, he would not harm her.Megara had resigned herself to go on like this forever. She was meant to be choice less and imprisoned, moving through life with a numbness indescribable.That is, until she met Hercules.