The Heart of the Hearth

“This is unforgivable!” Zeus’s voice shook the room as the echoes repeated his words. I flinched at the force of his words.

“You deliberately disobeyed my orders!”

“Because your orders were cruel and immoral!” I yelled back. I was getting sick and tired of Zeus’s anger. He had been yelling at me since I had gotten home.

“They are not cruel and immoral!” He barked at me. “They are logical for what is best for all!”

“How can you say that?!”

This enraged me. It was what was best for all?! How could this be what was best for me?! Or Aster?! Zeus was breaking our hearts. Could he not see what he was doing to us?

“They are not best for all!” I screamed, “They are what you think is best! It is nothing more than that!”

“How dare you!” Zeus growled, “As the king of the gods, it is my duty to do what I see best for my kingdom and all those within it.”

“Then why don’t you listen to me?!”

My outburst caught him off guard for a moment. I took the opening.

“I am within your kingdom and you won’t listen to my pleas or requests.” I paused, “You will not listen to what is best for me.”

“I am the king. I know what is best for you.”

“No, you don’t!” I screamed. I was so mad I feel the tears of rage starting to form in my eyes.

“You know nothing about is best for me! You have ordered me to do something cruel and immoral!”

“It is not immoral!” Zeus yelled, “It is immortal!”

I stared at him in anger.

“As an immortal, it is duty not to be with this mortal boy!”

I hated him. How can he be so blind to what my other brother could easily see?

“Zeus, dear.” I heard a voice say from behind me. I turned to see Hear entering the room. She was wearing her ivory robes with her hair down as she always did.

‘Dear?’ Why had Hera called Zeus dear?

“Yes, Hera?”

“Oh, hello Hestia.” Hera greeted me as she passed me. I could only stare.

“Zeus, dear, I was wondering if I could have the servants rearrange the furnishing in our room.”

“I don’t see why not.” Zeus smiled to her. “I trust your judgment.”

Hera smiled, before turning and exiting the room.

“Bye, sister.”

I stared at Zeus in disbelief.

“Why was Hera calling you dear?’

“Hear has become my queen.” He told me. “We were meant to rule together.”

“What do you mean by ‘meant to rule together’?” I asked.

“We are soulmates.”

His words were a smack in the face. They were soulmates?! That had to be the cruelest thing that could have been said at the moment.

“Yet you try to pull apart soulmates as you find your own soulmate.”

“What?” Zeus looked at me in confusion.

“What do you mean by that?” I could see his temper beginning to boil again.

“You have found your soulmate and you are trying to force me from being with mine.” I spoke evenly, looking Zeus in the eye. I watched as his face reddened with fury.

“I do not care if you are soulmates or not!” His voice shook the room, anger dripping from his words.

“Soulmates or not, I forbid you from being with the mortal boy!” He roared, “You will end your relations with the boy, or I will!”