The Heart of the Hearth

I walked toward the grand doors that lead outside. My mind was full of everything that was going on, especially the conversation Poseidon and I had last night.

“Soulmates?” I asked curiously.

“Yes.” Poseidon told me as we sat on my bed. “All gods have soul mates. Some are destined to have more than one.”

“Oh.” I said softly.

“Zeus doesn’t understand that this bond can connect an immortal to a mortal.”

“Well, he needs to learn.” I growled, “It’s not fair that he thinks we shouldn’t be together.

I hoped that Zeus could learn. It was really important that he doesn’t ruin our happiness.

‘But I have to do something as well.’ I thought, looking at the city. Within moments, I was standing in the field that I arrived in every day.

I sat down on a cushion of wildflowers. I gazed at my surroundings, trying to reassure myself that what I was going to do was right.

“Good morning, Hestia.”

I looked over to the owner of the voice. Beside me stood a smiling Aster. I looked back up at him, trying to smile back. I couldn’t fool Aster though.

“What’s wrong?” He asked me as he sat down beside me.

I sighed. “We need to talk, Aster.”

“Oh,” he said, “Okay.”

“I need to tell you some things. But you have to swear that you will not tell anyone anything that I am about to tell you.”

Aster looked at me, confused. I watched him as I gather up my courage. It broke my heart to have to tell him all of this.

“I promise. I will not tell a soul a word of what you are about to tell me.”

I nodded my head at his reply, taking a deep breath.

‘You can do this.’

“Aster…” I took another breath. “I don’t think it is of best interest that we see each other anymore.”

I watched his eyes widen at my words. It broke my heart to say those words to him, but I had to say them. I looked at Aster, seeing heartbreak in his eyes.

“But why?” He wondered, “Why is it that you think that, Hestia?”

I wanted to run. I wanted to jump to my feet and run and hide. I didn’t want to have to explain any of this. I just wished everything could go back to being the way it had been.

“My brother does not approve of us being together. He doesn’t even approve of us seeing each other every day.”

“But why must you listen to your brother?” Aster asked. In the sound of his voice, the pleading for a way to fix it all could clearly be heard. “Is he the eldest?”

“No.” I mumbled.

“Then why must you listen to him?”

“It’s complicated.” I looked away. “You wouldn’t understand.”

The air was filled with silence. I did not turn to look at Aster, I couldn’t bring myself to.

“Then please tell me.”

I turned top looked at Aster. He looked at me with pleading eyes. I wanted nothing more than to hug him.

“Aster…I…”

“Hestia…please.”

It was very hard for me to be having this conversation with him. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath again.

“Aster…” I paused. Trying to bring myself to tell him what he had a right to know.

“You can say it, Hestia.”

I looked up into his eyes.

“I am a goddess of Olympus.”