#hestia was loving it though her candle was dancing the whole time

[bennyschmenny]

participated in my first deipnon!!!! it was DEFINETLY kind of chaotic because im not used to how offerings are given yet, but lady Hekate seemed pleased based off the tarot i pulled afterwards! i gave her (and lady Hestia) a slice of some artisian bread i made yesterday, as well as hymns, prayer, and a water libation.

i am not sure what is acceptable to ask for when giving your first offering to a deity? i asked for Her and lady Hestias protection due to everything goin on in the us and texas, and for Her favor. i guess I'll find out???

[goddessofeternity]

Love Amidst the Darkness

Chapter 3: Royal Duties

“Mother...will there always be days this boring?”

 “Sometimes.”

 “Mmmm…..I don’t think I like it very much,” Althea pouted and leaned back in her chair. The queen was busy writing degrees and signing papers, and she had Althea there so she could see what it was like. Although, the young princess's mind was focused elsewhere. The queen smiled to herself because she used to be the same way. The young girl only thought of romances and fairy tales, although the queen’s smile faltered as she thought about how upset Althea had been the other night.

 “Althea….are you upset with me?”

 “Hmm...of course not Mother...why would I be?”

 “I must apologize for not telling you about the marriage arrangements...it was very wrong of me.”

 “No no Mother...it is quite alright! I’m alright with it now.” Althea cried out frantically waving her hands about. Honestly she wanted to forget about the whole thing, she had a whole year to prepare. She knew her mother would be able to tell she was lying, honestly Althea didn’t want to think about it or talk about it.

 “Princess…” Queen Hestia sighed sensing her daughter’s distress and obvious lie. “You can talk to me, my love.”

 “I...Mother I...I really do not wish to speak about it.” Althea sadly said, turning to look out the window. Queen Hestia sighed once more and put her quill down as she turned in her chair to look at Althea.

 “Althea….”

 “.......”

 “Princess Althea...look at me at once young lady.”

 Althea slowly turned to look at the stern look on her mother's face. Queen Hestia’s face softened as she stood up to kneel in front of Althea gently taking her hands. She gently took Althea’s face into her hands and wiped away a stray tear. She smiled gently and Althea smiled a little.

 “Althea...you are my only child...I...no...your father and I only want the best for you...I know this isn’t the romance you wanted...but your father and I would never let you marry someone we didn’t think would have your best interest at heart. We want you to be happy...and hopefully you will fall in love. I love you Althea...I just want you to be happy.”

   “Thank you Mother...I was just afraid...I-I’ve never met him and...I’m afraid he won’t...like me I suppose.”

 “Oh my love,” Queen Hestia smiled as she stood up and led Althea to a mirror. She looked into the mirror with Althea and pushed Althea’s hair in front of her and smiled.

 “I see...the most beautiful girl in the entire world right here...I do not see how anyone couldn’t love you...although you are rather clumsy.”

 “M-Mother!” Althea cried out blushing fiercely as her mother giggled.

 “Now I see how bored you are...why don’t you go and find your Father?”

 “Ok I will.”

 Althea curtsied to her mother and walked out of the study. She sighed but tried to push the thoughts of her birthday far from her mind. She had a bit more studying to do, and she wanted to go riding, but Marina had left to visit her family, and Althea didn’t want to ride with anyone else. Perhaps seeing her father would brighten her mood a bit. Not that her mother wasn’t a good presence to be around. Althea felt that she was starting to stress and feel anxious about a lot lately. Ever since her mother told her the news, it worried her. Althea sighed some more as she walked the halls of the castle. The maids were cleaning and stopped to curtsy to her. Althea smiled weakly at them and walked on. A few patrolling knights bowed to her and wished her well, but she just mumbled a greeting and continued walking with her head down. Althea didn’t pay attention to her surroundings and tripped on the carpet, but someone caught her before she fell. 

 “I-I’m so sorry! I...I should have been p-paying attention…”

 “Oh it’s quite alright princess...I was just heading out.” Althea smiled shyly at Lord Derrick and soon realized he still had a hold on her and she awkwardly wound herself out of his arms and straightened out her dress. He gave her a strange smile that sent a chill up her spine.

 “Well princess...I must be off...have a nice evening Your Highness.” He bowed shortly at her and proceeded down the halls. A few knights shared a quick look but remained silent.

 “U-Um...e-excuse me,” she quietly asked the knights looking at her. “C-Can you escort me to the hall where my Father is?”

 They both nodded and walked on either side of her and walked up the staircase to the third level of the palace. The palace had several levels to it, and the inner courtyard was sometimes used to train new knights, and used for the occasional party. Althea had a few birthdays there, and they were really quite fun and nice. The stables were just a few yards from the palace and they were massive. The best horses from all over Edrion were bought for the kingdom. There were even some gifts from the other kingdoms. The palace sat on a massive hill, and there were rolling hills everywhere and the town housed thousands of people in it. The marketplace always seemed to be busy this time of year. With the tournament coming it only made sense. Althea looked out the window as they continued climbing the stairs. The curtains had been drawn up and the setting sunlight was filling the halls and the sounds of the still busy market and birds chirping filled the halls. Althea loved that the castle was always so bright and warm. Although lessons were pretty boring sometimes, being a princess was incredibly fun sometimes.

 “Here you are, Your Highness.”

 “T-Thank you very much,” Althea shyly replied as the knights bowed and walked back down the hall. Althea smiled a little as she opened the door to her father's study.

 “Father...are you busy?”

 “I am never too busy for you rosebud.”

 Althea walked into the room and closed the door behind her as she looked around the study. There were a bunch of books littered around the room and papers too. The bookcases were overflowing with books, and there were several ladders to reach the higher ones. The crackling fire in the fireplace gave the room a warm glow. She smiled as she saw her father groan and tap his fingers on the desk. His crown was sitting carelessly on the back of his chair as he ran his fingers through his black hair. He sifted through a heavy leathered book and scanned through the pages slowly.

 “Should I come at another time Father?”

 “Hmm? No of course not...come over here.”

 Althea smiled and stood next to her father and looked down at the book he was reading. Her smile faltered a little as she saw he was reading a book about war tactics and another about past wars. They were incredibly old...so much so that they had dust on them. The thought of war made Althea sick to her stomach...it was a terrible thing. 

 “Father...must you read these types of things….war is...horrible and scary.” Althea said.

 “Althea...I must always be vigilant...and brushing up on past wars is always wise...to see if I can learn new strategies,” he smiled up at her. “I have to keep you and your Mother as well as the rest of the kingdom safe.”

 “Father...there hasn’t been a war in centuries….it’s so peaceful and the kingdoms have never been more unified…”

 “My princess...I know you have been born into this peaceful time...but you should always be prepared for the worse.” 

 “Yes Father...I just want it to always be peaceful.”

 “I hope it will be too Althea...but for now...we discuss what I know you’re excited for.” He smiled as Althea’s face brightened up in joy.

 “Oh yes Father I can not wait for the tournaments this year! They are always so exciting! All the food and people! The dancing and balls! Watching the knights is amazing too!”

 “Alright alright...I know you are very excited about it. I am as well. This year will be exciting I hear because the new recruits are quite promising.”

 “I heard that as well! I can’t wait to see what they will do this year!” Althea said happily.

 “Well we have to take a visit to Dragleic first and then we have the ball coming as well.”

 “Another ball? We just had one though.”

 “Yes well...your mother enjoys them very much...and it is to welcome our friends from Dragleic...I’m sure you’d like to see Princess Evelyn again.” He said.

 “I would love to see her again...it has been months.”

 “Well we will be leaving tomorrow, so you should go to bed early rosebud.”

 “Yes Father, I will see you tomorrow, I love you,” she smiled, kissing his cheek.

 “Goodnight my daughter.”

 Althea slowly shut the door of the study and proceeded to walk back down the stairs. She glanced out the window and watched the setting sun. She stopped and leaned against it as she thought about seeing the kingdom of Dragleic. Seeing her friend again brought a happy smile to her face. Although, Althea really needed to talk to Evelyn about something that had been plaguing her thoughts. She certainly couldn’t talk to her mother or father about it. Marina couldn’t know either, seeing as it pertained to her.

 Althea continued down the stairs and went into the gardens. Her father always made sure there were fresh roses blooming in the garden for her. She deeply inhaled their sweet scent. She smiled at the gardener and walked over to the fountain and closed her eyes listening to the running water. She opened her eyes to see a phoenix flying around the sky. Judging by the feathers shining more gold than scarlet, it was clear that it was her mother. 

 Althea sometimes wondered how she could just fly around without worrying. Although, she had been doing it a lot longer than Althea had. Flying was something she had to practice a bit more, her fire control was a lot better. Althea still didn’t feel the need to practice most days anymore. It was just a fun thing to do to light up candles...anything else wouldn’t make sense.

 Althea walked out the garden back into the palace to get ready for bed. Althea waved away her ladies in waiting as she stepped into her room. She began undressing looking at the stars in the sky light up. She brushed out her hair and put on her nightgown, already missing Marina and her calming presence. Althea sat at her desk and did some homework that she neglected to do over the last few days. Looking out the window, Althea smiled excited for what the next few days would bring.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next: https://goddessofeternity.tumblr.com/post/647279481631997952/love-amidst-the-darkness

Previous: https://goddessofeternity.tumblr.com/post/646842488279220224/love-amidst-the-darkness

Thanks for reading!

Comments and reblogs are appreciated! Likes are welcomed!

[shanastoryteller]

your gods & monsters fics are so beautiful!! I know you had Prometheus in the one with Pandora, but do you think you could do one with him when he was stealing the fire?

By her very nature Hestia is not supposed to have favorites,but Hades has always been hers.

She is the eldest sister, and he the eldest brother. Shewonders if that is perhaps why they somehow end up being the responsible ones.

“I like it down here,” she says, curled up in his throne.“It’s quiet.”

He snorts, head bent over the reams of paper, endless listsof the dead. Somehow, she never sees Zeus with paperwork. “It’s dark, andcold.” She glances around. The only light comes from the softly glowingmoonstones, from the bioluminescent designs etched into the walls.

She extends a hand, “I can–”

A cheerful fire crackles to life in the center of the room,warm and sweet and smelling of cedar even though there’s no smoke. “Sister!” hesnaps, “Return that to Olympus immediately!”

She pouts, holding the fire steady, “Why? It’s my fire, I amits keeper, am I not? I can give it to whoever I choose.”

“Zeus has decreed it is a privilege of those that reside inthe heavens,” he glares, “I will not see his wrath turn upon you. Put it back.”

Hestia closes her palm, and the fire snuffs out, returningto its home on Mount Olympus. “Little brother Zeus would do well to rememberhis place.”

“I’m sure he would say the same of us,” Hades says wryly,eyes dropping back down to his desk.

She is the keeper of the hearth, the bringer of fire, theguardian of the home. The spirit of Mother Gaia pulses in her more clearly thanthe others, no matter the claims Hera likes to make

Zeus is a little boy. A powerful little boy for sure, but achild none the less. She and Hades grew in their father’s stomach together, hiswas the hand she grasped through the years in their horrid prison.

She dislikes little boys telling her how to govern her realmof hearth and home.

~

Prometheus was not a smart man, but he was a brave man, anambitious man.

So when a goddess appears in front of him, offering him anopportunity for glory, he does not refuse. He grins with eyes too bright andsays, “Fire? The tool of gods back in mortal hands? We could do much withthat.”

“Yes,” the goddess agrees, “but it will not come free. Ifyou succeed you will be sent to Hades’s realm, of this I am certain, and whenyou are – you must bring fire to him as well. That is the price of ourbargain.”

“Agreed,” he says instantly, and does not question why a godneeds a human to get him fire. His is not the place to question gods.

Myths will say that he was a Titan, a god among gods, butthat is not true.

He was a lone, ambitious man. The act of a single person canoften be mistaken for the work of a god.

~

Hestia’s throne sits unused on Olympus, more concerned withtending her hearth fire than sitting high above mortals.

Any being which must assert their authority through statussymbols likely has very little authority to begin with. “You’re planningtrouble,” Hera accuses one day, her clothing purposefully plain next to herhusband’s and her hair piled atop her head in an exhaustingly elaboratefashion.

Hera did not become wife of Zeus, Queen of the Gods, bybeing stupid. She can be accused of many things, but stupidity is not amongthem.

“Whatever do you mean, little sister?” Hestia asks, reachinga hand into the fire and watching the flames dance harmlessly over her skin.None of her other siblings would be so fortunate, should they try to touch herfire.

Hera cross her arms, lower lip jutting out, and Hestia’smouth twitches. They are all so painfully young still, now. Hera is little morethan a girl, and Hestia thinks she would be fond of her if she were not soclearly hiding fangs behind her pretty lips.

Loving your family never meant having to like them.

“You won’t get away with it, whatever it is,” Hera declaresbefore turning on her heel and striding off.

Hestia cups a ball of flame in her hand, the warmth of itseeping down to her bones. “Whatever you say, little sister.”

~

The climb up Mount Olympus takes him weeks. He’s exhaustedand hungry by the time he reaches the top, having run out of food some daysago. But he makes it – something that no other human can claim.

He follows the goddess’s instructions to the letter, waitsuntil the moon is high in the sky before creeping into the palace. He doesn’ttouch any of the statues, the tapestries, the golden goblets or silver plates.He doesn’t even let his gaze linger on them, for he is after a prize far morevaluable than wealth.

Fame. Notoriety. His name written in the heavens, never tobe forgotten.

The hearth is in the center of the throne room, larger thantwice his size and more golden than red. He takes a trembling step forward,eager and terrified all in one.

The goddess appears in front of him, more silhouette thananything else. “This fire will burn you,” she warns, eyes fever bright andsparking just like the inferno behind her, “It will kill you. It is only amatter of when – not if.”

“I understand,” he says, because it doesn’t matter, deathdoes not matter. Death comes for all men. If he succeeds in returning fire tohumankind, he will be more than a man – he will be a legend.

“Very well.” She spicks up a globe of fire in her hand.Prometheus reaches for it, but she does not hand it to him. Instead she opensher mouth impossibly wide and places it on her tongue, lips closing around itand her whole face turning red from the heat.

She grabs him by the front of his shirt and jerks himforward, placing her mouth to his mouth and pushing the ball of celestial fireonto his tongue.

“There,” she says, leaning back. “That will dampen it enoughfor you to make it back to the land of mortal men, but you must not open yourmouth until you are ready – as soon as it’s exposed to the air it will consumeyou. If you are not back in the mortal realm at that point, your death will befor nothing.”

It burns, it’s complete agony. He can already feel the fireeating its way through the soft, wet muscles of his cheeks. But he gives thegoddess one sharp nod and then he’s sprinting his way out of Olympus.

He doesn’t have much time.

~

Prometheus is long gone by the time Hera drags herself tothe throne room, sleeping robe askew and Zeus’s teeth marks on her collarbone.She’s older than her husband but still so terribly young, and for a momentHestia pities her.

“What did you do?” Hera demands, voice coming out rough.Hestia can’t see any bruising on her throat but that doesn’t mean there isn’tany. “I know you did something!”

She knows the woman Hera will grow into, has seen many girlsbecome that same woman, and as the wife of Zeus it’s nearly inevitable. Butshe’s not a woman yet, just a girl who’s gambled everything for a play at powerand hasn’t yet figured out if she’s won or lost.

“It’s cold in Zeus’s chambers,” Hestia pats the empty spacebeside her, “Won’t you sit with me, little sister?”

Hera stares at her, mistrust heavy in the air and plain onher face. She will learn to hide her thoughts better one day. “It’s not cold inthere.”

“Isn’t it?” she asks simply, and for a split second Hera’sface crumples. “Come, little sister.”

Hera takes one hesitant step closer, then another,eventually stumbling to her knees beside her and staring into the fire, Hestiais sure, so she has an excuse for her eyes to water.

“None of that now,” she adjusts Hera’s robe and pulls herhair from her face, the normally immaculate locks frizzy and tangled. Shesummons a brush and runs it through her sister’s hair, careful and steady.

The tension leaves Hera’s body by degrees until she chokesout, ��It’s warm here.”

“As it always will be, when you are beside me,” she says,because she can promise that at least. Whether Hera will choose to sit at herside in the future is another matter entirely.

~

Burns have surfaced all across his body, blistering legionsturning into bloody caverns of ash where he once had flesh.

Most of his lower face is gone, his jaw open and gaping andonly bone. The ball of celestial fire is nestled at the bottom of his throat;it’s burned through until only a thin layer of skin separating it from the openair. He has to hurry. Every step is agony, he hasn’t been able to take a breathfor several minutes, and at this point death can only be a relief.

He will not die in vain.

Prometheus finally, finally steps upon mortal soil, but hedoes not stop there. He runs home, to his city, to the center of the square.People recognize him, even with half his face burned away, and there arescreams.

He collapses in the city square and reaches what’s left ofhis hand into his throat. He pulls all but a spark of the celestial fire free,and opens his hand.

He’s consumed in an instant, and his last sight is of fireflying – into stoves, lighting hearths, candles twinkling to life.

They will carve his name into the skies for this. He diessatisfied.

~

“How could this have happened?” Zeus rages, “How dare hesteal from the gods! I will have Hades destroy him in every possible manner!”

“Yes, my king,” Hestia murmurs. She doubts he’ll ever makenote of the contempt in her voice at his title.

King of the Gods. As if gods have ever cared for kings.

Hera remains remarkably, carefully silent at her husband’sside, hair neatly coiled the exact circumference of Hestia’s fingers.

It wasn’t something Hestia asked of her, nor what she wasexpecting. It is, however, a very pleasant surprise.

Maybe there’s hope for her yet.

~

Prometheus opens his eyes, which he wasn’t expecting.Everything still feels like it’s burning, but his body is back in more or lessone piece.

He’s in a place both dark and cold, and when his sightadjusts he realizes Hades, god of the dead, is standing before him.

“You’ve angered my brother greatly,” the god says, but hedoesn’t sound all that upset. “I’m to give you the worst punishment imaginablefor your transgressions.”

Prometheus opens his mouth, and out drops the smallestflicker of a flame. “From the goddess,” he says, and the spark goes twirling,dancing across torches and leaving them lit, passing by a hearth so it roars tolife.

Hades eyes widen as he watches the sparks progress, until itdisappears down the hallway to light the rest of his realm. “Foolish oldersister,” he says, softer and kinder than Prometheus thinks the god of theunderworld is supposed to look.

The whole place looks brighter with the fire, it goes fromominous to nearly – homey, a place not only to arrive at but one to return to.

Hades slides his gaze back to him, “Those burns are fromcelestial fire. I cannot heal them – you must live with them.”

“I understand,” Prometheus says, even though he doesn’t. Ifhe’s to be subjected to the worst punishment imaginable, what does it matter ifhe’s burned or not?

The god smiles, as if he’s reading his thoughts, and says“Very good.”

The next thing Prometheus knows, he’s back in the lands ofmortal men. Different, perhaps – but alive.

~

Fires are lit in her name, each home’s hearth dedicated toher, and Hestia smiles.

Hers is not a domain so easily extinguished.

gods and monsters series, part vi