NOVEL NEXT Kronos2.5 A.KA father‘s little princess
Like I had thought, Hestia hadn't stayed in the shape of a baby for long. She grew from a baby to a young child in two months.
Hestia was a shy child. Though warmth and comfort were created by her mere presence in those around her, Hestia preferred to shy away from interactions with most. Her voice could only be heard when she was in the presence of Rhea, me, Hyperion, Koios and Tethys.
Most of the time, Hestia trailed after me, following after me like a second shadow or sitting on my shoulders while I went about my day. In the beginning, I had been uncomfortable with being followed everywhere by my daughter, a daughter I knew was fated to be my end, a daughter I should have killed but didn't or rather couldn't.
I had asked her one day why she wouldn't stay with her mother.
"I'm scared" she had whispered to me.
"How could you be scared of your mother?" I asked her shocked. "You know that She loves you."
"I know that Father but sometimes, it's like it's not mother who's there. It's like she's a different person. I know that Mother loves me yet when she seems like Mother but doesn't act like her, it scares me. It's like if I don't exist and when I exist in her eyes, it's like I was just a mere speck of dust, it's like she saw me in my entirety and found me lacking."
I knew what she was talking about. The Rhea that I loved was just a small part of something bigger. Sometimes when I talked to her, it was as if she wasn't there. I had asked her once if the entirety of Rhea and not only a part loved me. The seemingly absent Rhea's attention had focused completely on me as if the intelligence behind it had seen something worth all its attention. She had told me "All of me does love you Kronos, never doubt of that. It's just that staying in one place at the lower level of existence you live in is hard."
"I understand your mother can be complicated. She's different, incomprehensible and that difference can be scary. I understand that." I kneeled "But here is one thing you must always remember, and that is that there is nothing in the universe that your mother loves more than you, Hestia. Do you understand that?"
"Yes," she answered looking downward.
"Good". I stood up and looked at my child. He sighed. "All right," I said. I took Hestia and put her on my shoulders. The gazes of two pairs of golden eyes met "You can still stay with me as long you want. Just try to stay calm when I'm dealing with important matters . Understood?" I asked her.
"Yes Father," She replied. The smile on her face indicated to me that I for once did the right thing.
Her closeness with Hyperion began because of his flames. Hyperion, my brother was vain even for a deity. He always adorned himself in the most intricate, bombastic tailor-made outfits that would surely attract attention. As if it wasn't already enough, Hyperion liked to use his flames as accessories, as "a final touch" he liked to boast.
Hestia and him had met at a feast that he had organised, one that I would have personally tried to not go but if I didn't I would hurt my brother by my lack of presence.
I had decided that it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring the one-week-old Hestia to meet a greater part of her family.
When we arrived at one of Hyperion's castles, Hyperion was there to meet us and welcome us. Hestia at first had been cautious of her overeager uncle.
In the feast, Kronos didn't know exactly how it happened but Hestia had without me knowing left my shoulder to go at Hyperion’s side. She didn't look scared anymore. Hyperion was creating shapes with his flames to make a show, to amaze his guests. He was making dragons and other creatures from his divine fire.
Hyperion had playfully sent one of his creations near his niece. Hestia had at that moment done something unexpected. She had taken and usurped the control of her uncle over his own flames making it her own. The colour of the fire construct turned from fiery white to warm orange.
Unlike the flames of her uncle that were only created to impress, the flame of Hestia almost seemed lethargy-inducing and calming. The attention of Hestia had been focused on the fire and she hadn't seen the attention that her action brought her.
Hestia, a deity not older than one month has been able to take away the fire of an Uranide, a titan of first generation with ease as if nothing could have been more easy.
It could also be seen as an insult and if it had been done by someone of a lower station than Hestia, there would have been consequences.
I remembered the prophecy of Koios and Phoebe. My kingdom is in ruins and flames. I was defeated and lying in my own ichor.
A subtle frown marred the face of Hyperion. Hyperion too knew the prophecy. Even though it didn't seem like it, Hyperion was far from dumb.
Hestia didn't truly know and master her domains. She was still young yet so strong. Would she continue to grow in strength? Would she after a single year of her living able to set all of the Uranides ablaze? Hestia's mother was Rhea, a deity on a completely different level than the Uranides. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, Hestia was a threat.
Hyperion came close to Hestia. I had to stop myself from instinctively trying to put myself before her as if to protect her. Hestia's gaze left the now butterfly-shaped flame in her palms to look at her uncle.
The Titan kneeled yet was still overshadowing his niece "May I" he asked her.
She nodded her head in accord. He put one of his fingers in contact with the fire of Hestia. "It doesn't hurt," he spoke. "It is fire yet isn't. It feels as if by touching it, my body felt better. We met but we weren't properly introduced. My name is Hyperion, your uncle and it's a pleasure to meet you, Hestia."
Hestia's gaze went searching for me and I nodded. "I am Hestia, daughter of Kronos and Rhea and it is nice to meet you too uncle".
The voice of Hyperion began to boom "This feast was organized to celebrate me, to sing about my siblings' glories and mine but now, I found that there is someone else here that we need to celebrate. I present Hestia Kroneiõnē." The voice of Hyperion began to take a mystical and entrancing tone "She shows us that the future of Othrys is bright! Our legacy will be everlasting! The light that we cast on the world to banish the darkness and foul Daemons outside of our kingdom will never perish! Glory to the Uranides! Glory to Othrys! Glory to Hestia!"
As if hypnotised, the lesser deities, nymphs, Daemons and Potamoi attending began to repeat the words of Hyperion "Glory to the Uranides! Glory to Othrys! Glory to Hestia!". The voices began to be louder shaking the earth like an earthquake "GLORY TO THE URANIDES! GLORY TO OTHRYS! GLORY TO HESTIA! GLORY TO THE URANIDES! GLORY TO OTHRYS! GLORY TO HESTIA!".
Hestia looked amazed, enraptured by what was happening around her. My gaze met with the gaze of my brother. Hyperion
wasn't the sharpest tool in Gaia but what Hyperion had was charisma. The easiest way to deal with Hestia had been to end her at birth. Now she was growing in strength. If you couldn't fight against someone, the next step was defeating them by making them join you.
The Uranides had already in the past fought against a primordial and did the impossible. We were now older and stronger. Why couldn't we do the same, accomplish the impossible again?
The voices continued to chant "GLORY TO THE URANIDES! GLORY TO OTHRYS! GLORY TO HESTIA! GLORY TO THE URANIDES! GLORY TO OTHRYS! GLORY TO HESTIA!"
[Do you fear your children toppling you from your throne? Here at Hyperion Inc., we have a solution for you, Good old indoctrination /author]