Aphrodite.

four

"Oh!" The shadow gave a surprised exclamation. She stepped farther in to the darkness of the cave, and Aphrodite's eyes adjusted, making her clearer. She was a younger woman, with a soft, round face. She had large, oval-shaped eyes that could even be seen in the dark to be a bright blue. And she was nearly nude! "I didn't mean to frighten you," the girl said in a musically beautiful voice that rang out innocence. She stepped around the heap of weeds and net that surrounded Aphrodite and used a device, that was strange to the Goddess, to light the candles that were placed on a rock nearby. The cave was bathed in warm candlelight, and Aphrodite could finally see the girl clearly. She was wet, and seaweed clung to her, covering her genitals and breasts, and sticking to her hair. Aphrodite was astonished by the color of the young woman's hair, as she had never seen anything so vivid and wild. It hung down her back and over her arms and chests, falling in loose waves all the way down to her waist, bits of seashells, seaweed, and coral carved and tied together in a type of circlet. Her skin glistened and shimmered, and when she turned her head to find a seat, Aphrodite noticed small gills on her neck, just behind her ears. When she turned her gaze on the goddess, it became apparent that her eyes were not only bright blue, but they had a strange pattern in them in a fascinating green, almost like a nautical star. She was an astonishing creature.

The young woman gave Aphrodite a congenial smile and said, "Hello. My name is Shea. I know who you are. Don't worry, you are well hidden here, nobody knows of this location. You fell a long way into the water. Had you not been an Olympian, you would not have survived the force of hitting the surface. I pulled you out, and tended to your wounds. You were almost gravely injured, we are lucky that I got you in time. How are you feeling?" She stretched out a hand to feel Aphrodite's forehead, and the webbing between her fingers caught the attention of the Goddess.

"I am fine, but this is quite painful. You are a daughter of Poseidon, aren't you- a mermaid?" "I am called many things, yes. A siren, a mermaid, a freak.. I am neither human nor fish. You seem to have no signs of infection, so that is good. You will heal nicely, given time." "Thank you, Shea. But, how is it that you have legs?" Aphrodite had never seen Poseidon's daughters out of water. Shea seemed a bit taken aback, but recovered quickly, and a bubbly giggle came from her throat. It sounded like tinkling bells. "Oh. Well, a few of us are given a gift from our father, as a sign of his favor. He has given me the ability to walk on land whenever I please. All i need to do is swim to shore and pull myself out of the water and- poof! -legs!" Aphrodite could not help but smile. She liked this girl. "You are such a happy girl. I envy that innocence. Thank you again, Shea, for caring for me. I need to ask you to keep it a secret that I am alive. If Hera should discover that she failed, she will come back before I can regain my strength." Shea's large eyes became even larger, her shock unmasked. "The Queen of Olympus? But why would she do something like that? Surely she is not that cruel. My father tells me she is a benevolent Goddess."

"Your father is one of those who side with her. That is why you must not tell anyone. Hera despises me for the wrongs she imagines I have done her. She does not like that I am Zeus' bastard daughter, or that he has given me to her son, Hephaestus. I admit, I have been a terrible wife to him, and my affairs are not exactly hidden. But I do not love him, I never have. What I want more than anything is to be happy, to love whom I choose, to travel the world as much as I want, to explore and feel safe in my own bedchambers when I do return to my home on Olympus. I don't hate it there, it is still where I belong.. But Hera and her son, and well as Ares, have taken that from me. I have become somebody even I don't like, and I fear for the safety of my body and soul whenever I return there. I just wish I could go home in peace, and live my life how I choose." Aphrodite thought of everything she had loved and lost, and a tear rolled down her cheek, her voice cracking as she spoke.

Shea's eyes softened, and she took pity on Aphrodite, gently brushing the long, blonde locks of hair away from her face, and wiping her tears away. "I too wish to belong, and to explore the world. People are frightened by my appearance, and Poseidon will only give one gift. But I will help you, my friend. To the best of my abilities, I will help you find the life you long for."

This gave Aphrodite an idea. "Oh, Shea! I am so grateful to you. Please accept this gift from me. I will bestow you with my ability to change your appearance, and together, we will discover the world, and help each other to find our destinies."  As she touched Shea, Aphrodite watched her skin turn to the most exquisite alabaster, her lips the shade of a pink rose. The webbing between her fingers disappeared, and the pattern in her eyes faded. Looking herself over, Shea lit up, joyful tears welling up and spilling down her cheeks. "Oh, thank you so much, Aphrodite! I've found my lifelong friend in you!" The two women shared a hug, and started pondering together where they would go once Aphrodite was standing again. 

authors note.

hey, everyone, I hope you are enjoying the book so far, i'd really appreciate it if you were to give my chapters a vote & comment as it helps very much. I hope you're all having a good start to 2018 so far, : )