Sunset on the Sun Palace

Chapter 5: The meeting

Helia

One morning, before Helia woke up for dawn, she dreamed of those blue eyes again. It irritated her that she couldn't know who those eyes belonged to.

During the day, before sunset, she called the gods to a secret meeting. She called them to her palace, the Sun Palace, under the pretext that she had to tell them the latest gossip in which humans had been involved. She planned to get the truth out of them subtly, without them realizing it. But Universe must not know about the meeting, since he had already been reluctant to answer her questions.

When the gods arrived at his palace, Helia didn't know exactly what he was going to tell them. It was not specified what gossip she was going to tell them of course so she left them waiting in the great hall while she supposedly got ready in her rooms. But then someone knocked on his door.

"Are you ready, Helia?" Ceres asked. She was the goddess of agriculture and spring, but also one of the smallest planets in the Solar System.

"Almost. Has everyone arrived?" Helia didn't know if she should let her in or not.

"Yes, and they are impatient. Can I pass?"

"Okay," answered Helia, unsure.

Once inside, Helia stared at her. Ceres was dressed as usual, in her pale green dress and her auburn hair loose around her shoulders. The goddess was plain in every way, compared to her. Ceres was one of the few goddesses who didn't interrupt her every time she tried to speak, so she confessed and told her what the purpose of all this was.

"Some eyes, you say? Ceres asked."

"Yes. After each sunset, when I go to sleep, I dream of eyes that watch me," answered Helia.

"And do you want to know who is watching you? I don't know, Helia. If Universe has not wanted to give you answers, I doubt that the other gods will give them to you. Also, doesn't it make you uncomfortable to be watched by someone you don't even know?"

"Are you seriously asking the Sun Goddess if she minds being watched by strangers?" Helia replied, almost laughing at the question. "I need to know who it is, Ceres."

" Why?"

"Because something tells me that Universe is hiding something from me. Someone, to be exact. Since my first sunset, I have felt that look. It's not the kind of look I get from humans or gods, who look at me with admiration. This look is different. Those eyes look at me like no one has ever looked at me before. Those blue eyes never leave my thoughts, no matter how hard I try" Helia explained.

"Blue eyes?" Ceres asked, with a tone of surprise in her voice and an uneasy expression on her face.

"Yes, why?"

"I have to go" the goddess joined suddenly. "And don't worry about the gods, I'll tell them that you feel bad so they can go away. I promise to come back tomorrow to think about what we can do. Goodbye."

Before Helia could ask her why she was leaving, Ceres left the room, almost running. The only thing she knew was that now at least she had the help of a friend to find who she was looking for so much.

What would Helia do once she knew who was the owner of that special look? What would she tell to them? How would she explain to Universe that she had disobeyed him and that she was looking for answers?

She did not know.