They met under the stars and a Full Moon. He had a fire lit before him, the orange glow lighting him up in the darkness. He stood there, arms out as if he were embracing it from a distance. He had called for me. He had said my name out loud to the heavens.
"Astraea.."
The voice of the man roared in my ears; all I could hear was him. I screamed as blue fire burst a lite at my feet. They quickly ate my body as I stood there screaming, my body turned to ash that then floated away in a gust of wind.
"No.," I whispered before I disappeared entirely into the dark sky.
Ashes fell from the sky into the ritual fire before the man and burst into blue flames, and inside the fire grew a maiden with tears streaming her face and long almond brown hair. She stood bare to the gods and the man in front of her.
Darkness consumed them as the fire died at her feet. She brought her hand to her face, tapping her forehead, she pulled an orb of blue light from it. She pulled the light into a circle above her head. Her light lit up the cleared wooded area, allowing the man to see her full glory. Starlight fell from her crown, covering her in an elegant robe that sparkled brightly. The Man stood before her, watching her, he appeared awestruck.
Stepping forward, she reached her hand out and touched his cheek gently.
"Hello, Romulus." Her voice filled his head just as he had filled hers before. His vision began to grow dark until he could no longer see. Romulus fell to the ground, at the feet of the Goddess, his strength and power drained.
Squatting down, she peered at his unconscious body; she lay her head on her knees; she sighed, "I guess I'll stay."
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Romulus awoke to the sun high above him. Sitting up, he rubbed his head, her voice still echoing his name, and a headache pounding at his temples. Looking around, he noticed a large bush of Lion Lilies in full bloom. They grew from the burned ground that had been his summoning fire. He smiled. "Of course, flowers follow wherever she goes."
Romulus walked the short distance back to his log hut, wondering if he would see her again. He opens the door of his hut and walked in, he stopped. This was not his hut. This was a palace, Her Palace.
"Oh, Romulus, welcome home." Astraea greeted him, from atop the imperial staircase she had a variety of leaves and flowers floating around her. "You are just in time to help me decorate." She smiled down at him.
His heart pounded as she smiled at him, seeing her in the bright daylight that lit the palace, he could not help but stare.
"Uh-Uhm, it appears you have already done so, my goddess." he stammered.
"Only a smidge, Darling," she said and laughed. "Here, take these and place them by all the windows." A grouping of leaves flowed down from the staircase, floating before him.
"I think ill leave the decorating up to you," he said as he pushed them to the side. "....Will you be staying here my goddess?" He asked her, hope filling his voice.
"But of course! I am your wife now!" She said energetically "Not that I had a choice in that." She mumbled to herself as she walked down the stairs. "How about you take me to the village? I require handmaidens, so let's go and find some." She said as she passed by him, her decorating forgotten as she dragged him back out the door and down the road to the nearby village.
On the way to the village she had changed their clothes, she now wore a simple style dress that was covered in delicate silver embroidery. His clothes matched hers his plain long-sleeved shirt had matching embroidery as did his pants.
Entering the busy village many people stopped and stared at her beauty and elegance, merchants that littered the side of the roads began to call out to her, to come to buy their products, and she eagerly chatted with all of them.
She asked each merchant if they knew of women who worshipped the Goddess Astraea. They all pointed her in the direction of the temple at the end of town, it was their temple to Astraea.
"How exciting! I had not noticed they made this temple mine!" She exclaimed out loud to Romulus who stood beside her in the temple.
"Shhh! They do not need to know who you are, it will only cause problems. " he quieted her excitement quickly as there were a few worshippers scattered about the stone building.
"Don't be an old goat Romulus," she laughed at him "or I'll turn you into one." She joked as she began to wonder about. She stopped suddenly her head whipped to the right "someone is calling me to save them." She whispered, her brows furrowed.