"Are you all right, Little One?" I, Athene, daughter of Metis held my youngest half-sister, and Hebe sobbed into my feathered cloak.

"Callisto…" she wept, and I nodded. "I know, Little One. But you saw yourself, Father has placed her in the stars, where she shall always watch over you." Artemis was eyeing me warily, as if to ask Did I do right?

Go find out, sister, I sent to her, cradling Hebe in my arms, and Artemis' silver stags pawed the ground impatiently. She sighed and leaped into her silver chariot, cracking the whip that sent them leaping on their appointed course. The wind picked up, and I walked through the wood with my burden.

No, not so much a burden, not Hebe, I realised with sudden clarity. No more a burden was she than I, for I myself was father Zeus' unwanted get – had he not swallowed my mother ere I was even born to be certain he would never sire another child upon her? So I had sprung from his head when brother Hephaestos split his skull, not from mother's womb as would be expected.

Besides, had I not had such a falling out with my cherished companion as Artemis had with Callisto? Pallas and I were the closest of companions, and yet the day came when she raised sword against me. I struck first, and killed her. Her name lives on, borne by me out of shameful memory.

"Athene?" Hebe looked up, searching my face, and I sighed.

"Forgive me, little sister. I fear I have done you a disservice, falling silent so. Do you wish to talk about what happened?"

"Did Artemis hate Callisto, Athene?" Hebe asked, and my voice was choked thick with tears when I answered at last. O, Pallas! "Nay, Little One. She loved her very much – perhaps more than any but Apollo, and you," I whispered. "She loved you more. She could not countenance Callisto's breaking the Law where you could see."

"It's my fault." Hebe's face crumpled, and I cursed myself a thousand times over in silence. "No. No, Little One, little Hebe. Callisto made her choice knowing what would come. She just didn't know it would hurt you."

I hugged Hebe close, then, and vowed that father Zeus would never hurt Hebe so – not whilst I was there to keep her and protect her. Leto's children would not have her sole keeping. Eternal Virgin or no, I found myself to be a mother still. See you, Queen of the Gods, your neglected daughter will still have care, I flung to my silent stepmother.

So be it, was the unsatisfactory response. I knew Ilithyia still stood at her side, her cherished pet and apprentice, and vowed to see that one trueborn daughter would have as much love as the other.