I'm not good enough

Aria woke up a few hours later Joseph arrived, just as the sun was setting and casting a red light around the meadow.

She opened her eyes and looked around to see Joseph sitting beside her with the book she had been reading as she fell asleep in his hands. He frowned as he stared at it.

"Do you like it?" Aria asked as she stretched.

Joseph jumped up at the sound of her voice. He closed the book and said in a nonchalant voice, "Meh. It's okay."

Aria chuckled, "Maybe I should spoil the ending for you."

Joseph immediately put his fingers in his ears and shook his head from side to side.

Aria laughed and pulled his hands, "I'm joking. I haven't even finished it yet."

Joseph pouted and looked very embarrassed upon being tricked by Aria.

It was then that Aria took her braid in her hands out of habit and found that it was very beautifully decorated with flowers. Flowers, beautiful, big, small, and of all colours.

She ran her hand to the back of her head and found that flowers had been placed in her hair like jwellery.

She looked at Joseph, who looked like a kid waiting for a scolding. "Please don't be angry. I don't know why I did that. I can remove them if you like."

Aria very carefully took her braid in her hands and looked at the lake. She said, "Do you know why I chose this place to talk to you?"

Joseph shook his head.

Aria continued, "This place has a weird effect on me. Like all the negative emotions drain out of me whenever I'm here. I'm at peace. I don't know why, but I feel like I'm whole here."

Joseph tilted his head as he listened to Aria. Suddenly, it all clicked in his mind.

Of course!! It was not that Aria belonged here. The feeling he had always gotten seeing Aria here was like she was a part of the meadow, and the meadow was a part of her.

Joseph was pulled from his thoughts as Aria turned to look at him. "So, I'm not angry. And I probably won't be. But please, don't do things like this again." She said.

Joseph's eyes shone at first and then his face fell. "Why Aria why? Why won't you let me get closer? Why are you always pushing me away?!?" The questions he had been holding in for so long burst out.

Aria stared at Joseph in surprise. The latter thought that she was going to run away again, but Aria sighed and looked up.

She said, "I'm not good enough for you Joseph. I'm not good enough for anyone."

Joseph was taken aback. If this unwordly goddess was not good enough, who was?

"If this is about your background, no one wil mind with your bending skills..." Joseph began, thinking Aria was being self conscious.

Aria shook her head and cut him off, "It's not about where I come from. And I'm sure someone as smart as you can figure out I don't really come from a village on the outskirts of the kingdom." She said with a sad smile.