After months of healing and reflection from his near-defeat at the hands of Crius, Zeus wanders across the earth not with the blind arrogance of a boy, but now with the rising ambition of a future king.
He seeks allies, not out of weakness, but out of strategy.
One bright morning, his journey leads him to a tranquil riverbank, where the sunlight dances across flowing water, and the wind hums with quiet divinity. There, resting gracefully upon a smooth stone, is a woman of rare beauty.
Her posture is relaxed, yet dignified. Her silvery robes flutter gently in the breeze. The river's reflection only enhances her serene, almost sacred charm.
She is like a sculpture carved by nature itself and yet, her eyes hold more than beauty. They shimmer with depth, calculation, and ancient knowledge.
Zeus, ever bold, approaches.
"Greetings, my lady. I am Zeus, God of Thunder, son of Rhea and Cronus. May I know the name of one so radiant?"
The woman turns her gaze to him; she quickly analyses him and processes in her mind what she heard.
'Zeus, god of thunder and son of Rhea and Cronus…hmm,' she murmurs to herself. Her memory stirs and a flashback to the past unfolds.
In the deep ocean, at the Ocean Palace, a titan with blue skin and emerald eyes sat. His white hair waved with the ocean waves. His aura was formidable and powerful, just like Cronus. He sat on the grand sapphire throne. He was Oceanus, Titan of the ocean, and sole ruler of the ocean.
He stared at Metis, who knelt before him. His voice echoed in the ocean. "Metis, you are the most intelligent and sharp among all my children. I have a task for you."
Metis kept bowing and said, "My pleasure, my lord."
Oceanus said, "Around 19 years ago, the isle of Crete suddenly disappeared from the ocean. And this was done by my sister Rhea. The nearby resident aquatic animals state that she came to Crete alone but returned with a baby in her hand. And she created a space distortion spell, one of the strongest spells of hers, on the island of Crete. So, my child, tell me what you find out from all this?"
Metis closed her eyes and thought, then said, "When she visited the isle of Crete, she gave birth to a child, and when she returned with a child... but she spoke Crete to hide from the outer world. From that, we can state that what she was holding might not be her child, but instead a decoy."
Oceanus smiled while stroking his white beard. "Yes, she gave birth to a sixth child on Crete and is hiding from the world. And that child will be king of the gods according to the prophecy. So, if the child is a boy, then seduce him; if a girl, then make her completely depend on you. And make that child your puppet who will do what you say. With this, our clan will have supremacy in both realms."
Metis bowed a little. "An excellent strategy, my lord, but may I ask a question?"
"Hmm…" Oceanus simply hummed in agreement.
"My lord, just how does the prophecy work?" Metis asked Oceanus while keeping herself low.
Oceanus answered her question. "A prophecy is actually just a high-rate possibility that can happen in the future. But that doesn't mean every prophecy will happen exactly. Is there any other question?"
Metis, still in a kneeling position, said, "I wouldn't dare, my lord—" She paused a little and said, "Then, my lord, permit me to leave."
Oceanus didn't say anything, just waved his hands.
"Lady…lady"
She returns to reality and looks at Zeus. "Yes?"
Zeus's eyebrows frown; he looks concerned about her. Metis notices that and then asks him. "I am totally fine, just the intense heat weakened me." She actually acts like a weak lady and falls on his chest, pressing her voluptuous chest against him.
Zeus's cheeks redden. He is totally captivated by her beauty and skinship. Lust blinds his mind and senses. He only sees her as a weak lady who can't harm him and as a conquest for himself.
As Zeus lets down his guard, she secretly opens a pink potion that amplifies emotion and lowers inhibition, basically working like a love potion. A sweet fume rises in the air.
Zeus's affection for Metis increases greatly to an obsession level. Zeus lifts Metis in his arms to the shade of a tree. "Here is good, this shade will protect your beautiful and silky skin."
She smiles with a sweet, seductive curve of her lips that masks the gears of her mind turning.
"Thank you, Lord Zeus. Oh! I forgot to introduce myself. I am Metis, Goddess of Wisdom, daughter of Oceanus," she replies, her voice like flowing honey. "And perhaps…fated to meet you."
Her eyes sparkle with playful affection, her tone flirtatious, her presence intoxicating. She moves closer, pretending to be swept by attraction, as if the first spark of love has ignited in her heart.
But beneath the surface of that radiant smile… is steel.
For Metis is no fool.
As the Goddess of Wisdom, she does not fall prey to emotions like love…not truly. Instead, she uses them, shapes them like clay in her divine hands.
'What a fool. Who can be this level of dumb idiot to announce his parent? When his own father is running to kill him.'
"Ahh!… My feet are aching, can you please massage them with your strong hands?" Metis puts her legs on his lap and reveals a little of her thick thigh. Zeus doesn't say anything; just like a slave, he massages her legs.
Metis is pleased with Zeus's reaction. Her first objective is easily accomplished. Then she looks at the river water and hums in her mind, 'Father, your plan is good, but you have made one mistake. You chose me, an ambitious one, who dreams of the highest order. Don't worry; I will be queen and make this fool king my puppet, but I will not be your puppet anymore.'
Thus, he welcomes Metis into his growing circle of allies… as a lover.
Both start a new journey, a journey of conquest.
They both travel to many places and visit kingdoms incognito. They also gain the loyalty of the human emperor, Borean.
They explore many ruins and slay demonic beasts.
One day, they both explore a ruin in the Sahara Desert. Zeus wears a brown rag hoody, bronze armour, and carries a dull sword instead of a fancy, flashy dress and weapons. Zeus has matured quite under the influence of Metis; he learns more about the outer world and its schemes. For him, Metis is like a teacher and a backbone; he depends on her completely for everything. But that's what Metis actually wants.
Metis walks behind Zeus; just like him, she also wears a poor and dull dress, and carries a bow with arrows attached, as she is ready to attack anytime when needed.
"Aaaahhh! Help! Help!"
Suddenly, a high-pitched sound echoes in the dark cave. This startles both of them. Zeus is about to rush, but Metis stops him. "Wait, don't rush; it could be a trap."
Zeus nods and moves forward cautiously. Then they reach the end of the path; in front of them is a giant door, and from the door, the sound is heard more clearly. They tighten their grip and open the door. They see that a beautiful lady with blonde hair and blue eyes in a white dress is being attacked by a giant wolf-type monster with one eye.
As it is about to bite the lady, Zeus lunges forward and cuts the wolf's head off in one swing.
The lady sees the man's back, the hero who saved her from the door of death, and looks at him like a saviour and falls for him. She is captivated by his look.
Zeus quickly comforts the lady and heals her wound with his divine energy. Then Zeus says to her, "Are you okay?"
The lady is dazed. "Huh, ah. Yeah… I'm okay." She quickly cleans and corrects her dress and bows a little like a noble lady."Thank you, sir, for saving me from this monster. I am Leto, titaness of child guardian and daughter of Coeus and Phoebe."
"I am Zeus," Zeus introduces himself while cleaning blood stains from his sword blade.
Metis observes her and smiles a little. 'Huh, another flower from the garden. Hmm…My wisdom tells me that she has completely fallen for him. And she is the daughter of a cardinal titan, which is quite useful in our conquest.' "I am Metis, titaness of wisdom and daughter of Oceanus."
Zeus and Leto are startled by her bold introduction. Zeus stares at her while signalling, 'Why did you reveal yourself?'
Metis just waves her hand. 'Just leave it to me.'
Leto's eyes widen; she covers her mouth with her hand. "Oh! My, you are a princess of the ocean. What a surprise. But why are you in such outfits?"
Then Metis tells a modified sad story full of lies and a little mix of truth. Zeus is dumbfounded by her story; he even questions himself, 'Did something like this happen?' But it is super effective on Leto. Tears appear near her eyes like morning dew. "Sniff…what a tragic story. Sniff…don't worry, Lord Zeus. I will support you in your journey."
With this, they gain another companion in their journey of conquest.
As Leto is busy chatting with Zeus, Metis opens the treasure chest that the demonic creature tried to protect.
She finds an old navy-blue book written in an ancient language mostly used by primordials. As she takes the book out of the chest, the ruined walls begin to crumble. Everyone quickly exits the ruin safely.
In the world of gods, love and power are often intertwined. And Zeus, knowingly or not, walks deeper into the game of crowns and thrones.