After months of healing and reflection from his near-defeat at the hands of Crius, Zeus wandered across the earth not with the blind arrogance of a boy, but now with the rising ambition of a future king.
He sought allies, not out of weakness, but out of strategy.
One bright morning, his journey led him to a tranquil riverbank, where the sunlight danced across flowing water, and the wind hummed with quiet divinity. There, resting gracefully upon a smooth stone, was a woman of rare beauty.
Her posture was relaxed, yet dignified. Her silvery robes fluttered gently in the breeze. The river's reflection only enhanced her serene, almost sacred charm.
She was like a sculpture carved by nature itself—and yet, her eyes held more than beauty. They shimmered with depth, calculation, and ancient knowledge.
Zeus, ever bold, approached.
"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 turned her gaze to him; she quickly analyzed him and processed in her mind what she had heard.
Zeus, god of thunder and son of Rhea and Cronus…hmm, she murmured to herself. Her memory stirred, and a flashback to the past unfolded.
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 sealed 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 returned to reality and looked at Zeus. "Yes?"
Zeus's eyebrows furrowed; he looked concerned about her. Metis noticed that and then asked him. "I am totally fine, just the intense heat weakened me." She actually acted like a weak lady and fell on his chest, pressing her voluptuous chest against him.
Zeus's cheeks reddened. He was totally captivated by her beauty and skinship. Lust blinded his mind and senses. He only saw her as a weak lady who couldn't harm him and as a conquest for himself.
As Zeus let down his guard, she secretly opened a pink potion that amplified emotion and lowered inhibition, basically working like a love potion. A sweet fume rose in the air.
Zeus's affection for Metis increased greatly to an obsessive level. Zeus lifted Metis in his arms to the shade of a tree. "Here is good; this shade will protect your beautiful and silky skin."
She smiled with a sweet, seductive curve of her lips that masked 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 replied, her voice like flowing honey. "And perhaps…fated to meet you."
Her eyes sparkled with playful affection, her tone flirtatious, her presence intoxicating. She moved closer, pretending to be swept by attraction, as if the first spark of love had ignited in her heart.
But beneath the surface of that radiant smile… was steel.
For Metis was no fool.
As the Goddess of Wisdom, she did not fall prey to emotions like love…not truly. Instead, she used them, shaped them like clay in her divine hands.
What a fool. Who can be this level of dumb idiot to announce his parents? When his own father is running to kill him.
"Ahh!… My feet are aching; can you please massage them with your strong hands?" Metis put her legs on his lap and revealed a little of her thick thigh. Zeus didn't say anything; just like a slave, he massaged her legs.
Metis was pleased with Zeus's reaction. Her first objective was easily accomplished. Then she looked at the river water and hummed 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 welcomed Metis into his growing circle of allies… as a lover.
Both started a new journey, a journey of conquest.
They traveled to many places and visited kingdoms incognito. They also gained the loyalty of the human emperor, Borean.
They explored many ruins and slew demonic beasts.
One day, they explored a ruin in the Sahara Desert. Zeus wore a brown rag hoody, bronze armor, and carried a dull sword instead of fancy, flashy dress and weapons. Zeus had matured quite a bit under the influence of Metis; he learned more about the outer world and its schemes. For him, Metis was like a teacher and a backbone; he depended on her completely for everything. But that was what Metis actually wanted.
Metis walked behind Zeus; just like him, she also wore poor and dull dress, and carried a bow with arrows attached, as she was ready to attack anytime when needed.
"Aaaahhh! Help! Help!"
Suddenly, a high-pitched sound echoed in the dark cave. This startled both of them. Zeus was about to rush, but Metis stopped him. "Wait, don't rush; it could be a trap."
Zeus nodded and moved forward cautiously. Then they reached the end of the path; in front of them was a giant door, and from the door, the sound was heard more clearly. They tightened their grip and opened the door. They saw a beautiful lady with blonde hair and blue eyes in a white dress being attacked by a giant wolf-type monster with one eye.
As it was about to bite the lady, Zeus lunged forward and cut the wolf's head off in one swing.
The lady saw the man's back, the hero who had saved her from the door of death, and looked at him like a savior and fell for him. She was captivated by his look.
Zeus quickly comforted the lady and healed her wound with his divine energy. Then Zeus said to her, "Are you okay?"
The lady was dazed. "Huh, ah. Yeah… I'm okay." She quickly cleaned and corrected her dress and bowed 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 introduced himself while cleaning blood stains from his sword blade.
Metis observed her and smiled 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 were startled by her bold introduction. Zeus stared at her while signaling, Why did you reveal yourself?
Metis just waved her hand. Just leave it to me.
Leto's eyes widened; she covered 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 told a modified sad story full of lies and a little mix of truth. Zeus was dumbfounded by her story; he even questioned himself, Did something like this happen? But it was super effective on Leto. Tears appeared 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 gained another companion in their journey of conquest.
As Leto was busy chatting with Zeus, Metis opened the treasure chest that the demonic creature had tried to protect.
She found an old navy-blue book written in an ancient language mostly used by primordials. As she took the book out of the chest, the ruined walls began to crumble. Everyone quickly exited the ruin safely.
In the world of gods, love and power were often intertwined. And Zeus, knowingly or not, walked deeper into the game of crowns and thrones.