After the two equally peerless goddesses entered and took their seats, Themis dismissed the nymphs attending the hall.
She personally filled a crystal cup of honeyed wine for Metis, then asked in the gentlest voice, "Dear Metis, to what do I owe your visit today? If there is anything you need me to do, please speak freely—I will do my utmost."
A current of warmth passed through Metis's heart. She accepted the golden cup and replied in a soft, graceful voice, "Dear Themis, I've come not on official business, but with some words pressed upon my heart—things I wished to speak with you about."
Themis's long, strong jade fingers unconsciously rubbed the cup in her hand. She said softly, "It is my honor."
"Only—Metis, why don't you speak directly with the God-King about what weighs on you? I believe His Majesty would be glad to listen."
A deeply complicated smile appeared upon Metis's face; her airy voice sounded slowly: "Dear Themis, I have already spoken with Zeus. Now, the one to whom I should speak is you."
Themis started at this, then heard Metis's sincere praise: "Dear Themis, of all gods, you are the most just and fair; the gods all respect your noble virtue and bow to it."
"You are flawless justice; you are sacred order; you are the brightest, most radiant god."
Hearing this heartfelt praise, Themis felt nothing but shame.
The more the goddess of wisdom praised her, the more boundless guilt the Lady of Justice felt.
She spoke in haste: "Dear Metis, please don't say that—I… I truly don't deserve it. I… too have many faults."
Metis smiled slightly, with a knowing gentleness. Her wise, bright golden eyes regarded Themis kindly as she said, "Dear Themis, I know. But if it's you, I don't mind."
"Ah?!" The Lady of Justice cried out; the golden cup in her hand nearly slipped.
She rose abruptly from her throne, opened her mouth to speak—yet her throat seemed stopped by an invisible force, and no words would come.
She stood in silence for a long while before slowly sitting down again.
The flawless goddess of justice wore a face full of bitterness. She kept her head bowed, not daring to meet Metis's eyes, and said in a voice of great difficulty, "Respected Metis… I am very sorry. I—I have wronged you."
But Metis only smiled slightly, stepped forward, and embraced the mortified Lady of Justice, saying gently, "Dear Themis, it is not your fault. I know, and I understand."
"You are order in your very essence, and you are also the indispensable right hand of the great God-King. Faced with the God-King's blazing love of thunder, how could you possibly resist him?"
"I know. I know it all. This is not your fault—and in truth, it is not Zeus's fault either."
"My dear Themis, Zeus is the supreme God-King who governs all, and 'governance' is inseparable from great 'order.'"
"And you are the embodiment of the most beautiful justice, with the noblest, most immaculate character among the gods. Before such a you, how could Zeus not like you?"
"More than Zeus—look across all beings in the universe. Any who yearn for the good—who among them would not be drawn to you?"
"Metis—" The goddess of order began, but with her noble character, she could not speak any words that pushed blame aside.
She was not Zeus.
Metis shook her head with a light laugh, her shoulder-length purple hair shimmering like flowing light, not a hint of shadow upon it—she truly had thought this through.
She said softly, "Dear Themis, I came today to tell you face to face that I cannot bear to have Zeus suffer the pain of unfulfilled longing, nor do I wish many great goddesses to endure the torment of a stifled divinity."
"Especially you, Themis. You are Zeus's indispensable right hand. I fully understand what terrible torment your noble divinity has been suffering."
"Most of all because you so steadfastly uphold justice—your noble divinity will not permit you to do anything against your own principles."
The goddess of wisdom gently took the Lady of Justice's now-cold jade hand.
With utmost sincerity she said softly, "But, my dear Themis, you do not need to bear this."
"I have already told Zeus with my own lips that I will not stop him from having other wives. And now, with my own lips, I say the same to you: I do not mind if you become Zeus's wife."
"On the contrary, if you could accompany me at Zeus's side, I would be happy."
Themis was greatly shaken; her keen golden eyes widened. "Metis, you—"
But Metis spoke softly and serenely: "Dear Themis, this is my voluntary choice. And please convey this for me to any goddess: as long as Zeus recognizes her, then I recognize her."
"Zeus's will is my will."
The goddess of wisdom lightly embraced the stunned goddess of justice and said softly, "For any other goddess, I do it for Zeus. But for you alone, I do not wish flawless justice to be tormented by her principles."
"You are the most just and the most immaculate goddess. You should not bear such undeserved suffering."
Themis was moved beyond words; the penitent Lady of Justice could say nothing at all.
Now that Zeus's only publicly acknowledged wife had personally said she did not mind, the greatest—and only—obstacle in Themis's heart could finally be passed.
Seeing the Lady of Justice's expression, Metis smiled tenderly. "Dear Themis, there is nothing more to say. I understand it all. Please feel no more guilt—and no more psychological burden."
"After all, I fell in love with Zeus. I willingly lose myself for him—this is my own choice."
"Metis—thank you. Thank you so much." Themis gently embraced Metis; this was the only way she could comfort and thank this great goddess of wisdom.
The goddess of wisdom wronged herself, and in exchange all the other goddesses rejoiced.
Of course, her main purpose in coming was to loosen the bonds within the Lady of Justice's heart.
She truly pitied Themis's torment under her principles—and she truly wished to assist her beloved God-King.
But she also had her little thoughts.
In any case, the sacred goddess of just order could not possibly escape her beloved God-King's hand.
If so, then better to let Metis make it happen!
In this way, Themis would inevitably become her staunch ally.
Metis could clearly see how deeply Zeus favored the goddess of order and how much he trusted her.
And the goddess of order, with her peerless virtue among the gods, was absolutely worthy of trust.
Only by helping the goddess of order was it certain to bring rich returns—and absolute, sincere friendship.
After all, other goddesses did not care about such things.
Aside from Hera, almost all other goddesses felt no burden at all about seizing the God-King's love.
Not only did they feel no burden—they thought day and night of taking her place.
Only sacred, just order could be trusted always, trusted completely, and entrusted with one's heart.
This retreat-to-advance move by Metis not only won her a powerful and reliable ally; it also dissolved many hidden enemies. At the very least, she was no longer the target of all.
Her position as principal consort grew steadier. Any with a bit of sense would not try to push her out any time soon—that was unrealistic. Now Zeus's heart toward her was full of gratitude, tenderness, and guilt.
Let the other goddesses vie among themselves—and when they did, wouldn't that only make her position as principal consort more secure?
This is what one calls retreating to advance, feigning folly while staying lucid, diverting the flood eastward, and sitting atop the mountain to watch the tigers fight.
The immaculate goddess of order now felt immeasurably grateful to Metis.
A good god is always bound by her principles and often can only wrong herself.
Before today, the goddess of justice was truly wracked with inner conflict, pain, and hardship.
Had the goddess of wisdom not said these words today, the Lady of Order truly did not know how much longer she could hold out before Zeus.
Nor did she know how she could face Metis—the "principal wife"—in days to come.
As the embodiment of grand order, if she truly did something against the principles of justice, she truly did not know how she could continue to maintain and defend order.
If she truly became the God-King's lover, even her very divinity would be dimmed.
It was Metis who saved her.
Who allowed order to barely uphold her principles and avoid collapse.
After Metis departed, the goddess of justice gazed far in the direction of the goddess of wisdom's departure for a long time, unable to return to herself.
At last, she could only give a sigh filled with deep complexity.
Yes—who told them all to fall in love with Zeus?
On the second day after Dione arrived at Mount Olympus, Zeus summoned the Olympian gods.
He solemnly announced: he had two more beloved wives!
One was the goddess of sacred justice and order—Themis; the other was the all-knowing goddess of civilization and memory—Mnemosyne.
Themis was the second wife; Mnemosyne was the third.
Mnemosyne's bid for second fell through—
And the one who took second from her was Themis. At that, she could not utter a single word.
(End of Chapter)
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