Artemis's expression shifted, and she moved to defend herself, but Zeus's cold gaze stifled her words. The Goddess of Light bit her crimson lip, her heart swirling with a mixture of grievance and indignation.
"And Hebe," Zeus continued, "to attack a superior deity—even if you both reside within the second tier, Artemis's divine rank remains above yours. Do you recognize your transgression?"
"Great Father, Hebe knows her wrong. I submit to your punishment."
To question the King of Gods was to challenge absolute authority; Hebe was no fool. With her low divine power and lack of favor, playing the part of the submissive daughter was the only prudent choice.
"Mm."
Hebe's obedience prompted a satisfied nod from Zeus. In truth, he harbored little actual anger; after all, Hebe had acted to defend the honor of her mother.
Did Zeus love Hera? Without a doubt. Among all his wives, only Hera was granted the privilege of sharing half his sovereign authority. Artemis's earlier verbal slight against Hera had already kindled his displeasure.
"Zeus!"
Seeing Hebe about to be punished, Hera's anxiety spiked—the protective instinct of a mother.
Zeus lightly patted the back of Hera's hand, a gesture of reassurance to his ensnared wife.
"Artemis, Hebe, seeing as both of you have erred, once this matter is resolved, you shall both be sent to the Divine Arena for a Godhood Duel. Each shall put up one Godhood as a stake. The victor shall be absolved of punishment and claim the wagered Godhood; the loser shall descend to the mortal realm for thirty years to reflect, forbidden from setting foot on Olympus."
An uproar swept through the assembled deities. A duel with Godhood as the stake was a catastrophic risk for the loser. To a god, a Godhood was the symbol of their identity and the wellspring of their power. To lose one meant not only a drop in divine rank but also the potential for eternal mockery from their peers.
"I object!"
Trapped within the golden throne, Hera clenched her fists and was the first to protest. Her youngest daughter had been sheltered like a delicate flower. Though she loathed to admit it, Artemis—who had grown strong even under Hera's own suppression—was a formidable force whose strength was not to be underestimated, even if she fell short of her brother Apollo.
"Enough, Hera. Let the children resolve their own disputes."
Zeus remained unmoved by Hera's objection. Even the Queen of Heaven, wielder of half his power, could not override the King's sovereign will.
"As you command, Great Father!"
Artemis's voice carried a hint of smugness and delight. She glanced at Hebe with silver-gray eyes, her lips curling. Daughter of the Queen or not, I am still Father's most favored. In her mind, this duel was Zeus's way of showing favoritism; even if Hebe's power had increased, Artemis—at the peak of the second tier—had no reason to fear a middle-rank opponent.
"I heed your will, Great Father."
Hebe lowered her head, her voice clear and respectful. Her long, butterfly-wing lashes cast shadows over her face, masking the battle intent and burning ambition in her violet eyes. To her, this duel was not a punishment, but an opportunity to grow stronger. Her innate combativeness and hunger for power left her undaunted by a battle others deemed unwinnable.
Everyone had their hidden cards, and if Artemis underestimated her, she was in for a bitter awakening.
"Now, state your desires," Zeus commanded. In a Godhood Duel, the victor's prize was decided by the opponent's demand.
"Great Father, the moonlight is pure, making the Godhood of Purification a perfect fit for me. I request that Hebe put up Purification as her stake," Artemis declared.
The ambition in Artemis's voice caused one goddess to frown: Selene, the Goddess of the Full Moon and sister of Helios, who currently held the Moon's authority. Selene and Helios exchanged a look of grave wariness. These twin lights of the new generation were already eyeing the domains of the old order, likely with Zeus's tacit approval.
"Granted," Zeus nodded, his eyes as vast as the open sky turning to Hebe. "And you, my daughter?"
"Noble Father, youth is forever entwined with new life. I desire Lady Artemis's Godhood of Midwifery."
Hera's heart stirred, and she looked at her daughter with a gaze full of complex, maternal love. As the Guardian of Marriage and Birth, the office of Midwifery had originally belonged to Hera. Later, when Artemis and Apollo arrived on Olympus, Artemis had petitioned Zeus for the right to oversee childbirth as a way to retaliate for Hera's past persecution of them.
"So be it. The Godhood Duel shall take place in one month. Now, my fellow gods, exercise your wisdom and help the Queen escape this wretched chair!"
"Noble King of Gods," spoke a deity with refined features. In a realm where gods were prized for their brawn and stature, he was tall but lean. His eyes sparkled with wisdom, and he radiated a unique, steady aura that commanded respect.
This was Prometheus, son of the Oceanid Clymene and the Titan Iapetus—the God of Wisdom and Forethought. Prometheus held a singular status on Olympus. As a seer, his mastery of prophecy surpassed even Apollo's. During the war between the Titans and the Olympians, he had foreseen the Titans' downfall and sided with Zeus as a strategist.
Later, when Zeus overthrew Cronus, the dying second-generation King had cast a curse: Zeus, too, was destined to be overthrown by his own child. Prometheus was the only god who possessed the full truth of that prophecy. Consequently, whether Zeus kept him on Olympus out of appreciation or fear was a question only the King could answer.
"Oh? Hephaestus?" It took Zeus a moment to recall the son he had hurled from the mountain. "He possesses such craftsmanship?"
Zeus rubbed his chin. It seemed this son wasn't entirely useless.
"Indeed, Noble King. According to the revelations of Fate, Olympus shall soon welcome a new Major God."
A brilliant light swirled in Prometheus's wise eyes. In his vision, a new pillar of light was rising over Olympus; the God of Fire and Forge was about to take his rightful place.
Major God!
The title echoed like a great bell in the hearts of the gods. The status of a Major God was second only to the King and Queen; Zeus himself could not easily ignore their council.
Currently, seven of the twelve ordained seats were filled: Zeus (Sky/Thunder), Hera (Marriage), Poseidon (Sea), Demeter (Agriculture), Athena (Wisdom), Ares (War), and Hestia (Hearth). Only five seats remained. If the God of Fire returned, that left only four vacancies. To gods who lived for glory and status, failing to secure a seat among the Twelve was an unacceptable fate.
The assembly buzzed with excitement and schemes. The weaker gods whispered about the drama, while the powerful ones pondered how to seize one of the final four seats.
"Since it is a revelation of Fate..."
Zeus's expression grew solemn. He exchanged a look with Hera. Whether for his skill or his raw power, Hephaestus's return would be a boon to the Olympian faction. Though they had won the war, the Titan remnants were still influential. To purge the Titans from the halls of power, Zeus trusted no one more than his own blood.
"Iris!"
"Your Noble Majesty."
The goddess with iridescent wings and seven-colored light knelt before him. Before the birth of Hermes, Iris served as the primary messenger of the divine will.
"Go to the Isle of Lemnos. Invite Hephaestus to return to Olympus."
"As you command." The goddess took flight, transforming into a streak of rainbow light.
Iris was swift, returning within a few short hours. However, she was alone. Her expression was troubled as she relayed the blacksmith's message.
Hephaestus had refused to return!
Zeus's face darkened. As the King of Gods, few dared to defy him so flagrantly. The clouds over the mountain thickened, and thunder rumbled.
Hera's eyes flickered. She looked at Iris and said, "Whatever his conditions are, speak them plainly."
Iris glanced at Zeus's volatile expression before whispering Hephaestus's demands. He had three conditions for his return:
First, Zeus must heal his crippled leg or formally admit the error of abandoning him. Second, he must be officially recognized as a Major God of Olympus. Third, he must be allowed to marry the most beautiful goddess.
Thunder roared across the peak; the King was incandescent with rage.
The last two conditions were manageable, but the first... a divine body was the most perfect vessel in existence. Short of a lethal blow, gods could usually heal themselves over time. But Hephaestus's case was special; he had been cast down as an infant before his form had solidified. The damage reached his very essence—even Apollo, the God of Medicine, was powerless to fix it. And for the arrogant Zeus to admit a mistake? That was a challenge of cosmic proportions.
"Lord Hephaestus also said..."
"What else did that insolent wretch say?" Zeus snarled, crushing the armrest of his throne.
"He said... if these conditions are met, upon his return, he will not only build more magnificent palaces for the gods but will also forge a unique Divine Artifact for every Major God."
Iris lowered her head further. This God of Fire might look honest and simple, but he was clearly full of schemes! He was forcing Zeus to bow.
The bribes offered by Hephaestus exceeded the gods' wildest dreams. Divine Artifacts weren't as common as weeds. Even Zeus possessed only a handful. This was because the Cyclopes, who had once forged for them, had been exiled to Tartarus by the suspicious Zeus under the guise of "guarding the prisoners." Without them, no one on Olympus could craft such relics. The offer was a massive temptation for the Major Gods.
"Zeus, for the glory of Olympus—and for Hera—I think it wouldn't hurt for you to offer a small apology." The speaker had hair like crashing waves and deep blue eyes that evoked the vast, bottomless ocean. He held a trident, the symbol of his authority.
This was Poseidon, Ruler of the Seas. As Zeus's elder brother and a King in his own right, he was one of the few with the standing to speak so boldly.
"Isn't that right, Brother Hades?" Poseidon added, calling upon the eldest brother and Ruler of the Underworld for support.
Hades remained silent, but his expression signaled agreement. The other gods might not know the full story, but they did. Zeus had cast down a helpless child simply because he spoke up for his mother. Resentment was inevitable—especially for Hades, who remembered the trauma of being swallowed and crushed by his own father, Cronus.
"Zeus, you understand better than anyone the importance of a Major God to this mountain. Go. Welcome the God of Fire home."
Trapped in the golden chair, Hera's violet eyes flashed with a momentary flicker of irony. Her face, however, remained poised and solemn—the picture of a dutiful Queen concerned only for Zeus's welfare.
"..."
A storm brewed in Zeus's eyes as his mind raced. Finally, he looked at Hera, the wife who had stood by him for countless eons. His expression was unreadable.
"Very well. It shall be as you wish, my Queen."
Electricity crackled around the majestic King. He transformed into a magnificent Great Eagle and took flight toward the Isle of Lemnos...