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(Fate) Chapter 195: The Marriage of Goddess Thetis (2.5k words)
🕑 Added 2024-11-12 15:45:01 +0000 UTCOver the course of a week, the heroes aboard the Argo experienced many events.
One such event was a farewell.
Hermes, the messenger of the gods, arrived to deliver a decree from Zeus to Heracles, who subsequently departed to journey to the land of the Amazons, a nation of warrior women.
In myth, the Amazonian warriors were considered the daughters of Ares, the god of war, and worshipped battle as their way of life.
These warrior women traveled across the Greek mainland seeking strong “seeds” to ensure the strength of future generations.
If a boy was born, they would abandon him, and leave him to live or die on his own; if a girl was born, she was raised as a warrior of the Amazonian nation.
And perhaps because they possessed Ares' blood, the Amazons were known not only for their strength but also for their striking beauty—tall, slender, with golden hair and blue eyes.
Therefore, in Greek mythology, having an Amazonian woman as a wife was a mark of pride and respect, something worth showing off, as it symbolized that the female warrior herself acknowledged one’s strength and worth.
“Though I can't continue this journey with you, Promise, I vow that when you reach the end, I will be there. I won’t miss that moment for anything,” Heracles said to Promise as they parted ways.
In response to his words, Jason, who was overhearing this from the side, protested, feeling slighted.
He was, after all, the rightful captain of the Argo, and though all these heroes were all hired by Promise to join him on the journey, a bit of respect for the captain would be appreciated!
Besides Heracles, several other members of the Argo had departed for various reasons along the journey, including a young man named Peleus.
Peleus was a calm and composed figure, and like Promise, he was a student of the centaur Chiron.
While his name might be easy to forget, remembering one detail was enough: he was the father of Achilles, the hero famed for his vulnerability in his heel.
One day, a massive eagle descended from the sky and under everyone’s gaze, it swooped down, carrying Peleus off from the Argo, flying into the distance.
Seeing this, even Peleus’ sworn brother, Telamon, didn’t call out in alarm.
Instead, he watched with admiration and envy as Peleus departed.
It was common knowledge among the Greeks that the eagle was Zeus’s symbol in the mortal realm, which meant that Peleus was being summoned to fulfill a mission given by the gods.
Shortly after Peleus left…
“Hmm? What’s on your mind, Brother Promise?”
Helen, dressed in a pure white dress and looking like an innocent princess, tilted her head in confusion as she noticed Promise seemed a bit absent-minded.
She had come to play a game with Promise, and in front of them was a chessboard.
Since life on the ship had become quite dull, after Poseidon had used his powers to guide the Argo with ocean currents, meaning the heroes didn't even need to steer the ship, so, to pass the time, Promise came up with some entertainment activities.
However, the ones who really liked this little game were Athena and Hermes, so every night in the past few days, they secretly came to Promise to play.
But after a few rounds, Promise had enough.
After all, Playing chess against the goddess of wisdom and Hermes was just asking for a bruised ego.
“It’s nothing,” Promise replied, shaking his head as hr hesitated for a moment before adding, “It’s just that watching Peleus leave made me feel as if… I’ve overlooked something.”
Just as he pondered about it, a maid approached with graceful steps, bent down beside him, and whispered, “Master Promise, lunch is ready.”
The girl wore the only maid outfit in the world.
She was creation by the god of craftsmanship, Hephaestus.
This was Eucleia, a life-like automaton with flaxen hair, who had been sent to manage Promise’s daily life shortly after Hera had “let him go.”
It had been some time now since Hera had let Promise free.
Although it was lively at the beginning with many gods coming and appearing directly on the Argo, making the heroes go from being surprised at first to being numb later, each visit making it clearer how cherished Promise was by the gods.
But the matter unexpectedly came to an end very quickly, which made Hermes feel very regretful.
The reason was simple: none of the heavyweights had actually made a move.
Artemis, the moon goddess, had been the most enthusiastic at first, often trying to cause a stir, but since she was caught by Atalanta every time she appeared, she gradually calmed down.
In fact, Atalanta did not do anything.
But everytime Artemis came over, she would simply position herself quietly nearby, staring at her intently.
Without saying a word, her steady gaze alone was enough to make Artemis gradually lose her nerve.
What no one expected was that the biggest beneficiary in this matter was Medea, who seemed to have nothing to do with it.
Coupled with the conversation that day, Medea couldn't help but want to laugh whenever she saw Promise during this period of time.
Once she smiled, the boy couldn't help but want to have a serious conversation with her
This frequent banter even sparked jealousy in Helen, who’d taken to clinging to Promise every chance she got.
Meanwhile…
After the eagle carried Peleus in the sky for a long time, it brought him to an island and stopped.
This was an island with all kinds of flowers blooming, and it was the paradise belonging to a goddess.
At the center of the island, by a serene fountain, a dazed Peleus found himself alone, having been left behind by Zeus.
But as he stood up, his gaze fell upon a beautiful figure sitting quietly by the fountain.
The moment he saw her, Peleus was utterly captivated.
There, dressed in a soft blue Greek gown, sat Thetis, goddess of the sea.
She held a freshly picked flower in her hands, the soft glow of the setting sun casting a warm light on her cascading blue curls.
Peleus stared at her, his breath catching in his chest.
In that moment, it felt as if nothing else existed, as if he had found the one he was destined to love from the very first sight.
And Thetis also gazed back at him in silence, looking at the one prophesied in her fate.
Peleus, with his white hair like Zeus and striking blue eyes, bore a certain resemblance to the god.
And for good reason, after all, he was a grandson of Zeus, a demigod by birth.
The eagle transformed, revealing itself as Zeus.
Standing beside Thetis, he looked pleased with himself as he proudly asked her, “Well, what do you think?”
The latter remained silent.
Meanwhile, Peleus, who had come back to his senses at this time, was immediately surprised to find that there were so many gods gathered here, as if a banquet of gods was being held...
Because of Promise, Peleus had met most of the gods over the past few days.
At the same time, because of this, Hermes, Apollo and others had a good initial impression of Peleus, so they came over, full of smiles and told Peleus that he was truly fortunate.
Zeus had brought him here to grant him a marriage, a union that would be blessed by none other than Queen Hera herself.
His bride was none other than Thetis.
When he realized that the goddess before him was indeed Thetis, his future bride, Peleus felt overwhelmed with happiness, as though a dream had come true.
As night fell, the holy flames lit up the flower-covered island.
The gods present, out of respect for Zeus, offered their blessings to Peleus.
Yet the other figure who should have been receiving blessings found a reason to slip away from the gathering.
Thetis quietly left the gods’ sight and walked to the edge of the island, where she was soon met by a figure emerging from the depths: Scylla, a monstrous sea creature.
Once a gentle and beautiful sea nymph, Scylla had been cursed by Circe and transformed into a monster.
She had once been a dear friend of Thetis, and now, as requested by Thetis, she brought news of the heroes aboard the Argo.
Listening to Scylla’s stories, particularly about Promise’s recent encounter with the goddess of the arts under the watchful eye of Apollo, and how he’d returned the wings to the Sirens—Thetis found herself smiling unconsciously.
They chatted for a while, and then Scylla departed, unwilling to be seen in her monstrous form by the visiting gods.
But just as she left and Thetis was about to return to the gathering, an unexpected figure appeared before her in the moonlit night.
Surrounded by fluttering butterflies of the underworld, the goddess wore a pitch-black gown.
Yet the butterflies seemed less than pleased, several even ramming into her head in protest.
These creatures were originally her familiars, but after a small incident, she’d locked them away in the abyss, only releasing them recently.
Seeing her, Thetis’ deep ocean-blue eyes widened in surprise.
This was, after all, a well-known reclusive goddess; apart from her appearances near the young mortal, this was the first time Thetis had seen her out in the open.
“Hecate?” Thetis exclaimed, surprised.
Then, seeing the complex, conflicted look on Hecate’s face, she asked in confusion, “What brings you here? Could it be… that you’re here to give me your blessing as well?”
At this, Hecate lifted her gaze, her red eyes reflecting the image of the wise sea goddess.
After looking at her for a long time, under the puzzled gaze of Thetis, Hecate let out a deep sigh as she said, “To be honest, I really didn’t want to come. But if I didn’t, I’d just be giving that vengeful little guy a reason to trouble me in the future.”
Thetis was an exceptionally wise goddess.
Therefore, with just this one sentence, she immediately figured out something and her eyes widened slightly.
“You’re aware that Hera let go, and that things are in utter chaos around that child, aren’t you?” Hecate continued. “Don't think, it is calm. It may look calm right now, as if nothing’s happened, but the quieter it is now, the more violent the storm will be when it arrives.”
“…Frankly, I’m not interested in your business or that of your followers,” Hecate muttered, her face pained and a little indignant. “But I’m more afraid of that brat holding a grudge against me, if he finds out that even after knowing it, I didn't do anything, then coming up with some scheme to make my life miserable. No, I should say that with his personality, he will definitely do that!"
Looking at Hecate who was speaking in front of her with a face full of pain and even anger, Thetis could not help but remain silent for a moment, then turned her head slightly and said calmly: "Goddess Hecate, I don’t quite understand what you’re talking about…”
But before Thetis could finish her words, Hecate cut her off. “You used it, didn’t you? The Night Stone that Goddess Nyx once created as a replacement for Zeus.”
Thetis froze in place.
“It’s a useful artifact, I’ll admit,”
Hecate continued.
“I studied it for quite some time afterward. Otherwise, do you think I could’ve managed to stay hidden from all of you—especially under the sight of the King of the Gods? So, when I sensed something off a while back, I cast a corresponding spell to investigate.”
“To be honest, I regret it now. If I had known earlier, I should have just closed my eyes and pretended I didn’t notice anything.”
Thetis was silent for a while, then she sighed and said, "Actually, you could still look the other way now and just pretend you didn't see it."
“No can do,” Hecate flatly refused. “I'm more afraid of that brat than you or even Zeus. If he holds a grudge, he will really dare to take revenge.
I am really afraid that he would decide to make me his goddess out of spite… well, if that day comes, then I’d have no choice but to think of a way to bring about the end of the world.”
At that, Thetis couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “Honestly, I’ve always thought you and that child Promise had great compatibility. You might even suit him as well as the goddesses of Fate and goddess of Wisdom.”
“Hey, I’m just here to cover my own back! Do you really need to curse me with such horrid words?”
Hecate retorted, staring at Thetis in shock.
You are the gentle ocean sea goddess.
No, where did the ocean goddess’s famed gentleness go?
But Thetis simply ignored it.
After all, she had witnessed the noisy relationship between this goddess and Promise when she was about to attack the Olympus..
Well to be honest, Hecate really disliked Promise and might have entertained thoughts of killing hom now and then.
But, when it came down to it, she had fought on his side during the attack on Olympus.
It would be fine if she just lied to others, but if she really didn't want to, Hecate would have left long ago even if the goddess of night, Nyx, was present..
Hecate was a mighty primordial goddess in her own right; no one could truly bind her.
“So, are you planning to tell Promise everything?”
When Thetis said this, there was a hint of sorrow in her eyes, but in the deepest part of her heart, there was feel a a flicker of unbidden joy.
“No, if I were planning to tell him, do you think I’d be here talking to you?” Hecate shrugged. “Knowing his personality, he’d definitely latch onto me if he found out. I don’t want to be his assistant again, not in the future, let alone handle this matter for him…”
As she spoke, Hecate couldn't help but look at the goddess in front of her as she shook her head and said. “In many ways, it's not necessarily much simpler than the matter of the God King being imprisoned at that time."
Hearing her words, Thetis frowned, feeling a bit confused. “So, what are you implying…?”
“I don’t want to get involved in this,” Hecate replied, “but I also don’t want that guy to hold a grudge against me. So I came up with a compromise.”
As she spoke, her smile turned a bit mischievous and she added, “I told Hermes about it. And as we speak, he’s likely with that young man, Peleus…In this way, no matter what happens, Promise will have no excuse to bear a grudge against me!"
Thetis looked blank for a moment, then quickly reacted.
"Wait, you told Peleus about this?!"
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