Eurynome's gaze dodged; she was too embarrassed to look her elder sister in the eye, and the flush on her cheeks had yet to fully fade.
The three maiden Graces, seeing their father and mother, naturally slowed their merry steps.
The brightest smiles quickly blossomed at their lips as they ran, cheering, to their father and mother.
The God-King, as if knowing nothing, spread His arms with a laugh and gathered them into a great embrace.
His laughter rang with unfeigned delight. "My dear daughters! Ah—come, come! Let Father have a good look at you—how beautiful, how lovely my treasures are!"
Aglaea lifted her eyes; her pupils were like morning stars, clarity bearing its own dazzling light. Euphrosyne merely smiled, and her smile was warmer than the sun. Thalia cocked her head, and her laughter chimed into a string of silvery bells.
They were like three fairest springs, dashing in an instant into their dear Father's arms.
Faces bright with vigor and clear of shadow, cheerful with no gloom at all, were enough to set any god's mood at once at ease and joy.
Watching her beloved God-King appear and "win" all the children's affection with ease, Metis could not help feeling a little jealous.
Not only these three newborns—so it was with the others as well.
However well she treated the children day to day, the moment their Father appeared, the one they most revered and loved would always be their Father.
Though He was scarce to be seen most days, with pitifully little time to spend with the children, never putting on any sternness before them and often laughing and playing along,
still the one the children most revered and relied on was always their Father.
So too with these three newborns: at the sight of their Father, never mind their Aunt— even their own Mother must fall back a step.
The three children clung to their Father in a jumble, chirping newborn words, while Eurynome, at their side, could only watch quietly with a tender smile.
Zeus laughed heartily, lifted each of His daughters in turn, and kissed their smooth foreheads.
"My beloved children," the God-King's voice then was like a sky of ten thousand miles without a cloud, bright and open.
"My dearest treasures! You are the crystallization of your Mother's and my love; you are the first song written by the universe's 'truth, goodness, and beauty.' Hereafter, you must sing this song to all beings, sing it to the farther tomorrow!"
His smile drew in a little; his golden eyes were solemn and gentle. "Treasures in my palm—whatever you want, you may speak it to your Father. Your Father will surely grant it."
At those words, the eyes of the five goddesses present lit up together.
His Majesty the God-King—His word is law.
The God-King's promise can be summed up in a single phrase: nothing is impossible.
It was true the God-King was never a stingy god, and had granted every one of His children truly great honor and authority.
But who frets at having more to their name?
Moreover, though Eurynome too was a noble-born, mighty great goddess,
when set beside those wives Zeus had publicly declared, her standing seemed somewhat lesser.
Eurynome's heart was full of the happiness of becoming the God-King's wife and the proud joy of being a mother.
Yet as a new mother she hid a trace of inexpressible worry.
Though Olympus's order was harmonious and calm, her amorous beloved God-King, in the end, had many children, and competition among them, more or less, was hard to avoid.
Not only did wives wish for more favor; children wished for more fatherly love as well!
Leaving aside goddesses without children—the goddess of civilization and memory and the Lady of Holy Justice—their children, the Nine Muses, the Three Fates, and the Three Horae,
all held some of the most important authorities in the universe, were the strongest arms of their mother goddesses, and were beloved of their Father; coupled with their mothers' rank, they enjoyed absolutely exalted status on Olympus.
As for Dione and Selene, who had not been given the title of "wife," their child—Aphrodite—needs no more words.
This firstborn daughter of the God-King—every god, indeed every living being, is deeply enamored of her.
There are countless gods and nymphs who wish to serve at her side.
Even to see, each day, that pure, flawless face of the Mistress of Beauty only once would suffice to make innumerable beings stand willing watch at her hall day and night.
She needs no grant from her God-King Father.
Whatever she says in passing, there will be unnumbered gods contending to accomplish.
Her treasure-hall's wonders, artifacts, and sacred rarities long ago surpassed counting.
To win the Mistress of Love and Beauty one smile—there is no loss of divine dignity in anything done!
As for the three lunar phase goddesses, they are now the most favored princesses in all the House of Hyperion.
As daughters of the Great Mother of fullness and plenitude, they now rule the waxing, fullness, and waning of the moon—and lack for nothing.
Even so, His Majesty the God-King assigned each of them thirty starlight nymphs and star-gods as attendants.
He also commanded the three Cyclopes to forge for each of them a supremely powerful artifact, each representing one phase of the moon.
The God-King Himself inscribed Heavenly-order sigils upon the three artifacts; in addition to plenitude's clear radiance and fullness of the moon's power, He further added many strong and practical authorities.
The three artifacts can join into one, directly manifesting the powers of waxing, fullness, and decline.
If the three lunar goddesses act in concert, it is as if their mother Selene herself had moved—one might say they are exceedingly mighty.
By comparison with these, what Eurynome could provide for her own children seemed less.
As for Oceanus—the children of the Ocean god and goddess are far too many…
Nor was it only one daughter who married the God-King; along with those who had designs but failed, there were more than a few. This alone was enough easily to cause family disharmony.
For the sake of family harmony, however partial one might be, there must be a limit.
In such a comparison, the foundations of the three Graces seemed not so firm.
This was Eurynome's slight worry.
She truly feared that the fatherly love her daughters received would not match that of their elder sister, nor of future younger siblings.
Daughters of the Ocean were for the most part not overbearing, greedy goddesses.
Unless truly necessary, they would not take the initiative to ask Zeus for anything.
Especially Eurynome—her divine character would never allow her to ask things of Zeus.
All would be left to the God-King's own heart.
If the God-King bestowed, she would accept; if He did not, she would quietly wait.
Fortunately, Zeus's skill at "balancing the water" was passable—though he could not do it without a ripple, at least he would not spill.
Hearing now her beloved God-King's promise, so clearly full of favor, Eurynome still stood quiet as a lotus, but her heart settled greatly.
Her heart was all sweetness and delight—her beloved God-King cherished her and their children as well!
As for the three Graces, they were even less goddesses who would take the initiative to ask.
But—
this time their most revered, great Father had of His own accord offered the most generous grace; naturally they should accept it well!
Held in their Father's arms, the three Graces fell into brief thought, turning over what they might need.
But by their nature they could not imagine any idle wants.
Bearing the highest, kindest virtues, they would never let "greed" draw even a step near.
At last, holding their dear Father, they gave their joint answer: "Honored great Father, we are the children of you and Mother, children of the sky and of the ocean."
"You have already granted us the most precious honor and virtue that signify 'truth, goodness, and beauty.' What else is there that we should greedily ask for?"
"Your radiant, great love is itself our most precious treasure. To covet more would be to suggest that Your supreme love is wanting. That would be the greatest falsehood and irreverence in the universe."
"Great Father, we thank You for Your generous, great promise. We cannot refuse Your grace, yet we cannot think of anything we lack. Please grant to us according to Your heart's desire."
"If, in Your wise greatness, You feel we still need something, grant it as You deem fitting. Only, we do not wish for what is too extravagant."
"For we already possess everything by 'being Your children'; and perhaps Your radiant, great love will be needed more by all beings than by us."
When the gentle, lovely words of the three goddesses fell, Metis nodded in satisfaction, and Eurynome's heart was filled with comfort.
Dear children—with such noble character, that is the most precious wealth.
As for all external things—what are they to the daughters of the God-King?
Hearing this, Zeus too felt greatly relieved and could not help laughing aloud.
The God-King's laughter echoed among the hills, full of unmatched comfort and pride.
The supreme God-King, unable to repress his smile, yet solemn and joyful, raised His voice: "My dear children! Your detachment and self-restraint are the noble qualities that delight your Father most!"
"But your Father will never make those who possess the virtues of generosity and self-control 'prove' their virtues by losing."
"For those content because of virtue and goodness— I decree they shall have more!"
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