Chaos had spread throughout all of
Olympus. In the long marble corridors echoed murmurs, arguments, and uneasy whispers from nymphs, spirits, and minor gods who moved back and forth with obvious nervousness.
In the great throne hall, the Olympian gods were beginning to gather. One by one they took their seats upon their thrones, arranged in a wide circle of gleaming white stone.
However, something was missing.
Only eleven of the twelve thrones were occupied. Hestia, goddess of the hearth and the sacred flame, had decided to abandon her place among the Olympians. No one had been able to convince her to stay, and now the council had to face an uncomfortable question: who would occupy the throne she had left behind.
"I don't understand why we're still arguing about this!" exclaimed a deep voice filled with impatience.
All those present slightly turned their heads toward the source of the interruption. It was Poseidon, lord of the seas, whose trident rested against his throne while his gaze swept across the others with clear irritation.
"The answer is obvious" he continued. "Our brother Hades should take the place. He is one of us, and his power is unquestionable. A faint ironic laugh broke the silence that followed his words."
"He has already made it quite clear that he has absolutely no interest in sitting up here" Athena replied in a firm and calm voice, though her eyes gleamed with a spark of sarcasm. "And, to be honest, I can't blame him. Sharing a council with you must be quite an ordeal."
Poseidon's face darkened instantly.
"You insolent little girl!" he roared as he abruptly rose from his throne. The echo of his trident striking the marble floor resounded throughout the hall. "Someone should remind you how to speak to your elders. Athena did not even move. She merely inclined her head slightly, observing him with a calmness that was even more irritating."
"Enough!" Hera's voice cut through the hall like a bolt of lightning.
The queen of Olympus, seated beside Zeus's throne, had risen to her feet, and her stern gaze was enough to silence any attempt at reply immediately.
"We are completely straying from the subject" she said coldly. "We are not here to revive old family disputes. We are here to decide who will occupy the throne that Hestia has left vacant. If none of you has a serious proposal, I suggest you remain silent."
For a brief moment, the hall fell quiet.
But that calm did not last long.
Despite Hera's warning, the arguments soon began to surface again. Every time a god proposed a candidate, another found a reason to reject them. Voices overlapped, objections grew louder, and frustration began to fill the air.
Persephone was mentioned, queen of the Underworld, whose power had grown enormously since her marriage to Hades. But some pointed out that her duty was tied to the realm of the dead.
Hecate, mistress of magic and hidden paths, was also proposed, although others considered her nature far too independent to submit to the council's decisions.
The name of Asclepius arose afterward, celebrated for his absolute mastery over medicine, but there were those who quickly reminded everyone that his power over life and death had already caused enough trouble in the past.
Even Helios, the titan who drove the sun across the sky, was mentioned, although it was quickly noted that his eternal duty prevented him from occupying a permanent throne on Olympus.
One after another, the names appeared… and one after another they were discarded.
The reason was obvious to everyone, though no one wanted to say it out loud: each god proposed someone close to themselves. An ally, a protégé, a relative. And the rest of the Olympians immediately distrusted those suggestions.
The real fear was clear: whoever occupied the vacant throne could tilt the balance of the council. And no god was willing to hand such an advantage to another.
When the sun began to descend beyond the golden clouds of Olympus, the frustration was palpable.
They had reached no decision.
"I believe that is precisely the problem."
The voice that spoke was not loud, but its mere presence was enough to impose silence.
Everyone present went still. Zeus, king of the gods, had finally decided to intervene.
The lord of the sky slowly rose from his throne. His steps echoed calmly upon the marble floor as he walked toward the center of the circle, and every gaze in the hall fixed upon him.
"We are searching among the gods" he continued serenely ",for someone worthy of occupying a place on Olympus. But the reality…" he paused briefly, observing those present. "Is that none of them fulfills what we need."
Hera frowned slightly.
"Then what exactly are you proposing?" she asked cautiously. "That the throne remain empty for all eternity?"
Zeus shook his head.
"No. I did not say that."
His eyes shone with a spark of something that seemed like excitement.
"What I propose… is that we look a little lower."
Upon hearing those words, several gods exchanged puzzled glances.
Zeus lifted his gaze toward the open sky that stretched beyond Olympus, as if he could see the entire world beneath his feet.
"That we look toward the mortals" he finally said.
A murmur ran through the hall.
"I propose that each of us choose a mortal" Zeus continued. "A champion, someone we consider worthy of our blessing. And then…"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Let the mortals prove who deserves to ascend."
The silence became absolute.
"From among them all" concluded the king of the gods ", only the best will be worthy of occupying a throne on Olympus."