Prologue: Rhea’s Secret

On the planet Earth, there were many nations, but none were so famed as the land of ancient Greece. Within the confines of its borders were majestic beings and an extraordinary mountain known as Mount Olympus. On this mountain was the home of the Titans, and within the majestic halls of Olympus, Cronos, the ruling Olympian King, and Rhea, his queen, lived as husband and wife.

Despite the actions of Ouranos, which led to what some called the Curse of Ouranos, weighing on the throne, Cronos saw no imminent threat to his rule. His titan brethren continued to kneel before him, honoring their leader, as he was the very son that had deposed their father.

Rhea and Cronos shared moments of passion and intimacy, their bond seemingly unbreakable. There were many nights of passionate lovemaking. Cronos always gave his wife his most loving efforts.

Rhea, however, longed for the day she could be rid of her husband. As part of that desire, her mind raced with her plans. She knew Olympus deserved a far more worthy king, and for those ends, Rhea had given Zeus, her youngest son, to the care of Gaia.

All of this was unbeknownst to Cronos. While Cronos was obsessed with keeping his throne at any cost, Rhea had kept her gaze firmly set on the future. Deep within her heart, she knew that the Curse of Ouranos would not go unanswered. Cronos would be deposed by his most worthy son, and Rhea was certain that this son would be her most cherished son, Zeus.

Meanwhile, Cronos, in his larger form, stood powerful. While some might not consider him the most conventionally attractive being as he had a bald head, hard eyes, stubble on his chin, and hairy chest, he was one of the mightiest titans to ever be born. His power had grown so immense that he reveled in it, blissfully unaware of Rhea’s machinations.

He ruled over the heavens with that power. His Titan brethren, ever unquestioning his authority, kneeled before him. Only Cronos’ daughters, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera were free from kneeling before their father. While he held no romantic love for them as some titan fathers had for their daughters, Cronos adored his little girls. He raised them to be faithful and loyal to him.

One day, he might even allow them to marry an uncle or perhaps a cousin of their choosing.

For all of these things, many considered Cronos’ rule to be a golden age. Humans would be born soon. Both Prometheus and Epimetheus had been hard at work on these lesser beings who would exist to worship the Titans.

All believed that Cronos’ reign would be unending, but the Curse of Ouranos would come to call.

For that call, there was one who lived in the shadows on the island of Gaia, Mother Earth herself. On this island, a powerful new divinity was being fostered, made more powerful. He stood tall. He was around six and a half feet, had flowing white hair on his head, with a beard of brown with a shade of red. Every part of him was muscled, but the thunder that surged around his arms warned that his power was much more than the physical. He stared out at the sky, knowing that someday he would rule the heavens and the earth of the lands of Greece.