Chapter 14: Pontus and Poseidon (7)
Gaia felt a complex mix of guilt, joy, and gratitude at Poseidon's compassion.
She was bewildered by why he would show such leniency.
Pontus, her son and husband, had gone beyond seeking dominance, manipulating his own granddaughter and children—an unforgivable act, even for a Protogenos.
The sight of Pontus controlling Thetis and causing suffering to Nereus, her own child, made Gaia want to tear him apart herself.
Yet, despite this, seeing Pontus reduced to madness stirred complicated emotions within her.
'Whether this child before me understands my heart, I don't know.'
Looking at Poseidon, the blue-haired, boisterous new ruler of the sea, Gaia acknowledged one thing.
"You are different from the other gods of this world. You are truly fit to be king of the gods."
"Hey!"
Poseidon tried to interrupt her provocative statement, but Gaia pressed on, reciting her oath according to the rules set by the three brothers and sisters.
"I swear on the River Styx: I will not free anyone imprisoned in Oceanus by any means. And if those within cause trouble, I will personally discipline them."
Poseidon scratched his head, flustered by Gaia's unexpected words and her oath, which was more accommodating than he'd anticipated.
He hadn't intended to show such consideration for Gaia herself…
'It just reminded me of locking a senile old man in a nursing home, like in my past life. You have to be careful when dealing with elders, or it backfires.'
In his previous life, he'd seen many suffer backlash for mishandling the elderly.
But the morality of the gods in Greek mythology far exceeded his expectations, making his decision seem saintly in Gaia's eyes.
After all, the gods of Greco-Roman mythology were notorious for their pettiness.
***
Unaware of Poseidon's thoughts, Gaia smiled at him as he scratched his head.
She lifted the whimpering, childlike Pontus, uncomfortable in his chains, and carried him into the depths of the Oceanus Strait.
"I'll place this child there myself. I swear on the River Styx, I will never forget the kindness you've shown me," Gaia vowed.
With that, the two disappeared.
The gaping hole in the sea began to mend.
Later, rumors among nymphs and gods claimed that from the depths of Oceanus' prison, sharp sounds echoed.
Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!
Perhaps someone was being spanked, but the truth remained a mystery.
'Terrifying… Mother Gaia.'
***
Time passed, and the war's aftermath was resolved, restoring peace to the sea.
The only noisy place left was Sicily, gifted by Poseidon to the Cyclopes who built his palace.
Boom, rumble, thud, thud, thud.
After completing his palace near Euboea's deepest waters, Poseidon delegated all laws and regulations—except his initial decrees—to Eurynome.
Since then, his routine consisted of riding the waves across the world's oceans or playing with the sea's mystical creatures in his palace.
Occasionally, he checked on Thetis, who was under the care of Nereus, Doris, and Amphitrite, but to others, he seemed like a carefree wanderer.
Incidentally, Poseidon forgave all of Thetis' sins once enough time had passed for others to forget her role.
'What can I say? I need Nereus, Amphitrite, and Thetis. They're capable, and I owe them a great debt.'
As a result, Nereus, Amphitrite, and the sea's nymph-gods were the busiest in the sea.
Even the primordial Oceanus was managed by Amphitrite on Poseidon's behalf.
Interestingly, Poseidon's style of rule earned the support of the sea's creatures and divinities.
Eurynome joyfully fulfilled her millennia-long dream, while Amphitrite, the mightiest nymph and goddess, pledged loyalty to Poseidon for sparing her family.
Poseidon himself noted that if Amphitrite had fought seriously, the war's outcome might have been different.
With such powerful gods aligned with him, the sea's beings, free from Pontus' influence, embraced true freedom and supported Poseidon.
Of course, for the managing gods, it was far more work than under Pontus' reign.
***
Amid this peace, some astute creatures worried about the sea's delicate balance.
The dolphins were chief among them.
"This peace is wonderful, but it can't last forever…" a dolphin mused.
"You worry too much, dolphin. Haven't you seen Lord Poseidon's power?" another creature replied.
"But these gods have no connection to Poseidon. Time changes everything, rendering even the mighty powerless. And what about the land?"
The dolphin respected Poseidon's rule but grew anxious watching the affairs of the land.
Just moments ago, it had seen Zeus, the chief god, flirting with another woman despite being with Metis.
The sky gods were consolidating power through blood ties, and weaker land gods mimicked Zeus' behavior.
The dolphin feared these trends might eventually affect the sea.
"No matter how I think about it, gods with great power forget quickly and grow arrogant. Poseidon is different, but…"
One day, as the dolphin's worries deepened, it witnessed a scene.
"Zeus! Are you flirting with another woman again?"
"Uh… n-no! Metis, this is all to stabilize my authority!"
"You call that an excuse?!"
"But women fill my shortcomings, like you do, Metis!"
"Enough! Don't expect to see me again. Go stabilize your precious authority!"
"Metis, wait!"
The dolphin saw Zeus caught cheating by Metis.
"Tch, there he goes again," the dolphin muttered, shaking its head, no longer fazed by the familiar sight.
But then, Zeus' words echoed in its mind.
'What did Lord Zeus just say?'
- "This is all to stabilize my authority!"
"Wait a minute! Stabilizing authority? If Lord Poseidon marries many women, wouldn't that make his rule unassailable?!"
The dolphin, having reached its epiphany, sprang into action.
If Poseidon married the most powerful goddesses of the sea and sired strong offspring, no one would dare forget his might or repeat Pontus' rebellion.
Moreover, such unions would strengthen the sea's unity, ensuring the land gods couldn't treat it lightly.
The dolphin swam across the seas, investigating which goddesses held the greatest support among the sea's beings.
It identified two: Amphitrite, beloved by the majority of nymphs, and Eurynome, whose authority Poseidon had restored.
"Hmm… something's missing. The sea is covered with these two, but Poseidon is also tied to earthquakes and the earth. He's inevitably linked to the land…"
In the dolphin's view, for Poseidon to maintain his current dominance, he needed a figure who could extend his authority to the land.
Amphitrite, despite her noble lineage, was akin to a war criminal for her role in opposing Poseidon.
Eurynome, a revered sea goddess and ancient deity, lacked influence on land due to her past defeat by Pontus.
While they were steadfast allies in the sea, they had limitations on land.
"Hmm… someone like the celestial goddess Hera would be ideal. For a goddess tied to Poseidon's domains of earthquakes and earth, Demeter comes to mind… or, broadly speaking, Gaia?"
The dolphin deemed Gaia, a Protogenos, too lofty a choice, but Demeter seemed plausible.
After all, Demeter and Poseidon were on good terms.
"No, wait. I should approach Gaia first, and if that fails, then Demeter. Might as well aim for the best."
The dolphin set out to gauge the intentions of these goddesses.
"Lady Amphitrite," the dolphin began.
"Oh, welcome, dolphin! You were investigating something last time, weren't you?" Amphitrite replied warmly.
"Yes, I've finished my research. But today, I have a question."
"What is it?"
"What do you think of Lord Poseidon?"
At the question, Amphitrite's face flushed a rosy hue.
Since Poseidon forgave her sisters and family, she had been smitten with him.
She thought of him multiple times a day, and merely imagining him brought her joy.
When he visited to check on Thetis, though she felt guilty as an elder sister, those moments were pure bliss.
Unable to respond and bowing her head, Amphitrite's silence prompted the dolphin to nod.
'She's already head over heels. Now, just the other goddesses.'
As the dolphin turned to swim away, Amphitrite grabbed its tail.
"Wait…"
"Yes?"
"Um… is this something Poseidon is interested in?"
"No, this is my own plan," the dolphin clarified.
"Oh… I see…" Amphitrite's head drooped dejectedly.
Feeling pity, the dolphin explained its plan in detail.
Amphitrite's face lit up, and the dolphin left with a final remark:
"Make yourself as beautiful as possible. I'll be back soon."
There were still more goddesses to meet.
***
Next, the dolphin sought Eurynome.
She was an easy case, as she held deep affection for Poseidon, who had restored her honor and authority after her humiliation.
"Be careful, and I wish you success," Eurynome said warmly.
Finally, hearing that Gaia was visiting Pontus in the Oceanus Strait, the dolphin sought her out.
"Lady Gaia."
"Dolphin! I've heard you're Poseidon's clever confidant," Gaia said with a smile.
"Haha, not quite. I've come with a question."
"Go ahead, ask."
"What do you think of Lord Poseidon?"
"What?"
The dolphin poured out its plan and concerns.
After listening, Gaia laughed heartily.
"Hahaha, Poseidon is lucky to have a vassal like you by his side."
"Oh, come on!"
"I'm fond of Poseidon. Among these vile gods, he's the only one who considered my heart. He did what even Uranus couldn't, so I think he'd make a fine husband."
"Really?"
"Yes, but have you convinced Poseidon? If he refuses, your plan falls apart."
"Convincing Lord Poseidon is easy. He's like flowing water—never blocking those who come or chasing those who leave."
As the dolphin promised, Poseidon didn't oppose the plan.
He agreed with the dolphin's reasoning that it would stabilize the sea.
In the cutthroat world of Greek mythology, showing weakness invited betrayal.
Besides, Amphitrite, Eurynome, and Gaia were renowned for their beauty, so as a man, he had no reason to refuse.
Sure, they were distant relatives, and Gaia was akin to his grandmother, but that was par for the course in Greek mythology.
"Well, isn't that just the Greek average? Zeus has records of being with men, too."
After all, in Greek mythology, gods often picked fights over differences.
Thanks to the dolphin's efforts, Poseidon's wedding to the three goddesses proceeded.
Attendees included Olympian gods, underworld deities, and all the sea's gods and creatures.
With this marriage, Poseidon became the true master of the sea.
The primordial sea chose him, and he was fully recognized by its creatures, gods, and nymphs, merging perfectly with the ocean.
This was a shift in fate itself—a monumental event that altered the destinies of gods and mortals, significant enough for the Moirai to record.
***
Later, Poseidon fathered Triton, Rhode, and Benthesikyme
with Amphitrite; Charybdis and Antaeus with Gaia; and, with Eurynome, Aglai, Thalia, and Euphrosyne, who were originally destined to be Zeus' daughters.
These offspring would later shape the myths, reflecting the changed fates of Poseidon and those entwined with him.