Zeus looked down from atop Mount Olympus to see the beautiful princess of Thebes kneeling before an altar in his name. He saw the woman and was immediately fascinated by her patient and methodical movements; she had the focus of Athena and the gentleness of a quiet brook. Was she the pinnacle of grace? Zeus had to get a closer look, so he called up his chariot and raced down the mountain side, shrinking down to human side as he raced. The entire time, his eyes remained locked on the woman. She was kneeling at the altar, at her side lay a knife and immediately behind her the calmest bull Zeus had ever seen stood silently. The woman's movements as she prayed were so precise: it was like he was watching a dance. Once he arrived at Thebes, he ditched his chariot to slip into the back of the temple. Usually, Zeus would get right to the point and begin his usual act-which had never failed him-by making reference to whatever someone was doing and ultimately making small, and extremely suggestive, talk until he found himself sneaking back up to Mt. Olympus as the morning sun was beginning to make itself known; before Hera could figure out where he had been all night. This time was different, he waited patiently and observed as she sacrificed the bull. Sacrificing a bull was a great honor to the gods, and seeing as this was Zeus' temple, the woman was obviously trying to get his attention.
When she finished, Zeus slowly walked around to get a view from the other side of the altar; he needed to see her face, he couldn't resist. The woman began to clean the knife and pick up her belongings. As she stood, she caught sight of Zeus out of the corner of her eye. Startled, the princess stepped back causing her hood to shift a bit, revealing her face. The fire from the altar lit the princess' face causing her eyes to shine bright in the dim temple. Zeus fell in love, actual love. With an astonished look on his face, Zeus was able to get out a quick "hello" before his absence of speech became embarrassing for the both of them. The princess blinked seven times before he even thought to continue. "My name is Zeunon." He stuttered with his name, he couldn't reveal to her that he was Zeus; she couldn't find out that he was a god, for then she would have to die. The princess briefly bowed her head and introduced herself as 'Semele, Princess of Thebes'.
Together they walked down to the river Asopus so Semele could cleanse herself of the blood from the bull she had sacrificed. The whole was down, she explained to 'Zeunon' her reasoning behind the sacrifice. She told him details about how weak she felt, unable to find love. Zeus learned that for months Semele had focused her prayers towards Aphrodite, but Aphrodite was yet to hear her plea for help, so she began to pray to Zeus for the strength to find love. Zeus sighed to himself, how could a woman so beautiful, so real not find love? They talked together through the night on the river bank, unable to see each other in the black of night. Zeus noticed the pink of the sun beginning to grow in the eastern skies, finally he was able to once again see the woman with which he had fallen in love. Zeus began, "I'm sorry, I must go." Semele blinked seven times as Zeus was deciding what to say next to this beautiful woman. "I will see you again tomorrow night," he said as he rushed away to find his chariot.
The whole way back up to Mount Olympus, Zeus couldn't help but feel annoyed with the fact that he couldn't see his love as they talked the whole night through. It was only when the sun began to appear in the sky that her face became visible to him. "The sun!" Zeus exclaimed aloud excitedly, "I'll take tiny bits of the sun to light up the night sky! It won't be enough to disturb the night, but it will be enough to shine on the soft face of my Semele." With this sudden idea of brilliance, Zeus raced to the sun and made seven stars; one for each time Semele blinked, as if to say I love you to him seven times. Zeus waited until the sun was almost gone in the west before he planted the lights in the night sky, he fashioned them into the shape of a bull, similar to the one Semele had sacrificed on the evening they met.
Semele was waiting at the river for the return of her wonderful Zeunon. As time passed and night began to fall, thoughts of discouragement whirled around her fragile heart. Slowly, she noticed that the sun had not fully gone out. Looking up above, she counted seven spots of sun dancing in the sky. Suddenly her heart warmed her blood. Seven lights in the shape of a bull: it was her Zeunon! Zeus came rushing to the riverside, out of breath from his speedy trek down Mount Olympus. Grinning with pride in his work, he lightly took her face in his hands, tracing every ridge and pattern of it and with his eyes he admired the grace and beauty captured within Semele's sparkling eyes.
Zeus called the lights in the sky stars. They allowed for lovers to adore each other in the night, and with each new set of lovers comes a new collection of stars in the night sky. The stars create peace of mind for lovers, crazed by their affection to one another. It calms the heart to know that the stars twinkle like Semele's eyes out of simple, but undying, affection. Zeus claims them to be, without a doubt, the ultimate symbol of true love.