Final answer:
Daedalus was not permitted to leave Crete because he held valuable knowledge and skills that the Cretan king wanted to keep exclusive to the island.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reason why Daedalus was not allowed to leave Crete is most closely associated with option C) He possessed valuable knowledge and skills that the king wanted to retain. Daedalus was a famed artisan and inventor in Greek mythology, credited with creating the Labyrinth for King Minos of Crete to contain the Minotaur. His expertise was highly sought after, and King Minos wished to keep such talent exclusive to Crete.
Therefore, Daedalus was essentially held captive because his intellectual property was too valuable to allow him to leave and potentially serve the interests of rival powers.