Chapter Two
The Curse Backfires
Psyche awoke the next morning and looked out her window to see the hedge had been cut back she sighed in relief, hoping her father wouldn’t be too mad at her when she went down for breakfast. There was something odd abut today, her eighteenth birthday another year older, she smiled to herself, she had managed to hold the suitors at bay for this long, she couldn’t wait to finally pick the right husband. She knew today was the day they would all come round to have a look at her and then do the typical battle to see who would marry her, she had put up with it for two years now, since she was sixteen. Psyche got ready and she walked casually down the halls of the castle so full of life and color, yet there was something wrong there was not one guard patrolling the halls, she frowned and thought it was odd, but wondered if they had picked themselves up after Aphrodite’s visit the other day, most likely not she mused.
Psyche arrived in the breakfast hall vast and large and at sat the table her father eating his big breakfast, and her two older sisters, even her mother sat there looking rather delicate and royal. Psyche took her seat at the table and mumbled apologies for being late, that she slept in. After breakfast she got to dive in to her presents and she opened them hurriedly and excitedly, she found from her family clothes, make-up and sandals, all matching colors, Psyche blinked and held up the little top with the love
heart inthe center in a bright red, Psyche smiled.
“Ooooooh I love it!!” She squealed, and held up the next item of clothing a skirt short, ‘how strange’ she thought these are more normal gifts than last year, which was contracts to certian parts of the kingdom,
she held up the sandals and nodded, everything was matching pink black and white.
Psyche then rushed up to her room to try her new outfit on, she looked in the mirror and smiled. She spun round and then began to fuss with her hair, instead of the straight locks she had she then began to proceed to curl them, she spent ages in her room scruffling with her hair till she found the perfect look. She then went rushing downstairs in time to see her father’s grim face, Psyche looked puzzled and then she looked to the line of suitors and she blinked, they were all staring at her in admiration.
Psyche looked at her father then noticed the wise lady who had come o everyone’s birthday to predict possible future. The father waved his hand dismissing all the
knights, heroes, demigods, and occasional prince who had come to wish her a happy birthday and hopefully take her back to their home. They left disappointed at only getting one glance at Psyche.
Psyche looked at her father and then the wise woman. “Father something’s wrong isn’t it?” Psyche looked at the wise lady who looked at her.
“Child you have such life in you, to have every possibility taken away from you, because you are so beautiful, it’s such a shame.” The wise woman spoke.
“Wait, hold up, possibility taken away father what does mean?” She asked.
The king looked at his youngest and he stood up and walked over to her and embraced her, she looked at him strangely gasping for breath. “Um dad, please you’re
crushing me, anybody would think you invoked Zeus’ power just to give me a hug.”
The king stepped back and he sighed, he looked at her and touched the side of her face.
“You’ve always been so beautiful Psyche, no one knows where you get it from but the wise woman has predicted that you won’t love within a mortal man, and that no mortal man could love you.” He explained.
Psyche blinked surprised and she looked at the wise woman. “I can love a mortal man, I’m a mortal woman so I can damnit!!”
“They won’t love you in return the way you want to be loved, they will love you from afar and only admire you, only an immortal, God or beast will love you like you need to be loved. It has been told to me by a higher source that we must take you out to the
cliff face and leave you, your future husband will come to you there and you mustn’t leave until he has rescued you."
Psyche rubbed her temples frustrated. “Wait so you’re telling me only a God, immortal or monster-of-the-beast-kind will love me, what type of choices are those, who made up these rules anyway?? I’m mortal not a Goddess...” He voice trailed off and she remembered
the rose petals and she blinked suddenly realising.
“Aphrodite... but why she seemed
so friendly to me the other day and the hedge, that was her doing cause I asked.”
The wise woman looked at Psyche “Aphrodite? What else did you ask her?”
Psyche thought for a moment then slapped her forehead. “Oh man I’m such an idiot, becareful what you ask for when dealing with Gods and Goddess’ you always told me
that father, I just wanted to be left alone.”
The wise woman and the king shared glances.
“Then we have to take you out to the cliff Psyche.” Her father remarked.
Psyche shook her head. “Nah-uh no way, do you know how many sea monsters there are out there? Like many, heaps I’ll be at Hades domain at this rate before I’m
married.” Psyche protested.
But it was done Psyche was left standing on a tiny rock face floating in the middle of air, she looked round on the rock and she frowned annoyed. She looked up at Mt. Olympus. “Um hello Aphrodite, thank-you oh so much for getting me in to this.”
Suddenly the familiar sing song voices are heard. “Aphrodiiiite, Aphrodiiiiite, Aphrodite... Goddess of love...”
Aphrodite appeared and plucked a love heart out of the swirling and tossed it aside. “I told you to quit it!” Aphrodite looked a Psyche. “You like know how hard it is to sneak up on someone with like these little things buzzing round and singing, it gets so
um... annoying.”
Psyche nodded. “I can imagine.”
Aphrodite looked at Psyche. “Anywho, sorry to tell you but you asked for no more botherings from like guys, so I decided to place a curse on you, no love within mortal men, notice the fine print, mortal men hense why you’re out here.”
Aphrodite looked over to the cliff to see men gathering to watch them, Aphrodite sighed and raised an eyebrow. “Who do you think you people are? Hello? We’re like busy here!”
The people all quickly left and Psyche looked at the Goddess. “Look if you’re angry with me, I don’t mean to attract attention to myself.”
“You’re like ruining the people’s belief in me, and that’s like a threat to my very existence. If people um don’t believe in me then like love is out the door, this is for um the good of the people.” Aphrodite explained.
Psyche nodded wondering if what the Goddess was saying was true, she sat down on the ground of the cliff face rock floating away from the actual cliff face.
“But cursing me with no mortal love, what’s with that?” Psyche asked.
“Well like no offense you asked.” Aphrodite replied.
Psyche crossed her arms defensively. “You know I’d rather face Hades than you, he seems to have a sweet deal, watch over the dead, you, you mess with people’s hearts!! It’s not on, people should sort out who they love themselves, and not be cursed by it!”
Aphrodite looked at Psyche in utter shock. “Wow I’ve never had anyone talk to me like that before without paying. You’re so annoying did you know that?” She asked.
Psyche smiled to herself impressed that she upset the Goddess. “You’re not the only one with wrath round here! For your information I don’t like attracting this
attention, if you’ve been watching in what I assume you have, you would see my little fits of rage. I’m sick of it I just want it all to end.” She remarked.
Aphrodite looked at Psyche. “End you want it all to end then huh, fine I’ll find you someone, and you can go in to married life and no longer attract the attention that is suppose to be mine.” Aphrodite said.
Then she vanished in a pink swirl and little love hearts with the sing song voices.
Psyche covered her ears as not to hear them and she kicked one of the heats away, the heart went flying and fish leapt up and swallowed it whole and dived back in to the water. Psyche looked over the edge and smiled to herself.
“Wow those things are annoying. But man that felt good, letting some anger out.”
Aphrodite arrived back on her cloud and she picked up her scroll and looked at the list of names. She began reading through it to find an immortal, monster or God
suitor. “Hmmm like who would suit that snotty nosed brat?” She asked herself.
Aphrodite was interrupted by a knock on her door and Eros stuck his head in, Aphrodite looked at her son and she smiled. “Oh hey, Eros, how you like doing?”
She asked glad for the distraction.
Eros smiled nervously, “I was in here earlier looking for you, do you remember where I put my arrows?” He asked.
Aphrodite leant behind the couch and pulled out a handful of Eros’ arrows and handed them to him. “Okay actually I have a job for you.”
“Um... okay.” Eros replied shrugging.
Aphrodite points out her cloud down to where Psyche is sitting. “I want you to hit her with one of your arrows and make her fall for the monster in the water below.”
Eros looked at his mother and he blinked. “Um... she’s mortal mom isn’t that like illegal or sumthin’?” He asked.
“Well she’s been cursed, no mortal love for her I’m trying to help out, now can you just go and do that for me, and becareful with those things last time you nearly hit me and Hades at the last meeting, and well I really don’t want that. So just go and becareful now.” Aphrodite said.
Eros smiled and rubbed the back of his neck and nodded. He walked out and flew off.
Aphrodite watched her son fly off and she jumped on to her couch and stretched her legs out and just lay there.
Eros flew down that night to the cliff face and he stopped when he saw Psyche and he blinked, “Damn! What a babe. It’s a pity I have to make you fall in love with some hideous thing.” He remarked to himself and he went to pull his arrow out to hit her with. He grabbed the wrong end of the arrow pricking himself he pulled his hand back and looked at his hand. “Oh wow that was smart.” He drooled. “Mom is going to kick
my ass for this one. Okay just don’t look at anything.” Eros pulled the arrow out and he put it in his quiver and he looked at Psyche to aim and then blinked.
“Oh man I’m such an idiot. I told myself not to look and what do I do... I look.” Eros then couldn’t bring himself to fire the arrow at Psyche.
Eros put the arrow away and flew up behind her and landed on the rock and hid his wings. Psyche spun round and nearly fell off the rock when Eros grabbed her hand and pulled her up on the rock. She clung on to him. “Um thanks.” She replied.
Eros smiled and looked down at her. “What do you say I take you off this rock?”
Psyche smiled at him. “That would be nice.”
Eros nodded. “You’ll have to close your eyes though okay?”
“Fine with me I’m not a fan of heights.” Psyche closed her eyes. and Eros put his arms round her waist and spread his wings and flew back to the normal cliff face. He put his wings away and hid his god-like appearance.
Psyche opened her eyes and looked round she saw she was back on solid land and looked at Eros and smiled. “Well thanks for helping me out like that.” She remarked.
Eros smiled and nodded. “Look I know this is sudden and such, but just wondering how would you like to be my wife?” He asked.
Psyche blinked and looked at Eros, she thought for a moment the man had saved her life, and she was curious as to how he got on the rock and got her off inthe first place, he didn’t look like an immortal, monster or God, but she shrugged, she wanted to prove Aphrodite wrong. “Ah marriage, and we only just met... hmmm let me think. Okay. Why not. You did save me so yeah.” Psyche replied.
Eros smiled at her and took her hand and lead her off to get married.
“Okay c’mon then.” He remarked.
Psyche was dragged along and she looked at him. “Wait, what now? No courtship or nothing?” She asked surprised.
“Do we really need to?” Eros asked.
Psyche shrugged. “I spose not.”
“Good lets go.” Eros remarked and pulled her off.
Psyche sighed and went along with it. “Men such determined creatures.” She mumbled to herself.
The two of them were wed that night, and Psyche was immediately taken to Eros’s home, and they promptly went to sleep... She hadn't even see his face...
To Be Continued...