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This is the Story of Psyche and Eros.
Their Love Story.
Eros was the son of Aphrodite and Hermes.
He was known to be Cupid; the personification of intense love and desire, he was a god. Eros used a bow to hit arrows into people’s hearts so that they would fall in love.
Psyche was born as a mortal who had beauty that rivalled even Aphrodite's. She was also born as a princess, being the youngest of the three her beauty had her described to be a goddess among mortals which made her two older sisters to be envious of her.
As the fame of her beauty spread throughout the land, many people kept coming to her palace to admire and worship her. When people saw her, they would say that not even Aphrodite herself would be able to compete with Psyche. The more the people were getting to know about Psyche, the less they would remember about the goddess of love and beauty; the temples of Aphrodite were abandoned, her altars dirty with dust and ashes and there were no more sculptors to make any more statues for her. All of the offerings reserved for her were given to a mortal girl.
The beauteous goddess was distressed and in denial of what was happening so she required her son for help. She told him to use his powers to make Psyche end up with the vilest and most despicable creature on Earth. Eros agreed to do so but as Eros looked at Psyche, he then understood what it was like to be enamoured and it felt as if he had been pierced and struck by his arrows of love. He couldn’t make the bewitching maiden fall in love with a horrible monster so he decided not to do it and not tell his mother.
Time went on and Psyche remained to be an enchanting maiden of beauty, however, it was as though she could not fall in love.. more so nobody seemed to be in love with her either! They only carried on admiring her face and passed by to marry other women. Even as her sisters were definitely less attractive, they had both become married to royalty. Psyche was saddened, she was admired by all but loved by none, how laughable had it been for the most beautiful woman on Earth to lack suitors much less have any at all.
The King and Queen, her parents, noticed that no man had wanted their darling Psyche as his wife and began to be anxious and had an ache within their hearts that their daughter would be forever alone. So her father went to visit the high priestess of the Oracle of Delphi to ask the god Apollo for advice on what to do to find a husband for Psyche. It turned out the prophecy had borne terrible news, Apollo decreed that Psyche, dressed in black, should be taken up the mountain to be wed to a winged serpent powerful enough to kill gods themselves.
The family and friends of Psyche faced great despair. She was prepared to go to that mountain as if she were to face death himself and cries as if the gods were forcing her to her grave. In great agony, they led her to the top of the mountain and departed with anguish stricken on their faces. So it is, they left the young woman to her unfortunate fate, so helpless yet her radiant beauty did not lessen as her family locked themselves in the palace to mourn her for the rest of their days.
For Psyche, it felt as if her story were coming to an unhappy ending, hopes for a happily ever after was nowhere in sight as she sat and waited. She sobbed and sobbed into the quiet night, her trembling body felt a breeze and soon she realized it was the wind of Zephyr. She felt herself being raised unto the clouds as she was taken over a rocky hill then to a soft meadow with a myriad of flowers. The said beast did his best to put her to sleep so that she may forget the pain and despair in her sorrowful heart.
Psyche then woke up, as she opened her sapphire blue eyes what she saw left her stunned. She came face to face with a castle of silver walls, filled with golden columns and a floor decorated with precious stones; it was a place fit for a divine being. Though, as she looked around, the place seemed to be unused from the eerie silence that filled it.
She approached with caution and vigilance as she glanced at the alluring textures of the abode. Suddenly, Psyche was startled by the sudden noise; for she heard a voice loud and clear but not a person within her sight once again. It was like at that mountain.
The voice said: “Be not afraid, you are welcome here. Take a bath and you will immediately be presented with a great dinner.”
Suffice it was to say that Psyche was content, never had she taken such a refreshing and relaxing bath nor tasted such a flavorsome cuisine. While she feasted, a soft and classical melody was heard around her, a medley that was accompanied with a harp and a choir. Alas, she could hear it but still she could not see, but the voices kept her company all day. She felt that if she waited, she would see her husband tonight. And so it was. When she felt him caressing her hair and whispering sweet nothings in her ear, her fears had alleviated. Without even seeing his face, she was sure that he was not a beast but a loving husband she had been wishing for in all her years as a maiden.
The following days passed in bliss and Psyche couldn’t compare any time that was happier than she is now. Be that as it may, Psyche was still gloomy about the fact she cannot see her loving husband’s face; moreover, she was always left alone to her own devices. One time, she felt so desolate that she started missing her family, she had realized that they must have still been mourning her all the while she was vigorous and joyful. She concluded that it was not fair and she didn't want her family to suffer just because she was satisfied living in a grandiose palace.
That night, she asked her discreet and mysterious husband to grant her a favor. She wanted her sisters to be with her within the castle walls so that they would be sure she was alive and kicking still. If her family learned of the knowledge that she was breathing, it would surely be a comfort for her old parents aching hearts. Eros was baffled, so he refused this request but when he saw her become so sad; he agreed, he beseeched her to avoid being influenced by her sisters so that their relationship may not be affected. He also warned that she may suffer if discord may happen between them.
The next day came, her two sisters were carried by the wind of Zephyr as well. As they landed, Psyche was at the front of the castle awaiting their arrival; both sisters were happy and cried tears of joy along with Psyche as they reconciled. However, when they entered the place, the two older sisters were stunned just as Psyche was when she came in; during dinner, as they drank wine and listened to wonderful music, jealousy and greed inhabited inside them and an irksome curiosity to know the possessor of such riches, the husband of Psyche. The envious older sisters kept asking and bothering the poor girl about her lover, his looks and his occupation but Psyche mentioned that he was only a young hunter.
But of course, they didn’t believe her, how could a young and simple hunter be so wealthy? The lie was as obvious as the sun shone in the sky. He must have been a prince or a god, they thought.
The sisters knew that compared to Psyche, their money and happiness were chump change, and in total jealousy, the envious sisters cocked up a plan to hurt their beloved, naive sister.
As they were saying their farewells, the sisters told Psyche that her husband must be a disfigured and frightful reptile that the Oracle of Delphi had predicted. The evil sisters said that that is the reason he does not allow her to see his face, because he knows that if she saw him, Psyche would be disgusted and leave him forever.
“Oh, poor Psyche, how can you lay with such a hateful and detestable creature?”
Time passed once more, Psyche could think of nothing but their impudent words towards Eros. Her sisters must be right; various thoughts came to mind, her days filled with worry. So, Psyche decided that tonight, when Eros falls into a deep sleep, she will light a candle to see his face; if he is a snake, she will kill him, otherwise if he were to appear human, she will turn the candle off and go to sleep merrily.
Her decision was indisputable and without reconsideration. She had forgotten all about Eros’ warning.
That night, she did as such. When Eros fell asleep peacefully, she was ready to reveal the long awaited truth. Psyche walked quietly towards Eros holding a candelabrum; as she approached the bed, the light shone and revealed his face.
What Psyche had seen was not of a snake with a vicious and terrifying face, you could say he was a beast of himself, his face was of the most beauteous of men. If you thought Psyche was the only bewitching one then you will surely faint from seeing these two individuals. His blonde hair resembled that of the yellow and orange clouds aloft in the sky as the sun set into a glimmering night breeze, his face showing a sharp jawline as he laid on his side; his wings that looked like a blanket rested on top of his sleeping body.
What a graceful man, Psyche thought. She was ashamed and only felt regret from her selfish betrayal. But as she leaned to examine the face of Cupid himself, a drop of oil from the candelabrum fell onto the back of the beautiful young man, then Eros awoke. He stared at Psyche’s eyes and realized her distrust in him; feeling betrayed, he left the room without uttering a single word, full with fury and sorrow.
Psyche immediately ran after her husband. It was dark and the candelabrum barely lit the path she ran on, she could not catch up and see as such, but she could hear his heartbroken voice ever so clearly, piercing her heart like his arrow she knew what she had just done.
“Love is purposeless if trust is not reciprocated.”
His breath stuttered. She heard it.
“The god of love! He was my husband and yet I was ungracious!”
She tried to hold onto his ankle as he flew, but she dropped to the ground and she cried as she watched her love fly into the night sky.
The night felt eternal.
Maybe the goddess of night tried to comfort her pain with the nightlight. Psyche cried for what seemed like endless hours as the moon shone in its full glory, the candelabrum long since extinguished.
The castle walls and its silver linings felt melancholic, Psyche. Here she was, in her depressed state she stood on a rock in front of a river, some would say the poor girl stood on the River Styx.
Her despair felt like thousands of mirror shards she walked on. The shards each showed Eros’ beautiful face, reminding her of her betrayal.
Well. I guess the story of the pitiful Psyche, the most beautiful woman on Earth. Will be ending here.
Just as Psyche was about to drown herself, her hands holding tiny rocks so that she may not float above. Pan, the god of the wild, stepped out and stopped her from the unfortunate destiny she was just about to afflict on herself.
“Stop!” He shouted.
Psyche froze, feeling saddened as she thought someone had to watch her kill herself.
But oh no, she was wrong. Psyche turned around, shocked to see a man with legs of a goat and horns on top of his brown hair. Psyche realized it was the god of the wild and quickly paid her respects.
Pan was determined to help this girl, so he did. He told her to find Eros’ and win back his love.
Psyche had second thoughts, but all she had in her mind was seeing Eros. The love of his life, his darling angel, the man who cannot compare to the men humans call handsome, the one who cannot compare to every and any boy who admired her. So she did, with newfound motivation she went on and lived for her god of love.
Though Psyche was determined to find Eros, she had not known what to do. Clueless, she went to the person she knew was closely related to her love.
Aphrodite.
Psyche went to her temple and prayed to her, she asked Aphrodite for her son and wanted her to persuade him to come to her. Aphrodite had not.
Her anger and jealousy preceded her duties as a goddess, so she gave Psyche three dangerous tasks to prove she was an appropriate wife for her beloved Eros. If Psyche failed any of these tasks, Eros would be no more.
But by the end of these tasks Aphrodite was all the more furious, she even sent the wench to the Underworld! Lady Luck really had her favorites.
Aphrodite decided the poor girl would be her servant and that she would never let her go, she yelled, enraged that Psyche had always gotten help from any creature and man that passed by her, not completing any of the tasks herself.
But in one of the tasks Psyche had been given, there was a box, curiosity getting the best of her, the beautiful princess opened the box that supposedly contained Persephone’s beauty.
But instead of beauty, Psyche found the essence of death. After all, Persephone was the wife of Hades, gatekeeper and king of the Underworld.
Psyche, poisoned with the misfortune of death, died in the middle of persevering Eros.
But what any of them was unaware of, Eros was already on his way towards Psyche, consumed by his love for her, he couldn’t infinitely let go.
He found her dead.
He felt his world fall into darkness.
Really? The lengths this princess would go for a man who didn’t even have the guts to show his face was incredible. He mocked it. He felt his heart ache, it was like the moment he saw Psyche for the first time. It felt like being pierced by his own arrow.
Eros put his arms around her limp body and held her there for who knows how long. Simply just caressing her ebony-colored hair.
Tears slipped from his ocean-colored eyes, those very eyes that weighed a sadness that Psyche also felt for him.
Fortunately, the gods of Olympus that had been witnessing the ill intentions Aphrodite had for Psyche. And resurrected her from the melancholic songs of death.
Although Psyche was no longer mortal, she can now live with Eros happily.
Psyche was reincarnated as the goddess of soul. In fact, her name ‘Psyche’ meant soul and life in Greek. How fate truly is cruel yet so beautiful, no one had uncovered that mystery.
Zeus granted Psyche the power of immortality and allowed her to taste ambrosia, the drink of the gods. Eros and Psyche lived happily and their palace was full of flowers and even had a daughter named Hedone and she was the goddess of physical joy.
Even Aphrodite was happy, as Psyche lived with Eros in the heavens, the men on Earth forgot all about her and returned to worshipping the true goddess of love and beauty.
Now, we can safely say that this. Was a happily ever after.
The End.