Psyche

Chapter 13

"The oracles have said she's going to be married to a monster," said Eros to Hermes as they relaxed in front of the great mirror in Aphrodite's palace, watching Psyche and her brother and enjoying some Egyptian beer.

"You were right to thwart that prophecy. More than right. Your mother was awful to throw down that curse. But she's going to be very intimidated when she gets a look at you. Especially if you appear in your glowing god form."

Eros looked at his friend, taking a sip of beer.

"I'm the god of sex and romantic love. I'd say she's going to be pretty thrilled about her luck. I don't mean to brag, but she's not going to be unhappy with me."

Hermes shook his head.

"Eros, friend, you're kidding yourself. She's not an ordinary mortal, but she's still a mortal. She's going to be swept up from the only home she's ever known, taken to your Olympian palace, and forced to marry a god. She's going to be intimidated."

Eros thought about this for a moment, and he realized that he had to agree with his friend.

"I'll just shoot her with an arrow," she'll develop an immediate attraction to me that will mitigate whatever ill feelings she has over the circumstances under which we will meet."

Hermes shrugged, sipped his beer.

"What are you thinking?" asked Eros, "You're thinking something."

Hermes, who was in the business of delivering messages, did have rather expert opinions on how people took information.

"I'm thinking you should disguise yourself as Erik, and take the form of an Atlantean mortal. You know, dark hair, blue eyes...not the glowing immortal thing. Let her get to know you before springing true identity and your profession on her."

Eros thought about this, and he agreed whole-heartedly with his friend's logic. He definitely needed to keep his real identity from Psyche until she got to know him. Moreover, he would rather she got to know him a little bit and liked him personally before he shot her with an arrow.

Maybe, just maybe, she would fall in love with him without the help of one of his arrows. Eros had long avoided the temptation to shoot a woman with one of his own arrows so that she would fall in love with him. However, his arrows were not a requirement for falling in love. They were simply a great, big help.

Could he make Psyche fall in love with him without using his powers to do it? He wanted to try at least, but there was an issue with the plan.

"The big problem," said Eros, "Is that for reasons I still can't explain, Psyche was able to see through my invisibility veil when I went to shoot her last year."

Eros looked up at the great mirror, and there he saw Psyche reading alone in the library of her palace. Her brother and the Macedonian Prince were now alone (the mirror also showing him in a different corner) - and the two men were making love to each other in the middle of the afternoon. The young princess was, as she had always been, alone.

"What was up with that?" asked Hermes, "Did you ever figure out why?"

Eros shrugged. "I went to Hera asked. She knows about this kind of stuff, you know. She said that Psyche was unique among mortals in that she saw things clearly. She couldn't be fooled by the trickery we immortals often employ. Something about the gift of intelligence."

Hermes ate some ambrosia and looked at the vision of the princess. "Why do I think such a gift would actually work against a mortal's happiness rather than in favor of it?"

Eros shook his head.

"She's had a target on her back since before she was born. I plan to change that - or at least protect her and make her happy. It's the least I can do, especially since the majority of her troubles have come directly from the goddess who gave birth to me."

Hermes rolled her eyes. "I tried to talk her out of it, man. I don't know why the situation pissed your mom off so badly. A mortal is no competition for her."

Eros shook his head. "Even the idea of competition is enough to piss her off."

An idea had formed in Eros's head.

"Okay, how's this? She thinks I'm a monster. So, what if I don't let her see me at all. I veil the palace in darkness or make her wear a blindfold or something like that. I make her promise she won't look at me until I'm ready - and then I let her get to know me."

Hermes downed his beer and fixed himself another one.

"What would be the point of that again?"

"I can make her fall in love with me. . .Erik. . .not Eros, the god of romantic love. She'll think I'm a monster, but I'll be kind and generous to her - and an excellent lover - and she'll fall in love with someone she thinks has the form of a monster. When I reveal myself to her, she'll be relieved I'm not a monster, but not surprised."

Hermes looked at him, puzzled.

"It seems an awful lot of trouble. An awful lot of trouble."

Eros shook his head. "I want her to fall in love with me - because of the way I treat her. Because of the way I make her feel. No arrow needed. I'm the damn god of passion - if anyone can make someone love me - without the benefit of supernatural intervention or visual attraction or the knowledge of my godhood, it should be me."

Hermes laughed out loud.

"I'll bet you a single gold sovereign coin that you can't do it. That within a month, you'll break down, shoot her with one of your magic arrows and be done with it."

Eros leaned over and smiled broadly at his friend. "It's a bet. She'll love me, not having seen me, not knowing who I am. I assure you of it. You've made a fool's bet, my friend."

Hermes laughed, "You know, I actually hope you win. I really do."