Eros and Psyche

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕆𝕟𝕖

Eros was brushing Harmonia's hair, her thick curls long and soft. They were both enjoying the silence, the breeze brushing against them. Eros had been busy the past couple of days, but he was able to catch a break with Harmonia, his sister.

"Eros?" Harmonia said in a quiet voice.

"Yes, sister?"

"Have you seen mother? She hasn't shown her face recently."

Eros was surprised by this. He thought that Harmonia saw her the time he was away. Their mother never liked spending her time alone. She was used to having people around her, never seen alone. Of course, she would sleep with men, but she would return the same day or the next morning.

"I haven't. I thought she was with you?" Eros questioned.

Harmonia shook her head and turned to look at Eros. "She hasn't been home in a while. I assumed she was with you, adventuring out." Eros' heart started to run. What happened? She usually tells them where she is. Harmonia sensed his anxious state and smiled at him. "Don't worry. She's probably doing her usual thing." Eros could only nod and continued brushing Harmonia's hair.

-Meanwhile-

"I can't believe this," Aphrodite said through gritted teeth. A young princess named Psyche was currently being worshipped for her beauty, which didn't make Aphrodite mad, but when others stopped leaving her sacrifices and gifts, she had grown furious. She had been watching Psyche for the past couple of weeks, and she grew more furious by the minute.

"You are so beautiful, Psyche!" yelled one of her worshippers.

"We love you, Psyche!"

"You are too kind!" Psyche forced a smile. She had grown accustomed to these worshippers, but it still made her uncomfortable. 'One day, just one day, these people will get me killed!' Psyche thought. Psyche was currently walking (or trying to) through her garden, trying to catch a break from people. But she couldn't catch a break from her trusty followers. Lycas, her guard, shooed these people away and went back to Psyche.

"Princess, are you alright?" he asked.

Psyche nodded and went back to her daily stroll. She had always thought her beauty was a curse. She had never thought of it as a good thing, much less a blessing. She sighed, knowing that people would never love her for her. She had realized that she would never find a lover. Princes have never proposed to her and admired her from afar. This showed Psyche that she would never find love, a sad truth she had to face.

"Princess, I have a question."

Psyche looked up at the tall guard, all her attention towards him.

"Do you think that maybe one day, not saying this will happen, but something horrible will come?"

Psyche's heart beat fast at the thought. She had hoped nothing worse would come to her, but knowing her situation, she knew something bad will come. "I honestly don't know, Lycas. I hope not. I mean, what could be worse than my beauty?"

"Princess, don't say that. Your beauty is from the gods! Even Aphrodite would agree you are the most beautiful."

"Lycas! Don't say such things! You know what will happen to us if you say that!"

"Oh please, princess. Nothing has happened before! But if you insist, I will not say those things."

"Thank you," Psyche sighed. Lycus was known for speaking his mind. He wasn't one to hold back. But he was loyal and strong, and he never told a lie. So the king relied on him to protect his daughter and to report what happened in her day. He was basically like a babysitter. Psyche was grateful for him but sometimes she would wish for some alone time.