Cupid and Psyche |Lesbian Version|

Chapter 1: The Beauty

Celestial music echoed through the golden doors of Olympus as the feast had begun for the twelve gods. Ceres's young daughter Proserpina was brought to the House of Jupiter for the first time. After it was all over, Venus sat on her throne with her winged-daughter Cupid by her side.

Venus was the goddess of love and beauty, self-born from the foam of the sea, and being what she is, she enters other tales, and such is the power of her magic. Those who even speak her name fall under her spell. Those who glimpse her white shoulders and catch the perfume of her golden hair become mad with passion. They lose their wits and begin to babble, and tell the same story in many ways.

Unlike other Olympians, she is never distracted from her duties. Her work is her pleasure, her profession, her power. She was born from a tragedy. When Saturn butchered his father, Uranus, with the scythe his mother had given him, he flung the dismembered body off Olympus into the sea, where it floated, spouting blood and foam which drifted, whitening in the sun.

From the foam rose a tall beautiful maiden, naked and dripping. It was Venus. She wore nothing but the bright tunic of her hair which fell below her knees and was yellow as daffodils. Waves attended her, bringing her to the island of Cythera. Wherever she stepped, the sand turned to grass and flowers bloomed. The hillsides and barren plains became meadows of flowers and spring, and the air was full of bird songs.

The goddess still remembered the day when Jupiter brought her to Olympus. She was still dripping from the sea as her beautiful brilliant eyes looked about the great throne room. The gods were assembled to meet her, mesmerized by her peerless beauty.

Juno was watchful of her husband. Her eyes narrowed at the newcomer and the lustful Jupiter.

"You must marry her off," she whispered to the King of Gods. "At once without delay!"

Jupiter tried to curb his longing for the sea-born maiden as he turned to his brother, sisters, sons, and daughters.

"Yes. Some sort of marriage would seem appropriate in this case," he said. "I announce that Venus is to be married. However, she must choose her own partner. So make your suit."

Jupiter knew his words were laws. Even Juno would never dare to break them. This way, he would stand a chance if Venus decided to choose him as a lover. He was the King of Heaven after all.

The gods agreed to this arrangement. They closed around Venus, shouting promises, pressing their claims. Earth-shaker Neptune swung his mighty trident to clear a space about himself.

"I claim you for the sea," he said. "You are sea-born and thus belong to me. I offer you grottos, riddles, gems, fair surfaces, dark surroundings. I offer you variety. Drowned sailors, typhoons, sunsets. I offer you secrets. I offer you riches that the earth does not know...power more subtle, more fluid than the dull fixed land. Come with me, and be Queen of the Sea."

Neptune slammed his trident on the floor, and a huge green tidal wave swelled out, higher and higher until it reached Olympus, curling its watery green tongue as if to lick up the mountain itself. Poised there, quivering, not breaking, as the gods gasped in awe, the tide lingered until Neptune's hand reached out and plucked a gem-encrusted box from it. Inside was a beautiful mother pearl. He raised his trident, and the mighty wave subsided like a ripple back to the sea.

Neptune bowed to Venus. She smiled at him but said nothing.

Then the gods spoke in turn, offering her great gifts. Apollo offered her a throne and a crown made of hottest sun-gold, a golden chariot drawn by white swans, and his daughters, the Muses, for her handmaidens. Mercury offered to make her queen of the cross-ways where all must come, where she would hear every story, see every traveler, know each deed, a rich pageant of adventure, and gossip so that she would never grow bored.