When a remarkably bewitching baby girl is born to a king, her beauty is compared to that of the goddess Aphrodite, and perhaps even challenges her allure as people travel far and wide to worship the exquisite princess.
Seething with fury, Aphrodite...
"Your highness, I present a gift in honor of your beauty." As he knelt down on both knees, the stranger presented the celestial princess with a basket filled with laurel, flowers and ripe fruit as an offering. Psyche offered a kind smile in return to the man as she graciously took the basket, bowing her head with gratitude for his kind favor. "Thank you." As she placed the basket to the side along with her many other offerings and gifts, the man stood up from his kneeling position to be replaced by another stranger who wished to gift the princess on her eighteenth birthday.
Hundreds of men and women from all across the land had lined up to bestow Psyche with their tokens of kindness, but she got the feeling that these weren't just presents to wish her a happy birthday - they were also worshipping Psyche as if she were a deity.
Hours upon hours passed as Psyche politely held her position on the throne, although sitting straight and upright for a long period of time soon became uncomfortable. But it was of her royal duties to present only an air of grace and elegance at all times, even when she so badly wanted to slump in her seat and pull her hair from its tightly secured updo.
Eventually, morning bled into evening and evening bled into night, when Psyche could finally be free from the showers of affection and abundance everyone wished to grant her. Some people of the kingdom even liked to call her a goddess, one that outshone Aphrodite herself.
Although she appreciated all the praise she received from anyone and everyone that knew her, sometimes Psyche wished she could just blend into the background. Her sisters didn't receive half as much attention as she did, even though they were both equally as beautiful in Psyche's eyes.
As night time approached, Psyche was eventually released from the throne she had been bound to all day. She made a direct beeline for her bedroom, eager to change her clothes into something more relaxed and comfortable.
Removing the pins from her tightly secured braid that lay atop of her head, silky tresses of hair tumbled from the taut grasp they had been captured in, reaching down to her petite waist. A sigh of relief escaped her Cupid's bow lips as she removed all the jewels that adorned her honey skin and let the lavish gown fall from her body.
Finally free. Psyche fell back on the silk and satin sheets that were neatly laid out on her bed as she bathed in the glory of being able to lie bare skinned in peace. The smooth material of the satin brushing against her exposed body soothed her mind, and before she knew it, she had fallen into a deep slumber.
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Aphrodite sighed with impatience as she stretched out her legs in the bubbly water that filled the bathtub, very much aware that the erotes were gone for hours longer than intended. She tapped her fingers impatiently against the side of the tub as she tried to bide her time by filling her stomach with rich fruit and soaking in the hot water. Aphrodite knew that whatever had delayed the erotes was bound to be bad news.
