Chapter II
It was a pleasant last day of summer on Mt. Olympus. Soon Persephone would leave for the Underworld to be with her husband Hades, and the mortals would have to endure another cold autumn and winter. It was the perfect day for Hermes and Apollo to pull off an end-of-the-summer prank. Apollo carefully snuck up to to the entrance of the Olympian Palace gardens and carefully placed a clear magic barrier over the top of the archway. He ran to hide behind a column where his half-brother Hermes was hiding.
"Are they coming in yet?" asked Hermes.
"Didn't see," whispered Apollo, "This is going to be golden!"
The two snickered. A few seconds later, Anteros and Eros came in. They were in on the joke, so they passed through the barrier with ease. Behind them came Hephaistos and Ares, but when they tried to enter the palace, their heads hit the barrier and bounced off. They fell down the stairs as Hermes, Apollo, Eros, and Anteros started laughing. Hephaistos laughed too as he helped Ares to his feet.
"Alright, you've got us." said Ares.
"Did you see the look on his face?" said Hermes as he doubled over with laughter.
Suddenly there was a scream from Aphrodite's chambers, followed by the sound of breaking pottery. Then the goddess came out of her chambers, marching down the hall towards them. The first thing they noticed was that Aphrodite was a mess. Her usually kept hair was now a mess of locks and tangles, her makeup was worn out and smudged all over her face, and her purple dress was dirty and askew. Then they noticed she was in a very bad mood.
"Aphrodite, are you alright?" asked Ares.
"You don't look so good." said Hermes.
Aphrodite glared as Hermes. "What did you say?!" Hermes flinched.
"What's wrong with you?" Exclaimed Apollo.
"What's wrong?" snapped Aphrodite, "I'll tell you what's wrong! Two of my followers have told me that men are worshiping a princess named Psyche on earth in my place! She's claiming she's me and is more beautiful! All my temples are empty!"
"Oh, that princess that's all the rage these days?" asked Anteros.
"What's the big deal?" asked Apollo, "She's just a mortal. And you can't deny that she's beautiful."
"Mortals should be worshiping the gods, not each other!" cried Aphrodite. "Without their prayers and faith, I am powerless! I fade into nothing!"
"Calm down, Aphrodite, it's not good for you to get angry." Said Hephaistos.
Eros spoke up, "Anteros and I are still looking the right husband for her, and once she's married, everyone will return to worshiping you again."
Aphrodite seemed to calm down a bit. "Yes, Eros, your arrows have the power to do anything."
"Well, I wouldn't say my arrows can do everything," Said Eros, "Even my arrows have limits."
Aphrodite shrugged, "They're good enough. You can help me and her. You're the answer to both her and my problem."
Eros became confused. "Me?"
"All you have to do is fly down to Earth, go to her palace, and shoot her with one of your arrows so that she falls in love with a monster."
The others were shocked, but not as much as Eros. Surely she wouldn't do something like that!
"Isn't that a bit extreme, Mother?" asked Anteros.
"Aphrodite, you surely don't mean that!" Hephaistos exclaimed.
Aphrodite smiled. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he gives her what she needs."
"Now let's be reasonable about this." said Apollo.
"Just trust me. I know what she needs." Aphrodite's walked away.
Ares, Hephaistos, Hermes, Apollo, Anteros, and Eros looked at each other in silence.
Hermes broke the silence. "Sounds to me like someone's jealous."
"That doesn't sound like Psyche at all." said Anteros, "She doesn't like the attention and seeks true love. Someone who can love her for who she is, not what she is. Himeros has to go through 300 arrows every week because all her suitors don't really love her. They only admire her."
"I take it she doesn't like being treated like a goddess?"
"Nope. It embarrasses her more than anything."
Ares combed his fingers through his black hair. "If it were me, I'd punish the people, not the girl."
Eros sighed, "Well, I can't disobey my mother. If I could find that person myself, then she won't have to fall in love with a monster."
Anteros shrugged. "It's worth a try. Better than getting eaten alive."
Eros flew off into the skies. He promised to find Psyche a husband who would love her.
Psyche walked through her gardens, smelling the flowers and watching a pair of butterflies dance together in the air. She could just see the two delicate creatures were in love with each other. If they had lips, Psyche was sure that they would be smiling. If only someone loved her like that. She heard a small chirping sound and found a baby bird who had fallen from it's nest while trying to learn how to fly. She took pity on the poor thing and walked over to it.
"Hello, little one. Maybe you need some help."She picked up the baby bird and placed it back in it's nest in the tree. "There you go."
Psyche smiled as the bird started singing again. She didn't see that she was being watched by someone on the roof of the palace. Eros watched the girl in the garden below. That had to be Psyche. No wonder his mother was envious of her. She was even more beautiful than he imagined. She had long raven black hair that shone like the night sky, eyes that sparkled like sapphires, and fair, flawless skin. And she was so caring and kind. He couldn't hit her with his arrow. Some hearts were meant for true love.
And his heart just found it.
