Chapter Five
Authors Note: Just one authors note today. When Psyche goes back to her home and is in the castle to see her parents again. I picture the castle to be very gloomy and all the people in dark clothes that signal they are in mourning. I also picture the clothes to be like the heavy clothes they wore in the days of merry old England. They are supposed to be unlike the usual breezy cool clothes that the people usually wore.
Chapter Five
Psyche stood in the doorway to the great hall and looked up to see the place where she had grown up. The tall white pillars, which were running on either side of the long hall, were draped with dark hangings and dead flowers. In between the pillars, Psyche could see the carved stone statues that were representative of the gods that Psyche had come to know personally. Each statue was set in their own archway, which held the symbols for each god or goddess. By the statue of Hera, there was a carving of a peacock, her sacred bird, and by the archway dedicated to Dionysius; there were a bunch of grapes sitting at the statues feet. It was as she looked at the statue of her mother in-law that Psyche realized the statues looked nothing like the people she had come to know on a day to day basis. Compared to those gods, the statues sitting in her parent's great hall were vulgar representations of the true person.
Psyche was looking at the statues when she heard someone clear their throat from behind her. She turned around and saw one of the soldiers that had met her in the village holding his hand out toward the other end of the hall. Psyche turned back around and continued walking towards where her parents sat in their thrones. As she slowly walked, she noticed how quiet the great hall was even though there were of people scattered all over. When she was younger, she could remember times when the hall was filled with music and laughter. "This place is sad." Psyche heard Pleasure say. "Everyone is quiet and dark."
Psyche was going to ask what Pleasure meant by dark when she saw what all the members of the court were wearing. The women all had dark dresses that covered their arms and dropped to the ground on. The men all wore dark pants and shirts which were covered by dark cloaks. Everywhere Psyche looked, she saw dark blue, black, or purple. She even saw her mother and father wearing black outfits wear they sat on their thrones. They also both looked extremely rundown and were sitting with their heads hanging. They were so gloomy that even when Psyche finally stood in front of them they didn't even look up. It was only until one of the guards spoke up that they acknowledged her presence.
"Excuse me your majesties, but we found this woman walking in the village who claims to be the Princess Psyche. We brought her before you, just as you commanded." At the sound of her name both the king and queen looked up with their mouths hanging open. As the king stared, the queen stood up with tears in her eyes and started to walk toward Psyche. It was at this point though that the king stood up and held the queens arm to keep her from going down the stairs from her throne to Psyche.
"Wait my dear; we don't want what happened lat time to happen again."
"Lat time I was not sure, but look at her you can't deny who she is!"
"Excuse me but obviously there was some incident that was distressing for you both. But could you possibly tell me what happened to upset both my mother and father?" Psyche questioned and saw the tears of joy fall from her mothers face while her father looked on with doubt.
"Well Madame, a short while ago a young woman came to our home claiming to be our daughter Psyche. She did a very good job too. She convinced the queen and most of the wrest of the court that she really was the princess. It was only until we had discovered her real past as a con three weeks later, that we had to go through the pain of having a lost daughter again." Psyche could see the hate and longing that rested in her father's eyes. She could tell he was trying to be strong not only for himself but also for her mother. "So you will excuse me if I am a little wary of people who claim to be my daughter." He continued with a very angry tone in his voice.
"Mommy are those people my grandma and grandpa?" Psyche all of a sudden heard Pleasure ask. She had forgotten about her daughter not knowing anyone in the room.
"Yes sweetie, those people are my mother and father your grandmother and grandfather. Now your grandparents and I have some things to discuss, so why don't you go look at all the statues. But don't leave the hall! I mean it!"
"Ok." Pleasure said and flew off on her tiny wings. Psyche watched as she flew off and turned her attention back to her parents who were both looking at her with frowns upon their faces.
"May I ask who you were talking to?" The king asked cautiously. Psyche realized they could not see Pleasure and must have thought that she was crazy.
"I was talking to your granddaughter." She simply replied. Then she continued talking before either of them had the chance to question her further. "Look I know you must think that I am crazy and are not your daughter, but I assure you I am. If you would like some proof, I am happy to tell you anything you would like to know."
"Very well, we shall put you to the test. When you were born, what did the midwife say about you?" The king questioned.
"She said she could tell I would be full of beauty and would be a star among mortals." Psyche relied calmly remembering the unhappiness her beauty had brought to the first part of her life.
"That is correct, but you could have gone to those present at my daughters birth and found that out from them." The king countered. "What happened when you were seven that I made you promise not to tell anyone?"
"I was out playing with mother's clay horses, when I fell and broke them. I also scraped up my knee but you told me not to worry and let you take the blame." Psyche replied and saw a spark of recognition in her father's face and the hardness start to recede.
"Yes that is correct." The king said his voice quiet and shaking. "I just have one last question. Where have you been for the past year?"
Psyche smiled and thought of all that had happened to her in the year that she had been gone from her old home. "I have been living with my husband and raising my daughter far off from here."
"But we were told you were to be the bride of a terrible monster. We had all assumed that you had been devoured, and had been taken to the Elysian Fields." The queen spoke up, believing wholeheartedly that her daughter had come back to her.
"Yes it did say in the oracle that I was to be the wife of him who is powerful over both mortals and the gods. But my husband is not really the terrible monster you all think he is." Psyche could see the looks on her parent's faces as she spoke about Cupid. She was about to tell them who her husband really was when she heard a small voice calling from the hall.
"Mommy, Mommy. They have a statue of me over there by the lady with the swans." Pleasure exclaimed as she flew back over to Psyche. "There is a little carving of me with my wings and arrows."
Psyche looked over looked over to where Pleasure was pointing, and saw the statue of Aphrodite and Cupid. Though on this particular statue, Cupid was portrayed as a little child that gazed adoringly from her feet up at his mother. "Pleasure darling, you see the statue with the wings? Well that is not you, but it is suppose to be you father."
"What are you talking about? That looks nothing like Daddy!"
"On Earth many people believe that your father is a little child who goes around shooting people for fun. They don't know him like you and I do."
"Oh." Pleasure said not believing that mortals were that ignorant.
"Now I want you to make yourself visible to everyone so that you can meet your grandparents." Psyche looked over to her parents and watched the expression on their faces change to astonishment as Pleasure shimmered into view. "Mother, Father this is my daughter, and your granddaughter Pleasure."
The king and queen both gasped as the tiny figure in Psyche's arms appeared to them. She was small and had beautiful golden hair and blue eyes. But the thing that astonished them most of course was her wings that came from her back. "This is your daughter?!!" The king asked with a high pitched voice.
"Yes Father. I suppose I should tell you exactly who my husband is. Think about the oracle. It said that I would marry the one who has power over mortals and gods alike. Well I can assure that Zeus is all powerful and cannot be swayed easily. Only when it comes to matters of the heart can the mighty king be toppled." Psyche saw a look in both her mother and father's eyes that she knew meant that were starting to understand who she really was talking about.
"You don't mean?"
"Yes Father, my husband is the god of love himself, Cupid."
*Whoo! I think this has to be my longest chapter yet! Or maybe it isn't you never know. Any way please keep reviewing, just like any other author I like all the reviews I get. Plus believe it or not, if I get a bad review I actually appreciate those to because they help me write better. Thanks and Have a Good Day!!!!
Authors Note: Just one authors note today. When Psyche goes back to her home and is in the castle to see her parents again. I picture the castle to be very gloomy and all the people in dark clothes that signal they are in mourning. I also picture the clothes to be like the heavy clothes they wore in the days of merry old England. They are supposed to be unlike the usual breezy cool clothes that the people usually wore.
Chapter Five
Psyche stood in the doorway to the great hall and looked up to see the place where she had grown up. The tall white pillars, which were running on either side of the long hall, were draped with dark hangings and dead flowers. In between the pillars, Psyche could see the carved stone statues that were representative of the gods that Psyche had come to know personally. Each statue was set in their own archway, which held the symbols for each god or goddess. By the statue of Hera, there was a carving of a peacock, her sacred bird, and by the archway dedicated to Dionysius; there were a bunch of grapes sitting at the statues feet. It was as she looked at the statue of her mother in-law that Psyche realized the statues looked nothing like the people she had come to know on a day to day basis. Compared to those gods, the statues sitting in her parent's great hall were vulgar representations of the true person.
Psyche was looking at the statues when she heard someone clear their throat from behind her. She turned around and saw one of the soldiers that had met her in the village holding his hand out toward the other end of the hall. Psyche turned back around and continued walking towards where her parents sat in their thrones. As she slowly walked, she noticed how quiet the great hall was even though there were of people scattered all over. When she was younger, she could remember times when the hall was filled with music and laughter. "This place is sad." Psyche heard Pleasure say. "Everyone is quiet and dark."
Psyche was going to ask what Pleasure meant by dark when she saw what all the members of the court were wearing. The women all had dark dresses that covered their arms and dropped to the ground on. The men all wore dark pants and shirts which were covered by dark cloaks. Everywhere Psyche looked, she saw dark blue, black, or purple. She even saw her mother and father wearing black outfits wear they sat on their thrones. They also both looked extremely rundown and were sitting with their heads hanging. They were so gloomy that even when Psyche finally stood in front of them they didn't even look up. It was only until one of the guards spoke up that they acknowledged her presence.
"Excuse me your majesties, but we found this woman walking in the village who claims to be the Princess Psyche. We brought her before you, just as you commanded." At the sound of her name both the king and queen looked up with their mouths hanging open. As the king stared, the queen stood up with tears in her eyes and started to walk toward Psyche. It was at this point though that the king stood up and held the queens arm to keep her from going down the stairs from her throne to Psyche.
"Wait my dear; we don't want what happened lat time to happen again."
"Lat time I was not sure, but look at her you can't deny who she is!"
"Excuse me but obviously there was some incident that was distressing for you both. But could you possibly tell me what happened to upset both my mother and father?" Psyche questioned and saw the tears of joy fall from her mothers face while her father looked on with doubt.
"Well Madame, a short while ago a young woman came to our home claiming to be our daughter Psyche. She did a very good job too. She convinced the queen and most of the wrest of the court that she really was the princess. It was only until we had discovered her real past as a con three weeks later, that we had to go through the pain of having a lost daughter again." Psyche could see the hate and longing that rested in her father's eyes. She could tell he was trying to be strong not only for himself but also for her mother. "So you will excuse me if I am a little wary of people who claim to be my daughter." He continued with a very angry tone in his voice.
"Mommy are those people my grandma and grandpa?" Psyche all of a sudden heard Pleasure ask. She had forgotten about her daughter not knowing anyone in the room.
"Yes sweetie, those people are my mother and father your grandmother and grandfather. Now your grandparents and I have some things to discuss, so why don't you go look at all the statues. But don't leave the hall! I mean it!"
"Ok." Pleasure said and flew off on her tiny wings. Psyche watched as she flew off and turned her attention back to her parents who were both looking at her with frowns upon their faces.
"May I ask who you were talking to?" The king asked cautiously. Psyche realized they could not see Pleasure and must have thought that she was crazy.
"I was talking to your granddaughter." She simply replied. Then she continued talking before either of them had the chance to question her further. "Look I know you must think that I am crazy and are not your daughter, but I assure you I am. If you would like some proof, I am happy to tell you anything you would like to know."
"Very well, we shall put you to the test. When you were born, what did the midwife say about you?" The king questioned.
"She said she could tell I would be full of beauty and would be a star among mortals." Psyche relied calmly remembering the unhappiness her beauty had brought to the first part of her life.
"That is correct, but you could have gone to those present at my daughters birth and found that out from them." The king countered. "What happened when you were seven that I made you promise not to tell anyone?"
"I was out playing with mother's clay horses, when I fell and broke them. I also scraped up my knee but you told me not to worry and let you take the blame." Psyche replied and saw a spark of recognition in her father's face and the hardness start to recede.
"Yes that is correct." The king said his voice quiet and shaking. "I just have one last question. Where have you been for the past year?"
Psyche smiled and thought of all that had happened to her in the year that she had been gone from her old home. "I have been living with my husband and raising my daughter far off from here."
"But we were told you were to be the bride of a terrible monster. We had all assumed that you had been devoured, and had been taken to the Elysian Fields." The queen spoke up, believing wholeheartedly that her daughter had come back to her.
"Yes it did say in the oracle that I was to be the wife of him who is powerful over both mortals and the gods. But my husband is not really the terrible monster you all think he is." Psyche could see the looks on her parent's faces as she spoke about Cupid. She was about to tell them who her husband really was when she heard a small voice calling from the hall.
"Mommy, Mommy. They have a statue of me over there by the lady with the swans." Pleasure exclaimed as she flew back over to Psyche. "There is a little carving of me with my wings and arrows."
Psyche looked over looked over to where Pleasure was pointing, and saw the statue of Aphrodite and Cupid. Though on this particular statue, Cupid was portrayed as a little child that gazed adoringly from her feet up at his mother. "Pleasure darling, you see the statue with the wings? Well that is not you, but it is suppose to be you father."
"What are you talking about? That looks nothing like Daddy!"
"On Earth many people believe that your father is a little child who goes around shooting people for fun. They don't know him like you and I do."
"Oh." Pleasure said not believing that mortals were that ignorant.
"Now I want you to make yourself visible to everyone so that you can meet your grandparents." Psyche looked over to her parents and watched the expression on their faces change to astonishment as Pleasure shimmered into view. "Mother, Father this is my daughter, and your granddaughter Pleasure."
The king and queen both gasped as the tiny figure in Psyche's arms appeared to them. She was small and had beautiful golden hair and blue eyes. But the thing that astonished them most of course was her wings that came from her back. "This is your daughter?!!" The king asked with a high pitched voice.
"Yes Father. I suppose I should tell you exactly who my husband is. Think about the oracle. It said that I would marry the one who has power over mortals and gods alike. Well I can assure that Zeus is all powerful and cannot be swayed easily. Only when it comes to matters of the heart can the mighty king be toppled." Psyche saw a look in both her mother and father's eyes that she knew meant that were starting to understand who she really was talking about.
"You don't mean?"
"Yes Father, my husband is the god of love himself, Cupid."
*Whoo! I think this has to be my longest chapter yet! Or maybe it isn't you never know. Any way please keep reviewing, just like any other author I like all the reviews I get. Plus believe it or not, if I get a bad review I actually appreciate those to because they help me write better. Thanks and Have a Good Day!!!!