The calm breeze tells me that he will be here soon. It's dark. This is when he normally comes. The wind whistles through he trees down below. I swallow up the view, knowing that I can never go down there. So long as I am in the safety of the hills then I am in the love of the being who worships me as I worship him. So long as I remain here I will have no need for anything else.

Not my sisters.

Not my royal family.

Listen, I shall tell you how it all began that I, Psyche, Princess of this village became a part of the mountains.

My sisters. Pretty things they are. Three off them all together. Europa, Psyna and Leneis. People say, however, that my sisters are pretty, but they say I am exquisite. They believe that I posses the charm of Aphrodite. They say that I, a fifteen year old female princess should be worshiped.

You would think that I would love this. My villagers loving me in everyway possible should maybe be a good thing for a young princess, soon to rule this country but I assure that it is not. I have no blessing, so how can I rule when there is no blessing? Aphrodite, I can tell, despises me for my exotic features. People have stopped worshiping her you see. She is angry at me but I know it isn't my fault. I've done everything I can to please her. I stop going out of the palace so people can't love me, I worship her everyday and I send her sacrifices. But it doesn't seem to be enough for the sweet lady of love.

I remember when once I went outside and the town's people stopped their ritual to Aphrodite to come and see, touch, kiss me. I was shocked at their behaviour and I told them that they should love their goddess more than their princess. They love me but they don't listen to me. Instead I am punished for their sins.

People come to the palace to ask my hand in marriage. I will never turn away a man without speaking to him, letting him know that I think he is nice, but that I am not ready for a marriage.

Adonia, my mother thinks that I should get married soon because I am rapidly approaching the age of sixteen. Oh, I know she is right, but I don't want any of these men!

Tyephnia is only one of the hundreds of men who are infatuated with me. He, however, is not the common man, and he brings me flowers and strews my gardens with daisies and violets. He carried necklaces made of pearls in his pocket in case perchance he may meet me in the town. He hangs pink and purple shells from the sea of Propontis on the palace doors. He sings love songs to my chamber window and he charms the birds to sing to me as well. Sometimes it makes me laugh to here his melody from the gardens, and other times it makes me sad. He is not the only man to do this, and like the others I love him not.

Iphenian, another man. He is an Athenian youth who heard of my beauty and so he travelled all the way to meet me. But I am amazed by his shallow soul and I refuse to see such a man. Adonia tells me that he is the Prince of Athens, handsomest man in Attica but still I refuse to meet his face.

"If you do not marry either Typhnia, prince of Mycenae, or Iphenian, prince of Athens then you remain unmarried and unhappy." Says Adonia.

I shake my head.

"Mother, please. I am only fifteen and I do not yet wish to marry a prince." Now Adonia shakes her head.

"Psyche! These men are perfectly respectable beings. Why do you refuse to marry such handsome wealthy men?"

I sighed.

"Adonia…."

"Mother!" I am corrected.

"Sorry, Mother. I have been royal all my life. I want someone who isn't rich and who can love me not because I am a princess, not because I am pretty, but for my personality. Can you not understand that? These men are beings that love me for my looks. Could you, in full honestly, ask my to marry such a man?" Adonia quickly replies.

"A man who can feed you? A man who can keep you wealthy? A man who can let you relax all your life. You will never need to work Psyche. And too right, you shouldn't work. You are a princess! I want you to marry these men. I want you to marry a royal man so that you can continue to live a royal life. You shall have servants and he shall bless you with jewellery. Is this not the type of man you want my child?"

"No," I say stubbornly. "These men don't even know me. They cannot possibly love me. They can give me food, a palace, jewellery, and necklaces. For all I care, strangle me with the things!" And with that I storm out.

I hope I've made my point. If I cannot find a man to love me for who I am, then I hope to love no man at all.