A Wayward Arrow

Chapter Ten: The Temple of Demeter

The next morning, Psyche wasted no time getting ready to leave. Throwing on her traveling gown and cloaks and said her goodbyes to her mother and father. She knew where she needed to go and she would see her sisters along the way to tell them of what had happened. Because it was their fault she had betrayed them. The Temple of Demeter was in the Kingdom Priscilla stayed in and Maricela was just on the way, so it was almost perfect.

Psyche took no assistance from her parents beyond some provisions for the walk. She knew the pilgrimage wasn't a long one. About a day's walk to her sister Maricela's and then she would stay the night there before continuing on her way for another day's walk to Priscilla's. If everything went right, then within two days' time she would hopefully be speaking to the goddess Demeter and would be seeing her husband in no time and getting all of this sorted out.

As she walked she tried to think of what she would say to the goddess. What she would say to Eros when she finally spoke to him. How she would apologize for all her transgressions and do whatever he wanted as long as it meant that everything would go back to the way it was before. He had said she could not look upon his face, but she had and she seemed fine, so she knew he had lied to her and yet she was willing to let his lie fall aside if he was willing to forgive her betrayal.

By the time day was turning to night she had made it to see Maricela, who was just as surprised to see her as her parents had been. No one had suspected to ever see Psyche again once she had been taken by Eros but now she was making her rounds and as Maricela welcomed her into her Kingdom, she'd look over her to see only the healing wound of the arrow tip on her arm and the questioning look started to come across her features.

"What happened, Dear sister? Did you see your husband? Did he attack you?"

"I want to tell you, Maricela, but I fear if I do I will mess things up even more."

"What do you mean? Surely you can tell your sister what happened."

"I betrayed him because of my dear sisters. That is all you need to know. I must go to the temple of Demeter and, hopefully, I can get him back."

"You'll blame me but you won't tell me what happened. Please let me go with you at least. You shouldn't be traveling by yourself in your condition."

Psyche had tried to tell her sister no, but the woman wouldn't take the answer, so the next morning Psyche would be accompanied by her sister. They'd make the journey with as much haste as possible and arrived before sundown. Priscilla would welcome her two sisters with both puzzlement but happiness and brought them into her home and towards the dining hall as supper was being brought out for them to feast on for the guests of Priscilla had arrived in the kingdom. As she questioned why her sisters had come to visit, the round of answers that Psyche gave had left them with even more questions.

"Demeter? Why must you go to the temple?" Priscilla asked with a hand on her hip as her sisters settled down at the table.

"I need her to help me find my husband. I betrayed him because of what you two talked me into doing. I looked upon his face and in the process I hurt him. I attacked him and he left me alone in the palace. I haven't seen or heard from him since that night."

"Oh, then, dear sister, you saw him. Tell us who he was." Priscilla was sitting down now, leaning forward with baited breath.

"She won't tell. I already tried last night." Maricela chimed in, grabbing a goblet of wine.

"I'm afraid if I tell then I will ruin everything all over again. If you two hadn't poisoned my mind into thinking I had such a right, then I would still have my husband right now. I would be in the enchanted palace right now and he would be holding me. I wouldn't be sitting here, pregnant and alone."

"You can't surely blame us." Maricela scoffed from her goblet.

"That's right. The Oracle was the one who told you that he was a winged monster. We were only trying to help you. You're our dear beloved sister. We would never do anything to harm you. Please tell us. Who was this god? Was he ugly? Is that why he ran from you?" Priscilla dug in.

"Is he a hideous monster?" Maricela asked as well.

"Yes, with horns and wings and sharp pointy fangs?"

"He is not a monster!" Psyche slammed down her goblet onto the table. Spilling out a bit of wine onto the table. This brought smirks to her sisters' faces.

"Not a monster, then dear sister, pray tell!" Priscilla tried.

"He's most handsome with golden-red hair spun into curls. Pale skin and these intense eyes that are like the cosmos themselves. He has these big black wings and the body of a god. When I looked upon him, my heart sang and soared with his name..."

"And what is his name?" Maricela asked.

"Eros."

"Your husband, is the god of love, Eros?" Priscilla asked, stunned.

"Yes, that's right. He is no monster, not as the oracle described anyway."

The sisters turned to look at one another. A look of envy shared between each other. Not just because of the news of who Psyche's husband was or because she was carrying his child, but because of the life she had been living with him this entire time. They both began to down their goblets. Thinking over their own prospects and their own husbands. No children. Small kingdoms with men they could barely stand.

The conversations had long since died out and Psyche had retired for the night, but the two sisters had devised a plan while Psyche slept. As they spoke amongst each other, they decided they would instead try to offer themselves in Psyche's place to the god Eros. After all, if he didn't want Psyche anymore, then he was open for the taking.

As the sun started to come up, the two sisters would take off, drunk and into the cold early morning air towards the mountain-side. They would look for the winds of Zephyr and though it wasn't the tallest mountain-side by their parent's kingdom, the mountain was tall enough. They'd call it forth and toss themselves off the side of it. Only the winds never came. So, when the two jumped into a strong wing, they went tumbling down the mountain-side to their deaths.

- - - -

When Psyche woke the next morning, she did not see her sisters anywhere. Figuring they were just still sleeping from the night of drinking before, she'd get up and bathed and dressed and headed towards the temple of Demeter. The temple was vast but simple. With high archways and stone pillars that led straight to a center altar where incense and candles were set out. There was a basket that had been tossed aside and wheat flowers which had been scattered across the temple floor.

Psyche drew close, picking up the flowers in her arms. She grabbed the basket and placed the flowers inside of it, then went about picking up all the little seeds that she could find and placed them into the basket as well. With a content sigh that every little piece of grain had been picked up, she placed the basket back up onto the alter and then lit up the incense and dropped down onto her knees and began to pray.

"Dear Goddess Demeter, please hear my prayer. I need your help more than ever..."

She prayed and prayed for what seemed like an hour before she felt a soft grasp on her shoulder. It startled her at first, but soon she turned her head to see the beautiful visage of a motherly-like figure standing behind her. She was offering Psyche a smile and took a step towards the alter. Picking up one of the pieces of wheat and looking it over as if inspecting it before she drew it across the alter.

'What is it, child? You've been saying my name over and over. You sound so desperate."

"Because I am desperate. I am looking for someone, not just anyone. I am looking for a god and he won't see me."

"I assume by the glow of lust upon you that it is the god Eros which you seek. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Then why won't he see you?"

"I betrayed him. I was not supposed to look upon his face and I did. When I did, I stabbed him and then he flew away, leaving me alone. I must speak to him, please. Surely another god must know how to call another god."

"If you betrayed him, then I surely should not help you, it sounds like you deserved it but..." The goddess looked around the temple, looking at the basket of grain on the alter, and she'd offer Psyche a small smile. "... I see that you picked up the harvest of wheat and grain. So I will tell you this... I cannot go against another god's wish or will, so I cannot bring him nor you to him. What I can do is offer you advice. Seek the house of Aphrodite. There you must speak with her, for Eros is her son."

"The house of Aphrodite? How do I get there?"

"Through the temple of Aphrodite. Make your pilgrimage to the temple and once there you must serve Aphrodite."

"Serve her? Of course, it all makes sense now. If I serve her, then she will realize that I am the only one for Eros and she must let me speak to him. You are so right and wise, Demeter. Thank you, I appreciate your advice and I will go right now to see Aphrodite!"

"Be warned, girl. Aphrodite's ire can be just as brutal as her love."

"I will, thank you."

Demeter would vanish and Psyche would head off from the temple. There was no stopping to speak with her sisters, she had no time to waste. She needed to seek out the temple of Aphrodite so she could get into her house. If she served her well enough, then surely she would be able to speak with Eros.

"Eros, I am coming! I swear I will set things right!" She spoke aloud to the sky. "I will make everything like it used to be and we will be together again!"

The innocence and wonderment would spur her straight forward towards her destination. All the while, Demeter was showing the other gods the girl who now ran heart-first after the god Eros. They all now had their eyes upon her and what lay before the girl's path on her way to finding Eros.