Cupid and Psyche
"How do you know your husband isn't a monster if he won't let you see him?"
Psyche's ears rang. A typical visit with her sisters turned into a confusing mess. True, her married life wasn't exactly normal. After the oracle of Apollo foretold her marriage to a hideous monster that even the gods fear, she walked down the altar towards a foreboding cliff where her husband would greet her. However, Psyche's first meeting with her husband was not at all what she expected. For one, a sudden gust of wind caused Psyche to fall off the cliff, only to slow her descent towards an ethereal palace.
At once, a mesmerizing voice and invisible arm escorted Psyche to a grand banquet room. At Psyche's arrival, she heard more voices congratulating her marriage with their lord, who was none other than Psyche's unseen escort.
Psyche's husband and servants remained invisible. However, over time, their affection towards her was more apparent than anything else she had ever experienced. In her old life, Psyche was no stranger to adoration. Her beauty drew love and worship from all around the world. However, Psyche's admirers always kept their distance; to them, she was not a person but a symbol to revere.
The happy times with her husband and new friends were far more precious compared to any jewel. Then, Psyche discovered her pregnancy, to her thrill and excitement. Psyche's old life of isolation was over, and she couldn't wait to meet her new loved one. However, now Psyche's vision of a happy family crumbled in her mind. How could she go back to that life, after what her sisters said? Psyche loves her husband. He is so gentle and loving towards her. But...what if her sisters were right?
Psyche loves her husband, but she loves their child more than life itself. If by some chance her husband was plotting to kill them both, where could she run? She would have to kill him first.
Psyche remembered the only thing her husband ever asked of her.
"You must never shine a light in our bedroom at night."
And so that evening, Psyche took a sharp blade and a lantern and approached her husband's bedside, her hands trembling with anxiety. They stilled as Psyche cast her eyes on her husband for the first time.
He wasn't a hideous monster. He was an ethereally gorgeous man. Mesmerized by his beauty, Psyche leaned in close, only to jerk back when she felt a sharp prick on her hand. She looked to the side and saw arrows, beautifully crafted.
Psyche realized that her husband was none other than Cupid, the god of love. She felt her love for Cupid swell further than possible, not just from the arrows of love. Her husband wasn't some evil creature. He told the truth when he said he loved her and their baby. Psyche, assassination plan canceled, went to turn away and go back to bed, when a drop of lamp oil mysteriously spilled on Cupid's shoulder.
Unaware to Psyche, the lamp oil became aware. 'So this is happening. I am lamp oil. I am alive,' it thought to itself, marveling at its existence. 'How is this real? What is even happening? Do sentient objects count as being alive? If so, do I have a soul? Can I die? What would lamp oil death be like? How am I even thinking about this? I was just some ordinary lamp oil a moment ago. Am I panicking? I am! This is so weird. I can see? Does that mean I have eyes?'
'Wait...I can only see because lamp oil is burning. I am lamp oil...I like to see...am I a masochist?' The lamp oil moved from its darkening thoughts, and looked around at its surroundings, only to catch sight Cupid.
'This man is the best-looking man I have ever seen. Granted, I don't have anything for comparison since I wasn't alive a moment ago, but this guy is a serious hottie. Hottie...'
The lamp oil realized. 'He's a hottie! I'm hot lamp oil! We belong together! Who cares about existential crises when you've met the love of your life? He's so attractive! Gaaaah! Why didn't sentience come with poet skills? I can't describe his beauty enough! I need to get closer.'
With newfound determination, the lamp oil used all its strength to slide off the lamp and free-fall onto Hottie's shoulder.
Cupid slowly roused from his slumber.
'My shoulder burns. What is...is that lamp oil...with eyes? Did I accidentally bring objects to life in my sleep again? Honestly...mortals never have to deal with these problems.'
As Cupid became more aware, he noticed the light that spilled over the room and its source. 'A lamp? Well, that explains the sentient lamp oil.' Cupid's idle thoughts halted once he viewed Psyche holding the lamp.
"Psyche? What are you..."
His voice clogged up in his throat. Psyche, though in a similar condition, moved forward slightly, as if to embrace Cupid, before her step halted in hesitation. Her slight movement allowed the lamp's light to reflect off the metal in her hand.
"Psyche...is that...a knife?"
Cupid's voice was quiet, but Psyche flinched as if he screamed. The two stared at each other in disbelief and horror.
'I don't understand. Psyche...were you planning on killing me? I know you visited your jealous sisters earlier, but you promised. You promised me that you trusted me and wouldn't listen to any advice from them. Did you...lie? I know our marriage life is unconventional. I know I've hidden my form from you, but I tried to treat you like a queen. I wanted to give us a happy life together, Psyche! Why couldn't you trust me?'
For a moment, the couple stared at each other. Cupid's eyes filled with despair and before Psyche could do anything else, he fled.
Alone in the room, Psyche's heart felt heavy. One resolute thought kept her from crumpling to the ground. 'I need to fix this.'
Author's Note:
The original story of Cupid and Psyche starts with a beautiful mortal princess, the Psyche. Psyche is so stunning that worshippers of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, stopped going to the temples and started going to see Psyche's legendary beauty. Venus, of course, is enraged that mortals have begun to worship a lowly mortal like Psyche instead of her own divine self. So Venus decides to have Psyche fall in love with a hideous monster. Psyche's father at this time is looking for a husband for Psyche, and he hears about the monster that Venus wants to set Psyche up with.
Venus sends her son, Cupid, to use his love arrows on Psyche, but Cupid falls in love with Psyche at first sight and decides to marry her. Cupid and his servants stay invisible mainly so that Psyche will love Cupid for who he is as a person, not because he is a god. Another reason is to prevent Venus from finding out the woman she wanted ruined is now her daughter-in-law.
However, aside from Venus, Psyche's side of the family also has problems. She has two sisters who were married to old kings in foreign countries, and they are jealous that Psyche lives in a luxurious palace with unearthly riches. They determine that Psyche has married a god and decide to ruin her marriage. The sisters tell Psyche that her husband is a monster that is definitely going to kill her and her unborn child if she doesn't kill him first. Psyche, being naive and trusting her older sisters, listen to their "advice." These are the events that lead up to this retelling. After Cupid flees, Psyche wants to fix her relationship with him. Through completion of multiple tasks and other events, Psyche eventually becomes an immortal goddess and marries Cupid as an equal. Psyche gives birth to a daughter whose name translates as "pleasure" in English.
I added in the oil perspective because, in the original story, the lamp oil splashes Cupid because Cupid's otherworldly beauty makes the oil want to be closer to him. I decided to create a comedic effect from it.