Psyche

Chapter 14

Psyche looked up and her parents, who sat side by side on their thrones. She had expected them to look stern, and her mother did look stern. Her father on the other hand looked sad.

This is it, she thought, This is the moment. They've found a husband for me.

Psyche inhaled, but she resisted the urge to close her eyes. She knew this day would come. Atlantean princesses - even freakish ones like herself - did not remain unmarried. She wondered if her father had promised her to one of those princes of the Western Continent - or perhaps an Etruscan or an Egyptian. All fine lands, except that Psyche knew well that the material comforts enjoyed by even the lowliest of Atlanteans far exceeded those of the richest princes of other lands.

She envied Eugenia having a husband that was Atlantean, and she even envied Euphemia for having one that seemed to care for her. Psyche wondered if she had met her future husband, or if he had only asked for her hand because of her reputation.

If so, this worried her. The men who desired her for her beauty always found themselves annoyed with her mind; those who appreciated her mind - well, they tended to not be terribly interested in desiring women or, as in Nikolas's case, could not desire her.

"An Oracle has spoken to us, regarding your marriage," said the king, sadness evident in his voice.

This news surprised her, and she raised an eyebrow. Oracles normally did not dictate royal marriages.

"What did the oracle say?" she asked, attempting to show no skepticism in her voice.

Her mother huffed and took a big drink from her goblet.

"It was good news," said the Queen, "The oracle says that your destiny lies among immortals."

Psyche's brow furrowed. "What does that mean?"

Her father, The King, had tears in his eyes. Obviously, the news was not as good as her mother would have you believe.

"Aphrodite wishes to gift you to an immortal as a wife," said her father, "We have been asked to sit you on the rocks on the bluff over the harbor before dusk tomorrow. You will be spirited away to your new husband."

Psyche thought for a moment. "Did they not tell you who?"

"Does it matter my dear? You've been honored by the gods? Is that not enough?"

She looked at her mother, then at her father. "No. It's not enough."

There was silence, for what seemed like a great deal of time.

"If we do not comply, a great wave will engulf the city," said her father.

"Oracles have been predicting the destruction of Atlantis for centuries," replied Psyche, "Yet, we are still here."

Her mother leaned forward, looking at her intently. "If we do comply, the harvest for next year will double."

Psyche folded her arms. "How can Aphrodite promise that? She does not control the crops."

Her mother held up her hand in a queenly gesture that meant silence. "You should not question the will of Aphrodite. No doubt she can ask for Demeter's help, and why wouldn't Demeter comply?"

For starters, thought Psyche, Demeter has reason to sympathize with a daughter whisked away by a husband not of her own choosing and the mother of said daughter.

But then again, Psyche realized, the fact her own mother did not seem terribly upset by this news. The prestige of having her daughter marry an immortal probably outstripped any risk of Psyche's unhappiness. Her father, on the other hand, looked glum.

"Why, my dear parents, do you now lament me? You should rather have grieved when the people showered upon me undeserved honors, and with one voice compared me to Aphrodite. I now perceive that I am a victim to that name. I submit. Lead me to that rock to which my unhappy fate has destined me."

"Don't be melodramatic, Psyche," said her mother, "You have hours, and it is not as though you will be devoured. Being the wife of an immortal is hardly the worst of fates, even if the husband is unpleasant."

The King scowled at the Queen, and then returned his gaze to Psyche. She noticed a tell-tale quiver of his lips and she thought for a moment he might cry. She had never seen him cry.

"I shall make a plea for you," said her father emphatically, "Zeus, who is a patron of kings like me, will help."

"Don't trouble yourself, Father," replied Psyche, "I shall submit to my fate, if only to protect the good people of Atlantis from the wrath of an angry goddess. It is not worth the risk to them for you to intervene. I am but one, humble person."

The King leaned forward, and he spoke in a choked whisper. It occurred to Psyche that he was not a man who was accustomed to being helpless. "You don't appear upset, Psyche? Are you not afraid."

Psyche shrugged her shoulders. "My fate was sealed many years ago, and I will do what I have to do. Nikolas deserves an intact kingdom, of that I am certain. I am also certain that I would not wish any innocent to suffer on my behalf. I brought down the wrath of the goddess, however inadvertently, and I must do what I have to do in order to rectify the situation."

Suddenly, Psyche's heart constricted and she felt agitated for the first time. It was the thought of her brother that brought such feelings out. Nikolas's journey to the other side of their island continent, would take far more than the day and a half she had left. This thought threatened to bring tears to her eyes, but she held them back.

She curtseyed to her parents. "May I pack and write a goodbye letter to Prince Nikolas?"

Her father stood up. She thought maybe he would step forward and embrace her, despite court protocol strictly forbidding such displays of affection in a public space.

"You. . .you may go Psyche, but please dine with us in the private chambers tonight. We'll have the cooks prepare anything you like."

"Thank you, Father," she said, breaking protocol and not calling him by his royal title. He didn't seem to notice this as he gestured for her to go.

She dashed up to her room, intent to pack a few bags of treasured possessions. Surely, whatever or whoever came to whisk her away would be able to carry some of her things.