Chapter 20

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Chapter 19      Chapter 21

Psyche woke the next morning, blinking at the rising sun. 

She sat up and instinctively gasped.

Before her was a vast and beautiful landscape. Everything that Gaia had to offer was on display all at once. 

As the sunset had been magnificent, the sunrise was even more beautiful. The clouds reflected various colors which complemented the clear blue of the sky. The sky was vast and limitless, leaving her in awe of its splendor. 

Below was an even more astonishing array of colors. 

Fragrant and flowering trees grew and draped over clear lakes. The combination of the colors of the sky with the colors of earth produced a stunning reflection. 

Waterfalls flowed from mountains above and from them, rivers cut through rock and gave life and energy to the valleys. 

Psyche sat taking it all in. 

This is what her husband imagined for her?

As she came to herself, she wondered how she was viewing such a wondrous vista and cautiously looked around the room. 

Her bed was on a small platform, high above an immense palace. As she started to feel fear of falling, sturdy railing immediately appeared around the platform. She noticed a beautiful staircase which wound its way down to the rest of the palace. 

She secured her robe and followed the steps to a room below. The room was largely open, with occasional pillars, hanging curtains, and low walls, all designed not to obstruct the view of the landscape. 

She noticed a table with instruments for hair arranging. Another table had garments, neatly folded and ready for wear. 

She approached the table with the clothing and examined the variety of exotic colors, patterns, and sheens. 

She let her hands feel all of them, imagining how wonderful they would feel against her skin. 

She moved on to the other table with various instruments and ornaments. So many intricate pieces, so many beautiful things. She scanned the rest of the room and discovered a large mirror set against one of the back walls. 

She blinked at herself as she approached the mirror. She’d never looked at herself all at once before. She marveled for a moment at the mirror itself, the way it reflected the sky behind her, and how it stretched from floor to ceiling, covering most of the wall. 

Leaving the marvel of the mirror for a moment, she met her own eyes. They looked beautiful and bright. She couldn’t help smiling. 

Then she scanned the rest of herself and relaxed her smile. 

Her washing from the day before had removed the dust from the hilltop, but her overall appearance was still rather rough. It hardly matched the splendor around her. Her skin and hair looked dull and she shyly rubbed at her arms, trying not to feel self-conscious. She wasn’t ashamed of how she looked, not exactly, but she was glad to be alone. Had Aglaura or Cydippe been there, they would have had plenty to say and none of it good.

She sighed and stepped away from the mirror. It was then that she noticed a doorway behind the wall revealing a private bathing room. 

Entering the intimate and enclosed space, she examined some bottles and jars set on a tray near the bath. She picked one up to smell it. Inside was a mild fragrance that reminded her of the persimmon; sweet and soft. 

The bottles held a variety of things for washing and moisturizing.

She eagerly removed the robe and the towel she’d been wearing and stepped into the bath. 

Her main task was to clean, so she spent less time floating and focused on washing. Once satisfied and refreshed, she scanned the room and found a clean towel on a bench within reach. She emerged from the pool and set to drying off and applying the other creams and oils to her skin and hair. Everything smelled so good, she couldn’t help a small smile.

Finished with the bathing room, Psyche emerged wrapped in the fresh towel and examined herself again before the mirror. 

She glowed, her skin radiant.

She made her way back to the garment table. 

How to decide? A shimmering floral or a glittering gold? 

She picked a beautiful floral with a light background and a few gold accents which caught the light. 

She slipped it on and was surprised at how it flowed around her.

It fit perfectly. It felt wonderful.

She walked back to the mirror, loving the feel of the fabric against her legs. She examined herself again and couldn’t believe how differently she felt. 

She felt powerful.

Not the kind of power which Aglaura and Cydippe seemed to wield to get their way. Theirs were calculated around necklines and sparkling jewels, designed to catch the eye and render someone speechless. Intimidation and superiority seemed to be their aim.

Her power, her beauty, was different. 

It felt more pure, more elevated, designed to inspire — never to shame or put down. 

She had never considered she could be this kind of beautiful. She had no idea beauty could be used for good, but viewing her image she could clearly see that her sisters’ beauty was not the only kind. 

As Psyche contemplated the version of beauty she wanted most, she went to the table which held an offering of hair instruments and other ornaments. She didn’t mind doing her hair and having something to decorate it. She just didn’t think it needed to be so elaborate. 

She selected a few items and did her best to replicate a hairstyle she felt would suit the dress well. She struggled a bit with some of the pins for her hair, but eventually she stepped back from the mirror satisfied with her first attempt at doing her own hair. 

The one last thing before leaving was to select sandals for her feet. She was surprised that with all of the other choices she had been given, her husband had only given her one pair of shoes. As she put them on she immediately realized why. 

Other shoes, especially the ones worn by royalty, were always uncomfortable and stiff. Psyche felt that just as a sandal was beginning to get comfortable, everyone would insist she get a new pair. The objective was a display of wealth by only wearing new and highly decorated shoes.

If Psyche had been able to design the perfect pair of shoes, this pair would have been it. They perfectly supported her feet with soft and well-placed straps and had a soft and well-cushioned sole. 

Her husband knew how to create beautiful scenery. He knew rooms and bathing. He knew dresses and shoes. 

How did he know so much about her and what she liked?

However he did it, Psyche was ready to explore the rest of the palace. She found a beautifully shaded corridor of trees and flowers connecting her rooms to the rest of the house.

As she explored, she noticed there was no separation of garden and palace. It was all one. Everything was a perfect blend of nature and sculpture. Marble curved around vines and trees. Flowers peeked between gold and glass. The earth had taken all of its best materials and shaped itself into an exquisite and harmonious living space.

Truly unlike anything she’d ever seen.

At about the time she was feeling hungry, she entered a small clearing and she saw the hollow of a fallen tree had been transformed into a table and a comfortable seat. The seat had flowers growing around it and the table had gold accents around the knots and curves of the wood. 

On the table was a plate of food which carried lovely smells. 

Psyche focused on the variety of food and tried to ignore the sudden pang of loneliness at the thought of enjoying such a fine meal by herself. 

As she finished the last thing on her plate, she had to admit it was far superior to the berries and porridge she had been content to eat the day before. 

It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the simple meal. She was grateful for the simplicity and comfort it had given her when she was struggling to understand her new home. 

But this new place, the food and surroundings as presented by her husband, was filled with the most wondrous and enjoyable things. Her body felt revitalized inside and out. She felt strong and healthy. She felt in perfect harmony with the world, and the world seemed in perfect harmony with itself. 

The only downside to this world really was the fact that she had to wait until evening to have anyone to talk to. 

As she rose, the plate disappeared and she returned to roaming the palace. 

Consistently from room to room, Psyche found not a single flaw. As she ventured further away from the living spaces and more into the garden spaces, she noticed the appearance of insects and even plants she knew the gardeners considered weeds. 

Was this intentional to have such pests and weeds? Was this a possible flaw in his perfect world? 

She wondered.

As she wandered, she reflected on how much she cared about every creature, every growing thing. Why should the world deem a weed unworthy of such a place? Or to banish the insects because some thought they were ugly or pests.

Couldn’t they find harmony in this place as well? 

Psyche decided she loved the presence of the weeds and the bugs. 

Eventually the sun began to set and Psyche made her way back to the palace. She wasn’t sure where she should meet him. She considered it would be dark and she’d have to navigate her way to bed whenever he departed. She decided to return to her bedroom. 

Entering her room, she noticed a few changes. There was now just a single table offering everything she’d need for preparing for bed.

She also found a simple sleeping gown. It was modest and comfortable. As she changed, her mind started to wander towards the topic of marriage. What was it supposed to be like? She felt like her interactions with her husband were so limited and few. Having to wait until evening left very little time for her to talk to him, very little time together. He would always leave her to rest, allowing her some hours of sleep before starting a new day.

But what did she really have to do? She just wandered the palace.

Maybe she could shift her waking hours to afford her more time at night with her husband.

Would he have as much time to give her in the evenings? Would he want to spend more time with her than what he was already giving her? 

It was getting too dark to see as she finished the last of her preparations. She hadn’t thought of where she wanted to sit or what they would do. 

“How did you like it?” he asked.

She smiled, noticing a surge of delight at the sound of his voice. 

“Words can’t even describe,” Psyche said. She had an urge to reach for him, hug him, and thank him for showing her how wonderful things could be.

As if sensing her desire, she felt him next to her. She rested against him and he brought his arms around her. 

She returned his embrace. 

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “I never would have imagined such a place.” 

“Tell me more,” he said, leading her to some seat she couldn’t see. “I want to hear everything. What did it feel like? What surprised you?”

She leaned more into him as they sat down. She didn’t want to fall and she didn’t know if they were sitting on a bench or floor pillows or laying on a bed. As she pressed against him, letting him steady her in the dark, she realized she trusted him.  

He wouldn’t hurt her. She was completely safe. 

She told him how much she loved the vista, the harmony of the palace, and the beauty of the dresses. She complimented the sandals and asked him how he knew so much about what she liked. 

“To be honest, Psyche, you helped build this palace today too. It wasn’t just me,” he said. “As you allowed me the chance to show you, you opened up and allowed this world to understand you as its creator. It knew what you liked and didn’t like. It did feel sorry for you, being alone, but hoped the beauties and splendor would be some compensation.” 

“It can’t be helped, I guess,” she said. “It certainly isn’t the fault of this lovely palace. Everything here is so generous and good. I feel so grateful.”

“It can feel it, Psyche,” he said. “In fact, I think my home loves you more than me. It is so delighted to please you and it feels a sense of joy and satisfaction whenever it makes you happy.” 

Psyche smiled. What a wonderful world to have so much joy and happiness. 

“Tell me about the weeds and insects,” she said. “Were they intended to be here?” 

“That wasn’t me,” he said. “That was you.”

“Really?” she said, sounding somewhat pleased. “I have always felt as if such creatures were greatly misunderstood. I’m glad they were included. 

“Are there the same troubles here as in my world? The crowding of weeds, the biting of insects? I noticed with the cottage, the night air was free of any disturbances.”

“It’s more harmonious here,” he said. “Everything gets its fill and finds peace and harmony with each other. At least, that’s how the world is as you create it. 

“Even as I created this world before you came, I wouldn’t have included some of the things you do, but I like it. I like your sense of harmony and love even the less, um, attractive creatures.”

“I love it,” she said. “But what if there are times when I want the cottage? Can I ever go back?” 

“Of course,” he said. “You are a co-creator of our world. If, for a reason I can’t quite fathom, you would want to return to the cottage, you could. It is always there in your mind, ready to be realized.”

“Wow. How is there so much power here? What is this place?” she said.

“It’s a different realm, a realm where I belong. And now that you’re here, you belong too,” he said. 

“Are there any others who live here?” she asked.

“Well, yes, there are many others,” he said. 

“Could I meet them?” she asked.

“Well, no,” he said.

“Why not?” she said.

“It’s the only way –” he started.

“– we can be together,” she finished. “But why? Why are these the only conditions in which we can be together? I don’t understand.”

“I wish I could explain it to you,” he said. “It isn’t the way I prefer it, but it’s the way it must be.” 

She sat quietly for a while, enjoying his warmth. 

“I was thinking,” she said. “Maybe we could spend more time in the evenings together. Perhaps you could stay longer.” 

“You would like that?” he said. He sounded surprised.

“I want to get to know you better. You seem to know so much about me, I want to learn more about you,” she said.

“That would be nice,” he said. “I want you to get to know me, Psyche. I wish you could know everything.”

He seemed to be holding back somehow, as if he wished for something he couldn’t express.

She wanted him to know how much she appreciated what he had done for her, his love and care for her. 

She put her hand on his chest and followed it up to his neck. She felt her face grow warm as she noticed how well-built he was. Without needing to see, she knew he was as perfect as this palace. She found his cheek and brought his lips to hers. 

She didn’t know much about romance or showing physical affection, but he certainly did. 

They didn’t spend much more time talking that night. 

They were busy with other things.

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