eros and psyche

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there was once a king who had three astonishing sons. beauty and intelligence beyond most mortals, princes to the very last. yet among them, the youngest son was the most exquisite of the three, a god among mere mortals.

stories of his beauty traveled far and wide, spreading like the golden embers of fire. both men and women alike came from everywhere in him kingdom came to admire and worship him. they told stories of his beauty, that was so great not even aphrodite herself could compare to his elegance and loveliness.

and the more people that came to know of his beauty, the less people that would remember aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. her temples slowly became abandoned by those who once worshipped her. her statues covered in dust, temples left in ruin.

they did not sculpt her any longer, nor did they paint paintings of her beauty. her beauty was slowly forgotten, as the beauty of the prince named jeongguk became known to all.

the goddess, she was not happy. angered and betrayed, she called on her son to help her. she called on taehyung, one of the copious children she had with ares, a consort.

taehyung was the god of desire, erotic love, attraction, affection. a force to be reckoned with, whether you be a mortal or immortal. his arrows could make you fall in love with your worst enemy, a beast, a foul man.

so aphrodite beseeched of him, "make him pay. make him fall in love with the vilest, most disgusting creature to walk the earth. make him fall in love with a creature who knows no mercy, who knows not what love might be. make him pay!"

taehyung, did not think much of the request and agreed to do so for his mother. but as he went down to earth, bow and arrows at the ready, he saw him. jeongguk.

he was entranced. big doe eyes, sweet smile on sensual coral lips. he could not help but pierce his own heart with his arrow, falling irrevocably in love. he could not make jeongguk fall in love with a beast, he could not make such a charming man fall in love with a hideous creature. and so, he left. not telling his mother about his decision.
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jeongguk was beautiful beyond measure. but that beauty, he thought, was not worth it. he wanted to be loved, yet no one did. they looked at him, entranced and captured, but soon after they would leave and return to their own lives. marry, start a family.

his two brothers, although not as beautiful, were already happily married to two kings, each of them having a joyous wedding. nobody wanted jeongguk. no man, no woman. they were contented with just looking. his parents, the king and queen, were distressed, despondent at the thought of their youngest child spending the rest of his life alone.

the king, myungdae, left his kingdom. traveling to the oracle of delphi, in an attempt to find someone for his son.

he prayed to apollo, asking for advice on finding a husband or wife for his son, for advice on finding anyone who might love his son. apollo answered him with a prophecy. a prophecy that would send myungdae and eunkyung into a flurry of laceration at the pain their son must go through.

the prophecy had been decreed, and there was no changing it.

"dressed in black, jeongguk shall be brought to the summit of mount hallasan and shall wait on his own. winged serpent, more powerful than the gods themselves, will come and take him."

the utter despair and agony they had felt. eunkyung sobbed, screamed, prayed for anyone to save her son. but alas, no one came.

and so, jeongguk, in the black clothing he had been told to wear, was left at mount hallasan. screaming, crying, pleading. but they still left him there, helpless and in despair. and for the rest of their lives, they would mourn.
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waiting in the dark, scared, helpless, and cold, jeongguk waited. he waited, and waited, for he could do nought else. he was abandoned, his father had abandoned him on a mountain, where a creature more powerful than the gods would come to take him away.

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