'Oh no.'
Eros felt it – the looming bad news hovering over the horizon, in the form of his mother. 'She is mad.'
As the deities of the most universal force of nature, the feelings of the mother and son were quite linked, because they share common powers. Aphrodite, however, is more powerful compared to Eros, since she is a Guardian of Olympus, and also a lot more experienced when it comes to matters of the heart. Aside from the power to drive anyone insane in the name of love, his mother can create her 'own world' by trapping anyone inside the glamour she creates. She does this often when she finds things that are ugly. After all, everything around the Goddess of Beauty should not fall short from being perfect. Also, she can make any male do her bidding. That power of control scares him the most. 'It's not just her beauty that she cares about, and she doesn't just randomly throw beauty products whenever she's like this!'
That's why this sense of danger that he was feeling made him worried, for what if Aphrodite will demonstrate to them the extent of her Olympian glory? Can they escape the wrath of her if ever she'll come marching in with her perfectly plucked eyebrows raised to their maximum?
'What should I do?' Eros kept on asking this question to himself. He was at a loss on what to do next now knowing that his mother is mad at something. Somehow, his instinct tells him that it's about him in relation to this forbidden romance.
Psyche held his hand, giving him a bit of reassurance, and for a fleeting moment, he actually felt a bit better. But then he heard the Song of the Doves, and the sound of their soft, fluttering wings – someone just landed in his parking lot.
And it's not just someone not worth it of their attention – he's very sure his mother just parked her chariot outside. "Hide, hide, quickly!" He told Psyche and the other two mortals who spoke with them earlier. Of course the urgency in his tone sent them scampering around the living room, in search for a place to hide.
He was just so happy a moment ago, but this happiness didn't last long because trouble has arrived, and he sure will be at the receiving end of the scolding of a lifetime.
The door was opened and a pleasant melody of footsteps clicked into his marble tiles.
"Eros!" Aphrodite remained immaculate in her appearance despite the sharp tone she used in calling his name. "Eros! Come here at once!"
The God of Love stepped in to respond to his mother's calls. "Mo – mother! Hell-o, what brings you here!"
"Don't even try to mess with me, where's that whore?!" She was referring to Psyche, who shivered after hearing what the Goddess thinks about her.
"What are you talk –"
"LIES!" Before Eros can even finish his sentence, a loud sound of a palm hitting somebody else's flesh was heard. Psyche need not see what just happened to know that Aphrodite just slapped her son.
Reflexively, she came out from her hiding place behind the velvety curtain by the window, and stopped the Goddess from hitting Eros for the second time around.
"Don't." She firmly said.
But the Goddess wasn't fazed. In fact, she even smiled a little from the daring actions of this unknown woman before her. Oh – she wasn't unknown to her – this wretch is none other than mortal called Psyche.
"But really….you are so plain and ill-favored girl that you will never be able to get a lover except by the most diligent and painful service. Or not hahaha." She fanned herself, feeling superior over Psyche at the moment.
Just then, the Goddess heard some scuffle in the eastern portion of the room, and directed her gaze at the object that she thought was covering something else.
Eros tried to intercept. "There's nothing there -"
The posh-looking feather sofa that she looked suddenly disappeared, revealing two other persons whom she also saw in the Vision livestream earlier. 'These pesky mortals are the ones who wanted to start this war.'
Sayo and Rexis were expecting the same to happen – they know they can't hide for long in the presence of the Goddess. They tried to not stare at her perfection – but struggled to do it so. She's such a lovely visitor.
Aphrodite's looks can make her win any coveted crown from any beauty contests. She is tall, with fair, flawless skin, waist-long golden hair, and perfect body proportions. Her lavender colored peplos had a slit in it, showing off her long, gorgeous legs. Even the fabric that was fastening the cloth together was styled like an off-shoulder, which easily showed off her lovely clavicles or collar bones.
They don't understand why some little doves are flying around her, but it brings her overall aesthetic to a higher level, making her presence even more beautiful than it already is. And her eyes – there was a kaleidoscope of colors in her eyes. Pick your favorite color, and that's it.
"Quit simping!" Sayo kicked Rexis' butt to shake him off from his daze. If she hasn't done it, she was sure Rexis will start drooling. He was thrown forwards closer to the Goddess, and when he looked up, he struggled some more to stop himself from simping at the perfect woman before him.
"It's you, and you said you want war? Fine. Honey, be careful what you wish for coz you just might get it. I will therefore show you my goodwill by granting your desire in grander ways."
Aphrodite's hand glowed a shade of pink, and two pink orbs came out from it. Sayo instantly saw that Eros and Rexis froze on their spots, and she knew these orbs mean trouble. The little pink spheres travelled slowly towards the immobilized males, and Sayo tried to strike one of them, in attempt to sever it.
But the Goddess just laughed at her, "Oh no, girls can't touch that."
The pink orbs continued to travel at the two, until it eventually touched their foreheads, and the light on their eyes disappeared, like they were under a trance or something. Then, the Goddess said, "Se diatazo."
'I command you…..' Psyche understood the Goddess's words.
Aphrodite continued, "You'll follow me unless I let you go from this love spell."
The boys walked towards her – and the remaining girls fully understood now what just happened. The Goddess of Love and Beauty now had control over their male companions.
"YOU STUPID REXIS, WAKE UP!! I TOLD YOU TO QUIT SIMPING!" Sayo shouted at her friend, who doesn't seem to hear what she just uttered. "YOU MORON, SNAP OUT OF IT!"
"My love….it's me, come back to me…." Psyche's voice began to crack, in her calls towards her lover.
But the goddess just laughed them off, before saying, "Well, you did say that love is war? Correct?" She eyed the two more seriously now, "Then prove your worth. Win this war against me, if you want them back." The Goddess playfully traced her fingers in Rexis' jawline, and poked her long nails just above the highest point of his cheeks. She poked it so hard that it left a tiny mark.
Psyche then asked, "What shall we do to quell your anger?"
Sayo, on the other hand, was fitting the puzzle altogether. Yes, she is worried about what can happen to the men, to Rexis especially, but there's only one way to save them both. And she had a feeling that she already knows what's gonna happen next.
"Fulfill all of the labors I will assign to you two, and I'll determine your worth. If your work is satisfactory, then perhaps I might consider returning these men to you." Aphrodite answered.