No sounds of laughter or excitement ring out in the marketplace, and the merchants are blank-eyed and listless, letting her haggle the price down far too easily.

The indifferent gossips tell her that the god has not yet been found, and she thanks them for the news and takes the long mountain path back to her small house; when her handsome husband returns from the flocks at twilight, she tells him her worries, her words dripping with fear at the strange new world they live in.

"There's nothing we can do," he says, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her until she feels safe again; the night cradles her like the embrace of wings and Psyche thinks about how fortunate she is to wed such a loving, considerate man, to live in a house filled with joy and happiness, even in a world where all passion has flown away.



(with thanks to nyappytown at tumblr for taking a quick look to make sure the sentences make sense, mistakes my own)